As many know, the main cast of the Harry Potter books is almost entirely Gryffindor House, often seen as the heroic archetype as its students are often charismatic, brave, courageous, and determined for success and greatness. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were no exceptions to this, and so Gryffindor became the most popular house among fans for a long time.
However, as the Wizarding World franchise has grown into theme parks, an online story experience called Pottermore, and soon a video game called Hogwarts Legacy, that popularity has changed. Avid Potterheads often take official quizzes to determine which Hogwarts House they fall into, and many fans proudly boast themselves as Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Slytherins. Still, the first and last of those see somewhat of a stigma toward them due to how they were written in the book.
Stigmas Towards the Hogwarts Houses
Villains in the Harry Potter films and books are almost exclusively Slytherins, correlating the idea that Slytherins equal evil. But this stems from common traits that sort the students into the House of the snake, such as cunning, pride, and shrewdness, which aren't inherently evil but are often used for ill intentions throughout the series. Slytherin House has a long-running reputation for creating dark witches and wizards, a stereotype that has been all but beaten to death.
As for the other Houses, while Gryffindors were off getting the spotlight through eight major films, the most notable Hufflepuff is probably Cedric Diggory, who meets his untimely demise by the end of the book he was first introduced. Meanwhile, Molly Weasley has one of the most classic lines before she offs one of the series' biggest antagonists and, though it's only in the film, McGonagall gets to show just how powerful she truly is before the final battle begins. Afterward, she—another Gryffindor—is named Headmistress of Hogwarts, while her predecessor, Snape, was largely disliked by the student body and faculty, again associating Slytherins with evil. But even aside from the good versus evil conversation, the franchise has shown a large bias towards those in Gryffindor House. Slytherin is the second-most popular, followed by Ravenclaw, whereas Hufflepuffs are often at the brunt of jokes.
Hogwarts Legacy's Character Creation and Open World
Hogwarts Legacy has a chance to change the way fans perceive the Houses aside from Gryffindor perhaps by breaking their stereotypes but also writing significant, good characters that are Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Slytherins. This could very possibly be the plan already because Hogwarts Legacy is set in the late 1800s, meaning a completely brand-new cast of characters.
Not much is yet known about Hogwarts Legacy, but it will be an open-world game with character customization. This is the first time the franchise will see a story seen from eyes not assigned to a specific House. Players will be sorted most likely based on a quiz, though they may get to choose or partially choose which house their character is from. Furthermore, it's said that the game will feature significant player choice, where gamers can make Hogwarts Legacy their own story.
How this will take shape is currently unknown. Hogwarts Legacy could take a Dragon Age approach, where the protagonist's background will play a significant role in how the story can unfold, what quests are available to them, and even who they can romance. Hogwarts Legacy will even let players become Dark Wizards, should they want to, likely meaning that it's open to many possibilities.
Hogwarts Legacy is in development for a 2022 release on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.