One of the few on-screen fantastic beasts you can rescue in Hogwarts Legacy is a Thestral, a creature that can only be seen by people who have witnessed death. Even though they might not look cute like other beasts, they are incredibly intelligent and faithful creatures from the Wizarding lore. They also happen to be one of the rarest creatures, and the case remains the same for the game.

If you own the Deluxe Edition, you will eventually unlock a rare Thestral flying mount in Hogwarts Legacy named Sepulchria that you can also add to your Vivarium in the Room of Requirement. Like Unicorns, which you can only find in one specific creature den, Thestrals can only be found and caught at two creature dens in the open world. Luckily, one of these dens is located relatively close to Hogwarts.

All Thestral Locations

The most convenient location to find Thestrals is in the North Ford Bog, north of Hogwarts Castle. There are quite a few Merlin Trials in Hogwarts Legacy's North Ford Bog, and you may have already visited this creature den if you've learned how to breed beasts by helping Deek during "The Foal of the Dead" quest. Alternatively, there is another Thestral den far to the south, on the eastern shores of Marunweem Lake. You can find and capture Thestrals at both locations.

The best way to rescue a Thestral is by using the Disillusionment Charm, which will not harm the beast and let you get close to a herd without alarming them. Once you are close enough, use Arresto Momentum, Glacius, and Levioso to n immobilize a Thestral and use the Nab-Sack to capture it. It is important to use stealth here as a Thestral can be easily alarmed and flee the area as soon as it takes notice of you.

You must press the capture button five times to catch a Thestral, but you can always stop to cast any immobilizing spells again.

After catching a Thestral, you can release it into the Room of Requirement vivariums, where it produces Thestral Hair when fed and brushed. Thestral Hair is a rare resource used for certain gear upgrades in Hogwarts Legacy, which gives you even more incentive to find and catch these spooky yet oddly beautiful creatures.

How To Catch a Shiny Thestral

You can also catch a shiny version of a Thestral using the same methods. However, the Shiny version of a Thestral is a lot more uncommon and can only be found east of Marunweem Lake. In addition, shiny Thestrals look slightly different from the regular version as it is light grey or white and have a silver hue. Shiny Thestrals can also yield white shiny offsprings when bred in Hogwarts Legacy's Vivarium.

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