New Fantastic Beasts Creatures Includes “Swooping Evil”

We learn more about the creatures featured in the new Fantastic Beasts trailer, including the Niffler and a brand new beast called a “Swooping Evil.”

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One of the most exciting things about seeing the first trailer for Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them doesn’t involve Eddie Redmayne, or the Goldstein sisters in 1920s wizarding world fashions, or even learning that Newt Scamander was expelled from Hogwarts. After all, the movie isn’t called The Goldstein Sisters And American Wizardry or Newt Scamander And Where He Went Next. It’s called Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. Which means that the real stars of the movie are actually Scamander’s most beloved creatures–the ones he’s willing to smuggle into America, to risk his own life and limb for, and even be expelled from school over.

And since, unlike the Star Wars movies, (which went back to basics with The Force Awakens, and did animatronic and muppet-based creatures), the Potterverse is sticking with CGI. That means the only way we get to see the creatures is in finished footage. In that aspect the trailer did not disappoint.

All in all we saw three creatures all together, and heard a fourth as it flipped the latch on Scamander’s magical case. The first one was only a glimpse–little clawed paws trying to worm their way out and catch a glimpse of the New York skyline for themselves.

Which creature is this? Sadly, Pottermore’s clues do not tell us what it could be. I had thoughts maybe a Grindylow upon first glance, but it could be anything, from an erkling to a pixie to an imp. Likewise we have no hints what the creature that is flipping newt’s magical case closures–we just know that he’s probably not going to get them fixed in time for it to matter.

Then there’s this little dude–the Niffler. Those who loved Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire may recall Hagrid introducing us to these creatures and their love of shiny objects and their kleptomania. We should note that this is the second tie way in which Newt Scamander is tied back to Hagrid–the first is that both were expelled from Hogwarts.

And then there’s thing. I had originally identified it as a phoenix in my shot by shot breakdown, but it turns out I was wrong. According to Pottermore, this is a creature we have never seen before, nor seen referenced in any previous works. It doesn’t exist on the Harry Potter wiki either. Though it looks in this shot to be bird like, it is really more of a butterfly insect like object, seen here:

Pottermore describes it thusly:

A large, butterfly-like creature that emerges from a small object, possibly a cocoon  

What does it do? Why is it called a “Swooping evil”? Is that a beak? Because it looks more like the bill of a duck-billed platypus.

Next: A Full Breakdown of the First Fantastic Beasts Trailer

Pottermore’s not saying as of yet. But if this is any indication, it may be that Newt has many new creatures in his case that will be brand new to us all.