Hogwarts Legacy: All Keeper Trials, Ranked

Highlights

Hogwarts Legacy tests players' puzzle-solving, spell-casting, and combat abilities in four Keeper Trials in an open-world action RPG.
Each Keeper Trial features different enemies and builds up to a final boss battle, including challenging puzzles and tests of talents like stealth.
Some Keeper Trials are more memorable than others, with unique features like difficulty, Harry Potter references, and memorable design.

Hogwarts Legacy tests players' puzzle-solving, spell-casting, and combat abilities in four Keeper Trials across the main story in the open-world action RPG. Keeper Trials are tests set by the game's mysterious Keepers, whom players learn more about in Hogwarts Legacy's unfolding story. Their role becomes clearer as players learn more about their unique ability to wield Ancient Magic, which helps the game's combat feel unique.

Hogwarts Legacy Hardest Missions, Ranrok, Hall Of Herodiana, and Soloman Sallow

Hogwarts Legacy: 6 Hardest Missions

These Hogwarts Legacy missions are bound to cause problems for some players.

Each Keeper Trial tests players' abilities in various ways, including different kinds of enemies. Despite their differences, each trial tends to build up to a final boss battle. They include some of Hogwarts Legacy's best puzzles, which might leave some players scratching their heads. Players will also face tricky tests of talents like stealth. Although there are only four Keeper trials in Hogwarts Legacy, some are undoubtedly better and more memorable than others.

Updated January 16, 2024, by Gemma Johnson: Hogwarts Legacy includes several trials that test players' ability to wield spells, solve puzzles, tame beasts, and beyond. Hogwarts Legacy's Trials are main quests as tests set by the mysterious Keepers that players must complete to advance the core story. Some include boss battles with giant Pensieve Protectors and require specific spells to overcome them. Other trials test players in different ways by putting the spotlight on other abilities, like stealth talents. While there are only four Keeper Trials in total, some are arguably better than others owing to features such as difficulty, Harry Potter references, and memorable design features. Although many players likely have individual personal preferences for different reasons, some Hogwarts Legacy trials stand out above the rest.

4 Keeper Trial 1: Percival Rackam's Trial

A Worthy Trial Taster If Not The Most Difficult

Hogwarts Legacy Pensieve Guardian Keeper Trial

How To Start	Key Features
Access by completing the main story quest called 'Complete the First Keeper Trial'	Some tricky puzzle platforming involving portals, but otherwise pretty straightforward. Fairly challenging Pensieve Protector boss battle.

The first trial is set by Percival Rackham, the first Keeper players come across. Although it's an early trial in the game, some of its platform puzzles are challenging. However, most are relatively straightforward. In addition to the puzzles, players must fight Pensieve Protectors, similar to the Guardians seen in the game's opening quest, as they learn more combat mechanics and spells.

Hogwarts Legacy: Best Talent Builds

Acquiring Talents in Hogwarts Legacy can unlock some pretty handy abilities, but some Talent builds are better than others.

At the end of the trial, players come across the gigantic Pensieve Guardian for the first time. Players must learn how to break Hogwarts Legacy's Pensieve Guardian Orbs to win the battle. Using the right spells based on the orbs' colors, players can shatter them before they can do damage.

Percival Rackham's Keeper trial is a great introductory challenge, with a formidable boss battle at the end that sets the tone for the 2nd trial. However, it's understandably not the most memorable test of skill and is one of the easiest of Hogwarts Legacy's trials, considering its role as the introductory trial.

3 Keeper Trial 2: Charles Rookwood's Trial

Portal Gates And Pesky Pensieve Foes Aplenty

How To Start	Key Features
Interact with the Charles Rookwood painting at Rookwood Castle after completing 'Back on the Path.'	Similar in design to Trial 1. Higher difficulty, with some challenging portal gate puzzles and more Pensieve enemy battles in restricted spaces. Final Pensieve Guardian boss.

Hogwarts Legacy's second trial belongs to Charles Rookwood. Some of Charles' puzzles are much more challenging when compared to the first trial, with some tricky portal gate and platform puzzles that can seem confusing at times. For instance, there is a tricky order in which players must rotate archways to change their color and move objects using spells like Winguardium Leviosa.

6:10

Hogwarts Legacy: All Charles Rookwood Trials Guide

Similar to the first trial, Charles Rookwood’s trial is full of tricky puzzles and difficult enemies in Hogwarts Legacy.

There are also more challenging battles with Pensieve Protectors along the way, which are some of Hogwarts Legacy's hardest non-boss enemies. Battles with Pensieve Protectors and Guardians in Rookwood's trial can feel more intense than the first trial, and the combat difficulty bar also leans higher with some invisible enemy varieties.

Yet, Charles Rookwood's Trial is similar to Percival Racham's, with repeated mechanics, making it less memorable or engaging for some players. However, it is slightly more challenging in terms of difficulty. That said, some players may breathe a sigh of relief that the remaining two challenges break away from this trial format, with the third and fourth trials offering several different features.

2 Keeper Trial 4: San Bakar's Trial

Tame And Ride A Mighty Graphorn, The Lord Of The Shore

How To Start	Key Features
In the 'Prepare for your O.W.L.S' quest line, return to the Map Chamber after beating the main quest 'Lodgok's Loyalty.' Afterward, head to the Cragcroft Shore Floo Flame to meet Professor Fig.	A stand-out, challenging fight to tame a Graphorn, followed by a thrilling ride across land. A player-choice-driven moment to kneel or attack the Graphorn. One of the shortest trials.

The fourth and final Keeper Trial is a thrilling ride that narrowly misses the top spot among Hogwarts Legacy's trials. San Bakar's Keeper Trial quickly takes players into a boss battle with a mighty Graphorn called the Lord of the Shore, one of Hogwarts Legacy's strongest beasts. It's a reasonably tough fight, and players will need all their skills to come out on top.

Hogwarts Legacy: Best Spell Loadout

Proper composition of spell loadout in Hogwarts Legacy will allow players to deal large damage effortlessly.

Players must fight the Graphorn to tame it and decide whether to kneel or attack it. Either way, players unlock the Graphorn mount and are in for an exciting ride back, using one of Hogwarts Legacy's best mounts to roam the land. It's one of the game's most spectacular moments, as players ram through blockades of Dark Wizards with ferocious ease. It's only a shame that the trial is over somewhat too quickly, but it is still a welcome break from the similar style of the first trials.

1 Keeper Trial 3: Niamh Fitzgerald's Trial

Magical Nod To The Deathly Hallows And Unique Monochrome Design

Hogwarts Legacy Deathly Hallows Keeper Trial stealth

How To Start	Key Features
Speak with Niamh's portrait in the Headmaster's Office in the 'Stop Ranrok and Rookwood' questline, after completing the main story quest 'The Polyjuice Plot.'	A test of stealth against patrolling AI, including a giant Death figure. A challenging, arena-style battle against multiple enemies using the Elder Wand, making it the most difficult trial.

In many ways, The Third Keeper Trial stands out above all the Hogwarts Legacy trials for its engaging take on Harry Potter's Deathly Hallows Tale, which many players will no doubt recall from the Harry Potter books and movies. It stands out for its stunning, creative monochrome visuals as if players just stepped into the pages of the tale.

The art style also reflects the animated Tale of the Three Brothers story scene in the movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. In an adventure similar to the story, players must locate three items to complete the trial: the mysterious cloak, mysterious wand, and mysterious stone.

Hogwarts Legacy: 6 Awesome Side Quests You Should Not Skip

These side quests are some of the best non-main story adventures Hogwarts Legacy has to offer.

When considering all the Hogwarts Legacy trials, Niamh Fitzgerald's contains the most varied balance of gameplay moments. Players must use stealth carefully to hide from creepy, deadly shadow creatures with clever timing, not to mention the looming presence of Death. There's also plenty of satisfying combat as Hogwarts Legacy's most difficult trial. Harry Potter's Elder wand is incredibly overpowered and fun to use in an intense battle scene with Death's minions in several waves of enemies.