Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande-Butera) looking at each other in Wicked: For Good
Warning: Contains spoilers for Wicked: For Good!Elphaba and Glinda's emotional journeys reach a conclusion with Wicked: For Good's ending, reshaping the status quo of Oz and teaching everyone about the value of friendship and goodness.
Adapting the second half of the Broadway musical, the sequel to 2024's Wicked sees Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's characters fight for a better future for themselves and their fellow Ozians. Filled with even more songs, Wicked: For Good's finale revolves around Glinda turning against The Wizard and Elphaba realizing that there's nothing left for her to do to help Oz. This sets in motion a conclusion reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz's ending, where the Wicked Witch of the West dies, Glinda takes power, and Oz is"saved" by Dorothy. Let's break down where Wicked: For Good's ending leaves Glinda, Elphaba, and Fiyero, how it compares to the Broadway show and book, and whether this sets up a continuation. Why & How Elphaba Faked Her Death The big twist of Wicked: For Good is that Elphaba did not die as all of Oz, including Glinda, believe. Changing the character's fate in The Wizard of Oz, the Wicked Witch of the West is revealed to have faked her death at Dorothy Gale's hands. This is done by using Ozian's belief that water will kill her, as Elphaba fills a bucket to be used against her before Dorothy even gets to Kiamo Ko. Once the Kansas girl throws the water toward the green-skinned witch, she fakes melting and slips into one of the secret passageways hidden in the floor of the castle that Fiyero told her about previously. Elphaba only reveals that she is alive once Fiyero, who has been transformed into The Scarecrow, arrives. He helped set this plan into motion by having Chistery fly to Elphaba with a message about his state, the approaching attackers, and seemingly a suggestion to hide in the castle until he gets there. The reason why Elphaba makes this decision is that she's come to accept that Oz will never truly accept her and listen to what she says. Despite her incredible power, she's been made into a villain figure who Ozians will not get behind. She heeds the advice of Dulcibear and the other animals that the land will never be safe as long as she's around. As a result, Elphaba shifts her plan so that Glinda can enact the right changes. She'll have an easier time transforming Oz and restoring the land to how it should be thanks to her public standing. And with Glinda wanting to do good and help others, her new perspective of stepping outside her bubble works with Elphaba's dreams. Why The Grimmerie Opens For Glinda One of the final moments of Wicked: For Good is Glinda in Emerald City with The Grimmerie book after Elphaba gave her the magical item and told her she'll need to learn how to read it. To her surprise, she suddenly sees The Grimmerie flipping open and landing on the page of a spell. Since Glinda cannot do magic, why the book opens for her in this moment is curious, and there are a few different potential explanations. The first is that The Grimmerie has recognized the change in Glinda that has recently occurred. With her no longer acting in her own self-interest, this could be a moment when the magically mysterious book grants her the ability to use it. The Wicked movies have shown the spell book flip open on its own at times, going to pages that are connected to what a person wants. Glinda may now be getting the powers she's desperately wanted her entire life, now that she has embraced being good. Elphaba's connection to The Grimmerie opens another possibility. Even though she is not nearby, could the witch have opened the book, knowing that Glinda would be near it? If this is the case, then this could be Elphaba's way of cleverly telling Glinda that her friend is still alive, even if she's not in Oz anymore. However, this would go against some of Elphaba's final words, as she acknowledges to Fiyero that she knows no one can know they're both alive, including Glinda. However, with the theme of friendship present in this story and the strong bond formed between the two women, Elphaba might have reconsidered her decision to give her friend some comfort. Where Elphaba & Fiyero Go Wicked: For Good ends with Elphaba and Fiyero together, as they've left the land of Oz behind. They're shown traversing through a barren, windy, and mysterious location. Where Elphaba and Fiyero have gone is not officially known by name. It's only known as the "place beyond Oz." This information comes thanks to Elphaba's conversation with the animals trying to leave Oz under the yellow brick road. Unfortunately, there are no details about where the romantic couple has gone in the books or musical, as the latter typically only shows them going to an unspecified location. How Glinda Reshapes Oz With Elphaba gone, Glinda takes it upon herself to bring Oz back to a place of glory. She sends The Wizard away after revealing to him that Elphaba was his daughter. Madame Morrible is then thrown into prison for her evil schemes with The Wizard, killing Nessarose, and so on. This leaves a vacancy of power in Oz that Glinda steps into, promising to all Ozians — human and animal — that she'll live up to her"Glinda the Good" name at last. She fulfills Elphaba's plan to allow animals to freely be part of society once more, as they're shown living in Munchkinland and Emerald City, with Dr. Dillamond even going back to teach at Shiz University. What Happened To Dorothy, The Cowardly Lion, & The Tin Man/Boq? Dorothy, The Cowardly Lion, and Boq play minor roles on screen in Wicked: For Good, and they're last seen in Emerald City as The Wizard leaves in his hot air balloon. The movie doesn't clarify exactly what happens to this trio of Wizard of Oz characters. Based on the source material, Dorothy goes home to Kansas, even though some Ozians believe that she remained. The Cowardly Lion's story continued in the books, with him eventually becoming the Throne Minister of Oz. Meanwhile, Boq is not present in any future stories part of the Wicked revisionist series. Does Wicked: For Good's Ending Set Up Wicked 3? So, where does this leave the future of the Wicked franchise? It'd be understandable to plant seeds for future adventures in Oz just in case there is enough demand to see more after Wicked: For Good and extend this tale beyond what the musical showed. The truth is that Wicked: For Good doesn't really set up Wicked 3 in a proper way. Elphaba and Glinda live on as usual, giving the franchise the freedom to bring back either or both characters in the future. However, this is the end of the story as told on Broadway, and the finale is a fitting conclusion. There is currently no indication that Wicked 3 will happen. There are additional books penned by Gregory Maguire, like the follow-up Son of a Witch, that could be turned into movies next should Universal decide that this franchise should live on. Should that happen, some big revelations will have to be made to advance the story like the novels. How Wicked: For Good's Ending Compares To The Musical & Book Unsurprisingly, Wicked: For Good's ending is incredibly accurate to the musical. While that play is based on Maguire's novel, it made major changes to the characters and story in bringing the story to the stage. Universal's two-part films are more direct adaptations of the musical compared to the book, and the creative team didn't deviate substantially from this conclusion. That's a different story when comparing the finale to the book. Everything from Fiyero and Boq's transformations, Dillamond and Morrible not dying, and Elphaba's survival is not present in the book. Meanwhile, the novel included Elphaba and Fiyero's son, along with an entirely different wife and kid for Fiyero, who are all absent from the musical and movie. The Real Meaning Of Wicked: For Good If Wicked was about whether someone is born a villain or turned into one, Wicked: For Good continues the dissection of what it means to be good or evil. The lengths someone will go to appear heroic or make someone else appear as a villain are shown, as is how far others will go to protect the ones they love. This is tied to another one of the movie's major themes, finding your home. Elphaba and Glinda are faced with figuring out if Oz is a place worth fighting for and whether it's a place where they truly belong. Additionally, the power of friendship is a core meaning for Wicked: For Good. How relationships change someone for the better and/or permanently is a key theme of the"For Good" song, and with the film's title utilizing that phrase, that idea looms over the entire movie as Elphaba and Glinda's friendship is tested and grows closer. 8/10 Wicked: For Good Like Follow Followed PG Drama Fantasy Romance Release Date November 21, 2025 Runtime 137 Minutes Director Jon M. Chu Writers Winnie Holzman, Dana Fox, Gregory Maguire Producers Marc Platt, David Stone 11 Images Close Cast See All
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New Wicked: For Good Posters Reveal Elphaba's Gravity-Defying Castle & Oz In All Its GloryAbigail is an editor for ScreenRant, currently writing and editing movie news. You may also have seen her thoughts on animated television, musical theater, and fantasy literature in Paste Magazine, Fantasy Hive, or The Oxford Blue. She has also written SR lists and op-eds covering movies, TV, and books as well.
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