In Hogwarts Legacy you will be able to use the Dark Arts in the form of the three famous Unforgivable Curses, that is I torture, Empire e Avada kedavra. From the moment this news reached the ears of enthusiasts, a lot of questions started to crowd their minds: how do they get them? Will it be possible to become evil? With the killing curse, will it be possible to eliminate every enemy with one blow? If, on the one hand, in our review we talked about a rather bland RPG component and the absence of a karma system, it is inevitable that the choice to embrace the path of the dark wizard brings some small consequences in the daily life of Hogwarts.
We have collected everything you need to know about the Dark Arts in the Hogwarts Legacy experience, limiting spoilers to a minimum and then going into detail about the moments and choices that lead to learning the most feared anathema of the magical world. Obviously this is not an element of the main plot, so it will be up to every aspiring wizard and witch to embark on this quest to wink at the darker side of the Harry Potter universe.
Here, then, is how to follow the path of the Dark Arts in Hogwarts Legacy.
The Unforgivable Curses
Le Curses Without Forgiveness they are three particular anathemas forbidden in the magical world that play a decisive role in the economy of the Harry Potter saga. Simply using any of these spells in the original series guarantees a one-way ticket to the wizard prison of Azkaban. The most famous is undoubtedly the Avada Kedavra, the anathema that kills, none other than the spell that inflicted the famous lightning-shaped scar on little Harry. Next to her are the Cruciatus, or the torture curse that drove Neville Longbottom's parents to madness, and the Imperius, an invoice that allows you to take control of another living being to bend it completely to the user's will.
All three Unforgivable Curses are present in Hogwarts Legacy: their obtaining is based on the completion of a long chain of optional missions, and it will be up to the player to choose whether or not to learn each of these spells. This means that it is possible to master them all, learn only some, or not learn them at all, consequently choosing to stay well away from the Dark Arts. This choice represents the only decision in the entire Avalanche Software title that can bring real consequences in the construction of the character and in particular nuances of the narrative, so we advise you to weigh your decisions carefully, keeping in mind that these are extremely powerful weapons , not to mention almost unbeatable.
The curse cruciatus, in fact, allows you to knock out an enemy for several seconds, inflicting damage over time and forcing him to remain immobile in pain; as if that wasn't enough, it instantly breaks any type of shield, increases the damage suffered by the target and sometimes shocks the victim's companions. The Imperius, on the other hand, instantly brings an enemy to fight on your side, to the point that he will use his entire classic arsenal of moves against anyone who comes within range; this means that you can also use Imperio against a troll to push it to sow destruction among hordes of dark wizards. Finally there is the Avada Kedavra, which despite being subject to the longest cooldown time of the entire title - more than two minutes - allows you to eliminate any enemy in one fell swoop, including the toughest bosses that patrol the open world.
The RPG component of Hogwarts Legacy certainly doesn't stand out for its depth, on the contrary, it limits itself to staging small choices often disconnected from the progress of the plot and from any kind of system dedicated to karma. However, there is a mission in which the player decisions they have an impact on the game world and on the protagonist's arsenal, and it is precisely the long chain of activities dedicated to obtaining the Unforgivable Curses. To raise the curtain on this segment of the work it is necessary to undertake the bond missions of Sebastian Sallow, a Slytherin student whom you will meet during the main adventure. If you want to proceed on your own, avoiding any spoilers, just make sure you take part in the mission "In the Shadow of the Underground", which will appear indicated by a symbol in the shape of a cartoon following the conclusion of the first act; in fact, you will not be able to start it until you have completed Percival Rakham's test; below, however, we will go into the details of the Dark Arts, but be aware that the following paragraphs contain Plot spoilers the Hogwarts Legacy.
How to get the Dark Arts in Hogwarts Legacy
Following the conclusion of the first act, the castle will be submerged by the first snows of winter and Hogwarts Legacy will begin to offer you a new type of activity, that is, a series of bond missions through which you can deepen your relationships with the characters Poppy, Natty and Sebastian. They are marked with a cartoon icon and constitute only the first step of long chains of activities intended to keep you company until the end of the adventure. The possibility of using the Dark Arts is connected to the path of sebastian sallow, which begins only during the second act, with the mission "In the Shadow of the Underground".
Once you get to know Sebastian better, he will begin to tell you the story of his twin sister Anne, the reason why the young Slytherin is so interested in the Dark Arts. The boy is convinced that this branch of magic could hold the secret to resolving the curse that has struck her. In the meantime, his faithful friend Infaustus Gaunt will try in every way to dissuade him from this path, and it will only be up to you to decide whether to give rise to Infaustus' warnings by asking Sebastian to give up whenever possible or whether to actively push him towards the pursuit of the Dark Arts, influencing the story in one direction or another.
The first Unforgivable Curse you can get is the cruciatus, and to learn it it is necessary to carry out the bond mission dedicated to finding it Salazar Slytherin's Scriptorium. To enter the basement you will have to light the torches in the corridor with a Fire or a Confringo, after which you just need to read the codes engraved on the various iron doors with the help of Lumos and then move to the respective column, shed some light using the torches hanging on the walls, and finally enter the correct code before the time runs out. Once you have completed the journey you will find yourself faced with the first big decision: this is where it will be possible to choose whether to learn or not I torture, and what's more whether to use it on Sebastian or to act as a guinea pig for the young Slytherin. In total, the bond missions offered by Sebastian are nine: "In the Shadow of Time", which will be available shortly after the Slytherin Scriptorium during the winter season, will require you to accompany Sebastian to the Feldcroft catacomb. In the boy's hometown, all you have to do is make your way through the hordes of Inferi until you reach the final room, and this will be the only opportunity available to get your hands on Empire; also in this case, the choice will be entirely yours.
But the most coveted spell is without a shadow of a doubt Avada kedavra, the anathema capable of killing even bosses scattered throughout the open world with a single blow. The related quest is "In the shadow of the Relic", which will only be available before the end of the last act. You must have already completed the defense of Feldcroft, the twenty-ninth main mission, and you must have completed all of Sebastian's bond missions. At a certain point you will be contacted by Infaustus Gaunt and you will have to return to the catacomb once again, this time in the company of the weak Anne Sallow. Once the Underworld has been defeated and the mission concluded, you will have the opportunity to fully embrace the dark path, learning Avada Kedavra and giving up a part of your humanity.
Do the Dark Arts have consequences on the ending?
The short answer is no: the ending doesn't change based on decisions that revolve around the Dark Arts. The choices made during Sebastian's bond missions have effects limited only to the relevant chain, and do not influence the progress of the main plot in any way. Furthermore, in Hogwarts Legacy there is no real karma system, so you will be free to use the curses in the way you prefer without any consequences whatsoever.
Once you reach the final boss, you will be faced with a final small crossroads that will determine the final stages of your journey, but this will be completely unrelated to the use or otherwise of the Dark Arts. Furthermore, the characters who accompany you in the bond missions and during the main mission will react with disdain when faced with the use of the Unforgivable Curses, unlike your opponents who will often remain astonished. And what will you do? Will you behave like model students, or will you choose to get your hands on the darkest power in the Harry Potter universe?
