Personally, I like Ron precisely because of his ordinariness. Hell, some aspects of Ron's personality, like his Middle Child Syndrome, are especially relatable to me.

 

People generally hate Ron because of his "betrayals". However, every single one of these people forget that they either are, or once were, stupid, temperamental teenagers. Ron is disliked because he reminds people of things about themselves that they'd rather forget entirely.

 

I think the better question is Ron an asshole to girls?

Definitely, just read the GoF chapters surrounding the Yule Ball. I mean, I am not the suavest person around women, but the verbal diarrhoea he spurted there is really cringe-worthy. Not to mention he was a dick to Hermione quite often.

"We should get a move on, you know . . . ask someone. He’s right. We don’t want to end up with a pair of trolls.”

Hermione let out a sputter of indignation. “A pair of . . . what, excuse me?”

“Well — you know,” said Ron, shrugging. “I’d rather go alone than with — with Eloise Midgen, say.”

“Her acne’s loads better lately — and she’s really nice!”

“Her nose is off-center,” said Ron.

“Oh I see,” Hermione said, bristling. “So basically, you’re going to take the best-looking girl who’ll have you, even if she’s completely horrible?”

“Er — yeah, that sounds about right,” said Ron.

Straight from Goblet of Fire, page 394. And how he treated Hermione during the Yule Ball isn't much better.

 

He's a fucking teenager.

 

How many teenage males do you know that aren't stupid around girls. When I was a teenager, there was a girl I really liked. You want to know how I showed it? I bullied her and made her cry for some reason. Men (And especially boys) are stupid around girls.

As cruel as it is, Ron (and any other teenager) not going out with someone who's not good looking isn't something that should be held against them.

Would you blame a good looking girl for not going out with the overweight guy with the neckbeard and bad breath that just walked up to her in the bar?

Ron's not looking for a life partner or even a girlfriend. He literally just needs a girl to go with him to a dance. How many relationships do you know that lasted past Prom?

 

This is quite interesting when compared to the common trope of having Ron say something along the lines of "But she's a Slytherin, Harry!" in every Harry/Slytherin Girl fic. Just judging from this Ron wouldn't give a shit if fanon Daphne asked him out and if she was going out with Harry he'd probably be the first to congratulate him.

 

Also why are people saying he is competent? JKR never saw him as it. Even though she didn't write it but she approved the cursed child so you can see what she thought of Ron.

Ron: I'm armed and entirely dangerous and seriously advise you- he realises his wand is around the wrong way and turns it right

RON: Have I missed anything--I couldn't work out which Floo to travel to. Ended up in the kitchen somehow. (HERMIONE glares at him as he pulls the napkin off himself) What?

...trying to work out which Floo I could use because when you've had a drink sometimes you don't want to use the tight ones -- or the turny ones or --

 

I identified Hermione a lot which is why the Ron and Hermione pairing upset me because I thought Hermione deserved better than a guy who is an asshole to her most of the time and never appreciated her. Her wasting her life to take care of the guy who was an asshole to her most of the time just pissed me off. Hermione deserves better than being Molly 2.0.

 

I agree and luckily for her she married Ron who helped her become the minster of magic while he worked at his brothers shop which would have flexible hours so he could spend more time looking after the kids.

 

I know I've read it multiple times before, where Harry starts dating a Slytherin, and expects Ron to go off on a "all Slytherins are slimy and evil" rant.

At which point Ron points out the "exceptional boobs, bum, or legs clause".


I'm a big fan of the "normal bloke" Ron. He's not a master tactician, he's not a seething pot of racist/houseist vitriol, and he's not clinically retarded. No deep understanding of the way the government works through his father, he maybe has some insider knowledge... In the same way anyone who pays attention to the news does.

He's just a teenager who wants to get through high school, have a few drinks with his mates, and find a girl who'll put out. Ideally, a pretty one.

 

Not quite sure how you can relate to Hermione so much. You are a 37 year old male (Which rules you out as being Margaret Thatcher) who is not going to a Magical School and based on your responses, would most likely not be friends with someone like Ron. You've also commented that she would be much more suitable for Harry if she "look liked Emma Watson and learned to shut up" .

 

I actually thought Ron was a far better friend for Harry than Hermione was. Ron is a pretty cool guy while Hermione is annoying. Harry enjoyed his company more than Hermione yet she is loved in the fandom because they see her as Emma Watson who is really beautiful. Canon Hermione is not beautiful. I don't understand why he gets so much stick. Ron is the most hated character in the fandom after Dumbledore. It's a rarity to find a fic where Dumbledore and Ron aren't evil and bashed.

 

A simple typo. But, as with every site, there will always be keyboard warriors who are eager to jump on the slightest infringement.

 

There was more than a typo there, like the content of the post which was pure nonsense.

 

A matter of opinion. It was certainly relevant to the topic.

 

Not a matter of opinion if what Ron did according to your post and what Ron actually did in books are completely different things.

 

I do acknowledge, after several months, that it was perhaps a little exaggerated. However, the basis of what I meant to convey remains the same. Ron has not been a good friend. Even though the number of times there was a rift between him and his friends are few, the enormity of what he did counters that.

 

I'd also recommend this more polished version of my spiel someone else wrote: https://forums.spacebattles.com/posts/31551496/