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In the movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them, the protagonist uses the Accio spell at the end to get the bad guy's wand (don't want to say his name to avoid potential spoilers).

Why doesn't he use Expelliarmus instead?

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  • 3
    Maybe newt'd seen the HP films. Acc to them the E. spell is used to smack around people and half of the time the attacked characters retain their wands.
    – user68762
    Jan 4, 2017 at 12:14
  • 1
    Remember that Beasts takes place a generation or two before the HP events. It's possible that by HP's time, a charm has been developed to protect wands from accio. I don't think we ever see a wand get accio'd anywhere in the HP books or movies.
    – Joe L.
    Jan 4, 2017 at 14:04
  • He's not the bad guy who you're not supposed to name! :P The one whose name you shouldn't say wasn't even born yet! :P
    – Obsidia
    Aug 17, 2017 at 2:26

3 Answers 3

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It's not Newt who performs the Accio spell, it's Tina and she's following the direct orders of the President.

MADAM PICQUERY: (to the Aurors flanking her)
Aurors, I’d like you to relieve Mr. Graves of his wand and escort him back to—

You may also want to note that the screenplay reveals that Graves had already dropped his wand, hence casting the disarming spell (Expelliarmus) would have been completely pointless. This isn't immediately obvious in the film.

Graves tries to hold it off as it tightens, but staggers, struggles, and falls to his knees, dropping his wand.

TINA: Accio.

Graves’s wand flies into Tina’s hand. Graves looks around at them, a deep hatred in his eyes.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay

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Accio makes sure that Newt gets the wand.

Expelliarmus is the Disarming spell. It doesn't mean that you will automatically get your opponent's wand, it just means that they'll lose it, such as the wand flying out of their hand, and after that they can easily just regain it, as @R.Skeeter said is the comments.

Accio, however, Summons the wand, and ensures that Newt will get the wand.

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  • Great answer. Accio causes the distant object to go into the caster's hand. Expelliarmus makes sure the opponent's wand is disarmed. Jan 4, 2017 at 17:28
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    It wasn't in his hand :-)
    – Valorum
    Jan 4, 2017 at 22:42
  • @Valorum I haven't watched the movie yet. I was answering based on the question solely.
    – Mithical
    Jan 4, 2017 at 22:44
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    I've (reluctantly) downvoted. Although you're not wrong, this answer doesn't address why Tina used that particular spell, nor does it correct the assertion that it was Newt who used the spell.
    – Valorum
    Jan 7, 2017 at 10:33
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Accio is going to be how Grindelwald keeps the Elder Wand, if you drop the wand you can't be disarmed. Therefore he wouldn't lose the Elder Wand and he wouldn't care about any other wand.

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  • How is Grindelwald supposed to use Accio if he doesn't have a wand?
    – Voronwé
    Aug 17, 2017 at 2:37
  • @MatCauthon - johnny means that since another wizard didn't disarm him (with Expelliarmus), then the wand was never 'won' from him, and has not changed allegiance...
    – Cinderhaze
    May 28, 2019 at 20:49

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