Who is Phineas Nigellus Black, the Hogwarts Legacy headmaster?

Who is Phineas Nigellus Black, the Hogwarts Legacy headmaster?
Image via WB Games

Written by 

Chris Penwell

Published 

6th Feb 2023 16:09

Contents

We know a lot about Hogwarts Legacy already. It's set in the 1800s, there's an open world, and you can tame beasts in the wild. With this, we won't see our famous friend of Albus Dumbledore. Here's everything we know about the headmaster in Hogwarts Legacy.

Disclaimer: While the creator of the Harry Potter franchise was not directly involved in the creation of Hogwarts Legacy, their comments on social media around transgender people are hurtful and dangerous given the size of their platform. 

We’d implore you to read our explainer of the controversy so far, and consider supporting trans rights charities where possible.

Who is Hogwarts Headmaster in Hogwarts Legacy?

Hogwarts Legacy Headmaster
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Before Albus Dumbledore, there are a few headmasters who took the role before him. As Hogwarts Legacy takes place in the late 1800s, Phineas Nigellus Black has the role of headmaster for our characters in the game. If that surname sounds familiar, he's actually Sirius Black's great-grandfather.

What makes Phineas Nigellus Black interesting is that he is often called the worst headmaster of Hogwarts in history. He's also a Slytherin, making him a very different person from Harry Potter's Albus Dumbledore.

It will be interesting to see how Phineas Nigellus Black plays a part in the story and why he's regarded as a terrible headmaster after his time in the position.

In the books, Black is described to be someone who supports blood purity, and Wizarding World fans have theorized that he tried to bar muggles from learning at Hogwarts. He even used the word "Mudblood," a nasty term Draco Malfoy used in Chamber of Secrets to describe those with no magical relatives.

Will Hogwarts Legacy be canon?

Hogwarts Legacy Canon
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Image via WB Games

While we don't have an official answer, it is likely that Hogwarts Legacy won't be canon. The writer of the Harry Potter series J.K. Rowling is not involved with the script or creative process. Instead, Hogwarts Legacy is a completely original take on the source material. However, the developer Avalanche Software has been in touch with Rowling's team to stay consistent with the series.

Hogwarts Legacy will also have multiple endings making Hogwarts Legacy less likely to be canon. Making your own character seemingly makes it less official as well.

As the game is set in the 1800s and has few ties with the characters we know and love, perhaps that gives much more creative freedom to the developer of Hogwarts Legacy. Canon or not, it will certainly be interesting to see Hogwarts and Hogsmeade during a much different era.

For more Hogwarts Legacy guides, keep reading GGRecon.

Chris Penwell is an experienced video games journalist with a Bachelor in Communications. He loves to play narrative-focused games like Kingdom Hearts and Beyond Good & Evil.

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