Somewhere out in the Highlands, a Puffskein is waiting to be brushed, a Niffler is eyeing your coin pouch, and a Mooncalf is dancing under the full moon. If you’ve ever wanted your own version of Newt Scamander’s suitcase, Hogwarts Legacy gives you exactly that.
There’s no wrong way to approach this. Whether you grab every species in one weekend or bump into them over a hundred hours, you’ll end up with a lovely menagerie. Here’s how finding, capturing and caring for beasts works, one step at a time.
How Beasts Work in Hogwarts Legacy
Beasts are magical creatures you rescue from the wild (and from poachers) with the Nab-Sack, then keep in the Vivariums inside the Room of Requirement. Look after them and they give you the materials you need for gear upgrades and Traits.
- Checklist: 13 species in total: 12 you rescue from Beast Dens and the Phoenix, which comes from a quest.
- Where they live: Beast Dens across the Highlands, marked with a claw icon on your map.
- Where they go: your Vivariums in the Room of Requirement. More Vivariums with different climates unlock as you progress.
- Why bother: feeding and brushing them produces magical materials for the Enchanted Loom.
How To Unlock Beast Capturing
Easily missable, so heads up: you can’t capture anything until the main quest The Elf, the Nab-Sack, and the Loom. It becomes available after The Helm of Urtkot.
- Talk to Deek in the Room of Requirement to start the quest. He gives you the Nab-Sack.
- Rescue a Puffskein in the Highlands as your first capture.
- Rescue a Jobberknoll. They fly off if you get too close, so slow them with Levioso first.
- Rescue a Mooncalf. They only appear at night, so skip time on the map if needed.
- Release all three into the Vivarium and feed and brush them to collect your first materials.
Once that quest is done, almost every Beast Den in the open world is fair game. The exception is the Graphorn den in Clagmar Coast, which only opens after San Bakar’s Trial, and the Phoenix, which comes from Deek’s Phoenix Rising quest instead of a den.
How To Capture a Beast Step by Step
- Find a den: open the map, find a claw icon, and hover over it to see which species lives there.
- Approach quietly: some beasts bolt if you charge in. Crouch and get within range.
- Slow runners down: Levioso, Glacius or Arresto Momentum hold a skittish beast in place.
- Use the Nab-Sack: aim it at the beast and let the capture meter fill. Some beasts then ask for one or more button prompts before they’re bagged, so watch the screen instead of mashing.
- Release it at home: head back to the Room of Requirement and release your new friend into a Vivarium from the Beast Inventory.
Take Your Time: dens refill over time, so if you miss a beast or want a second one for breeding, you can always come back.
All 13 Beasts at a Glance
| Beast | Good to know | Captured? |
|---|---|---|
| Puffskein | Your first rescue in the Loom quest | ☐ |
| Jobberknoll | Flies away if you get close; use Levioso | ☐ |
| Mooncalf | Only comes out at night | ☐ |
| Niffler | Small, quick and shiny obsessed | ☐ |
| Kneazle | Cat like, clever and wary of shady people | ☐ |
| Diricawl | Flightless bird found in the valleys and coasts | ☐ |
| Fwooper | Brightly colored bird found in several regions, from Hogwarts Valley and Feldcroft to the southern coasts | ☐ |
| Giant Purple Toad | Big, slow and easy to catch; gives Toad Warts | ☐ |
| Hippogriff | Gives Hippogriff Feathers; also exists as a separate flying mount | ☐ |
| Graphorn | Tough horned beast; its den in Clagmar Coast opens after San Bakar’s Trial | ☐ |
| Thestral | Needed in pairs for the Foal of the Dead quest | ☐ |
| Unicorn | Found in the Forbidden Forest | ☐ |
| Phoenix | One of a kind, from Deek’s Phoenix Rising quest; can’t be bred | ☐ |
Lore Connection: the beast descriptions are worth reading. Kneazles can sense suspicious people, Jobberknolls stay silent until the moment they die, and Thestrals can only be seen by those who have witnessed death. This random detail actually connects to the wider wizarding world books, which is a treat for longtime fans.
Caring for Your Beasts
Every beast in a Vivarium can be fed, brushed and played with. Feeding and brushing are what produce materials, and a happy beast keeps producing on every visit.
- Feed and brush: collect the drops each time you pass through the Room of Requirement.
- Materials: each species gives its own product, like Puffskein Fur, Mooncalf Fur, Jobberknoll Feather, Hippogriff Feather or Unicorn Hair, and rarer beasts give the materials for higher upgrades.
- Breeding: after Deek’s Foal of the Dead quest, a male and female of the same species can produce offspring in a Breeding Pen.
- Quest unlocks: some beasts tie into side quests, especially Poppy Sweeting’s, so keep doing her missions as they appear.
Beasts and Mounts: Not the Same Thing
One more thing before you move on: the beasts in your Vivarium aren’t your mounts. Flying and riding mounts (brooms, Hippogriffs, the Graphorn and the Deluxe Edition Thestral) are unlocked separately through quests and editions. The Hippogriff you brush in the Vivarium stays home.
Completionist Tips
- Check dens after every new area: it’s the easiest way to spot a species you haven’t met.
- Grab pairs: if you plan to breed, capture a male and a female while you’re at a den.
- Watch for shinies: rare shiny variants exist, so don’t worry if your first capture looks ordinary.
- Visit often: small, regular Vivarium visits keep your upgrade materials flowing.
The Hogwarts Legacy interactive map is handy for planning a den route, and the Hogwarts Legacy hub collects every guide. Plenty of players are still filling their Vivariums years after launch; see the live Hogwarts Legacy player count for how many are online now. If you’re coming back after a break, our take on whether Hogwarts Legacy is worth playing in 2026 is a good refresher.
Hogwarts Legacy Beasts FAQ
How many beasts are in Hogwarts Legacy?
13 capturable species, from the Puffskein and Mooncalf to the Unicorn and the one of a kind Phoenix.
When can you start capturing beasts?
After the main quest The Elf, the Nab-Sack, and the Loom, which Deek gives you once you finish The Helm of Urtkot.
How do you stop beasts from running away?
Cast Levioso, Glacius or Arresto Momentum to hold them in place, then use the Nab-Sack.
What do beasts give you?
Feeding and brushing them produces materials like furs, feathers and hair, which you spend on gear upgrades and Traits at the Enchanted Loom.
Can you ride the beasts you capture?
No. Mounts are unlocked separately. Captured beasts live in your Vivariums.
Take Your Time: it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Capture what you find, check in on your Vivariums now and then, and let the Highlands slowly fill your Room of Requirement with very fluffy friends.
