Within the Harry Potter universe, it’s hard to find disliked characters that are anyone other than the main antagonists. Still, Albus Severus Potter manages to be one of these characters, mainly due to the lackluster reception of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, where his appearance as the lead didn’t sit well with most fans.
The criticism of Albus is very much justified, as he displayed several traits that contributed to the lack of sympathy he received, both in-universe and from the fanbase. The reasons why he might just be the worst character relate to the bad decisions he made, his reluctance to develop or change as a character, and his overall attitude.
Causing Problems With Time
At one point in the series, usage of the time turner was one of Hermione’s best plans. With Albus, it was the dumbest thing ever. Not only did he abuse the use of time turners, he went so far as to break apart the fabric of reality.
The other characters did mess up on occasion, but nothing on the level that Albus achieved. What’s more, he managed to turn things progressively worse even when he tried to get things right. It doesn’t matter if Albus learned his lesson since he was the one who ruined everything in the first place.
Blindly Trusting Delphini
The revelation of Delphini being the daughter of Voldemort remains one of the most hated storylines in the series. Albus wasn’t smart enough to see the obvious signs of her being a baddie either, falling for her lies over being the niece of Amos Diggory instead.
It was Albus who came up with the plan to get Delphini the time turner and stole it from Hermione’s office at the Ministry. Rather than do his research into Delphini’s background, Albus jumped at the chance of going against his father by helping Delphini, who eventually turned out to be Voldemort’s daughter.
Being Whiny In Nature
If there’s one trait that is the most distinguishable about Albus, it’s his constant whining. While his friend Scorpius made the best of his position as the son of a former Death Eater, Albus would go on about how he was always judged as the Chosen One’s son.
He would also complain about other issues, like feeling as if he didn’t fit in, or that nobody really understood him. These issues were common amongst all children his age, yet Albus acted as if he was a special case.
Hurting Harry's Feelings
Even though Albus was responsible for breaking time apart, his worst act might still be hurting his father. He was well aware of what he was doing, as well, by making sure to tell Harry that he wished he wasn’t his son.
He went against Harry’s decision to help Delphini - at a time when she pretended to be Amos Diggory’s daughter - to spite his father and to set himself apart. Harry was visibly shaken by Albus’ actions, which his son didn’t seem to mind.
Being Insecure Despite Repeated Assurances
Being insecure isn’t bad, as Ron was this way for a very long time, but Albus’ case was different since he got repeated assurances that he wasn’t unloved. Harry and Ginny were always available to talk to him and never made him believe they didn’t want him. And yet, Albus’ insecurities knew no bounds and he searched for dangerous things at Hogwarts as a way to act out for attention.
Even Harry’s claim that he wished Albus wasn’t his son was just in retaliation to the same thing Albus said to him. The ribbing he received from his brother was of the same league as Fred and George had done to Ron, so there was nothing to suggest nobody liked him.
Blaming Others For His Problems
Judging by what was shown of him in Cursed Child, Albus seemed to think everyone in the world was wrong and he was right. Despite being the one to cause all the problems, he placed the blame on people like his father, brother, and even other Hogwarts students.
It was Albus who dragged Scorpius into the mess caused by the time turner, but he didn’t take responsibility for his actions and siphoned this off to the insecurities he felt were the result of how others had treated him.
Not Taking Harry's Advice Over The Sorting
When it comes to considering the children who didn’t deserve to be in a particular House, Albus figured Slytherin to be a poor choice, as he wanted to be in Gryffindor. This shouldn’t have been an issue since Harry himself had assured him he didn’t care if Albus was in Slytherin.
Albus was made fun of for this by the other students, but Neville Longbottom had faced similar criticism back in the day and didn’t let it get to him, even though he’d been belittled by his own grandmother. Albus didn’t think of Harry’s assurances and instantly figured he wasn’t a good wizard.
His Reluctance To Make Friends
Although the Golden Trio will always be the preferred choice, there have been many other friendships that have stood out. Albus doesn’t qualify since he only thought to approach Scorpius, shunning everyone else and never giving them a chance. He wasn't an introvert, he was just against giving people a chance entirely.
His excuse was that the other students were mean to him, but that’s a very unhealthy approach since it meant Albus never had any friends. He was at Hogwarts for a significant time in the story, by which point he should have matured enough to understand that not everyone is mean.
His Habit Of Burning Bridges
The major reason why Albus found himself friendless and alone was his habit of cutting people out entirely. When called upon his flaws, Albus would become defensive without making the effort to understand where the other person was coming from.
He did this with Harry by intending to hurt his feelings and again with Rose when she tried to reach out to him about them drifting apart. Rather than work on building relationships back, Albus would look to end them entirely if it meant not admitting the problem.
Being A Poor Wizard Who Didn't Grow In Potential
Don’t count on seeing Albus pull off any dangerous spells that exist in the wizarding world, as the boy was hardly capable of doing in the basic ones. At the end of the day, being at least a passable wizard is important to stand out in the Harry Potter universe.
Albus didn’t even make up for this through his personality, as other less gifted characters had done, putting his lack of talent into greater focus. While he was said to have potential, Albus never got around to living up to it.