This article contains spoilers for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
Gellert Grindelwald's campaign to conquer the Wizarding World - and the heroes who fought to stop him. The stakes this time are higher than ever before, with Grindelwald coming within a Qilin's bow of becoming the wizards' leader.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald featured a number of plot twists and reveals that left viewers bewildered. There's a sense in which The Secrets of Dumbledore is a response to that, an attempt by J.K. Rowling to clear up the confusion and deal with the plots people disliked. Unfortunately, that does mean it's clearly a pivot, and as a result, there are several notable logic gaps and the timeline becomes something of a mess.
Still, for all that's the case, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore adds a lot of depth to the franchise's lore. Not all the ideas emerge on the screen fully-formed, meaning some of them need development; but there's a lot more potential there this time, and there are interesting ramifications for the future of the Wizarding World. Here are all the biggest unanswered questions from Fantastic Beasts 3.
How Did Newt & Grindelwald Learn About The Birth Of The Qilin?
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore lives up to the franchise's title, because this time a magical creature literally stands at the center of the story. In Chinese mythology, the Qilin only appear in the real world to presage the emergence of a great, benevolent ruler; Fantastic Beasts 3 adapts this idea, revealing the Qilin have historically chosen the rulers of the Wizarding World. The film opens with the birth of a Qilin in a remote area of Asia; while it's understandable magizoologist Newt Scamander would know how to spot the magical portents of a Qilin's birth, and even know where to go, it's rather odd Grindelwald too knew where to send his agents at just the right time.
What Did Aberforth Know About His Son Credence?
It turns out viewers already knew the secrets of Albus Dumbledore - his backstory having been revealed in Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, and the Blood Pact was introduced in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Rather, the secrets of Fantastic Beasts 3 are those of Albus' brother Aberforth Dumbledore, with the film revealing Credence is actually Aberforth's son. The timeline is interesting, with Albus explaining Aberforth's romance happened the same summer he became infatuated with Grindelwald; that doesn't really fit in of the overarching timeline, but it at least hints how Grindelwald knew about Credence's heritage. It's unclear how much Aberforth knew about his son, the revelation that he "always" thought about him. Presumably, the rumors of an illegitimate relationship were the beginning of Aberforth's poor reputation, which would only decline as the decades ed.
Where Was Tina In Fantastic Beasts 3 - And Why Wasn't She In Bhutan?
Tina Goldstein was a key character in the first two Fantastic Beasts films, but she's mostly absent from Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore - apparently now Head Auror for MACUSA, meaning she's been pretty busy. Tina's unfortunate absence becomes particularly odd in the third act, given a prominent witch would surely have been part of the American delegation sent to Bhutan to participate in choosing the next Supreme Mugwump. It's reasonable to assume the real problem was that actress Katherine Waterston simply wasn't available during production, which was heavily disrupted due to the pandemic, and the script simply tried to navigate around the problem.
Where Is Nagini In Fantastic Beasts 3?
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald introduced Claudia Kim as Nagini, the human witch cursed to transform into a snake - and a direct tie with the main Harry Potter franchise, given the giant snake would become one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. Nagini doesn't appear in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, likely because the script is already overstuffed with characters and concepts, but unfortunately like Tina, her absence is felt; she was supposed to be one of Credence's closest confidants, and it would have been good for him to have conversations with a friend that helped develop him as a character.
Why Did The Qilin Bow To Dumbledore?
In a surprising twist, the Qilin chooses to bow before Albus Dumbledore, declaring him noble and pure of heart. Dumbledore himself is shaken, because he doesn't trust himself with political power and he doesn't want to be Supreme Mugwump; viewers, who know just how manipulative a man Albus Dumbledore can be, will no doubt be surprised at the Qilin's judgment. It's possible the Qilin sensed the potential for nobility within Albus Dumbledore, and offered him a path that would have redeemed him; thus his rejection of that set him on the course to becoming the wizard who would manipulate so many lives from the shadows. It's interesting to note there were two wizards in attendance at Bhutan who were worthy, however - and two Qilin were born, perhaps signifying the role would be too great for any one wizard, especially at a time of conflict. There's always been a sense of duality in the Harry Potter franchise, and this fits rather well.
Why Didn't Anybody Know How Easy It Is To Break A Blood Pact?
Both Dumbledore and Grindelwald clearly believed there was no way to break the Blood Pact, but it turned out they were wrong. All it took was a collision of offensive and defensive magic, presumably signifying the two lives had gone in completely different directions and their purposes - and hearts - were no longer aligned. It's rather odd that it was so easy to break the Blood Pact, and viewers can be forgiven for wondering why nobody knew this could be done. It's possible the Blood Pact can only be broken when the two participants' purposes collide in this way without intention - that is to say, if either wizard attempted to engineer the circumstances it would cause the Blood Pact to kill them. Alternatively, it may well be that nobody had broken a Blood Pact in this manner before, and that this was what led Dumbledore to begin considering the underestimated power of protective love - a power that would become the central theme of his life, as he alone understood the significance of Lily Potter's death in protection of her son Harry.
What Dimension Did Dumbledore & Grindelwald Fight In?
One of the strangest scenes at the end of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore sees Dumbledore and Grindelwald transported to some sort of other dimension for a brief magical duel. It's a smart trick, because it allows the film to indulge in an action scene while avoiding breaking canon - the two aren't really supposed to fight until their fateful last battle in 1945, but nobody else knew this particular battle had taken place. There have been hints of other dimensions before - including a strange mystical one in Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Part II, which seemed to be a form of Purgatory - but this is the first time wizards have been seen slipping into and out of one in such a way. It's unclear how much the Wizarding World knows about other dimensions, or indeed if they can be accessed with intent.
How Will Grindelwald Rise To Power Now He's Been Exposed?
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is a major setback for Gellert Grindelwald, but not a fatal one. Somehow, in spite of the fact his treachery has been exposed before the entire Wizarding World, he will recoup his forces and make an attempt at world domination. Presumably, Grindelwald already had enough followers - particularly in Berlin - to establish a power base for himself even though he'd been exposed as an international fraud.
Is It Possible To Make Sense Of Fantastic Beasts 3's Timeline?
When J.K. Rowling penned the Harry Potter books, she was known to have created comprehensive timelines of every character - allowing her to avoid continuity errors. The same approach is clearly not being taken with the Fantastic Beasts franchise, because Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them, specifically set in 1926. Matters don't get any better when it comes to Credence's timeline, because apparently he was conceived in the same summer Albus met Grindelwald and Ariana died; Rowling has previously established that as taking place in 1899, meaning Credence would have been born in 1900. Unfortunately, he was noted as being 18 years old in Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them. There's really no way to make any sense of the timeline, and viewers will have to adjust expectations accordingly.
Will There Be A Fantastic Beasts 4?
The possibility of a Fantastic Beasts 4 seems unlikely. Although Rowling planned a fourth installment, a screenplay has yet to be written, with Warner Bros. waiting to see how this film performs in the box office. Unfortunately Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore has the record for the lowest opening box office in the entire Harry Potter franchise, suggesting the story will instead be wrapped up. Undoubtedly Ezra Miller's current scandals aren't helping either. There's a sense in which that isn't a major issue, though, because most of the major mysteries and character arcs have already been resolved. Grindelwald's fate is already established, and J.K. Rowling has even confirmed Newt and Tina will get together; in fact, their grandson Rolf Scamander became a magizoologist as well, and would actually marry Harry Potter's friend Luna Lovegood. Ultimately,viewers already know how many of the loose threads from Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore will be tied together in the end.
