‘Wicked: For Good’ trailer drops: here are 11 spellbinding movie witches to celebrate

Delightful, comforting and fun—with just a touch of darkness—Practical Magic, based on Alice Hoffman’s novel, is a charming blend of whimsy and witchcraft. At its heart are the Owens sisters, descended from a long line of witches and burdened with a family curse.

From the start, it’s clear the sisters are polar opposites: Sally (Sandra Bullock) is grounded, cautious and hesitant to embrace her powers, while Gillian (Nicole Kidman) is impulsive, free-spirited and unafraid to use hers. Nevertheless, they go together like peas and carrots, bread and butter, lime and coconut. Their sisterly bond is—and has always been—the true source of their magic.

A box-office hit on its release, Practical Magic has since become a cult classic. Fans have long clamoured for a sequel, and one is finally in the works, with Bullock and Kidman set to return. The story is reportedly based on Hoffman’s The Rules of Magic, another novel in her Owens family saga.

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When Sarah Bailey (Robin Tunney) moves to Los Angeles with her dad to escape a troubled past and get over the death of her mother, she ends up joining a group of misfits to complete their coven of witches. Gradually, she unlocks the innate powers she didn’t even know she possessed. But while her new friends begin to abuse their powers, Sarah refuses to let them consume her.

Things take a darker turn when Nancy Downs (Fairuza Balk), the volatile and self-appointed leader of the group, grows envious of Sarah’s growing power. What follows is a now-iconic showdown between light and darkness, culminating in a battle of wills, spells and shattered mirrors that’s pure ’90s witchcraft cinema at its best.

Another reason The Craft endures as a cult classic? The spells. From whispered invocations to full-blown ritual chants (“Now is the time, this is the hour…”), the film gave us a spellbook’s worth of memorable lines that fans still quote to this day.

When audiences first met Maleficent in Disney’s animated Sleeping Beauty, she was pure villain—mysterious, menacing and without a shred of backstory. But in the live-action remake, the tale is flipped and told from her point of view. Suddenly, she’s not just a villain, but a misunderstood anti-hero with a painful past, shaped by betrayal and heartbreak. Her bond with Aurora (Elle Fanning) becomes central to the story, revealing a softer, more complex side. In the live-action, Angelina Jolie brings heart and empathy to the dark fairy and completely owns the role—sharp cheekbones, horns and all.

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If you grew up in the ’90s, chances are Anjelica Huston’s turn as the Grand High Witch in the original movie adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches haunted your nightmares. The scene where she reveals her true form to a simpering coven of witches is memorable for being as iconic as it is terrifying. Huston’s deliciously wicked portrayal and absolute commitment to creating a character who terrorises children on—and off—screen is unmatched, even by the wonderful Anne Hathaway, who reprised the role in the 2020 remake.

Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) was a game-changer for female characters in fantasy. Smart, bookish and a complete know-it-all, she outshone her best friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and even Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) in all their classes at Hogwarts. Her quick thinking saved their lives more than once. Is it any wonder that Dumbledore entrusted her with the Time-Turner, or Remus Lupin called her the cleverest witch of her age? But for all her knowledge and magical skill, it’s her kindness, empathy and unwavering loyalty that set her apart—and made her one of the most beloved witches in cinematic history.

Emma Watson’s portrayal brought the character to life with warmth, wit and charm. Her line delivery—most notably of “It’s Levi-O-sa, not Levi-o-SA!”—has lived on, becoming the stuff of TikTok legend and inspiring countless memes.

In Stardust, witches must consume the heart of a fallen star to retain their youth and power. So when the star Yvaine (Claire Danes) falls to Earth, Lamia (Michelle Pfeiffer), the eldest and most powerful of the three witch-queens, sets out in hot pursuit. Unfortunately for Lamia, a couple of unscrupulous princes are also on Yvaine’s tail. What’s more, the fallen star is under the care of Tristan Thorne, an unassuming young man who eventually becomes the dashing hero of the story.

In the movie, Michelle Pfeiffer plays Lamia with a perfect blend of menace and dark humour. Her Lamia is funniest when she’s vain and petty, and scariest when she’s desperate. And she is none more terrifying than in the film’s climax, when she, in full hag mode, is trying to get rid of Tristan as she’s about to carve Yvaine’s heart out.

Wanda Maximoff’s evolution from telekinetic Avenger to reality-warping Scarlet Witch is one of the MCU’s most powerful arcs. Her story is shaped by unimaginable loss: from her brother Pietro to her great love, Vision. In WandaVision (a Disney+ series that’s part of the Marvel shared universe), she rewrites reality to create the perfect family life—complete with twin sons—trapping an entire town in her grief-fuelled illusion.

But it’s in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness that she fully embraces her destiny as the Scarlet Witch. Corrupted by the Darkhold and desperate to reunite with her children in another universe, Wanda becomes the film’s tragic villain. Her story is a reminder that the scariest witches aren’t born evil; they’re forged by pain.

In this coming-of-age tale from Studio Ghibli, a young witch is on the precipice of a great adventure. At 13, armed with her mother’s broom and her familiar cat Jiji, Kiki is off to meet the world. In Koriko, she sets up Kiki’s Delivery Service, zipping through the skies on her broom to deliver parcels for clients.

But as adolescence creeps in—bringing with it loneliness, insecurity and self-doubt—Kiki experiences a crisis of confidence that causes her powers to fade. It takes a friend in need to reignite her spark again and reconnect with her powers. Having restored her faith in herself, she finally finds her place in the world.

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