How to catch a Thestral in Hogwarts Legacy

After completing “The High Keep” quest with your classmate Natsai Onai in Hogwarts Legacy, you will unlock the ability to ride flying Mounts, such as the Thestral. For those new to the Harry Potter universe, the Thestral is a reptilian, bat-style winged horse that looks sinister in appearance but can be a friendly Beast that can accompany you during your travels. While there is no noticeable difference between flying atop a Hippogriff or Thestral, those roleplaying as a semi-villainous practitioner of the forbidden Dark Arts might feel more comfortable traversing the Highlands with an ebony chiropteran Thestral. 

Related: Where to find Puffskeins in Hogwarts Legacy

Catching Thestrals in Hogwarts Legacy

For those playing Hogwarts Legacy on Normal Difficulty or higher, catching Thestrals is quite a challenge. The beasts can gallop and fly faster than your student character can move on the ground, so chasing after them with a Nap-Sack is not a feasible option. Fortunately, every student of Hogwarts has a wide assortment of Spells they can access to make the effort of catching any Beast much easier. For instance, one approach we have used is casting Disillusionment while approaching a Thestral Den, going behind one of the Beasts, then performing the following: Accio, Accio, Levioso, and Nap-Sack. 

Keep in mind that there is no “meta” method of catching Thestrals in Hogwarts Legacy since everyone will have their own preferences when it comes to keeping a Beast under control for a successful capture. Some might favor casting Arresto Momentum to stop the winged horse in its tracks, while others may prefer Glacius for the crowd-control knockback it provides. Whatever the case, the goal is to focus and practice using a method you feel works instead of attempting to utilize every Spell in the book. 

Thestrals on standard difficulties in Hogwarts Legacy have five “dots of HP,” meaning that you must press the X button, Square Button, or F key (depending on your gaming platform) five times in quick succession before the capture is successful. Sneaking up on a wild Thestral is a huge advantage since you have more time to prepare your Spell casts. As a result, we highly recommend you farm your Thestrals in the North Ford Bog instead of Marunweem Lake because of the swamp’s wide open space it provides. Whether they are in the air or on the ground, having ample room to use Spells on the flying Beasts is crucial when it comes to catching Thestrals in Hogwarts Legacy.

Related: All rideable mounts in Hogwarts Legacy, and where to get them

Alternatively, if catching Thestrals and other higher-tier Beasts in Hogwarts Legacy is too challenging, consider opening your Game Settings and changing the Difficulty to Story. Based on our own testing, we have verified that attempting to catch a Thestral on Story will result in an instant capture; no timed button-mashing minigame is required. Therefore, you could switch between difficulties throughout your playthrough, depending on whether you are hunting with your Nap-Sack or engaging in combat.