In Wicked, the character the title points to is almost certainly Elphaba, the figure later known as the Wicked Witch of the West, and she does not work with the Wizard. She opposes him. The character who does serve his regime in public is Glinda, Elphaba’s close friend, who becomes a symbol of goodness while reassuring the public on the Wizard’s behalf. The twist is less a secret alliance than a change of viewpoint: the story asks you to see the figure you know as the villain as the protagonist, and to see the Wizard’s authority as something built and maintained rather than something he genuinely possesses.
What the title’s phrase can mean
“Works with the Wizard” can refer to two different characters, and they have opposite stances.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Wicked 2-Film Collection - Blu-ray + Digital | $36.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Wicked (Blu-ray + Digital) | $11.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Wicked: For Good - Blu-ray + Digital | $12.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Wicked: For Good (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital) | $27.49 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Wicked - 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital | $14.62 | Buy on Amazon |
- If it means Elphaba: her arc turns against the Wizard. The official film synopsis describes her as demonized as the Wicked Witch while fighting for the freedom of silenced Animals and seeking to expose him.
- If it means Glinda: she works within his public order. The official synopsis says that, at Madame Morrible’s instruction, Glinda reassures the public under the Wizard’s rule. Her private bond with Elphaba, however, is not the same thing as loyalty to his project.
Read the title as a question about Elphaba and the answer is no. Read it as a question about Glinda and the answer is that public cooperation and private loyalty are different things in the story.
How the versions frame the twist
The twist exists in a lineage. L. Frank Baum published The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900. Gregory Maguire’s novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995) reimagined that world. The Broadway musical, dated to 2003 by NBCUniversal, adapted the novel. The 2024 film adapts the musical, and Wicked: For Good continues the story. The table below covers only what the official synopses, TIME and NBCUniversal establish. Scene-level differences between the novel and the later adaptations are not covered here.
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| Version | Point of view | The Wizard’s deception and the Animals | Glinda’s choices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novel: Wicked (Maguire, 1995) | Reimagines Baum’s Oz by giving the Witch a perspective and history | Not stated in the sources reviewed | Not stated in the sources reviewed |
| Stage musical (Broadway, 2003) | Elphaba’s perspective, adapted from the novel | In the film/musical version, the Wizard has no actual magic (TIME, November 22, 2024) | Not stated in the sources reviewed |
| Film Wicked (2024) | Adapts Act I of the musical, set before Dorothy reaches Oz | No actual magic for the Wizard (TIME); Elphaba fights for silenced Animals (official synopsis) | Public reassurance at Madame Morrible’s instruction; her friendship with Elphaba is central (official synopsis) |
| Wicked: For Good (sequel) | Adapts Act II, bringing Dorothy into events around Elphaba (TIME) | Elphaba seeks to expose the Wizard (official synopsis) | An attempted reconciliation with the Wizard fails and pushes the friends further apart (official synopsis) |
Why Elphaba turns against the Wizard
Elphaba’s opposition is not presented as a personal grudge. In the adapted story, it follows from what she learns about the Wizard’s power and from his treatment of Oz’s Animals. The official film synopsis frames her as fighting for the freedom of the silenced Animals, which makes her resistance a political one. Her goal, as the synopsis describes it, is to expose him rather than to replace him.
Glinda: public loyalty and private friendship
Glinda is the story’s moral pressure point. She knows Elphaba well, yet she becomes the public face of goodness and reassures the people under the Wizard’s rule. The official synopses frame this as a choice made in public, not a change of heart. The attempt to bring the Wizard and the two friends back together fails, and the failure pushes them apart. The emotional drama comes from the gap between what Glinda says in public and what she knows in private.
Rank #2
- Digital Copy
The Wicked label as the real twist
The word “Wicked” is applied to Elphaba by people with power in the story, and the audience is asked to consider whose account becomes accepted as truth. This is an interpretation drawn from the plot framing in the official synopsis and TIME’s reading of the Oz connection, not a rule the story states outright. It explains why the twist works: the villain is not revealed as secretly good, but as someone whose reputation was manufactured by the system that benefits from it.
The Wizard as political performer
The film/musical version presents the Wizard as having no actual magic (TIME, November 22, 2024). That detail changes how his authority works. He is not a sorcerer defeated by a heroine; he is a figure whose power rests on public belief and the reassuring messages that others deliver for him. Glinda’s public role is part of that machinery, which is why her choices matter as much as Elphaba’s rebellion.
Rank #3
What the filmmakers have said about the Oz connection
Director Jon M. Chu, quoted by TIME in its November 22, 2024 adaptation explainer, said: “The Wizard of Oz was always sort of prophetic in a way.” TIME also reports a longer reflection by Chu on the American dream, the Great Depression, and the approach of war. Read that passage in the full article before quoting it, since the surrounding context matters.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Sources and dates behind this explainer
- NBCUniversal Media, “Everything You Need to Know About ‘Wicked’ Ahead of the Universal Pictures’ Movie,” November 14, 2024: adaptation lineage and the 2003 Broadway date.
- NBCUniversal Media, “Explore the Behind-the-Scenes Magic of Making Universal Pictures’ ‘Wicked’ Movie,” November 14, 2024: the official premise and the Elphaba and Glinda relationship.
- Megan McCluskey, TIME, “How Wicked Connects to The Wizard of Oz,” November 22, 2024: the film’s Act I scope, the Wizard’s lack of magic, and the Chu quotation.
- Netflix Tudum, “Wicked: For Good: Cast, Plot, Where to Stream,” dated July 20, 2026: the sequel framing and the description of the musical as based on Maguire’s novel. Netflix availability varies by region.
- Official Wicked: For Good synopsis: plot framing, character roles and the sequel’s conflict.
Audience figures for the stage musical, reported by NBCUniversal in 2024 as promotional numbers, are a separate matter from the story’s meaning and are not used to support the reading above.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Genre: Musical
- Number of Discs: 1
- Number of Tracks: 0
- Rating: PG
- Director: Jon M. Chu
Rank #4
- Runtime: 138 minutes
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