Harry Potteris famous for its magical universe and amazing characters, but there are also plenty of romances that propel the plot forward in the books and movies. While Harry and his friends are experiencing the pangs of adolescence and first love at Hogwarts,there are some well-fleshed-out and heartfelt relationships between the adults in the series.Some are great examples of love and partnership, like Arthur and Molly Weasley. However, others are not as well maintained, like Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks. Though they’re two strong characters, their relationship was never fully explained in the books or movies.
While the books are slightly more in-depth than the movies in terms of developing the relationship between Tonks and Lupin, the show can do more. As newdetails emerge about the HBOHarry PotterTV show, it’s easy to get excited about the upcoming addition to the beloved franchise. One of the biggest reasons the HBO series is a good thing is thatthe show has more time to expand upon the smaller storylines of the novels that were overlookedin the films. The narrative arc of Tonks and Lupin’s love story will be a great addition to the show.
Tonks & Lupin Are One Of Harry Potter’s Most Unexpected Pairings
Their relationship happened suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere
It’s true that both the books and movies are told from Harry’s perspective, so it’s not surprising that there are some developments the reader misses along with Harry. However, from the time thatTonks and Lupin join the Order together inThe Order of the Phoenixto the announcement of their marriage and Tonks' pregnancy, little time is given to nurturing their bond. There’s a lot going on during the last three books, and Harry doesn’t see Lupin in person very often, but this doesn’t excuse the lack of development between Lupin and Tonks.
TheHarry PotterTV show is slated to release in 2026. (viaDeadline).
WhenHarry meets Lupin inThe Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry begins to piece together the moments of his parents' pastthat have to do with so many of the people around him. It’s not until later that Harry discovers more about the Order and how Lupin has been part of the fight against Voldemort for many years. Lupin takes on a fatherly role towards Harry almost as soon as they meet, and this doesn’t require that he gets into a romantic relationship. If anything, Lupin is more distracted and less concerned with Harry and the Order.
Overall, it seems slightly pointless that Lupin and Tonks get together at all. Their deaths inThe Deathly Hallowsstill would have been tragic, and Lupin’s continuous anxiety over his werewolf changes wouldn’t have gone away.Harry becoming the godfather of Teddy, Lupin and Tonks’s son, is a poignant part of the series,but this alone isn’t enough to justify putting Tonks and Lupin together. Since the war against Voldemort was such a dark time, it makes sense that people would pair off, but the series already communicated this through Bill and Fleur’s wedding.
Tonks & Lupin’s Relationship Doesn’t Have A Strong Foundation In The Books
The build-up to their love story must be made clear
Sirius Black is underused in theHarry Pottermoviesalong with the other members of the Marauders, and learning more about Lupin, Sirius, James, and Peter could give insight into why Lupin and Tonks connected. Lupin’s storyline coincides better with the older members of the Order, and Tonks is relatively closer in age to Harry and his friends.The separation between the older and younger members of the Order is a recurring issuefor Harry as he feels kept out of the loop. Additionally, Harry being in the dark also means that when new relationships pop up, there’s little warning.
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Besides Tonks’s familial connection to Sirius and her dedication to the Order,it doesn’t seem like she and Lupin have much in common.The movies are much less effective at developing most romantic relationships than the books, but when it comes to Tonks and Lupin, the books fail as well. There was almost no lead-up to the announcement of their relationship, and Harry is as shocked as the audience to find out they have feelings for each other. When it comes to the other romances in the books, there are often years of build-up, like with Harry and Ginny.
HBO’s Harry Potter Remake Must Fix Several Aspects Of Tonks & Lupin’s Romance
There’s more than one issue to resolve in their relationship
The age gap between Tonks and Lupin is one of the biggest issues that the couple faces,as theHarry Pottertimeline makes their age difference about thirteen years. While this isn’t terrible, it does raise some questions about the power dynamic in their relationship and might pose a problem for the TV adaptation. Tonks and Lupin are both interesting and impactful characters on their own, and their being together doesn’t change much in the series. Harry feels much closer to Lupin than Tonks, so the reader is more interested in Lupin’s feelings than Tonks'.
Outside the external factors that make their relationship difficult, Lupin hesitates to commit to a relationship with Tonks throughout the story.
Outside the external factors that make their relationship difficult, Lupin hesitates to commit to a relationship with Tonks throughout the story. There are times when his hesitation is so pronounced it seems like he isn’t interested in her at all.After they get married and Tonks gets pregnant, Lupin continues to push her awayand attempts to end the relationship because he’s so tortured over his werewolf side. Though he eventually comes around,Lupin’s death ruined his character arc inHarry Potterbecause he and Tonks die after just one year together, making their push-and-pull dynamic exist for nothing.
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How The Harry Potter TV Show Can Change This Relationship For The Better
The show can keep their romance, but improve upon it
It would be too difficult for the HBO series to omit the relationship completely,as the birth of their son plays into the last part of the story. However, there are many ways that the show can include Tonks and Lupin’s romance without changing the integrity of the story. Having Lupin be just as interested in starting a life with Tonks as she is with him would put them on equal ground. This wouldn’t omit Lupin’s hesitancy to have children and his anxieties about how his wolf side affects Tonks, but that could be a layer of nuance in their relationship.
Learning more about Lupin’s past and personal life inThe Prisoner of Azkabancould be beneficial as well. However, the audience knows much more about Lupin than they do about Tonks, making her the character who could do with the most development.Aging her up a few years to make the age gap between them more manageable would be a good place to start,and seeing more of her work in the Order and her bravery would give Tonks more agency. It would also help to see the pair interact more from the start ofThe Order of the Phoenix.
They could even discuss their connection through Sirius and bond over their shared grief after his death. Additionally,it’s a shame that the reader is given little to no time to see Tonks, Lupin, and Teddy all togetherafter Teddy’s born and before the Battle of Hogwarts. Being able to witness their happiness and connection as a family in theHarry PotterTV show would be an emotionally impactful moment. This would make their relationship a high point of the series instead of an awkward addition.
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a multimedia franchise about an orphaned boy who enrolls at Hogwarts School of Wizardry, where he learns the truth about himself, his family, and the terrible evil that haunts the magical world. Adapted from the novels, Harry Potter is an eight-episode film saga that follows the journey of Harry Potter and his friends, Hermoine Granger and Ron Weasley, as they navigate the tricky world of growing up, school life, and magic. Starting from year one and moving to their seventh year, the films chronicle the students' time at Hogwarts while unfurling a sinister plot that centers around the unsuspecting Harry. With the return of the dark wizard, Voldemort, the students and professors at Hogwarts will fight to carry on as the world around them may change forever. Harry Potter has expanded beyond the world of its films and novels with several video games, a spin-off film series titled Fantastic Beasts, and even attractions at Universal Studios.
