HBO will be remaking the Harry Potter movies, which means an opportunity to fix a significant dueling problem from the original Wizarding World films. This issue was seen as early as Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and likely resulted from the limited technology available for special effects. However, the problem continued into later installments and has been prevalent even in the recent Fantastic Beasts films. Now, the upcoming Harry Potter remake can finally fix how wizarding duels are seen on screen—and it can take inspiration from the Hogwarts Legacy video game to do so.
Magical duels were common throughout the Harry Potter books between students and qualified wizards alike. As Harry grew and his abilities advanced, these duels became more complex and impressive. Different spells, hexes, and curses had unique effects on opponents, and using them in combination with one another was what made a wizard a great duelist. Unfortunately, battles like those described in the books were rarely seen in the Harry Potter movies, where magical duels were grossly simplified. Still, there's no reason for this to continue into the confirmed Harry Potter reboot.
The Harry Potter & Fantastic Beasts Movies Ruined Wizarding Duels
The first time Harry wound up in a wizarding duel was in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets when Gilderoy Lockhart taught his Defense Against the Dark Arts students the proper way to face off against another witch or wizard. In the book, Harry and Draco threw as many spells as possible at each other. They used tickling charms, hexes that made a person's legs flail uncontrollably, and spells that made Harry feel as if he had been hit over the head with a frying pan.
Of course, this wasn't how the spells wound up working in the Chamber of Secrets movie. Instead, no matter which incantation Harry and Draco yelled out (aside from the one that resulted in Draco's snake), the result was only the opponent flying across the room. The unique effects of magic had been wiped away to the point that duels in the Harry Potter films were little more than wizards launching each other backward.
This continued from film to film until Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, when a new dueling problem was introduced. During Harry and Voldemort's duel in the graveyard, the duo's wands connected in a wizarding world phenomenon the books called Priori Incantatum. It had been the unique result of Harry and Voldemort's shared wand core and wouldn't have happened similarly during any other duel. However, the Harry Potter movies took to throwing the stream of red and green magic into nearly every wizarding duel after that, even those in the Fantastic Beasts movies.
The Harry Potter Remake Can Follow Hogwarts Legacy's Lead With Book-Accurate Dueling
The simplification of dueling in the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movies is one that has been a significant frustration for book fans for years. If wizards weren't throwing each other backward or linking their wands in an overused phenomenon, they were shooting useless zaps at one another. It was so much less than the action described in the Harry Potter movies. Thankfully, the HBO remake of the Harry Potter movies promises to be a book-faithful adaptation, and when it comes to dueling, there is a great place the new series can start.
The video game Hogwarts Legacy put aside the dueling style commonly seen in the Harry Potter movies and restored the complex nature of the various spells of the wizarding world. When players faced off against villains or classmates, they could make their characters yell out incantations that actually had unique effects on their targets. From there, they could learn different combinations for these spells—and the result was visually stunning duels that did the Harry Potter books more justice. It might take a lot more work on special effects, but if it means some awesome-looking battles, it will be worth it.