Since 2024, everyone’s been talking about The Wizard of Oz again, especially after Wicked hit theaters and brought the classic’s prequel story into the spotlight. And now, with the second part of the musical phenomenon, Wicked: For Good, debuting, the conversation has turned right back to the Wicked Witch of the West — and it makes total sense. Few villains have survived so many decades of reinvention without losing their place in pop culture. Every generation got its own version, whether darker, more human, or completely chaotic. And, interestingly, most of them worked for very different reasons. So now that interest in the world of Oz is rising again, it’s the perfect moment to look back and see which interpretations truly defined the character, and which ones didn’t leave much of a mark.
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The truth is that not every adaptation deserves the same weight, but a few of them managed to define entire eras. So here are the 5 best versions of the Wicked Witch of the West, ranked. There have been many over the years, but which ones actually come out on top?
5) West (Emerald City)
This is one of the most underrated productions out there, and not just within the Oz universe and its characters. And it’s a shame because it includes one of the best versions of the Wicked Witch of the West. In Emerald City, West (Ana Ularu) is the one who tries to step into a darker, more mature era (especially considering the show’s tone). It’s a great approach. Still, the series never gives her the space she actually needs. Ularu delivers a strong performance, and you can feel the cynicism and the sense that she gave up on Oz about three times before the show even starts. But the final result depends much more on the production’s overall intention than on the actress herself.
Emerald City doesn’t always know what to do with the character, and West ends up feeling like a collection of good ideas that never had enough time to take off. That’s the truth. Even so, she still works as a modern take on the Witch. She’s got attitude, she’s got style, she’s got potential — she just doesn’t have a story that matches it. It’s an interesting version to analyze, but not exactly one that sticks in your memory.
4) Evillene (The Wiz)
The Wiz is one of those movies almost nobody talks about, especially considering it came out in the late ’70s and, since 1939, it’s been nearly impossible for any adaptation to outshine The Wizard of Oz. Still, the Wicked Witch of the West in this version is a whole different story: bold, loud, and anything but subtle. Everything in this production is bigger, more exaggerated, and more theatrical, and Evillene (Mabel King) steals every scene by fully committing to the chaos. She rules the screen with an over-the-top sense of authority that somehow becomes fun to watch. She’s the kind of villain who’s clearly terrible, yet you can’t look away.
It’s a performance that completely understands the film’s tone and delivers exactly what the story needs: presence, impact, and zero patience for politeness. But the best thing about Evillene is that she never tries to pretend she’s anything else. There’s no emotional arc and no attempt at softening her motives — she’s the villain, period. And that clarity makes everything more direct and effective, especially in a musical that already has plenty of energy on its own. In the end, she may not be the most layered version of the character, but she’s definitely one of the most entertaining to watch.
3) Zelena (Once Upon a Time)
Here’s a version of the Wicked Witch of the West that a lot of people genuinely love, mostly because Once Upon a Time knew how to reinvent fictional characters like no other show. What works so well here is that she actually gets solid screen time throughout the series, staying important even when you assume she’ll just be a quick supporting role. Zelena (Rebecca Mader) is basically proof that the show could turn a classic villain into a full-on family-drama machine. This take on the Witch evolves fast because she’s not just evil; she’s insecure, bitter, and absolutely obsessed with validation. It’s a huge emotional package, and Mader’s performance handles all of it with impressive control.
Zelena is threatening but also unpredictable, which, for a twist-heavy series, is pretty much ideal. Her biggest strength is that she works as a long-term character without losing impact. Plenty of TV villains flatten out after a few seasons, but she definitely doesn’t. She has a major presence, with entire episodes dedicated to her backstory and especially her rivalry with protagonist Regina (Lana Parrilla). She doesn’t climb higher in the ranking because, when you look at the full picture, others simply edge her out. But she’s easily the most well-developed Wicked Witch in a TV format.
2) Elphaba (Wicked)
Right now, the most recognizable face of the Wicked Witch of the West is Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) from Wicked. And her spot in this ranking is well-earned, considering how powerful this version really is — and that power comes from the fact that she doesn’t start as a villain; she becomes one through other people’s eyes. It’s an approach that works incredibly well because the emotional foundation is solid, and that hits the audience hard. She carries that mix of early vulnerability and the firmness of someone who’s done being judged, making her the most complete take on the character so far. Erivo’s performance leans more on honesty than spectacle, and that’s exactly what sets her apart from every other version.
Overall, this is probably the Witch audiences connected with the most. Not because she’s “nice,” but because her journey feels real inside a fantastical world: she deals with exclusion, injustice, political manipulation, and still has to face the fallout of trying to do the right thing. Even though she’s technically the villain, we follow her perspective all the way until she becomes who she becomes — and that makes it easy to sympathize with her. If the Wicked Witch of the West became a cultural phenomenon, it’s because of Elphaba. There’s just no denying that.
1) The Wicked Witch of the West (The Wizard of Oz)
Even with the strengths of every version of the character, it’s still tough to take the top spot away from the very first cinematic take. The Wizard of Oz is still a classic, and if we have so many different approaches to this witch today, a lot of that comes from the one who started it all. The original Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) remains the blueprint, no matter how much time passes. Elphaba may have introduced the character to younger generations, but overall, even people who’ve never seen the 1939 movie instantly recognize the Witch. The look, the voice, the posture — everything became the standard for the archetype.
And what’s most interesting is that none of this depends on complicated nuances, because the power is in how clear-cut it is, and Hamilton delivers that with a confidence that’s lasted through generations. Her biggest achievement is that her performance didn’t age the way many expected, and it still works because it’s direct, consistent, and effortlessly iconic. Other versions tried to deepen, update, or reinvent the character, and yes, some did it extremely well. But the first Wicked Witch on screen is simply the foundation of everything. That’s why, even with heavy competition, she stays at the top. She’s the definitive version and the one every other interpretation inevitably has to face and draw inspiration from, almost as a requirement before stepping into the role.
Have you seen all these takes? Got a favorite? Let us know in the comments!
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