Over the last 100 years, we’ve seen a lot of witches portrayed in popular culture. And let me tell you, these witches could not be more different. Some of these witches are classic, with their green skin and broom riding abilities. Others look entirely human up until they pull out a wand. Then there are the outliers, who fight alongside superheroes, battle the Night King or seduce Greek heroes on their island.
Take a look at 16 iconic witches depicted in popular culture in the gallery below and the tattoos that depict them. Then let us know your favorite witch from this list (or one that we didn’t mention) in the comments section on social media.
The Wicked Witch of the West
Debut: 1900 (“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” novel), 1939 (“The Wizard of Oz” film)
Good or Bad: Bad
Portrayed By: Margaret Hamilton
Iconic Quote: “I’ll get you my pretty and your little dog too.”
Other Media: 2003’s “Wicked” play
Glinda the Good Witch
Debut: 1900 (“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” novel), 1939 (“The Wizard of Oz” film)
Good or Bad: Good
Portrayed By: Billie Burke
Iconic Quote: “You have no power here! Begone, before somebody drops a house on you, too!”
Other Media: 2003’s “Wicked” play
Hermione Granger
Debut: 1997 (“Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” novel), 2001 (“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” film)
Good or Bad: Good
Portrayed By: Emma Watson
Iconic Quote: “Books! And cleverness! There are more important things! — Friendship! And Bravery!”
Other Media: 2016’s “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” play
Luna Lovegood
Debut: 2003 (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” novel) and 2007 (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” film)
Good or Bad: Good
Iconic Quote: “My mum always said things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end. If not always in the way we expect.”
Portrayed By: Evanna Lynch
Bellatrix Lestrange
Debut: 2003 (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” novel) and 2007 (“Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” film)
Good or Bad: Bad
Iconic Quote: “You stupid elf! You could have killed me!”
Portrayed By: Helena Bonham Carter
Winnifred Sanderson
Debut: 1993 (“Hocus Pocus”)
Good or Bad: Bad
Iconic Quote: “Oh look, another glorious morning. Makes me sick!”
Portrayed By: Bette Midler
Sarah Sanderson
Debut: 1993 (“Hocus Pocus”)
Good or Bad: Bad
Iconic Quote: “Hang him on a hook and let me play with him!”
Portrayed By: Sarah Jessica Parker
Nancy Downs
Debut: 1996 (“The Craft”)
Good or Bad: Bad
Iconic Quote: “You know in the old days, if a witch betrayed her coven… they would kill her.”
Portrayed By: Fairuza Balk
Other Media: 2020’s “The Craft: Legacy”
Maleficent
Debut: 1959 (“Sleeping Beauty”) and 2014 (“Maleficent”)
Good or Bad: Bad
Iconic Quote: “You poor simple fools, thinking you could defeat me. Me? The mistress of all evil? Well here’s your precious Princess!”
Portrayed By: Eleanor Audley and Angelina Jolie
Other Media: 2014’s “Maleficent” and 2019’s “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”
Ursula
Debut: 1989 (“The Little Mermaid”)
Good or Bad: Bad
Iconic Quote: “Babies! My poor little poopsies.”
Portrayed By: Pat Carroll
Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Debut: 1971 (“Sabrina the Teenage Witch” comic), 1996 (“Sabrina the Teenage Witch” TV series) and 2018 (“Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” TV series)
Good or Bad: Good
Iconic Quote: “My soul is who I am, and I signed it away.”
Portrayed By: Melissa Joan Hart and Kiernan Shipka
The Scarlet Witch
Debut: 1964 (“The X Men #4” comic), 2015 (“Avengers: Age of Ultron” film)
Good or Bad: Good
Iconic Quote: “Everybody’s Afraid Of Something.”
Portrayed By: Elizabeth Olsen
Other Media: 2021’s “WandaVision”
Kiki
Debut: 1989 (“Kiki’s Delivery Service”)
Good or Bad: Good
Iconic Quote: “Flying used to be fun until I started doing it for a living.”
Portrayed By: Minami Takayama
Mercy
Debut: 2016 (“Overwatch”)
Good or Bad: Good
Iconic Quote: “Did someone call a doctor?”
Portrayed By: Lucie Pohl
Circe
Debut: 8th-century BC (“Odyssey”)
Good or Bad: Bad
Iconic Quote: “Circe is an expert in drugs and potions. When she invites Odysseus to sleep with her, her language suggests that she sees sex as a kind of potion, a ‘magic work’ that involves mixing two ingredients. Her offer to ‘breed deep trust’ between her and Odysseus sounds like a promise, but it also carries a threat. It suggests that once they have slept together, Odysseus will ‘trust’ her whether or not he should.”
Melisandre
Debut: 2011 (“Game of Thrones”)
Good or Bad: Bad
Iconic Quote: “There’s no need to execute me, Ser Davos. I’ll be dead before the dawn.”
Portrayed By: Carice van Houten
Enchantress
Debut: 1966 (“Strange Adventures #187”), 2016 (“Suicide Squad”)
Good or Bad: Bad
Iconic Quote: “I’ve been waiting for you all night. Step out of the shadows. I won’t bite.”
Portrayed By: Cara Delevingne