Maleficent (Maleficent)

Maleficent is the main protagonist from the 2014 movie of the same name. In contrast to the version of the character seen in the orginal Sleeping Beauty film, this version of Maleficent is depicted as more tragic and sympathetic, having once been an innocent and good-hearted individual who became cruel as a result of circumstance and eventually redeemed herself after her sharing a parental bond with Aurora.

History
As a child, Maleficent lived a peaceful life in an enchanted forest known as the Moors and had a close friendship with the young Stefan until one day he betrayed her and stole her wings as proof he killed her so he could become king. Maleficent becomes enraged over his treachery and as her heart of gold turns to stone she becomes the most evil being in the land.

Bent on revenge, she places a curse upon the baby Aurora to fall into a "sleep like death" when she pricks her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel. However, after Stefan begs her to spare his daughter's life, she also includes that the curse can be lifted only by true love's kiss and no other power on earth can change it.

Over the next sixteen years, Maleficent watches over the young princess and despite her dislike for the little "Beastie" she reluctantly takes care of her from afar since the three Pixies are incapable and struggle with their new life as humans. By the time Aurora is fifteen, Maleficent brings her to the Moors and to her surprise she is delighted to meet. Aurora claims she is her Fairy Godmother and over the next few days they spend time together with the other fairies. All the fairies take a liking to Aurora and even Maleficent starts to warm up to her. Seeing her no longer as her enemy she tries to remove the curse from her but she is unable too since no power on earth can lift it but true love’s kiss. When Aurora says she wishes to stay with Maleficent she delighted. However after learning the truth about her past and her Fairy Godmother's identity she sadly returns to her father. Although ashamed, Maleficent knows if she returns the castle her life will be in danger.

As the sun begins to set Maleficent finds Phillip and hurries to the castle but all is in vain when her evil prophecy has been fulfilled. Maleficent and Diaval, Maleficent's loyal servant, sneak into the castle with Phillip and bring him to the sleeping Aurora, hoping that his kiss of true love will break the spell, unfortunately it doesn't. Maleficent sadly looks upon what her hatred has brought to her dear friend. She gives her a goodbye kiss on the forehead and just before she can walk away a miracle happens, Aurora wakes up. Their friendship was the strongest true love that can ever be.

As they make their way back to the Moors, Maleficent becomes captured by Stefan and his guards. She and Diaval become easily pinned down and just before Stefan can kill her, Maleficent's wings return to her after Aurora frees them. Maleficent and Diaval manage to overpower the guards with the treacherous king still standing and just when Maleficent is close to choking him to death, she decides to spare him claiming "It's all over". However, Stefan refuses defeat and jumps on her. The two fall from a tower but Maleficent manages to gain airborne but leaves Stefan to fall to his death.

With peace finally made between the two lands, Maleficent passes her crown to Aurora making her Queen of both the human and fairy kingdoms. In the last scene she flies happily through the skies with Diaval.

Powers and Skills
Maleficent is the strongest and most powerful fairy of the Moors, acting simultaneously as its fiercest defender and unofficial leader. She was also shown to have undisputed control over the Moors' army and resources, which she could effectively utilise to do her bidding. Examples of her formidable powers include:


 * Superhuman strength: Maleficent was shown to possess physical strength far greater than that of even a well-armoured and seasoned warrior's, literally flooring dozens of armed soldiers when they attempted to invade the Moors and later defeating a crazed King Stefan with almost effortless ease.


 * Wings (Limited Aerokinesis): Maleficent possessed a pair of tremendous eagle/bat wings that enabled her to fly at high heights and speeds. She described them as being strong enough to carry her above the clouds and into the headwinds, and that they had never ever faltered, which was an astoundingly accurate statement - apart from flight and speed, Maleficent's wings enhanced her already great strength and even enabled her to access a form of aerokinesis, as seen when she was able to generate powerful gusts of wind to blast her opponents, effectively carry two people into the air simultaneously, and snap an iron chain with ease despite her vulnerability to that substance.


 * Healing Factor: Maleficent could recover instantaneously from injuries, even those caused by iron - provided that she was no longer touching it. During her final confrontation with Stefan, his soldiers first trapped her in an iron net that severely weakened her, and she was barely able to remain conscious because of the pain, but once Diaval removed the net, she regained sufficient strength to stand up on her feet. Her healing factor is so potent that her amputated wings not only remained alive and healthy for sixteen years, but also immediately reattached to her back when freed from their cell.

*Magical energy manipulation: Maleficent could manifest her magic in either yellow or green fire-like auras, depending on how she intended to use it. Usages of her magic include:


 * Elemental control: Since childhood, Maleficent was able to manipulate the elements of nature, especially the manipulation of vegetable life, as demonstrated by her healing broken twigs and missing barks of tree, creating and animating an impenetrable wall of thorns to fend off Stefan's army, and animating tree roots to save Aurora from falling off a cliff. She could also control the weather to some extent, as seen when her rage over Stefan's betrayal caused the Moors' skies became windy and clouded, and how she played a prank on the Three Good Fairies by conjuring a small thunderstorm in their hut.


 * Telekinesis: Maleficent has the power to move objects with her mind, which she also demonstrated since childhood. She has used it to manipulate a pair of wooden toys to dance by itself, swat the Three Good Fairies aside, and put people (Aurora and Philip) into a levitation suspension or cause her opponents (dozens of armed soldiers) to fly into the air and subsequently clash into one another, effectively knocking them out. In a state of extreme emotion, her telekinesis was shown to be powerful enough to crush objects, as seen when, after she had learned of Stefan's betrayal, she effortlessly tore apart two stone walls as she walked past by them.

*Matter manipulation: Maleficent could transmogrify other objects or creatures into whatever form she desired to. Though it was unknown whether or not she had this ability since childhood, it was shown to be one of her most commonly-used abilities after her wings were stolen. She turned a twig into a walking/magical staff, and frequently turned Diaval into other animals, much to his chagrin. The two most powerful applications of this ability in the film were repairing a spinning wheel that had been burned down for sixteen years, and turning Diaval into a fire-breathing dragon.


 * Enchantment: Maleficent was a potent spell-caster. Throughout the film, she used an effective sleeping spell on Aurora and Philip when she deemed necessary, and more drastically placed a curse on the infant Aurora, which turned out to be irrevocable to even she herself when she tried to revoke it.

All in all, Maleficent's only weakness is iron - the slightest contact could burn her skin, and prolonged exposure could weaken her dramatically. However, when determined enough, Maleficent was able to snap an iron chain holding a chandelier with her wings, proving that even iron could barely slow her down when she was at her most dangerous.

Trivia

 * She is similar to the Wicked Witch of the West as portrayed in Wicked in that both are alternate and more sympathetic portrayals of notorious movie witches.
 * She has some similarities with Gru from Despicable Me, as both are villains who eventually became heroes after sharing a parental bond.
 * This version of Maleficent is very different towards the Sleeping Beauty version of herself.
 * In the original version Maleficent was pure evil, while in this version Maleficent was a tragic villain, is shown to have morals and remorse, and only became evil when King Stephan betrayed and mutilated her.
 * In the original version, Maleficent has light green skin, while the 2014 version has pale skin.
 * Unlike the original version of Maleficent, this version is shown to not have the ability to teleport.
 * In the original, Maleficent, and her minions were searching for Aurora for sixteen years with on such luck, while in this version, Maleficent was able to find Aurora, with the help from her pet raven Diaval, almost instantly.
 * This version of Maleficent, she met Prince Phillip, but never confronted him.
 * The original Maleficent dies at the end of the film, while the 2014 version, Maleficent is still alive.
 * She ultimately felt remorse for cursing Aurora, and tried to undo the spell that she gave her when she was a baby.
 * In the Original version, Maleficent placed the curse on Aurora because she wasn't invited to the party in Aurora's favor, while in the 2014 version, she wanted to get her revenge on King Stephan for betraying her and their friendship.
 * Maleficent in this version never turned into a dragon, instead she turned Diaval into a dragon.
 * This version of Maleficent doesn't live in a castle on top of the Forbidden Mountain, instead she lives in the Moors.
 * The enchanted thorns Maleficent summoned in the 2014 version, were used as a barrier to prevent anyone from entering and destroying the Moors, while in the original version, Maleficent used the thorns to prevent Prince Phillip from reaching Princess Aurora and breaking the curse.
 * Prince Phillip was the one who broke the curse in the original version, while in this version Maleficent was the one who broke the curse.