Hogwarts Legacy features a transgender character players can interact with at the Three Broomsticks named Sirona Ryan. Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling has generated significant controversy for making repeated transphobic statements and blasting them out to her millions of Twitter followers on a regular basis. Rowling's transphobia has soured many on the Harry Potter franchise as a whole, creating a problem for the Hogwarts Legacy video game.
In the wake of Rowling's comments, the Hogwarts Legacy developers distanced themselves from the author and made it clear that she was not involved in the game's development. This has not stopped some fans from calling for a boycott of Hogwarts Legacy, with some claiming that buying the game amounts to supporting Rowling's transphobic views. Regardless, the developers continue to work to distance themselves from Rowling's transphobic views, even adding a transgender character to the game.
Hogwarts Legacy lets players visit Hogsmeade, a small magical village located relatively close to Hogwarts castle. One of the most popular establishments at Hogsmeade is the Three Broomsticks, an inn/pub that Harry Potter and his friends visit on multiple occasions in the books and movies. If players visit the Three Broomsticks in Hogwarts Legacy, they will have the chance to meet owner Sirona Ryan, who happens to be transgender.
Please note that the following video includes some minor spoilers. The text in this article does not contain any spoilers.
Ryan has some minor involvement in a couple of Hogwarts Legacy quests, but does not have a significant role in the game beyond her position as the owner of the Three Broomsticks. By talking to her, players can learn a bit more about her background. Without going into spoilers, players have the option to ask Ryan about why she trusts a certain other character in the game. Ryan knew him before her transition. They didn't see each other for years, but when they ran into each other again, he recognized her instantly. "Which is more than I can say for some of my own classmates. Took them a second to realize I was actually a witch, not a wizard," Ryan explains.
The decision to include a transgender character in Hogwarts Legacy has sparked a mixed response. Some have praised Avalanche for taking this step, seeing it as defiance against J.K. Rowling's transphobic views. Others have accused the studio of including a "token transgender character" to try to get some of the heat off itself.
Sirona Ryan is not the first transgender character in video games, but she will certainly be one of the most well-known by the time it's all said and done, and there's something to be said for that regardless of why she was added to the game. Time will tell how Harry Potter fans ultimately react to the character once the Hogwarts Legacy early access period starts on February 7.
Hogwarts Legacy launches February 10 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X, April 4 for PS4 and Xbox One, and July 25 for Nintendo Switch.
