Summary

• Becoming a dark wizard in Hogwarts Legacy grants significant combat advantages with powerful spells like Crucio, Imperio, and Avada Kedavra.
• Dark spells in Hogwarts Legacy have additional benefits, such as causing a Cursed status on enemies and breaking through protective barriers.
• Using dark magic in Hogwarts Legacy has minimal negative consequences, primarily damaging the student's reputation and receiving disapproval from certain characters.

Those checking out Hogwarts Legacy for the first time may be wondering if there are advantages or disadvantages to becoming a dark wizard in the game. Throughout side quests and the main story, there are times that the protagonist can choose a so-called dark option. Sometimes, this can result in getting a new spell or how a certain character responds to the newest Hogwarts student. Ultimately, the pros and cons of using dark magic in Hogwarts Legacy will influence the decision that players make.

Although students are at complete liberty to choose whether they'd like to be a dark wizard in Hogwarts Legacy, the extent of their evil endeavors will be quite narrow compared to the main Harry Potter series. The inclusion of Avada Kedavra doesn't make Horcruxes possible, for instance, and in the end, the Unforgivable Curses are the only form of dark magic that they may cast (at least for the time being). For those who seek the path less walked, this may come as a disappointment - but despite their limitations, these dark wizard spells in Hogwarts Legacy also have their benefits.

Pros Of Becoming A Dark Wizard In Hogwarts Legacy

When following Sebastian Sallow's questline, players will eventually be faced with this crucial decision, and it may not be immediately clear which path is best for them. Some may be relieved that learning and using the three Unforgivable Curses isn't required to complete the quest, whereas others will relish the opportunity to expand their spell knowledge. This is where choosing to go down the dark wizard path really comes into play.

The most obvious advantage that players will have by becoming a dark wizard in Hogwarts Legacy is that they'll be much more powerful in combat. Crucio, Imperio, and Avada Kedavra are entirely unique, but there's practically never a time in which they won't come in handy. As the torture curse, Crucio can deal significant damage to enemies over time and take them out of a fight, making it a powerful crowd control tactic. Unlocking the mind control curse Imperio grants the ability to turn enemies into allies during combat. Finally, the infamous Avada Kedavra killing curse deals a one-shot fatal blow to almost all enemies in the game.

Using each of the three dark spells in Hogwarts Legacy casts a Cursed status on the opposition, which has even further benefits. Depending on which skills a player unlocks on the talent tree, cursed targets can take increased damage from certain (non-dark arts) spells, curse surrounding enemies, or even heal the student upon death. But by far the most overpowered ability in Hogwarts Legacy is the Avada Kedavra Mastery talent, which lets players kill every single cursed target with a single cast of Avada Kedavra, eliminating massive groups of enemies with a single swish and flick of their wand.

Plus, after unlocking all the dark spells in Hogwarts Legacy, players won't have to worry nearly as much about breaking shield charms. Any of the three curses will instantly break through an enemy's protective barrier, no matter the color, making it an effective choice at any time. Of course, the cooldowns for Avada Kedavra, Crucio, and Imperio will need to be managed effectively, but if the student is in a sticky situation, they can be used as a panic button to immediately grant them an advantage (without having to coordinate the colors of attacks).

In terms of story, an evil-aligned protagonist won't be locked out of any important narrative content. Using the dark arts does not prevent them from completing the main questline or from missing out on important side content. Canonically, in the magic community, using any of the three Unforgivable Curses will immediately land a witch or a wizard in Azkaban for life. Hogwarts Legacy, however, softens this approach. It is possible to visit the infamous prison in-game for anyone who chooses Hufflepuff as their Hogwarts house, but using dark magic doesn't have any real downfalls or punishments.

Cons Of Becoming A Dark Wizard In Hogwarts Legacy

Despite their notoriety in the wizarding world, there are surprisingly few disadvantages to using dark magic in Hogwarts Legacy. In fact, the only real effect it has on gameplay is damaging the student's reputation. When fighting alongside the Gryffindor companion Natsai Onai, she will make comments about the player's use of Unforgivable Curses, saying she dislikes it when they cast that magic. Hufflepuff's Poppy Sweeting will make a more passive-aggressive comment pointing out the nature of the spells. Of course, Sebastian Sallow is the one exception to this rule, as he will actually applaud the student for their use of the curses.

The player will begin to gain an adverse reputation at Hogwarts, as some NPC characters will make an odd comment about the use of evil spells from time to time. Even the student's opposition will sometimes question the use of Avada Kedavra in Hogwarts Legacy. Poachers and other villains may sometimes point out, in a surprised or outraged tone, that the player is using an Unforgivable Curse against them in combat. Ultimately, though, this is as far as the game will punish a dark witch or wizard. The dark spells have no real effect on relationships - even with someone like Natty, who is quite vocal about her hatred of them.

The Hogwarts Legacy Dark Path Doesn't Change Key Elements

For some players, it may be a relief to learn that using the Unforgivable Curses doesn't affect the trajectory of the main questline. However, this could be a major letdown for others who are looking for a more immersive experience. Using the dark arts causes chaos, and some students may wish to unleash similar anarchy during the game's story. While there is an evil outcome among the several endings in Hogwarts Legacy, for some odd reason, the dark spells themselves have no impact on the progression of the story or the world in any way (apart from the remarks from companions and NPCs).

From a completionist standpoint, it can also be disappointing to learn that the Unforgivable Curses don't have any sort of achievement associated with them. In fact, not even the Spell Master achievement, which tasks the student with learning "all spells," requires unlocking Crucio, Imperio, or Avada Kedavra. Achievement hunters, consequently, have nothing to gain from pursuing all the dark magic Hogwarts Legacy has to offer. However, as far as downsides go, this is rather minor.

In fact, all downsides of using dark magic in Hogwarts Legacy are almost nonexistent compared to its benefits. Although players will disappoint most of their in-game companions and NPCs, and they won't unlock any special achievements or storylines, they'll ultimately be able to annihilate their competition with consistency and ease. A Hogwarts Legacy sequel could bring a morality system to the table, but for now, witches and wizards can become an unstoppable force in the magical world with a little sacrifice of virtue.

Source: Legacy Gaming/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.

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

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  Hogwarts Legacy

  Released:

  2022-02-10

  Developer(s):

  Avalanche Software

  Genre(s):

  Adventure, Action RPG, Open-World

  Platform(s):

  Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows, Steam

  Publisher(s):

  Warner Bros. Games

  ESRB:

  T

  Franchise:

  Harry Potter

  Mode:

  Single-Player

  Platforms:

  Xbox One

  Release Date :

  February 2023

  Rating:

  T