Spells are everything in Hogwarts Legacy. The order you pick them up decides whether your first dozen hours feel smooth or like a slog through locked doors and Ashwinder ambushes. Some spells arrive on their own through the story, and some only come from professors’ assignments that are easy to put off.
Here’s the chill version: which spells to grab first, exactly where each one comes from, and why they are worth chasing early. Let’s walk through this together.
Quick Priority List
- Get first: Incendio (Professor Hecat’s Assignment 1) and Alohomora (The Caretaker’s Lunar Lament). Revelio, Protego, Stupefy, Levioso and Accio come from the story on their own.
- Get next: Expelliarmus (Hecat’s Assignment 2), Confringo (In the Shadow of the Undercroft), Depulso (Professor Sharp’s Assignment 1) and Glacius (Madam Kogawa’s Assignment 1).
- Worth the wait: Arresto Momentum, Diffindo, Bombarda and the Unforgivable Curses arrive later, so don’t stress about them yet.
How Spells Unlock
There are two main sources, and it helps to know which is which:
- Main quests: the story hands out the basics, like Revelio, Protego, Stupefy, Levioso, Accio and Alohomora.
- Professor assignments: side tasks from teachers reward many combat spells, including Incendio, Expelliarmus, Depulso, Glacius and Wingardium Leviosa.
- Spell types: combat spells are grouped as Control, Force and Damage, plus utility spells for exploring and puzzles.
Honestly? The single biggest mistake new players make is ignoring assignments. If a spell feels missing, check your quest log for a professor’s task.
The Best Spells to Unlock First
| Spell | Type | How to unlock | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revelio | Utility | The Path to Hogwarts (main quest) | Reveals chests, puzzles and collectibles |
| Protego and Stupefy | Defense | The Path to Hogwarts (main quest) | Block, then stun on a hold |
| Levioso | Control | Defence Against the Dark Arts class (main quest) | Lifts enemies and objects |
| Accio | Force | Charms class (main quest) | Pulls enemies and objects to you |
| Incendio | Damage | Professor Hecat’s Assignment 1 | Early fire damage that keeps burning |
| Alohomora | Utility | The Caretaker’s Lunar Lament (main quest) | Opens locked doors and chests |
| Expelliarmus | Damage | Professor Hecat’s Assignment 2 | Disarms dark wizards |
| Confringo | Damage | In the Shadow of the Undercroft (main quest) | Ranged fire projectile |
Why These Spells First
Revelio, Protego and Stupefy
You get these in the opening hours, so it’s really about using them well. Revelio pings everything interactive around you, and you will spam it constantly while exploring. Protego is your block: tap it to shield an attack, hold it to fire back a Stupefy that stuns. Once you get the timing, it becomes the backbone of every fight.
Levioso and Accio
Both come from your first classes. Levioso floats enemies helplessly in the air, and Accio drags them to you. Combined with Basic Cast juggling, they let you control a fight instead of reacting to it. Accio is also lovely for grabbing out of reach items and puzzle objects.
Incendio: Your First Big Damage Spell
Okay but, this part is so good. Incendio comes from Professor Hecat’s first assignment, which has you win two rounds of Crossed Wands and finish a round of spell combination practice with Lucan Brattleby. It sets nearby enemies on fire for steady damage over time, and it is the spell to reach for when Inferi show up, since they are weak to fire.
Once you have talent points, the Incendio Mastery talent turns it into a burst of fire around you, which is brilliant when you get surrounded. No pressure, but do this assignment as early as you can.
Alohomora: The Exploration Key
Gladwin Moon’s quest, The Caretaker’s Lunar Lament, gives you Alohomora once you find a few Demiguise Moons. It opens locked doors and chests all over the castle and the Highlands, and the spell is upgraded with more Demiguise Moons for higher level locks. Trust me on this: locked doors are everywhere, and this quest unlocks a huge amount of loot.
Expelliarmus and Confringo
Expelliarmus comes from Hecat’s second assignment and knocks the wand or weapon out of an enemy’s hands, which is a quick way to take a dark wizard out of a fight. Confringo arrives during Sebastian’s main story quest, In the Shadow of the Undercroft, and gives you a ranged fire bolt to pair with close range Incendio.
Building Your First Spell Sets
You start with a few spell slots and unlock more spell sets through talents, so it pays to plan a balanced loadout:
- Control: Levioso (or Glacius and Arresto Momentum later, from Madam Kogawa’s assignments).
- Force: Accio, with Depulso and Flipendo joining later.
- Damage: Incendio and Confringo, then Expelliarmus.
- Utility: Revelio is always available; Lumos, Reparo and Alohomora help with exploring and puzzles, and Disillusionment and Petrificus Totalus (both from the main quest Secrets of the Restricted Section) handle stealth.
Spells of different colors break matching shields (yellow Control, purple Force, red Damage), so mixing types in one set is what keeps you flexible. Don’t stress if your setup feels messy at first: swap spells around during quiet moments until a combo clicks.
A few early combos worth learning:
- Accio, then Incendio: yank an enemy in close and set them on fire.
- Levioso, then Basic Cast: float an enemy and juggle them while they can’t fight back.
- Glacius, then Confringo or Diffindo: freeze an enemy in place and hit them hard while they’re stuck.
Spells That Come Later
Some of the strongest tools arrive well into the game, so don’t worry about them yet. Bombarda comes from Professor Howin’s assignment, and the three Unforgivable Curses come through Sebastian’s late questline. Diffindo, Descendo, Transformation and Wingardium Leviosa all come from assignments that open as you progress.
Lots of players are still figuring out their favorite spell combos, and you can see how many are in the game on PC with the live Hogwarts Legacy player count. For exploring once your toolkit is ready, our Hogwarts Legacy interactive map marks the locked doors and Demiguise statues worth revisiting, and the latest Hogwarts Legacy update news covers recent changes. If you are still on the fence about starting, see whether Hogwarts Legacy is worth playing in 2026.
Best Spells to Unlock First FAQ
What spells should I unlock first in Hogwarts Legacy?
Focus on Incendio from Professor Hecat’s first assignment and Alohomora from The Caretaker’s Lunar Lament. The story covers Revelio, Protego, Stupefy, Levioso and Accio automatically.
How do you get Incendio?
Complete Professor Hecat’s Assignment 1.
How do you unlock Alohomora?
Through The Caretaker’s Lunar Lament, Gladwin Moon’s quest about Demiguise Moons.
When do you get Confringo?
During the main quest In the Shadow of the Undercroft with Sebastian Sallow.
How do you get more spell slots?
Spend talent points on the Spell Knowledge talents to unlock additional spell sets.
The Payoff: pick up Incendio and Alohomora early, learn the Protego and Stupefy rhythm, and keep doing assignments as they appear. Within a few hours you will have a kit that handles almost anything the Highlands throw at you. You’ve got this.
