After watching 2024’s Wicked in theaters and connecting the dots to the classic story of The Wizard of Oz, it’s pretty clear that something sinister is being hinted at. Questions revolving around the innate “goodness” of Glinda the Good Witch are rightfully swirling. Is she actually a good person?

Wicked is considered an unofficial prequel to The Wizard of Oz, a legendary movie that was first released in 1939. The original Broadway production of Wicked premiered in 2003 following the publication of a novel by the same name written by Gregory Maguire in 1995.

In the 2024 film, Ariana Grande’s portrayal of Glinda the Good Witch has been highly praised by viewers across the board – but if Glinda’s attitude and personality have been rubbing you the wrong way, you’re definitely not alone.

Cynthia Erivo has also been receiving endless compliments for her portrayal of Elphaba, the talented college student who eventually becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. This latest viral theory about Wicked has just about everyone questioning if Glinda the Good Witch is actually a good person.

Hints That Glinda Is Actually Evil

Although Glinda comes across as a sweet, soft-spoken, an innocent character in most scenes of the 2024 movie, there’s certainly more to her than meets the eye. She insists on only wearing various shades of baby pink, which is a color that highlights a more innocent vibe. She speaks using baby talk to portray further levels of innocence and naivety. Glinda comes across as aloof and unaware regarding heavy-hitting topics that could be deemed controversial.

In 2024’s Wicked, Glinda starts out as a full-fledged bully who doesn’t have Elphaba’s best interest at heart. Eventually, Glinda softens and realizes she does indeed want to pursue a friendship with Elphaba, despite their differences. Even though she chooses to befriend her awkward and green-colored roommate, Glinda’s selfishness, self-centeredness, and obsession with prioritizing her social status are never truly placed on the back burner.

One thing that’s abundantly obvious about Glinda is that she is incredibly superficial. The best word to describe her would be performative. She’s willing to stand up for what’s right, but only when she knows people are watching. If she were to be faced with a conflicting moral decision behind closed doors without any witnesses, who’s to say that she would actually do the right thing. Elphaba, on the other hand, made it her mission to fight for the rights of the speaking animals –– even though she knew she’d face backlash for it.

Based on what viewers have seen in 2024’s Wicked, we know Elphaba eventually turns into the Wicked Witch of the West after undergoing trauma, isolation, bullying, and betrayal.

If Wicked truly stands to serve as Elphaba’s origin story, explaining how she eventually becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, it thoroughly makes sense. Watching her be outcasted by her classmates, shunned by her father, and abandoned in death by her mother all fits the narrative.

On top of that, viewers watched Elphaba develop romantic feelings for Glinda’s boyfriend, Prince Fiyero, about halfway through the film. Based on what we’ve seen so far in the 2024 film, Elphaba’s feelings will either be unrequited, or her feelings will eventually lead to some sort of chaotic love triangle that will also end in heartache.

But worse of all? The opening scene of Wicked showcases Glinda celebrating Elphaba’s death with the citizens of Oz. Her willingness to celebrate Elphaba’s death leads us to believe there will 100% be a massive fallout between the young women in Part 2. Excitement for Part 2 is so high that the release date has been moved up from December 2025 to November 2025!

If Elphaba’s origin story is proof she was once a good person, scorned by demoralizing circumstances that butchered her perspective, then what can be said about Glinda? The viral theory that she’s actually the evil one between them doesn’t really sound that bizarre.