Elphaba Thropp is the central character of Gregory Maguire’s Wicked Years series. Born with green skin in the land of Oz, she is shunned and misunderstood throughout her life. In Maguire’s retelling, she is not a villain but a passionate, sharp-minded woman who opposes the Wizard’s authoritarian regime and pays the price for it. The name “Elphaba” was coined by Maguire from L. Frank Baum’s initials.
The character became widely known through the Broadway musical Wicked (2003), where she was originally played by Idina Menzel, and the 2024 film starring Cynthia Erivo. Maguire returned to the character in Elphie (2025), a prequel covering her childhood years.
Reading Order#
See the complete The Wicked Years reading order for all books in the series.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Elphaba?
Elphaba Thropp is the main character of Gregory Maguire’s Wicked Years series. Born with bright green skin, she is the woman who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West in the Land of Oz. Maguire’s novels reframe her as a political rebel and principled outcast rather than a villain.
What books does Elphaba appear in?
Elphaba appears in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995) and the prequel Elphie (2025), which covers her childhood. Her son Liir and granddaughter Rain carry on her story in Son of a Witch, A Lion Among Men, and Out of Oz.
Where does the name Elphaba come from?
Gregory Maguire invented the name Elphaba from the initials of L. Frank Baum (L.F.B.), the original author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In Baum’s books, the Wicked Witch of the West has no given name.