What Are the Beasts in ‘Fantastic Beasts’? (UPDATED)

Therese
Movies Harry Potter
Movies Harry Potter

Harry Potter devotees are eagerly anticipating the November 18 release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the first spin-off in J.K. Rowling‘s Wizarding World franchise. Naturally, fans have a lot of questions about the new film which have yet to be answered, chief among them: Which magical creatures — the titular beasts — are actually in the movie?

First, a little background for the uninitiated: Based on the stories by J.K. Rowling, Fantastic Beasts is the first film in an upcoming trilogy and exists in the same universe as Harry Potter. Set in 1926 New York City, the film features author and Magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) as the protagonist.

While conducting research on the magical creatures that comprise his bestselling book, Scamander ends up in New York for what was supposed to be a brief stopover. There, he meets a friendly No-Maj, when Scamander’s briefcase of magical creatures is accidentally opened, leading to their escape.

So, What Beasts Are in Fantastic Beasts?

These twenty beasts (so far) are all confirmed to appear in Fantastic Beasts, according to the Harry Potter Wiki:

Swooping Evil

Large, blue-and-green winged creature that looks like a cross between a reptile and a giant butterfly. They feed on human brains and secrete venom that, when properly diluted, can be used to erase bad memories. Read more.

A Swooping Evil - One of the Beasts in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
A Swooping Evil is captured by Newt Scamander.

Lethifold

Also known as a Living Shroud, Lethifolds are carnivorous and highly dangerous. They glide along the ground in search of its prey–humans. They attack at night when their target is asleep and suffocates them to death. Read more.

Billywig

An insect native to Australia, anyone stung by a Billywig will suffer giddiness, followed by levitation. Too many stings, however, can cause the victim to hover uncontrollably for days on end. Sometimes, the victim will suffer from a severe allergic reaction, and permanent floating may ensue. Read more.

A Billywig - One of the Beasts in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
A Billywig about to cause chaos/giddiness in New York City.

Murtlap

A Marine creature that’s a cross between a rodent and a sea anemone, Murtlaps are found in coastal Britain. The growth on their backs may be pickled and eaten to improve one’s resistance to jinxes, though eating an excess of pickled Murtlap may cause one to grow unsightly purple ear hair. Read more.

Erumpent

Huge magical beast resembling a rhinoceros and native to Africa. Its thick hide is capable of repelling most curses and charms and are treated with great respect by African wizards and witches. Erumpent numbers are not large, due to the fact that male Erumpents frequently implode during mating season. Read more.

Niffler

A rodent-like creature with a long snout and coat of black, fluffy fur. Native to Britain, Nifflers are gentle by nature, though their penchant for stealing shiny objects make them terrible pets. Read more.

A Niffler - One of the Beasts in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Nundu

Considered by some to be the most dangerous magical creature alive, the Nundu is a giant mammal resembling a leopard. They move silently, and their toxic breath can wipe out entire villages. Read more.

The Bowtruckle

A palm-sized, insect-eating tree dweller with long sharp fingers. Generally a peaceful creature, they can become violent if anything threatens its tree. Read more.

A Bowtruckle - One of the Beasts in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Doxy

Sometimes referred to as the Biting Fairy, Doxy are small fairy-like creatures. They are covered with coarse black hair and have an additional set of arms and legs. Fred and George Weasley used Doxy venom for their Skiving Snackboxes, sold at Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. Read more.

Demiguise

A peaceful creature with large, black eyes, Demiguise possess the power to become invisible. Thusly, their pelts are highly sought after, as their hair can be woven into Invisibility cloaks. Read more.

A Demiguise - One of the Beasts in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
A Demiguise runs from apparent danger.

Kappa

These Japanese water demons look like scale-covered monkeys and dwell in shallow water. They are known for strangling humans in ponds or lakes. If one can trick the Kappa into bowing, the water in its head will spill out and can weaken the creature. Read more.

Mooncalf

A shy creature that only comes out of its burrow during a full moon, the Mooncalf performs complicated dance moves while standing on its hind legs as part of a mating ritual. Read more.

Thunderbird

A magical bird native to the United States, the Thunderbird is closely related to the Phoenix. Often described as a very large bird, capable of generating storms and thunder as it flies. Read more.

A Thunderbird - One of the Beasts in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Fwooper

A magical African bird with brightly-colored feathers. The Fwooper’s bird song will drive the listener insane, so each Fwooper must be sold with a Silencing Charm placed on it. Read more.

Thestral

A breed of winged horses with skeletal bodies, they are considered to be very rare and are only visible to those who have witnessed death. Thestral are known for having fleshless, eerie faces, and are lured by the scent of blood. Read more.

bill-and-fleur-thestrals

Diricawl

A plump, flightless bird, Diricawl have the ability to disappear and reappear as a means of escaping danger. Muggles are aware of the existence of the Diricawl as a dodo but are not aware of its ability to vanish at will. Thusly, they believe that they have hunted the dodo to extinction. Read more.

Occamy

A two-legged serpentine-bodied creature with wings that may reach up to fifteen feet in height. The Occamy is known to be choranaptyxic, meaning it can grow or shrink in order to fit available space. Read more.

An Occamy - One of the Beasts in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
An Occamy emerges from the shadows.

Hippocampus

Native to Greece, the Hippocampus is a beast with the head and forequarters of a horse, and the tail and hindquarters of a giant fish. Hippocampus lay large, semi-transparent eggs through which the young hippocampus, known as a Tadfoal, can be seen. Read more.

Graphorn

A dangerous and aggressive magical creature native to the mountains of Europe. The Graphorn is large and hump-backed, with purple-grey skin tougher than that of dragons. It can repel most spells, has two golden horns, and walks on large four-thumbed feet. Read more.

Runespoor

Three-headed snake native to Burkina Faso in Africa, Runespoor are six to seven feet long, with orange and black stripes. They have long been associated with Dark Wizards, and according to some writings, each of the heads serves a different function. Read more.

Ashwinder

Serpent created from the remains of a magical fire left to burn unchecked. It is a thin creature with red glowing eyes, and can be found in many magical residences. If they manage to roam free, the Ashwinder can lay eggs that ignite and burn down buildings within minutes. Read more.

Sasquatch

Also known as Big Foot, these magical creatures once staged a large-scale rebellion against the Magical Congress of the United States of America and forced them to relocate from Washington to New York. They are known to inhabit forested regions of North America. Read more.

Merpeople

Sentient beasts that live underwater and resemble fish. The earliest merpeople lived in Greece, and were known as sirens. These creatures possess many of the same traits that humans do, and have their own language known as Mermish. Read more.

merpeople-fantastic-beasts

Giant Dung Beetle

A variety of the scarab beetle, the smaller version of the giant dung beetle were once worshipped by the Ancient Egyptians. Little is known about their giant variety in Fantastic Beasts, though the idea itself puts great fear in the hearts of many. Read more.

Bits and Pieces

The Bits and Pieces creature looks like a lizard made out of scraps of metal.

Augurey

This creature is considered Ireland‘s version of a Phoenix. It’s a greenish-black bird with a sharp beak, and their feathers are known to repel ink. The mournful cry of an Augurey is a sign of rain, and they were once used as weather forecasters. Read more.

Crup

These wizard-bred dogs resemble Jack Russell terriers. They are extremely loyal to wizards, are native to England, and are known for their forked tails. Read more.

Griffin

Originating from Greece, the Griffin is known as a fierce creature, with the head of a giant eagle and the body, hind legs, and tail of a lion. Skilled wizards have been known to befriend Griffins. Read more.

Nogtail

A demon-like creature that resembles a piglet, but has long legs, slanted dark eyes, and a thick tail. A Nogtail will sneak into farms to suckle on ordinary pigs, thus cursing the farm. Fast and hard to catch, the only way to make sure the Nogtail will not come back is to chase it away with a pure white dog. Read more.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them opens worldwide on November 18.

Therese
Therese is a staff contributor at Fandom.