Summary
Avalanche Studio’sHogwarts Legacyopened up the Wizarding World for eager players, allowingHarry Potterfans to see parts of Hogwarts never explored in the original seven book series. This led toan astonishing 22 million copies soldin 2023, beating out the sales of Game of the Year contenders likeThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. The roaring success of the game might rest on the open world design, the engaging gameplay, and the ability for players to be their own wizards. Additionally, this unprecedented freedom contributed to a surprising number of players joining the most mysterious Hogwarts House: Slytherin.
Avalanche Software has shared data confirming that Slytherin is the most popular house inHogwarts Legacy, which indicates how interested fans are in seeing a deeper take on the house.
Slytherin: Just a Den of Snakes?
In the books, Slytherin housed the series' antagonists; Lord Voldemort was a Slytherin back when he was just a student at Hogwarts, and schoolyard bully Draco Malfoy was also a proud member. Slytherin House is characterized by cunning and ambition, as compared toGryffindor’s bravery and daring. During the titular Harry Potter’s days at Hogwarts, all Slytherin students seemed to be mean, self-interested snobs who refused to associate outside their tight-knit social circles. Many joined the side of Voldemort and his Death Eaters during the Battle of Hogwarts as well, which was not a good look for the house.
Author J.K. Rowling has been criticized for making one of the four Hogwarts Houses into a silo for all the bad guys. Thankfully,Hogwarts Legacytreated the controversial House with nuance, creating compelling Slytherin companion characters for players to befriend and a breathtaking, underwater common room to explore. This may be why Slytherin has been themost popularHogwarts Legacyhouse to joinin the game, as finally, the mysterious House associated with Dark Magic was open for players to judge for themselves.
Slytherin Are Finally Friends, Not Foes
InHogwarts Legacy, Slytherin House is still, of course, associated with cunning, ambition, and some of the Dark Arts. However, there are characters that are firmly opposed to the use offorbidden magic like the Unforgivable Curses. Ominis Gaunt, a fellow fifth-year Slytherin that players can meet in the common room, is from a long line of pureblooded wizards that have been known to torture magic-less Muggles with the Cruciatus Curse for fun. Ominis is horrified by this practice, and is practically estranged from his family because of it. He is amiable to harmless pranks, like convincing first-year students that a mermaid swam by the window, but draws the line at mischief that might get innocent people hurt.
Even when one ofthe Slytherin companions playerscan befriend turns to the evil allure of the Dark Arts, it is for a selfless reason. Fifth-year Slytherin Sebastian Sallow’s twin sister, Anne, is afflicted with a mysterious curse that has left her in pain and bedridden. Sebastian wishes desperately to get her back to Hogwarts where she belongs, and so he is determined to find a cure, even if that means delving into forbidden Dark magic. Players have the choice of helping him on his quest or trying to save him from doing something Unforgivable.
Hogwarts Legacybrought much needed nuance to the most mysterious Hogwarts House of them all, proving that not all Slytherin students were comical villains waiting for the chance to thwart the brave hero. This unprecedented chance to see what really went on inthe Slytherin common roomwas the eye of a perfect storm. Before, fans were left to wonder why anyone would want to willingly be Sorted into a House populated by bullies and bigots, and developer Avalanche decided that “cunning” and “ambition” didn’t have to be synonymous with “evil” and “dastardly.” As fans see with Sebastian and Ominis, cunning can be used to help friends out of hard situations. Imelda Reyes, the ultra-competitive Slytherin, applies her ambition to Quidditch and Wizard’s Chess rather than world domination.
Slytherin has a complicated history, from its Parseltongue founder to its most infamous graduate, but that does not mean the house only produces villains. Further additions to the canon of the Wizarding World may continue to prove that there is more to Slytherin than was found in the initial series.Hogwarts Legacywas the first chance to indulge in the allure of what fans have called one of the most misunderstood Hogwarts' Houses, and it should only be the start of Slytherin being treated more fairly.
Hogwarts Legacy
WHERE TO PLAY
Hogwarts Legacy is an immersive, open-world action RPG set in the world first introduced in the Harry Potter books. For the first time, experience Hogwarts in the 1800s. Your character is a student who holds the key to an ancient secret that threatens to tear the wizarding world apart. Now you’re able to take control of the action and be at the center of your own adventure in the wizarding world. Your legacy is what you make of it.Explore an Open WorldThe wizarding world awaits you. Freely roam Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, the Forbidden Forest, and the surrounding Overland area.Be the Witch or Wizard You Want to beLearn spells, brew potions, grow plants, and tend to magical beasts along your journey. Get sorted into your house, forge relationships, and master skills to become the witch or wizard you want to be Experience a New Wizarding World AdventureExperience the wizarding world in an unexplored era to uncover a hidden truth from its past. Battle against trolls, Dark Wizards, goblins, and more as you face a dangerous villain threatening the fate of the wizarding world.
