Fred & George: A Short Character Analysis

Right, so first off I'm a big fan of the twins: both twins, not just Fred. I've always appreciated both as separate characters and I've never really understood how so many people never picked up on their differences. So I decided to do what I do best - RANT (wayhey!). This is for everyone to join in, so please, if you've got anything to add to the character analysis, comment away! Keep in mind this is just my opinion based on what I've read in books 1-7.

In the first place it's important to know and understand the twins' differences, especially if you're writing a story that puts particular focus on them. Yes, both twins are bonkers, fun-loving, flirtatious, reckless and, lest we forget, both in the possession of a razor sharp wit. This doesn't mean that they are one hundred percent identical - no twins are. In fact, if Fred and George were the same they wouldn't make such a good team. In any double-act you have to have an alpha and omega. Can you imagine the battle of egos there'd be if George was an exact duplicate of Fred? (dear gods, the humanity!...)

Here's a very brief breakdown of their personalities:

Fred: Confident, fun-loving, good leader, more daring, has less of a regard for the rules than George, less sensitive, reckless, but knows when to get serious if a situation calls for it

George: Confident, fun-loving, protective, more grasping/sensitive of people's feelings and needs, more cautious, always has Fred's back covered

I've read a lot of stories where George is overly sensitive, even weepy, and I find this to be very out of character. George is more emotionally in tune than his twin - that is to say, he is sensitive and perceptive of people's feelings, certainly not a cry-baby. Remember he can be a fierce protector of his family and is not above punching certain people in the schnozz if they insult him or his friends and family (ref=OOTP, scene with Draco Malfoy after Quidditch). I think people tend to forget George because of the more subtle, yet admirable, aspects of his personality are surpassed by Fred's more in-your-face character. George will always come second to Fred and I'm sure he's aware of this, but as far as we can tell in the books, this doesn't upset him in the slightest (George, you're so charmingly humble XD). I think my respect for him really escalated during Deathly Hallows. Despite being in shock, due to the trauma of losing an ear and a lot of blood, he still manages to crack a joke all for the benefit of his family and friends. Family, and the friends he considers family, come first to George and I think he'd do just about anything to make them smile. Selfless bastard.

Fred is the wild one, often overshadowing George in his frequent witticisms and flamboyancy. Fred is intelligent and aware enough to know when someone is upset, but unlike George he tends to believe people just take care of the emotional stuff by themselves (ref=OOTP, St Mungos scene) and is more likely to offer a joke or a rubber chicken than a comforting hug. His ego/pride is a little more inflated than George's, too. He has a sharp wit, prefers to think on his feet, enjoys taking chances and, I'm guessing, puts a little too much faith in his own luck, which is probably why JKR bumped him off. Fred's specific character type more often than not dies in stories for two main reasons: 1). The age old folktales of cocky pranksters who cried wolf and thus met an untimely end have been used to warn small children for centuries, and are therefore deeply ingrained in out psyches, which probably explains why JKR knew 'instinctively' that Fred had to die. 2). Comedy is often used to emphasise tragedy. The death of the comic who so enjoyed life really hits the reader with the sheer, harsh reality of war. (Incidentally, these reasons are why I hate Fred's DeFredding).

What I truly love and admire about Fred's character is that, despite being a bit of a chancer, he's not so daft that he doesn't know when to stop fooling around and be serious. I've also noticed that he makes a good leader - at least, he's good at rallying the troops and people like and admire him enough to listen to him.

Patronus/Animagus

I've always imagined that Fred's Patronus or Animagus would be a fox. I mean think of all the foxy connotations - crafty, tricksey, cunning, fast on their feet... ginger. I'm not so sure about George. I've used the Cheshire cat in my stories before who renowned for being sly, intelligent and cunning customers.

Romance

Now this is difficult. I'm a romance twin fanfic writer myself (GeorgexLuna & FredxNox all the way!), but I'll be the first to admit that it's hard to pull off successfully. It's very easy to see Fred and George as a pair of eternal bachelors, but when written well, romantic twin fiction is fantastic. After all, the twins embody life, love and family, so it's unlikely that they'd never want to settle down, but first we've got to face facts: both twins are audacious flirts and Fred is likely the worst. It's hard to imagine George, who is more aware of people's feelings, tallying up the same number of girls that his twin has, although there are arguments against this theory (I'm going mostly on intuition and the fact that we know Fred is the 'crueller' and bolder of the two). The most interesting relationship is FredxAngelina. They were good friends, went to the Yule Ball together, but that was the last we saw of them. JKR appeared to be developing Fred as quite a fickle character when it came to girls. Over the last few books, Fred appears to be more interested in a casual snog than a full-blown romance. Perhaps FredxAngelina was fated to go nowhere because she was too quick to agree to go out with him? I know characters like Fred prefer a challenge and to chase rather than be chased (lol, believe me I know; I AM that character XD). Either way, you have to wonder what happened between them. One thing we can be positive about; their relationship didn't last long. Whether he got bored, she split up with him for being too flighty, or they never got it together in the first place, it's interesting to ponder on. As for George, I can imagine him being quite a sweet romantic, the type to surprise you with pressies (that turn into rubber chickens and pants).

Anyway, let the analysis continue in comments! Please add your two cents ^_^