The 'Wicked' films do more than just tell a new story; they reframe everything we thought we knew about Oz. Here are the key connections that will change how you see Dorothy’s famous friends and foes, turning your next viewing into a revelation.
The Tale of the Tin Man
Remember
the sweet, lovesick Munchkin, Boq, who was hopelessly smitten with Glinda? His story takes a dark and tragic turn that directly leads to the creation of the Tin Man. In 'Wicked Part Two,' Boq is trapped in servitude to Elphaba’s sister, Nessarose, the new governor of Munchkinland. When he confesses his love for Glinda, a desperate and jealous Nessarose botches a spell from Elphaba’s Grimmerie to try and make his heart hers. The spell goes horribly wrong, literally shrinking his heart away. To save his life, Elphaba is forced to perform a counter-spell, encasing him entirely in tin. This act of salvation strips him of his heart and his humanity, filling him with a cold rage directed at Elphaba, the witch he blames for his condition. His journey from a hopeful romantic to a vengeful, 'heartless' man leading a witch hunt provides a grim origin for the character who just wanted a ticker.
The Lion's Lack of Courage
Dorothy’s famously fearful feline companion has one of the most heartbreaking backstories revealed in 'Wicked.' In 'Part One,' Elphaba and Fiyero rescue a terrified, caged lion cub from being used in a cruel experiment at Shiz University. That small act of defiance has massive consequences. That cub grows up to be the Cowardly Lion. His trauma from being caged and experimented on as a youth is presented as the root of his lifelong anxiety. In a cruel twist of propaganda, characters like the Tin Man later spin the narrative, claiming that if Elphaba hadn’t intervened, the Lion would have learned to fight his own battles and would have grown up to be brave. This reframes his cowardice not as an inherent trait, but as a direct result of the cruelty of the Wizard's regime and a psychological wound Elphaba inadvertently tried to heal.
The Scarecrow's Secret Identity
Perhaps the biggest and most romantic reveal in 'Wicked' is the true identity of the Scarecrow. He is none other than the dashing Winkie prince, Fiyero. After Fiyero helps Elphaba escape the Wizard's guards, he is captured and taken to a cornfield to be tortured for information. Believing him to be near death, a distraught Elphaba casts a powerful but uncontrolled spell from the Grimmerie to protect him from any harm, chanting whatever words come to mind. The spell works, but not as intended; it transforms his body, saving his life but turning him into a being of straw who cannot feel pain. He becomes the Scarecrow. This completely recontextualizes his journey with Dorothy; he's not just a brainless wanderer. He's Elphaba’s lost love, secretly operating in Oz, which culminates in their secret reunion after she fakes her own death.
The Silver Slippers, Not Ruby
The iconic ruby slippers from the 1939 film are nowhere to be found in 'Wicked.' Instead, the films revert to the source material: L. Frank Baum's original book, 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,' where the magical shoes were silver. The 1939 movie changed them to ruby red simply to take advantage of the new, vibrant Technicolor film process. In 'Wicked,' the silver, sequined shoes are a Thropp family heirloom, gifted to the wheelchair-bound Nessarose by her father. It is Elphaba who enchants them, giving her sister the ability to walk. This makes Dorothy's acquisition of them after Nessarose's death a much more complicated and personal theft, rather than just taking the footwear of a vanquished enemy.
The Wizard's True Nature
The 1939 film portrays the Wizard of Oz as a bumbling, well-meaning fraud—a 'good man, but a bad wizard.' 'Wicked' paints a far more sinister picture. He is a charismatic but powerless dictator from another world who maintains control through propaganda, division, and scapegoating. He is the architect of the oppression of the talking Animals, creating a common enemy to unite the people of Oz behind him. Elphaba doesn't just discover he's a fake; she discovers he's the source of the land's corruption and suffering. His campaign to brand her as a 'wicked witch' is a calculated political move to hide his own crimes and eliminate a threat to his authority, making him the story's true villain.
