Hey everyone,
Welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory.
Today we’re going to be discussing Harry Potter and (you guessed it) Hogwarts Legacy.
Most importantly, however, we’re going to be looking at where these two worlds diverge-
tackling the question of whether or not Hogwarts Legacy should be considered a genuine part
of Harry Potter canon.
What IS Canon?
But now many of you may be asking yourselves- what exactly is canon?
And what prior content that’s been published under the wizarding world label fits this
description?
In order to set the stage, I feel that this needs to be appropriately defined.
In the context of fictional works, canon refers to a collection of works that are considered
to be ‘authentic’ and produced by the original author or authors of a particular
series or universe.
The concept of canon in fiction is important in establishing and understanding the boundaries
of a particular universe or series and the extent to which subsequent works are considered
to be part of that universe.
Simply put- if it wasn’t written and/or endorsed by the original author or creator
of said work, then it must be considered separately from that main body of work.
Anyone could write a book about Harry Potter, but that wouldn’t make it canon- it would
just make it fan fiction.
HOWEVER, there are a few loopholes here with regards to publication.
Prior to the release of Hogwarts Legacy, the following books and films were responsible
for establishing the existing canon.
I’ve attempted to put them in order of canonicality:
The main Harry Potter novels
The seven Harry Potter novels written by J.K.
Rowling and published between 1997 and 2007 are considered to be the CORE of Harry Potter
canon.
The movies
The eight Harry Potter films, Philosopher’s Stone through Deathly Hallows Pt.2 are considered
by MOST to adequately fit the definition of canon.
They were endorsed by the author, and they fit in to the framework of the novels, so
it’s hard to complain too much.
The only gripes that SOME may have with the films is that they sometimes contradict the
books- which should ultimately be considered ‘core’ canon.
Fantastic Beasts
The Fantastic Beasts films, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them, The Crimes of Grindelwald,
and the Secrets of Dumbledore serve as prequels to the Harry Potter story and should be treated
as canon.
These screenplays were written by JK Rowling herself, and that fact alone serves as irrefutable
evidence that these films are in fact canonical.
Cursed ch*ld
Here’s where things get…a little shaky.
'The Cursed ch*ld' is a stage play based on an original story by J.K.
Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany.
It is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and is set nineteen years after the
events of the final novel, 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.'
The play follows the adventures of Harry Potter's son, Albus Severus Potter, and his friend,
Scorpius Malfoy, as they navigate the challenges of being the ch*ldren of two of the most famous
wizards in history.
Many DENY the Cursed ch*ld canon status for the following reasons:
It’s a play and not a novel.
It wasn’t solely written by JK Rowling.
Because the story wasn’t written EXCLUSIVELY by Rowling, and was instead co-written by
John Tiffany and Jack Thorne, many view the story of the Cursed ch*ld as something entirely
separate from Harry Potter canon.
It contradicts canon.
Because aspects of the Cursed ch*ld are inconsistent with the original series, like Voldemort having
a ch*ld, many view the story as glorified fan fiction, denying it canon status.
Most Games
Since the Harry Potter books / films came out there have been countless Harry Potter
games released across a ton of different platforms.
Most of these games however were..lacking.
They didn’t have the story, they didn’t have the playability, and they were totally
inconsistent with regards to existing Harry Potter canon.
I think that Hogwarts Legacy, and all of the incredible content it introduces, is the only
Harry Potter game that’s even a part of this ‘canon’ conversation.
But, with all of the above established, the question remains: what about Hogwarts Legacy?
Is it canon?
And where would it fit on the above list?
Briefly catering to those who live under a rock, Hogwarts Legacy is the latest and greatest
Harry Potter game that introduces us to the wizarding world in the 19th century, over
a century prior to the events that take place in the Harry Potter novels.
It follows the story of our character (a 5th year student at Hogwarts) embarking on his
own journey through the wizarding world, exploring new places, interacting with new faces, and
learning new spells.
The game boasts an exceptional level of detail, and is perhaps the greatest thing to happen
to Harry Potter since the original books / films.
But, is it canon?
Well, I think it’s entirely up for debate.
Let me guide you through the arguments FOR and AGAINST Hogwarts Legacy being canon.
Arguments and Counter-Points
The main argument (and ONLY worthy argument) for Hogwarts Legacy NOT being a part of canon
is that it was simply NOT endorsed by JK Rowling.
Effectively, what this means is that the game's story and characters were not created by the
original creator of the Harry Potter universe, and therefore, are not an extended component
of the original fictional world.
This argument AGAINST Hogwarts Legacy being canon is quite a blow by itself, but hear
me out for a second.
-First of all, just because Rowling has repeatedly stated that she isn’t involved, it doesn’t
mean that’s actually the case.
Rowling has been the target of considerable scrutiny in recent years, which has led to
her gradual disassociation from content released by Warner Bros Media.
Effectively, Warner Bros media don’t want Rowling’s current reputation to HARM sales
of the game.
With that said, however, I bet she’s got some sort of a hand in how the game was developed,
whether she’s willing to publicly admit it or not.
-SECOND of all, there have been a few standalone instances in which content produced by someone
OTHER than the original author has been considered canon- largely through a ‘loophole’ of
sorts pertaining to the company responsible for publishing said content.
The Oz series by L. Frank Baum is a perfect example of this.
Official canon pertaining to the Oz series is comprised of the PRIMARY fourteen books
written by Baum himself, however there is ALSO the inclusion of The Royal Book of Oz
which was written by author Ruth Plumly Thompson AFTER Baum's demise.
Despite ‘The Royal Book of Oz’ being written by ANOTHER author (and after the DEATH of
the original author) it’s still accepted as canon due to its authenticity and authorization
by the original publisher.
Basically, in some instances the endorsement of the PUBLISHER is enough to perpetuate what
can be considered canon.
I know, this was news to me too.
In the case of Hogwarts Legacy, this could be considered a legitimate argument FOR the
game being canon.
BUT, I do also think it falls on consumer interpretation.
The Cursed ch*ld is a perfect example of this.
Technically…It’s canon.
But sometimes authors / publishers make mistakes.
Harry Potter fans will stand behind the original books ONE HUNDRED PERCENT, but a screen-play
that was only partially written by Rowling that also happens to CONTRADICT aspects of
the story?
Well, that’s harder to get behind.
With all that said, here are some more reasons why Hogwarts Legacy might be a purer form
of canon than other more ‘endorsed’ Harry Potter releases.
First of all, it doesn’t contradict canon..
At least, not to a significant degree.
I’m still in my first playthrough, but I’ve been consistently impressed with how they
have managed to integrate this game in to such a complex universe full of RICH lore.
One notable contradiction to canon, however, is that players are able to obtain the Elder
Wand, which, as we know, can be fully-traced back through history.
On that note, if you want to SEE the wand’s full history, then check out my video:
‘The Bloody Story of the Elder Wand (All Owners) - Harry Potter Explained’
With that said, however, I’m willing to accept this minor canon blunder, largely due
to the fact that developers and story-builders did an otherwise amazing job.
Setting the game in the late 1800s was an ingenious move as this part of wizarding history
is CLOSE ENOUGH to what we already know but far enough away that there was plenty of room
for them to world build.
The other argument (which ties in to what I said earlier) is that the game is produced
by Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment’s Portkey Games- which is a subsidiary of Warner
Bros.
This company specializes in creating games and mobile apps based on J.K.
Rowling's Wizarding World and has direct ties to the official Harry Potter franchise.
My last point, which is based solely off of my own opinion, is that the game feels much
more Harry Potter-y than anything else released after the original books and films.
To me, the game feels more like Harry Potter than Fantastic Beasts and the Cursed ch*ld
combined.
Perhaps not everyone shares that sentiment, but that’s what I think.
In the past I’ve expressed that canon MUST BE WRITTEN by the original author.
But in this instance, I’m going to have to amend my previous statement when I say
that in some cases, true canon CAN be influenced by the opinions of fans and creators affiliated
with the franchise.
What do you guys think?
Do you think that Hogwarts Legacy should be considered TRUE canon?
Do you agree with my CANON tier list?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and ALSO be sure to include any video
requests you might have pertaining to the wizarding world.
As always if you enjoy the content please remember to LIKE the video and SUBSCRIBE to
the channel.
Until next time
Remember
It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live