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For the Enchanted Forest character, see Zelena. For the Season Three episode, see "Witch Hunt". For the character known as The Witch, see Gothel. |
The Witch is a character on ABC's Once Upon a Time. She débuts, with her only appearance, in the ninth episode of the fifth season and is portrayed by guest star Lily Knight.
The Witch is based on the character of the same name from the Disney/Pixar film, Brave, and is an allusion to the dwarf from the fairytale of "Snow-White and Rose-Red."
History
One day, King Fergus arrives to the Witch's cottage, where he accuses her of being a witch. She attempts to keep her cover as a woodcutter, until he reveals that he knows she turned his wife and sons into bears. She admits to using magic, and Fergus reveals that he isn't at her cottage for revenge, but rather that he wants magic himself. He requests something to allow him to defeat the incoming invaders from the south and ensure the fate of his kingdom. She requests payment and has him sign a contract as an "I.O.U." before getting to work, and presents him with an enchanted helm that will cause any army to willingly follow the wearer into battle, no matter the dangers. ("The Bear King")
After her return in the Enchanted Forest, Ruby searches the land for werewolves, but she finds none of them. Growing desperate, she tries to get help from the Witch in DunBroch, but, instead, the witch forces her to stay in wolf form as her guard animal. ("The Bear King")
Two years later, after King Fergus is killed in the battle she provided him with the helm for, the Witch arrives at the coronation for Queen Merida, insisting that the clans pay her the price Fergus owed her. However, when she names the price, Merida argues that it will drive the clans broke three times over, so the Witch requests she simply return the helm instead, and gives her until the following sunset to do so, lest the Witch turn the entire kingdom's citizens into bears. ("The Bear King")
While the Witch is at her cottage, she's visited by King Arthur and Zelena, who take out wolf Ruby with sleeping powder. The Witch insists that she won't be as easy to take down and, when Arthur demands the helm, she answers that she doesn't know where it is and already sent someone after it. Zelena teleports behind her and shoves her head into her cauldron. Only then, the Witch reluctantly tells them that Merida is going after the helm. ("The Bear King")
The next day, the Witch returns to see if Merida succeeded, but, instead of returning the helm, Merida decides to destroy it, believing no one should harness such power over people. However, much to Merida's surprise, the Witch does not cast the spell and turn the kingdom into bears; instead, she proudly reveals that this was her plan the entire time, in order to teach Merida not to rely on magic as a proper ruler. Merida realizes that the quest for the helm taught her how to lead, thus ensuring the fate of the kingdom, just as Fergus requested, and Elinor scolds the Witch for not being straightforward. The Witch shrugs it off and gives Merida a special ale, which Merida uses to contact and speak with the spirit of her father. ("The Bear King")
Magical Abilities
- Potioncraft - Ability to create liquid substances for various purposes by combining a set of ingredients.
- Conjuration - Ability to conjure objects out of the blue.
- Witchcraft - Ability to cast spells and/or curses.
- Shapeshifting - Ability to alter the appearance of oneself or others.
- Teleportation - Ability to magically teleport oneself and/or others from one location to another.
Trivia
Props Notes
- The final paragraph of the Witch's contract reads: ("The Bear King")
- Indenture to the undersigned within this
deed is noted as a solid and binding document
and is bound to the undersigned as [obscured].[1]
- Indenture to the undersigned within this
- The paragraph above it, includes the words "King Fergus of clan DunBroch".[2]
Appearances
| Once Upon a Time: Season Five | |||||||||||
| "The Dark Swan": | "The Price": | "Siege Perilous": | "The Broken Kingdom": | "Dreamcatcher": | "The Bear and the Bow": | "Nimue": | "Birth": | "The Bear King": | "Broken Heart": | "Swan Song": | |
| Mentioned | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Mentioned | Absent | Absent | Appears | Absent | Absent | |
| "Souls of the Departed": | "Labor of Love": | "Devil's Due": | "The Brothers Jones": | "Our Decay": | "Her Handsome Hero": | "Ruby Slippers": | "Sisters": | "Firebird": | "Last Rites": | "Only You": | "An Untold Story": |
| Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
