How Hogwarts Legacy’s Villain Is Related To A Harry Potter Death Eater

The latest gameplay footage from Hogwarts Legacyanswered quite a few questions from Harry Potter fans regarding the state of the wizarding world, particularly in the case of returning characters and villains from the franchise. Alongside iconic figures like Gryffindor’s Nearly Headless Nick, there were a few other, more surprising connections in store, including the fact that one of the game’s main antagonists might be related to someone who appeared in the Harry Potter novels. This fact could potentially help Hogwarts Legacy players predict the direction the game’s story might be moving in and further connect its events to the larger world of Harry Potter.

Seeing as Hogwarts Legacy is set in the 1800s, the vast majority of characters featured in the Harry Potter novels and movies will presumably be absent from the game, though there are exceptions such as the Weasley family. That said, there is no shortage of significant connections to the rest of the franchise. The majority of this can be seen in the locations scattered throughout Hogwarts Legacy‘s open-world map, from the dormitories and common rooms of Hogwarts Castle to Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. Of course, there are also familiar creatures, such as the centaurs in the Forbidden Forest or any of the various magical creatures Hogwarts Legacy players can encounter and tame.

Another prominent element of Hogwarts Legacy that might seem familiar to those who know an extensive amount about the Harry Potter series is that of its main story. Hogwarts Legacy‘s plot centers around the Goblin Rebellions, a series of historical events occasionally discussed in the series but not prominently featured until Hogwarts Legacy. It hasn’t yet been revealed what specific incidents may have incited the goblin rebellion during Hogwarts Legacy‘s timeline, but this is likely to be hinted at as the game’s 2022 holiday season release date approaches.

Who Is Hogwarts Legacy’s Main Villain?

What is known thus far is that the goblin rebellion is led by a goblin named Ranrok in Hogwarts Legacy, a character who seems to be exclusive to the game. Although no comprehensive look has been given to his history, his motivations are clear thanks to the March 2022 State of Play gameplay demo. In an effort to take hold of the mysterious power that Hogwarts Legacy‘s player character holds, Ranrok seemingly puts aside his hatred towards all of wizardkind to form a tentative alliance with a faction of Dark Wizards.

While many Harry Potter fans consider Dark Wizards to be synonymous with the Death Eaters, or followers of Voldemort, the broader definition encompasses any magic user who primarily practices and studies the Dark Arts, which in turn consist of spells like Hogwarts Legacy‘s unforgivable curses. It also includes any magic that is geared towards controlling, hurting, or even killing other living beings. However, devoted Harry Potter enthusiasts were quick to spot another connection between Hogwarts Legacy‘s Dark Wizards and the Death Eaters from the novels. The 2022 gameplay demo identifies the faction’s leader as Victor Rookwood, and his surname rang familiar to some readers, even if others have pointed out that he could just as likely serve as a red herring.

Rookwood Is A Death Eater In Harry Potter

The Rookwood family has shown up before in both the novels and the movies in the form of Augustus Rookwood, a Death Eater who sided with Voldemort in both the First and Second Wizarding Wars, two of the most significant Harry Potter lore events. He first served as a spy within the Ministry’s Department of Mysteries and was responsible for delivering essential information and tightly-guarded secrets to Voldemort before his capture and trial in 1981. He was convicted thanks to testimony from Professor Igor Karkaroff, a prominent character in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and sent to the high-security prison facility of Azkaban. While it’s doubtful that either of these locations will be explorable in Hogwarts Legacy, if they were, it could make the connection to Augustus that much stronger.

Rookwood then escaped from his imprisonment during the 1996 Azkaban breakout alongside Bellatrix Lestrange and several other prominent Death Eaters and Harry Potter villains. Shortly after that, he was assigned to retrieve a vision stored in the Department of Mysteries, Augustus’ former workplace. Augustus took part in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries during the events of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Presumably, he and the rest of the Death Eaters involved were re-captured and imprisoned in Azkaban after the battle’s conclusion, though another breakout would follow soon after. He then participated in the Battle of Hogwarts, and it can be safely assumed he was either killed or captured at some point during the confrontation. His involvement in these events could be important to his ancestor’s role in Hogwarts Legacy.

What Rookwood’s Ancestry Means In Hogwarts Legacy

It’s too early to definitively say how much Hogwarts Legacy‘s Victor Rookwood resembles his descendant Augustus, especially given how scarcely he’s been featured in Hogwarts Legacy‘s gameplay footage. Whether his alliance with Ranrok is one of convenience or genuine ambition is hard to tell, and it isn’t yet clear whether his faction will stay the course throughout the entire game or if the Dark Wizards will at some point betray the goblins. Of course, the opposite could also be true. In recent years, the Harry Potter series has seemed to stay relatively consistent as far as giving depth to its villains. Allowing Victor Rookwood to stray from his family’s reputation in the franchise could be an exciting way to do so.

On the other hand, Victor Rookwood and his role as a curse spell-wielding Dark Wizard in Hogwarts Legacy could simply serve to explain why Augustus Rookwood later takes the path he does in the Harry Potter novels. Victor’s notable examples of Dark Wizardry could be why he opted to follow in his ancestor’s footsteps, or could even have set in motion a long-lasting family reputation to live up to. Many fans believe this option is more likely, as Dark Wizards seem to be a fairly common enemy in the Hogwarts Legacy gameplay footage revealed thus far and will likely be featured in just about every area of the game. Namely, they can be found in the outskirts of Hogsmeade and many of the other areas outside of Hogwarts Castle that Professor Figg will take the Hogwarts Legacy protagonist to in their search for the truth behind the Goblin Rebellion.

In either case, it’s clear that Hogwarts Legacy will have at least one tenuous tie to the story and characters of the Harry Potter novels, and it will be interesting to see what other connections come about as developers reveal more about the game. The story of Hogwarts Legacy is already poised to explain just how the wizarding world came to be shaped in the way it is throughout the rest of the series, from the events of the Goblin Rebellions to potentially even the introduction of some of the student rules characters break at Hogwarts. In light of that, Victor Rookwood’s inclusion is probably more than just a mere coincidence.

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

About The Author

Ky Shinkle
(531 Articles Published)

Ky Shinkle is a Senior Gaming Features Writer for Screen Rant as well as an overall avid gamer and writer. Her prior experience is primarily that of a narrative designer for video games, although her writing has covered all formats from screenplays and novels to stage scripts. A graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, when she isn’t writing she works on digital media projects and other types of fiction writing. Ky currently works out of Ohio and enjoys spending her free time either playing RPGs or running with her dog.

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