Which Weasley twin dies in Harry Potter?

There’s plenty of death and destruction in the latter Harry Potter stories, but which of the Weasley twins dies in the books and movies?

Amid the magical battle that underlines the Harry Potter fantasy series, there’s a lot of characters coming and going. Those who suffer at the hands of Voldemort often meet untimely and heart-wrenching ends, and the Weasley Twins are no exception.

The Gryffindor boys were known for making mischief and outsmarting their younger brother, Ron. Indeed, they were fan-favorites of the Harry Potter movies, so it hurt all the more when the Battle of Hogwarts eventually claimed the life of one of them.

But which Weasley twin died? Was it Fred, or George? Here’s what you need to know. (Spoilers ahead!)

Which Weasley twin dies in Harry Potter?

Fred Weasley dies during the Battle of Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, while George lives on.

The depiction of Fred’s death differs slightly between the book and the movie. In the novel, Fred is killed by an explosion and found by his family — an event witnessed by Harry as he sees Percy and Ron tend to Fred’s body.

Prior to the big battle, Fred and Percy reconnect and reconcile their previous differences, which makes it all the more gutting when Percy refuses to leave Fred’s body behind. He’s later moved to the Great Hall where the rest of his family can mourn him.

In the movie, we’re not given such a graphic depiction. Instead, we see the aftermath of Fred’s death as his family attends to him in the Great Hall and Harry sees his body for the first time. Indeed, it’s not as graphic or vivid as the book describes, but it’s still a heartbreaking moment.

There’s a brief moment in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 beforehand in which we see one of the Weasley twins being disarmed by a Death Eater. This was previously assumed to be Fred, but based on the clothing we see him wearing, it’s actually more likely to be George, the brother who lives.

The death of his twin rattles George, and when he later grows up and goes onto marry Angelina Johnson, he names his son Fred in honor of his late brother.

For more, check out our guides on what happened to Lupin, the prefects in Harry Potter, and the best Harry Potter house.