Zelena

"The Queen may be Evil, but I'm Wicked. And Wicked always wins."

- Zelena to a Flying Monkey

Zelena, also known as the Wicked Witch of the West, is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. She débuts in the twelfth episode of the third season. She is portrayed by starring cast member Rebecca Mader.

The Wicked Witch of the West is based on the character of the same name from the children's novel, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz".

Trivia

 * -|Character Notes=

Etymology

 * The name "Zelena" means "green" in various Slavic languages. "Zelena" is also of Old Greek origin derived from the word "selene" that means "moon".

Character Notes

 * After Regina takes back her mother's old spell book from Mr. Gold, he warns her against the potential effects of the book's magic. She responds, "I don't care if they turn me green"; an early reference to the Wicked Witch of the West.
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Production Notes

 * The role of the Wicked Witch of the West was written specifically for Rebecca Mader.
 * Rebecca Mader's scenes as the Wicked Witch were filmed with a blue background screen rather than the typical green screen, which used for other characters during filming, because her green make-up blends too much into the green screen.
 * At least five different shades of green are used to make Rebecca Mader's skin green for her role as the Wicked Witch. Incidentally, Rebecca Mader also later stated in another interview that seven shades of green are used.
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Props Notes

 * The chest where she keeps David's sword and Regina's heart has "To: W. B S[image ends] 14-25-27th West" written on the lid.
 * Alchemical signs for the four elements are carved into the table and the stone pillars where Zelena and her fellow sister witches are gathered. Fittingly enough, the element of Wicked Witch of the West (downward-pointing triangle) is water, which is also associated with the west
 * The design on Zelena's compass is the same as the witches' table in Oz except that the colors are different.
 * The book Zelena is reading at the psychiatric ward, is What to Expect When You're Expecting by Heidi Murkoff.

Appearances
Note: "Archive" denotes archive footage.