Enneagram Types of the Wicked Characters

As someone who loves the stage show of Wicked, I'll admit that I have spent more time than is probably healthy thinking about the characters and their personality types. And I had mixed feelings about watching the movie version of this fractured fairy tale—would giving the plot more room to breathe also give the characters more room to breathe, so we could see the subtleties that are often lost on the stage? Might acting and production choices represent the characters in different ways than the Broadway show?

The answer is 'yes' to both questions...and it had me going back and forth on a couple of the characters' Enneagram types. The following list is what I landed on.

Keep in mind, I haven't read the book. I’m typing these characters based mostly on how they appear in the movie, with the stage musical thrown in for the parts that only get revealed in Act 2.  The movie was amazing by the way. They definitely milked Defying Gravity for all it was worth, but they nailed it!

* WARNING SPOILERS FOR THE MOVIE AND THE STAGE SHOW AHEAD! *

Elphaba Thropp, Animal Rights Activist - Type 1

Our green-skinned protagonist Elphie surely cannot be anything other than a Type One. Her story is one of morality, of making good and pure choices and doing the right thing. She suffers a lot of anxiety around her skin color, which others see as a sign of wickedness. That's the real reason she wants to change her green skin, so her goodness will be obvious for all to see: “Shouldn't a girl, who's so good inside / Have a matching exterior?”

In Act 2 of the show, we get an entire song (No Good Deed) about Elphaba's continually thwarted efforts to do good and the internal dilemma that causes. For Elphie, as for all Ones, it's not just about "doing good", but embodying goodness itself. She is pushed almost to breaking point by her inability to save the people she tries so desperately to help, and this leads her to question her own morality and where her integrity lies, a classic One struggle: "One question haunts and hurts / Too much, too much to mention / Was I really seeking good / Or just seeking attention?"

Unlike Galinda (it's a silent "Ga"), who does whatever it takes to be "Popular", Elphaba has an unshakable moral compass. She's prepared to take on the all-powerful Wizard to stop the mistreatment of animals, partly because she identifies with their suffering, and partly because it's the right thing to do. The fact that centers her sense of self in the suffering of others tells me she has a strong Two wing to go along with her One righteousness—she passionately defends those around her but also fears being unworthy of love and acceptance, which we see in the unwarranted self-criticism of I'm Not that Girl.

Cynthia Erivo's Elphie leans into the Two wing more than most—the hurt of being "othered" is written on her face and it's heartbreaking. In fact, the sensitivity and deep emotional river that flows within Erivo's Elphie could easily be mistaken for a Four. But in the end, it's Elphaba's moral conviction that tips the scales for me. She has a need to stand up for what she believes is right despite everything it costs her. Definitely a One thing!

Glinda Upland, Public Relations Specialist - Type 3

For me, Glinda—or Galinda as we meet her—is the most tragic and complex character in Wicked. Many of her scenes are played for laughs, and we, the audience, are asked to poke fun at the shallow, self-absorbed girl for whom status trumps literally everything. The cute-and-frothy Popular lays bare her entire value system: “When I see depressing creatures with unprepossessing features / I remind them on their own behalf to think of / celebrated heads of state or specially great communicators / Did they have brains or knowledge? Don’t make me laugh! /They were popular. Please! It’s all about popular / It’s not about aptitude, it’s the way you’re viewed, so it’s very shrewd to be / Very, very popular like me.” 

It's the most Three-ish song ever written, sung with total obliviousness and a hair flip.

But as with most things in this musical, there's more to Glinda than meets the eye. The Glinda we see on screen wants to marry up, be the Queen Bee of Shiz, and chameleon her way through the changing political landscape of Oz. She's going places—but it's an ambition that ultimately traps her, and she knows it. 

When Elphaba decides to run from the Wizard, Glinda's first instinct is to go with her—to finally break the shackles of reputation and be free with her friend. But when the hot air balloon escape plan fails, and she has time to think, Glinda immediately returns to the system that has served her so well, but which leaves her lonely. Even her relationship with Fiyero is style over substance: “You're perfect / You're perfect / So we're perfect together” she sings, almost as if she's trying to convince herself the image of a perfect relationship can become the  reality...until of course it doesn't.

Fiyero Tiggular, Professional Heartbreaker - Type 7

If Popular is the quintessential Three song and No Good Deed is the quintessential One song, then Dancing Through Life is the anthem for Sevens everywhere. Fiyero, the dashing prince, is the ultimate reckless, live-in-the-moment kind of guy—he's been kicked out of every school he's ever attended before landing at Shiz.

Fiyero is less fleshed-out as a character than the two leads but, even so, we get hints that there may be more to him than meets the eye. Beneath the FOMO and the flippancy, it's clear that Fiyero deflects difficult emotions as a coping mechanism: "Woes are fleeting / Blows are glancing / When you're dancing through life." He's a prince who will eventually be king, and he feels trapped by it. Fiyero does have hidden depths—it's why Elphaba likes him. She sees through his Dancing Through Life facade and calls him out on it.

Like most Sevens, Fiyero wants to be content. He will always have a carefree attitude and see the pure pleasure of existence—it's what makes him so charming. But he learns that the best things in life aren't always found in the immediate rush. Once he figures out the things he wants truly in life, he starts doing things necessary to have them with the Seven's typical passion.

Nessarose Thropp, The Tragically Beautiful Sister - Type 2

When we first meet the wheelchair-bound Nessa, she is shy, caring and dutiful, devoted to her father, and with a sense of self that is deeply entwined with her relationship to her older sister, Elphaba. At this stage, she displays the positive qualities of a Two: warmth, devotion and loyalty to others, a longing to be liked and loved, and self-sacrifice to serve those she cares about. She arrives at Shiz with one ambition—to find acceptance and fit in.

Act 2 Nessa is a very different person—bitter, manipulative and full of rage, a Two disintegrating to an unhealthy Eight. As the governor of Munchkinland, she refuses to help her fugitive sister, in revenge for Elphaba not using magic to help Nessa overcome her disability. And her fragile self-image shatters entirely when she sees that Boq, the man she loves, will never return her feelings. This triggers a complete loss of control and morality for Nessa as she uses dark magic to manipulate him into staying with her.

In these moments, Nessa shows how destructive the generous, empathetic Two can become when their love and care is not reciprocated. Nessa's desperate need for love and validation is her defining characteristic—she will do anything to keep it, even if it means hurting those she loves.

The Wizard of Oz, The Man Behind the Curtain - Type 3

To the good citizens of Oz, The Wizard presents himself as a kindly, benevolent leader. His whole shtick is about keeping people safe, and he uses his powerful charisma to keep the masses believing that he is their protector. Behind the curtain, The Wizard is ... just a man. He does not have magical abilities; he has wits and ambition. The Wizard is a textbook unhealthy Three using smoke and mirrors to manipulate the gullible folks of Oz into following him.

From the giant talking head to the elaborate throne room, everything about The Wizard is an illusion. His whole world is built on the presentation of an image, and he will do anything necessary to maintain it—including using Elphaba's magic as a tool. When she sees through his carefully crafted facade and refuses to play along with his lies, The Wizard turns on her.

This is a man who embodies themes of perceptions and labels in the show. In his big Act 2 number, Wonderful, he sings, "They called me "Wonderful" / So I said "Wonderful, if you insist" / I will be "Wonderful" / And they said "Wonderful" / Believe me, it's hard to resist /'Cause it feels wonderful." Who else but a Three would take on an entire kingdom just to be seen as "wonderful"? And who else but a Three could use that adjective to describe something they know is fake?

Boq, The Lovestruck Munchkin - Type 9

Boq's defining trait is obsession—specifically, his obsession with Glinda. Boq's unrequited and persistent love for her is the driving force behind many of his actions throughout the story; the boy is willing to do anything to make Glinda happy, even if it means sacrificing his own happiness and identity in the process. For instance, he agrees to take Nessarose to the school dance not because he loves her but because it will make Glinda happy.

While obsession is not a defining characteristic of Nines, their tendency to merge with and adapt to the desires of others is. No type is more devoted to keeping the peace. Even when Boq has the chance to stand up for himself and follow his heart, he’s too afraid of hurting Nessa’s feelings to confess the truth and winds up stuck in a relationship he never wanted in the first place. He waits for outside forces to make decisions for him, and his passivity ultimately sets in motion a chain of events that leads to his tragic transformation into the Tin Man.

Madame Morrible, The Puppet Master - Type 8

Madam Morrible, the villain of the piece, starts Act 1 as a figure of benevolent authority. She takes Elphaba under her wing and offers to help develop her magical abilities. But as the story progresses, she reveals herself to be a master manipulator with a lust for power. Madame Morrible is an Eight who has absolutely no qualms about pulling strings and using others to do her bidding.

Eights are driven by a need for control and dominance—even her magical ability is the power of controlling the weather. Healthy Eights manifest these qualities as self-confidence, a strong sense of justice, and the need to protect those in their charge. But when ego-driven or in a position of unchecked authority, Eights can become domineering and oppressive—as well as soaringly ambitious (“I get what I want”) in a way that's disconnected from reality.

Stand up to an unhealthy 8 and you're in for revenge far worse than your "crime" warrants. The Eight's core fear of being harmed or controlled is fired up when they see someone turning against them, which then feeds into their "dog eat dog" world view. The dark side of an Eight walks all over people weaker than they are—but this is Wicked, and Madame Morrible doesn't just walk over people; she drops a literal house on their head.