Fairies, sprites, and similar mythological creatures have remained popular onscreen characters dating back to the early days of Disney. Adapted from the Nickelodeon 2004 animated series Winx Club, Netflix’s original series Fate: The Winx Saga expands on the mythical history of fairies through an array of characters, led by Bloom Peters (Abigail Cowen), who can channel the natural elements for their own specific powers.
Such magical and mystical characters have also been featured in several fantasy films and fairy-tale adaptations throughout cinematic history. While some are far more powerful than others, fairies on the big and small screen are here to stay.
Fairy Queen – The Magicians (2015)
Derived from fairytale lore, the Fairy Queen (Candis Cayne) in SyFy’s The Magicians presides over the entire Fairy Realm. In addition to having dominion over all the other fairies with 50 times their power, she has a wide array of magical skills.
The Fairy Queen’s abilities include teleportation, invisibility cloaking, levitation, spell-casting, and removing body parts without harm that she can use to spy on anyone she wishes.
Flora, Fauna, & Merryweather – Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Also appropriated in the TV series Once Upon a Time, the three helpful fairies in Sleeping Beauty wield tremendous power. Without the assistance of Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, Aurora would never find her Prince, Phillip.
Differentiated by red (Flora), blue (Fauna), and green (Merryweather) gowns, the most powerful fairy of the three is Flora, who bestows Aurora with the gift of beauty. Fauna is the most benevolent of the three, while Merryweather uses her aggression to thwart Maleficent’s evil spell.
Oberon & Titania – A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1999)
King Oberon and Queen Titania draw their powers from the mighty pen of William Shakespeare, royally presiding over the fairy realm in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. While the play has been adapted several times, Michael Hoffman’s 1999 version features the best performances.
Oberon (Rupert Everett) and Titania (Michelle Pfeiffer) have the power to rule all of their fairies in the forest and use their abilities to bless their kingdom with good fortune at the end of the story.
Bloom – Fate: The Winx Saga (2021)
As the most influential witch in Fate: The Winx Saga, Bloom Peters has ascended as one of the all-time most powerful fairies seen on television.
As a fire fairy, Bloom possesses a bevy of different powers. She can control the Stone Circle and channel her emotions as fuel for her magical abilities. Bloom also has pyrokinetic powers, magical skills to physically transform others, and the ability to change eye color. Bloom is also fire and heat resistant, and also possesses thermokinetic powers to regulate body temperature.
Oona – Legend (1985)
Ridley Scott’s dark fantasy film Legend stars Tom Cruise as Jack, a pure human being sent to defeat the Lord of Darkness in a magical forest. Along his quest, Jack encounters a shapeshifting fairy named Oona (Annabelle Lanyon) who possesses a raft of mighty powers.
Oona uses her magic to physically escape a jail cell, transform into a lusty version of Jack’s romantic interest, Lili, and obtain the jail keys to free her fellow inmates.
Fairy Godmother – Cinderella (1950)
Also translated to the small screen via Once Upon a Time, not to mention countless movies, Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother remains one of the most storied fictional fairies ever conceived.
With a benevolent aura that radiates goodness and optimism, the Fairy Godmother instills Cinderella with a sense of much-needed hope by making the young lady’s dreams come true. Without the Fairy Godmother’s magic wand that wields mighty powers, Cinderella would never have attended the ball in her new gown and met Prince Charming.
Blue Fairy – Pinocchio (1940)
In addition to Disney’s 1940 version of Pinocchio, The Blue Fairy has been immortalized on the big screen in Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence as well as on the small-screen via Once Upon a Time.
Without the Blue Fairy’s magical powers to grant Pinocchio’s one true wish, he would never have been turned into a real boy. As the most powerful character in the movie, The Blue Fairy also uses her magic to assist Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket in direct and indirect ways.
Tinker Bell – Peter Pan (1953)
As Peter Pan’s trusty sidekick and the liveliest fairy in all of Neverland, Tinker Bell can’t be omitted from the fray. The character has appeared in several movies and TV shows since 1924, including Peter Pan in 1953, Hook in 1991, and Once Upon a Time in 2013.
Tinker Bell’s magical powers include her trademark pixie dust, which allows herself and others to fly. Beyond the realm of fiction, Tinker Bell’s status as one of the all-time most-famous fairies in history gives her near unparalleled power.
Sookie Stackhouse – True Blood (2008)
Given all the triumphs and tribulations she endured over seven years and 81 episodes of True Blood, Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) remains one of the most powerful fairies of all time.
Technically a human/fairy hybrid, Sookie’s supernatural powers include the ability to read people’s minds and hear their thoughts through telepathy, controlling and moving particles of light through photokinesis, being able to manipulate supernovae, and reverse a 400-year-old curse put on her by Antonia (Paola Turbay).
Maleficent – Maleficent (2014)
As the self-proclaimed Mistress of All Evil, Maleficent is the most formidable fairy ever committed to celluloid. In the 1959 version of Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent is painted as an evil fairy who curses the young Aurora after failing to be invited to a party.
While refashioned as a protagonist in the 2014 movie Maleficentand its 2019 sequel, Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) can physically alter objects through transfiguration, move things with telekinetic powers, manipulate the weather via atmokinesis, cast harmful and healing spells, pass through inanimate structures through terrakinesis, and revive decaying plant matter.
