The Wicked Witch Of The East: 7 Shocking Secrets Behind Oz's Most Misunderstood Villain

Few characters in literary history have a more impactful, yet fleeting, presence than the Wicked Witch of the East. Her entire role in the classic 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, is to be crushed by a farmhouse, yet her death sets the entire adventure in motion. As of December 10, 2025, the character is experiencing a massive resurgence in public interest, primarily driven by the highly anticipated two-part film adaptation of the Broadway musical, Wicked, which finally gives this mysterious figure a name, a complex history, and a tragic fate that is far darker than a simple house-drop.

The story of the Wicked Witch of the East is a fascinating journey through different forms of media, from children's literature to dark fantasy novels and blockbuster musicals. She is not just a plot device; she is a powerful cardinal witch who ruled the Munchkin Country with an iron fist, enslaved its people, and possessed one of the most coveted magical items in all of Oz: the legendary Ruby Slippers. This deep dive uncovers the shocking secrets and multiple identities of the woman who met her end under Dorothy Gale's Kansas home.

Character Profile: The Many Faces of the Wicked Witch of the East

Unlike her sister, the Wicked Witch of the West, the Witch of the East is a character whose identity shifts dramatically across various adaptations of the Oz universe. Her most famous modern name comes from Gregory Maguire's novel, which forms the basis for the musical Wicked.

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• Original Role (L. Frank Baum, 1900): Unnamed, simply referred to as the Wicked Witch of the East. She is the tyrannical ruler of the Munchkins.
• Most Famous Modern Identity: Nessarose Thropp.
• Family (in Wicked): Daughter of Melena and the Governor of Munchkinland; younger sister of Elphaba (the future Wicked Witch of the West).
• Notable Feature (in Wicked): A wheelchair user, born without the use of her legs, which contributes to her bitterness and eventual power grab.
• Realm of Rule: The eastern quadrant of the Land of Oz, known as the Munchkin Country.
• Signature Magical Artifact: The Silver Shoes (in the original book) or the Ruby Slippers (in the 1939 film adaptation).
• Other Names in Adaptations: Gingema (in Alexander Volkov's The Wizard of the Emerald City), Evvamene (in The Wiz), and Rebecca Eastwitch (in Oz Squad #2).
• Cause of Death: Crushed by Dorothy Gale's farmhouse after it is carried to Oz by a cyclone.

1. The Original Enigma: L. Frank Baum's Brief but Pivotal Villain

In the original 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the East is less a character and more a catalyst. Her death is the starting point for the entire adventure, yet the details of her life are sparse.

Baum establishes her immediately as a tyrant. She had enslaved the entire population of the Munchkins, forcing them to work for her and live in fear.

The Good Witch of the North, Locasta, explains to Dorothy that the Witch of the East was so powerful that no one in the land could defeat her. This established the cardinal witches as immensely powerful entities in Oz lore.

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The famous magical shoes—the ones Dorothy inherits—were the Witch's prized possession. In the book, they are the Silver Shoes, not the Ruby Slippers seen in the iconic 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film. The change was made by the filmmakers to take advantage of the newly developed Technicolor process.

The Witch's body immediately "withered away" after her death, leaving only the magical shoes behind. This macabre detail underscores the sheer, unnatural evil she represented. The Munchkins, freed from her spell, immediately celebrated Dorothy as their hero, the "Sorceress who killed the Wicked Witch of the East."

2. Nessarose Thropp: The Tragic Backstory from Wicked

The most significant and modern re-imagining of the character comes from Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, and the subsequent Tony Award-winning musical, Wicked. Here, the Wicked Witch of the East is given the name Nessarose Thropp.

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Nessarose is portrayed as the younger, non-magical sister of Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West. Her story transforms the character from a simple villain into a tragic figure.

Born disabled, Nessarose is a wheelchair user, a condition that deeply affects her personality. In the novel and musical, she is often overlooked by her father, the Governor of Munchkinland, who is obsessed with Elphaba's green skin and the circumstances of her birth.

Her wickedness is born not of pure evil, but of intense jealousy, possessiveness, and a desire for control. When she is given the magical, jewel-encrusted shoes by her father, she uses their power—not to walk, but to maintain her grip on her love interest, Boq, and to rule the Munchkin Country with a strict, puritanical hand.

This backstory completely recontextualizes her eventual fate. In the *Wicked* narrative, her death by Dorothy's house is not a random act of fate, but a tragic culmination of her complex, painful life and her sister Elphaba's attempts to help her.

3. From Stage to Screen: The Wicked Witch of the East in the 2024 Wicked Movie

The enduring popularity of the *Wicked* musical has led to a major two-part film adaptation, directed by Jon M. Chu, with the first part scheduled for release in late 2024. This adaptation is set to bring the character of Nessarose Thropp to a massive new global audience, further cementing her identity as the Wicked Witch of the East.

In a groundbreaking casting decision that reflects the commitment to the character's backstory, the role of Nessarose is being played by actress Marissa Bode. Bode, who is a wheelchair user herself, brings an unprecedented level of authenticity to the portrayal of Nessarose.

The film, which stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, will explore the deep, complicated sisterly bond between Nessarose and Elphaba. Fans are eagerly anticipating how the film will visually depict Nessarose's transformation from a sheltered, unhappy student at Shiz University into the tyrannical ruler of the East.

The cinematic version will undoubtedly highlight the pivotal moment when the farmhouse—carried by the Kansas cyclone—lands on Nessarose, immediately transferring the magical Ruby Slippers to Dorothy. This scene is one of the most anticipated moments of the film for fans of the source material.

The adaptation promises to delve into the political turmoil of the Land of Oz, illustrating how the Wizard’s corruption and the rise of the anti-animal movement contribute to Nessarose's descent into wickedness. Her story serves as a mirror to Elphaba’s, showing two sisters who are ultimately victims of the political and social climate of Oz.

4. The Power of the Ruby Slippers: More Than Just Footwear

The most enduring legacy of the Wicked Witch of the East is the item she leaves behind: the Ruby Slippers. These shoes are not merely a costume piece; they are an object of immense power, and their ownership defines the trajectory of the entire Oz narrative.

In the original book, L. Frank Baum's Silver Shoes had the power to take the wearer anywhere in the world with three clicks. This power is what ultimately allows Dorothy Gale to return home to Kansas. The fact that the Witch of the East possessed such a powerful artifact and still met her end by a simple house is a testament to the random chaos of fate.

In the *Wicked* continuity, the slippers are a gift from Elphaba, who enchanted them to allow her sister Nessarose to walk. This act of love, however, backfires, as Nessarose begins to use the shoes' magic for control and manipulation, eventually leading to her tyrannical rule over the Munchkins. This tragic irony—that a gift of love becomes an instrument of oppression—is central to her character arc.

5. The Four Witches of Oz: Her Place in the Hierarchy

The Wicked Witch of the East was one of the four cardinal witches who presided over the four countries of Oz: North, South, East, and West. She ruled the eastern quadrant, the Munchkin Country.

The lore establishes a clear division: the Witches of the North (Glinda) and South (Good Witch of the South) were generally considered benevolent or "Good," while the Witches of the East and West were "Wicked."

Her power was considered equal to that of the Wicked Witch of the West, her sister in the modern story. Both were feared rulers who had enslaved their respective populations (the Munchkins and the Winkies).

Her sudden and accidental death is the moment that tips the balance of power in Oz, leading to the rise of Glinda's influence and the eventual downfall of the Wizard of Oz's deceitful reign. Her death is the domino that causes all the subsequent events in the Land of Oz.