Harry Dresden
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Harry Dresden |
| Occupation: | Wizard, Private Investigator |
| Relationships: | Maggie (daughter), Thomas Raith (brother), Ebenezar McCoy (grandfather), Leanansidhe (fairy godmother), Molly Carpenter (apprentice), Karrin Murphy (friend and ally), Mab (queen) |
| Fandom: | Dresden Files |
| Other: | full name: Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, the main character of the book and TV series Dresden Files, is a wizard who works as a PI in Chicago. In the course of several books, he gains more power, makes new friends, allies and enemies, upsets the balance of the magical world several times and tries to uncover a vast secret conspiracy of wizards, the so-called "Black Council".
He has a cat, Mister, a magical dog, Mouse, and until Ghost Story was the master of Bob the Skull, a spirit of intellect that lives in an enchanted skull.
Biography
This article or section needs expansion. |
Fan Reception
Harry is a popular character in fanfic. Like the novels, many (if not most) fics that center on him are written in first person, while fanfic about other Dresden Files characters is mostly written in third person.
Harry is shipped with many characters, in het fandom most often with Karrin Murphy (a pairing with canon UST) and his younger apprentice Molly Carpenter (who canonically has a crush on him), a pairing which is considered problematic by some fans because of the age difference and their student-mentor relationship.
In slash fandom, the most popular pairing is Harry Dresden/John Marcone, another is the incest pairing Harry Dresden/Thomas Raith.
Genderswap fics featuring Harry, both where he switches sex and where he was born female, are also quite popular, especially among Harry/Marcone fans. Female Harry is usually portrayed as being no more "feminine" than her male counterpart.
Even though Harry doesn't wear a hat in canon and even states that he doesn't like to wear them, every cover so far has shown him with a hat. As a result, some fanart also shows him with a hat and many fans are confused about whether or not he wears one.
Harry's chivalry and issues with sexuality
Harry's instinctive protectiveness of women has led him into trouble more than once, and Karrin Murphy repeatedly calls him on it. Harry also describes almost every woman that appears in the series as extraordinarily beautiful, and several times female enemies try to use sexual attraction to coerce him. Fans have argued that Harry's history, starting with his abusive stepfather, deeply affects his views on sexuality, gender and consent.[1]
Notable Fanworks
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
- Those Left Behind details everyone's reactions to Harry's death in Changes. Written by Ghostie.
- Parent Night Harry's first parent night at Maggie's school. Written by Benga
References
- ^ 28.7.2011, A Critical Look at Harry Dresden's Capital I-Issues (oblique GS spoilers) by Lucia Zephyr, accessed 29.7.2011