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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Hogwarts Legacy
Image via Avalanche Software

What Are the Consequences for Using the Unforgivable Curses in Hogwarts Legacy? Answered

Just how unforgivable are these curses?

Hogwarts Legacy is the latest open-world RPG to hit the market in 2023. This fantasy adventure game allows players to step into the wizarding world of Harry Potter as students at Hogwarts! As students, players can explore the school grounds and beyond, from Hogsmeade to the Forbidden Forest! Hogwarts Legacy allows players to experience the wizarding world almost exactly as it’s described in the books and the movies, so if you’re a huge Harry Potter fan, you should definitely consider checking it out.

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Just like in the movies and books, evil exists in Hogwarts Legacy in the form of the three unforgivable curses: Imperio, Crucio, and Avada Kedavra. Hogwarts Legacy allows players to learn and use all three of these evil curses, but there could be some major consequences for slinging these spells. Keep reading to find out what the consequences of using the unforgivable curses in Hogwarts Legacy are!

What Are the Consequences for Using the Unforgivable Curses in Hogwarts Legacy? Answered

Hogwarts Legacy allows players to learn the three unforgivable curses of the wizarding world – off school grounds, of course. The three unforgivable curses in Hogwarts Legacy are Imperio, Crucio, and the infamous Avada Kedavra. Imperio causes nonconsensual enslavement, Crucio causes excruciating pain, and Avada Kedavra simply causes instant death, so it’s no wonder why these curses are considered “unforgivable” by the wizarding world. Despite this, however, there aren’t really any in-game ramifications for using these spells.

You’d think that, just like in Skyrim, as soon as you commit an “unforgivable” crime, law enforcement would show up and haul you off to Azkaban or whatever. Instead of getting the wizarding world equivalent of Whiterun guards (“You have committed crimes against [The Wizarding World] and her people. What say you in your defense?”), however, you simply just get to get away with it.

Hogwarts Legacy’s developers said in an interview that they knew many players were hoping to play as dark witches and wizards, and allowing them to use the unforgivable curses freely would allow them to do so. In fact, one developer even proudly stated “If you want to be evil, be evil.”

Dragon in Hogwarts Legacy
Image via Avalanche Software

No matter how many unforgivable curses you sling around in Hogwarts Legacy, you won’t really experience any major penalties. The only negative thing you may experience by chucking curses around is the reactions from other characters. In-game NPCs will visually and audibly react negatively to seeing a player cast an unforgivable curse, so if you’re going to be throwing curses around, try to do so in private. However, if that kind of thing doesn’t bother you, then by all means, curse away!

The lack of a morality system in Hogwarts Legacy may be surprising to some people, but it is kind of cool that the game allows people to be as evil as they want; Hogwarts Legacy is a true role-playing game in that sense. Be evil! Do crimes! Become they-who-must-not-be-named!

Related: Can You Learn the Unforgivable Curses in Hogwarts Legacy? Answered


It turns out these curses aren’t really unforgivable after all! The only truly unforgivable thing here is that such an enjoyable game was created by such an unenjoyable person.

Although many of us have been in love with the wizarding world of Harry Potter since childhood, not many of us can say the same about its creator, J.K Rowling. If you don’t feel like shelling out nearly $70 for this game just to line she-who-must-not-be-named’s pockets, then check out Gamer Journalist’s recommendation list of games to play instead of Hogwarts Legacy!

Author
Image of Allysen Pierce
Allysen Pierce
Allysen Pierce is a freelance writer with a passion for gaming who has been a part of the Gamer Journalist team since May 2022. Her main passions are horror games and dating sims (especially combinations of the two), but she has been known to play literally anything that is put in front of her. Her current favorite games include Skyrim, I Was a Teenage Exocolonist, Cult of the Lamb, Slaughter Horse, and Dragon Age: Inquisition. When she's not playing games (or writing about them), she can be found reading, baking, watching horror movies, or playing with her cat.