A Thestral Is Hard to Track Down in 'Hogwarts Legacy' — Here's How to Catch One

J.K. Rowling has made numerous public anti-trans comments, and while she was not directly involved in the creation of Hogwarts Legacy, she is still likely to profit from the title.

Aside from being hard to find, catching a Thestral in Hogwarts Legacy isn't easy. Thestrals are rare magical beasts out in the wild that are pretty intelligent and agile.

Among the creatures across the open-world RPG game, these dark-colored winged horses are one of the more challenging beasts to track down and grab. If you're having trouble, here's a breakdown of where to find and how to catch a Thestral in Hogwarts Legacy.

Thestrals are nomadic beasts by nature and can use their dark wings to fly away from danger. But even though they are mobile creatures, there are two places where you can find them in Hogwarts Legacy.

You can find one in a Thestral den north of the East North Ford Bog Floo Flame location on the ground level of the nearby castle, sitting at the foot of the mountainous area ahead.

The other Thestral den, east of Marunweem Lake, is a late-game area in Hogwarts Legacy. You can locate the beast at the edge of the map near a wall while moving toward the southern tip of the game world.

Encountering a Thestral is step one, but you'll be lucky to catch one if you come unprepared.

There will be some specific steps you'll need to follow in order to catch a Thestral in Hogwarts Legacy.

First, you must cast the Disillusionment spell to stay undetected. It's best to move around the Thestral's line of sight and come up from behind if possible, which helps you stay hidden and doesn't drum up any suspicion from the beast.

Additionally, only approach a Thestral while it's on the ground in a relaxed position rather than up on four legs and ready to zoom out of there if things go south. It may take a while for a standing Thestral to sit down, but it'll help in the long run if you wait.

Once everything looks good, equip Accio, Levioso, Arresto Momentum, and the Nab-Sack. Get close to the rear of the Thestral and then cast Accio, Levioso, and Arresto Momentum quickly in that order.

Doing so will keep the Thestral still so you can use the Nab-Sack. After mashing on a few button prompts, you should have caught the Thestral. By following these same steps, you should be able to grab another Thestral easily.

Hogwarts Legacy is available on Xbox Series X, PS5, and PC.