While Wicked primarily focuses on the friendship between Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande-Butera), it also tells multiple complex stories of romantic love. Namely, Elphaba and Glinda’s relationship is jeopardized in the second act of the musical, to be adapted into the upcoming movie Wicked: For Good, by both of them being in love with Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) and dealing with the consequences of another love triangle. However, this subplot skillfully plays into Wicked‘s broader themes of popularity and love as Elphaba and Glinda navigate being different public figures in Oz.

Elphaba is neglected and taunted her entire life because of her green skin before she has a chance to supposedly find acceptance through a partnership with the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum) — but declares “if that’s love, it comes at much too high a cost” during her power ballad of “Defying Gravity.” Essentially, she refuses to sacrifice her morals for the adoration Glinda has. Yet it is still Elphaba that Fiyero confesses to be genuinely in love with in the end, and Glinda’s place in two different love triangles reveals a harsh truth about her story.

Glinda, Elphaba, & Fiyero Are Part Of A Love Triangle In Wicked

Fiyero Rushes Into A Relationship With Glinda Then Falls In Love With Elphaba

When Fiyero arrives at Shiz University, he and Glinda immediately hit it off and fall into an easy relationship, which they both seem to believe was inevitable because of their respective prom king and queen statuses at the school. They are the two most popular people in school and both conventionally attractive, so of course they must end up together. However, Fiyero gets together with Glinda because of who he is at that point in time, and that changes as the story’s bigger conflict begins to take shape, and Elphaba pushes him to take a stand.

Fiyero helps Elphaba rescue the lion cub after Dr. Dillamond (Peter Dinklage) is arrested; he then can’t stop thinking about what she said about him, and how she refuses to accept injustice and motivates him to do the same. Fiyero stays with Glinda for far too long, and in the second act of the musical, they announce their engagement. That is until Elphaba reappears, and Fiyero flees with her, leaving Glinda heartbroken. While Glinda’s tale is devastating for her, this is clearly Fiyero and Elphaba’s love story when the evolution of their relationship is given a lot more attention.

Glinda Is Also Connected To Another Love Triangle With Boq & Nessarose

Glinda Is Also The Recipient Of An Unrequited Love

All the while, Munchkinlander Boq (Ethan Slater) is in love with Glinda, which she seems to be aware of and is doing her best to direct his attention away from her. This leads to her not-entirely-nice plan to suggest to Boq that it would impress her if he asked out Elphaba’s younger sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode). Unfortunately for just about everyone, Nessa is moved by everything that Boq says he sees in her and falls in love with him. However, as time pᴀsses and Nessa becomes increasingly “wicked” and desperate to keep Boq near her, he still longs for Glinda.

This culminates in Boq finally telling the truth, and Nessa trying to cast a spell on Boq to make him fall in love with her and accidentally cursing him. Meanwhile, Glinda also does something she regrets because of love, suggesting Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) uses Nessa to lure Elphaba into a trap, in a moment of anger after Fieryo leaves her. Maybe if Glinda had been more upfront with Boq about her feelings, he would have given the relationship with Nessa a real chance — but then again, maybe he did try to do this, but always found himself drawn back to Glinda.

Wicked’s Love Triangles Are A Direct Result Of Glinda’s Popularity

But Glinda’s Popularity Doesn’t Get Her The Love She Wants

Fiyero starts dating Glinda without much thought, largely because of who they both are in their milieu, while it sometimes feels like Boq is just entranced by the show that Glinda puts on, and he could be one of several people in the crowd who has a crush on her. Thus, both connections and therefore love triangles happen because of her “popularity.” However, neither love triangle ends happily for Glinda. She may not realize that Boq never moved on from her, but it would be interesting to see a confrontation between them over this in the next movie.

On the other hand, Glinda actually says that she doesn’t care about everyone else, it’s Fiyero whose love she wants. While Glinda certainly does enjoy everyone else’s attention, it is telling that she has everyone’s love except for the person she is in love with, though Fiyero does care about her as a friend. Using Glinda as the link between the two love triangles, Wicked shows the differences between popularity and love for someone you truly know, the problems with clinging to someone who doesn’t love you back, and the ramifications for everyone.