10 Best Movie Kids, Ranked by Fans (Guess Which Film Won)

10. Katniss Everdeen from Hunger Games ( 2012)

Katniss Everdeen was uncannily mature for her age: the tough life in poverty and starvation led her to become a brilliant hunter…and a cynic. Solitary and introverted, Katniss hated the attention but stole the spotlights both in fictional Panem and back on Earth. Jennifer Lawrence was 20 when she was cast, but Katniss was just 16.

9. Ronald Weasley from the Harry Potter Movies (2001–2011)

The backbone of the Golden Trio, Ron Weasley was a great and selfless friend to Harry, and his relationship with Hermione, though turbulent, evolved into mutual love and respect. When Rupert Grint was cast, he was only eleven years old, just like his character, which is a pretty rare case — but not for the Harry Potter movies.

8. Dorothy Gale from The Wizard of Oz (1939)

The much-anticipated adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s classic book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the 1939 movie finally brought Dorothy Gale to life. This kind and curious girl was the center of the story. While Dorothy was supposed to be 10, her actress, Judy Garland, was already 16 when she was cast.

7. Mathilda from Léon: The Professional (1994)

Despite the movie being titled after Léon, the professional killer, it’s his protégée Mathilda that the audience remembers the movie by. Compassionate and kind to Léon, Mathilda still wants to learn the craft of an assassin, making her a surprisingly complex character. Natalie Portman was cast for the role at 11, but Mathilda was 12.

6. Luna Lovegood from the Harry Potter Movies (2001–2011)

Eccentric and at times ridiculous with her beliefs, Luna Lovegood was calm and understanding of others, and her ability to tell the uncomfortable truth like it was nothing quickly earned her a spot in every fan’s heart. When Luna Lovegood joined the crew, she was 14, the same as her actress, Evanna Lynch.

5. Marty McFly from the Back to the Future Movies (1985–1990)

The Back to the Future trilogy was a worldwide sensation, and it earned global fame for its actors. The character of Marty McFly, in particular, became everyone’s sweetheart immediately. Brave, ingenious, and creative, Marty was the perfect time-traveling teenager: in the first movie, he was 17, but Michael J. Fox, his actor, was already 23.

4. Wednesday Addams from Addams Family Values (1993)

An iconic character on her own, the original Wednesday Addams saw a recent resurgence in popularity after Netflix revived her again. In Addams Family Values, young Wednesday was noted to be in that “special age” when girls only think about homicide, which is roughly 12-13, but actress Christina Ricci was cast at 10.

3. Kevin McCallister from the Home Alone Movies (1990, 1992)

Though he’s totally not a Santa, Kevin McCallister visits our houses every Christmas with his classic Home Alone movies. Known for inflicting immense pain and suffering upon the two unfortunate robbers, Kevin was still a kind-hearted and naive soul who helped strangers. Kevin was 8 in the first movie, and Macaulay Culkin was 10.

2. Harry Potter from the Harry Potter Movies (2001–2011)

Ironically, despite being the titular character of his own franchise, Harry Potter isn’t the highest-ranking HP character on this list — but he earned the second spot by being, though imperfect, a very genuine and relatable person even when he was a kid. Daniel Radcliffe starred in the first movie at 12 as the eleven-year-old Harry.

1. Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter Movies (2001–2011)

Hermione Granger was voted as the best movie kid of all time, and we can see why. Hermione was both brilliant and selfless, and her annoying qualities didn’t outweigh her devotion to what she believed to be right. The youngest of the Golden Trio actors, Emma Watson was only 10 when she began portraying the eleven-year-old Hermione.