5 Reasons Harry Is The Best Whitelighter on Charmed (& 5 Reasons It’s Leo)

When it was announced that Charmed would be rebooted, there were many who felt that the original chemistry not just between the sisters but between the sisters and their Whitelighter wouldn’t be the same.

However, the chemistry between the newest Charmed Ones and their Whitelighter is palpable, due in part to the characterization of the newest Whitelighter, Harry Greenwood. Though there are some who feel that the OG Whitelighter, Leo Wyatt, was the best, others think Harry is an improvement. Here are five reasons why Harry is a better Whitelighter, and five reasons it’s Leo.

10 Harry: More Knowledgeable

From the outset, Harry has been a source of knowledge for the Charmed Ones in a way that Leo wasn’t. Where Leo was constantly orbing to ask the Elders questions, Harry either knew the answer or looked up the information himself. This allows for the newest Charmed Ones — sisters Macy, Mel, and Maggie — to know who or what they are dealing with that much faster.

9 Leo: Eased Into His Role With The Halliwells

Unlike Harry, Leo didn’t need to tie the women up and sternly tell them about their destiny and how he was there to help. Leo bided his time and watched over the women in the guise of a simple handyman until he was caught by Phoebe. By that time, the women already trusted him and had time to grapple with the new normal of being witches.

This allowed for their Whitelighter/witch relationship to flourish much quicker than the relationship between Harry and the newest Charmed Ones. It also laid the groundwork for Leo and Piper’s relationship, as they didn’t start out with her distrusting him.

8 Harry: Not As Fragile

In the Charmed reboot, Whitelighters aren’t a type of angel-esque creatures who are purely good. As such, Harry is able to be more involved with the witches’ plans and not be afraid to get his hands dirty. The Charmed Ones this time around aren’t as afraid of Harry getting knocked around as the Halliwell sisters were, even before Leo and Piper become a couple. Additionally, Harry’s skills at fighting allow him to fight off some of the creatures the sister’s fight on his own.

7 Leo: More Nurturing

On the flip side, Leo was the consummate nurturer, providing a shoulder to cry on for each of the sisters in his own way. His methods of guiding the sisters towards the right path never made them feel watched over or judged or like he was simply an agent of the Elders. Additionally, Leo’s kind nature made it easy for him to get through to the women when they were straying from the path.

6 Harry: More Of A Solid Character

Though the point of the Whitelighter is to guide the witches, he is still one of the show’s main characters. That’s why getting to know more of Harry’s backstory both as a person and after he became a Whitelighter is so satisfying — it gives him more agency in the story and it also helps to build out the magical universe.

Without Harry, the sisters wouldn’t have gotten to know Charity enough to realize she was tricking them, and they wouldn’t have discovered the command center, the origins of Whitelighters, or the retired Elder, Celeste. These things help the audience learn more about the world the Charmed Ones operate in, and it shows why Harry councils the sisters the way he does.

5 Leo: Explained The Power Expansion

When the Halliwell sisters’ powers began to expand, Leo was there to coach them through it. Not only did he help when Piper began to blow things up around the house due to her power allowing her to speed up time, but he also helped Phoebe after she became an empath. As a result, the sisters were better able to step into their new powers, and the audience was given an explanation of why the powers grew rather than it happening due to their original powers being stripped, like in the Charmed reboot.

4 Harry: More Training

Once he revealed himself to be the women’s Whitelighter, Harry began training them. He set up a whole mind space where the women fought demons and other creatures. Not only did this give fans a fantastic show of their powers, but it also helped the women  — none of whom were fighters or took karate — learn quickly that they needed to up their game. His hardcore training fits his no-nonsense personality, and it trained them for the ensuing battle — having to save the world after the Elders were all killed in the first season.

3 Leo: Fought To Be With Piper

In both iterations of the show, the Whitelighter falls in love with one of the Charmed Ones. In the original, it was Leo and Piper, and in the reboot it is Harry and Macy. Though each couple faced challenges, Leo was the one who actually fought to keep his relationship with Piper.

Through losing his powers and becoming mortal to becoming an elder to their separation and eventual reconnection, Leo always loved Piper and it showed. Even though Leo had a few moments of doubt due to his duty to serve all of the sisters, he never once thought about having his feelings for Piper changed.

2 Harry: Has A Strong Relationship With All The Sisters

Because he’s more involved in the sisters’ fights than Leo, he often aids the sisters in their final showdown with the big bad. As a result, he has a solid relationship with each sister: with Maggie, he’s like a second father; with Mel, he’s like a big brother; with Macy, he’s a teammate turned lover. Fans get to see each sister have adventures with Harry, like when Mel helped Harry find his son or when he and Macy were trapped in her favorite ’90s TV show. He has also had moments of being captive with the sisters, like when he and Maggie were stuck in Tartarus. Fans can see that genuine affection that Harry has for each of the sisters, and getting to see him interact with each of them helps make the show compelling.

1 Leo: More Powerful

Though the reboot has only been on for two seasons, it is already easy to see that Leo is more powerful than Harry. Leo’s powers weren’t so disrupted as Harry’s, who was unable to orb for weeks because he discovered he had a son. Leo is consistently able to heal, to orb, and generally be a guiding light for the sisters. He is so powerful that he eventually becomes an Elder himself, making him ultimately more powerful than perhaps even the Charmed Ones.