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Hogwarts Legacy is notable for introducing the first transgender character in the Harry Potter franchise in the form of Sirona Ryan, the owner of the Three Broomsticks pub who outright tells the player that it took her classmates "a second to realize I was actually a witch, not a wizard". This drew attention as the creator of the Harry Potter franchise, J.K. Rowling, has generated controversy over the years by making comments that many have criticized as transphobic. It is worth noting that while she would receive profits from the game's sales leading many fans to boycott the game, she had no involvement in its development. In regards to the inclusion, the developers stated:
However, after the character was revealed, several fans further complained that the name Sirona Ryan rendered the inclusion of a transgender character tone deaf and continued promoting the boycott. The name "Sirona" originates from the Celtic goddess of healing and rebirth and is symbolized with imagery of snakes (animals that shed their skin) and eggs (where many birds, fish and reptiles among other animals emerge from after incubating). Despite being a feminine name, they claimed to perceive it as a male-presenting name due to that variant of the name containing and potentially being shortened to "Sir", while also pointing out that the surname "Ryan" was a masculine name and an anglicized form that was used instead of the less common authentic Gaelic name "Riain". This set up the name to appear as an unintentional pun: "Sir Ryan". Despite these complaints, the boycott turned out to be a failure as Hogwarts Legacy became commercially successful, selling over 12 million copies in its first two weeks of release and going on to sell double that amount by the end of 2023.
"The team felt that it was very important to create a game that is representative of the rich and diverse world of Harry Potter as well as the groups of people who play games, which includes the LGBTQIA+ community. We have a diverse cast of characters that players will encounter throughout the game.”
However, after the character was revealed, several fans further complained that the name Sirona Ryan rendered the inclusion of a transgender character tone deaf and continued promoting the boycott. The name "Sirona" originates from the Celtic goddess of healing and rebirth and is symbolized with imagery of snakes (animals that shed their skin) and eggs (where many birds, fish and reptiles among other animals emerge from after incubating). Despite being a feminine name, they claimed to perceive it as a male-presenting name due to that variant of the name containing and potentially being shortened to "Sir", while also pointing out that the surname "Ryan" was a masculine name and an anglicized form that was used instead of the less common authentic Gaelic name "Riain". This set up the name to appear as an unintentional pun: "Sir Ryan". Despite these complaints, the boycott turned out to be a failure as Hogwarts Legacy became commercially successful, selling over 12 million copies in its first two weeks of release and going on to sell double that amount by the end of 2023.
NME article:
https://www.nme.com/en_au/news/film/hogwarts-legacy-introduces-first-transgender-character-in-harry-potter-franchise-3394348
Forbes article:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2023/02/11/hogwarts-legacy-amid-jk-rowling-controversy-charts-record-breaking-pc-release/
Clutch Points articles:
https://clutchpoints.com/hogwarts-legacy-controversial-sirona-ryan
https://clutchpoints.com/hogwarts-legacy-leads-in-twitch-viewers-and-steam-players-despite-ongoing-boycott
Sirona Wikipedia article:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirona_(goddess)
Ryan surname history:
https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=ryan
Hogwarts Legacy sales:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1374325/hogwarts-legacy-games-unit-sales-worldwide/
https://www.nme.com/en_au/news/film/hogwarts-legacy-introduces-first-transgender-character-in-harry-potter-franchise-3394348
Forbes article:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2023/02/11/hogwarts-legacy-amid-jk-rowling-controversy-charts-record-breaking-pc-release/
Clutch Points articles:
https://clutchpoints.com/hogwarts-legacy-controversial-sirona-ryan
https://clutchpoints.com/hogwarts-legacy-leads-in-twitch-viewers-and-steam-players-despite-ongoing-boycott
Sirona Wikipedia article:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirona_(goddess)
Ryan surname history:
https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=ryan
Hogwarts Legacy sales:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1374325/hogwarts-legacy-games-unit-sales-worldwide/
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