My 5 Favorite Minor Characters from the Dresden Files

I love to lose myself in the vivid landscape of a good fantasy, filled with exotic descriptions and wild plots. The Harry Dresden books are so filled with many strong, irreverent, and memorable characters that it's hard to put the books down once you start reading. With so many strong main and secondary characters, it would be hard for a minor character to stand out in such circumstances. That is what this list describes. Those minor characters, who, even among all the antics of the books, manage to shine for those brief moments in which they appear.

5. Waldo Butters - Okay, I admit it. I have always liked the "geek" characters that inhabit these books. But Waldo Butters goes beyond the normal level of geek. And, he sneaks right in, stealing your heart as well as the scene.

We get our first glimpse of him in Death Masks. He is relatively short, with a shock of black hair, lean face and, of course, the always needed for a geek pair of glasses. He works the nightshift since he got demoted based on his report that the remains of some vampires were "humanoid, but definitely not human."

Butters is the average Joe. He is unassuming and doesn't seem to have much to offer. A self-proclaimed coward, he proved otherwise in dead beat, when he helped Harry against a zombie army. He also proves useful for his medical skills, saving the lives of not only Harry but his friends.

Self-deprecating, extremely loyal, and a huge polka-music enthusiast Waldo Butters is welcome on the home team, where we will forever hear "Polka will never die!"

4. Lara Raith - Thomas' sister and the real power behind the White Court's throne, Lara is a very dangerous opponent. Like succubae, the White Court's powers are drawn from the sexual energy around it and Lara is masterful at manipulating others into doing what she wants.

Because of their mutual relationship with Thomas, Harry and Lara, although not trusting of each other, at least are not directly out to sabotage each other. There is definitely a mutual respect and they end up helping each other quite a bit.

Although the White Court is known for its backhanded ways, Lara seems to keep her word and will go out of her way to do so. Although the world at large thinks her father is in charge, Lara is actually the one calling the shots. She is intrigued at Harry's methodology and skills, even going so far as to offer him a job several times. So far, he has turned her down. But, it is getting harder for him to keep doing so, especially as she keeps proving to have a morality in her own right.

3. Lasciel/Lash - Lasciel is referred to as both a fallen angel and a demon. She is said to be one of a group of demons whose spirits are said to inhabit these special silver coins with their names carved into them. When Harry comes in contact with Lasciel's coin, its sigil is now emblazoned on his hand. With it, Lasciel can influence his emotions and manipulate some of his actions, but he also gains some gifts: the ability to throw hellfire, Lasciel's help in finding out crucial information on cases as well as her help with different languages, and the ability to play his guitar much better than he could before.

In the book, White Night, Harry gives her the name Lash. He stated that was because she was a shadow of the spirit that was in the coin, and as such was a separate entity. And indeed, she started to want to help Harry out without wanting anything in return. For three years, Harry resists any attempts to actually take up the coin (which he buried, otherwise Lasciel would have full control) and that has softened her outlook. She is charming and irreverent and now we were being shown that there was another side to her. Was she just manipulating Harry into trusting her? Or was Harry in fact changing her. In this constant tug of war between the two to let Lash help him, we saw an engaging and versatile character.

As of the last battle in White Night, Harry notices that she was gone from his head. The last battle had caused some brain damage. Lash, to stop any damage to Harry, had the damage limited to the area of his brain that she was a part of. It was, in essence, a suicide of sorts. And, indeed, he will miss her. And not just because his extra power and Hellfire was now gone.

She did leave a parting gift. Harry can still play the guitar at a much higher level, and this time it is without her guiding him. There has been some speculation as to what this lingering effect means. Indeed, some feel that she is not really dead, only weakened. And, according the Dresden files page on Wikipedia, that there are signs in later books that she might be regaining strength to return. But that is yet to be seen. I hope she does return. There is more that can be learned from her.

2. Jared Kincaid - What is it about the "bad boy" that we always find so charming? Maybe it's the belief that he can change, that he is not really that bad.

Jared Kincaid says that he is human, but according to Ebenezer McCoy, Harry's former mentor, he is anything but. However, although we know something happened between those two, we haven't yet found out what it is. We do find out that Kincaid is half human, having been alive for many centuries, and formally known as the "Hound of Hell," when he worked for Vlad Drakul, the infamous Dracula's dad.

Kincaid is unpleasant, sarcastic, and unforgiving. But we do start to see a different side to him. He sees Murphy, in a mostly sexual relationship, but she even admits to having some feeling for him. He even hints at possibly returning the feeling when in Small Favor, we learn that he sent her some chocolates and a gun with the elusive message of "We'll always have Hawaii."

But, his character shows a vastly different side in his relationship with Ivy, the archive. It is almost a fatherly concern and it is in those moments that we can picture that maybe the "bad boy" is not so bad.

1. Toot-Toot - Toot-Toot is one of the wyldfae, specifically a dew drop fairy. And, as with most fairy lore, he is utterly silly and mischievous.

We first meet Toot-Toot in Storm Front. In it, we see that he is easily maneuvered to help Harry Dresden get what is needed. In the beginning, we don't see Toot-toot as anything special, just some comic relief. And, indeed, even Harry treats him with a bit of disdain.

We see throughout the series that Toot-toot, as all fairies, loves Pizza and will do most things in order to get some. He seems to be fond of Harry and indeed even takes some risks for him.

Something interesting happens as the series progresses. When we first met Toot-toot he was about 6 inches tall. By Small Favor, he has doubled in size and is in command of the guard protecting the creatures who clean Harry's apartment. Indeed, we also see a shift in his relationship with Harry. He is now treated with a certain professionalism, and given a lot more respect than that first encounter. With each successive book, we see new dimensions to Toot-toot, bravery and a very real intelligence. Is he getting larger because he is getting a following and that in turn is giving him power? Only time will tell. In the meantime, this once seemingly innocuous character has taken up residence in these books and it doesn't look as if he is going anywhere anytime soon, which is good enough for me.

And there you have it. These are 5 characters who, despite occupying minor roles in the Dresden universe play a major part in making the Dresden Files a must read on anyone's list.