This article has spoilers for how Wicked: For Good changes characters in the film and book.
Wicked: For Good has finally hit screens, and fans are all a buzz about the second installment of Jon M. Chu’s musical film. Much like its predecessor, the film is a reimagining of the world of Oz, drawing inspiration from Gregory Maguire’s popular dark fantasy novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.
It is no secret that the film takes liberties that align more with the original hit Broadway musical. In comparison, Maguire’s novel delivers a much darker tone and message.
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It is therefore no surprise that the fates of the characters in the film and book share some similarities, yet are also distinct from one another. From Elphaba and Fiyero to Glinda and the rest of Oz’s iconic characters, there are striking differences and similarities that fans of the film may enjoy learning about.
Read about other differences in the book compared and how the films remove the book’s political message here.
Nessarose
Nessarose (portrayed by Marissa Bode) in the Wicked: For Good, after her father’s death, inherits her father’s position as the governor of Munchkinland. Boq, whom Nessarose is in love with, feels sympathy for Nessarose and comes to help her through a difficult time. The film explores Nessarose’s complicated feelings and disdain towards her sister.
As the new governor, Nessarose is concerned about what people think of every decision she makes, especially if she does something that the public perceives as aligning with her sister’s beliefs. Nessarose’s yearning to be seen, her jealousy, and her desire to be loved all contribute to her tragic transformation into the Wicked Witch of the East.
Nessarose makes it a law that all Munchkins must have a permit to travel throughout Oz. The result of her decree not only leads to Boq resenting her more, but it also signifies her oppressive regime, which leads people to label her a witch.
In the Wicked novel, Nessarose’s character is much harsher. In the book, she is deeply religious, more calculating, and becomes increasingly authoritarian, able to perform magic of her own without the use of the Grimmerie. Additionally, in the book, Nessarose is not in love with Boq and does not cast a spell on him. In the book, Nessarose and Elphaba’s father is still alive, and asks Elphaba to come back home to help rein in her sister’s concerning authoritarian rule.
Nessarose and Elphaba’s reunion, much like the film, is very tense. Nessarose resents Elphaba for leaving Shiz and blames her for the hardships she faces. Furthermore, despite her contradicting religious beliefs, Nessarose uses magic to maintain strict control over the Munchkinlanders, such as enchanting an axe that will cut off a man’s body parts to stop him from marrying the woman he loves.
Although Elphaba feels some guilt for leaving Nessarose at Shiz, she stands up for herself, refuses to take on her family’s burdens, or help her sister rule. Before Elphaba departs, Nessarose promises to leave her the enchanted silver shoes, a detail that becomes significant after her death.
Ultimately, Nessarose’s fate comes to an end when Dorothy’s house falls on top of her. Unlike the film, in the book, the tornado that transports Dorothy is not summoned to intentionally harm or kill Nessarose. Instead, it is just treated as a freak accident and a coincidence.
Boq
In Wicked: For Good, most of Boq’s (portrayed by Ethan Slater) character arc centers on his unrequited love for Glinda and his strained relationship and dynamic with Nessarose. Boq, feeling pity towards Nessarose, comes to her aid after her father’s death to lend her some help.
After expressing his desire to leave Munchkinland, Nessarose uses her political power to restrict Boq and the other Munchkinlanders’ freedom, all in an effort to keep him closer by her side. Nessarose’s actions lead to Boq’s growing resentment and disdain towards her.
When Elphaba returns and places a spell on Nessarose’s shoes to allow her to float, Boq sees this as an opportunity to tell Nessarose how he truly feels and that he is in love with Glinda. Heartbroken and enraged, Nessarose grabs the Gimmerie to cast a love spell on Boq. Unfortunately, Nessarose botches the spell and nearly kills Boq. Desperate to save Boq’s life, Elphaba casts a spell on Boq that turns him into the Tin Man.
In the book, Boq was a schoolmate and friend of Elphaba and Glinda at Shiz University. Similarly to the film, Maguire’s novel Boq becomes infatuated with Glinda, and the two share a brief kiss; however, their relationship does not progress further.
Additionally, Boq and Nessarose do not have a relationship or much interaction with each other in the novel. Instead, Boq’s life is pretty simple; he marries, has children, and never becomes the Tin Man. Boq is also one of the few characters in the book who still believes Elphaba is not wicked and considers her a friend.
Governor Thropp/Frexpar
Frexspar, the father of Elphaba and Nessarose, is portrayed very differently in the Wicked films compared to the novel by Gregory Maguire. In the movie, he is known as Governor Thropp (portrayed by Andy Nyman), who is a loving father to Nessarose, but he is harsh and treats Elphaba with great contempt. In Wicked: For Good, Frexspar dies as a result of being shamed by Elphaba’s actions against the Wizard.
In contrast, in the novel, Frexspar is a more loving father to both Elphaba and Nessarose. However, it is no secret that Nessarose is his favorite, and he showers her with extra care and attention due to her disability.
He secretly fears Elphaba. However, his character is a bit more rigid and devout. His strict moral beliefs shape Nessarose’s authoritarian rule, and he is the one to request Elphaba come home to help control her sister’s fanatical reign.
Frexpar’s relationship to Nessarose’s silver slippers also carries more profound significance in the book. In the film, Fresxpar gives the shoes to Nessarose when she enters Shiz University. Elphaba admired the shoes not just for their beauty, but because they represented the pride, acknowledgement, and fatherly love that she had always yearned for.
Similarly, in the book, Frexspar gifts the shoes to Nessarose, but he handcrafts the shoes himself. Their father utilizes the glassblowing skills he learned from Turtleheart, the lover he shared with his wife, who is suggested to be Nessarose’s biological father. Like the film, the shoes intensify Elphaba’s jealousy and longing for gratitude, which later fuels her obsession with taking them from Dorothy.
After Nessarose’s death, the shoes become politically volatile within Munchkinland. Elphaba, knowing the secret and love that went into the shoes, believes she deserves them most of all. Thus, transforming the footwear into one of the most meaningful symbols of love and acceptance in the story.
The Wizard
The Wizard (portrayed by Jeff Goldblum) is a charming, manipulative, and cunning man. To the public, the Wizard is a wise, powerful, and benevolent ruler, but in actuality, her is a fraud. Instead of possessing real magical powers, the Wizard uses technology to keep up his facade. In Wicked: For Good, the Wizard, with the assistance of Madame Morrible and Glinda, spread false propaganda and accusations about Elphaba and the animals.
When Elphaba visits the Wizard a second time, he agrees to her demands to stop oppressing the animals in exchange, Elphaba agrees to join the Wizard by his side with the Grimmerie. For a brief moment, Elphaba believes everything is finally being set right, but it is quickly revealed that the Wizard can not be trusted.
The film ends with Glinda confronting the Wizard with evidence that proves he is Elphaba’s father. Wracked with guilt and threatened by Glinda to flee Oz, the Wizard quickly takes his leave.
In the Wicked novel, the Wizard is a much more sinister character, who gives little concern for the well-being of others. For example, when the Wizard meets Elphaba, he tells her how he executed her ex-lover’s family and uses Fiyero’s daughter as a shield to keep Elphaba from harming him.
In the book, the Wizard, also known as Oscar Zoroaster Diggs, transports himself to Oz using a sacrificial ceremony to find the Grimmerie. Once in Oz, Oscar sees an opportunity to overthrow the reigning ruler, Ozma Regent, and take the seat of power for himself.
Unlike the film, the Wizard never possessed the Grimmerie, but he attempted to broker a deal with Elphaba in exchange for the spell book. However, Elphaba knew the power of the Grimmerie could not be trusted in the hands of the Wizard. Another detail that differs from the book is that Dorothy is the one who returns the green bottle to the Wizard, who then realizes Elphaba was his daughter. At the end of the book, the Wizard flees Oz to escape a coup that would have him arrested and killed.
Doctor Dillamond
Doctor Dillamond (voiced by Peter Dinklage) inspires Elphaba’s awakening and rebellion in Wicked and Wicked: For Good. In Wicked, Dr. Dillamond is suddenly removed from his position at Shiz University with his fate unknown. In Wicked: For Good, it is revealed that Doctor Dillamond has actually been a prisoner in the Wizard’s secret animal prison.
After being caged for years, Doctor Dillamond has lost the ability to speak, and instead, his mind has been reduced to that of a common animal. Thanks to Elphaba’s heroics and powers, she frees Doctor Dillamond and the other animals from their prison. By the end of the film, Doctor Dillamond returns to his position as a professor at Shiz.
In the novel, Dr. Dillamond’s fate is much darker. In the book, Doctor Dillamond’s research into the biological differences between Animals and human beings poses a threat to the Wizard’s law and discrimination towards animals in Oz.
In an effort to stop the research, Madame Morrible, who reports directly to the Wizard, tasks her servant, Grommetik, with assassinating Doctor Dillamond and making his gruesome murder look like an accident. The silencing of Dillamond’s research and death represent the oppression and violence the Wizard uses to quiet any dissenters in Oz. Fortunately, Elphaba sees through the Morrible’s scheme, and thus Doctor Dilamond’s death becomes the catalyst for her uprising and rebellion against the Wizard.
Madame Morrible
In Wicked: For Good, Madame Morrible (portrayed by Michelle Yeoh) is a charismatic yet manipulative character. Behind her facade lies a woman who weaponizes fear and propaganda to shape the public’s opinion.
Morrible also uses Glinda’s growing popularity and twists Elphaba’s acts of rebellion to further the Wizard’s agenda, helping spread lies that fuel Oz’s fear of Animals and Elphaba. By the end of the film, Morrible’s influence falls apart, and Glinda is arrested for her role in the Wizard’s regime.
In the books, Morrible is far more sinister in Maguire’s book. In the Wicked book, Morrible serves the Wizard and actively uses magic, power, and political strategy to quell dissent throughout Oz. Morrible is not above using murder and cruel tactics to carry out the Wizard’s agenda, such as murdering Doctor Dillamond.
At one point, Madame Morrible places a powerful spell on Elphaba, Glinda, and Nessarose to secretly recruit them to become rulers of different regions in Oz to serve the Wizard. Although the proposition sounds fantastic, it was a tactic to help maintain the Wizard’s authority. Years later, Morrible dies at the hands of Elphaba as an act of revenge for the death of Doctor Dillamond.
Fiyero
In the Wicked: For Good film, Fiyero (portrayed by Jonathan Bailey) is a charming prince whose carefree nature changes as he forms a deep connection with Elphaba. In the movie, Fiyero and Elphaba’s romance is a key emotional thread for both characters as it is built on mutual acceptance and love for one another. When Fiyero is captured while helping her escape, Elphaba casts a spell to try to save him, so that he does not die.
Unfortunately, the spell transforms Fiyero into a Scarecrow, the same scarecrow who joins Dorothy on her quest to see the Wizard and Elphaba. Cleverly, Fiyero uses his disguise as the scarecrow to help him and Elphaba fake her death so that they can escape Oz together. The film concludes with the lovers secretly reuniting and embarking on their own adventure.
In Maguire’s novel, Fiyero’s fate is far more tragic. Unlike the film, Fiyero does not have a romantic relationship with Glinda; instead, he is engaged in an arranged marriage with a girl from his tribe. Years later, after marrying and having three children, Fiyero, while in the Emerald City for business, happens to see Elphaba. After reconnecting, the two begin a five-year love affair.
Eventually, the Wizard’s forces learn of Fiyero’s relationship with Elphaba, and they ambush, interrogate, and brutally murder him. Overwhelmed with grief and guilt, Elphaba blames herself and spends the rest of the book haunted by her lover’s death.
Glinda
In Wicked: For Good, Glinda (portrayed by Ariana Grande) remains largely true to her musical counterpart, ambitious, image-conscious, and conflicted as she gains influence in Oz. Her love and friendship with Elphaba heavily influence Glinda’s character arc.
Over the course of the film, Glinda’s moral compass is challenged by her desire for magical power, love, and friendship with Elphaba, as well as her growing awareness of the Wizard’s corruption. By the end of the film, Glinda sets things right with Elphaba, and the two mend their friendship.
At the end of the film, Glinda becomes the new leader of Oz by exposing the Wizard and demanding that he leave Oz. Glinda then vows to undo the Wizard and Morrible’s damage and serve Oz as a perfect witch.
In the novel, Glinda is less central in Elphaba’s life. While they shared a history as schoolmates and were once good friends, they sadly drifted apart after Elphaba joined the Animal Rebellion.
Years later, Glinda marries a wealthy man and becomes a polished figure in high society, embracing her social rank. When she and Elphaba meet again after Nessarose’s death, Glinda voices her frustrations for Elphaba leaving her and Nessarose alone at Shiz. Unfortunately, there is no resolution for Glinda and Elphaba’s friendship in the end, but Glinda does mourn Elphaba’s death privately.
Towards the story’s end, Glinda does not participate in any major acts of rebellion and has little involvement in the downfall of the Wizard’s regime. Instead, Glinda does become the temporary ruler of Oz. Glinda’s character in the book symbolizes the privileged and diplomatic parts of society that go untouched by the darker conflicts consuming the rest of Oz.
Elphaba
In Wicked: For Good, Elphaba’s (portrayed by Cynthia Erivo) journey in the film follows the musical’s arc, a gifted young woman misunderstood by society and betrayed by Glinda, Madame Morrible, the Wizard, and all of Oz, whom she had once hoped to serve.
After becoming a symbol of rebellion against the Wizard’s oppressive rule, she fakes her own death to protect herself and those she loves. Luckily, the spell she placed over Fiyero saves his life and transforms him into the Scarecrow. Once everyone believes Elphaba is dead, the two escape Oz together to live a life of peace away from the chaotic world they left behind.
In the novel, Elphaba’s fate is much darker. After years of trying to fight the Wizard for Animal rights and battling her own guilt for Fiyero’s death, she is exhausted and becomes more isolated. Following the traumatic events of Fiyero’s death, Elphaba falls into a coma and gives birth to her and Fiyero’s son, Liir.
Eventually, Elphaba brings Liir to Kiamo Ko, a castle that belongs to Fiyero’s family. Elphaba is wracked with the guilt of Fiyero’s death and desires to tell his widow, Sarima, the truth about her husband. Unfortunately, the confession does not go as planned, and Elphaba is denied the forgiveness she desperately seeks.
Years later, when Dorothy and her friends make their way to Kiamo Ko, she suspects the Scarecrow might be Fiyero in disguise. Eager to know if the Scarecrow is truly her lover, Elphaba sends her animal familiars to help guide the group to the castle.
Unfortunately, the animal familiars are mistaken for attackers and are killed by Dorothy’s group in what they thought was righteous self-defense. When Dorothy finally meets Elphaba, she admits she doesn’t want to kill Elphaba. Instead, Dorothy asks for forgiveness for Nessarose’s death. Dorothy’s request sends Elphaba into a rage. Elphaba refuses to accept Dorothy’s apology, as it reminds her of how she has been denied her own forgiveness.
In the end, Elphaba accidentally sets herself on fire, leading to Dorothy accidentally killing Elphaba with a bucket of water. This act is not a heroic triumph but a tragic misunderstanding. Elphaba dies believing she has failed the people she loved, and Oz moves on without ever truly understanding the complexity of who Elphaba truly was.
Wicked: For Good and Maguire’s original work, Wicked, tells the same story with very different intentions. The musical film captures the hope, redemption, and the power of love and friendship. In contrast, the book confronts cruelty, politics, and the cost of resistance in a darker tone.
Where the film offers healing, hopefulness, and second chances, the novel delivers little resolution, loss, and difficult truths. Nonetheless, both the film and the book are part of a rich and fantastical tapestry that is the story of the Wicked Witch of the West. Both iterations explore what it truly means to be wicked and to have the title of wicked thrust upon you.
Wicked: For Good is in theateers everywhere now.
