How ‘Fantastic Beasts 3’ Explained Aurelius Dumbledore’s Identity

The Fantastic Beasts films have been one unexpected twist after another. The first movie, Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them, purported to be the beginning of a trilogy about a Hufflepuff magizoologist and his animal friends, but then ended with a Twist that revealed the real antagonist was Grindelwald. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald introduced a young Dumbledore only to end in a twist by bringing in a younger Dumbledore, Albus’ supposed long-lost brother. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore finally cleared up Aurelius Dumbledore’s identity, even as it suggested he wasn’t long for the franchise.

Warning: Spoilers for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore follow. The Fantastic Beasts movies have seen their share of controversy. From behind-the-scenes drama over cast members Johnny Depp and Ezra Miller to J.K. Rowling’s controversial opinions, the film wound up pushed back to retool. In the meantime, plenty of fans walked away from the franchise.

If these controversies were limited to just offscreen issues and the movies were spectacular, it would be one thing. (There are many beloved problematic authors in the world.) But the Fantastic Beasts films have also been controversial on-screen. Minerva McGonagall is in the films, even though (according to the Wizarding World’s own lore) she wasn’t born yet. The movies are titled “Fantastic Beasts” but focus on Dumbledore and Grindelwald, not Newt and his animals. Biggest of all was the introduction of Aurelius Dumbledore, which fans disliked, and whose story didn’t line up with everything fans knew about the Dumbledore family.

In the film, Ezra Miller, who plays Aurelius Dumbledore, insisted his character’s identity was legit. But Fantastic Beasts 3 finally explains that though he is a Dumbledore, he’s not the brother of Aberforth and Albus, as the second film claimed. He’s Abelforth’s son, born out of wedlock, and Albus’ nephew.