How to solve the Hogwarts Legacy Merlin Trials

William Davis Published 12/02/2023

Hogwarts Legacy is an open world game full of puzzles and side quests that players can complete while taking a break from the main story. Merlin Trials are a series of short puzzles, part of the Exploration challenges, and have a reward that all players want.

The Exploration challenges, as the name implies, involve exploring Hogwarts and completing tasks. The challenges are divided into tiers, and players must complete a tier before advancing to the next one. The Exploration challenges include collecting Ancient Magic Trees, popping balloons, finding the Astronomy Tables, the Merlin Trials, and more.

These challenges take time and resources. If you are planning on taking any of the challenges, it is best to plan for the resources you need, find the locations that are closed to each other and get to work.

How to unlock Merlin Trials in Hogwarts Legacy

Merlin Trials can be found across multiple regions in Hogwarts Legacy. These are probably one of the best puzzles to complete as soon as you can. The reward for completing the Merlin Trials is the one thing all players need and you cannot buy, Gear Inventory Slots.

There are different milestones to reach:

Two Merlin Trials completed grant Four Gear Inventory Slots
Six Merlin Trials Completed grant Four Gear Inventory Slots
10 Merlin Trials Completed grant Four Gear Inventory Slots
18 Merlin Trials result in 12 Gear Inventory Slots

Players can claim the rewards on the Exploration challenges tab. There are no unlocked rewards beyond the third milestone yet.

Before tackling the Merlin Trials, players must complete the Trials of Merlin mission in Lower Hogsfield. Once complete, the Merlin Trials become available. The puzzles are not free, players need Mallowsweet Leaves.

Nora Treadwell will gift the players with five Mallowsweet Leaves, enough to get going but not nearly enough to complete all the puzzles. There are two ways to secure more Mallowsweet Leaves, the first is buying them from different vendors. Players can buy Mallowsweet Leaves from:

The Magic Neep in Hogsmeade
Leopold Babcocke, near Hogsmeade Station
Arn in Hogwarts Valley

Mallowsweet is a limited resource. Once you buy from a vendor, it will take over two days for it to become available again. Keep in mind that it is a valuable resource for all vendors in the game, and it is considered rare.

The second method is growing your own Mallowsweet Leaves. The first step to becoming a Mallowsweet Leaves farmer is to complete the first Herbology class, which gives you the ability to grow it. At The Magic Neep, buy this skill as well.

After you complete these two steps, you can grow Mallowsweet Leaves in the Greenhouse and the Room of Requirement. You can grow up to five Mallowsweet Leaves at the same time, this is a process that takes time. While incredibly rewarding, these challenges are time-consuming.

The trials can be found around the different regions, but before completing them, you must activate the trial. Here is where the Mallowsweet Leaves come into play. Once you find the indicator for the Merlin Trial, you must spread Mallowsweet Leaves to activate it. When the trial is activated, structures will spawn from the ground or will shine light blue. Some of the trials require that players explore further into the area before completing it.

Merlin Trials locations in Hogwarts Legacy

Merlin Trials can be found in different regions. You can find them on the map identified with a white feather. Starting with North Ford Bog where players can find four Merlin Trials. The spells needed are Confrigo, Incendio, Accio, and Flipendo.

The Merlin Trial is close to the East North Ford Bog fast travel point. Activate it and locate the stone pillars in the southwest area, these are covered with grass. Remove the grass using a Confringo or Incendio spell. It will reveal a hole that you must fill up with a round boulder that is on the hill above the stone pillars.
Use the San Bakar’s Tower fast travel point as a reference and look to the east. There will be Inferi in the area, get rid of it and activate the Merlin Trial. Flipendo stones will show up at different points, use the spell on them to complete the puzzle.
East to the northernmost fast travel point, you will find the next Merlin Trial. Once active, you will find multiple statues that you must destroy. Some of them are hidden, making it necessary to use a spell like Revelio.
At Pitt-Upon-Ford, you will find the final Merlin Trial in this area. To complete this puzzle, you must jump from platform to platform without touching the ground. Make sure to touch all the platforms.

Three more Merlin Trials can be found in the Forbidden Forest.

On the northeastern side of the Forbidden Forest, you can find a Merlin Trial. Shoot the stones that are piled on top of the pillars. Jump pillar to pillar without touching the ground.
This Merlin Trial is in the heart of the Forbidden Forest. On the west, move the boulders that are blocking the cave. Once removed, the butterflies will emerge from the cave. Using the Lumos spell, gather them. With the three butterfly swarms under your control, put them on glowing stones found around the trial.
The third and final trial inside the Forbidden Forest is outside of Jackdaw’s Tomb. Three braziers will appear in the north, south, and northwest. Remove anything that could be covering the brazier and light it up. Light all three to complete the trial.

Staying on the North side of Hogwarts, you can find five more Merlin Trials.

At the northernmost part of the North Hogwarts region. You will see stone pillars, cast a Flipendo spell on each one of them. There are three in total in the nearby area.
On the West of Hogsmeade, you will see glowing butterflies. Cast a Lumos spell to attract them and take them back to the marked stone structures. There are three groups of butterflies you must return.
Go to the far western side of North Hogwarts, where you will find a small tower. Use Confringo to remove the vines and expose a brazier. Use Confringo again, this time directly on the brazier. Do the same with the other three in the area to complete the trial.
This Merlin Trial can be found along the river on East North Hogwarts. You will see four crumbled statues, fix all four.
The final Merlin Trial in the area is on the west of the Forbidden Forest fast travel point. Using basic attacks, destroy the balls that are lying on top of the pillars.

Hogsmeade Valley has five Merlin Trials for players to take.

East of Hogsmeade is the first Merlin Trial. It is another puzzle that involves attracting butterflies and returning them to a specific spot. Along the way, you will find a wolf you must defeat before completing this trial.
Close to Falbarton Castle, you will find another Merlin Trial. From the castle, take a left and follow the creek. Clear the vines to reveal a grate, use Accio to pull it, and open a gap. Go into the tunnel, where you will see a butterfly swarm. Using a Lumos spell, attract the butterflies and guide them to the correct spot.
The third trial is sandwiched between the East Hogsmeade Valley and the Falbarton Castle fast travel point. You will find a round stone that you must push through the slippery slope to the left. Once all the stones fall to the bottom of the hill, the trial will be considered as completed.
Using the East Hogsmeade Valley fast travel point as your start, head northwest. Locate the three braziers hidden in the area, and use a Confringo spell on each one of them.
The final Merlin Trial in this area can be found north of Hogsmeade. There will be multiple enemies in the area, take them out before activating the trial. Using the Revelio spell, highlight the stones in the area. Destroy all of the highlighted stones.

In the South Hogwarts region, you can find the most Merlin Trials, with a total of 15.

The first Merlin Trial in this area can be completed after finishing the Trials of Merlin quest. Locate the three braziers and, using Incendio, light them up. The goal is to have all three lit at the same time.
West of Lower Hogsfield, locate the three altars. Pull the spheres onto the altars using Accio. The altars are not in plain sight, you will have to use Revelio to highlight the structures. There are a total of three altars.
Take Hogwarts’ southern exit, and a stone orb will spawn. The goal is to roll the orb into the crater near the shore. Striking the orb four times in quick succession will throw it down the hill. It will probably take a couple of tries to get it into place.
Across the Great Lake to the east of Lower Hogsmeade, you can find the next trial. You must destroy the five boulders marked with green carvings.
South of the Hamlet of Aranshire, you will find three altars. Use Accio to get the orbs on the altars to complete the trial.
If you completed the previous trial, head east to find the next one. This is another butterfly puzzle. Use Revelio to expose the stone housing where you are supposed to place the butterflies. To attract them, use Lumos.
This trial stands out, you will see a massive orb waiting on the cliffside. Push it towards the crater on the south. Remember, four basic spells in quick succession will push the orb.
East of Hogsmeade Station, find the three columns with braziers on top. The goal is to light them up at the same time. Start with the tallest column. Consider using Confringo instead of Incendio, the columns are far apart from each other, so time is of the essence.
One of the easiest types of puzzles on the list. You can find it on the cliffside. No spells are needed, just hop from stone to stone without touching the ground. Make sure to go over all the stones. Otherwise, the trial won’t count as completed.
From Hogsmeade Station, head North to find a Merlin altar. The goal is to destroy the nine orbs that are lying around the altar. If you cannot see the orbs, using Revelio will highlight them. Destroy all nine orbs as fast as possible to complete the trial.
On the Great Lake, go to the eastern shore where you will see butterflies again. Using Lumos, guide them to the right spot. There are three groups of butterflies in total.
Past the Quidditch Pitch on South Hogwarts, take your broom to locate the rock formation. You will encounter another large stone orb and if you look around, you will see the crater where it is supposed to go. Push the orb using a quick combination of four basic spells.
From the Owlery, follow the river until you get to the waterfall. This is yet another butterfly challenge. Use Lumos to guide the butterfly swarms into the right spot. There are three groups of butterflies. If the final locations are not evident, use Revelio to highlight them.
There are two ways to reach this Merlin Trial, avoiding having to climb a cliff. West of the Hamlet of Lower Hogsfield you will find a path that leads you to the correct location. The second option is just using your broom to fly up. In the area, you will find five stones carved with green details. Destroy the stones using Confringo.
The final Merlin Trial in this area can be found East of Aranshire. The giant orb will be there waiting for you. The crater is on the southern cliff. This stone is different to ones you have encountered before. Instead of using the four quick spells that worked on the previous trials, you can use Accio to move the stone. Get it into the crater to complete the final trial in the area.