With a dynamic and complex magical combat system, Hogwarts Legacy requires the player to learn a diverse set of spells to defeat different opponents. Over the course of the game, players will gain the opportunity to add new spells to their arsenal, ranging from unforgivable curses such as Avada Kedavra to Wizarding World classics such as Wingardium Leviosa.
However, some curses are more effective than others, and players will want to head into the final boss battle with the best loadout possible. Here are the best spells to acquire before facing off with Ranrok in Hogwarts Legacy.
7 Crucio
While Crucio isn’t very powerful at first glance, the strength of this spell comes from its damage dealt over time. This can be invaluable in the final boss battle, as Ranrok will have a protective shield up for most of the fight, meaning players will only be able to land a couple of hits before the dragon becomes immune again. Crucio can make the most of this tight window and continue to deal damage long after the shield goes back up.
As one of the three unforgivable curses, Crucio is learned from Sebastian Sallow during the optional side mission In the Shadow of the Relic. It is also temporarily available in the Dark Arts battle arena. Players should be sure to pick it up before facing off with Ranrok.
6 Protego
A highly useful defensive spell, Protego conjures a temporary shield to protect from attacks, which helps players avoid taking too much damage. Despite this, some spells ignore the shield, including Ranrok’s magical fire-breathing attack, which can blast right through it. Players will instead have to do their best to dodge the fire, but it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t use Protego where they can.
Players actually start with this spell already, so there’s no need to learn it. Nonetheless, the utility of this spell is not confined to the early game and can be used to strong effect right up until the final boss, so players should make sure not to sleep on this one.
5 Any Yellow Spell
As mentioned prior, Ranrok benefits from the protection of a magical shield, and to break it, players must target the colored orbs that appear around him, with the yellow orbs requiring a yellow spell to destroy. Any yellow curse will do - Arresto Momentum, Glacius, and Transformation are all solid options that can be obtained during the game.
Levioso is perhaps the easiest to acquire, being unlocked by simply completing the tutorial. Players merely need to attend Professor Hecat’s first Defence Against the Dark Arts class to gain access to this handy levitation charm.
4 Any Purple Spell
Just like with yellow spells, a purple spell is needed to destroy the purple orbs that appear around Ranrok. Once again, any of them will do, with Depulso, Descendo, and Flipendo all allowing the player to move and manipulate enemies in the air and use the environment to their advantage.
Accio is the most basic purple spell, letting players pull enemies or objects toward them. It can be learned in the tutorial, simply requiring the player to attend Professor Rowan’s first Charms class.
3 Confringo
The third and final spell type needed to defeat Ranrok is a red spell to destroy red orbs. Beyond that purpose, there are also a couple of red spells that are ideal for dealing offensive damage. Confringo is one of them, casting a fireball that lands a large amount of damage on its target.
Confringo can be learned from Sebastian Sallow during the In the Shadow of the Undercroft quest. This is a story mission, so players don’t have to worry about missing out, as Confringo will ultimately prove to be one of the best ways to deal damage to the final boss.
2 Diffindo
Another red spell that deals considerable damage, Diffindo launches a slashing attack at its target and can erase a healthy chunk from Ranrok’s health bar. Along with Confringo, this spell is one of the most consistent and reliable ways to deal damage to this powerful boss. Regardless, players should use these offensive spells only when Ranrok’s shield is down; otherwise, they will simply bounce off his defenses.
Diffindo can be learned from Professor Sharp’s second assignment, which requires players to use both an Invisibility potion and a Thunderbrew potion.
1 Ancient Magic
With such a short window of opportunity once Ranrok’s shield has fallen, players will need to dish out as much damage as possible in very little time. For this, there is nothing better than Ancient Magic. Casting this spell does massive damage but at the cost of one Ancient Magic bar. Players should only use Ancient Magic when Ranrok’s shield is down to avoid wasting this devastating attack.
Ancient Magic is learned automatically during the troll attack on Hogsmeade, so players won’t have to go out of their way for it. However, to unlock as much capacity for it as possible, players will have to track down the Ancient Magic Hotspots across Hogwarts' grounds.
Hogwarts Legacy is available now on PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.