The Witch of the Waste is major antagonist in book and animated movie Howl's Moving Castle. She was originally aprentice to Sulliman until she fells to a demon of greed. She was banished by Sulliman, and lives in the waste. She later tries to get Howl, and she is the person responsible for turning Sophie into an old lady.
As she leaves the hatter, the name of the shop, she tells Sophie that she can't tell anyone about the curse. The Witch of the Waste gets a letter to the castle, and she comes back after 50 years. She sees Sophie saying, "If it isn't the tacky girl from the tacky shop." She gets forced to walk up the stairs after the two blob men couldn't carry the carriage anymore.
She gets her power removed, and escapes with Sophie to the castle where she stares at the fire, knows that Sophie is in love, and gives Calcifer a peeping bug that she found in a bag. Also, when they are looking for Howl, she found out who took Howl's heart and she cries, "You ruined the heart!" after Sophie puts a bucket of water on her. She does give Howl's heart to Sophie to break a spell on Howl. Towards the end of a movie, she stays on Howl's moving castle that is flying instead of walking as it was in the beginning of the movie.