The Harry Potter prequel/spin-off franchise Fantastic Beasts has had somewhat of a problematic history. While originally it seemed to have a lot of potential, the second movie became disjointed and followed too many plot threads. Fans criticized the fact that the franchise stopped being about Newt Scamander and his titular fantastic beasts and became more about Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald.
But Albus and Gellert aren’t the only characters involved in Newt’s journey. Fantastic Beasts includes a lot of female characters, some of whom drastically influence the course of events. A few notable examples even have a strong connection to the rest of the Harry Potter franchise.
8 Mary-Lou Barebone Embodies The No Maj’s Hatred For Magic
One of the most important characters in the series, Credence Barebone, is raised by the magic-hating No-Maj Mary-Lou Barebone. The leader of the New Salem Philanthropic Society, Mary-Lou is an incredibly bigoted woman. She physically abuses her adopted children solely out of the paranoia that they may have magic.
Ironically, Credence does in fact have such powers, and her constant attacks cause an Obscurus to manifest within him. The unleashed powers eventually kill her. She embodies the No-Maj’s hatred for magic in the same way the Dursley family did, though her fate is far grimmer than theirs.
7 Chastity Barebone’s Obedience Of Her Mother Leads To Her Death
Mary-Lou’s middle child, Chastity is almost as dedicated to Mary-Lou’s anti-magic views as her mother. She is committed to her work with the New Salem Philanthropic Society and abides by the strict rules her mother imposes, unlike her two siblings, Credence and Modesty.
She doesn’t seem to approve of her mother’s punishments, but she doesn’t question them either. This blows up in her face, as she is also killed by Credence.
6 Modesty Barebone Has A Close Bond With Her Adopted Brother
Mary-Lou’s youngest adopted child, Modesty is a perceptive, intelligent, and occasionally rebellious girl. While she pretends to follow her mother’s rules, she has moments when she goes against Mary-Lou’s commands, like discarding her anti-magic pamphlets. She is very close to her brother Credence and mysteriously owns a toy wand.
It has been speculated that Modesty may have been a witch. Her biological family is known to have been large and presumably poor, but in every other way the details of her background are vague. She survives Credence’s rampage and flees to find her family. It would certainly be interesting to see her return, this time perhaps with magic.
5 Seraphina Picquery Is A No-Nonsense Leader Unafraid To Accept Her Mistakes
The President of the Magical Congress of the United States of America, Seraphina Picquery confronts Newt Scamander during Fantastic Beasts regarding the death of No-Maj senator Henry Shaw Jr. She believes the attack to have been caused by one of Newt's escaped creatures and disregards his explanation of it being related to an Obscurial. Her skepticism is perhaps warranted, as Newt’s claims that his creatures aren’t dangerous don’t exactly make him a believable source.
Once Credence’s Obscurus and Grindelwald’s involvement are both revealed, Seraphina accepts the assistance of Newt’s creatures and is happy to acknowledge their debt to him and his friends. She will later make all North American magical beasts protected species, starting with the Thunderbird. A no-nonsense and realistic leader, she is unafraid to accept her mistakes, displaying a moral compass that seems rare in Wizarding politics.
4 Queenie Goldstein Is A Fascinating Character Too Easily Swayed By Grindelwald
One of the most likable characters in the first Fantastic Beasts movie, Queenie Goldstein is first introduced as a deeply empathetic woman with a unique view on life. In many ways, she is somewhat similar to Luna Lovegood, her almost dreamy attitude reminiscent of the fan-favorite Ravenclaw of Harry Potter. Her relationship with No-Maj Jacob Kowalski is also very endearing, and her advanced Occlumency powers make her even more fascinating.
Things take an unfortunate turn for Queenie in The Crimes of Grindelwald. She attempts to force Jacob to marry her despite his original well-meaning refusal. When Newt undoes her love spell, she becomes infuriated. Gellert takes advantage of her emotional vulnerability to recruit her to his cause. It’s not really a development that makes sense and it does the character no favors.
3 Leta Lestrange Has Real Depth But Needed More Time To Reveal Her Secrets
A deeply complex character, Leta Lestrange is only properly introduced in The Crimes of Grindelwald. Despite having a close bond with Newt, she is engaged to his brother Theseus. But it is her family background that makes her a tragic figure. Born out of Corvus Lestrange’s rape of the already married Laurena Kama, Leta has a half-brother, also named Corvus. As the Kama family swears vengeance, the two children are sent to America with a servant. While on the ship, Leta switches her crying brother with another baby.
The ship later sinks, and the switched Corvus is killed. Bullied at Hogwarts for her history, she is almost expelled for her experiments, only to be saved when Newt takes the blame. She carries the guilt for both incidents all the way into adulthood. In the end, she sacrifices herself to Grindelwald’s spell in the hope of giving the others time to escape. Despite being incredibly interesting, she doesn’t quite have enough time to reveal her true secrets.
2 Nagini Is Revealed To Be A Woman Under A Maledictus Curse
With Fantastic Beasts, J.K. Rowling has made many changes to Harry Potter canon. One of the most memorable ones is that of Nagini’s true identity. In Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Credence Barebone works at the Circus Arcanum, and it is there that he encounters Nagini. She is a maledictus, a woman under a blood curse that allows her to transform into an animal. After a certain number of years, the curse will trap her in the form of a snake permanently.
This addition to Nagini’s background has drawn a lot of disapproval considering Nagini's ultimate fate--and the fact that Voldemort was using Nagini's milk to survive. Even so, the character is interesting. She appears to have romantic feelings for Credence but doesn’t join Grindelwald with him. Instead, she seems intent on supporting the forces of good. Hopefully, her character arc in The Secrets of Dumbledore will give her more time to shine.
1 Tina Goldstein Is A Feisty Auror Always Ready For Action
The main female lead of the Fantastic Beasts movies, Porpentina Goldstein is a level-headed but brave Auror always ready for action. When she originally encounters Newt Scamander, she considers him a threat to the Statute of Secrecy, and in this, she is probably not wrong. But in the end, Newt’s kindness wins her over and the two form a genuine and tender bond. One of Tina’s best moments is her defense of Credence Barebone. When she sees Mary-Lou attack her adopted son, she magically counter-attacks the woman.
As a result, she is demoted, something that affects her greatly. She doesn’t let that stop her, and she is instrumental in the defeat of Grindelwald. The second movie sees her searching for Credence in Paris. She is captured by Yusuf Kama, which takes away some of her screen time. But in the end, she is part of the group that protects Paris from Gellert Grindelwald’s spell. She eventually marries Newt and the two have at least one child.