Witches have kept a strong hold on our fantasies. Their pop culture appearances have changed over the years—sometimes terrifying, sometimes comedic, always compelling. Witches on television and film capture everything from our darkest fears to our evolving values. Let’s look—counting down from ten—at the most impactful witches who’ve made their mark on film and television.
10. Sabrina Spellman – The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Sabrina Spellman has evolved a great deal since her first appearance in comic books, but when she appears in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, she comes with a new, bold energy. This Netflix show transforms the offbeat magic of the original TV series and puts it aside to bring something darker, more intense, and more empowering. Sabrina isn’t merely balancing teen life and spellbooks; she’s rebelling against oppressive systems, defying rules, and asserting herself. Her tale is for anyone who’s had to create their path in an expectation-filled world. This Sabrina is no sidekick—she’s the revolution.
9. The Witches of American Horror Story: Coven
American Horror Story: Coven borrowed the concept of witches and turned them into fashionable, hazardous, and unapologetically fierce. With a backdrop of a school for young witches in New Orleans, this season introduced us to irreparable characters such as Fiona Goode and Marie Laveau—women who are complex, strong, and never afraid to fight for what they stand for. It was not only about spell-casting; it was about legacy, identity, and who gets to wield power. With its trendy look and gritty feeling, Coven made witches hip again, proving that power is diverse, and it doesn’t have to play nice.
8. The Halliwell Sisters – Charmed
Few programs got sisterhood’s magic quite like Charmed. The Halliwell sisters—Prue, Piper, Phoebe, and later Paige—didn’t only fight demons using magic. They taught us that strength lies in women helping women. Amidst all the drama, heartache, and battles with the underworld, the show remained rooted in love and loyalty. It was a representation of how women could be powerful collectively, not in isolation, but in unity. Charmed did more than entertain—it empowered.
7. Aggie Cromwell – Halloweentown
Debbie Reynolds infused so much warmth and charm into the character of Aggie Cromwell in Halloweentown that it’s difficult to envision anyone else doing it justice. As a clever, slightly wicked grandmother witch, Aggie made magic easy and pleasant. The movie welcomed the notion that witches could be friendly, family-friendly, and loving role models rather than frightening creatures lurking in the darkness. For children who came of age in the late ’90s and early 2000s, Aggie was the perfect magical granny—cool, smart, and always ready to rescue the day with a grin.
6. The Blair Witch – The Blair Witch Project
No bubbling cauldrons or broomsticks here—just raw terror. The Blair Witch never needs to appear on screen, but her impact is indelible. The Blair Witch Project terrified viewers half to death with its gritty, found-footage aesthetic and unsettling feeling of foreboding. The myth of the Blair Witch was not so much an exercise in special effects as it was an exercise in psychological terror of the unknown. She became a kind of folklore before our very eyes—a reminder that sometimes witches are the ones you don’t see at all.
5. Sally and Gillian Owens – Practical Magic
Practical Magic presented us with something all too rare: a witch tale based in love, loss, and recovery. Sally Owens and Gillian Owens, portrayed by Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, are two sisters torn between tradition and living free. Their path is messy, emotional, and ultimately very human. What makes them unique isn’t flashy magic—it’s their relationship. The movie touches on generational trauma, womanhood, and the resilience that grows from heartache. With laughter and tears, they demonstrate that true magic is about standing up to the pain and yet loving anyway.
4. Nancy Downs and the Girls – The Craft
If ever you were the high school outsider, The Craft most likely resonated with you. These weren’t your average witches—they were angry, hurt, and desperately trying to find control in a world that offered none. Nancy, Rochelle, Bonnie, and Sarah pour their agony into magic, and the result is strong, frightening, and endlessly identifiable. The film never flinches from illustrating the way power can corrupt—or how power can cure. It remains a raw portrait of teenage angst and the cost of attempting to alter your destiny decades later.
3. The Sanderson Sisters – Hocus Pocus
Wild, messy, side-splitting—the Sanderson Sisters are anything but forgettable. In Hocus Pocus, Winifred, Sarah, and Mary are the type of bad girls you find yourself rooting for. They’re dramatic, flamboyant, and far too enjoyable to despise. The movie blends macabre magic with camp humor, and since its release, it’s become an annual Halloween favorite. What distinguishes these witches is how deeply human they are—imperfect, boisterous, silly, and yes, a wee bit wicked, but always compelling. They don’t have to be idealized—they’re legendary just as they are.
2. Samantha Stephens – Bewitched
Before magic equated to rebellion, it equated to conformity. Samantha Stephens of Bewitched introduced a hint of the paranormal into the very middle of American suburban life. With a flick of her nose, she could repair anything—except expectations of society. Her abilities needed to be camouflaged, her drive suppressed, all the while living as a good housewife. But under the sitcom satire, Samantha was a subtle radical, alluding to the discontent of women during the 1960s. She embodied the fantasy of having it all—and paying the price for acting less than you are.
1. Glinda and the Wicked Witch – The Wizard of Oz
And so it began here. The Wizard of Oz did not merely present us with witches—it established them. Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West provided the template: light vs. dark, sweet vs. sinister. With her green complexion and flying monkeys, the Wicked Witch was cemented as the arch-villain. Glinda, in her shining gown, proved to the world that witches could be benevolent and powerful. They both contributed to how generations would perceive magic on the screen. Over 80 years later, their impact continues to ring out in every witchy tale thereafter.
Witches are not just spellcasters—there’s more to them. They’re reflections of our culture. They change with us, push against us, and sometimes frighten us. Whether they’re battling demons or shattering dishes with their minds, they’re some of the most interesting characters in both film and television. Their magic? It’s not in the spells, but in their power to continue fascinating us, decade by decade.