On top of being able to use ancient magic, the player can also wield the Elder Wand in Hogwarts Legacy, but this is quite contradictory to Harry Potter canon. Throughout its lengthy and complicated history, the wand has cycled through numerous different owners, so its existence in the open-world RPG isn’t all too surprising. However, it’s the manner in which the player obtains the Elder Wand that makes it break Harry Potter lore entirely.
The Elder Wand isn’t the first instance in which Hogwarts Legacy diverges away from the main series’ story. Although it’s clear that Portkey Games closely followed in suit of the books and the films, a few minor changes were made to the wizarding world (such as the early inclusion of racing broomsticks). In some ways, Hogwarts Legacy may become more important than canon Harry Potter lore – but when it comes to a plot point as crucial as the Elder Wand, it may have some stranger implications.
How To Get The Elder Wand In Hogwarts Legacy
In Hogwarts Legacy, players can obtain the Elder Wand in one of two ways. It’s possible to recreate Dumbledore’s iconic wand through the in-game wand customization menu by selecting elder wood, unyielding flexibility, maximum wand length, any wand core, and the dark brown “Ringed” style. However, students can have the Elder Wand choose them instead, if they give a specific set of answers during the Harry Potter Fan Club wand quiz. Regardless of which method a witch or wizard uses to get ahold of this wand, though, it doesn’t quite fit into Harry Potter lore.
The History Of Hogwarts Legacy’s Elder Wand
It’s essential knowledge in Hogwarts Legacy‘s wizarding world that the Elder Wand was around long before the events of the game. An in-universe folk story, The Tale of the Three Brothers, describes it as having been created by Death himself, and because of this, it holds a special property: it’s undefeatable in a duel, but if the owner of the Elder Wand is killed, their murderer receives its loyalty and unfaltering power. Unsurprisingly, this caused immense bloodshed (starting with its first bearer, Antioch Peverell), and thus a long list of Elder Wand owners accumulated over time. But it also proves just how outlandish it is to be able to wield such a wand in Hogwarts Legacy.
Canonically, the owner of the Elder Wand during the 1890s remains unclear, but it’s quite a stretch that Hogwarts Legacy‘s protagonist would have such easy access to it (even though wand customization has a minimal impact in Hogwarts Legacy). The new fifth-year student clearly didn’t kill anybody for their wand, which means they couldn’t technically own the real Elder Wand – and they couldn’t have been the ones to create it either, as it would already have a complex history by the time they even stepped foot into Ollivanders.
It’s become abundantly clear that Portkey Games’ latest release contains many mysteries of its own, outside the main series. But this odd possibility regarding the Elder Wand in Hogwarts Legacy may be one of the strangest breaks in Harry Potter canon discovered thus far.
Source: Hogwarts Legacy/YouTube
Editor’s Note: Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling has been accused of transphobia by those in the LGBTQ+ community. Although not directly involved in the development of Hogwarts Legacy, Rowling does stand to earn royalties from the game. We would like to reiterate our support for trans rights and that trans identities are valid. Support services are listed below for trans people impacted by discussions of transphobia.
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