The shapes that witches take on TV are similar to the ones they take in pop culture more broadly. There’s the traditional “ugly” witch embodied in children’s characters like H.R. Pufnstuf’s Witchiepoo or Looney Tunes’s Witch Hazel, both of whom wear pointy hats and have warts on their chins. Those characters were introduced in the 1950s and ’60s, respectively. And in the latter decade, two new archetypes of the witch emerged: Pretty, demure Samantha and her poison-tongued mother, Endora, on the ABC sitcom Bewitched. Since then, the paradigm has been complicated significantly.
In the 21st century, you’re far more likely to encounter a TV witch who’s smart and stylish, and whose beauty is part of her magic for good or for evil. In the broadest strokes possible, witches represent a fear of female power, and although a handful of male witches have graced our TVs over the decades — one of them was also a cat, but still — witchcraft is still a woman’s art on television. Specifically, it’s a fun, if slightly sinister, activity for sisters and/or best friends to do together, as they did on Charmed and your various Sabrina the Teenage Witch adaptations.
There’s nothing wrong with a deliciously villainous wicked witch, either, of course, and there are plenty to choose from on our list. All shades of magic, from kawaii “magical girls” and strict Satanist aunties to voodoo queens and immortal sorceresses, are represented in the occult countdown below. When ranking these witches, personality, abilities, and their overall cultural impact came into play. The more powerful and charismatic a witch, the higher she placed. And although witches often gather in covens, only one from each series could reign supreme.
The best TV witches are multidimensional characters who have complicated relationships with their abilities, and who are either destroyed (see: Penny Dreadful’s Vanessa Ives) or saved (see: Willow on Buffy the Vampire Slayer) by their experiences with magic. The duality of dark and light is key to witchcraft, and to the most impactful TV witches on our list.
20.
Mrs. Paddock, The X-Files (“Die Hand Die Verletzt”)
The monsters of the week on The X-Files were rarely witches. You’re as likely to encounter a psychic serial killer in the show’s villainous canon as you are the broad category of occult practitioners. But when a witch did factor in to Agents Mulder and Scully’s latest case, she went hard. Take Mrs. Paddock (Susan Blommaert), the diabolical substitute teacher in the season-two classic “Die Hand Die Verletzt.” The episode revolves around the crimes committed by a Satanic cult at a suburban high school. But Mrs. Paddock serves a greater — and even more evil — calling, making the Satanists look like the provincial hobbyists that they are.
19.
Witch Hazel, Looney Tunes
With her green skin, bulbous nose, and cackling laugh, Witch Hazel is the archetype of a cartoon witch. First introduced in 1954, Witch Hazel appears in a handful of golden-age Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons, beginning with the Hansel and Gretel riff “Bewitched Bunny.” The Witch Hazel introduced in those shorts is a good-natured, gossipy witch who takes pride in her child-cooking and potion-brewing skills. Pins fly out of her hair when she gets angry, which is often. Her appearance is usually the butt of the joke, but Witch Hazel is proud of her hideous face, and gets jealous when her magic mirror suggests that Bugs Bunny in disguise is an uglier witch than she could ever be. An icon, in short.
18.
Akko Kagari, Little Witch Academia
“Magical girls” are a staple of anime, and this popular franchise takes the concept a step further by having its protagonist enroll at an actual boarding school for witches in the first episode. In some ways, Little Witch Academia functions as a guilt-free Harry Potter alternative, giving viewers the sparkling delight of a magical academy without the bitter transphobic aftertaste. But the show’s characters recommend it on its own, particularly the core trio led by aspiring witch Atsuko “Akko” Kagari. Akko isn’t naturally gifted in witchcraft, so she has to work harder than the other girls. But her enthusiasm and persistence frequently save the day, even if her technique is a little clumsy.
17.
The Wicked Witch of the West, Sesame Street
Her appearance on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood was all about soothing children’s fears. But Margaret Hamilton terrified kids when the Wicked Witch of the West left Oz and visited Sesame Street. The episode — which teaches kids about the importance of good manners through a plot where shop owner David (Northern James Calloway) takes hold of the witch’s broom — only aired once, on February 10, 1976. It was archived when parents wrote in to complain that it was “too scary,” and became a legendary piece of lost media until it was found and posted to Reddit in 2022. Now it’s easily available on YouTube, where the whole controversy seems overblown in retrospect. In her defense — if they had just given her broom back the first time, none of this would have happened.
16.
Bonnie Bennett, The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries is a hot supernatural mess, but things would be so much worse off for Elena (Nina Dobrev) and her friends if it wasn’t for her witchy BFF, Bonnie (Kat Graham). As Jenny Nicholson points out in her seminal YouTube analysis of the series, whenever the show writes itself into a corner, what does it do? Give Bonnie a new power that will magically solve whatever dilemma this hot, squinting gaggle of immortals has gotten themselves into this time. She’s brought multiple people back from the dead, and came back herself when “let’s kill Bonnie” turned out to be an imperfect solution. And yet, she’s still sidelined when the entire cast should be thanking her.
15.
Regina Mills/Evil Queen, Once Upon a Time
The character sometimes known as Regina Mills, played by Lana Parrilla, took on many different personalities on the ABC fantasy-drama series Once Upon a Time — even more than usual for a show in which everyone has at least two. She’s at her most fun when she’s the Evil Queen, donning a sparkly black gown and dramatically interrupting weddings. But she’s pretty fabulous in her persona as Storybrooke mayor Regina as well: Parrilla keeps the character’s flair for the dramatic in her more earthbound scenes, even as she dons a more sensible bobbed haircut. Late in the series, Regina’s two sides are severed completely, absolving her of her crimes in her wicked-witch persona; it’s a lucky break, considering the thousands of deaths that would otherwise be on her conscience.
14.
Mary Sibley, Salem
For a more consistently evil time, turn to Mary Sibley (Janet Montgomery), the most powerful witch (and richest bitch) in all of WGN’s Salem. Mary is cold, controlling, and power hungry with the sharp cheekbones to match. And she never lets anyone — least of all her elderly husband, whom she terrorizes with aplomb — forget it. But she does have a heart, albeit a bitter and conflicted one. It’s her greatest weakness, as characters remind her throughout the series; it also makes her break a lot of mirrors with her mind as an expression of her inner angst. Mary has basically nothing to do with the historical figure she’s named after, but that’s fine. No one on this show does.
13.
Mother Aniseya, The Acolyte
The Force is omnipresent in Star Wars media, but actual witchcraft is harder to find. The now-defunct Expanded Universe (rebranded as Star Wars Legends) established that magicians throughout the galaxy formed sects around the Force, but only two of them have appeared in the current continuity: the dark-sided Nightsisters and a clan of witches led by Mother Aniseya (Jodie Turner-Smith). Compared to the Sith and the Jedi, Mother Aniseya is morally ambiguous, and that’s what makes her so interesting. Her approach to the Force is communal and holistic, and she maintains that she and her sisters just want to be left alone. But the coven’s mind-control powers have some nasty psychic side effects, which doesn’t quite fit their whole “love and light” thing. Mother Aniseya’s reign on The Acolyte was short, but her vision is generational.
12.
Witchiepoo, H.R. Pufnstuf
A spiritual godmother to Power Rangers’s Rita Repulsa, Witchiepoo (Billie Hayes) is a storybook witch with a pack-a-day rasp and a performance style deeply indebted to Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West (see No. 17). Like her fictional sisters, Witchiepoo — full name Wilhemina W. Witchiepoo — is on a single-minded quest for power, and she’ll do anything to achieve her heart’s desire. The stakes are lower, sure: Witchiepoo just wants to get her hands on Freddy the magic flute, not to destroy the universe or anything. But considering that H.R. Pufnstuf’s primary audiences during its brief TV run were young children and people on acid, it was probably best to leave the apocalypse out of it.
11.
Diana Bishop, A Discovery of Witches
The lead character in AMC’s sleeper-hit A Discovery of Witches has an enviable life. Not only does Dr. Diana Bishop (Teresa Palmer) have tenure — at Yale! In the history department! — she’s also a hereditary witch whose abilities are reignited by her discovery of a magical manuscript in the library at Oxford university. Diana resists her magical destiny at first, which is fair given that her life of wool sweaters and wood-lined reading rooms seems pretty idyllic as it is. But when you’re the most powerful witch who’s ever lived, it’s not really about you anymore. It’s about the future of humanity, not to mention the hot vampire who’s in love with you and won’t let you squander your abilities.
10.
Melisandre, Game of Thrones
In its first season, sorcery is a relic of the past on Game of Thrones. Then the “red witch” Melisandre (Carice van Houten) sails in from Essos, and magic is alive in Westeros once again. In a reversal of the typical European “Christian church/pagan witch” dynamic, Melisandre is a monotheist devoted to the god R’hollow, whom she has served since childhood. And he’s been good to her, endowing her with eternal youth and supernatural powers she can use to convert nobles and peasants alike to the one true religion. Sure, she uses shadow demons, blood magic, and seduction to further her cause. But you can’t make a messianic omelet without breaking a few eggs — men’s psyches, whatever.
9.
Salem Saberhagen, Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Melissa Joan Hart is technically the star of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, but let’s be real: The most compelling witch on the ’90s sitcom incarnation of the Archie comics is Salem the cat (Nick Bakay). The tragedy of cats (as far as they’re concerned; to humans, it’s hilarious) is that they’re nature’s perfect killing machines, but they’re also small and cute and have to endure being picked up and kissed and talked to like babies. Salem, a 500-year-old human warlock sentenced to live for 100 years as a cat as punishment for his magical hubris, embodies this tension brilliantly. Add a cutting sense of Wildean wit, and all the other characters might as well get on their broomsticks and go home — except for Aunt Hilda (Caroline Rhea). He needs her to give him his deworming medicine.
8.
Prue Halliwell, Charmed
Prue (Shannen Doherty) is the most powerful of the Halliwell sisters, which is appropriate because she’s also the oldest. In many ways, Prue was more like a mother to her sisters Piper (Holly Marie Combs) and Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), giving her a sense of duty that kept her employed full time while maintaining a rigorous schedule of saving humanity from various supernatural threats. The tone of Charmed is light compared to some of the other witchcraft dramas on this list, but Prue’s abilities — which included telekinesis and astral projection — are seriously impressive, earning her the nickname Super Witch. Her presence continued to hover over the show after she was killed off at the end of season three, further evidence of her powers.
7.
Lafayette Reynolds, True Blood
As we learned with The Vampire Diaries and A Discovery of Witches, where there are vampires, there also have to be witches, at least on sexy TV dramas. It’s not obvious at first that sassy short-order cook Lafayette Reynolds (Nelsan Ellis) is a medium, and later a full-blown witch — True Blood rolls out its witchcraft plot slowly, over the course of several seasons. And that may have been for the best, given that his magical character arc fizzles out by the series finale. But viewers had already fallen in love with Lafayette for his wit and his heart, not to mention his all-around irrepressible fabulousness, which made his turn toward the occult a lot easier to accept. Anything for Queen LaLa.
6.
Endora, Bewitched
On the classic ’60s sitcom Bewitched, hereditary witch Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) wants nothing more than to be loved and accepted by her human husband. That leaves her mother, Endora, played by Agnes Moorehead, to keep the nonconformist witchy spirit alive. The only thing more flamboyant than Moorehead’s performance is her eye makeup, and her retina-singing psychedelic wardrobe is an inspiration to caftan enthusiasts everywhere. Her disrespectful attitude and refusal to call her son-in-law by his real name is inspirational to haters as well. Names hold great power in magic. Why would you hand that kind of power over to some guy? Just because he married your daughter? Pffft.
5.
Agatha Harkness, WandaVision / Agatha All Along
Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) is not a witch you want to mess with. She’s powerful, patient, and petty enough to play a long game no one, not even another witch, will see coming. Agatha’s late-in-the-game villain reveal on WandaVision was the TV event of early 2021 — the song marking the moment, “Agatha All Along,” even won an Emmy. Viewers had already grown to love Wanda’s neighbor Agnes. How could they hate her as Agatha? Sure, she killed those little boys’ dog. But that Kathryn Hahn is just so darn charming — charming enough for her own spinoff, Agatha All Along, which brings a whole coven’s worth of new witchy characters into the MCU.
4.
Zelda Spellman, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Someone has to be in charge in the Spellman household, and Aunt Zelda (Miranda Otto) is the witch who steps up in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Netflix’s more horror-oriented take on the Archie Comics source material. In a show where every other character is a witch, Zelda stands out for her poise, no-bullshit attitude, and extremely stylish cigarette holder — not to mention her complete devotion to Satan and the Church of Night. Her religious fervor often puts her in the role of disciplinarian for her rebellious niece Sabrina (Kiernan Shipka) and soft-hearted sister Hilda (Lucy Davis), both of whom lack the discipline to serve the Dark Lord with the proper rigor.
3.
Marie Laveau, American Horror Story: Coven
There’s also no shortage of witches in the Ryan Murphy–verse, especially in American Horror Story: Coven. But Angela Bassett’s regal turn as voodoo queen Marie Laveau is, well, supreme. Laveau is technically an antagonist on Coven, which revolves around a school for witches led by Jessica Lange’s Fiona Goode. But New Orleans is Marie Laveau’s town, and she protects its people with a fierce sense of justice — and a lack of regard for consequences, which makes her even more dangerous when crossed. As Marie, Bassett is a glamorous, untouchable, intriguing presence who has the capacity for both great cruelty and great compassion. Both are tied to her tragic backstory, one of many reasons it’s a shame Marie Leaveau and her followers never got their own spinoff season.
2.
Vanessa Ives, Penny Dreadful
A natural witch who fears neither monster nor man, Penny Dreadful’s Vanessa Ives (Eva Green) is one of the most formidable witches to ever appear on TV. And she could have been even more powerful, were she not so tortured by the forces of light and darkness fighting for her soul. The scant moments of peace that Vanessa finds throughout the series are in the company of her magical mentors, and her faith in her abilities is what keeps her going when all seems lost. Eventually, Vanessa’s inner turmoil weakens her to the point where she loses her way. But her staunch drive toward self-determination in the face of the powerful patriarchs — both human and supernatural — who seek to bend her to their will is remarkable. So is Green’s performance, which captures her character’s conflicted psyche with spellbinding intensity.
1.
Willow Rosenberg, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Alyson Hannigan’s Willow Rosenberg has quite an arc, rising from Buffy’s timid sidekick to a magical force in her own right. That’s not always a good thing, as Willow’s relationship with witchcraft becomes increasingly destructive over the course of the series. But it’s interesting and complex, and gives some teeth to a character who otherwise could be stuck in a thankless BFF role (we see you, Bonnie Bennett). Willow’s turn toward darkness is driven by understandable, if messy, emotions, namely heartbreak (she was also an out lesbian at a time when LGBTQ+ characters were rarely seen on TV) and the desire to control the uncontrollable. It also lays the groundwork for her eventual redemption, which is helped along by a vulnerable performance from Hannigan that was achieved under difficult on-set circumstances.