Gandalf. Most famously L. Frank Baums novel The Wizard of Oz and its famous 1939 film adaptation. Though not as magically skilled as Harry or Hermoine, Rons bravery and loyalty proved to be indispensable. Comic book character Dr Stephen Strange has become much more well-known since Benedict Cumberbatch played him in the recent Marvel movies. 3 of 10. Just as Harry Potter made it easier for fans to own their geeky habits, the Harry Potter fandom made it easier for fans to market those geeky habits as professional assets. He has perfected many great magic tricks over time and is remembered for making the Statue of Liberty disappear as well as walking through the Great Wall of China. 26 Best Witches from TV and Movies to Channel This Halloween It also makes their eventual death (for some) and trauma (for all) deeply affecting. Most early depictions of witches framed them as possessing malevolent energy. Publishers and childrens writers took notice. Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, and director Rob Marshall share the tale behind making their underwater musical with a groundbreaking Disney princess. The power of three was unstoppable, and Piper was in the middle of it all, constantly holding her sisters together (and stopping time when necessary). You Know Whos name became frightening to the wizarding world and to readers for a reason: whether on the page or on screen, Voldemort is one of the most fearsome wizards of all time. The Orchid color is the first purple-hued tone for Stanley's Soft Matte collection, which also includes colors like Dune, Red Rust, Stormy Sea, Bay Leaf and . Furthermore, it consistently puts a white face to the good witch. Shes basically the patron saint for bookish, motivated girls everywhere, witch or no witch. Plus, youve gotta love those cheekbones. Harry Potter made it inescapable. Iam Tongi Delivers Soulful Sam Cooke Cover on 'American Idol' - Billboard GojiraSoundsUnleashed/Youtube. But there are plenty of reasons for a grown person to enjoy Harry Potter. By submitting your email, you agree to our, The secret delegate battle that will decide the 2024 Republican nominee, The Dark Brandonmeme and why the Biden campaign has embraced it explained. Is Cher as a witch that much different from Cher every day? Witches are not a homogenous groupthere are so many ways to practice witchcraft. 17. 69. The Horntail was one of the scariest dragons in the franchise. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Famous Wizards | List of Famous Mystics and Occultists The mysterious and ooky Morticia isnt *really * a witch, but it appears she had a few in her family. The illusionist has been practicing magic for 50 years and is up there with Harry Houdini as the most successful and well-known magician in the world. Oh and theyre proof that women are *literally * magic. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action Little Mermaid with a new generation's Ariel. Worst witch ever. Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), Star Wars. So, at the center of this story about an Italian nobleman who was betrayed by his brother and exiledwith his daughter, Mirandaon a deserted island, one finds a wizard. Take a mental break with the newest Vox crossword, Sign up for the Without further ado, 99. It wasnt until a bullet to the head silenced him forever. Although in the Netflix series she does receive a more formalized education after she turns 16 and chooses that path. It was a curiosity, and as such, it was a story. The news prompted Christian scholars to declare the move nonsense, while queer fans were in turn angry that Rowling had done so little to make the queer subtext of Dumbledores character overt during the time he was actually being written (and alive). As, of course, their house is full of strange happenings. 15 Powerful Pop-Culture Wizards | EW.com Exploring the Tropes of the Modern Day Good Witch in Pop Culture As untrained witches would certainly pose a threat. Theres, of course, the Bible, and then Malleus Maleficarum, a medieval book seen as the de facto manual on witchcraft and its heretic nature. The former is a magical secondary school, whereas the latter is more of a grad school for magicians (a.k.a. The creation of Alan Moore, Rick Veitch, Steve Bissette, and John Totleben, Constantine is an occult detective from London. It lends an ounce of retroactive credibility to the witch hunters. Here's the quote form beyond. Marie Laveau was a real-life New Orleans woman whos known as the queen of voodoo. A force to be defeated. The Harry Potter generation likes to read, for sure millennials read more than any other generation and it also created a cultural landscape in which books for children are major cultural forces, and a go-to well of ideas for Hollywood. We cant all come and go by bubble, but LOL some of us can. Oheka Castle has been part of numerous moments in pop culture history, so it was a no-brainer to include it on this list. While a bad guy, hes not exactly evil, more of a mischievous romantic with a bad temper. (They rose only 37.37 percent between 1996 and 2006.). He is said to have eaten poisoned cakes and drunk poisoned wine without consequence. 14. Cordelia Foxx (Sarah Paulson), AHS: Coven, 43. Asa Vadja (Barbara Steele), Black Sunday, NEXT: Witches and wizards 74 50[pagebreak], 74. We're calling the roster of the most powerful pop culture mages for the agesincluding Dumbledore, Gandalf, and Willow. John Dee and Edward Kelly img source: sciencephoto.com British astronomer and mathematician John Dee and Renaissance occultist and psychic Edward Kelly created the so-called Enochian magic system based on conversations with spirits and angels. Prior . . Melisandre (Carice van Houten), Game of Thrones. 7 Famous Wizards from History - The Video Ink Jane Spofford (Susan Sarandon), The Witches of Eastwick, 54. 61. I know, they dont possess any magical powers, but lets not forget the great Michael Jordon, who is wizard-like with his basketball abilities, did play for them. Mary Sanderson (Kathy Najimy), Hocus Pocus. Warner Bros./The CW/Netflix/ABC/Paramount Pictures. She really loves the cold and brings about the Hundred Year Winter in C. S. Lewiss classic The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. You can even have up to 255 spells at your disposal, making him the most versatile wizard on this list. Her transformation from schoolhouse mouse to Research Girl to mystic dabbler to Witchy Wiccan Willow was something to beholdas was her unbridled power when her true love was taken from her. As such, attempts to stay under the radar are largely imperfect. Given the secrecy surrounding witches existence, its a given that education is a vital element. 80. Of course, she and her coven *do * help young Thomasin discover her own powers, so its not all bad. Magical oversight may exist in both but the former points to it more severely. The former is a magical secondary school, whereas the latter is more of a grad school for magicians (a.k.a. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry competes in the world-famous Triwizard Tournament. exist as a menacing force, even if theyre not remotely the only villains in that particular play. The Most Iconic Castles in Pop Culture History - Yahoo! Samantha Stephens (Nicole Kidman), Bewitched. People like the Russian mystic Rasputin and Nicholas Flamel, the man who discovered the Philosophers Stone, are all said to have been real-life wizards from decades back. A sorceress who can trace her heritage back to alchemist Nicholas Flamel, soothsayer Nostradamus, and Leonardo da Vinci, Zatanna is one of the most powerful characters in the DC Universe, aiding the Justice League whenever her natural magical skills can be of service. Fiona Goode (Jessica Lange), AHS: Coven, 23. Such as. Characters like Robin Hood, Merlin, Achilles, the pipe player from Hamelin, etc. 7. In America, they often descend from the witches of Salem, our most notedthough certainly not singularinstance of witchcraft persecution. The depiction of good witches in the media often pushes against the centuries-long view of witchcraft as a sinister, evil practice. Fun fact: Copperfield also owns 11 resort islands in the Bahamas where he likes to disappear to from time to time. 6. Whether theyre tangentially connected to the witch trials or overtly, both have an overlapping trait: there were witches in Salem. That theyre a family of witches is not generally public knowledge in Greendale. Vote up your favorite fictional wizard characters. * And she has those cool eel sidekicks. The first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone, introduces young readers to Potter and his friendsHermione GrangerandRon Weasley. Hulk, Drax, The Bride (Kill Bill) Bard - A story teller or musician using wits, magic, and lore to get out of (or avoid) tight situations. Among the many pop culture witches whose roots lie around that infamous period in history are Samantha Stephens in the sitcom, , and Spellmans in multiple TV iterations of, (to varying specificities). those with magical powers). Examines the ways in which gender can be depicted, perceived, and understood in Japanese popular culture. newsletter, Scholastic bought the US publication rights, The first Harry Potter book wasnt perfect, but it was magic, a Scholastic spokesperson recalled in 2002. Alyson Hannigan on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (19972003). What does it mean to be a modern-day good witch in pop culture? After he managed to heal their son, Alexei, who suffered from hemophilia, Rasputin became one of the most powerful men in Russia. Others, like the Cromwells in Halloweentown or Samantha Stephens in Bewitched, make a more concerted, if not wholly successful effort to keep their magical powers under wraps. RELATED: 20 Celebs Who Starred in Horror Movies Before They Made it Big, 40. Identifiable thanks to his long great beard and even bigger pointy hat, Gandalf is possessed with great power, but that doesnt mean he cant be killed. Still, it was up through the turn of the 20th century where the first major rumblings of non-threateningor outright good witchesappeared in media and literature. Miracle Max (Billy Crystal), Princess Bride. The feeling that the books thus promoted the occult proved to be the basis for constant challenges to the series presence in school libraries and bookstores by concerned conservative parents. Harry Potters mortal enemy, Lord Voldermort is the main antagonist throughout the Harry Potter books. Merlin (Elliot Knight), Once Upon a Time. Likewise, while eventually introducing a magical school, Wizards of Waverly Place mostly used the after school lessons method to teach magic. Real Animals Mistaken for Mythical Creatures, Cryptozoological Creatures That Might Be Real, The Greatest Wizard Characters Of All Time, Gandalf Doesnt Really Do Much Magic At All, And We Can Prove It, The Most Powerful Characters In 'Lord of the Rings' And The Hobbit, The Most Attractive Anime Girls of All Time, Albus Dumbledore Decisions From 'Harry Potter' That Prove He Wasn't Great At Being A Good Guy, The Most Powerful Wizards In The Harry Potter Franchise, Ranked, Things You Didn't Know About Severus Snape If You've Only Seen The Movies, 12 Tragically Unlucky 'Harry Potter' Characters Who Cant Catch A Break. Thomas Edison didn't technically have supernatural powers, but he didn't earn the nickname "the Wizard of Menlo Park" for nothing. And the list goes on: The author of the bestselling Mortal Instruments series, Cassandra Clare first gained fame online as Cassandra Claire, author of the incredibly popular Harry Potter fanfic The Draco Trilogy. He didn't even have hands, yet he gathered about him every fell beast imaginable, all to find the One Ring and kill whoever carries it. However, more often, witchiness is an inherited trait and therefore full of traditions passed down through generations. Morgana Pendragon (Katie McGrath), Merlin. On-screen he is first played by Richard Harris, but after he passed, the great Michael Gambon took over. The Washington Wizards basketball team. As a member of the University of Michigan theater troupe Starkid, a young Darren Criss starred as Harry Potter in the viral YouTube video A Very Potter Musical, and his popularity catapulted him into the role of Blaine on Glee and a career on Broadway. Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe), AHS: Coven, 51. Anjelica Huston also played the Grand High Witch in The Witches, based on the Roald Dahl book of the same name. But the latter half of the century and certainly through the present, depictions of witches, especially specifically non-scary witches, are certainly broader. Willow is not only a famous wizard (or witch as she is better known) but a lesbian icon, with Buffy detailing her romance with the same sex in an informative and relatable way. Gender in Japanese Popular Culture: Rethinking Masculinities and But the one witch who has scared more kids than even the Disney villains, is Margaret Hamilton's Wicked Witch of the West, from the 1939 big screen . 20 most famous wizards of all time from history and fiction Movie studios scour the childrens bestseller lists for properties they can turn into the next Harry Potter: hence Twilight and The Hunger Games and Divergent and all the rest. The devilish Goblin King gave protagonist Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) 13 hours to break free of his supernatural maze in order to save her infant half-brother, Toby. Hulton Archive / Getty. But sometimes the rules are a bit more stringent. As more Harry Potter fans became more active online, they made discussion of YA fiction, fantasy, and science fiction seem commonplace. Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter), Harry Potter. 5. Just Tongi, a backing band and singers, and a sea of . Are Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney in love, or are they good actors? The Met Gala 2023 Red Carpet Hosts Have Been Announced, Kendall Jenner Adds Barely-There Sandals To A Barely-There Dress, Coachella 2023: See All The Best Celebrity Outfits, These Memes and Tweets About School Are Too Relatable. 13. The last four volumes of the series are all doorstoppers that clock in at well over 700 pages each. Mickey Mouses first starring role in a feature-length film went on to also become one of his most notable. Credit: Mary Evans Picture Library/Everett Collection. Wizards and witches have been featured in many cultures around the world for centuries. Dahlia (Claudia Black), The Originals, Using powers to stay youthful is just smart, 72. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. 36. A spin on the ideal 1960s housewife, Samantha tried to trade her powers for a quiet life at home but the twitchy nose wants what it wants. Here are just two of the ways Harry Potter changed publishing, and how those changes affected the rest of pop culture: 1) The books made it possible to publish long works aimed at children. And anyway, the thinking went, kids werent buying their own books. With, naturally, a broader gradient between good and evil, leaving a lot of room in-between. That's why we keep our work free. What made all of this possible the industries transformed, the careers built are the books themselves, and the expansive, wondrous world they created. Harry Dresden (Paul Blackthorne), The Dresden Files, 87. Sara Sanderson (Sarah Jessica Parker), Hocus Pocus. Maleficent (Eleanor Audley), Sleeping Beauty. Sound off in the comments, or vote for one of our top 10 picks in the poll below. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action. Witchcraft is such a diverse study and the practice is intertwined with so many cultures and lore. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. Donald Ducks temper may often get in the way, but hes a good enough magician and even better friend to Sora and Goofy that Kingdom Hearts wouldnt be the same without him. Vote up the best wizard characters from film, TV, and more! 1. Two longtime members of Harry Potter fandom, siblings John and Hank Green now known more widely as the Vlogbrothers got their start on YouTube during the sites relative infancy, but it wasnt until Hank Greens 2007 song Accio Deathly Hallows went viral on the eve of the final Harry Potter books release that they became the true YouTube stars and industry success models they are today. avid Blaine and David Copperfield. While tales of his wizardry are often exaggerated, his death remains just as controversial. Similar to Lord Voldermort, the White Witch is one scary mofo. An all-singing, all-dancing, all-evil underwater witch for the ages. For Sally and Gillian Owens in. Anyone who can teach herself magic is a badass in our book. The blue galaxy-themed sorcerers hat he dons in the film is all over the Disney theme parks and was even the centerpiece of Disneys Hollywood Studios until early 2015. While we can look back fondly on their scheming ways, for centuries they were best remembered (mostly by men) as unnatural cautionary figures.