Hogwarts Legacy – All the Beasts and Creatures Spotted So Far

There are a few things the Wizarding World is known for, from its many spells to its enticing characters. But perhaps nothing is quite as endearing as its many fantastic beasts. But, you might be wondering where you can find them or, at the very least, which ones you can expect to find in Hogwarts Legacy. Well, we’ve got you covered, because we’ve compiled a list of every confirmed and credibly suspected beast so far, and whether or not you will be able to care for them in the Room of Requirement’s Vivarium. We’ve also given each a cuteness rating. Don’t judge us.

Do note that for those beasts that have been uncovered due to leaks, we have elected not to show the leaked material in this spoiler-free guide. Instead, we have used appropriate images from other Wizarding World material.

Acromantula

Harry Potter fans may recognize these giant spiders from the original books and movies, most notably in Chamber of Secrets, where the humongous Acromantula named Aragog captured Ron and Harry, only to free them due to their close friendship with Aragog’s friend and savior Hagrid. Other lore indicates that Acromantulas come from Borneo, and that the largest of them (Aragog included) can grow up to the size of a small elephant. Arachnophobes beware.

We have seen a couple of small spiders in the trailers for Hogwarts Legacy, but we have yet to see direct evidence of any giant Acromantulas in gameplay or trailers. Given that they are from Borneo, and weren’t brought to Hogwarts Grounds until Hagrid’s tenure (long after the game takes place), it wouldn’t actually make much sense for them to appear en masse in this game. Still, the art book does mention them, and it is well within reason that a couple of these creepy-crawlies could find their way into the game.

Billywigs

Billywigs are large blue insects with rapidly rotating wings that allow them to fly. At the end of their bulbous bodies is a stinger that causes anyone jabbed with it to first feel giddy before, eventually, levitating. You might recognize them from a very brief appearance in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, where several escaped from Newt Scamander’s briefcase. The art book also confirms their stinger’s use for some potions, most notably a “poison antidote,” which goes in line with what we’ve seen of the game’s potion crafting and of its beast care resulting in unique resources.

Centaurs

Nebulously classified by the Ministry of Magic as beasts (at the request of Centaurs themselves), Centaurs are a sentient species whose top half resembles a human, while their bottom half resembles a horse. They have human-level intelligence and form tribes and are well known for their archery and closeness to the natural world, and they are native to the region surrounding Hogwarts. Seen in several places throughout the movies and books, the Centaurs have been in the background of the franchise since its inception and played a major role in the downfall of Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. It is unclear what their role will be in Hogwarts Legacy, but I’d expect to see at least some questlines involving them.

Dementors

Nightmares anyone? Is anyone up for having their happiness sucked from them? Well, too bad, cause the Dementors are here. This race of wispy black wraiths has appeared throughout the Wizarding World franchise and is one of its hallmark creatures (and certainly its darkest). These dark spirits, officially tasked with guarding the Prison of Azkaban — a place that we know will make an appearance in the game — are able to suck the very essence of human joy from their victims.

They are functionally unkillable, persistent, and always hungry, and were used to great effect against Harry Potter throughout his series. Their only known weakness is the Patronus charm, a glowing animal incarnation of a caster’s positive feelings, indicating that the spell will likely be in Hogwarts Legacy if we are going to have to defend against Dementors. We are going to go ahead and say you probably can’t turn these demonic specters into pets in your Vivarium.

Dragons

What fantastical world is complete without Dragons? Not Hogwarts Legacy, from the looks of it. Dragons have been seen all over the game’s marketing, and look to be quite formidable foes, if nothing else. Most famously, we saw what looks to be an adult “Hebridean Black ” dragon facing off against a wizard in the State of Play trailer from a while back. Dragons (while not exactly common in the movies and books) have made a few appearances, most notably in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, where it was required for the contestants in the Triwizard Tournament to get past them.

We’ve seen at least the aforementioned Hebridean Black Dragon in promotional material, intimidating in and of itself. But the art book also indicates the inclusion of the Hungarian Horntail and the Common Welsh Green. That is to say nothing about the dozen other species of dragons in the Wizarding World. While we know for sure that at least one dragon will be an enemy in the game, what we don’t know is whether dragons will be able to live within the Room of Requirement’s Vivarium, though it is hard to imagine a game like this including a petting zoo and not featuring the main attraction.

Diricawls

These giant dodo-like flightless birds are one of the more obscure creatures in Hogwarts Legacy, having appeared only very briefly in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie, as well as in the book the movie is named for. According to the art book, these birds may actually be dodos, and muggles simply were incorrect to call them extinct. These friendly, multicolored birds seem to be thriving in the Wizarding World however, and it is all but certain you will be able to have some in your Vivarium.

Dugbogs

Dugbogs are another of the more obscure beasts in the Wizarding World, though they have been mentioned in passing several times throughout the books. They resemble large frogs and were known to be aggressive to those who would wander through their marshy territories. They are also known to eat mandrakes, being the bane of any attempting to grow them for their valuable alchemical ingredients. In the State of Play trailer, we look at what are equally likely to be Dugbogs or Giant Purple Toads (both being mentioned in the art book), though the grim red coloration and eyes do indicate corruption of some sort, meaning they may be impossible to save and bring back to the Vivarium.

Fwoopers

These adorable little birds are the cutest possible deadly monstrosities. Coming only in vibrant, exotic colors, these little ball-like birds have a loud, high-pitched song that is capable of driving someone insane, making them far more dangerous than meets the eye. We see such creatures in the State of Play trailer, hatching from eggs, and their absurd cuteness combined with the obvious gameplay utility of having a birdsong that can madden people really cements that Fwoopers will almost certainly be able to become denizens of the Vivarium. Maybe with a silencing charm.

Gnomes

Gnomes in the Wizarding World are mischievous burrowers who love to cause problems. Not quite the same as their typical fantasy and garden varieties, gnomes in the Wizarding World are often warted and slightly plant-like, having a vague similarity to Mandrakes. Known for causing chaos in the gardens of many wizards, they are seen by some as a pest, though others see their presence as a sign of good luck. They appeared throughout the books, but are strangely absent from the movies. In the art book, their plant-like nature has been exaggerated, indicating that they are likely to be involved with plants, and may be able to be harvested at a Potting Table rather than the Vivarium.

Golden Snidget

Remember the Golden Snitch, the flying gold ball that the Seeker in Quidditch was tasked with catching in order to end the game? What do you think Wizards used before inventing the Snitch? That’s right, they used these adorable, ball-shaped little birds, the Golden Snidgets. That is until the Wizarding Council decided that murdering adorable, fragile birds in the name of sport was cruelly driving the bird extinct, at which point they switched to the Snitch. The Golden Snidget, being a protected beast, is almost certainly a target for Hogwarts Legacy’s poachers, and as such, they will almost certainly find themselves in the safety of the Vivarium.

Graphorns

The majestic Graphorn has been one of the most seen beasts in promotional material for Hogwarts Legacy, and for good reason. Unlike many of the beasts in the game, the Graphorn is huge and tantalizing, with giant horns and a rough, rhino-like texture, finding itself somewhere in the middle-ground between intimidating and cute. Doomed to near extinction by the time the Fantastic Beasts timeline comes around in the 1920s, these powerful creatures were highly sought after for their horns, which can be used in a wide variety of potions. This makes them ideal targets for poachers that the player character will set out to stop. We saw a Graphorn present in the Vivarium (“Bruce”) in the second Gameplay Showcase.

Hippogriffs

Hippogriffs are another Wizarding World staple. These majestic, winged creatures are half-eagle and half-horse, and just as noble as either. They were seen throughout the Harry Potter series, with the most notable hippogriff being Buckbeak, who Harry and the gang rescued in Prisoner of Azkaban using time travel. One of these incredible beasts was shown in the second Gameplay Showcase for Hogwarts Legacy as a mount, its onyx coloration being the result of a deluxe edition skin. Though we know that these creatures will be one of the various flying mounts in the game, what we don’t know is whether they will also be present in the Vivarium. Especially if they can simply be contained in your pockets.

Inferni

According to the art book, these undead corpses are “Dark Beasts,” so we are putting them here. Having been resurrected by dark magic, these zombie-like aberrations will almost certainly serve as fodder enemies against the player, resurrected and wielded by dark forces, and so you can expect them to show up throughout the plot of the game. Just don’t expect to make any of these undead monstrosities a pet, okay?

Jobberknoll

Despite their more mundane appearance, Jobberknolls are one of the odder birds that will be in Hogwarts Legacy. Upon death, these birds are known for repeating every sound they’ve ever heard backward in a single, presumably ear-splitting scream. Though they resemble a simple bluebird, these creatures are somewhat illusive in canon, having only been mentioned anywhere on-screen, and so it will be interesting to finally see them rendered in the game. The feathers of these creatures are an essential ingredient to several memory-related potions, meaning that poachers are likely eager to hear their death screams, so they will almost certainly appear in the game’s Vivarium.

Kneazles

Okay, let’s be honest, Kneazles are just cats. So, in other words, they are perfect. No notes. They are known to be more aggressive than most cats, and are able to interbreed with cats (with Hermione’s Crookshanks being the stand-out example), but… They are just cats. Everyone likes cats. We’ve seen these fluffy little hooligans in both the State of Play and the second Gameplay Showcase, confirming their presence in the Vivarium.

Mandrakes

More plant than actual beasts, Mandrakes are best described as “crying tree babies.” These gnarly plants have a cry able to make people faint just from hearing it, as happened to Neville Longbottom in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Often cultivated in wizard greenhouses, these obnoxious plants are the source of several valuable alchemical ingredients, and as such are highly sought after. We have seen a mandrake being used against some enemy wizards in the State of Play, and it is all but guaranteed that we will be able to plant mandrakes in the Room of Requirement’s Potting Table.

Mooncalves

Mooncalves were designed just to be the cutest things possible and the creators succeeded. These big-eyed little creatures are known for burrowing deep underground most of the time, only coming to the surface during the full moon, when they would dance (frequently causing what muggles would know as crop circles). The internet has fawned over these cuteness-factories since they were revealed, and we were able to see them in the Vivarium during the second Gameplay Showcase (interestingly, not during the full moon).

Nifflers

At one point, scientists thought that platypi must be fake, because they were so much like a cross between a bird and a mammal that they were surely a hoax. Nifflers are sort of like that, but taken to an extreme, and with an added kleptomaniacal desire to steal shiny things. A poach on their bellies can, in fact, hide an obscene amount of shiny stuff, far greater than the Niffler’s own weight or volume. Newt’s Niffler named Teddy was arguably the main fantastic beast in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and we have already seen Nifflers wandering around inside Hogwarts Legacy’s Vivarium. Mine will be named Perry.

Phoenix

Phoenixes are an integral part of the Wizarding World. They provide feathers for wands, are born again from the ashes they leave when they die, and one of them, Dumbledore’s Fawkes, came to the rescue of Harry Potter in Chamber of Secrets. The enigmatic birds seem to be a rarity even in the Wizarding World, as Fawkes is the only one we ever meet, and that looks to continue in Hogwarts Legacy, where the art book tells us that “there is only one Phoenix available in Hogwarts Legacy.” That wording indicates that said majestic firebird will very likely become a denizen of the Vivarium, and its special rarity makes it a prime candidate to have a quest of its own.

Puffskeins

Puffskeins are popular wizard pets, and it is easy to see why. They are tiny, spherical fluffballs perfectly happy with being tossed or cuddled, and whose appetites made them good for hunting down pests in a wizarding home using their overlong tongues. The player character is almost certain to be able to have Puffskeins as a pet, but there is some chance that they might prefer to wander the Room of Requirement or house Common Rooms, given their description, so it is unclear whether they will actually be in the Vivarium.

Thestrals

One of the more grim creatures in the Wizarding World, Thestrals are thin, nearly-skeletal flying horses that can only be seen by those who have witnessed death. Originally shown as cart-pullers in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. These much-maligned creatures are gentle but are often attributed to bad fortune. In the game, we know that Thestrals will be one of the available mounts for the player, and some gameplay footage has indicated, though not guaranteed, that they will be available in the Vivarium. Their presence in Hogwarts Legacy reveals that our main character has, in fact, witnessed death.

Trolls

There’s a troll in the dungeon! These lumbering, club-wielding brutes, first seen in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, have so far been shown as dangerous enemies in Hogwarts Legacy. They look to be something like miniboss fights, and if they are smarter than the troll that attacked the first-year Harry Potter then they will almost certainly be formidable. However, their position as enemies makes them unlikely to find their way into the Vivarium, though nothing is impossible.

Unicorns

Unicorns are exceedingly rare horned horses, a staple of any fantastical world. Their presence throughout the Wizarding World has been sparse, as befits their rarity, save for several dead unicorns whose blood was feasted upon by Voldemort (still trying to regain strength) in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. While Unicorns are present in the Art Book, little is known about their role in Hogwarts Legacy, where they may serve as mounts or find refuge in the Vivarium.

So there you have it, the complete list of beasts we know of so far that will be present in Hogwarts Legacy. What do you think of these creatures? Are there any that haven’t been revealed that you are hoping to see, or any that we missed? Let us know in the comments below.