Black women are already pretty magical. Few could deny that. But what about those whose powers go beyond the mortal and live more in the supernatural? Well, that’s what we’re covering here. Say hello to a list of pop culture’s most awe-inspiring, witty, and even scary Black witches — some you may recognize, and a few more under the radar.
Marie Laveau, American Horror Story
Make no mistake, Marie Laveau is a real person and a NOLA legend. But, we’re specifically speaking about Marie’s portrayal in American Horror Story by the amazing and astronomically talented Angela Bassett. She’s not known as the Voodoo Queen for nothing. Marie is a powerful voodoo practitioner whose powers rival that of the Supreme. From the moment Marie is onscreen, it’s hard not to be captivated. She’s headstrong, she knows what she wants, and she keeps her coven of witches in check. She’s also not one to bite her tongue when it comes to bigotry. When she found out what Delphine LaLaurie was doing to her lover Bastien, Marie wasted no time in making a plan of revenge and ensuring that Delphine is to suffer for all eternity. Revenge may not be the most moral of actions, but it’s hard not to cheer for Marie in this instance.
She’s also a tragic figure, as she herself is stuck in a cycle of constant emotional pain. When she was scared of the idea of death after becoming pregnant by Bastien, Papa Legba appears to Marie and offers her immortality in exchange for her soul and a service to be done for him once a year. Marie wasn’t aware that the service was the deliverance of an innocent soul to Papa Legba. This includes the soul of her infant daughter. This left Marie with immense trauma and pain, along with guilt over making the deal in the first place. You can watch American Horror Story on Hulu.
Rochelle Zimmerman, The Craft
Rochelle is proof that when you choose to be racist, the karma tends to come back around. Rochelle was many a young Black girl’s introduction to the existence of Black witches. She’s someone who could be seen as a bit of a follower towards the end of the movie, but for most of the film, Rochelle is really only focused on getting her racist swim team bully, Laura, to leave her alone. After Laura responds in one of the worst ways to Rochelle’s inquiry about the tension that’s always coloring their interactions, it’s more than easy to root for any revenge that Rochelle doles out.
It’s not Laura that audiences feel bad for when all her hair starts falling out, it’s Rochelle. She reached a point of no return with her powers, and it’s sad to watch her wonder if it was all worth it. It kind of was, but even when we’re in the right, sometimes going just as low as your adversary can take its toll. And it really took it’s toll on Rochelle. She turns on her friend Sarah and spends an entire night torturing her on the orders of her friend Nancy. But once Sarah is able to tap into her natural powers and show Rochelle the future that awaits her if she continues down this path, Rochelle snaps out of it. Rochelle is someone with a good heart who falls into a bad mindset once she fully unlocks her powers. She also has the cutest outfit in the famous slow-mo walk scene. You can watch The Craft on Peacock.
Prudence Blackwood, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
It’s hard to talk about the one, the only, Prudence Blackwood and not talk about the looks. The looks, the looks, the looks. This girl comes on the scene and the whole room stops. If there’s one thing Prudence is going to do, it’s serve a stunning aesthetic. She’s also a talented and gifted witch, whose character evolves from a spoiled bully along with her two sisters to a multi-layered hero who comes in clutch a few times.
Not to mention her relationship with Sabrina’s cousin Ambrose, one that goes through it’s ups and downs — going from casual hookups to absolutely hating each other, to being committed partners. They had many fans hoping that they would make it to the end of the show. That didn’t happen due to a very emotional and angry Prudence breaking up with Ambrose over him not allowing her to kill her deceitful and abusive father.
It should also be noted that Prudence’s look and even her walk were specially put together by the amazing Tati Gabrielle. She based Prudence’s walk on Eartha Kitt and her portrayal of Catwoman. Tati would also sit in her trailer and do her own finger waves for Prudence’s signature hairstyle. That’s both amazing and a sign of needing more onset hairstylists who know how to handle thicker coil-y hair. You can watch The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix.
Jennifer Kale, Agatha All Along
If there’s one thing Jen knows how to do, it’s stay off the radar. Sure, Doctor Strange can sling mystical shields and summon dimensional portals, but Kale’s power set is more like the magical equivalent of, “Oh, you’ve never heard of this spell? It’s super niche.” Like any self-respecting sorceress, Jen can toss around your classic magical spells: telekinesis, mind manipulation, reality warping — because who doesn’t want the power to rearrange their furniture with a flick of the wrist? It’s all in a day’s work for her, though she’s probably not as dramatic about it as Agatha, who definitely adds flair to every spell. (It’s called panache, darling.)
Alexandra Fielding and Camryn Barnes , Twitches
Tia and Tamera Mowry were already considered icons for Black girls before they took on the roles of Alexandra and Camryn. But, this foray into the world of magic cemented their status as Disney icons and brought us two powerful witches born on Halloween night. Alexandra and Camryn were born in the magical dimension of Coventry to their mother Miranda.
Named after the Olympian twins of Apollo and Artemis, the gods of the sun and moon, the two are sent to the non-magical realm and adopted to two different families. Thus growing up separated from each other. Cue twin magic when the two meet by chance after their 21st birthday and find that not only do they have a twin, but magical powers as well. Of course the movie has themes of self discovery and family, but there’s also the themes of sisterhood and teamwork. As powerful as they are alone, they are even more powerful together. You can watch Twitches and Twitches Too on Disney+.
Bonnie Bennett, The Vampire Diaries
Fans have called for Justice for Bonnie Bennett for a long time. Since the show was on the air the calls for justice have only died down a bit since The Vampire Diaries ended. Played by the talented Kat Graham, Bonnie is not only a powerful witch but a witch that sought to perfect her craft and be responsible with her power. After finding out that she can wield magic, she goes to her grandmother for help in honing her skills.
Unfortunately, her grandmother died before she could truly help Bonnie. Although that didn’t stop her from getting in tune with her powers and making a big come back after taking some time for herself. Bonnie had amazing potential and an actress to bring the magic to life but her potential was squandered and Bonnie was reduced to a sidekick. But that didn’t stop fans from finding and connecting with her in spite of what the show gave us.
If some of these witches are already familiar to you, the under-the-radar webseries MisSpelled may be something worth uncovering. Murder, mystery and magic collide in this series about a coven of clueless witches.
Did we miss a favorite from the list? Let us know on social media!
