The odds may have seemed slightly stacked against Avalanche Software's contribution to the Wizarding World before its release, but Hogwarts Legacy has still won over fans with its depiction of the beloved School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. By combining aspects of the world that many players will already be familiar with together with Hogwarts Legacy's own take on the rich lore of the franchise, the game has created something both new and synergistic. It might not be perfect, but the freedom it gives players to explore its magical environments has made Hogwarts Legacy a hit.
But it isn't just old and new elements of the franchise that it belongs to that Hogwarts Legacy has successfully explored. Although Merlin was already a powerful figure in the Harry Potter universe, Hogwarts Legacy brings this ancient wizard into the game in an interesting way and leaves the door open for other fictional, real, or folkloric figures to find their way into world as well. Britain alone has a fascinating history of such characters that would feel right at home in Hogwarts Legacy or a potential sequel, but there are lots of stories the game could borrow from.
Merlin's Role In Hogwarts Legacy
Merlin already had an extensive place in the wider Harry Potter world before Hogwarts Legacy used him as a figurehead for its exploration challenges. Merlin is directly referenced multiple times in the original book series, like when Ron tells Harry about his Chocolate Frog card collection which features the famous wizard. Due to his impressive magical skills and place in wizarding history, there's also the Order of Merlin, an honor that is awarded to witches and wizards for performing great deeds, and the fact continually brought up by Slytherins that Merlin was sorted into their house during his time at Hogwarts.
Within Hogwarts Legacy, the lauded wizard is represented with the Merlin Trials. This series of challenges takes gamers across the map and is a handy way to earn perks like new Gear Inventory Slots in addition to encouraging exploration and adding layers to the gameplay. The spell-based puzzles might test the patience of some players, but the variety of types and the diversity of their locations help to offer something a little different to studying in a classroom.
Magical Folklore Hogwarts Legacy Could Explore
Merlin is obviously a famous figure outside of Harry Potter lore, and is mostly remembered as the magical adviser to King Arthur and his Round Table of knights. While Merlin might not be real, Hogwarts Legacy and its source material has taken the beloved character of folklore and turned him into an actual wizard within the fictional universe. This isn't the first time Harry Potter has taken inspiration from external sources, and it could open the door for other such characters to inspire similar challenges or side quests in Hogwarts Legacy.
Morgan le Fay is a witch also from Arthurian legend who has been referenced previously in Harry Potter, and could serve as an interesting counterpart to the Merlin Trials given her own history with that particular wizard. Depicted in some stories as Merlin's apprentice who turns against him, challenges or quests based on Morgan le Fay could serve as an alternative choice to activities inspired by Merlin. But the game doesn't need to stop there, as there is a rich history of fictional characters that could find their way into Hogwarts Legacy's world like the Slavic witch Baba Yaga, or even real-life followers of magic like Aleister Crowley who could have an intriguing (if slightly controversial) place in the Wizarding World.
Hogwarts Legacy is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, with PS4 and Xbox One versions launching May 5 and a Switch port releasing July 25.
