Maleficent

"You want darkness? I'll give you darkness!"

- Maleficent to the Chernabog

Maleficent is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time and Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. She débuts in the second episode of the first season of Once Upon a Time. She is portrayed by guest star Kristin Bauer van Straten.

Maleficent is based on the Wicked Fairy from the fairytale, "Sleeping Beauty", and on the character of the same name from the Disney film, Sleeping Beauty.

Trivia

 * -|Character Notes=

Character Notes

 * Maleficent's dragon form is featured in the title card for "Unforgiven".
 * In Disney's Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent had a pet raven named Diablo. On the Once Upon a Time series, she has a pet unicorn.
 * However, as a reference to the film, she can shape-shift to and from a flock of ravens. In addition, a raven delivers her message to Rumplestiltskin.
 * Maleficent is from Prince Phillip's kingdom.
 * The fact that she is the first creator of the Sleeping Curse and the captors put Brennan Jones under the curse more than a hundred years ago indicate that Maleficent does not show any sign of aging, which means she is immortal.


 * -|Production Notes=

Production Notes

 * Actress Paula Marshall was originally cast as Maleficent in the summer of 2011. However, Kristin Bauer van Straten landed the role when producers decided to go in a different direction.
 * For the show, the dragon on her staff was made from scratch while the orb embedded in the middle was originally a simple acrylic bowl. The staff handle's oddly bent shape was a deliberate touch to make the item stand out.
 * According to Adam Horowitz, Maleficent is not a fairy.
 * According to Kristin Bauer van Straten, Maleficent is immortal.
 * For Maleficent's body movements and transformation into a dragon, Kristin Bauer van Straten took inspiration from reptiles and black mambas.


 * -|Cultural References=

Disney

 * In the fourth season, Maleficent's outfit was changed to reflect the Disney film, Sleeping Beauty.
 * A small statue of a raven is sitting on a table inside Maleficent's castle. This is a reference to Disney's Sleeping Beauty, where Maleficent has a pet raven named Diablo.


 * -|Set Notes=

Props Notes

 * The design on the wooden box, which contains Maleficent's baby rattle, is reminiscent of the horns on her headpiece. The same thing goes for her spell book.
 * Maleficent's baby rattle is shaped like a dragon's foot holding an orb.


 * -|Other Notes=

Other Notes

 * Maleficent's outfit and hairstyle from "The Thing You Love Most" and "A Land Without Magic" was featured in the Facebook game Sorority Life during the Fairytale Adventure travel abroad series.
 * Despite being a fictional character, the show's version of Maleficent was featured on a Biographic comic strip.

Appearances
Note: "Archive" denotes archive footage.