Bubble, Boil, Toil, and Trouble: The Best Witches in Film & TV
In remembrance of the 20 accused women and men that fell prey to a horrible outbreak of stupidity in Salem way back in 1692 (BTW most of them were not actual witches) we decided to pay homage to some of the best witches in film and television.
So, let’s crack those Book of Shadow’s open and see what we find!
Best Witches
It used to be if you were a witch you were the villain, right? You were a sinister green-skinned hag who rode brooms, stroked black cats and ate little children. That is at least how cinema portrayed them for decades. Sure, there was the odd good witch…you know Glenda and Samantha but all in all, they were usually the bad guy, the woman (or man let’s not be sexist) that good fought against to prevail and bring safety and happiness to all. That has really changed over the last few decades and that makes many people very happy. No longer are we relegated to the same old tropes used to drive stories…witches can be good…witches can be evil…witches can be somewhere in the middle and that makes this list a whole lot more fun to come up with.
So, here are our choices for the best witches in film and television…
- Samantha Stephens — Bewitched
You must throw it back to one of the OG good witches, Samantha Stephens from Bewitched. Not only was she a witch but a stay at home mom. How many moms would like to be able to simply wiggle their nose and poof stuff happens? Most of you and we have all tried it at one point or the other. She was perhaps, short of the good witch from the Wizard of Oz, the first positive representation of a witch in modern media. The show may have been hokey but she sure was an awesome witch.
2. Halliwell Sisters — Charmed (Gen 1)
These sisters are the Charmed ones and perhaps one of the best mixes of actual Wicca and the magical world we all fantasize witches live in. Though we all have our favorite sister (mine was Phoebe) when choosing the best witches, you cannot separate the trio (no matter which trio you are talking about). This television show took the world of witchcraft and along with Buffy brought it into the mainstream. Wicca was cool and those that were practitioners were grateful for the somewhat realistic take on the practice.
3. Bonnie Bennet — Vampire Diaries
She started out slow but man by the end of the show Bonnie Bennett could hold her own with any of the other witches on our list. The sole witch in the mixed surrounded by Vampires and Werewolves she had to hold her own and did so with style and sass and that’s why we love her.
A fun representation of the native witchcraft found in the U.S. she found herself wrapped in trials and tribulation every week.
4. Willow Rosenberg — Buffy the Vampire Slayer
One of the other trailblazers in making witchcraft and Wicca household acceptable practice was the bookish nerd Willow. She was the brains of the Scooby Gang and she wielded a lot of power too. Along with the Halliwell sisters and the Craft girls she served to bring witches back into style. On top of the making witches cool thing, she also stood as a figure for the LGTBQ community and brought that discussion to the table as well. All around she was an icon and a kick-ass character.
5. Sabrina Spellman — New & Old
No matter which incarnation of Sabrina you think about when you here the name Sabrina Spellman you must admit both were awesome. Sure one was a little more family-friendly but hey we all grow up and evolve right. The original comedy had its place. That Sabrina was a take charge, confident do-gooder that had a talking cat and two wacky aunts. It was a fun time. Fast forward a little bit and you get the dark broody Satan-worshiping do-gooder, that likes to take charge, has a cat, an eccentric cousin, and two wacky aunts. See not much has changed including this witches cool quotient.
6. Mary Sibley — Salem
Since we were doing this on the anniversary of the witch trials it would be a total miscalculation to not include the lead witch on the epically cool show Salem. Taking an alternative look at what really went down in Salem, this show and it's resident crap starter Mary Sibley was amazing. She went from good to bad to good so many times it was hard to keep track of just which side of the line she stood on. Either way, she was awesome and totally a kick-ass witch.
7. Regina Mills — Once Upon a Time
If some of us are honest with ourselves, we always had an affinity for those Disney villains. If that was you raise your hand! Then you know that no list would be complete without the Evil Queen herself, Regina Mills. Another turn at taking stories already known to us and flipping them on their heads to give us a new spin, Once Upon a Time made us love the Evil Queen. She may have started out as the cause of the curse but in the end, she was just as much a hero as the rest of them.
8. Sanderson Sisters — Hocus Pocus
“Hello, I want my book!” That classic line is from the amazing film, Hocus Pocus. The Sanderson Sisters may have been evil but they sure were fun and vocally talented. Even though they wanted to eat children they still find their way onto millions of screens every year at Halloween. Though we could have stuck with the crowd and just put Winnie on her, we felt that her sisters do not get enough credit as witches. So that’s why the Sanderson sisters are some of the best witches ever put on film.
9. Warlock — Warlock
Okay, so we don’t want to be sexist so we thought we should include a male witch otherwise known as a Warlock. And what better of one to choose than the Warlock for the 80’s classic horror film, Warlock. Another baddie but goodie this movie certainly left its mark on many young horror nerds.
10. Freya Mikaelson — The Originals
A latecomer to the TVD/Originals world Freya Mikaelson turned out to be one of the baddest (ahem!) witches on the planet. Supposedly long dead she returns to enact vengeance but ends up being the heart of the wayward clan. Fighting Vampires, werewolves, spirits, and other witches she became the glue that helps the Mikaelson’s together right up to the very end.
11. Morgana Pendragon — Merlin
If you are a nerd of any kind the story of Arthur Pendragon is one you are familiar with. From the use of the myth in books to films to television to anime, the story is prevalent. Everyone thinks about King Arthur and Merlin, but few editions of this ancient myth pay any attention to Morgana LaFey. But the TV show Merlin was different she was a pivotal role and one badass witch. She was good and then turned bad and then kind of good. But that didn’t matter she was just a fun character and an awesome witch.
12. Every Witch on AHS: Coven
This AHS season was full of every kind of kick-ass witch you can think of. From Fiona Goode to Marie Laveau there was not one witch I would want to tick off. The witches may have gone through some personal torture and torment but they (well most of them) came out on the other side more powerful and ready to be added to a list of the best witches of all time. (Fingers crossed we get to revisit them someday!)
13. Ursula — Little Mermaid
The last one on the list is the best at being the worst. Stealing a poor girls voice so she can’t fulfill her end of the bargain well that’s a whole new level of mean. Then transforming and trying to steal the girl’s man now come on. That is why Ursula, the Sea Witch is one of the best. Plus, that voice it’s what we live for, it’s what we crave, and it defiantly helped some poor unfortunate souls.
End Cantations
There were so many witches that didn’t make the list that we wanted to add, but in the end, we figured you wouldn’t’ want to read a novel so we chose our 13 (see what we did there) favorite witches that ever graced the small or big screen.
