Why Nessarose Truly Became Wicked: The Tragic Story No One Talks About

Everyone knows Elphaba — the green-skinned rebel who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West.

But almost nobody stops to ask the more heartbreaking question:

How did her own sister, Nessarose, become the Wicked Witch of the East?

Not because she was evil.

Not because she craved power.

But because her entire life quietly pushed her toward becoming a villain.

This is the part of Wicked almost no one talks about.

And today, we’re examining the real reason Nessarose became “wicked.”

A Tragedy That Began Before She Was Born

Nessarose’s story starts long before her first breath.

Her parents, Melena Thropp and Frex, looked perfect in public.

But behind closed doors, their relationship was collapsing.

According to the Wicked musical and movies, Melena has an affair with a mysterious man. He gives her a glowing green elixir. She drinks it — unaware of how it will change everything.

That elixir is the reason Elphaba is born green.

Frex never accepts her.

He sees her as a mistake, not a daughter.

Elphaba grows up believing she was never wanted.

But this early trauma sets off a chain of events that eventually shapes Nessarose’s tragic fate.

Milk Flowers and a Life-Changing Loss

When Melena becomes pregnant again, Frex becomes terrified.

He doesn’t want another “abnormal” child.

So he forces her to take milk flowers — a substance meant to calm the baby.

Instead, it causes premature labor.

Melena dies in childbirth.

Nessarose survives, but she is born disabled.

Frex never recovers.

He blames Elphaba even more than before.

And he pours every ounce of love into Nessarose.

Two sisters.

One adored.

One rejected.

These opposite childhoods become the foundation of everything that follows.

The Book vs. the Musical: A Darker Truth

In the original 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire, Nessarose’s disability is portrayed far more severely.

She isn’t just unable to walk —

she’s born without arms.

This version highlights an even deeper emotional struggle.

She grows up feeling:

• helpless
• isolated
• dependent
• and desperate for control

The musical and movie version soften this, but the book reveals why Nessarose develops such emotional fragility — and why she clings to power later in life.

Elphaba Becomes “Wicked” — and Nessarose’s World Falls Apart

At the end of the first Wicked movie, Elphaba exposes the Wizard and rejects his authority. Madame Morrible immediately brands her:

“The Wicked Witch.”

The news devastates their father.

He suffers a heart attack and dies.

Suddenly, the position of Governor of Munchkinland opens up.

And Nessarose takes the throne.

This is where her transformation truly begins.

Ruling Through Fear Instead of Strength

As governor, Nessarose doesn’t rule with love.

She rules with fear.

She forces Boq to become her servant.

She restricts the freedoms of the Munchkins.

She clings to authority like it’s the only thing keeping her whole.

To outsiders, she looks cruel.

To herself, she finally feels in control — after a lifetime of helplessness.

But control built on fear always collapses.

And Nessarose’s breaking point comes fast.

The Love Triangle That Broke Her Heart

At Shiz University, Boq is one of the few people who treats Nessarose kindly. She mistakes his kindness for affection.

But Boq loves Glinda.

Trying to escape his attention, Glinda gently pushes him toward Nessarose.

A harmless act — but one that Nessarose interprets as destiny.

For the first time in her life, she feels wanted.

Loved.

Chosen.

She becomes emotionally attached.

Then dependent.

Then terrified of losing him.

Her fear soon turns into obsession.

The Slippers, the Spell, and the Mistake That Changed Everything

When Elphaba returns home as a fugitive, she enchants Melena’s old slippers to help Nessarose.

The stage version allows Nessarose to walk again.

The movie version changes this — she is able to fly instead.

This update was made to avoid harmful disability tropes.

But the emotional impact remains the same.

Boq sees her newfound freedom.

And he realizes she doesn’t need him anymore.

Which means he’s finally free…

to go back to Glinda.

Nessarose panics.

She grabs the Grimmerie.

She casts a dangerous spell to make Boq stay.

The spell backfires.

Boq’s heart begins to shrink.

Elphaba rushes in and saves him the only way she can — by turning him into the Tin Man.

But Nessarose cannot face the truth.

So she blames Elphaba.

This is the moment she crosses into true “wickedness.”

The World Turns Against Her

After the Boq incident, Munchkinland citizens whisper behind her back.

They see:

• a harsh ruler
• an unpredictable leader
• a governor consumed by fear

They call her controlling.

They call her cruel.

They call her wicked.

But Nessarose isn’t wicked because she wants to hurt people.

She’s wicked because no one sees the loneliness driving her decisions.

Will the Wicked Movies Change Her Ending?

In The Wizard of Oz, Nessarose dies when Dorothy’s house falls on her.

Instant.

Brutal.

Forgotten within seconds.

But since the Wicked films are already updating parts of her story — including avoiding the “cure” narrative — it’s possible her death may also be rewritten.

For the first time, Nessarose might receive an ending that reflects the depth of her tragedy.

The Real Reason Nessarose Became Wicked

Nessarose didn’t become wicked out of malice.

She became wicked because she was:

• loved too intensely
• sheltered too tightly
• wounded too deeply
• and never taught how to process her pain

Her story is not one of evil.

It’s one of heartbreak.

She is one of the most tragic characters in the world of Wicked — not because of what she did, but because of what the world never let her become.