Wicked Witch of the West

The Wicked Witch of the West is the main antagonist of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the first novel of the famous Oz series, and its classic 1939 film adaptation The Wizard of Oz.

She is a malevolent witch who rules over the Winkie Country, as well as Dorothy's arch-nemesis.

In the film, she was portrayed by the late Margaret Hamilton, who also played Miss Almira Gulch in the same film.

Appearance

In the original book, she is described as a hideous form, and a notable feature being an enchanted eye that can see vast distances beyond her castle walls. In the classic film, the Wicked Witch was stooped, green-skinned, and dressed entirely in black. In many people's minds, this representation of The Wicked Witch has become an archetype for human wickedness, as well as an icon for the "witch" character in popular culture.

History

While this relationship is not mentioned in Baum's books, in the movie, the Witch is the sister of the Wicked Witch of the East, who is killed when Dorothy arrives in Oz. The Witch asks aloud, "Who killed my sister?" (except with more calculation than sorrow). As a result, The Wicked Witch of the West's role is made more prominent as she seeks revenge against Dorothy for killing her sister. When Dorothy claims the death was an accident, the Witch of the West replies, "Well, my little pretty, I can cause accidents too."

It is from this movie that popular culture gets the oft-quoted phrase, "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog too!".

Her other motivation is to get the powerful Ruby Slippers (changed from the Silver Shoes of the book). She often, but not always, flies on a broomstick (as opposed to her umbrella in the novel), and has a crystal ball through which she can see happenings elsewhere.

Her lackeys are Nikko, the Flying Monkeys and the Winkie Guards. The Flying Monkeys kidnapped Dorothy and Toto, taking them to the Wicked Witch's Winkie Castle. The Wicked Witch of the West locked Dorothy in a room of the hourglass, but Toto escaped, barking for help to the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion. The three friends disguised themselves as Winkie Guards and rescued Dorothy. But just as the four friends were about to escape, The Wicked Witch of the West sent her Winkie Guards to chase after the heroes. When Dorothy and her friends were surrounded by guards, The Wicked Witch of the West set the Scarecrow on fire. Then Dorothy noticed a bucket of water, and tossed it to extinguish the fire on Scarecrow, but also splashed some on the Wicked Witch. As a result, the Wicked Witch met her end when she melted to death. Just like the Munchkins, the Winkies cheered because the Witch was too dangerous to be left alive. Dorothy and her friends took the Witch's broom and proceeded to the Wizard's domain.

Powers and Abilities

• Spell-casting: She was a very powerful sorceress capable in casting spells and curses, as shown when she created a cursed poppy field to send Dorothy and her companions to sleep. 
• Pyrokinesis: The Witch is able to create fireballs using her hands.
• Flight/Teleportation: She is seen able to teleport, creating huge fog-like red smoke, while she can fly with her Broomstick if she wants.
• Scrying: She was able to spy her on enemies using her Magic Ball to see where they were, and used it to see what was happening next.
• Black Smoke: The Wicked Witch of the West was able to create the Black Smoke from her broomstick, which she uses to scare people away.
• Animal Control: The Wicked Witch has minions being her flying monkeys, Winkie guards and a wide variety of other creatures which she magically controls and uses to kidnap Dorothy, and protect her Dark Castle.

In Other Media

The Wicked Witch of the West is also famously featured in the book and theatrical production Wicked, which explores her past and portrays her as a tragic character and the protagonist, while the Wizard is the true villain. Here, she is given the name "Elphaba", a pun on the name L. Frank Baum. The role was originated by Idina Menzel.

In the episode, the Witch flies over Sesame Street and loses her broom. The magical cleaning tool falls into the hands of David; afraid of what the witch might do with it, he refuses to give the broom up. The Wicked Witch responds by making it rain inside Hooper's Store, and even threatens to turn Big Bird into a feather duster and David into a basketball. Oscar the Grouch is the only one who takes to her, even to the point of having a crush on her. Big Bird eventually warms to the witch, and is saddened when she leaves she tells him that one day she will return (only to drop her broom yet again). The episode was considered very scary for many viewers. To this day, no footage of the episode has surfaced, and therefore, it is considered lost. The episode will be shown on November 24, 2019 in The Museum of the Moving Image in New York City.

In the 1976 Paul Lynde Halloween Special, Margaret Hamilton again reprised her role as the Witch, this time teaming up to torment the hapless Lynde (who himself played a Warlock on Bewitched) with Billie Hayes as Witchiepoo from HR Pufnstuff.

The Wicked Witch of the West appeared as the first boss in Lego Dimension after Dorothy and her friends were captured by Lord Vortech, who was in need of her Ruby Slippers. When the Wicked Witch of the West saw the three protagonists of the game, she thought WildStyle was Dorothy and Batman was her dog. She then sees the keystone and orders her flying monkeys to get it for her. After she acquires it, she flies back to her castle. As Batman, Gandolf, and WildStyle makes their way towards her castle, she acquires new powers from the keystone and uses it to create portal everywhere. Once you place cages in front of the portals to capture her, she breaks free. After that, you use the spare pieces of the cages to build a water cannon and use it to squirt her with it. She then disintegrates and falls into a portal summoned by Lord Vortech.

She also appears in the same game as a playable character, via the 71221 Fun Pack.

The Muppets' Wizard of Oz

Main article: Wicked Witch of the West (Muppets)

Oz: The Great and Powerful

Main article: Theodora

Once Upon a Time

Main article: Zelena

Gallery

"I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog too!"

Eviline ("Wicked Flying Monkeys" aka "Save Oz!").

Wicked Witch of the West as seen in Lego Dimensions

The Wicked Witch of the West in Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz

The Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz animated series.

The Wicked Witch of the West in Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz.

The Wicked Witch flying past the house.

Add a photo to this gallery

Trivia

• She came in fourth place in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains countdown.
  • She's also the highest rated female villain on the list since the top 3 villains (Hannibal Lecter, Norman Bates and Darth Vader) are all males.
• Although the Wicked Witch only appears in the first book, and that the Nome King is the primary antagonist of the series, she was so memorable (mostly thanks to the film) that most adaptations and nearly all re-tellings of the story are centered about her.
• The Sentai/Power Rangers villainess Bandora/Rita Repulsa was partly inspired by the Wicked Witch, including her cackle, riding a bike through the sky like Miss Gulch, and having a (sometimes) Flying Monkey servant, Grifforzer/Goldar. Her scheme for destroying the Dragon/Green Ranger with a cursed candle also bears similarities to how the Witch intended to kill Dorothy.
• In the original RSC production of The Wizard of Oz, the role of The Wicked Witch of the West was portrayed by the male actor, Billie Brown, similar to how a male actor portrayed the evil character of Principal Agatha Trunchbull in the original classic musical production of Matilda.
• Margaret Hamilton later became known to a new generation from a series of commercials for Maxwell House Coffee, playing Cora The Storekeeper. Reportedly, during the 1939 filming, the cast had a hard time acting scared of Hamilton, who was widely known as a kind and giving person.
• The Wicked Witch of The West appeared in The LEGO Batman Movie as one of the non-DC villains.
• She is made to look like the franchise's main villain, but has only appeared in the first book. The real main villain has turned out to be the Nome King in the long run. Despite this, the Witch is still the franchise's official main villain since most media, including future re-tellings, keeps her as such, completely ignoring the Nome King.