The Wicked Ways of Agatha Harkness: Why She Killed Her Fellow Witches

If you've watched Marvel's WandaVision, you probably remember when Agatha Harkness revealed herself as the serial witch-slayer. The character, played by Kathryn Hahn, became a fan favorite when she appeared alongside Scarlett Witch – and she was later given her own spinoff.

Agatha’s story takes us way back to the Salem Witch Trials — though, in true Marvel style, it’s not quite the history we know. Agatha wasn’t just any witch on trial; she was on a mission to become the most powerful one around. Other witches from her own coven tried to stop her because she was messing around with some serious dark magic. But Agatha had her own ideas. Instead of letting them take her down, she drained their powers and killed them.

Agatha has since been exiled for killing other witches, which is prohibited according to their bylaws. Fans of Agatha All Along may be aware of the witch’s agonizing backstory, but others are wondering what drove the sorcerer to madness. Here’s what we know about Agatha’s motive, particularly her desire to kill other witches.

Agatha is obsessed with power, and she makes no secret of it. To her, that meant eliminating anyone who stood in her way, even if they were once her allies. Killing other witches wasn’t just self-defense — it was Agatha making sure she stayed on top of the magical food chain.

Agatha has the ability to drain magical powers and life essence from her victims. When she meets Wanda Maximoff, Agatha’s obsession with power hits a new high. Wanda’s abilities make her the Scarlet Witch, a level of magic Agatha’s been chasing her whole life.

This motive is further examined in Agatha All Along, the character’s spinoff series. Agatha’s son, Nicolas Scratch makes his debut in the series, and it is revealed that Agatha also used her powers to protect Nicolas from harm. And while Nicholas is ultimately able to convince his mother to stop killing on his behalf, Agatha’s thirst for power prevents her from stopping the murderous rage.

Season 1 of Agatha All Along ended with a shocking bang, leaving fans curious about the show’s future. Without spoiling the season finale, it’s a bit difficult to determine. And while the Disney Plus show was initially intended to serve as a miniseries, showrunner Jac Schaeffer is open to continuing Agatha’s story.

“With this show, we wanted to tell a complete story, and I hope that we did. But as a — as a fan and as an admirer, I believe that there is so much more story to tell about all of these characters,” Jac told Decider.

Fortunately, fans of the spell-casting anti-hero do not have to bid farewell to Agatha forever. Marvel producer Brad Winderbaum previously told ScreenRant that the character is slated to appear in an unnamed Marvel project and may appear in additional films in the future. However, Brad did not reveal when Agatha will reemerge.