Jacob Kowalski

Jacob Kowalski is an American No-Maj of Polish descent, a veteran of the First World War, and the proprietor of a bakery in New York City. He is a primary companion and best friend to Newt Scamander. Jacob becomes unintentionally embroiled in the affairs of the wizarding world after a chance encounter with Newt in 1926, becoming an integral ally in the fight against the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald. He is notable for being the first non-magical main character in the wizarding world narrative and for his romantic relationship with the Legilimens, Queenie Goldstein. All information regarding this character is sourced from the Fantastic Beasts film series unless otherwise specified.

Note: As Jacob Kowalski does not appear in the original seven Harry Potter novels, his entire biography is derived from the “Fantastic Beasts” film series.

• An Unlikely Introduction to Magic (1926)

Jacob, working in a cannery, dreamed of opening his own bakery. While seeking a loan at the Steen National Bank, he met Newt Scamander. Their identical suitcases were accidentally switched, leading to the escape of several of Newt's magical creatures. This event plunged Jacob into the secret magical community of New York City. He subsequently assisted Newt, along with MACUSA Auror Tina Goldstein and her sister Queenie Goldstein, in recapturing the escaped beasts. During this adventure, Jacob and Queenie fell in love. Despite the bond he formed with his new friends, wizarding law dictated that his memory of these events had to be erased for the sake of the International Statute of Secrecy. In a bittersweet farewell, Jacob stood in the rain as a diluted Swooping Evil venom washed away his memories. However, Newt anonymously provided him with silver Occamy eggshells to secure his bank loan. Jacob successfully opened his bakery, subconsciously crafting pastries in the shapes of the beasts he had encountered. His memories began to resurface when Queenie visited him, and he smiled at her with a look of recognition.

• Reunion and a Divided Heart (1927)

By 1927, Jacob's memories had been fully restored by Queenie, and they were in a loving relationship. However, the strict segregationist laws of the American wizarding world, such as Rappaport's Law, forbade their marriage. Desperate, Queenie placed Jacob under a love charm and took him to Europe, hoping to find a place where they could be together. When Jacob realized he had been enchanted, he and Queenie fought, leaving her vulnerable to the influence of Gellert Grindelwald's acolytes. At a rally held by Grindelwald at the Père Lachaise Cemetery, Queenie, believing Grindelwald's promises of a new world order where she could freely love Jacob, chose to join the dark wizard. A heartbroken Jacob could only watch as she walked through the blue flames of loyalty, leaving him behind.

• Recruited for War (Early 1930s)

Several years later, Jacob's bakery was failing, and he was despondent over losing Queenie. He was approached by Charms professor Eulalie Hicks, who, on behalf of Albus Dumbledore, recruited him into a small team tasked with thwarting Grindelwald's rise to power. Dumbledore recognized Jacob's importance as a good man and a No-Maj, whose actions could not be foreseen by the precognitive Grindelwald. Jacob was gifted a wand, which was later revealed to be a fake made of snakewood with no core. He traveled with Newt's team to Berlin and then to Bhutan. In Bhutan, during the election for the new Supreme Mugwump, Jacob bravely stood up to Grindelwald. Following Grindelwald's defeat, Jacob was reunited with a remorseful Queenie. The two returned to New York and were married in his bakery, surrounded by their friends.

Jacob is depicted as a portly man with dark hair and a moustache. He is inherently kind, good-humoured, and exceptionally loyal. Despite his ordinary, non-magical background, he displays immense courage, facing down dark wizards and dangerous magical creatures like the Erumpent without hesitation. He is often in awe of the magic he witnesses but is never truly intimidated by it. Jacob serves as the moral compass and emotional heart of the group, representing the perspective of a good-hearted everyman caught in extraordinary circumstances.

As a No-Maj, Jacob Kowalski possesses no personal magical abilities and cannot perform magic. His primary skills lie in his trade as a talented baker. His true strength is his character: his bravery, loyalty, and unwavering sense of right and wrong make him an invaluable member of Albus Dumbledore's team. For a brief period, he was given a wand by Dumbledore to hold, but it was non-magical and served only as a component of a larger plan to confuse the enemy.

• Bakery: His beloved shop, Kowalski Quality Baked Goods, located in New York City.
• Protective Helmet: A piece of armor he wore for protection while attempting to lure a female Erumpent during the events of 1926.
• Wand: A fake wand made of snakewood with no magical core, given to him by Newt Scamander on Albus Dumbledore's orders.

• Queenie Goldstein: The love of his life. Their relationship is a central arc of the Fantastic Beasts series, overcoming the obstacles of magical law, a dark wizard's manipulation, and their different worlds. They eventually marry.
• Newt Scamander: His best friend and the one who introduced him to the wizarding world. Their friendship is built on mutual respect and trust, with the quirky Magizoologist and the down-to-earth baker forming an unlikely but powerful bond.
• Tina Goldstein: A close and trusted friend. Tina was initially bound by her duty as an Auror to obliviate Jacob, but she quickly grew to care for him and value him as a loyal ally and friend.
• Gellert Grindelwald: His enemy. Grindelwald's anti-Muggle ideology is a direct threat to Jacob's life and his love for Queenie. Jacob bravely opposes Grindelwald on multiple occasions.

• Jacob: A Hebrew name (Ya'aqov) meaning “supplanter” or “one who follows.” In a narrative sense, Jacob acts as the audience's surrogate, following the magical characters into their world.
• Kowalski: A very common Polish surname, the second most frequent in Poland. It is the patronymic form of the word kowal, meaning “blacksmith.” This name roots Jacob firmly in a working-class, artisan background, befitting his profession as a baker.

• Jacob Kowalski is portrayed by American actor Dan Fogler in the Fantastic Beasts film series.
• He is the first main character in the J.K. Rowling's wizarding world cinematic universe to be a Muggle (or No-Maj).
• J.K. Rowling created the character to provide an outsider's perspective on the magical world and to act as a relatable anchor for the audience. (J.K. Rowling interviews).