About Her
Grew Up... an only child. Popular and pretty, Galinda “Glinda” Upland is descended from nobility, and both her wardrobe and personality show it.
Living... at Shiz University, where she rooms with dowdy, green-skinned Elphaba Thropp. Opposites in nearly every way, the two initially don't get along. But slowly, they come to be close friends.
Profession... student at Shiz, though it's a wonder how she got in. Glinda might be fashionable, but she's not very intelligent. Books aren't her strong suit and while Glinda has magical potential, her spells rarely go right.
Interests... fashion, makeup, and being popular. Popularity matters to Glinda almost as much as looks, and it's one of the reasons she initially refuses to be friends with her roommate. As Glinda later tells Elphaba, "Think of celebrated heads of state or 'specially great communicators, did they have brains or knowledge? Don't make me laugh! They were popular."
Relationship Status... enamored with Fiyero, a dashing prince from Vinkus. Glinda's head-over-heels for him, telling Elphaba that "Fiyero and I are getting married" – even when Fiyero knows nothing of it.
Challenge... doing the right thing. Although Glinda is nicknamed "Glinda the Good" by the other citizens of Oz, she wonders if she lives up to her title. Throughout Oz, Animals are being stripped of their rights, and while Elphaba is out passionately fighting for their cause, Glinda is cautiously staying out of the fray. It's a decision that lets her maintain her popularity, but Glinda is increasingly unsure if it's right.
Personality... ditzy, bubbly, and vain, but ultimately caring. With her occasionally vapid and appearance-oriented personality, Glinda may come off as nothing more than a shallow queen bee. But there's a heart underneath all her frippery. Elphaba, especially, is instrumental in unlocking this side of Glinda. But as the two friends drift apart, it's uncertain whether Glinda's need for popularity clashes with her desire to help others.
Glinda Upland's popularity ranking on CharacTour is #1785 out of 5,300+ characters. See our top-ranked characters and read their profiles.
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Find Her In
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![Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West]()
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum's classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious Witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? Gregory Maguire has created a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again.
