It’s time to bust out the comic books and Klingon Boggle because in the world of The Big Bang Theory, being a nerd is something to celebrate. The hit CBS sitcom, now in its final season, completely rewrote the narrative of geekdom, evolving it from a subculture into the mainstream. The show centers around the lives of four nerdy academics, and later their girlfriends. This group of friends has a lot in common with one another – most work in the scientific field and have earned their PhD. However, academic similarities aside, the Big Bang characters are distinctively unique in terms of their contrasting and, at times, clashing personalities.
Much of the Harry Potter series takes place at Hogwarts. All students possess magical powers, yet each individual has their own set of values, abilities, and flaws. What a fun experiment it would be if the Big Bang crew were to make the journey to Hogwarts. They would find that despite their shared love of physics and Star Trek, and would immediately be divided into one of Hogwarts’ houses – Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, and Slytherin.
10. Leonard Hofstadter - Hufflepuff
Anyone who can tolerate being Sheldon’s roommate has the patience of a saint. Or a Hufflepuff. Leonard catered to Sheldon’s demands for years, from chauffeuring him around to never watching his favorite show, Babylon 5, because Sheldon hates it. Hufflepuffs are sometimes known to be pushovers, and Leonard rarely stands up to Sheldon. He also showed his patience when it came to Penny. Leonard developed a mega-crush the moment he laid eyes on her and even when faced with overwhelming odds, he never gave up hope they would get together.
Of all his guy pals, Leonard is by far the most socially adept. Whereas Sheldon can be annoying, Howard obnoxious, and Raj terribly awkward, Leonard is easygoing and always pleasant to be around. He’d fit right in in the Hufflepuff common room.
9. Penny - Gryffindor
In her makeshift family, Penny is the black sheep. She doesn’t have any college degrees nor a comic book collection. It takes a certain level of Gryffindor nerve for Penny to remain in a group she doesn’t wholly fit into, casually deflecting cheap shots at her intelligence and inferences that she’s a dumb blonde.
While she may shrug off the occasional insult, when Penny really gets her buttons pushed… look out. Leonard even compared her temper to the Hulk’s. Penny is also one of the group’s bigger risk-takers. For a long time, she doggedly pursued a career as an actress and even quit her job as a waitress to further commit to acting. It takes the guts of a Gryffindor to star in a film titled Serial Ape-ist.
8. Sheldon Cooper - Ravenclaw
A high intelligence is a prerequisite for a Ravenclaw, so Sheldon fits rights it. He has an IQ of 187, a fact he’s only too eager to share. Sheldon earned his first PhD at the age of 16 and while that’s beyond impressive, blitzing through school didn’t help Sheldon with his social skills. His neediness and constant condescending makes people question why he has any friends at all.
Being a certified genius is one thing; lording your intelligence over everyone else is another. Sheldon frequently belittles both Howard for not having a PhD and Penny, whom he perceives as dumb. Entry into the Ravenclaw common room requires a riddle as opposed to a password. It’s easy to picture Sheldon timing his fellow classmates on how long it takes them to answer the riddle and bragging about how he was faster.
7. Howard Wolowitz - Gryffindor
At the beginning of the series, none of the guys have had much success in the romance department, but that didn’t stop Howard from trying. His objectification of women was definitely cringeworthy and he should have been called to task more than he was. Still, underneath it all Howard meant well. He continually was rejected, which takes a certain amount of Gryffindor courage and in the end, it paid off when he married the love of his life, Bernadette.
Howard also showed bravery at his job. As an aerospace engineer, Howard had the opportunity for actual space travel. Howard was nervous about it, but nothing will stop a Gryffindor from going to outer space.
6. Rajesh “Raj” Koothrappali - Hufflepuff
For most Hufflepuffs, social interaction is as easy as pi. Not for Raj. For years he experienced selective mutism, only able to talk to women when drunk. His alcohol consumption, combined with his spoiled upbringing, could make Raj obnoxious to be around, but deep down he has an enormous Hufflepuff heart. He can show an incredible amount of empathy, like when he was on a date with Lucy, who also suffers from social anxiety.
Of all the houses, Hufflepuffs are the most malleable and when Raj found out Lucy thought he was feminine, he went over-the-top to prove his masculinity. Raj really seems to value his sense of belonging to the group and arranges fun activities for everyone, like murder mystery night or the legendary scavenger hunt.
5. Bernadette Rostenkowski - Slytherin
Bernadette may talk like Minnie Mouse and look like a Disney princess, but she has revealed herself to be a villain on more than one occasion. Slytherins are hyper-competitive and when it comes to games, Howard describes playing with Bernadette like being in a “steel cage with a wolverine”. When partnered with Leonard in the scavenger hunt, she berated him for his lack of focus and went so far as to concoct a bald-faced lie about Penny to get Leonard’s head back in the game.
As a microbiologist for a major pharmaceutical company, Bernadette is the breadwinner of her household and as a result, makes occasional emasculating comments to Howard. But Bernadette isn’t all viciousness and competition. She truly loves her husband and their two kids and cares about her friends.
4. Amy Farrah Fowler - Ravenclaw
Amy and Sheldon are the perfect match in many ways, particularly in their approach to interpersonal relationships. When they first met, Amy displayed the emotions of a robot and had a Luna Lovegood ability to point out “uncomfortable truths”. Eventually, Amy developed a warmer, more affectionate personality. However, she didn’t totally shed her Ravenclaw awkwardness.
Though she doesn’t brag about her braininess like Sheldon, Amy is quite intelligent. At Hogwarts, Amy would be a whiz at Potions, impressing even Severus Snape. Though she doesn’t share all of Sheldon’s pop culture passions, Amy is a fangirl in her own Ravenclaw right. She goes gaga for Chaucer and Little House on the Prairie and has even been known to write her own steamy Little House fan-fiction.
3. Stuart Bloom - Hufflepuff
Owning a comic book shop isn’t the most lucrative business. It’s really a labor of love for Stuart and labor he does, with a Hufflepuff-level work ethic. This leaves little time for a personal life and as a result, Stuart is often lonely. He frequently expresses a desire to be part of the group.
Of all the houses, Hufflepuffs possess the least amount of confidence, as demonstrated when Stuart expressed an attraction to Amy because she didn’t look at him with “hatred or contempt”. Their second and final date was interrupted by Sheldon asking Amy to be his girlfriend. Stuart still saw the rest of the date through and walked her home, ever the gentlemanly Hufflepuff.
2. Beverly Hofstadter - Slytherin
Beverly Hofstadter is an esteemed neuroscientist and psychiatrist who hasn’t allowed something as banal as motherhood to interfere with her career. When Leonard was growing up, she treated him as a science experiment. This may sound like the intellectual curiosity of a Ravenclaw, but Beverly has a mean, manipulative streak. She vocalized harsh but true observations about Penny’s relationship with her father, reducing Penny to tears. Beverly then preyed on Penny’s vulnerability so she could psychoanalyze her.
Beverly often expresses disappointment in Leonard for not achieving the same level of success as his siblings. In other words, she wants her children to be pure-blooded Slytherins, not mediocre Hufflepuffs.
1. Mary Cooper - Hufflepuff
The gang is always happy when Mary Cooper comes to town. She is so full of warmth and motherly love that Leonard in particular gravitates toward her, embracing the affection he never received from his own mother. Anyone whose dominant trait is kindness undoubtedly belongs in Hufflepuff House.
In addition to her big heart and home-cooking, the group is especially grateful for Mary’s skills as the “Sheldon whisperer”. Even if Sheldon is being more impossible than usual, Mary has the ability to reign him in. Sometimes a Hufflepuff death-stare can speak volumes over a Slytherin insult.
