Why Is Harry Potter Known as the Boy Who Lived?
The Boy Who Lived is just one of the names Harry from the Harry Potter series is known by. He’s also known as The Chosen One and simply by his name. Some fans may be wondering why Harry is known so widely as the Boy Who Lived.
This name of his is created when he is only a baby, and follows him around for his whole life. What is the significance of this title? And why does Harry have it in the first place? Find out, ahead.
What is the significance of the Boy Who Lived in ‘Harry Potter’?
Harry’s title of the Boy Who Lived is not just a clever nickname. There’s real significance to it for those in the world of Harry Potter who call him by that name. It shows how Harry gives them hope that Voldemort can be defeated. This name reveals that not only did Harry live but that he gave those fighting Voldemort a reason to continue living.
This name shows the triumph of good over evil, of how it does not always take intense magical skill to defeat a powerful wizard like Voldemort. If even a baby like Harry could do it, there’s definitely hope for other wizards. The title also reveals that Harry is the only person who Voldemort wanted to kill that he didn’t succeed in murdering.
Why is Harry known as The Boy Who Lived?
It’s very simple, really. Harry lived when Voldemort was trying to kill him with the Avada Kedavra curse. No one had ever done that before and it wasn’t supposed to be possible. Hence, Harry became known as the Boy Who Lived because he wasn’t supposed to live but he did.
The name shows how Harry not only defeated Voldemort, but defeated death itself by surviving. That’s pretty impressive, especially for a baby with little magical ability. Also, defeating Voldemort is pretty significant in and of itself. The man became synonymous with death in the Wizarding World, which is why Harry surviving his curse is such a big deal.
How did Harry live?
So how did Harry become the Boy Who Lived? How did he survive when it was seemingly impossible? Well, it all has to do with love. Since his mother willingly sacrificed her life for him, her love protected him from Voldemort’s curse.
Instead, the curse hit Voldemort himself and he unwillingly created another Horcrux in Harry. This would eventually lead to his permanent downfall as it gave Harry knowledge of Voldemort as well as ensuring that when Voldemort would try to kill Harry again, it wouldn’t work the second time around either. He would instead destroy the Horcrux he didn’t mean to create.
So Harry was technically the Boy Who Lived twice in his life. That’s pretty amazing! Though he got the name because of his first instance of surviving Voldemort’s curse, the fact that he did it twice is worth mentioning. Perhaps some Harry Potter fans will start calling Harry the Boy Who Lived Twice.
Whatever the name, it signifies a lot more than simply what it means. It shows that Harry is a symbol of hope for many in the world of Harry Potter and probably for many fans as well. And he will most likely continue to be one for quite a while.
