Moral ambiguity is the name of the game in Hogwarts Legacyas fans realize they may or may not be the true heroes of the main story. Although the game’s narrative clearly states that the villain is Ranrok, the game’s protagonist must engage in a monumental amount of bloodshed to reign victorious over the “threat.”
There is a sense of hypocrisy in the universe regarding what is good for a hero versus a villain. These aspects of the game have made fans question who the villain really is after all, and how this morally gray area relates to players’ different houses and perspectives.
The blood could be on the player’s or Ranrok’s hands
Depending on perspective, this game’s narrative could go either way.
User Strange_Music posted a photo of his character sitting with his cat, with the simple statement: “When you consider whether their blood is really on Ranrok’s hands or yours.” Although the statement was good-natured, it ended up resonating with many players agreed that his character was closer to a villain than initially thought. User Hyfrith They said that, during the game, they had to use the narrative that their character was an “anti-hero vigilante” to justify the number of deaths. They also shared a humorous post from their character’s perspective, stating:
As the camp’s last Poacher disintegrates screaming into a pile of ash, I draw the blood of these evil wizards from my wand. “It’s shameful what you did to defenseless beasts!” I state with disgust the pile of human corpses now stacked against some boxes in the corner.
Righteous fury still coursing through my body, I leave the camp. Outside, I find some so-called “dark mutts” minding their own business. Just wolves, really. Beasts.
Oh well, I could make some skins.
“Fire!” I roar and charge into battle…
This was a popular narrative among other players, who upvoted the comment or shared their own justifications for playing, such as the hellish flame saying that they could only play as Slytherins, as it made more sense with all the killing required of the character, especially if players looked at their character as a future Dark Lord. Some fans even hoped that this character would return as the main villain in the sequel.
Our opinion: right or wrong? Who is the real hero of the Hogwarts legacy?
Embracing the villain could be good for the universe
Harry Potter in general it is a world full of hypocrisy. The “good guys” are often quick to kill their enemies. As VoidSpaceCat put, “The whole moral conundrum in HP with murder is very strange considering they are still a bit behind wizarding society and that murder is nowhere near as maligned in the 1900s as it is today.” Still in Hogwarts Legacy, there’s a real brutality that I don’t think exists in other pieces of Harry Potter media, and I can certainly see how our character is the villain.
The immersion that comes with playing as this character takes away some of the distance they might have felt in other games or even watching the movies. Putting players in the shoes of these characters certainly makes it clear that they are not only morally gray, but also on par with the villains. I think Hogwarts Legacy should focus on the villains’ arc for the next game and build an entire universe where players can really understand each character’s motive.
Sources: Reddit