Despite being a relatively new franchise, with the first book releasing in 1997, Harry Potter has a pretty extensive background of lore. Taking a leaf from the likes of Star Wars, the Harry Potter books and movies do a great job of world-building by dropping in the names of other events and wizards that have come before the main cast of characters. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them's Newt Scamander was born from one such tiny line of dialogue. The highly anticipated Hogwarts Legacy has finally revealed some gameplay, and its main villain seems to have close connections with one such event.
The main villain of Hogwarts Legacy, named Ranrok, seems to be the leader of a Goblin rebellion. While fans haven't really gotten to see a Goblin rebellion on screen before, they're actually a pretty sizable part of the lore. Though, it should be noted that there is some controversy surrounding the use of Goblins as villains in this title.
The History of Goblin Rebellions
In the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, classism, racism, and discrimination exist. This can be seen all throughout the main series of books and movies, as Voldemort's primary goal is to keep the Wizarding World "pure," by which he means that no magic-user should have any Muggle blood in them and should come directly from magical parents. The Malfoys are often seen throwing slurs at Hermione for her non-magical parents, and the Weasleys are looked down upon for their lack of wealth or respect in the Wizarding World.
Species-related racism and discrimination is also rife throughout the Harry Potter series. House-Elfs are kept as slaves by most magic families, and are even forced to work in the Hogwarts kitchens, and Centuars are considered savages by most of the Ministry of Magic. Goblins, however, are possibly the most persecuted of all Harry Potter's species.
Though they possess inert magical abilities, Goblins are not allowed to wield a wand. The entire Goblin race is surveyed very closely by the Ministry of Magic to ensure that they aren't overthrown, and that human Witches and Wizards remain the dominant magical force in the world.
Naturally, this constant persecution led to some rebellions over the years, with the groups only expressing their desire for freedom and equality. But, with the Ministry of Magic fearing a loss of power, they fought back against the Goblins, refusing to see their needs as genuine. The Ministry used their vast resources to release a constant stream of propaganda, ensuring that the Goblins were viewed as nothing more than savage villains.
The first documented Goblin rebellion occurred in 1612, where Hogsmeade Village's Three Broomsticks Inn was used as the headquarters for the Goblin forces. This rebellion is believed to be cited due to the lack of Goblin representation on the Wizengamot, the Wizarding high court of law.
The next documented Goblin rebellion took place in 1752. This is one of the longer-running rebellions in Harry Potter history, with the rebellion only coming to an end 10 years later upon the death of the Goblins' leader Vargot. Several Ministers for Magic were fired during this rebellion for their incompetence in handling the uprising. During the rebellion, the Goblins joined forces with another persecuted group, the Werewolves.
Either during this same 18th century rebellion, or another one that closely followed, Urg the Unclean became a notable member of the Goblin rebel forces. His legacy is immortalized on a Chocolate Frog Card.
The final documented Goblin rebellion is Hogwarts Legacy's own. Taking place in 1890, it seems as though another Goblin uprising is in full swing, this time being led by Ranrok, a powerful Goblin who is capable of wielding magic without a wand. From the brief gameplay fans have seen so far, it seems as though there may be more to this rebellion than the Ministry is letting on, with dark wizards being shown to join forces with Ranrok.
Hogwarts Legacy is set to release Holiday 2022 to Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.