Warning: This article contains potential spoilers for Wicked and its upcoming sequel, Wicked: For Good.

During Wicked’s iconic “Defying Gravity” scene, there is a subtle but sinister detail that hints at who was truly responsible for Elphaba’s eventual transformation into the Wicked Witch of the West. Directed by John M. Lau, Wicked is adapted from the acclaimed 2003 Broadway musical and acts as a prequel to the 1900 novel The Wizard of Oz, written by L. Frank Baum. Wicked explores the life of Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) and the events that took place during her time as a student at Shiz University that eventually caused her to become known throughout Oz as the Wicked Witch of the West.

Upon release, Wicked became an international phenomenon, with reviews praising it for its faithfulness to the original musical and the performances of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. Among many accolades, Wicked won the Golden Globe for Cinematic Box Office Achievement and two Oscars for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design. The upcoming sequel is called Wicked: For Good and will cover part two of the musical and further explore Elphaba’s journey after she leaves the Emerald City. Interestingly, a hidden detail used in Wicked’s ending made her departure even more sinister.

Madame Morrible Changed The Weather In Wicked’s Ending To Make Elphaba Seem Scarier

She Deliberately Created A Storm To Add More Fear To Elphaba’s Transformation

In Wicked, Elphaba and Glinda travel to the Emerald City at the invitation of the mysterious Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum). Elphaba is initially thrilled to have the opportunity to work alongside the Wizard, but her excitement quickly turns to horror upon discovering that the Wizard and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) are responsible for the oppression of animals, which Elphaba had hoped to ask the Wizard for help in fighting against. As Elphaba steals the ancient Grimmerie and flies away, the weather changes from bright and sunny to dark and cloudy, a change in weather possibly caused by Madame Morrible.

In Wicked, it’s revealed that Madame Morrible has the impressive ability to control the weather; this is shown when she halts a rainstorm and explains to everybody that “weather is my specialty.” Madame Morrible’s earlier display of her powers hint that she could have used her magic to cause the sudden weather change during Elphaba’s dramatic departure from the Emerald City. While it is only a minor detail during “Defying Gravity,” one of Wicked’s most iconic songs, the sudden change in weather adds an extra sense of doom to Elphaba’s escape and her eventual transformation as the Wicked Witch of the West.

Madame Morrible Is Fully Responsible For Elphaba Becoming The Wicked Witch Of The West

She Trained Elphaba To Control Her Powers Before Ultimately Betraying Her

Throughout Wicked, Madame Morrible trains Elphaba in controlling her magic abilities and works to get her an audience with The Wizard of Oz. She sees that Elphaba has great potential and is the first person not to judge Elphaba’s green skin and treats her with kindness and respect at Shiz University. It is not until Elphaba arrives in the Emerald City that Morrible reveals her true intentions to have Elphaba help solidify the Wizard’s rule throughout Oz, and disregards Elphaba’s protests over the Wizard’s mistreatment of animals. This shows that Madame Morrible never truly cared for Elphaba and only saw her as leverage for the Wizard’s reputation.

In an act that solidifies Madame Morrible as Wicked’s true villain, she sends out a message across the land, declaring Elphaba to be evil, that her green skin is “an outward manifestorium of her twisted nature,” and she is an “enemy who must be found and captured.” Morrible’s words cause everyone in Oz to fully turn against Elphaba, and her weather manipulations further drive fear into the Ozians that Elphaba will cause harm to them. Madame Morrible’s actions throughout Wicked show that she is the mastermind behind Elphaba’s eventual transformation into the Wicked Witch of the West, and her sinister schemes will be explored further in the upcoming sequel.