Warning! Spoilers for Snow White ahead!
The Evil Queen was defeated at the end of the live-action Snow White movie, though her fate wasn’t quite the same as in the original animated film. This 2025 movie has been added to the list of Disney’s live-action remakes, and, like those that came before, significant changes were made. Snow White’s evil stepmother was played by Gal Gadot in this version of the story, and the actor brought the perfect poisonously beautiful flare. The Evil Queen was every bit as wicked as she should have been, but there were several adjustments made to her role.
The beginning of Snow White introduced Rachel Zegler’s protagonist and her family, detailing the kind and compᴀssionate way that they ruled their kingdom. Gadot’s Evil Queen is introduced as the beautiful and mysterious enchantress from a distant kingdom who wins over Snow White’s father following the death of his wife. Though she seemed kind at first, the narrator of Snow White revealed that the Evil Queen’s power was linked to her beauty, which she guarded with a Magic Mirror. Ultimately, this mirror turned out to be the villain’s downfall.
The Evil Queen Dies After Destroying The Magic Mirror
Her Powers Were Linked To The Mirror Somehow
After Snow White convinces the guards to turn against the Evil Queen, regaining the loyalty of her subjects, the Evil Queen rushes back to her Magic Mirror to confirm that she is still the most beautiful in the land. However, the Mirror answered that Snow White’s inner beauty surpᴀssed that of the queen. In a rage, Gadot’s character smashed the Magic Mirror, and it quickly became apparent that this was a terrible mistake. The Evil Queen’s magical powers seemed intimately linked to the mirror, as suggested at the movie’s beginning. Shattering it caused the villain to crumble into ashes.
Snow White is expected to release on Disney+ sometime in June 2025.
The Evil Queen crumbled away precisely like her magical roses did earlier in Snow White. She had turned the roses to ash to demonstrate their impermanence. To her, Snow White was the lovely but fragile rose, while she was a beautiful and strong diamond. Of course, the Evil Queen turned out to be wrong. Her vanity, envy, and violence made her brittle and weak, so she turned to dust. Snow, on the other hand, survived death and reclaimed her kingdom, all the while remaining soft and gentle like a rose. It was a fitting end for both Snow White characters.
What Happened To The Queen’s Ashes? Where Did They Go?
There’s Something Going On Behind That Mirror
Image via Disney
The poetry of the Evil Queen’s fate was clear, but precisely what came of her ashes at the end of Snow White is another matter. After the villain crumbled to dust, her remains were sucked into the dark void that was revealed when she smashed the Magic Mirror’s glᴀss. Once the ashes were pulled inside, the glᴀss reformed as if it had never been broken. Snow White stared at her reflection momentarily before returning to her loved ones and subjects. It’s never revealed whether the Evil Queen is actually ᴅᴇᴀᴅ or if her ashy remains are being held in some sort of mirror prison.
It could be that the Evil Queen could only keep her powers if she remained the fairest in the land, explaining why she felt threatened by Snow White.
It’s implied in this version of Snow White that the Evil Queen got her powers from the Magic Mirror and that the cost of breaking the thing was her own life. Or, it could be that the Evil Queen could only keep her powers if she remained the fairest in the land, explaining why she felt threatened by Snow White. Perhaps, when the villain smashed the Magic Mirror, it was to avoid the fate she knew was coming when Snow White solidified herself as the fairest. Regardless, it’s clear the Evil Queen did not want to be sucked into whatever exists behind that mirror.
How The Evil Queen’s Death Is Different In The 1937 Animated Snow White Movie
The Queen’s Animated Death Was Poetically Ironic
Gal Gadot’s character met a fitting end in 2025’s Snow White, but it is nothing like how things went down in 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In the original animated movie, the Evil Queen died shortly after poisoning Snow White with the apple—before the prince arrived to kiss the fallen princess. The dwarfs had arrived at the cottage just in time to see the queen flee in her crone form, and they chased her up the nearby mountain. The Evil Queen set up a trap for the Dwarfs, planning to drop a boulder on them as they ascended the path. However, the villain instead fell from the cliff to her death.
The Evil Queen’s death in Disney’s original Snow White movie was, perhaps, even more fitting and ironic. In the 2025 remake, the villain returned to the castle after killing Snow White and experienced the satisfaction of hearing the Magic Mirror confirm that her compeтιтion was gone. She was the fairest of them all again, and though it was short-lived, the Evil Queen had a moment to celebrate her win. However, in the 1937 Snow White, the Evil Queen died before she could even return to her beautiful form. Ironically, she sacrificed her own life to ensure no one was more beautiful than her, rendering her entire goal useless.
Could Gal Gadot’s Evil Queen Return In A Snow White Sequel?
Disney Left The Door Open
There is, perhaps, more poetic irony to the Evil Queen’s death in the original Snow White movie. However, the live-action remake’s version of events sets up a continued story. We still don’t know much about Gadot’s Evil Queen, including where she came from, where she got her powers, and how she came to have this Magic Mirror. The reveal that there is something behind the glᴀss makes these mysteries all the more intriguing, potentially leaving the door open a crack for another Snow White movie.
With her remains sucked into the mirror, it feels as if this isn’t the end.
If the Evil Queen’s ashes had fallen to the floor and been swept up by Snow White’s magical animal friends, then we could rest ᴀssured that she would never return. However, with her remains sucked into the mirror, it feels as if this isn’t the end. Additionally, the Magic Mirror is still in Snow White’s castle, so a future sequel could explore how she will go about handling it—surely, just tossing it out isn’t an option. Ultimately, whether a Snow White sequel happens will depend on the performance of the first movie. It certainly seems that Disney is prepared to bring Gadot back, however.
