The Top 10 Best Movie Witches
5. Queen Ravena- The Huntsman Films
I’m not a big Kristen Stewart fan, but that’s not the only reason why I included Queen Ravena. I also included her because Charlize Theron is a total boss! Seriously though, The Huntsman movies weren’t exactly high art. That doesn’t mean they didn’t have their enjoyable parts, it’s just that they all starred Theron. When it comes to pure power not many of the movie witches on this list are even close to the same league as Ravena. She pretty much enslaved an entire nation through a combination of fear and raw power. That’s mostly because everyone who took a stand against her ended up 6 feet underground, but if that’s not impressive, then how about coming back from the dead to take revenge on the people who killed you (there was a sequel, remember)?
4. The Sanderson Sisters- Hocus Pocus
No trio says Halloween like the Sanderson sisters. This trio of movie witches consists of Kathy Najimy, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Bette Midler, which means it’s pretty much impossible to pick just one. That’s why they’re the second coven to make this list. While they might not be the most powerful or fearsome witches to grace the big screen, I still get excited to see them every October. It’s a great child-friendly Halloween flick the whole family can love and the Sanderson Sisters are pretty much the sole reason for that. That being said, they’re not exactly the good kind of witches. In fact, they’re probably the most stereotypical witches on this list. That doesn’t mean I’m going to stop watching Hocus Pocus every October.
3. Hermione Granger- The Harry Potter Franchise
How was I not supposed to include Hermione Granger on this list? Despite the fact that she’s from a series named after another character, we all know that Hermione was the real heavy hitter on team Potter. While Harry was “The Boy Who Lived” and Ron was a legacy, Hermione had to deal with having muggle parents but also faced the challenges of being a woman in a “wizarding” world. She might not have been the most powerful spell slinger in the series, but that didn’t stop her from working her tail off to become a walking magical encyclopedia. I’m not going to argue that Hermione is a perfect character, but that’s not the point. She’s an important character, one that has had a long-lasting ripple effect on young adult novels and films. The fact that she’s also a witch means she’s a perfect addition to this list.
2. The Wicked Witch of the West- The Wizard of Oz
When it came down to the final cuts for this top 10 list, The Wicked Witch of the West was locked in battle with Glinda the Good Witch of the South, but then I remembered that Glenda was actually awful. I mean, she pretty much took out a hit on her sister and used some bumpkin’ from Kansas as her assassin. That’s why The Wicked Witch is on this list of movie witches and not Glenda. She did it all from riding on a broom to pyromancy to some horrible form of magic gene-splicing resulting in monkey birds. That’s why she’s probably the first character that popped into your head when you read the title of this list. If only she wasn’t murdered by that monster Dorothy. Who knows what horrors Elphaba could have unleashed on Oz.
1. The Grand High Witch- The Witches
Looking back on things now, I had a good childhood despite my parents showing me The Witches while I was still in my formative years. In all seriousness though we’ve had some good witches and some bad witches on this list, but the number one slot has to go to the most nightmarish of all the movie witches. If you haven’t seen The Witches, it’s a film about a boy who discovers a convention of witches at the hotel he’s staying at masquerading as Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. While there have been a few coven leaders on this list, a convention is a whole other mess of clams. Then again that’s probably why they call her the Grand High Witch and why she’s the big kahuna on this list of movie witches.
Honorary Mention: Maleficent
Maleficent is pretty overpowered when it comes to movie witches, but the animated version outshines the live action version. Sorry, Angelina Jolie.
Special Shout-Out: Jane Doe- The Autopsy of Jane Doe
Despite not having any lines or really doing anything at all, Jane Doe remains one of the scariest witches I’ve ever seen on the big screen. As a pair of modern-day morticians perform an autopsy on her, they slowly discover the horrifying truth behind her and her death. Now that they’ve disturbed her, they are subjected to her horrifying curse.
There you have it, the best of the movie witches. This was definitely one of the more difficult top 10 lists I’ve ever tackled since there are so many great characters to choose from. That being said, what did you think of the witches on this list? Are there any you really wanted to see on it? Be sure to leave a comment below and check back to see if any new movie witches manage to earn a spot.