'Wicked': Elphaba's Real Father, Explained Actorsvaultpro

Poised for a wide release on November 21, 2025, Wicked: For Good is sure to rule Thanksgiving weekend at the cinematic box office. The story continues Elphaba Thropp’s (Cynthia Erivo) time on the run as a fugitive, living in exile in a forest in the Land of Oz. Now vilified as the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba continues to advocate for animal rights as she turns to her old friend, Glinda the Good (Ariana Grande), to fulfill her destiny and become goodhearted.

As Elphaba learns about her origins and forges a path forward, family becomes a key storytelling element. Told she was born from an illicit affair, Elphaba is unaware of who her biological father is in the first part of the hit musical. Although she learns who her birth father is in the novel, the grand revelation will undoubtedly become a key plot point in Wicked: For Good. Or will it? Fortunately, the answers lie ahead, and fans do not have to wait another month to find out who Elphaba’s father is.

Spoiler Alert: Wicked: For Good spoilers ahead

‘Wicked: For Good’ Continues Elphaba’s Coming-of-Age Story

Universal Pictures

Wicked: For Good picks up following the final events of Wicked, in which Elphaba and Glinda bid farewell. Before saying their goodbyes in the musical, Glinda encourages Elphaba to clear the air with Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), the Dean of Sorcery at Shiz University, and the Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum). Refusing Glinda’s advice, Madame Morrible warns the Land of Oz that Elphaba is a “wicked witch” and dispatches forces to apprehend her.

Wicked concludes with Elphaba fleeing the city, while her half-sister, Nessarose Thropp (Marissa Bode), learns that her father, Governor Frexspar Thropp, has died of a heart attack. Elphaba flies West on her broomstick and separates from Glinda. In Wicked: For Good, Elphaba remains a fugitive in the forest outside of Oz, as Morrible’s mob tries to capture her and punish her for being evil. Meanwhile, Glinda becomes revered as Glinda the Good and is watched over by Morrible and The Wizard of Oz.

With Morrible’s minions pursuing her through the forest, Elphaba must reunite with Glinda to transform her perceived evil and help protect Nessarose and other friends and family, including Prince Fiyero Tigelaar (Jonathan Bailey) and Boq (Ethan Slater). Dorothy Gale is also expected to play a prominent role when she suddenly arrives in Oz from Kansas, tying into the 1939 classic. But the central query remains: Who is Elphaba’s father?

Who Is Elphaba’s Biological Father in ‘Wicked’?

Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz in Wicked For Good

In the original Wicked Broadway musical and 2024 film adaptation, Melena, the wife of Governor Frexspar Thropp, died giving birth to Nessarose Thropp. Growing up believing that Nessarose was her biological sister, Elphaba logically assumed that Frexspar Thropp was her father.

That couldn’t be further from the truth. While Frexspar Thropp is her stepfather, Elphaba’s birth father is The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Better known as Oscar Zoroaster Diggs before he became The Wizard of Oz, he was the traveling salesperson who had an affair with Melena years prior. Not only is Elphaba unaware that Oscar is her father in the musical and the movie, but she also has no clue that Nessarose is her half-sister.

The affair between Melena and The Wizard explains why Elphaba was born with the green skin that everyone in Oz demonizes. Melena was drugged with a green “Miracle Elixir,” which left Melena with no memory of the affair and contributed to Elphaba’s castigated green visage.

The Wizard of Oz is the only one who discovers his true relationship with Elphaba at the end of the tale, told by Glinda after Elphaba’s death. In the movie version of Wicked, Goldblum’s Wizard seemingly gives Elphaba a subtle pause in Emerald City, as if he senses an intrinsic connection with her at a cellular level. However, The Wizard doesn’t know their relationship until much later.

Will Elphaba Discover Who Her Real Father Is in ‘Wicked: For Good’?

Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp and Ariana Grande as Galinda Upland in 'Wicked'

If the first half of Wicked is any indication, Wicked: For Good will follow the stage musical closely. In the musical, Elphaba never learns that The Wizard of Oz is her birth father, nor that Nessarose is her half-sister. The Wizard only learns that Elphaba is his real daughter at the end of the play, well after he has a chance to inform her and reunite as a family.

If Wicked: For Good follows the play, Elphaba will remain unaware of her biological father and continue to believe that Governor Frexspar Thropp is her father. While The Wizard may learn from Glinda that he fathered Elphaba at the end of Wicked: For Good, nothing has been confirmed yet. If addressed, it would be a great wrinkle that fans of the musical would not see coming in the movie and would add to Elphaba’s moral awakening. But without it, the primary plot would focus on Elphaba and Glinda embracing their newly perceived roles as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.

As Elphaba comes of age and evolves for the sake of goodness, her father’s true identity has little bearing on her growth. For a character whose past is so conflicted and downright confusing, Elphaba will aim to better the land of Oz in the future in the highly anticipated Wicked: For Good. Her anticipated encounter with Dorothy Gale from Kansas, along with her reunion with Glinda, will shape the fate of Oz and Emerald City. In doing so, Elphaba becomes the author of her own story rather than being defined by her family lineage. Wicked: For Good is releasing in theaters on November 21.