Why Is The 'Harry Potter' Chess Scene The Toast Of TikTok?

If you are like endless scores of TikTok users that have stumbled upon a dramatic rereading of the chess scene in Harry Potter (you know, the climactic moment where Ron sacrifices himself in a game of wizard's chess so Harry can save the Sorcerer's Stone), you may be wondering why the 22-year-old scene has apparently become the app's new hotness.

How Did The 'Harry Potter' Chess Scene Become A Meme?

Few would argue that the first Harry Potter movie, directed by Chris Columbus, wasn't an admirable introduction to the whimsical world of wizardry, especially for those who were around the age of Harry, Ron and Hermione when it came out in 2001. However, looking back on the film with an adult's eyes, it's pretty clear that Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint hadn't yet developed into the more accomplished, quality actors they're widely respected as today.

Perhaps no scene makes that more obvious than the climactic wizard's chess duel, as the trio of preteens attempts to play a melodramatic scene concerning life and death, resulting in some fairly stilted line deliveries. Quality moments include Harry's "No… Ron, NOOOOO!" and Hermione's full second before turning and saying "What Is It?!" followed up by "No, you CAHN'T! There MUST be another WAY!" and of course, Ron's now-famous "Not me, not Hermione, YOU!"

All of this was parodied in a May 2021 TikTok by KimberlyPizzo, who gave a very accurate impression of the scene, highlighting just how silly the whole scene played out. It went viral on TikTok, gaining over 4 million likes in two and a half years.

Why Is The 'Harry Potter' Chess Scene Trending?

Though KimberlyPizzo thrust the scene into memedom "way back" (relatively) in 2021, the scene really never stopped trending on TikTok over the following years. It inspired myriad dances and absurd parodies for years to come, as it seemed people couldn't get enough of the three eleven-year-olds acting their little hearts out.

Two full years after Pizzo's impression, TikToker @frever_lizzie posted a garish clip with 3D models of young Daniel, Emma and Rupert dancing their way through the scene. The following day, user zeo_choons added a beat to make it seem like the characters were dancing to music. This gave the meme a second birth of life, as the dances and parodies began anew.

For more information, check out Harry Potter Chess Scene on Know Your Meme.