Some spells in Hogwarts Legacy are noticeably better than others and some might be a complete waste of time. A Tier List can be very helpful to players to know the spells that will improve their gameplay and beat the game. Players looking to be the very best spellcaster will want to focus on using the best spells and talents to quickly eliminate opponents and further their progression in the game.

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Ultimately, the spell a player decides to use is up to them, and some situations may call for very specific spells to be used. Whether it's powering through the main story line, completing every side-quest, or battling difficult opponents in the Dark Arts Arena, let's break down every spell in the game to see which ones come out on top.

Hogwarts Legacy Spell Ranking Criteria

We've unlocked and tested out every spell in the game and ranked them into Tiers from best to worst (S > A > B > C > D > F). And while all spells will have a purpose, the spells that players should have readily available come down to a few conditions:

1. Damage
2. Total Damage: When it comes to taking enemies out, the more damage a spell does the faster you will eliminate the target and move on.
3. Recharge Speed: Some spells might deal a lot of damage, but if it takes forever to recharge then it might be helpful to use a spell that can be used more frequently.
4. Utility
5. It is advantageous for a spell to have an additional effect, such as interrupting an enemy or allowing you to take control of the playing field and get the high ground.
6. Another important factor to consider is if a spell has bonus effects that improve combat or other aspects of gameplay (e.g., revealing hidden objects for better gear or for experience points).
7. Fun
8. Let's take a step back and realize that not everything in the game needs to be a serious competition. Points will be awarded to spells whose effects might not necessarily provide any advantage other than pure enjoyment.

Best Spells To Use In Hogwarts Legacy

• S Tier
• Ancient Magic • Ancient Magic Throw • Petrificus Totalus • Protego • Transformation • Imperio
• A Tier
• Avada Kedavra • Bombarda • Disillusionment • Diffindo • Expelliarmus • Levioso • Revelio • Stupefy
• B Tier
• Confringo • Crucio • Glacius • Accio • Incendio • Depulso
• C Tier
• Basic Cast • Flipendo • Arresto Momentum • Descendo
• D Tier
• Lumos • Alohomora • Evanesco
• F Tier
• Wingardium Leviosa • Reparo • Nab-Sack • Beast Petting Brush • Beast Feed​ • Conjuring Spell • Altering Spell

Best Spells In Hogwarts Legacy

S Tier: These are the strongest spells in the game and will regularly be used on cooldown whenever they are available to maximize damage and progression. Grabbing talents that improve these spells is a must. They will be cast many times throughout the game and the spells that are slottable should be easily accessible on the Spell Sets.

Ancient Magic

The whole game revolves around Ancient Magic, so of course these would be the best spells to use. Use Ancient Magic whenever it is available on the strongest enemies to take a huge chunk of their health out, you're also invulnerable while casting. Or quickly dispatch a smaller enemy with a one-hit knock-out. Getting maximum combos and grabbing talents that build the ancient meter faster will make your life so much easier as you'll be able to cast this spell much more often.

Ancient Magic Throw

Just as with Ancient Magic, the players throwing capability is also really strong when there are objects nearby to utilize it. Whenever in combat, be on the lookout for any prompts to throw objects at enemies, as they will break their shields and do a good amount of damage. Grabbing the Expelliarmus and Transformation Talents make for some very strong combinations.

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Protego

This ability nullifies the need for healing potions. It has 4 effective purposes: block incoming attacks, counter attacks with stupefy or when timed perfectly it deals damage and breaks shields, and finally, with the Protego Absorption talent it will also build the Ancient Magic meter. There are also 2 other talents that further improve this ability when timed Perfectly: doubling the damage output and breaking all enemy shields around you.

Transformation

This spell takes an enemy out of combat for a long time. With the associated talent it can allow anything object or enemy to be thrown which can dish out a lot of explosive damage. It's the safe version of Avada Kedavra

Petrificus Totalus

This is the spell that is what makes any player looking to make a Stealth Build viable. Grabbing the top talent in the Stealth tree will give Avada Kedavra a run for its money. So long as the player isn't found (picking up every talent in the stealth tree greatly helps with this) many targets can be taken out very quickly, without needing to cast and unforgivable curses.

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Imperio

Another spell that takes an enemy out of commission but also makes them attack foes, a very powerful tool to have in a Spell Set. The talent for it is very useful in a Dark Arts build to help spread curses more rapidly, thus increasing total damage output, even if not wanting to use the ultimate killing-curse.

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Strong Hogwarts Legacy Spells

A Tier: These spells are also very strong and are also going to be used very often, players should have these spells on at least one of their Spell Sets ready to counter any engagement.

Avada Kedavra

This is going to be one of the most hotly debated spells, and many players may choose not to use it or skip obtaining it outright. That being said, it is a very powerful spell that will one hit kill any target. Players using a Dark Arts Talent build will be able to clear the room with one spell due to the final talent for it.

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Bombarda

Bombarda is one of the strongest regular damaging attacks, it has a slightly longer cooldown but when talented can deal massive damage to multiple grouped up targets and it will also separate them a significant distance. Another must-have spell equipped on a Spell Set.

Diffindo

Diffindo is a really strong spell offering high damage. While its cooldown is a little longer than others, you'll want to use it whenever it is up. The talent allows it to pierce enemies but sometimes it can be hard to line them up to benefit from it; still, the extra damage from time to time is welcomed.

Disillusionment

Stealth is not a very well-developed aspect of the game as there are only 4 talents, 2 of which are repeats. However, there is something to be said for a build that takes advantage of all of them. On its own Disillusionment will allow players to simply bypass areas that might be too difficult for combat, additionally, Petrificus Totalus is a very powerful spell that, while not a one-hit-kill, can still deal with many targets. It's also a great way to get better gear!

Expelliarmus

Expelliarmus does deal a small amount of damage, but more importantly, it causes enemies to no longer have a weapon, putting them out of commission for a while. The talent is a must-have as the disarmed weapon can be thrown and used against them for extra damage.

Levioso

Levitating targets makes them less of a threat, the fast cooldown on it means that the target can be put in the air almost indefinitely if you don't hit it. Grabbing the talent for this one is a must-have to make multiple enemies unable to attack you.

Revelio

Casting Revelio will reveal the location of anything that is interactible in the game. Players who use this button regularly will find a lot of important things that may otherwise be missed, giving them an advantage in leveling up faster and getting better loot.

Stupefy

If you find trying to time the Perfect Protego difficult, then just hold it down and counter with ease. While the stun doesn't last long, the shield breaking alone is very valuable. The tooltip says it doesn't do any damage, but there is a talent to fix that. There's also a talent that players who dabble in the Dark Arts will enjoy too: spreading curses.

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Good Spells To Use In Hogwarts Legacy

B Tier: Depending on your playstyle and whether you choose to use the Unforgivable curses or not, all of these spells are still good to have equipped to be ready for any scenario. These spells are generally only used in specific situations or when some of your other spells are still recharging.

Confringo

Confringo is a solid damage-type ranged ability learned fairly early on and deals a moderate amount of damage to a single target and allows for increased follow-up damage. While not the strongest damage-type spell, it's good at taking out enemy shields from a distance for follow-up skills. This spell will likely be used very often so picking up the associated talent is a good idea.

Crucio

This spell isn't particularly strong on its own but is good for spreading curses with a Dark Arts Build. With the talent it can spread to multiple targets, meaning that once Avada Kedavra is unlocked and talented killing multiple targets quickly will be very easy.

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Glacius

This spell is rather useful in many scenarios to slow combat down and increase damage output. However, it only affects one target, limiting its uses. With the talent it provides an explosion that deals damage to nearby enemies. Levioso is the superior Control move as it has a shorter cooldown and the talent to make it hit multiple targets is accessible early on.

Accio

Accio is a great spell to interrupt an enemy that is casting or to break their shield. It has a quick recharge rate and is best use is with Incendio as a follow-up, as it is a strong short-range fire blast great for close-range combat. The talent allows multiple targets to be drawn in which can be deadly if also paired with the Incendio talent. The bonus effect also frees up a slot from not needing Wingardium Leviosa equipped.

Incendio

Because of its short range, it can be hard to make effective use of this spell. Most of the time it's best to keep enemies far away, giving you enough space and time to react. However, don't take it completely off your spell set just yet, as using it right after Accio is a great combo. Taking both of these spells' respective talents makes for an impressively strong close-range burst combo.

Depulso

This spell is great for giving yourself some space when enemies are nearby. It's also good for knocking enemies off of cliffs. The talent makes it hit multiple enemies but has limited uses as typically you want to keep enemies away in the first place. Even when utilizing close-ranged spells, you want the enemies grouped up to hit multiple targets.

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Average Spells

C Tier: There may only be a few spell slots left if you have the above spells already equipped. While these spells still have their situational uses, one might consider having a duplicate of one of the above spells instead depending on your talents and shield-breaking needs.

Basic Cast

The Basic Cast damage is low but is good for continuing combos to generate orbs for the ancient magic meter. Grabbing the talent that causes casts to recharge faster is essential, and makes it very much so worth casting between stronger spells. It also allows for breaking small objects and gathering things.

Flipendo

The short cooldown is the only thing running for this spell. It doesn't deal any damage, however, with the associated talent it might become very useful in Dark Arts Builds to make spreading curses very quick.

Arresto Momentum

Unfortunately, Arresto Momentum doesn't really offer a significant advantage over other Control type spells. While it can allow the player a bit more time to think, it doesn't do any damage. Arresto Momentum would be a good choice for a Dark Arts talent build as the talent applies curses.

Descendo

This spell has limited uses as many targets won't be too high in the air to benefit from the damage it deals. The talent for it also doesn't provide much benefit as grouping up enemies AND having them in the air is hard to achieve.

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Lackluster Spells In Hogwarts Legacy

D Tier: This category is meant for spells that are generally only for progressing the story further or for exploration. They don't have many purposes in combat, and likely won't be taking up slots in the Spell Sets.

Lumos

The Wand-Lighting Charm is only helpful in lighting up dark areas and finding collectibles such as field guides and chests. It is not a strong combat spell; however, there are vines that are vulnerable to light, but you can also just cast imperio for that too.

Alohomora

Alohomora is used to unlock doors with a mini-game. While it's great for discovering hidden items such as Field Guide Pages or Demiguise Statues, it doesn't offer anything substantial to the game. Plus the mini-game is not exactly a riveting experience.

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Evanesco

Evanesco is saved from being F-Tier due to being able to refund any items placed by default in the Room of Requirement. Providing a significant boost to the amount of Moonstone one can obtain early on.

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Worst Spells To Use In Hogwarts Legacy

F Tier: The majority of these spells are largely non-combat or used in the Room of Requirement for decorating or getting materials. While these spells wouldn't be considered a waste of time, in combat it would be better not to have these spells take up any slots in the Spell Sets. Alternatively, this category may also be considered the "F is for Fun" Tier or if Animal Husbandry and Decoration are what matters most to you.

Wingardium Leviosa

Unfortunately, Hermione's infamous spell isn't worth placing on a Spell Slot. Once it's unlocked, Accio will perform the same function if held long enough.

Reparo

The Mending Charm doesn't have any non-combat capabilities and really only serves to progress some quests. Only put it on your spell slot if needed at the moment.

Everything Else

The other Transfiguration spells (Conjuring and Altering) and the Beast Husbandry spells (Petting Brush, Feed, Nab-Sack) are hard to vouch for.

The Potions and Plants that can be used in combat require a lot of preparation to keep those items in stock and remember to use them as well. If that type of combat is fun for you, then go for it, there are even a bunch of talents to make them even stronger. With the right talents, one might be inclined to sit back and watch their plants do all the work for them.

The beasts are fun to maintain and they even allow for improving gear, but that's entirely an optional venture.

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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.

In the USA:

• Trans Lifeline: (877) 565-8860
• The Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386

In Canada:

• Trans Lifeline: (877) 330-6366
• Youth Line: 1-800-268-9688

In the UK:

• Switchboard: 01273 204050
• Mermaids: 0808 801 0400