Who made all this possible . . .

    Without James, none of Harry's adventures would have happened.  It was because of James sacrificing himself that Lily was able to save Harry.  Not to mention that, without James, Harry never would have been born in the first place. Unfortunately, despite his great importance, I have much less to write about him than either Sirius or Remus, so you'll have to forgive me.

     It is common practice for people who pick apart (or "analyze," as they like to say) novels of literary merit to find Christ figures among the characters.  (Apologies in advance to anyone who is tired of Christian theology in book discussions.)  Lily Potter is often referred to as a Christ figure in articles applauding the books for their moral content and Christian values.  But James is almost equally deserving of the title, since he, too, gave up his life so that Harry would live and the world be relatively free of evil.  Besides, his name starts with a J.  This may seem very shaky but it's in the grand tradition of literary analysts identifying Christ figures by their initials.   
     More proof for this is found in his friends.  Even though he only has three, instead of twelve, they fit the profiles of three of Christ's twelve apostles well enough.  With James as the central Christ figure, Sirius (his closest friend and confidant) fills the role of the apostle Peter; Remus is the misfit tax collector Matthew, and Peter is the friend-turned-traitor Judas.  Yes, it gets confusing with the two Peters and all. Sorry.  (If you want to use any of that in an essay or paper or something, I'd be extremely flattered, but please credit me . . . ) 

    James is extremely easy to place in the "generational parallels" theory, which states, essentially, that history is repeating itself.  More specifically, it says that James and his friends have counterparts in Harry's generation.  And James's place is filled quite simply by his son.  No questions there.  The fact that Harry looks almost exactly like him, and acts like him according to people who knew James, only proves this further.

Well, that's all for the illustrious James Potter.  If you want to head back to the Four's page, feel free.  If the other characters interest you enough to check out their pages, follow the convenient guide below:

 ~ James Potter | Sirius Black | Remus Lupin | Peter Pettigrew ~