San Bakar

San Bakar was a wise and powerful wizard and a former Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is primarily known as one of the four “Keepers,” a secret group dedicated to protecting the world from the misuse of a potent and volatile form of magic known as Ancient Magic. Known for his profound connection to magical creatures, Bakar created the third of the Keeper Trials to test the protagonist's worthiness through an encounter with a mighty Graphorn. All information regarding San Bakar comes from the video game Hogwarts Legacy.

San Bakar was a professor at Hogwarts during the 15th or 16th century, alongside his colleagues Percival Rackham, Niamh Fitzgerald, and Charles Rookwood (Hogwarts Legacy). During this time, they encountered a student, Isidora Morganach, who could also perceive Ancient Magic. When Isidora began to dangerously experiment with extracting and weaponizing this magic, which was drawn from pain, Bakar and the other professors united to stop her (Hogwarts Legacy). After the confrontation with Isidora, Bakar and his colleagues became the “Keepers.” They swore to guard the secret of Ancient Magic and the repository of power Isidora had created, ensuring no one would repeat her mistakes. To this end, they designed a series of trials to test any future individual who could see traces of Ancient Magic, to determine if they were worthy of wielding such power responsibly (Hogwarts Legacy). San Bakar's specific contribution was the third trial. Believing that a person's character was best revealed through their treatment of other living beings, he based his trial on a confrontation with a notoriously aggressive and powerful Graphorn. He believed that only a witch or wizard with compassion and respect, rather than a desire for dominance, could successfully pass the trial. He stored his memories and instructions within a Pensieve and an enchanted portrait, located in a hidden chamber now known as San Bakar's Tower on the coast south of Hogwarts (Hogwarts Legacy).

As seen in his enchanted portrait, San Bakar was a man with dark skin, a bald head, and a long, white, intricately braided beard and moustache (Hogwarts Legacy). He was a patient, calm, and deeply empathetic individual. His philosophy was rooted in respect for the natural world and its creatures. Unlike many wizards, he did not see beasts as things to be conquered, but as noble beings deserving of understanding and respect. He was skeptical of those who craved power and believed true strength lay in compassion. This is demonstrated by the nature of his trial, which required the participant to kneel and show respect to the Graphorn rather than simply subduing it with force (Hogwarts Legacy).

• Beast Taming: San Bakar was an exceptionally gifted Magizoologist, possessing a deep understanding of magical creatures. His ability to commune with and earn the respect of a Graphorn was a testament to his unique skills, as Graphorns are known to be extremely dangerous and resistant to domestication (Hogwarts Legacy).
• Ancient Magic: As one of the Keepers, San Bakar could perceive and wield Ancient Magic. He used this ability to help construct the secret repository and to create the enchantments for his trial chamber (Hogwarts Legacy).
• Portrait Magic: He created a sentient, enchanted portrait of himself that could converse with, guide, and judge the protagonist centuries after his death. This is a highly complex and powerful piece of magic (Hogwarts Legacy).

• Wand: While he undoubtedly owned a wand, its core, wood, and length are unknown (Hogwarts Legacy).
• Pensieve: Bakar created and used a Pensieve to store the memories of his past and the conflict with Isidora Morganach, allowing the protagonist to understand the history of the Keepers (Hogwarts Legacy).
• San Bakar's Tower: The location of his trial chamber, hidden behind a stone doorway that could only be opened by one who had completed the previous two Keeper trials (Hogwarts Legacy).

• The Keepers: San Bakar worked closely with Percival Rackham, Niamh Fitzgerald, and Charles Rookwood. Together, they formed a unified front against Isidora Morganach and shared the solemn duty of guarding the secrets of Ancient Magic (Hogwarts Legacy).
• Isidora Morganach: Bakar was one of Isidora's professors who initially tried to guide her, but he ultimately opposed her reckless and dangerous use of emotional magic, leading to their tragic confrontation (Hogwarts Legacy).
• The Lord of the Shore: This was the name given to the specific Graphorn used in Bakar's trial. Bakar held a deep respect for the creature, viewing it as a noble beast and the ultimate judge of a person's character (Hogwarts Legacy).

• The name San is a title used in Spanish and Italian, derived from the Latin sanctus, meaning “saint” or “holy.” This reflects his wise, revered status as one of the Keepers.
• The origin of Bakar is less certain. It is the Basque word for “alone” or “solitary,” which could allude to his unique connection with beasts. In several South Slavic languages, bakar means “copper.”

San Bakar is not a character from the original seven Harry Potter novels by J.K. Rowling. He was created exclusively for the 2023 video game, *Hogwarts Legacy*, and serves as a key historical figure and mentor within the game's main storyline. The entire narrative concerning the Keepers, Isidora Morganach, and their specific type of Ancient Magic is unique to the lore of the game and is not considered part of the book canon. In the game, San Bakar is voiced by actor Marwan Salama (Hogwarts Legacy).