How to find shiny beasts

Players deep into Hogwarts Legacy know that it’s a pretty solid open-world RPG with plenty of quests and distractions. But did you also know it’s secretly a Pokémon game as well? Okay, to be fair, it’s not like you’re going out into the game on a mission to defeat gyms and jerky rivals. However, there are beasts you can capture, and some are exceptionally rare. Like in Pokémon, Hogwarts Legacy has “shiny” beasts, and you may be wondering how to find one for your own collection.

Note: For more information, check out our Hogwarts Legacy guides and features hub.

Hogwarts Legacy: How to find shiny beasts

There are some truly remarkable Beasts in Hogwarts Legacy to find and tame. We have tracked down a Unicorn beast in the Forbidden Forest, and even a gorgeous Hippogriff. There are many other beasts to discover, large and small. And some beasts in Hogwarts Legacy are of the “shiny” variety. Again, like in Nintendo’s famous pocket monster franchise, spotting them in the wilds is rare, but it is obvious once you know.

Shiny beasts in Hogwarts Legacy look just like normal beasts, but they have a different color. Of course, noticing the change hinges on how well you know the colors of other beasts. But if you are aware of the common variety, one of a different color should stand out. So, how do you find Shiny beasts in Hogwarts Legacy?

How to get shiny beasts

Unfortunately, we don’t yet know if there is any special method to easily hunt down the animals. What’s important is that you keep an eye out when visiting beast dens or spawning areas, and go for them the moment they make their entrance. Finding one seems to be completely random. I lucked out in finding a shiny Puffskein, which was white in color and apparently larger than its gray and cerise-colored fellows. I also found a shiny Jobberknoll, which sported gray and white feathers as opposed to blue.

We know you’re excited, but you won’t be able to go out and find the creatures right off the bat. There are some prerequisites before the game lets you track down beasts:

There are some things you can try to increase your chances. When hunting down a shiny beast, visit the den location and get an idea of what typical two colors are for the animals of that area. When you spot one that looks clearly different, toss it in the nab-sack and go to your inventory to check for the star next to the name. You can leave the area and return or change the time of day to get the beasts to respawn.

Shiny Jobberknoll! Screenshot by PC Invasion

Shiny beasts also don’t seem to do or provide anything different than regular variants. They still provide the same amount of materials. Since you don’t battle beasts, there’s no reason for the game to include differing stats, either. The unique beasts apparently only exist in the game to add a little spark to the hunt.

You’ll know you captured a shiny beast by opening up your Beasts tab in your inventory and highlighting the creature. If they are a different color and have a star icon next to their name, it’s a shiny beast. Players in the HarryPotterGame subreddit have been sharing shiny beasts they’ve found. So far, they’ve discovered shiny Mooncalfs and shiny Thestrals. And there’s certain to be a lot more. Good hunting.

Hogwarts Legacy is available via Steam.