View source for Elphaba

{{Short description|Fictional character from Wicked}}
{{Redirect|Elphie|people and with fictional characters with similar names|Elfi}}
{{Infobox character
| franchise = ''[[The Wicked Years]]''
| image = Myra - Elphaba.jpg
| image_size = 
| caption = Myra Ruiz as Elphaba in the musical theatre version of ''Wicked'', Brazil 2016
| first = ''[[Wicked (Maguire novel)|Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West]]'' (1995)
| creator = [[Gregory Maguire]]
| based_on = {{based on|[[Wicked Witch of the West]]|[[L. Frank Baum]]}}
| portrayer = {{Plain list|
* [[Idina Menzel]] ([[Wicked (musical)|musical adaptation]])
* [[Cynthia Erivo]] (''[[Wicked (2024 film)|Wicked]]'', ''[[Wicked: For Good]]'')
}}
| full_name = Elphaba Thropp
| nickname = Elphie
| alias = Wicked Witch of the West
| family = [[Wizard of Oz (character)|Oscar Diggs]] (father)<br/>Nessarose Thropp (half-sister)
| significant_other = Fiyero Tigelaar
| children = Liir Thropp (son)
| religion = None ([[atheist]])
| nationality = [[Land of Oz|Ozian]]
}}
<!-- Please STOP changing the surname to Diggs. I know she is the Wizard's daughter but her name is Elphaba Thropp in the novel, film and movie. -->
'''Elphaba Thropp''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɛ|l|f|ə|b|ə|_|ˈ|θ|r|ɒ|p|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Elphaba.wav}}) is the [[protagonist]] of [[Gregory Maguire]]'s 1995 novel ''[[Wicked (Maguire novel)|Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West]]'', the novel's [[Wicked (musical)|musical theatre adaptation]], and the musical's [[Wicked (film franchise)|two-part film adaptation]], ''[[Wicked (2024 film)|Wicked]]'' (2024) and ''[[Wicked: For Good]]'' (2025). She is a reimagining of the [[Wicked Witch of the West]] from [[L. Frank Baum]]'s 1900 novel ''[[The Wonderful Wizard of Oz]]''.

In the Baum novel, the Witch is unnamed and little is explained about her life; ''Wicked'' creates a [[backstory]] for her and explores the world of ''The Wizard of Oz'' from her perspective. Elphaba is modeled after [[Margaret Hamilton (actress)|Margaret Hamilton]]'s portrayal in the 1939 film ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]'': green-skinned, clad entirely in black and wearing a tall peaked hat. Maguire formulated the name "Elphaba" from the pronunciation of Baum's initials—"L.F.B.".

==Characterization==
As [[Winnie Holzman]] observed in an interview with ''[[Playbill]]'', "It was [[Gregory Maguire|Maguire's]] brilliant idea to take this hated figure and tell things from her point of view, and to have the two witches be roommates in college, but the way in which their friendship develops&nbsp;– and really the whole plot&nbsp;– is different onstage."<ref name="playbill">{{Cite news |first=Michael |last=Buckley |title=Stage to Screens: A Chat with Wicked Nominee and TV Veteran Winnie Holzman |date=June 6, 2004 |url=http://www.playbill.com/features/article/86583.html |work=Playbill |access-date=November 8, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071121164650/http://www.playbill.com/features/article/86583.html |archive-date=November 21, 2007 }}</ref> Schwartz justified the deviation, saying "Primarily we were interested in the relationship between Galinda&nbsp;– who becomes Glinda&nbsp;– and Elphaba...the friendship of these two women and how their characters lead them to completely different destinies."<ref name="script">{{cite web|url=http://www.musicalschwartz.com/wicked-script.htm |title=Wicked – Script |access-date=November 8, 2007 |publisher=MusicalSchwartz.com }}</ref> In addition to this change in focus, other major plot modifications include Fiyero's appearance as a [[scarecrow]], Elphaba's survival at the end, Nessarose using a wheelchair instead of being born without arms, Boq having a continuing love interest for Glinda – and eventually becoming the [[Tin Woodman]] instead of Nick Chopper, the complete cutting of Elphaba's years in the Vinkus, the deletion of Liir's birth, Fiyero not having a wife and children, and Doctor Dillamond not being murdered.<ref name="novel">{{Cite book | author=Maguire, Gregory | title=Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West | publisher=[[ReganBooks]] | year=1995 | isbn=978-0-06-039144-7 | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/wickedlifetim00magu }}</ref>

==Portrayals==
The role was originated on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] and [[West End theatre|the West End]] by [[Idina Menzel]], who won the 2004 [[Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical]]. 

[[Cynthia Erivo]] portrayed Elphaba in the [[Wicked (2024 film)|2024 film adaptation of the musical's first act]], for which she was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Actress]], and will reprise the role in the [[Wicked: For Good|2025 adaptation of the second act]]. Karis Musongole played the character as a child in the first film.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hall |first1=Margaret |date=15 May 2024 |title=15 Swankified Easter Eggs in Wicked's Official Trailer |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/15-swankified-easter-eggs-in-wickeds-official-trailer |website=Playbill |access-date=1 June 2024}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Oz}}
{{Wicked}}
{{Wicked films}}
[[Category:Characters in Wicked]]
[[Category:Fictional activists]]
[[Category:Literary characters introduced in 1995]]
[[Category:Fictional characters with precognition]]
[[Category:Fictional kidnappers]]
[[Category:Fictional nobility]]
[[Category:Oz (franchise) witches]]
[[Category:Characters in American novels of the 20th century]]
[[Category:Female characters in film]]
[[Category:Female characters in musical theatre]]
[[Category:Female literary villains]]
[[Category:Female film villains]]
[[Category:Fictional characters incorrectly presumed dead]]
[[Category:Fictional characters who use magic]]
[[Category:Oz (franchise) characters]]
[[Category:Musical theatre characters]]
[[Category:Fictional atheists and agnostics]]