Onward has various references to other Disney works as well as some fantasy classics, among those a Harry Potter Easter egg that’s not hard to find but it’s easy to miss. Following the success of Toy Story 4 in 2019, Pixar returned with Onward, its first original story since Coco, back in 2017. This new film took viewers to a completely different world with no humans nor animals known to men, instead being one where all types of mythical creatures coexist, and where magic was once commonplace.
Onward follows Ian (Tom Holland) and Barley Lightfoot (Chris Pratt), two elf brothers who live with their mother, Laurel (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). On Ian’s 16th birthday, Laurel gives them a magical staff with a rare gem that belonged to their father, Wilden, who died when Ian was a baby. The gift is accompanied by a letter with a “visitation spell” which would allow them to resurrect their father for one day – but magic is not as easy as it seems, and the spell fails, bringing back only the lower half of Wilden. Ian, Barley, and half of Wilden then go on a journey to see if there’s magic left in the world that can allow them to spend a few hours with their father.
Given the presence of magic and creatures that go from mermaids to trolls, centaurs, and manticores, Onward was influenced by many well-known fantasy films and books, including that of “the boy who lived”, Harry Potter, and it has an Easter egg dedicated to one character.
Onward: The Harry Potter Easter Egg You Probably Missed
As it happens in every Pixar film, there are a lot of details everywhere, and Onward is no exception. Some references to other films are more hidden than others, and the one related to Harry Potter is actually pretty easy to spot, but you might have missed it anyway as there are many things happening in that scene. The Harry Potter Easter egg can be found at the gas station where the Lightfoots make a pit stop. Outside, when the Pixie Dusters arrive, you’ll see an ad for a brand named “Longbottom”, just like beloved Harry Potter character Neville Longbottom.
It makes sense that Onward featured a Harry Potter reference, especially one that is not about “the boy who lived”. Fans of J.K. Rowling’s work will never forget that Neville Longbottom was one of the two infants referred to in the prophecy made by Sybill Trelawney, which talked about the person with the power to defeat Lord Voldemort. Neville could have been “the chosen one”, but Voldemort chose to target Harry Potter, thus marking him as his equal. The Harry Potter films took that away from Neville and didn’t take the time to explain it. Onward’s nod to the Wizarding World is small but with great significance, and in a way, it recognizes Neville Longbottom as an important character worth referencing.