As an adaptation of a beloved property, the Wicked movie must include the most iconic lines from the Broadway musical if it hopes to impress fans. Like its source material, the two-part movie adaptation follows Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande), two young witches who become friends at school before they find themselves on a path to change the future of Oz. The trailers have already featured moments of Elphaba and Glinda uttering famous words, doubtlessly thrilling fans.
The Wicked movie faces many major challenges, the biggest of which is living up to people’s expectations, which are impossibly high thanks to the musical’s acclaim. Most fan-favorite Wicked quotes are embedded in the songs themselves, meaning incorporating them should be easy enough, but a few are spoken. However, in the past, Broadway soundtracks have been altered and lines swapped out for the purposes of a movie adaptation. Hopefully, director Jon M. Chu and his team understand which quotes are vital to the story and must be retained.
15 “Are People Born Wicked? Or Do They Have Wickedness Thrust Upon Them?”
Said By Glinda
Glinda opens the musical with the number “No One Mourns the Wicked,” during which she poses the (spoken) question to the Ozians: “Are people born wicked?” Luckily, this line is heard at the beginning of Wicked’s second trailer. Here Glinda introduces the biggest theme of the story, where Elphaba is labeled as “wicked” only because she doesn’t agree with the Wizard (played by Jeff Goldblum in the movie). Glinda says it like it is a hypothetical, when she is more aware than most of the circumstances of Elphaba’s alleged moral downfall.
It is revealed by the end of the show that Glinda believes Elphaba is dead when she says this and has overthrown the Wizard and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). In her new position as the leader of Oz, Glinda may hope to eventually restore Elphaba’s reputation. However, it would appear that she has a long way to go, as the spectators of her speech continue to sing about how no one will mourn the Wicked Witch of the West.
Glinda is originally known as Galinda in the stage show. The more she tries to get others to pronounce her name properly, however, the more often they call her Glinda until her name is shortened to what the audience knows in
Wizard of Oz
.
14 “We Can’t All Come And Go By Bubble.”
Said By Elphaba
Image via Universal Pictures
This particular line is unlikely to appear in part one of the movie’s release schedule unless the first movie ends at some point beyond the stage show’s usual intermission. It comes courtesy of Elphaba after she and Glinda have mostly gone their separate ways as a result of Oz believing Elphaba to be wicked.
Glinda sees that Elphaba is carrying a broomstick that she uses to fly around on, presumably the same broomstick she used to “defy gravity” the first time, and she’s surprised. She refers to the broom as “that old thing,” implying that riding a broomstick is beneath Elphaba’s use of magic. Elphaba gets to be a little snarky with this line, and nearly every Elphaba who has played the role on stage has emulated Idina Menzel’s original annoyed delivery of the line. It always gets a big laugh from the live audience.
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The characters of the Broadway hit Wicked head to the big screen with a cast that includes a pop star, an Oscar winner, and numerous stage veterans.
13 “Is This Thing On?”
Said By Glinda
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This particular line is not unique to Wicked. It is, however, usually used to reference a microphone when someone is performing for an unresponsive audience. The gag has been employed by a lot of writers for different objects as well.
In Wicked, Glinda makes this remark about the magic wand she carries. It’s early in her friendship with Elphaba at school and Glinda offers to magic Elphaba a gown to wear. Glinda’s magical talent, however, isn’t quite on par with Elphaba’s raw power, and she cannot get the wand to work. She waves the wand around and makes the joke before deciding that Elphaba should just wear her usual frock.
The line helps to show that Glinda is really always performing, even if it doesn’t seem like it. She is very focused on her own appearance and how others perceive her, even after she and Elphaba become friendly, and she genuinely likes the other girl. Wanting to be pretty and appreciated is just a part of who Glinda is.
12 “If That’s Love, It Comes At Much Too High A Cost.”
Said By Elphaba
Image via Universal Pictures
For the first time, Elphaba realizes that everyone else is in the wrong, and she shouldn’t have to work to impress them.
Many of the lyrics of the iconic “Defying Gravity” are beloved by fans, and are representative of Elphaba’s ultimate transformation in the story. Her earlier song, “Wizard and I,” is heartbreaking despite its cheerful tune, because it shows how much Elphaba wants to be accepted by her family and her peers. Other moments throughout the show’s dialogue and songs demonstrate the same thing, making the moment Elphaba verbalizes that she is sick of it that much more impactful.
Elphaba defiantly sings: “Too long I’ve been afraid of / Losing love, I guess I’ve lost / Well, if that’s love, it comes at much too high a cost.” For the first time, Elphaba realizes that everyone else is in the wrong, and she shouldn’t have to work to impress them. Despite what all of Oz believes about Elphaba, she is actually a person of extreme moral fiber. The line she will not cross is accepting people’s conditions of adoration at the expense of others, rather than herself.
11 “They’re Just Shoes, Elphie, Get Over It!”
Said By Glinda
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Dorothy’s shoes are particularly well-known among Wizard of Oz fans. In the movie, she’s got ruby red shoes. In the Broadway musical version of Wicked, however, the shoes are silver, just as they are in Gregory Maguire’s book and the original Oz novels by L. Frank Baum. The shoes are taken by Glinda and given to Dorothy to aid her on her walk down the yellow brick road.
In the stage musical, a backstory for why the magical shoes are so important to the Wicked Witch of the West is provided. There’s an emotional reason that Elphaba doesn’t want Dorothy to have those shoes instead of a desire for power as is implied in the movie. Glinda, however, doesn’t understand why Elphaba would be angry about the shoes at all, demonstrating her lack of sentimentality about some things.
Much like Elphaba’s “bubble” line, this line was originally delivered perfectly by Kristen Chenoweth in the stage version, and it’s definitely a crowd-pleaser for an audience who has always seen the green witch as the villain.
The name Elphaba is created from the sounds of the first letters of original
Oz
author L. Frank Baum’s name.
10 “Learn To Live The Unexamined Life.”
Said By Fiyero
Image via Universal Pictures
When Prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) arrives at Shiz University, most of the student body is as taken with him as they are by Glinda. He is similarly charismatic and at home in the spotlight; he is also seemingly careless, but inadvertently introduces a new layer to the ethical discourse of Wicked. Fiyero’s philosophy is that “dancing through life, mindless and careless” will bring happiness. He is right in that not caring about anything means that one will never be bothered, even if it makes life meaningless.
Fiyero starts the song by telling everyone present to “learn to live the unexamined life.” This line is a play on the phrase “The unexamined life is not worth living,” supposedly said by Socrates at his trial. Socrates argues that investigating the scientific and ethical dilemmas of the world is necessary to give life purpose, while Fiyero believes it is exhausting. However, this line is one of the most significant in Wicked because of how Elphaba’s actions result in both Fiyero and Glind coming to implicitly disagree with Fiyero’s old philosophy.
9 “…He Doesn’t Know Yet.”
Said By Glinda
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One of the things that makes the friendship between Elphaba and Glinda difficult is that Glinda is interested in their classmate Fiyero while Fiyero becomes more interested in Elphaba. Fiyero and Elphaba even see one another behind Glinda’s back because they don’t want to hurt her feelings. He becomes one of the few people to get to know Elphaba for who she really is in the play.
Before that, however, Glinda informs Elphaba that she and Fiyero are engaged. The trouble is that Glinda has decided they will marry all on her own without considering whether he actually wants to marry her. When Elphaba questions their engagement, Glinda offers up this response.
While it’s amusing to the audience, it’s also a good indicator of how self-absorbed Glinda is at this point in the story. She doesn’t consider it strange to make this proclamation without knowing Fiyero’s feelings.
8 “She Doesn’t Care What Anyone Thinks.” “Of Course She Does. She Just Pretends Not To.”
Said By Fiyero & Glinda
The new, supersized Wicked trailer also features a version of Glinda and Fiyero’s reaction to Elphaba arriving at the party at the Oz Dust Ballroom wearing the hideous (but iconic) hat Glinda gifted her as a prank. Their slightly different comments subtly reveal the differences in why they are drawn to Elphaba and who she will become in their lives. Fiyero is impressed, and will always believe that Elphaba is fearless.
Glinda is also struck by Elphaba’s bravery, but also by guilt because she sees through it and knows that Elphaba does care what people think. Glinda realizes at the moment how hard it must be for Elphaba to face constant rejection. This sparks Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship, and Glinda, with the best of intentions, tries to make life easier for Elphaba by changing her outward persona. However, it is Glinda who learns from Elphaba when the latter affirms that doing so is not worth the moral cost.
7 “Let All Oz Be Agreed, I’m Wicked Through And Through.”
Said By Elphaba
Image via Universal Pictures
Eventually, Oz’s hatred and her constant failures get to Elphaba, and she admits defeat in the song “No Good Deed.” Recalling Glinda’s pondering of people who have “wickedness thrust upon them,” this would be the moment where Elphaba accepts that fate, mostly due to grief because of Fiyero’s supposed death. It’s a dark but also lightly ironic moment, because the audience has seen the whole show happen from Elphaba’s perspective, and is obligated to believe in her even if no one else does.
However, all of “No Good Dead” is a discourse about the nature of good and if it is just an exchange for public approval. In another well-written lyric, Elphaba asks herself:
“Was I really seeking good / Or just seeking attention? / Is that all good deeds are / When looked at with an ice-cold eye?”
Elphaba believes nothing will ever get any better for her in her darkest hour; however, she could also be rejecting the world again by reaffirming that she is not in it to please them. Everyone loves an anti-hero, and Elphaba’s descent into supposed wickedness is elevated by more philosophical moments than most.
6 “Did They Have Brains Or Knowledge? Don’t Make Me Laugh! They Were Popular!”
Said By Glinda
Image via Universal Pictures
“Popular” is one of Wicked’s best and most famous songs, and certainly Glinda’s coup de grâce. The musical number is disguised by an upbeat tune and Glinda’s usual bubbly attitude, but it has a lot to say about public vs. private personas. Glinda doesn’t see the ethical problems with what she is saying because amicable is her real personality. She also genuinely believes that Elphaba should learn all this will because it will help her achieve everything she wants.
In retrospect, Glinda’s comment that all politicians are successful because they are popular rather than qualified is morbidly true. It is a huge moment that shows Glinda’s knowledge of the way Ozian politics work, even if she doesn’t realize what it will cost her and her loved ones yet. The full movie version of “Popular” has yet to be released (at the time of writing), but it is essential that this line be included.
Related Why Glinda’s Name Is Pronounced “Galinda” In The Wicked Movie
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5 “Where I Come From, We Believe All Sorts Of Things That Aren’t True. We Call It History.”
Said By The Wizard Of Oz
Image via Universal Pictures
For a moment, it seems as though Elphaba will accept the Wizard’s offer of “redemption,” during the duet “Wonderful.” He briefly assuages her anger about everything that has happened by saying that it is simply what everyone does, recalling Glinda’s attitude when she sings “Popular.” Oz wanted a hero, and so the Wizard became one. He makes Elphaba believe that she could achieve so much more if she played along with his white lie and that the good would outweigh the evil.
The cornerstone of the Wizard’s argument is about how all history is just a game of labels and perceptions, something that academic Elphaba can get behind. However, Elphaba then discovers her former teacher Dr. Dillamond (Peter Dinklage) in the Wizard’s palace, who has lost his ability to speak. Elphaba’s reconciliation with the Wizard falls apart, and she flees again.
4 “Pink Goes Good With Green.”
Said By Glinda
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Green is usually the color associated most with Wicked because the original Broadway poster and playbill featured Elphaba’s green face, but also a green background, making a bold image against Elphaba’s black dress and hat compared to Glinda’s white. It is not, however, the only dominant color in the play.
Glinda is known for her big pink dress in Wizard of Oz, and Wicked keeps that color for nearly all of her outfits. Pink is her favorite color. It appears to match her bubbly personality. As she points out not long after she and Ephaba begin to become friendly, “pink goes good with green.”
The line solidifies their friendship and is a reminder of what the play looks like. It also appears to be the thought process behind much of the merchandising for the movie as nearly every set of toys, clothing, food, and jewelry is made to divide the audience into fans of either pink or green, showing which witch they align with. It would only make sense for Glinda to say it on screen.
3 “For The First Time, I Feel Wicked.”
Said By Elphaba
Before “No Good Deed,” Elphaba has another moment where she reflects on being wicked. Ever since she went on the run, Elphaba has apparently never questioned whether she is in the right. She is resolved that the Wizard tricking the people of Oz is wrong, an argument reinforced by his role in what is happening to Oz’s anthropomorphic animals like Dr. Dillamond. It takes a different sort of betrayal for her to question her own moral integrity.
This is when she and Fiyero run away together, as he has had feelings for her for some time despite his engagement to Glinda. Elphaba should feel bad, but if she is being honest with herself, she is too happy with Fiyero to think too much about it. However, Elphaba surprises herself and remarks in an almost pleased manner that “stealing” Fiyero away is the first time she has felt “wicked.” It is a somewhat ironic moment that touches upon the theme of wickedness by showing how even friends sometimes hurt each other.
2 “I Know I’m Who I Am Today Because I Knew You.”
Said By Glinda
Image via Universal Pictures
The crux of Wicked is simply the fact that Elphaba and Glinda knew each other and changed each other, something that is expressed wholeheartedly in “For Good.”
However, Wicked is more about Elphaba and Glinda’s relationship than Elphaba and Fiyero’s. The last full song of the show before “Finale” is the emotional ballad “For Good,” where Elphaba and Glinda reflect on their relationship. Every lyric is important, but Glinda’s line in the first verse, “I know I’m who I am today because I knew you,” is the best summary of the song.
Much of the song is Glinda and Elphaba admitting that they do not have a lot of control over what is happening or whether they will ever see each other again. They even suggest that neither of them can see enough of the bigger picture to say whether their relationship was a good thing, as they have both hurt each other at one point or another. The crux of Wicked is simply the fact that Elphaba and Glinda knew each other and changed each other, something that is expressed wholeheartedly in “For Good.”
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The two-part release of Universal Pictures’ Wicked movie makes space for a segment of the story that the musical does not fully develop.
1 “As Someone Told Me Lately, Everyone Deserves The Chance To Fly.”
Said By Elphaba
Image via Universal Pictures
Yet no song in Wicked is as empowering as “Defying Gravity.” Another one of Elphaba’s best lines in the song and the entire show is her mocking the Wizard’s earlier statement of how he only wants to help her. She is taking back a fair amount of power at this moment because she is stating that she does not need the Wizard’s corrupt aid — she can do it all herself.
“Everyone deserves the chance to fly” is also a generally inspiring phrase that many Wicked fans take to heart. “Defying Gravity” is the best moment of the show, made possible by the powerful vocals of Idina Menzel, and for the movie, fellow Broadway star Erivo. Most of the lines in this song are important to musical fans, making it essential that the movie version of this particular number lives up to everything that it represents in musical theater.
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Director Jon M. Chu Release Date November 27, 2024 Studio(s) Marc Platt Productions Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Winnie Holzman , Stephen Schwartz Cast Cynthia Erivo , Ariana Grande , Jonathan Bailey , Ethan Slater , Marissa Bode , Michelle Yeoh , Jeff Goldblum Expand
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Director Jon M. Chu Release Date November 26, 2025 Studio(s) Marc Platt Productions , Universal Pictures Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Winnie Holzman , Gregory Maguire Cast Ariana Grande , Cynthia Erivo , Jonathan Bailey , Ethan Slater , Marissa Bode Expand
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