Harry Potter might just be a teenager, but he has some incredible abilities and powers because of his magical ability. As the protagonist of the Harry Potter series, he has magic skills that set him apart from his peers, and he’s also the Chosen One which elevates him to a hero's journey status. However, there were times in the series that it felt like he was too overpowered and able to make it through encounters with dark wizards way too easily.
But, this doesn’t mean Harry didn’t have his weaknesses. While he might have been quite talented in a dueling situation, he did have areas of magic, such as Divination, where he was rather abysmal. His weaknesses made him easy to defeat in some situations, but not others.
Defeated Easily: Because He Relies On Friends For Help
While this isn’t exactly a case of Harry being defeated easily, he really wouldn’t have made it very far without the help of so many allies. This is typically true of the fact that he relied so heavily on the trio, specifically Hermione.
She was often the one doing all the research and preparation work to help Harry do things like complete the tasks in the Triwizard Tournament. Harry often depended on her work instead of doing it himself, and she often saved the day.
Overpowered: He Escapes Nearly Every Dangerous Encounter
As the protagonist of the story, and as a story that follows a rather archetypal hero's journey, it’s not that surprising that Harry ends up winning in many fighting situations. However, it did make him seem too overpowered and special at times.
He faced Voldemort in many forms and also escaped creatures like dementors and giant spiders. While some of these escapes were down to luck and plot contrivances, it did happen almost too much.
Defeated Easily: His Lack Of Well-Rounded Magical Skills
While Harry has many magical abilities and does well in some kinds of magic, he was also lacking in other subjects. He was useless in Divination, and he also was no potions master. Even in subjects like Transfiguration, he was barely more than average.
While these skills didn’t mean he was unable to win in duels, it did mean he wasn’t the best student around. In a way, he was defeated by his peers all the time in school work. He also did very poorly in Occlumency, and this made him vulnerable to Voldemort.
Overpowered: He Doesn’t Work Hard But Is Naturally Gifted
One thing that many fans of the series pointed out is that Harry seems too good at some things without even having to try. This even applies to skills that aren’t a matter of life-and-death, such as Quidditch. While he might not be the laziest student around, Harry also doesn't apply himself as much as he could. He even gets average grades in many of his classes.
However, he’s shown to be extremely quick when he’s fighting others, even against wizards and witches with a lot more experience than him. It often seems like he wins more because he’s supposed to be the hero than that he should actually be that good.
Defeated Easily: His Emotions Would Get The Best Of Him
One of Harry’s biggest downfalls was his inability to control his emotions. He was a rather passionate person, and he could be upset easily. He would often try to pursue those he couldn’t beat, such as Snape after he killed Dumbledore, because he was upset and wanted retribution.
He also attempted to go after Bellatrix in the Ministry of Magic with little success. His emotions were sometimes a strength, but they could make him weak in intense situations.
Overpowered: He’s A Defense Against The Dark Arts Prodigy
While Harry might have been a bit lackluster in many subjects, he was so good at Defense Against the Dark Arts that he was better than most of his professors in the subject with Lupin and Snape being the exceptions.
He was able to teach his peers in Dumbledore’s Army to learn all kinds of defensive spells such as stunning spells and disarming spells. It makes sense that he would have one strong area of magic, but he was too much of a prodigy to be realistic.
Defeated Easily: He Didn’t Fare Well At The Ministry Battle
While Harry always survives his encounters with Voldemort, he doesn’t always win the fight per se. He often barely escapes with his life, but he does seem to fare better in the one-on-one encounters with Voldemort. In the giant battle between the Death Eaters and the Order of the Phoenix, it’s clear that Harry and his friends are way out of their element.
They really can’t compete with the level of dueling skill between these adult witches and wizards, and Bellatrix finds Harry’s attempts to hurt her barely more than a hilarious joke. In this epic magical battle, Harry's power fades to the background.
Overpowered: Continually Evading Voldemort
One of the main reasons why Harry seems overpowered is that he always gets out of Voldemort’s grasp. Of course, there are particular reasons for this that come down to the protection Harry was given when his mother died for him and the connection between his and Voldemort’s wands also protects him.
However, while surviving these encounters might come down to forces out of Harry’s control, he still is able to evade the killing curse when no one else can.
Defeated Easily: He Struggles To Learn Expecto Patronum
Overall, Harry seems to catch onto Defense Against the Dark Arts extremely well. He even outperforms Hermione in the final practical exam during their third year, and he has the most experience of any of his classmates in actually applying spells in the real world.
However, he isn't always perfect at this branch of magic. He really struggles to learn Expecto Patronum, and this makes him seem a little less like a perfect hero. However, he still seems to learn this very difficult spell better than most students his age would.
Overpowered: Using Expelliarmus To Win Over and Over
Even in the books, it's explained that Expelliarmus becomes Harry's signature spell, and it's how the Death Eaters identify him at the start of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. While it's a useful incantation, it's really just a disarming spell.
The fact that this simple spell allows Harry to survive Unforgivable Curses feels too unbelievable. While it might be because of the brother connection between the two wands, it's still a rather flimsy spell.