Mastering the killing curse takes more than raw power-here’s how to claim Avada Kedavra in Hogwarts Legacy and wield one of magic’s darkest secrets without losing your soul along the way.
How to get Avada Kedavra in Hogwarts Legacy
Avada Kedavra becomes available during Sebastian Sallow’s questline in the Shadow of the Relic mission, part of his series tied to the Dark Arts storyline. Players must side with Sebastian and agree that using the Unforgivable Curses is acceptable. During a conversation near the end of this quest, choosing the dialogue option to have Sebastian teach the spell will add Avada Kedavra to your spell list permanently.
Avada Kedavra is the last unforgivable curse that you’ll learn from Sebastian Sallows’ relationship quest line. You’ll learn Avada Kedavra during the quest “In the Shadow of the Relic” – Hogwarts Legacy suggests that you’re level 28 before you start it.
To get “In the Shadow of the Relic,” you must have already completed:
- The relationship quest “In the Shadow of Hope“
- The main story quest “Lodgok’s Loyalty“
Towards the end of “In the Shadow of the Relic,” you’ll interact with Sebastian outside of the dungeon, and you’ll be given a prompt during your conversation where you can choose:
- No one should know that curse.
- Everyone should know that curse.
Choose the second option, “Everyone should know that curse.”
Then, Sebastian will offer to teach you the killing curse, and you’ll be presented with another choice:
- Now is not the time.
- Yes please.
Choose the second option, “Yes please,” to learn Avada Kedavra.
Can you learn Avada Kedavra later?
You can still learn Avada Kedavra later in Hogwarts Legacy if you miss it during Sebastian Sallow’s questline. After completing the main story, you can return to Feldcroft or speak with Sebastian again to learn the curse, provided you previously chose to side with him. This flexibility allows players who regret skipping the spell to add it to their arsenal without starting a new game.
If you’re having second thoughts on whether or not to learn Avada Kedavra, you can learn it from Sebastian later on if you make the certain story choices.
During Sebastian’s next relationship quest “In the Shadow of Fate,” you’ll be given a choice when talking to Ominis Gaunt:
- We should turn Sebastian in.
- We must not turn Sebastian in.
In order to learn Avada Kedavra later, you must choose the second option, “We must not turn Sebastian in.“
After choosing the second option and completing Sebastian’s relationship quest line in its entirety, you can meet Sebastian in the Undercroft where he’ll offer to teach you any of the unforgivable curses that you’ve missed.
What are the consequences of using Avada Kedavra in Hogwarts Legacy?
Using Avada Kedavra in Hogwarts Legacy has serious consequences for your character’s reputation and story progression. Casting the Killing Curse marks your character as aligned with dark magic, which can affect how certain companions and NPCs respond to you. While it is an incredibly powerful spell that instantly defeats enemies, it also highlights moral choices that influence how others perceive your actions within the wizarding community.
Since there is no morality system in Hogwarts Legacy, you will not be punished for using Avada Kedavra. However, your companions will react whenever you use an unforgivable curse. Some of your companions – such as Natsai, Ominis, and Amit – won’t like it when you use a curse, but it will not impact your relationships or story at all.
On numerous occasions in recent years, billionaire and Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling has taken public stances against inclusive transgender laws and trans rights, and has written fiction that has been condemned by LGBTQ organizations for its use of harmful anti-trans tropes. Hate crimes, as well as legislation that denies the rights of trans people, have become more prevalent in the U.K. since 2019, and, more recently, in the United States as well.
According to an FAQ from Hogwarts Legacy publisher Warner Bros. Interactive – the parent company of Avalanche Software, the game’s developer – Rowling is “not directly involved” with the creation of Hogwarts Legacy. Regardless, the sales and widespread attention generated by a AAA video game will benefit Rowling, and that has led some fans to decide not to buy the game. For a more in-depth explainer of the yearslong controversy leading up to Hogwarts Legacy‘s release, read AELGAMES’s breakdown.
How to learn Crucio and Imperio from Sebastian Sallow
You learn Crucio and Imperio by progressing Sebastian Sallow’s “In the Shadow of…” side quests and accepting his offers to teach you each curse during key dialogue moments.
How to learn Crucio
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Progress Sebastian’s relationship quests
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Keep talking to Sebastian whenever he has a new quest marker in the Undercroft or around the school.
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You eventually unlock the side quest “In the Shadow of the Study” with him and Ominis in the Slytherin area.
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Complete “In the Shadow of the Study”
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Follow Sebastian and Ominis into the hidden Scriptorium, solve the snake door puzzles, and proceed through the hallway of dangerous doors.
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Near the end, you find a door that can only be opened if Crucio is cast on someone.
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Choose the correct dialogue options
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When Sebastian says someone must cast the Cruciatus Curse, he offers to teach you.
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To learn the spell, pick either:
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Learn Crucio and cast it on Sebastian, or
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Learn Crucio and let Sebastian cast it on you.
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Only refusing outright makes you skip it at that moment. You can still learn it later by talking to Sebastian in the Undercroft after progressing his story further.
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How to learn Imperio
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Continue Sebastian’s questline after Crucio
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Keep doing his side quests until you unlock “In the Shadow of Time”, which takes place in a catacomb near Feldcroft.
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Complete “In the Shadow of Time”
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Follow Sebastian through the tomb, fight spiders, and use bones to clear paths and build bridges.
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Deeper in the catacomb, you discover a dark relic, and Sebastian becomes more determined to use forbidden magic.
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Accept Imperio when offered
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During a cutscene near the relic, Sebastian talks about the Imperius Curse and offers to teach you Imperio.
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Choose the dialogue option to learn the spell (you can accept it without using it right away).
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If you refuse, you can still later ask him to teach it in the Undercroft as long as his questline is still available.
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If you tell me the last Sebastian quest you finished, I can outline exactly what you should do next in your save to reach each curse as fast as possible.
How to learn Avada Kedavra from Sebastian Sallow
You learn Avada Kedavra from Sebastian Sallow near the end of his relationship questline, during and after the quest “In the Shadow of the Relic.”
Prerequisites before Avada Kedavra
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Follow Sebastian’s side quests (“In the Shadow of the…” line) and learn Crucio and Imperio first.
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Complete at least these quests:
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“In the Shadow of Hope” (Sebastian relationship quest).
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“Lodgok’s Loyalty” (main story quest).
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Aim to be around level 28, since that’s the recommended level for “In the Shadow of the Relic.”
Once those are done, you’ll unlock “In the Shadow of the Relic”, which is where Avada Kedavra first becomes available.
Dialogue choices in “In the Shadow of the Relic”
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Finish the catacomb section and exit outside with Sebastian after the Inferi and boss fights.
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In the conversation outside the cave:
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First choice: pick “Everyone should know that curse.” (not “No one should know that curse”).
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Then Sebastian offers to teach you the Killing Curse; choose “Yes please.” (not “Now is not the time”).
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After choosing those two options, you enter the learning minigame and unlock Avada Kedavra permanently.
If you skipped it the first time
If you didn’t learn it during “In the Shadow of the Relic,” you usually still have a backup path as long as Sebastian remains available.
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In the next Sebastian quest, “In the Shadow of Fate,” when talking to Ominis Gaunt, choose:
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“We must not turn Sebastian in.”
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Finish Sebastian’s relationship questline with that choice.
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Go to the Undercroft and talk to Sebastian; he can teach you any Unforgivable Curses you missed, including Avada Kedavra.
If you turned Sebastian in and he’s removed from the school, you lose the chance to learn Avada Kedavra on that save.
