Wicked is the beloved prequel story that leads directly into The Wizard of Oz, and many of the original’s most well-known concepts finally get their backstory and explanation in this musical-turned-movie. The film centers around the character of Elphaba, who later becomes the Wicked Witch of the West, as she travels from Shiz University at the invitation of the infamous Wizard of Oz. There, she quickly learns that not everything in her world is not quite as it seems. It’s the story of Elphaba’s younger years, and it retroactively answers many of the lingering questions from The Wizard of Oz.

One of the coolest features of the original Wizard of Oz story is the flying monkeys, who serve the Wicked Witch in her quest to defeat Dorothy Gale and her new friends. The creatures appear several times throughout the story, but their origin is never really touched upon - until Wicked. The prequel story explains how the monkeys were created in the first place, which isn’t just a neat Easter egg, but also gives a whole new meaning to their mission in the original story. They’re one of the smartest connections between Wicked and The Wizard of Oz.

Elphaba's Creation Of Flying Monkeys In Wicked Explained

The Wicked Witch Is Responsible For Giving The Monkeys Wings

In Wicked, it’s explained that the flying monkeys were actually created by Elphaba herself at the behest of the Wizard. The event marks a huge turning point in the story: it’s the moment that Elphaba learns the truth about the Wizard and his magic. He’s not the all-powerful ruler that he presents himself as, but rather somebody who exploits magic to oppress others and benefit from their suffering - and she’s unknowingly helped him. It’s a tragic moment in Elphaba’s journey, but one of my favorite pieces of storytelling in the entire musical.

During the pivotal scene, the Wizard introduces Elphaba to his monkey servant Chistery and orders her to use a magical spell in order to make him fly. However, her lack of experience causes the spell to inflict immense pain on Christery, forcing him to sprout wings and fly away. This is the moment that Elphaba learns the truth about the Emerald City, and it speaks to some of the play’s most touching themes about oppression, resistance, and selflessness. The scene comes briefly before “Defying Gravity”, the scene that will likely split the Wicked movie in half.

How Wicked Changes How I See Flying Monkeys In The Wizard Of Oz

It's Difficult To See The Humor In The Wizard Of Oz After Wicked

This retroactive change to the flying monkeys’ backstory completely changed my perception of the flying monkeys in The Wizard of Oz. In the original film, they’re portrayed as fun creatures whose ability to fly is mostly played for laughs, and to display that things are somewhat distorted in this alternate world. Dorothy isn’t in Kansas anymore, and the monkeys having wings are just an entertaining display of this. However, Wicked proves that they’re actually suffering and experiencing pain as a result of their physical form.

The prequel gives depth and complexity to characters or dynamics that previously only existed to keep the story moving - the flying monkeys weren’t that important in The Wizard of Oz, and could’ve been replaced with any other creatures.

There’s an argument to be made that Wicked essentially ruins the fun element of The Wizard of Oz by giving all the lighthearted characters such tragic backstories, but I’m confident that it’s actually the opposite. The prequel gives depth and complexity to characters or dynamics that previously only existed to keep the story moving - the flying monkeys weren’t that important in The Wizard of Oz, and could’ve been replaced with any other creatures. But thanks to Wicked, they’re just as crucial to the narrative as any of the other characters who appear in The Wizard of Oz.

Why The Flying Monkeys' Origin Story Is So Important In Wicked

Their Backstory Changes Everything About Their Existence

It seems like a small detail to make Elphaba the creator of the flying monkeys, but this quick scene actually has major implications on her character. She feels intense guilt about inflicting such pain on Chistery, and it’s this guilt that spurs her into rebelling against the Wizard and his seemingly impenetrable society. She recognizes her own role in perpetuating his lies, and it’s for this reason that she feels she has nothing to lose. If she’d never created the flying monkeys, I’m not sure that Elphaba would’ve ever run away from the Wizard.

The genesis of the flying monkeys also changes Elphaba’s story in The Wizard of Oz: while the creatures were previously assumed to be her friends, the prequel frames them as her creation, which raises all sorts of questions about the power dynamic at play. It’s unclear whether she’s controlling the monkeys intentionally, whether she created them individually using the Wizard’s spell, or whether they simply serve her as their creator. Either way, Wicked gives them a much more complicated purpose in the story.