Why Wicked's Love Triangle Is Way More Complicated Than I Thought

At the center of Wicked is the friendship between Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba and Ariana Grande-Butera’s Glinda, even as their story devolves into a complicated mess of romantic entanglements with other characters. Wicked‘s cast also includes the rogue prince Fiyero, brilliantly played by Jonathan Bailey in the movie adaptation, who immediately enters a romantic relationship with Glinda upon arriving at Shiz University. However, those familiar with the source material and the relevant tropes can probably understand what Elphaba and Fiyero’s growing connection and the future Wicked Witch’s forlorn song “I’m Not That Girl” mean for the story.

At least in the musical adaptation where time is limited for his individual character development, I largely see Fiyero’s role in the story being to put strain on Elphaba and Glinda’s relationship. The political dangers in which the characters find themselves in the second half of the show, which we broadly expect to be the plot of Wicked Part Two, are exacerbated by the decisions they make because of the love triangle. However, concerning the other characters and their subplots, I recently realized that romantic conflicts at play in Wicked are both very messy and orderly at the same time.

The Main Cast Of Wicked Are In A Chain Of Unrequited Love

Glinda, Nessarose, & Boq Are All On Paths To Heartbreak — Only Elphaba & Fiyero Get Some Consolation

The main characters of Wicked are actually in a shockingly neat lineup of love that is not returned. Elphaba’s younger sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) believes she has found her happy ending when she meets Munchkin Boq (Ethan Slater). However, Boq only asks out Nessa to impress Glinda, whom he is in love with. In turn, Glinda suggests that Boq invite Nessa because she is not interested, only with eyes for Fiyero. Despite their initially shallow relationship, Glinda’s feelings for Fiyero are genuine, and she still wants to be with him even when she discovers there is more to him.

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Where Fiyero Is Going In Wicked’s Ending

Fiyero leaves Shiz on horseback to help Elphaba at the end of Wicked: Part 1, setting up his storyline in Part 2 concerning both of the lead witches.

However, Fiyero’s feelings for Elphaba only grow, and when the opportunity presents itself, he leaves Glinda for her best friend without much deliberation. This is luckily where the chain of unrequited crushes ends, although I can’t say that Elphaba and Fiyero aren’t affected by what is ultimately a miserable love story for everyone. Aside from the more obvious fallouts with Nessa and Boq, leading to the Tin Man’s Wicked origin story and him spearheading a violent mob against Elphaba, Elphaba and Fiyero have to deal with their relationship always being in Glinda’s shadow.

Wicked’s Themes Include How These Personal Storylines Have Bigger Consequences

The Characters In Wicked Make Decisions With Far-Reaching Ramifications Because Of Love

Even if Elphaba and Fiyero flee, leaving Glinda to rule Oz in Wicked‘s ending, Elphaba will always be haunted by the fact that Glinda believes them both to be dead. When the story puts a lot more emphasis on the two witches’ relationship, this is especially apparent to the audience. However, the tales of love lost are even more fraught when Elphaba and Glinda are already playing a dangerous game of public perception, and romantic indiscretions may further tip the scales one way or another. Theatergoers don’t see too much of how later events affect Oz’s citizens, but the movies may change this.

Nessarose in front of an image of Nessa and Elphaba in Wicked

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Does Elphaba’s Sister Nessarose Have Magic Powers In Wicked Too?

After Elphaba becomes The Wicked Witch of the West at the end of Wicked: Part 1, questions arise about Nessarose’s possible magical abilities.

In a moment of anger, after Fiyero leaves her, Glinda suggests putting out a rumor that Nessarose is in danger to trap Elphaba — with terrible results. Nessa’s growing jealousy and loneliness result in her becoming the Wicked Witch of the East, while Boq handling the situation with Nessa poorly leads to him becoming the Tin Man, a figure famously associated with lovelessness. Each decision is one more straw upon the camel’s back, leading to more death and destruction. And given these characters’ varying political power, a string of crushes from school suddenly means more in Wicked.