Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Wicked!
The Wizard of OzHis first death is iconic, but his story Evil makes this scene much more tragic than before. Evil does a lot to flesh out the world of the Land of Oz, exploring many events that occurred before and during the original story, as well as providing additional context for some of the The Wizard of Ozgreatest moments. While Evil changes the way fans see The Wizard of Oz in some important respects, the effect this has on The Wizard of OzThe first death of is absolutely the biggest.
Original by L. Frank Baum ounce stories have been adapted in many different ways, making the canonical status of Evil a little confusing. Evil is not technically a prequel to 1939 The Wizard of Oz film, as the film that made the Land of Oz iconic is still owned by Warner Bros., while Evil it was made by Universal Pictures. Then, while Evil lifts some elements from 1939 The Wizard of Ozlike some of the famous iconography, it is technically just a prequel to the original book by L. Frank Baum The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its sequels.
The Wicked Witch of the East is so different knowing she is Nessarose
Making Dorothy's first death that much more tragic
When Dorothy first arrives in Oz in The Wizard of Ozthe first thing she does is accidentally kill the Wicked Witch of the East. Upon entering Munchkinland, Dorothy realizes that her house has accidentally fallen into the hands of the Witchmuch to the excitement of many Munchkins. However, the Wicked Witch of the West appears soon after, furious that Dorothy killed her sister. The Wizard of Oz never explores the dynamics between these two sisters after that moment, this being one of the EvilThe musical's biggest changes, as the musical reveals that the Wicked Witch of the East is Nessarose.
In EvilNessarose is Elphaba's sister, being the reason why Elphaba is at Shiz University in the first place. The first Evil the film does not make it explicitly clear to those unfamiliar with the musical that Nessarose is the Wicked Witch of the East, with the only hints being the fact that they are siblings and also Nessarose's silver shoes. In the second act of the musical, however, it is revealed that Nessarose is the one who Dorothy crushes with her house upon arriving in the Land of Oz, with this revelation completely changing one of the The Wizard of Ozgreatest moments.
Wicked makes the Wicked Witch of the East an easy-to-love character
But that will change in the second act
Nessarose's death in Wicked Part Two will be tragic, because the first Evil makes the Wicked Witch of the East an easy character to love. In the first film, Nessarose has virtually no flaws, being kind to everyone around her. The sisterly bond between Elphaba and Nessarose is one of the emotional cores of Elphaba's character, with her just wanting to protect Nessarose while in Shiz. Nessarose's relationship with Boq also makes the character more sympathetic, as Boq's secret desire for Glinda makes the audience feel bad for Nessarose.
So while Nessarose may be called the Wicked Witch of the East, the first Evil the movie doesn't really give any reason for her to be evil. Nessarose will make some choices in Wicked Part Two this will make her a little less sympathetic, setting the stage for her death. However, EvilThe treatment of Nessarose in the second act has always been one of the biggest criticisms of the original musical, which means there's potential for Wicked Part Two to make some changes to your bow.
Wicked 2 will be moving thanks to Nessarose's death
She is a pawn in the villains' plans
Nessarose receives a much greater focus in the second act of Evil, meaning that Wicked Part Two it will be even more painful thanks to Nessarose's death. After the time jump in the sequel, it will be revealed that Nessarose has become the governor of Munchkinland, although her rule has become a little too authoritarian for many Munchkins' tastes. However, Nessarose is one of the few people in Oz that Elphaba still loves, with Nessarose's charming silver shoes so she can walk.
Later, Glinda, the Enchantress, and Madame Morrible use Nessarose to lure Elphaba out of hiding, causing her death so that Elphaba appears in Munchklinland. This had an incredible emotional impact on Elphaba, with the fact that Nessarose was used as a pawn making her death even more tragic. Despite Nessarose being a bigger player in the next Evil movie, she won't be around for long, with this story completely recontextualizing Dorothy's first death in The Wizard of Oz.