The. Vampires might be the supernatural creatures du jour, but witches are more than just a pop culture fad they're part of our history! (Spoiler alert: It never works!). Whenever a publisher acquires a book, it creates a budget for that book. Before Harry Potter, childrens literature was often considered an afterthought. RELATED: 8 horrifying books about real haunted houses to read with the lights on, 30. In, , most witches and wizards live among non-magical folks. Daniel Radcliffe scored the coveted role of Harry, helping make the films a massive success and spawning several spinoff movies and books. In Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, the Spellmans run a funeral home, which is the perfect cover for their spooky, gothic vibe in town. Of course, one of the best modern homages to Marie is the one made famous by Angela Bassett in *AHS: Coven. Morgana Pendragon (Katie McGrath), Merlin. They come in all shapes, sizes, and styles, from the casters of spells in your childhood fairytales to the modern witches next door of American Horror Story: Coven. 36. Thats what pulled Harry Potter out of flash-in-the-pan territory and elevated it into a phenomenon that defined childhood for an entire generation. And in both iterations of. In fact, these TV and movie witches may take you by surprise, because many of them totally defy old-school stereotypes and show that the preconceived notion of a witch is all wrong. People still line up to visit her tomb. A force to be defeated. But the latter half of the century and certainly through the . Is Cher as a witch that much different from Cher every day? Ok, hes not exactly a wizard, but David Copperfield is one hell of a magician who fits nicely in the world of wizards. 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. The evil warlock is an almighty being consumed with finding the One Ring so he can rule over everyone. Grams didnt like to show off, but when her magic was needed, she did what she had to do. Offers may be subject to change without notice. NEXT: Witches and wizards 24 1[pagebreak], 24. We just saw what she may have done, which was way, way freakier. Hes the most powerful witch of his age, but hes also spent most of his time stuck in a tree. The Harry Potter seriesdetails the adventures of young wizard Harry Potter while attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Saruman (Christopher Lee), Lord of the Rings, 45. The secrecy is often more or less an informal arrangement between a coven or magical family. Hulton Archive / Getty. It should be noted that Sarah is a natural witch, meaning she was born with her abilities. *Hocus Pocus * is a Halloween tradition for, well, everyone. Can you imagine learning youre a witch in high school? And then, of course, there are the strictly magical communities. She dances. In, , those with magical powers attend an actual school. Jude Law has played the young version of Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts series of movies. She was the star pupil in her classes at Hogwarts and the savvy, level-headed member of the triumvirate that includes Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Before Liam Neeson developed a particular set of skills, he helped develop one of Star Wars wisest Jedi, and one of its most feared foes. Famous occultists such as these could certainly be considered "real-life wizards". Being a Bennett witch is no easy task, but Bonnie has proven that she can handle it. Here's What To Do Next, 130+ Famous Wizards, Occultists, and Mystics. and its famous 1939 film adaptation. 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. Arguably the most famous wizard on this list comes from the mind of author JK Rowling. Also known as the Original Witch, Esther is responsible for creating vampirism. The Most Powerful Wizards In The 'Harry Potter' Franchise, Ranked 4 Saruman Lord of the Rings Franchise 447 votes Played By: Christopher Lee What makes this character great: Very knowledgeable Masterly of dark magic Powerful 5 Professor Severus Snape Harry Potter Universe 647 votes Played By: Alan Rickman What makes this character great: 9. After years of solo hits and an ongoing stint fronting classic rock powerhouse Queen, Lambert was back on familiar ground on Sunday night (April 30) when he returned to the Idol stage for a . Shop the Absolute Best Prom Shoes of the Season, Unique College Graduation Gifts Worthy of the Milestone. Anyone who can teach herself magic is a badass in our book. As more Harry Potter fans became more active online, they made discussion of YA fiction, fantasy, and science fiction seem commonplace. The former is a magical secondary school, whereas the latter is more of a grad school for magicians (a.k.a. Merlins demise comes about after he falls in love with the Lady of the Lake. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry competes in the world-famous Triwizard Tournament. 58. Enroll in some sort of magical education schooling? Sure these modern pop culture witches are fictional, but normalizing the idea of the good witch in a variety of mediumsin TV shows, movies, booksdirectly combats centuries of stigma against witchcraft and mysticism. Not only could she steal beautiful voices, but Ursula could change form at will andafter stealing Triton's helm and tridenthave mastery over the seas as well. As legend has it, it was Merlin's idea to establish the fellowship of the Round Table as well as to employ the Sword in the Stone test to determine the rightful heir to Uther's throne. These are the most famous wizards who have indebted history. Merlins version of Merlin starts as a bumbling and lovable young warlock who has to hide his powers (and doesnt always know how to use them) but over the course of five seasons we see him embrace his powers and work alongside Arthur Pendragon (Bradley James) to bring peace to Albion and become a legendary and powerful sorcerer. With, naturally, a broader gradient between good and evil, leaving a lot of room in-between. No matter if hes Gandalf the Grey or Gandalf the White, hes the epitome of what a wizard should be. 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. This wonderful wizard from the Harry Potter series is the headmaster of Hogwarts. , for instance, the quest to remain hidden goes all the way to the top, with strict secrecy laws in place by the magical governing body. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. In fact a lot of early writings on witches and witchcraft were downright menacing and certainly helped stoke fear of anything unexplained or deemed unnatural. Its sort of a two-fold conundrum, because it makes sense to use the era as a jumping off point but it also overlooks the victims, killed by fear mongering puritans presiding over sham trials. Jafar was the sorcerer, but Iago was the real brains of the operation. The former is a magical secondary school, whereas the latter is more of a grad school for magicians (a.k.a. All without a nose. Which 'Toy Story' Toys Now Need Their Toys' Stories Told? As Harry Potter gets ready to take the big screen once again, TIME examines the most popular sorcerers of all time from Mickey Mouse to Gandalf. Weaving the real-world events into a fictional narrative certainly adds context and depicting the superstitions and fears of witchcraft in history is necessary. The White Witch rules with an iron fist, turning those who oppose her into stone. Cedric the Sensational (Jess Harnell), Sofia the First, 83. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. They appear in fiction stories told in books and movies. One of the most celebrated fictional warlocks is the everyman John Constantine. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Whether theyre tangentially connected to the witch trials or overtly, both have an overlapping trait: there were witches in Salem. Then he got greedy. sales of non-Potter kid lit were increasing by 2 percent a year, millennials read more than any other generation. Their parents were paying for everything, and they would never be willing to pay an extra dollar or two for a longer book, with its extra printing and binding. But Harry Potter changed the world. So much so that she covered most of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003) How robust a warlock is this, the scourge of Middle-earth? Phoebe Halliwell (Alyssa Milano), Charmed. Few are wiser or more brilliant than Dumbledore, who as Headmaster of Hogwarts, could always be counted on to save the day (and the entire wizarding world). Offers may be subject to change without notice. Tilda Swinton in The Chronicles of Narnia (200510). Anthony Carrigan Noho Hank. 12. Gillian Owens (Nicole Kidman), Practical Magic. But seeing witches as forces for goodor, at the very least, incredibly nuanced peoplebetter represents witchcraft as a spiritual way of life. However, theres an unsettling side effect. And the general fear of things deemed unnatural or odd. Harry Potter: J.K. Rowling's ever-expanding wizarding world, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwalds bonkers plot twist, explained, 7 authors tell us how 20 years of Harry Potter shaped their lives, The fight to make it harder for landlords to evict their tenants, On Succession, Sisyphus rolls the rock uphill. 6. Even Shakespeare, who lived during a time of deep fear of witchcraft, got in on the trend. Oh, Tia Dalma is actually the super-powerful Calypso, the sea goddess, which you find out in the end. Julie Taymor adapted The Tempest into a feature film in 2010, starring Helen Mirren as the sorceress Prospera. Examines the ways in which gender can be depicted, perceived, and understood in Japanese popular culture. Ditto in. The Three Witches of Macbeth exist as a menacing force, even if theyre not remotely the only villains in that particular play. Winifred, Mary, and Sarah Sanderson were put to death in 1600s Salem, but a little spell brings them back to life on Halloween three centuries later. Hermione is arguably the most brilliant witch on this list. She really loves the cold and brings about the Hundred Year Winter in C. S. Lewiss classic The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. For comparison, the overall book market has gone up a mere 33 percent since 2004. In most depictions of modern witchcraft, good witches live in our midst with their true powers (mostly) hidden. While we can look back fondly on their scheming ways, for centuries they were best remembered (mostly by men) as unnatural cautionary figures. But several strictly magical communities appear throughout the series, giving just a glimpse of normal magical life. Faye Chamberlain (Phoebe Tonkin), The Secret Circle. RELATED: 20 Celebs Who Starred in Horror Movies Before They Made it Big, 40. Generates new conversations about gender that move beyond nation. Opens in new tab Opens in new tab Opens in new tab. Something went wrong. Harry Potters mortal enemy, Lord Voldermort is the main antagonist throughout the Harry Potter books. Its most notable appearance can be seen in Taylor Swift's "Blank Space . Unforatunelty for old noseless, Harry takes his revenge and dispatches him in the final book. As if being a wizard wasn't already cool enough, Gandalf is actually two wizards in one. Ursula (Pat Carroll), The Little Mermaid. 38. 5. Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson), Star Wars. You barely even saw him, and he instilled everyone with a knee-knocking sense of dread. 21. She almost brings about Buffys demise but is saved and embarks on a redemptive arc in the series. A former surgeon who is now one of the most powerful wizards in the world, Dr Strange protects the world from mythical threats. It changed the business model for publishing books for kids. The two teaching methods highlight the distinction between magics role in their respective worlds. Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton), Harry Potter. Paige Matthews (Rose McGowan), Charmed, 64. For Sally and Gillian Owens in. Brenda Loveknot ( Discworld) Lythande ( Thieves' World, Lythande) M. Aunt Mab ( Graveyard School) Ciaran MacEwan ( Sweep) Maghatch ( Thunder Oak) Maharet and Mekare ( The Vampire Chronicles) Makenna ( The Goblin Wood) Maleen, Goth and The Leewit ( The Witches of Karres) by James H Schmitz. Next. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action, 15 Scary Movies We Saw as Kids That Still Haunt Our Nightmares, 17 Surprisingly Scary Kids Movie Moments, Syfys serialization of his journey to Brakebills, 20 Celebs Who Starred in Horror Movies Before They Made it Big, hes portrayed by the one and only Benedict Cumberbatch, 8 horrifying books about real haunted houses to read with the lights on, 9 Haunted House Books to Keep You Up At Night. Freya Beauchamp (Jenna Dewan Tatum), Witches of East End, 86. During the tournament, he comes face-to-face with the most feared dragon, the Hungarian Horntail. Remember when Sandra Bullock was in rom-coms? Rebel witches always beat goody-two-shoes witches (sorry, Diana). Then, of course, there were the mythological sorceresses, including Circe, Hecate, and Morgan le Fay, who while not initially presented as evil in some cases, generally saw their stories descend into tales of duplicitousness and cruelty. By Chris Drew (PhD) / March 8, 2023 Pop culture is short for "popular culture". Already more powerful than most as a baby, The Boy Who Lived continued to cheat death year after year. Katrina Crane (Katia Winter), Sleepy Hollow. In our opinion, Ursula is Disneys most iconic witch. That counts. Speaking of teenage witches the iconic Sabrina Spellman needs no introduction. 7. Teen Vogue covers the latest in celebrity news, politics, fashion, beauty, wellness, lifestyle, and entertainment. That budget is structured so that elevating the numbers in one category means elevating the numbers in the next category: If youre going to invest $105,000 just in acquiring a book, youre also going to pour extra money into marketing, publicity, and production, so that you have a reasonable chance of making that money back. Of course, as this is a childrens fantasy novel, the White Witchs rule eventually comes to an end thanks to a talking lion and four young kids. Granted, maybe investing so much of his power into the One Ring wasn't the best tactical maneuver. 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. Sectumsucks to be you! but creating a coven without even knowing it is pretty cool, too. 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. 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. , make a more concerted, if not wholly successful effort to keep their magical powers under wraps. Sorry for the spoilers. In most depictions of modern witchcraft, good witches live in our midst with their true powers (mostly) hidden. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. So shes got some pretty awesome skills. Best witch ever? Sometimes witches are just people who want to drink a bunch of midnight margaritas and maybe break a family curse. 5. Born Tom Riddle, the Dark Lord is responsible for the death of Harrys parents. In fact, among the broad depictions of witches over the latter half of the 20th century and into the 21st, there are a handful of characteristics and tropes that encapsulate them all. Theres, of course, the Bible, and then. As, of course, their house is full of strange happenings. Shes the most gifted witch of her generation, but more importantly, she manages to keep Harry and Ron alive for seven years. Mary Sibley (Janet Montgomery), Salem, 91. 6. Stevie Wonderamazed the crowd with his second album Innervisionsthat was a major hit. How to Break the Curse That's Been Plaguing You, Have You Been Cursed? Furthermore, it consistently puts a white face to the good witch. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. Sir Ian McKellenplays the mythical wizard in a commanding performance that is the definitive version of the character. This was still a pretty bold concept in the early 2000s; geek culture was largely still underground, and fantasy was seen mainly as an immature hobby for instance, in 2003, critic A.S. Byatts excoriation of Harry Potter and the childish adult claimed that adults like to regress when they read childrens literature. Nicole Kidman doesnt have the best luck with portraying witches. 35. The result is purely pleasurable to read at any age: The puzzlebox mystery plotting keeps the pages turning propulsively forward, the fantastic mythology gives the world scope and magic and joy, and the boarding school structure makes the characters warm and familiar and charming. Likewise, while eventually introducing a magical school, mostly used the after school lessons method to teach magic. In both the. This largely goes hand in hand with the aforementioned real-life history of witch trials. Witchcraft is such a diverse study and the practice is intertwined with so many cultures and lore. Tweet; Prev. Evil sorcerers, lovable goofs, and dead-raising magicians witches and wizards of pop culture come in all shapes and sizes (including the Jedi variety, which weve controversially decided to include). Nancy Downs (Fairuza Balk), The Craft, 15. ), 11. These women have modernized witchcraft into the 21st century, and their practice is often linked to self-care. He was befriended by Russian nobles Emperor Nicholas and Empress Alexandra and began to exert influence over the two. Who is the number one wizard that people just can't get enough of? Strange was once a gifted, narcissistic neurosurgeon who, after losing the use of his hands, looked for a cure in the mythic Himalayas. 25. Tobias is a content specialist with over a decade of experience writing about men's lifestyles for a variety of publications around the world. The creation of Alan Moore, Rick Veitch, Steve Bissette, and John Totleben, Constantine is an occult detective from London. But none of Scholastics efforts would have mattered in the end if the people who picked up the book hadnt loved it. 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. Albus Dumbledore is a very smart wizard with a heart of gold who does his best to help guide Harry on his journey as the chosen one. Challenges conventional assumptions associated not only with gender but also normativity. And Harry Potter fans creativity is still being felt in and outside of the fandom. The fact that shes played by the irreplaceable Debbie Reynolds only adds to her charm, turning what could be a questionable character into a captivating one. Even in his declining years, the headmaster of Hogwarts was a formidable magebut in his youth, full of vigor and brio, Albus Dumbledore was a force to be reckoned with. Its telling that Salem specifically lies at the root of so many pop culture witches. Sales were falling. William Shakespeare seemed to have a little thing for magicand revenge. (She can also turn into a cat at a moments notice and isn't afraid to stand up to Voldemort and his Death Eaters, and, oh yeah, Umbridge.). But, generally, witches attempting to blend into their non-magical communities arent the most seamless at it. Whereas the informal training, through magical elders and the like, represents magic as part of a way of life. Excalibur | Nicol Williamson in Excalibur (1981) Probably the most famous wizard in all of popular culture — yes, even eclipsing Harry Potter — Merlin's greatest feat, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix | Richard Harris/Michael Gambon in the Harry Potter saga (2001-present) Even in his declining years, the headmaster of Hogwarts was a formidable mage but in, Lord of the Rings | Ian McKellen in the Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003) Though you can count on one hand the number of times Gandalf actually uses any, The Wizard of Oz | Billie Burke in The Wizard of Oz (1939) More skilled than the Wicked Witch of the West, way more powerful than the ''wizard'' of Oz, Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) Oh, Scooby Gang, what would you do without true-blue Willlow (Allison Hannigan)? You can even have up to 255 spells at your disposal, making him the most versatile wizard on this list. After Harry Potter, childrens literature became a category full of mega-sellers. Don't know how you do the voodoo that you do. Most famously L. Frank Baum's novel The Wizard of Oz and its famous 1939 film adaptation. 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). Alyson Hannigan on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (19972003). But still, with the same white creators, using the same historical backdrop to tell their stories, were not examining the beauty of witchcraft in all its forms. Tabitha Lenox (Juliet Mills), Passions, 82. If you havent heard of Dr. Fun fact: Copperfield also owns 11 resort islands in the Bahamas where he likes to disappear to from time to time. As if it werent bad enough to go through puberty, pass Defense Against the Dark Arts, and figure out how to ask a girl out, he had to avoid being killed by the greatest dark wizard in history. They are shrouded in secrecy, living among non-magical beings. Some people might think their grandmas are witches, but Marnies actually is one and a cool, caring one at that. The very badass Tia Dalma joins Jack and his friends on the Black Pearl for Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End to find her lover, Davy Jones. 1. A magical slip-up here and there. A father, a sith, and one of the most powerful forces on the dark side, Darth Vaders story has been central to the Star Wars films, and even in death, he looks to be leaving us no time soon. In general, the Harry Potter fandom was among the first to see a number of people actively leveraging their success through fandom toward their professional careers. He was a Numidian who lived under the Roman Empire. In recent years, Rowling has provoked controversy for her series lack of diversity, for denying queer sexuality of characters, and many, many more kerfuffles. Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid), Star Wars. He is a walking contradiction who has a cynical view of the world but does his best to help those in trouble.