You'll Want These TV Witches On Your Side When Evil Comes A-Knockin'

Witches have gotten a bad rap over the years. Most of the time, they can be portrayed as green-faced hags with warts and hooked noses and labeled "evil" because their powers are otherworldly. Take the Wizard of Oz's Wicked Witch of the West, portrayed by Margaret Hamilton, as a prime example. We can thank her the tinted complexion, which can immediately come to mind when we hear the word "witch," but it wasn't to make her appear any creepier than she already was. But it wasn't her skin tone that gave the Wicked Witch of the West so much influence over the creation of witches in the next two and a half decades. It was the clear lack of redeemable qualities. She was clearly a villain and enjoyed the role. It wasn't until 1964 and the introduction of Bewitched's Samantha Stevens that viewers caught a glimpse of a witch that had a good heart.

Fortunately, television has continued that trend over the past several decades, moving away from the boring trope of "all witches are bad." Instead, we have more than a few who could save our skins in a battle against evil. On that note, let's take a look at five TV witches that are not only worth befriending, but ones that will keep you safe no matter what.

Willow was, for the most part, an affable, goofy girl whose sense of naïveté endeared her to viewers; when Tara died, things changed. Willow absorbed the dark magic, becoming practically unstoppable in the process. She used that magic to save Buffy's life, but she also used it for evil, killing the man responsible for her girlfriend's death. Once free of the dark magic, Willow was never quite the same. She remained an extremely powerful witch. Any friend of Willow's would have little to fear from danger.

Once the most powerful of the sisters, Prue Halliwell kicked a lot of demon ass in her three seasons on #Charmed. Had she not been killed at the end of Season 3, her powers would have continued to expand like her Halliwell sister Piper's did. Prue's magic was telekinesis so with just a jerk of her head or the flick of her finger, she could render an enemy unconscious.

Though extremely powerful, Prue could also think quickly on her feet and was usually the sister that decided the next move to make. She didn't hesitate to face oncoming danger, and scared, mere mortals would benefit from her courage.

If you have a house full of spirits, Fiji is the witch you want. This mighty enchantress keeps watch over the small town of #MidnightTexas, using her magic to protect her friends at any cost. Her magic, like that of Prue Halliwell's, is tied to her emotions which means when she's angry, she's deadly. The only downside to this is that, in her formative years, Fiji was unable to control her emotions and was a liability to herself and others. Once she got her powers under control, she became Midnight's unofficial guard.

Fiji can shake cars and send fire bursts from her hands. She also has the power of telekinesis and can cast out spirits. In fact, there's little she can't do. Her incredible powers and her determination to save her friends from harm would put her high on the light of potential allies.

Introduced in Season 2 of #Bitten, Paige Winterbourne was highly skilled in telekinesis and spellcasting, She fought alongside the werewolves and was there to the bitter end, picking up the mantle of leader of the North American Coven after her mother, Ruth Winterbourne, was killed.

What made Paige an especially powerful was her unique ability to channel other witches. She could reach them telepathically, enabling her to have full conversations when they were miles away. This power came in handy to warn other witches of incoming danger or to find witches that had been taken. She could reach out to them when she needed help. Imagine having an ally who had dozens of other witches at her disposal.

Regina Mills has a storied past, having ruled Storybrooke as the Evil Queen for a majority of #OnceUponATime's run. Intimidating her subjects with her impressive magical feats, Regina has a heart of stone. For a long time, she was fueled by vengeance. But once she found her way, she used her vast array of powers — which includes mirror enchantments, teleportation and transformation — for good, and she even found love because of this.

Regina is a virtually unstoppable and a force of nature, especially when she's angry or in fear for the life of someone she loves. With her as a line of defense, the odds of winning a battle double.

In spite of their beginnings, witches have proven to be effective allies in the supernatural world. You can still find a witch firmly ensconced in her comfort zone of evil here and there, but television has done a good job at redeeming most witches through the years. So, finding a friendly one this time of the year might be easier than you thought!

[Sources: Boingboing; Wildhunt]