To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. The evil warlock is an almighty being consumed with finding the One Ring so he can rule over everyone. 25. When pop culture's most self-deprecating witch (''I don't, Tilda Swinton, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | Tilda Swinton in The Chronicles of Narnia (2005, 2009) Pure evil. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. those with magical powers). 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. The Most Iconic Castles in Pop Culture History - Yahoo! When that failed to kill him, he was shot in the chest twice, but still managed to survive. These are the most famous wizards of all time in fiction and history. Adam Lambert Returns to 'American Idol' For Cover of 'I Can't Stand the A self-proclaimed holy man with mystical abilities, Grigori Rasputin rose to prominence during the early 1900s. Almost exactly 20 years ago, on September 1, 1998, Scholastic published Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, the first US edition of the UKs Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. A-list celebrities of the wizarding world Many modern pop culture witches can generally trace their roots back through real historical events. Was any teenage witch more relatable than Sabrina? Theres, of course, the Bible, and then Malleus Maleficarum, a medieval book seen as the de facto manual on witchcraft and its heretic nature. 16. Witches are not a homogenous groupthere are so many ways to practice witchcraft. In some regions, pressure to censor the series was so high it led to lawsuits: In 2003, a judge ordered an Arkansas school district that had removed the books from schools due to promotion of the religion of witchcraft to return them. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action Little Mermaid with a new generation's Ariel. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved. 44. This pattern coincided with the rise of Web 2.0 that is, an increasingly interactive and social internet. Probably the most famous wizard in all of popular cultureyes, even eclipsing Harry PotterMerlin's greatest feat was helping Arthur Pendragon find a very nice sword (Excalibur) and an even nicer cup (the Holy Grail). This largely goes hand in hand with the aforementioned real-life history of witch trials. This not-so-humble court vizier gave in to his delusions of grandeurespecially when he got his hands on the genie's lamp he hired a street rat to swipe from the Cave of Wonders. 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. Best witch ever? Qui-gon Jinn (Liam Neeson), Star Wars. 2) Harry Potter made childrens literature an unstoppable force. 18. RELATED: 17 Surprisingly Scary Kids Movie Moments, 50. More often, a witch living a non-magical life is noted for their eccentricities. He is the one who helps Arthur find Excalibur and the Holy Grail. Curious George, Curious George. Madison Montgomery (Emma Roberts), AHS: Coven, 66. Glenn Fleshler Goran Pazar. avid Blaine and David Copperfield. But the latter half of the century and certainly through the present, depictions of witches, especially specifically non-scary witches, are certainly broader. The budget came from Scholastic itself. 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. Enroll in some sort of magical education schooling? The hook came from the press: Newspapers featured articles about the little English book that had garnered such a huge sale. In, , most witches and wizards live among non-magical folks. Strange was once a gifted, narcissistic neurosurgeon who, after losing the use of his hands, looked for a cure in the mythic Himalayas. Thomas Edison - Top 10 Most Beloved Wizards - TIME Unlike Stannis, we dont expect The Red Woman to go down too easily. 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. But several strictly magical communities appear throughout the series, giving just a glimpse of normal magical life. Harry Potter made YA book-to-movie franchises into one of the biggest forces in pop culture. They appear in fiction stories told in books and movies. Author J.K. Rowling was an unknown single mom when she first got the idea for her story while stuck on a train; the small UK childrens press that ultimately took a chance on it undoubtedly couldnt have predicted that it would have a measurable effect on everything it touched. Thats why it hurt so much more when she left us all too soon. But several strictly magical communities appear throughout the series, giving just a glimpse of normal magical life. Whenever a publisher acquires a book, it creates a budget for that book. How robust a warlock is this, the scourge of Middle-earth? While there is some debate surrounding Saurons position as a wizard, we think he deserves a spot on this list. For this poll we've created a list of the greatest wizards of all time, featuring the most famouswizards you know from movies, television, video games and more. The myth of Merlin can be traced all the way back to ancient Celtic lore, but it wasn't until an English bishop published Historia regum Britanniae in 1135 that the wizard became, by medieval standards, a pop-culture icon. But witchcraft wasnt the only evil the books were accused of peddling. , the Spellmans run a funeral home, which is the perfect cover for their spooky, gothic vibe in town. Ralph Fiennes, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | Ralph Fiennes in the Harry Potter saga (2001-present) Granted, the former Tom Riddle has a devil of a time killing just one little boy — Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE (2016)Benedict Cumberbatch CR: Marvel, DC Comics (1964-present) A sorceress who can trace her heritage back to alchemist Nicholas Flamel, soothsayer Nostradamus, and Leonardo Da Vinci, Zatanna is one of, Aladdin | Jonathan Freeman in Aladdin (1992) This not-so-humble court vizier gives in to his delusions of grandeur — especially when he gets his hands on the, The Tempest (1600s) William Shakespeare seemed to have a little thing for magicand revenge. He just knew that he loved it and wanted to publish it. Whatever you want to call them, all of these characters and famous people can be defined as wizards. 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. 46. Known well by book readers, Quentin will rank higher as a pop culture wizard soon, thanks to Syfys serialization of his journey to Brakebills. Cedric the Sensational (Jess Harnell), Sofia the First, 83. It lends an ounce of retroactive credibility to the witch hunters. There are still leagues to go in depicting witchcraft in its full diverse practice. It pushes back on the idea that witchcraft is inherently evil or something to fear. Glinda the Good Witch of the North (Billie Burke), The Wizard of Oz. While a bad guy, hes not exactly evil, more of a mischievous romantic with a bad temper. Since then, the childrens market as a whole has seen its sales increase by a total of 52 percent (4 percent a year). 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. Theres, of course, the Bible, and then. 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. 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. Ursula (Pat Carroll), The Little Mermaid. But sometimes the rules are a bit more stringent. But it only started to approach phenomenon levels when Scholastic bought the US publication rights for an astonishing $105,000, about 10 times more than the average foreign rights sale at the time. That theyre a family of witches is not generally public knowledge in Greendale. Starlord, Tom Bombadil, Rapunzel Cleric - A heavily-armored defensive supporter, devoted to a deity. Similar to Lord Voldermort, the White Witch is one scary mofo. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. The White Witch rules with an iron fist, turning those who oppose her into stone. D&D Character Classes with Examples from Pop Culture - Add Your Own! Sarah Goldberg Sally Reed. And then, of course, there are the strictly magical communities. More skilled than the Wicked Witch of the West, way more powerful than the ''wizard'' of Oz and presumably able to take a shower, Glinda is the very model of a modern female sorcerer. Saruman (Christopher Lee), Lord of the Rings, 45. 21. Whether theyre tangentially connected to the witch trials or overtly, both have an overlapping trait: there were witches in Salem. Of course, she and her coven *do * help young Thomasin discover her own powers, so its not all bad. Albus Dumbledore. Davina Claire (Danielle Campbell), The Originals, 68. It arranged for Harry Potter to be displayed on the front tables at bookstores, and for ads to appear in the right newspapers and magazines. She loved Willow completely, was there for Buffy at times when her other friends werent, cared for Dawn like she was her own sister, and was always willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good. We have selected the top wizards and witches across film, television, video games, comics, and books and ranked them according to powers + power in pop culture. Usually alongside a classically evil witch. 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. People generally didnt read the Harry Potter books in isolation; they wanted to talk about it with their friends, and then find more friends who loved the books as much as they did. This is a broad list including mystical wizards and sorcerers alongside more mundane, real-life alchemists. William Shakespeare seemed to have a little thing for magicand revenge. 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. She finds herself in the magical land of Oz, populated by Munchkins and ruled over by two witches and one all-powerful wizard. He was befriended by Russian nobles Emperor Nicholas and Empress Alexandra and began to exert influence over the two. Its telling that Salem specifically lies at the root of so many pop culture witches. and its famous 1939 film adaptation. 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. 2. Faye Chamberlain (Phoebe Tonkin), The Secret Circle. Not only can she steal beautiful voices, Ursula has, Big Trouble in Little China | James Hong in Big Trouble in Little China (1986) Cursed by a Chinese emperor centuries ago, Chinatown gang lord Lo Pan leads a ghostly existence. 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). 35. Tweet; Prev. And Harry Potter fans creativity is still being felt in and outside of the fandom. Though you can count on one hand the number of times Gandalf actually uses any magic in Peter Jackson's films, the Grey Pilgrim still commands enormous respect and carries a very nice staff. Justin Russo (David Henrie), Wizards of Waverly Place, 93. But you cant put a price on a talking cat. RELATED: 20 Celebs Who Starred in Horror Movies Before They Made it Big, 40. (Spoiler alert: It never works!). Unforatunelty for old noseless, Harry takes his revenge and dispatches him in the final book. Its true that Rowlings prose is best described as workmanlike and competent; if the reason you read is solely to enjoy perfectly balanced and polished sentences, you may be best served elsewhere. 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). But none of Scholastics efforts would have mattered in the end if the people who picked up the book hadnt loved it. but creating a coven without even knowing it is pretty cool, too. Top Billed Cast and Crew. Nancy Downs (Fairuza Balk), The Craft, 15. In both the. *The Vampire Diaries * resident good witch, Bonnie, uses her exceptional powers to help others, not hurt them. However, theres an unsettling side effect. While tales of his wizardry are often exaggerated, his death remains just as controversial. Do you want to be the first who gets the news directly to your mailbox? Who saved the day more than Hermione? 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. Explaining the Classes With Pop-Culture Characters 5e : r/DnD - Reddit Sabrina Spellman (Melissa Joan Hart), Sabrina: The Teenage Witch. Top 10 Witches In Pop Culture - ScienceFiction.com Asa Vadja (Barbara Steele), Black Sunday, NEXT: Witches and wizards 74 50[pagebreak], 74. Keanu Reeves played Constantine in the film of the same name, and while no classic, it is a decent adaptation of the character. Looks can be deceiving, and the seemingly frail puppet master pulling the Sith strings is not to be trifled with. In 2004, in the midst of the Harry Potter phenomenon, sales of non-Potter kid lit were increasing by 2 percent a year. She almost brings about Buffys demise but is saved and embarks on a redemptive arc in the series. Julie Taymor adapted The Tempest into a feature film in 2010, starring Helen Mirren as the sorceress Prospera. On-screen he is first played by Richard Harris, but after he passed, the great Michael Gambon took over. While the term magician might be more apt, these illusionists are still worth mentioning in the conversation of famous wizards. Exploring the Tropes of the Modern Day Good Witch in Pop Culture Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. He takes on many different forms, but the most recognized is that of a disembodied eye. See more about - The 22 Best 90s Cartoon Characters. Granted, maybe investing so much of his power into the One Ring wasn't the best tactical maneuver. Witches and wizards in pop culture: A definitive ranking 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. 98. We cant get enough of Revival, but before that, we couldnt get enough of Selena Gomez on the Disney Channel. An all-singing, all-dancing, all-evil underwater witch for the ages. Merlin (Elliot Knight), Once Upon a Time. Witches have captivated and fascinated us for centuries. He is a walking contradiction who has a cynical view of the world but does his best to help those in trouble. Yera wizard, Harry. The recent horror trilogy Fear Street actually circumvented this trope by making the accused witch in question actually innocent, reminding viewers of the horrific reality of the trials. These are the most famous wizards who have indebted history. 55. But still, in the Netflix seriesthough slightly less so in 90s sitcomthere are plenty of humans in on the secret. As with most evil types, Saurons quest for power doesnt end well, but while alive he remains a terrifying character throughout The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Something went wrong. 95. Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter), Harry Potter. NEXT: Witches and wizards 24 1[pagebreak], 24. Mesmerizing yet terrifying. 7. Teenager Louise (played by Blake Livelys sister Robin) inherits her abilities when she turns 16. Oheka Castle has been part of numerous moments in pop culture history, so it was a no-brainer to include it on this list. 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. Roxie Torcoletti (Rebecca Romijn), Eastwick. Sometimes witches are just people who want to drink a bunch of midnight margaritas and maybe break a family curse.