The death of the Wicked Witch of the West is intrinsic to the Wizard of Oz story, but does Elphaba face that same fate in Wicked Part One?
Wicked, the iconic Broadway musical since 2003, has been brought to life on the big screen with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, taking on the roles of Elphaba and Glinda.
The plot of Wicked is full of friendship, theatrics, and heartbreak, but many want to know why Elphaba turns evil and whether or not she dies in the new film.
The rest of this article contains spoilers for the Wicked movie.
Does Elphaba Die In Wicked Part One?
Wicked Part One opens with Glinda announcing that the Wicked Witch of the West is dead (as seen at the end of The Wizard of Oz). So does she die in Wicked?
This ultimately sets the stage for the flashback story of Elphaba's life before she became the feared villain.
While the film closes with Elphaba fleeing from the Emerald City after being branded the "wicked witch" by Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), she is not dead by the time the credits roll.
Instead, Elphaba rejects the Wizard's (Jeff Goldblum) offer of power and chooses to take a stand against the injustice he perpetuates, particularly in his treatment of the talking animals. This pivotal moment leads her to fly away on her enchanted broomstick, declaring her defiance of gravity.
It is important to note that Wicked Part One concludes just after the iconic "Defying Gravity" number, marking a clear turning point for Elphaba.
As Elphaba chooses to flee to the western lands of Oz, the movie sets up the eventual events leading into Wicked Part Two, where her story will continue in 2025.
Fans are left to wonder how her journey will unfold, but for now, her escape from Oz suggests that her battle against the Wizard and Morrible is far from over.
What To Expect in Wicked Part Part Two
The rest of this article contains potential Wicked: Part Two spoilers.
Elphaba's death in Act Two of the Wicked Broadway musical is one of the biggest twists in the story.
In Wicked, Elphaba's "death" is a dramatic and self-imposed act of self-preservation, far different from the Wicked Witch's death in The Wizard of Oz.
She fakes her death in the musical, choosing to live in exile with Fiyero to protect herself from the citizens of Oz and their hatred.
However, in the original Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch's death is a more straightforward and unexpected result of Dorothy's water toss. The Witch melts away on the spot, signaling a swift end to her reign of terror.
Unlike The Wizard of Oz, where the villain's death is quick and final, Wicked presents Elphaba’s fate as more ambiguous, focusing on her choice to disappear rather than succumb to the public's condemnation.
This will almost certainly be the direction of the story told on the big screen in Wicked Part Two on November 21, 2025.
Wicked is now playing in theaters.
