Warning: This article contains minor spoilers for Elphie by Gregory Maguire.

Gregory Maguire’s Wicked prequel book, Elphie: A Wicked Childhood, is finally here, and it reveals that Elphaba is much younger than I originally thought. While Wicked chronicles the backstory of the Wicked Witch, the 2025 prequel novel takes readers even further into her past. It explores her life from the time she’s a toddler until she applies to Shiz University, shedding light on her childhood and digging deeper into her family dynamics. Those who want a better understanding of what makes Elphaba who she is won’t want to miss this exciting new release.

However, anyone more familiar with the Wicked movie or musical may be surprised by Elphaba’s age at the end of the book. Elphie drives home how young the character is, while her time at Shiz University makes her seem older. To be fair, Elphaba’s age is one of the changes the Wicked movie makes to Maguire’s book, and it’s something the musical alters, too. This adds to the confusion surrounding how old Elphaba is. But even as Maguire’s book insists that “counting birthdays in Oz is not an exact science,” it reminds us that the original character is just a teen.

Elphie Reveals That Elphaba Is Only 16 Years Old When She Applies To Shiz University

Her Young Age May Come As A Surprise

Over the course of Elphie, Elphaba goes from being around three or four to being 16 years old, as her father tells her he’s kept her “alive these 16 years or so” before she leaves for Shiz University. And her enrollment feels somewhat surprising given how young she is. Perhaps it’s because Shiz University is portrayed as a fictional college, but Wicked‘s lead feels a year or two too young to be enrolling. Her age in Maguire’s original series suggests that she’s on the cusp of turning 17 when the prequel comes to a close, which is slightly more believable.

However, it’s not just the university setting that makes Elphaba seem older than she really is. Maguire’s Wicked books also boast mature themes, and although the musical tones them down a bit, they feel even darker knowing that Elphaba’s still a teenager. Time does pᴀss over the course of Maguire’s story, putting Elphaba well into adulthood by the time it concludes. Still, after seeing the musical and movie adaptations, it’s hard to imagine Wicked‘s lead being so much younger — even if that’s the age she’s meant to be when Maguire’s series kicks off.

How Old Elphaba Is Supposed To Be In Wicked

She’s Only Slightly Older In The Books, But The Musical Ages Her Up

While I was surprised to remember that Elphaba is just a teenager at the start of Maguire’s books, her age at the end of Elphie does align with his other novels. Elphaba is around 17 years old when she begins her education at Shiz University in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. So, her being 16 when she applies for the insтιтution isn’t actually that off-base. That’s especially true when you consider that Maguire doesn’t describe birthdays as precise milestones throughout Elphie, often describing Elphaba as somewhere between two ages.

That reality means that she could be teetering the line between 16 and 17 in the new Wicked prequel. That’s a believable enough explanation for the slight change in age at the end of Elphie, though 16 years old is a change from the ages of her musical and movie counterparts. The Wicked musical ages up the character by several years, making her 20, and the film adaptation follows suit. This feels more congruent with the story’s university setting. However, the actors’ ages ensure she and Glinda feel like full-blown adults.

How Old Are The Stars Who Play Elphaba & Glinda In Wicked

The Movie’s & Musical’s Casts Add To The Impression That They’re Adults

Elphaba and Glinda are supposed to feel older than their book counterparts in the Wicked adaptations, and the casting of stars in their late 20s and early 30s ensures they do. Idina Menzel was 32 years old when she debuted as Elphaba back in 2003, and Kristin Chenoweth was 35 when she played Glinda on Broadway. Likewise, the Wicked movie’s cast features 38-year-old Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba (37 when the film released) and 31-year-old Ariana Grande as Glinda.

The actors being over a decade older than their characters adds to the impression that Elphaba and Glinda are adults in Wicked, making Elphaba’s age at the beginning of the books even more jarring. One would hardly guess from the adaptations alone that Elphaba is a teenager upon arriving at Shiz University. Fortunately, Elphie: A Wicked Childhood clears up any confusion about her age in the source material.

Wicked

Created by

Gregory Maguire, Stephen Schwartz, Winnie Holzman

Upcoming Films

Wicked, Wicked: For Good

Cast

Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh

Character(s)

Elphaba, Glinda, Fiyero, The Wizard, Madame Morrible, Nessarose, Boq

Summary

The Wicked franchise is based on the 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. It explores the untold story of Elphaba, the misunderstood green-skinned girl who would later become known as the Wicked Witch of the West, and her complicated friendship with Glinda, the Good Witch. The franchise began as a highly successful Broadway musical and has since expanded into global stage productions, a forthcoming two-part film adaptation, and various other media.

<ʙuттon type="ʙuттon" class="show-more-new icon i-chevron-down-solid">Expand