Wicked Recap: 5 Biggest Things To Remember Before Watching Wicked: For Good

2025 is shaping up to be an all-time year for movies. In the superhero department, both Marvel and DC released winners in The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Superman, respectively. Horror is also doing very well for itself, with Zach Cregger’s Weapons and Ryan Coolger’s Sinners being two of the biggest box-office winners of the year. However, despite the summer movie season being over, things aren’t slowing down. Predator: Badlands is currently breaking records, and the world is waiting on bated breath for James Cameron’s next movie, Avatar: Fire and Ash. But before blue people become the talk of the town once again, there’s one green character that’s going to say her piece.

Just in time for the Thanksgiving break, Universal Pictures is releasing its highly anticipated sequel, Wicked: For Good. The movie, which will conclude the battle between the Wizard and the Wicked Witch of the West, will pick up right after the events of the last one. Not everyone is going to have time to squeeze in a rewatch with all the holiday prep, though. Here are the five biggest things to remember about Wicked before watching Wicked: For Good.

5) Elphaba Used to Believe in the Wizard

Elphaba has a rough life because, unlike most of the people in Oz, her skin is green, which makes her an easy target for bullies. The only thing keeping her going is the hope that, one day, she will meet the Wizard and he will help not only her but the rest of the outcasts in Oz as well.

In Wicked, Elphaba’s dream comes true after she visits Shiz University with her sister, Nessarose, and shows off her magical prowess. Unfortunately, the Wizard turns out to be a fraud and the person responsible for all of the animals going missing. Elphaba takes the bombshell in stride, forsaking the Wizard and anyone who backs his plan.

4) Elphaba and Glinda Aren’t on Bad Terms

The beginning of Wicked features a flash-forward in which Glinda is operating as the Good Witch and seemingly working for the Wizard. That sequence doesn’t reveal the whole picture, though, as Glinda isn’t some blind follower doing the Wizard’s bidding without asking questions.

When Elphaba goes to visit the Wizard, Glinda is by her side and can’t believe what their idol is up to. But Glinda realizes that both of them becoming fugitives isn’t the best course of action. She stays behind and supports Elphaba from afar.

3) Fiyero Is Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place

As Glinda and Elphaba grow closer at Shiz, they start to open up to the rest of the student body, including Fiyero. He’s a rebel who doesn’t like playing by the school’s rules, which is something he and Elphaba have in common. They struggle to connect, though, as Fiyero doesn’t seem to know what he wants.

The end of Wicked appears to put everything into perspective for Fiyero. After the Wizard and his cronies start spreading lies about Elphaba, Fiyero leaves Shiz on horseback, hoping to find her before somebody worse does. Wicked: For Good is sure to expand Fiyero’s role and reveal his true feelings about Elphaba.

2) Dorthy Isn’t Around Yet

Wicked, of course, is a reimaging of the classic story The Wizard of Oz, which follows a girl named Dorothy who lands in the magical land after a tornado picks up her house. The 2024 movie teases plenty of the characters that interact with Dorothy, but it only shows her for a brief moment

There’s nothing to worry about because almost all of Wicked takes place prior to Dorothy’s arrival in Oz. Her house falling on the Wicked Witch of the East is sure to play a major role in the sequel, as will her relationship with the Wizard.

1) The Wicked Witch of the West Is Going to Die

Despite serving as a quasi-prequel to The Wizard of Oz, Wicked starts by jumping to the end. Glinda greets the residents of Munchkinland after the death of the Wicked Witch of the West, who, of course, is Elphaba. Dorothy kills her by pouring water on her in The Wizard of Oz, and Wicked: For Good is seemingly going to follow suit.

But it’s important to remember that Wicked doesn’t follow The Wizard of Oz‘s story beat for beat. By revealing Elphaba’s death so early on, it’s trying to tell the world that there’s more to the tragedy than meets the eye. Wicked: For Good is sure to reveal all when it lands in theaters.

Wicked: For Good hits theaters on November 21, 2025.

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