Wicked 2 Reveals Why Glinda Can’t Know Elphaba Is Alive

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The musical Wicked: For Good concluded with Glinda not knowing that Elphaba was still alive, which left many viewers curious. The upcoming film Wicked 2 builds on the success of the first and reveals more about the events surrounding the classic 1937 film, The Wizard of Oz.

Warning – The rest of this article contains spoilers for Wicked: For Good.

Okay, so the ending of Wicked: For Good totally blew me away! You see Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, and it looks like she’s melting when Dorothy throws water on her. It’s a direct callback to The Wizard of Oz – remember the Wicked Witch of the West melting? They recreated that iconic moment, and it was so clever!

Honestly, as a film buff, that scene always gets me. It’s heartbreaking watching Glinda say goodbye to Elphaba, and then to see her secretly watching, tears streaming down her face as Elphaba seemingly vanishes… it’s powerful stuff. But the real twist? Turns out Elphaba didn’t actually die! She and Fiyero staged her death, and she escaped Oz, leaving Glinda to take the lead. It’s a brilliant reveal and adds so much depth to their story.

The movie Wicked: For Good continues the story from the Broadway musical Wicked, following up on the 2024 film. Starring Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, and Jonathan Bailey, the film shows how Glinda becomes known as ‘Glinda the Good’ and Elphaba is labeled the ‘Wicked Witch of the West,’ creating a public rivalry while they deal with their complex connection. Wicked: For Good is now playing in cinemas.

Why Can’t Glinda Know Elphaba Is Alive In Wicked: For Good?

Although Wicked 2 explained many parts of the story from The Wizard of Oz (and even improved upon some elements of the original stage production), it never directly reveals why Elphaba doesn’t let Glinda know she survived.

In the first Broadway show, Fiyero—the character who later becomes the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz—chooses not to tell Glinda that Elphaba is still alive. He believes Glinda knowing would put them all in danger and could ruin their attempt to escape from Oz.

Fans speculated that Glinda might have sought out Elphaba after learning she was still alive, or that she may have revealed Elphaba’s location, either on purpose or by mistake.

As a film buff, I’ve been thinking about why they didn’t tell Glinda that Elphaba lived, and while the movie doesn’t spell it out, it feels like the reason mirrors the stage show. It’s all hinted at, rather than directly stated, but it definitely seems like the same logic applies.

However, some argue that Glinda’s ability to open Elphaba’s spellbook, the Grimmerie, at the end of the movie proves something. Earlier, she couldn’t open it because it only responded to a real witch. This happens after Elphaba and Fiyero have left Oz.

People wondered if Elphaba had to disappear so Glinda could get the Grimmerie, suggesting Elphaba’s magical abilities weren’t connected to the book itself. Now that Elphaba appears to be leaving the Grimmerie with Glinda, the book seems to accept Glinda and let her use its magic. This could be a sign to Glinda that Elphaba isn’t really gone, because her magic continues to exist within the book.

Whether you agree with it or not, the witches in both Wicked films developed a remarkably strong connection that lasted, even though their lives took very different turns after leaving Shiz University.

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2025-11-26 00:05