All Hogwarts Legacy spells and how to unlock them
When and where to learn new spells, from Unforgivable Curses to transfiguration
Unlocking Hogwarts Legacy spells is tied to the story so there's no shortcut to getting new magic - you just have to play the campaign and take spells as you get them. However, knowing when and where you'll learn new spells means you can at least know when things are coming. And, if you want to fast track a certain ability, you can always hold off on a few side missions to get to the part you need sooner.
For example, something like Alohomora lets you unlock Hogwarts Legacy Level 1 locks but you won't learn it until a specific side mission in Hogwarts Legacy. So if you spend a lot of time doing side quests you'll take longer to learn that magic and won't be able to open those door for longer. So, let me show you when and where everything unlocks. Eventually you'll have enough that you'll need more Hogwarts Legacy spell slots to carry everything, so bear that in mind. But for now here's a guide to every spell in Hogwarts Legacy, what they do, and where you learn them.
All Hogwarts Legacy spells
Here's every Hogwarts Legacy spell, roughly in the order they appear in, and with the mission you need to complete to learn them:
Spell | What it does | Mission |
---|---|---|
Revelio | Reveals hidden items, puzzles, or points of interest | Path to Hogwarys |
Lumos | Creates light from the tip of your wand | Path to Hogwarts |
Protego | Shields you from attacks | Path to Hogwarts |
Stupefy | Stuns enemies when cast during a successful Protego cast | Path to Hogwarts |
Levioso | Allows you to float enemies | Defence Against The Dark Arts |
Accio | Pulls enemies or items to you | Charms |
Reparo | Fixes broken items | Professor Ronen's Assignment |
Incendio | Shoots flames from your wand | Professor Hecat's First Assignment |
Disillusionment | Turns you almost invisible | Secrets of the Restricted Section |
Expelliarmus | Disarms or damages your opponent | Professor Hecat's Second Assignment |
Depulso | Shoves enemies backwards | Professor Sharp's First Assignment |
Evanesco | Makes your items larger or smaller | Room of Requirement |
Conjuring Spell | Creates items | Room of Requirement |
Altering Spell | Changes the style of items | Room of Requirement |
Confringo | Emits a fiery blast from your wand | In the Shadow of the Undercroft |
Diffindo | Cuts opponent from afar | Professor Sharp's Second Assignment |
Glacius | Freezes your opponent | Madam Kogawa's First Assignment |
Wingardium Leviosa | Allows you to levitate and move items | Professor Garlick's Assignment |
Arresto Momentum | Stops opponents from advancing | Madam Kogawa's Second Assignment |
Petrificus Totalus | Petrifies opponent when used with Disillusionment charm | Professor Rackham's Trial |
Descendo | Sends enemies smashing to the ground | Professor Onai's Assignment |
Alohomora | Unlocks door and chest locks | The Caretaker's Lunar Lament |
Flippendo | Reverses an enemy's attack or sends them tumbling backward | Professor Garlick's Second Assignment |
Bombarda | Creates an explosion | Professor Howin's Assignment |
There are also some non-combat spells that usually operate separately to the 'main' spell casting. Revelio, for example, largely works as wizard vision and is cast by tapping left on the d-pad. While something like Disillusionment basically operates as a stealth mode and is vital if you want to open all the Hogwarts Legacy Eye chests.
Three spells can also only be used in the Hogwarts Legacy Room of Requirement to construct and decorate it. So not ones you want equipped all the the time.
Hogwarts Legacy unforgivable curses
There are three unforgivable curses in Hogwarts Legacy to use if you follow Sebastian Sallow's storyline:
Curse | What it does | Mission to unlock it |
---|---|---|
Crucio | Tortures the target with excruciating pain | In the Shadow of the Study |
Imperio | Forces the opponent to fight for you | In the Shadow of Time |
Avada Kedavra | Immediately kills your opponent | In the Shadow of the Relic |
Unforgivable curses can't be learned in school, so you need to follow Sebastian Sallow's storyline to get them. There's no morality system to punish you for using these spells though. So while they're called 'unforgivable' and using any of them even once should see you sent to wizard prison Azkaban for life, Hogwarts Legacy just lets you use them whenever. Characters will react to you using them but there's no real punishment.
You can choose to not learn entirely, learn and then never use them, or fire them out all over the places - there's no penalty whatever you choose and you won't miss out on anything.
Hogwarts Legacy spell colors and types
There are four spell colors in Hogwarts Legacy that denote different spell types:
- Yellow spells are control spells, like Levioso
- Purple spells are force spells, like Accio
- Red spells are damage spells, like Confringo
- Grey spells are 'essential' spells, or non-optional spells you need to progress such as Lumos
The main benefit of these spell colors in Hogwarts Legacy is that during combat shields with a certain color can only be broken by a spell that matches that color.
How many spells are there in Hogwarts Legacy?
There are 27 spells in Hogwarts legacy, including the three unforgivable curses. However, you can still unlock the Spell Master achievement with the core set of magic, as the unforgivables are not mandatory to progress through the game.
The release of Hogwarts Legacy has been the subject of criticism and debate due to J.K. Rowling’s public stance on gender identity, which continues to challenge the inclusivity at the heart of the Harry Potter community. Here is our explainer on the Hogwarts Legacy controversy.
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I'm GamesRadar's Managing Editor for guides, which means I run GamesRadar's guides and tips content. I also write reviews, previews and features, largely about horror, action adventure, FPS and open world games. I previously worked on Kotaku, and the Official PlayStation Magazine and website.
- Jasmine Gould-WilsonStaff Writer, 12DOVE