Highlights
- The Forbidden Forest in Hogwarts Legacy hides dark secrets, including human bodies trapped in cocoons, creating a chilling atmosphere.
- Sebastian's commitment to saving his sister leads him to use an Unforgivable Curse, showcasing how far he is willing to go.
- The game's "Minding Your Own Business" side quest offers a creepy and haunted experience, featuring eerie mannequins and jump scares, adding to the dark undertones of the game.
While the Harry Potter series may have started as children's books about a magical and enchanting world, it soon took a darker turn as Harry and his friends grew up. With the protagonist of Hogwarts Legacy starting out in the fifth year, however, things are fairly dark from the off in the open-world adventure.
From ancient artifacts brimming with dark magic and the secrets of The Forbidden Forest to the darkness of a soul crippled by pain, there are enough dark moments and motifs in Hogwarts Legacy to make the skin crawl.
This article contains spoilers about Hogwarts Legacy's plot
7 Human Bodies In Cocoons
The aptly named Forbidden Forest is full of dark secrets and is easily one of the scariest locations in Hogwarts Legacy. One dark and creepy detail is the presence of human bodies in cocoons up in the trees near spider lairs. Whether the people entangled in the webs are dead or alive, there is no denying the darkness.
In the "Tangled Web" side quest players will come across a woman trapped within a cocoon in her very own house, and her body is not the only one.
6 Sebastian Uses An Unforgivable Curse To Save His Sister
Sebastian Sallow's story arguably overshadows the main story in Hogwarts Legacy as he delves into the Dark Arts to try and save his twin sister from a curse she is slowly dying from. While Sebastian's love for his sister is undeniable, she does not condone how far he goes and this is particularly true in a cutscene towards the end of the "In the Shadow of Time" quest.
When the main character and Sebastian emerge from the Catacomb they were exploring, they realize that Anne and the rest of Feldcroft are under attack. As the ensuing combat draws to an end, one goblin is about to kill Anne, but Sebastian intervenes using the Imperius Curse to force the goblin to commit suicide. This is an incredibly dark moment in the story, especially given that Sebastian could have doubtless used another spell, and despite being saved, Anne is unable to forgive her brother.
5 The Minding Your Own Business Side Quest
One of the darkest side quests in Hogwarts Legacy is the "Minding Your Own Business" mission, and until the game has been out for a year, it is exclusive to players on PlayStation. The entire mission is extremely creepy with plenty of dark undertones as players explore a haunted store in Hogsmeade.
Players can expect more than a few jump scares throughout the quest and central to the creepiness are a horde of ominous mannequins.
4 Ominis Gaunt's Past
There are many characters in Hogwarts Legacy with intriguing backstories, but while Ominis Gaunt's relation to Lord Voldemort is certainly interesting, his past is also incredibly dark and sad. Ominis was born blind into a family of Dark wizards and not only had to watch them perform the Cruciatus Curse on Muggles but was told to perform the Unforgivable Curse himself despite being a child.
Horrifyingly, when Ominis refused to do so, his own family used it on him, which caused him to reluctantly perform the spell. Even though Ominis used the curse under duress, he never forgave himself.
3 Secrets Of The Darkest Arts - The Book That Helped Voldemort Create Horcruxes
Hogwarts Legacy is teeming with tiny easter eggs and references to the books and films, some of which only the most diehard fans will pick up on. One such easter egg and by far the darkest, is an ancient tome lurking in the restricted section of the library, which players will first explore in the "Secrets of the Restricted Section" quest.
While the book is hard to miss with Sebastian Sallow pointing it out and naming it Secrets of the Darkest Arts, only the most astute players will recognize it as one of the books that Hermione summoned from Dumbledore's office, and in fact, the very book from which Tom Riddle learned to create Horcruxes.
2 Putting The Imperius Curse On A Friend
It is one thing to perform Dark magic on enemies who may or may not deserve it, but to perform any of the three Unforgivable Curses on an innocent friend is an even darker choice. This is one thing that can happen during the "In the Shadow of Time" quest with Ominis Gaunt confronting Sebastian and the main character.
Not agreeing with the moral path they have taken, Ominis stands in their way, giving the player two options. If the player sides with Sebastian they will convince Ominis that the best thing to do is to place him under the Imperius Curse, forcing him to step aside without the guilt of willingly aiding them.
1 Sebastian Kills His Uncle Solomon
Sebastian Sallow had a frayed relationship with his Uncle and guardian Solomon, but few players could have predicted such a dark ending for the former Auror. In the "Shadow of the Relic" quest, Sebastian and the main character end up fighting Solomon over the Relic that Sebastian believes could save his sister Anne.
Shockingly the fight ends with Sebastian using Avada Kedavra on his Uncle, killing him instantly in the darkest moment in Hogwarts Legacy. The pain and horror on Sebastian's face, and his sister's reaction, are two of the most striking images in the entire game.
Hogwarts Legacy is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with a Switch version coming November 14.