Elphaba

"Elphie" redirects here. For people and with fictional characters with similar names, see Elfi.

Elphaba Thropp /ˈɛlfəbə ˈθrɒp/ is the protagonist in the 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, in its musical theatre adaptation Wicked, and in the musical's upcoming two-part film adaptation. The character is identified with the Wicked Witch of the West from L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Elphaba
The Wicked Years character
Myra Ruiz as Elphaba in the original Brazilian production of the musical version of Wicked.
First appearance	Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995)
Created by	Gregory Maguire
Based on	Wicked Witch of the West by L. Frank Baum
Portrayed by	Idina Menzel (musical adaptation) Cynthia Erivo (two-part film adaptation)
In-universe information
Full name	Elphaba Thropp
Alias	Wicked Witch of the West
Family	Oscar Diggs (father) Nessarose Thropp (half-sister)
Significant other	Fiyero Tigelaar
Children	Liir Thropp (son)
Nationality	Ozian

In the Baum novel, the Witch is unnamed and little is explained about her life; Wicked creates a backstory for her and explores the world of The Wizard of Oz from her perspective. Elphaba is modeled after Margaret Hamilton's portrayal in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz: green-skinned, clad entirely in black and wearing a tall peaked hat. Maguire formulated the name "Elphaba" from the pronunciation of Baum's initials—"L.F.B."

Portrayals

The role was originated on Broadway and the West End by Idina Menzel, who won the 2004 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. The role is currently slated to be played by Cynthia Erivo in the upcoming two-part film adaptation of the musical, with Karis Musongole portraying the character as a child in the first film.