W.I.T.C.H.

W.I.T.C.H. (stylised as W.i.t.c.h.) is an Italian fantasy comics series written by Elisabetta Gnone, Alessandro Barbucci, and Barbara Canepa. The series was first published by Disney Italy in April 2001 before the series was released in other countries. As of January 2005, W.I.T.C.H. has been released in over 65 countries.[4] The final issue of W.I.T.C.H. was released in October 2012,[5] concluding the series' 139 issue run. It is about a group of girls who find out they are the new guardians of the elements of Water, Fire, Earth, Air and Energy. The comics are drawn in line with manga conventions.[6] They were subsequently adapted into an animated series, itself taking visual cues from anime.[7][8]

This article is about the comics series. For the animated version of this series, see W.I.T.C.H. (TV series). For the video game adaptation, see W.I.T.C.H. (video game). For other uses, see Witch (disambiguation).

W.I.T.C.H.
Promotional poster featuring the five members of the second generation of Guardians of the Veil, with the fifth and leader, holding the mystical Heart of Candracar
Publication information
Publisher	Disney Italy
Schedule	Monthly
Format	Ended
Genre	Contemporary fantasy, supernatural, magical girl[1][2]
Publication date	April 2001 – October 2012
No. of issues	139 (main series) 16 (specials)
Main character(s)	Will Vandom Irma Lair Taranee Cook Cornelia Hale Hay Lin
Creative team
Created by	Elisabetta Gnone, Alessandro Barbucci, Barbara Canepa
Written by	Elisabetta Gnone, Francesco Artibani, Bruno Enna, Teresa Radice, Paola Mulazzi, Alessandro Ferrari, Augusto Macchetto
Penciller(s)	Alessandro Barbucci, Daniela Vetro, Donald Soffritti, Paolo Campinoti, Alessia Martusciello etc.[3]

The series tells the story of five teenage girls who are chosen to be the new Guardians of Kandrakar,[9] protectors of the center of the universe from people and creatures who wish to cause harm to it. For this purpose, magical powers over the five classical elements have been given to them. The new guardians are Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin, whose initials form the title acronym "W.I.T.C.H.".

In 2004, series creators Alessandro Barbucci and Barbara Canepa unsuccessfully sued Disney for the initial rights to W.I.T.C.H. after issues with management at the publishing company.[10] As a result, Canepa founded her own comics company.[11]

Background and production

Upon seeing the success of PKNA - Paperinik New Adventures with young male audiences, some of the same writers began thinking of a concept that would work for young female audiences. Elisabetta Gnone, Alessandro Barbucci and Barbara Canepa came up with the original concepts and designs. Gnone co-wrote the first issue of the series with Francesco Artibani.

Gnone and Artibani originally created a concept that would last nine issues, but upon seeing the impressive sales numbers, a further three issues were ordered, rounding out the 12-issue first saga.

In 2004, tensions arose between the W.I.T.C.H. artists and Disney's publishing (Buena Vista). Series creators Alessandro Barbucci and Barbara Canepa unsuccessfully sued Disney for the initial rights to W.I.T.C.H., and Francesco Artibani was a witness in support of the two artists in court. After the lawsuit failed, Artibani and other artists decided to end their working relationships with Disney due to the "difficult management and company."[10] Around the same time, Disney filed an unsuccessful copyright infringement lawsuit against Rainbow SpA, the studio behind Winx Club (a series cited as the main competition for W.I.T.C.H.). In its April 2004 suit, the corporation claimed the Winx Club concept copied that of W.I.T.C.H.; all of their claims were rejected in August,[12] and Rainbow SpA won the case against Disney as they provided proof that the Winx Club production began before the W.I.T.C.H. comic was available.[13]

After breaking off with Buena Vista and in the middle of her trial against them, Barbara Canepa created her own comic book company, Sky Doll. She described it as a way to become "more sincere and uncensored" with her comics. Sky Doll was unable to secure the rights to W.I.T.C.H. from Disney so instead focused on original projects.[11] Canepa stated that she intends to keep all the rights to her comics; she said, "After my experience with Disney, it's important for me to protect myself."[11]

Comics

Part I: The Twelve Portals

The first saga introduced a world called Metamoor, ruled by a tyrannical ruler named Prince Phobos. Years ago, Prince Phobos caused the disappearances of his parents and took over the capital city, Meridian. To prevent his spreading tyranny, the Oracle lowered a veil over the planet, separating Metamoor from the rest of the worlds under Kandrakar's protection. However, twelve portals opened between Meridian and Earth, creating a series of passageways for the desperate refugees and monsters of Meridian to infiltrate Earth. The portals also weaken the veil and in order to prevent this, generations of Guardians were sent to protect it from collapsing. In the present day, five girls are chosen to become the new Guardians: Will Vandom, the Guardian of Energy and the Keeper of the Heart, making her the leader; Irma Lair, the new Guardian of Water; Taranee Cook, the Guardian of Fire; Cornelia Hale, the Guardian of Earth; and Hay Lin, the Guardian of Air. Together, they must prevent the collapse of the veil and promote justice throughout the universe under the guidance of the Oracle of Kandrakar.

The first saga also introduced Elyon Brown, a childhood friend of Cornelia. The Guardians' first mission was to close the twelve portals, but as they found out for themselves, Elyon had betrayed them. It is revealed that Elyon is Prince Phobos's younger sister who had disappeared from Meridian more than a decade ago. After Prince Phobos's right-hand man, Lord Cedric, revealed Elyon of her true alien heritage, he manipulated her into thinking that the Guardians were her enemies. The Guardians had to find a way to defeat Prince Phobos and bring Elyon back home. In Meridian, however, there is a rebellion taking place led by Caleb, whom Cornelia had seen in her dreams for years. They sought to overthrow Prince Phobos and put Elyon on the throne, as she is the legitimate ruler. The Guardians later worked together with the rebels and eventually, Elyon realized her mistake for trusting Lord Cedric. Prince Phobos had planned to absorb his sister's powers for himself during her coronation, but with the Guardians' help Elyon escaped and later battled against him for the crown. The final battle was successful, but not without some losses. Prince Phobos transformed Caleb back into a crystal flower, his most primitive form as a Murmurer. This devastated Cornelia greatly to the point where it would haunt her in the next series. As Elyon is crowned Queen and the Light of Meridian, the world of Metamoor is finally liberated. The Oracle lifted the veil off of Metamoor and light shines on the world once again. Both Prince Phobos and Cedric are imprisoned in the Tower of Mist.

No.	Title	Italian release	English release
1	Part I: The Twelve Portals	April 2001	July 2002
1. Halloween 2. The Twelve Portals 3. The Dark Dimensions 4. The Power of Fire 5. So Be It Forever 6. Illusions and Lies 7. One Day You'll Meet Him 8. The Black Roses of Meridian 9. The Four Dragons 10. A Bridge Between Two Worlds 11. The Crown of Light 12. The Challenge of Phobos

Part II: Nerissa's Revenge

The Guardians must face an old enemy of Kandrakar – Nerissa, the corrupted ex-Guardian and the previous Keeper of the Heart. When the Oracle realized how the immense power of the Heart was corrupting Nerissa, he took it away from her and gave it to Cassidy, the former Guardian of Water. Obsessed with her lost power and blinded by jealousy, Nerissa tricked Cassidy and killed her. As punishment, Nerissa was stripped of her magic and sentenced to sleep, alone and friendless, in Mount Thanos for an eternity, only until all five elements-Water, Fire, Earth, Air and Pure/Absolute Energy- united into one single being.

When Cornelia accidentally, and unknowingly, absorbed all five elements into herself, the seal on Nerissa's tomb broke, setting her free. When Caleb is kidnapped, the Guardians must face Nerissa along with her four Knights of Vengeance. While successful in their rescue mission, they end up losing Luba who sacrificed herself to save them. Hoping to steal the Heart she craved for so long, Nerissa later attacked the girls through their dreams in order to weaken them but failed. She was later successful in stealing the Heart back by tricking Will into giving it to her.

With the very symbol and essence of Kandrakar itself now entirely corrupted by Nerissa's hatred and vengeance, the former Guardian leader and her Knights of Vengeance attacked the sacred Temple of Kandrakar itself. Will later acquired the Star of Cassidy, a copy of the mystical Heart from the spirit/ghost of Cassidy, the late and original Guardian of Water. With it, Will and her fellow Guardians faced Nerissa in Kandrakar. In the final battle, Nerissa was ultimately destroyed by the combined strength of the second generation of Guardians. Despite their victory, Cornelia is deeply heartbroken when Caleb left her due to their complicated relationship.

No.	Title	Italian release	English release
2	Part II: Nerissa's Revenge	April 2002	July 2003
13. I Know Who You Are 14. The End of a Dream 15. The Courage to Choose 16. Nerissa's Seal 17. Don't Close Your Eyes! 18. Remnants of Summer 19. The Other Side of the Story 20. A Gust of Doubt 21. Shadows of Tomorrow 22. A Broken Heart 23. Goodbye! 24. Trust Me!

Part III: A Crisis on Both Worlds

Crisis after crisis threatens to break up the girls once and for all. Will's father, Thomas Vandom, returns into her life after years of absence, and his intentions are anything but loving and trustful. Later, Taranee went on strike because she felt that the Oracle is using them to carry out his missions and sentences. A new character, Orube, joins the remaining Guardians on their new mission to defeat a new enemy; Ari, the powerful lord of Arkhanta and they must prevent him from rising and destroying the Oracle. Ari's son, Maqi, suffered from a strange disorder since birth and the Oracle had refused to help Ari cure his son. Angered and blinded by rage, Ari captured a banshee, named Yua, and tried to use her wish-granting power to oppose the Oracle and Kandrakar (but it could not be done). The longer Yua was held prisoner and serving as Ari's slave, the more powerful Ari becomes, and soon, he would have enough power to overthrow the Oracle.

Taranee later rejoined the quintet and together, they were able to defeat Ari and set Yua free. Liberated, Yua kidnapped Maqi because she wanted Ari to suffer for holding her imprisoned for many years against her will. Ari and the Guardians followed her into the swamp where she and her banshee sisters live and fought them to bring Maqi back. However, Maqi was nearly killed during the confusion of the battle. He was later saved and cured when the Guardians and Orube offered their magical, elemental gifts from the nymph Xin Jing herself to him.

Although their missions on the world Arkhanta was successful, the girls have a whole bunch of new problems on Earth that needs their attention: Interpol discovers the secret of the five Guardians' and wants to capture them and use their astounding abilities as Guardians of Kandrakar for their dark intentions. As if that was not enough, the girls' Astral Drops decide to rebel after months of being taken advantage of by the Guardians. The Astral Drops started to cause numerous problems between the Guardians' families, teachers, and individual boyfriends' and eventually they ran away to another city. The Guardians later recaptured the Astral Drops and decided to liberate them from slavery by sending to another city entirely.

No.	Title	Italian release	English release
3	Part III: A Crisis on Both Worlds	April 2003	July 2004
25. Water Shadows 26. Blackmail 27. Divided 28. So Close, Yet So Far 29. The Lesser Evil 30. The Chamber of Tempests 31. The Voice of Silence 32. Behind the Mask 33. The Greatest Gift 34. The Scent of Freedom 35. Mirrored Lives 36. Rebel Souls

Part IV: Trial of the Oracle

The members of the Congregation are questioning the Oracle's recent actions, and he shocked everyone by putting himself on trial. The Guardians are called in to recall his recent unsatisfactory deeds and he was later found guilty by Endarno and was banished back into his home world, Basilíade. Back home in Heatherfield, Will confronted Orube and Matt, while Principal Knickerbocker goes to drastic measures to raise the girls' grades at Sheffield. In Kandrakar, the Council has elected Endarno the new Oracle. After Endarno has been chosen, he makes the life of the Guardians difficult by trying to prove to the Congregation that they are too young and immature. He also convinced the Congregation that Elyon, the queen and the Light of Meridian, is dangerous and unfit to rule over Metamoor. Many times he tried to get the Guardians to arrest their old friend and bring him the Crown of Light. But W.I.T.C.H. managed to hide Elyon from Endarno by smuggling her back to Earth and had Orube protect her. Moreover, Endarno is someone else than he appears to be...an old enemy coming back for revenge and an even bigger thirst for more power. Elyon and Yan Lin discovered that "Endarno" is actually the consciousness and evil will of Prince Phobos, who has been using the physical self of the true Endarno, in his new quest for power and revenge.

Queen Elyon then wields her vital life energy to Yan Lin, who then gives it to Will to hide within the Heart of Kandrakar for safeguarding. The Guardians were able locate the old Oracle, now called Himerish, upon the discovery of his old identity before leaving for Kandrakar, with the help of Orube. Together, they tried to free Elyon from her prison and put a stop to Cedric and Phobos before Endarno (Phobos) is formally instated as the Oracle. In the end, Himerish was able to locate the real Endarno and he, in turn, revealed to the Council that the Endarno that they knew was, in actuality, the malicious Prince Phobos' mind and spirit in his body. Elyon returned to power on her world of Meridian, Cedric was back in the Tower of Mist, and Prince Phobos, rather than being locked up in prison again, threw himself into the endless void of Kandrakar.

No.	Title	Italian release	English release
4	Part IV: Trial of the Oracle	April 2004	July 2005
37. The Dispute 38. Desires of the Heart 39. On the Wings of Remembrance 40. The Ultimate Secret 41. The Whole Truth 42. Beyond All Hope 43. Tricks of Light 44. Never Alone, Ever Again 45. Double Deception 46. The Power of Courage 47. The Sands of Time 48. New Horizons

Part V: The Book of Elements

The five classical elements themselves have something in store for the Guardians who utilize and represent them. Each Guardian has discovered new and much stronger abilities, yet their elemental abilities are going out of control. Even the Triumvirate of Kandrakar does not have full understanding about it. At the same time, Cedric is disposed of his magical strength and power and gets a second chance from the Oracle. He returns to "Ye Olde Book Shop" to live a decent life, under supervision from the Guardians. Nevertheless, he searches for a useful resource to regain his powers in hopes of getting revenge on the Guardians. He finds his luck in the Book of Elements, written by Jonathan Ludmoore (which the Guardians later found out). About a century before, Jonathan Ludmoore was an alchemist who came from Metamoor and it was Prince Phobos who had sent him to Heatherfield in order to open the Twelve Portals. After completing his mission, Ludmoore discovered that the city is a place where all five elements—Water, Fire, Earth, Air, Quintessence—met and stayed. He experimented on the elements but it trapped Ludmoore in his own book and released all five elemental stones throughout the city.

After Matt was swallowed by the Book of Elements (thanks to Cedric), the Guardians must cooperate with Cedric in order to save Matt. The book gives them riddles as clues and the Guardians must used these riddles to look for the scattered elemental stones. Endarno warned the Guardians that in order to capture these stones, they must face the Elemental Guards that stand and protect them. One by one, the girls were able to find the stones, and back in the bookstore, Cedric and Orube slowly fell deeply in love. However, the Guardians, Cedric, and Orube were sucked into the world of the book when Will refuses to surrender the Heart of Kandrakar. Cedric was later killed by Ludmoore and dissolved into ink when he tried to protect Orube from Ludmoore's deadly gaze. The Guardians later found Matt and managed to defeat Ludmoore once and for all (with Matt's help). While Orube mourns for Cedric's death Will's mother, Susan Vandom, married her history teacher, Dean Collins. Orube left and a magical portal in the shape of the Heart of Kandrakar later appeared in the basement of the "Ye Olde Book Shop".

No.	Title	Italian release	English release
5	Part V: The Book of Elements	April 2005	July 2006
49. Between Dreams and Reality 50. Forever Magic 51. Out of Control 52. The Eye of the Book 53. A Whole New Song 54. One More Hug 55. The Day After 56. The Riddle 57. The Isle Of Memories 58. Illusions 59. The Fire Within 60. Air and Earth 61. The World Inside the Book 62. Between the Pages 63. Arrival and Departure

Part VI: Ragorlang

When Hay Lin stayed over at the Lyndons' home, she meets Karl and Tecla Ibsen, an elderly couple who appeared to have a connection with Eric's new school. Karl tells Hay Lin about the Ragorlang, a monster that absorbs the thoughts, the voices, and the sounds of its victims. Coincidentally, a few students at Eric's school are getting inactive as if they had lost their youthful strength. The same evening, Hay Lin gets attacked by a Ragorlang and was saved just in time by the other Guardians. Soon they discover who's behind the new threat: Tecla Ibsen. She wanted to be young and beautiful again and used her magical ability to conjure up and control the Ragorlangs, ordering them to steal the youthful strength of the teenagers by absorbing their thoughts and voices. The Guardians managed to defeat her and her Ragorlang. Unfortunately, Tecla returns, but as a frail, older woman, who can't summon a fully grown Ragorlang. Tecla brainwashed a magical girl named Erin, making her believe that the Guardians are the Ragorlangs and that it was their fault that her brother, Kader, went missing. At first, Erin uses her magic to make the girls hate each other while posing as an exchange student. The Guardians eventually helped her find her brother despite their hate for her.

This saga also introduced a strange optometrist, named Folkner, who stationed himself in Sheffield to monitor the students' health. The Guardians found out that he's a Ragorlang hunter who wishes to hunt down Tecla Ibsen. She later regain full power due to leaked magics from Kandrakar and attacked the Guardians with a new pact of Ragorlangs. Despite being able to use the Shadow Heart against the Guardians, she was defeated when the last of her Ragorlangs was absorbed into a box created by Folkner. Obsessed with the dark power, Folkner unleashed the powers and became a supreme Ragorlang himself. He was later killed by the Guardians and was sucked into his own Ragorlang box at the end of the saga, and Karl and Tecla were both accepted into the Congregation of Kandrakar after admitting their mistakes.

No.	Title	Italian release	English release
6	Part VI: Ragorlang	July 2006	October 2007
64. The Screaming Man 65. Only a Flower 66. Reflection 67. From Your Part 68. The Dark Side 69. New Frontiers 70. Silent Stamp 71. Glimmers of Fear 72. The Green Ray 73. The Dark Summons 74. Whisked Away

Part VII: New Power

The Guardians must face another, more ancient enemy: Dark Mother! She was once Queen Meter of Spring and made flowers bloom beneath her feet. But when she became corrupted, she transformed into "the Dark Mother" and attacked Kandrakar with a vengeance. She was ultimately defeated by the combined strength of the elemental Queens of Water, Fire and Air and was cast into the dark void where she continued to wait patiently in chains until she could be released. In silence, Dark Mother sent a seed and planted it deep within kandrakar, where it would serve as her infiltrator against the Fortress of Light.

The five Guardians of Kandrakar each receive further developed and considerably stronger Guardian powers over the five elements upon undergoing a vision-quest to unlock the very roots of their abilities as well as their highest potential. Wilhelmina "Will" Vamdom's own boyfriend, Matthew "Matt" Olsen, now serves as their new trainer and mentor after being recruited by the Oracle to prepare them for their upcoming battle against Dark Mother. One by one, the Guardians found the root of their elements and obtained full control over their new and much stronger abilities. Meanwhile, Dark Mother escaped (thanks to Will) and set off to take over Kandrakar. Thanks to her tree, which she had planted beforehand, Dark Mother enslaved the minds of Kandrakar, except for Yan Lin. The Guardians later faced her in one last battle and Dark Mother was sealed in a stone tomb. Oracle Himerish relinquished his place to the original Guardian of Air, Yan Lin, who foresaw the incoming threat and departed without even saying goodbye.

No.	Title	Italian release	English release
7	Part VII: New Power	June 2007	September 2008
75. As You Were, You Are Now 76. Earth 77. All of the Stars 78. Fire 79. Water 80. Emotions 81. Air 82. Energy 83. Return to Candracar 84. Unique Movements 85. I Am You 86. In the Heart

Part VIII: Teach 2^b Witch

The Guardians must find and teach the magical people of Heatherfield how to fully control their new abilities. Oracle Yan Lin assisted them by giving them new weapons to help greatly strengthen and magnify their powers and abilities as well as the key to the W.I.T.C.H. Van, a special on-the-road-school which houses five magical laboratories connected to each Guardians' elements, personalities, and skills. Kandor, a member of the Congregation is sent to be their new bus driver and care-taker. Meanwhile, a new enemy is watching their every move: Foreman Takeda the CEO and scientist of Takeshita Inc. Takeda vowed to destroy all magic because he believed that it is responsible for his daughter's illness. Mariko, his eldest daughter, discovered the Fast World and her mind now trapped there. Takeda enlisted the help of Liam, a mysterious boy that Mariko met in the Fast World and they fell in love, to spy on the Guardians and ordered him to kidnap Will's little brother. Using Liam and William as bait, Takeda lured the Guardians into his lair and used his cold technologies to trap the Guardians into the 'Fast World forever'. However, his plan was thwarted by his youngest daughter, Shinobu, who saw her father's cruelty and had him frozen by his own robotic minions.

While looking for Liam and William in the Fast World, the Guardians encounter the malicious ruler Arkaam, the White Queen, who wished to rule all of the Fast World under her tyranny and possessed a deep desire to kill the Black Queen. It is revealed that the identity of the Black Queen is Mariko's conscious and Shinobu's sister. In the confusing of their escape, Liam was killed by the White Queen after she stabbed him with her sword. Although successful in bringing William back, Will and her friends are horrified that the White Queen and her army had followed them to their world. In their last battle, invading White Queen and her army were dissipated by the Guardians' powerful sound frequency. After hearing Mariko's accusation and Shinobu's forgiveness, Takeda forgot his vendetta and rejoined his family.

• Beginning from issue #97 onward, most W.I.T.C.H. comic issue is its own story.

No.	Title	Italian release	English release
8	Part VIII: Teach 2b Witch	June 2008	September 2009
87. A Cold Magic 88. Which One of You? 89. The Key to Summer 90. A Beating Heart 91. So Much More 92. No Longer Alone 93. From A Place Far Away 94. The Settlement 95. Endless Tears 96. Here Inside the Heart 97. The Magic of the World 98. Wonderful, After All 99. A Dive into the Air

Part IX: 100% Witch

Starting from issue #97 of the previous saga, each issue has its own story. The Guardians now face their daily problems from families, friends, and school. The stories ranged from facing their first day of returning to Sheffield Institute to finding out more about both of their parents' pasts and abilities. At the same time, they must face several new enemies who wanted to destroy them. Many of these villains included the Runics, a group of five evil wizards who control the dark powers of the elements; and Nihila, the Queen of Darkness who desire to weave and control everyone's destinies with her magical Loom. The series also introduced new missions where the Guardians must assist the beings of the natural worlds; from listening to the voice of the Earth to helping Mareeve, the Saarineen, avoid marrying the King of the Sharks, Orristurr. Later on, the stories ranged from Dean's parents returning to Hay Lin and her family celebrating Chinese New Year.

No.	Title	Italian release	English release
9	Part IX: 100% Witch	July 2009	October 2010
100. 100% Witch 101. A Rising Star 102. The First Day 103. The One You're Not 104. Another World 105. One Letter from a Dream 106. Zodiac 107. It Was Fated 108. A Father's Heart 109. Green Truth 110. Magical Moms 111. Teamwork 112. Early Days 113. The Long Kiss 114. Return to School 115. A Special Journey 116. The Right Distance 117. The Best Occasion

Part X: Ladies vs. WITCH

From issue number 118 the concept of arcs is dropped. All stories are one of themselves, sometimes connected to previous issues.

No.	Title	Italian release	English release
10	Part X: ( Ladies vs. WITCH )	January 2011	April 2012
118. All in a Day 119. Music in the Air 120. Lady Giga 121. Ten Years Later 122. Mathematically Possible 123. Lady Crash 124. A Friendly Creature 125. The Other Half 126. Lady Kimikal 127. Embrace 128. Just One Word 129. Far From the Heart

Part XI: Magical Sovereigns

From issue 130 through issue 139, the saga has been named the "Magical Sovereigns".

No.	Title	Italian release	English release
11	Part XI: Magical Sovereigns	January 2012	April 2013
130. A New Friend 131. The Magic of Emotions 132. Always Together 133. Little Magic 134. Tomorrow 135. Similar at Heart 136. Over the Net 137. Tell Me 138. A Different World 139. Witch!

Special issues

Aside from the original series, the Walt Disney Company Italia had published several special issues depicting the lives of the Guardians and their friends taking places on the side lines from the original canon issues. The following is a list of special issues that have been published thus far:

• The Year Before
• Elyon: Return of the Queen
• Cornelia and Caleb: A Love Not Meant to Be
• Core of Kandrakar
• Planet Boys
• Orube Special
• Two Hearts for a Ball: World Cup Special
• Christmas Special 2004
• Christmas Special 2005
• Christmas Special 2006
• W.I.T.C.H. Look Book
• Caleb and Elyon - Two Destinies
• W.I.T.C.H. on Stage
• Halloween Special 2007
• Olympic Games 2008 Special

Characters

Main article: List of W.I.T.C.H. characters

• Willamina (Will) Vandom
• Irma Lair
• Taranee Cook
• Cornelia Hale
• Hay Lin

Guardian abilities and magic

Each five Guardian's powers are fueled by Candracar itself, transmitted to the Heart via the Aurameres (the physical representations of the five elements in the forms of colored orbs). The Aurameres grant the same powers to each of their guardians; for instance, powers held by Irma would also have been possessed by Cassidy.

When the Guardians transform, they change form and grow wings. The wings don't allow them to fly, except after they get the New Powers.

Teleportation (renamed to Teletransportation in the animated show's second season) can be performed from one spot to another on Earth as well as teletransporting from world to world via long-distance.

• Irma and Cassidy control and manipulate the element of Water
• Taranee and Halinor control and manipulate the element of Fire
• Cornelia and Kadma control and manipulate the element of Earth
• Hay Lin and Yan Lin control and manipulate the element of Air
• Will and Nerissa control and manipulate the element of Energy (replaced by Aether/Quintessence in TV show)

Setting

Heatherfield

Located on Earth, this city is the home of the five Guardians.

Kandrakar

A sacred, ethereal, spiritual world in the very center of the entire universe itself, where time and space do not exist. In the Fortress, the wisest of thousands of other planets and worlds are gathered to discuss the state of the worlds which are of their concern. They simply observe and do not interfere. The fifth and last Guardian is rightful Keeper of the mystical Heart of Candracar, an ancient and immensely powerful crystal orbicular pendant which gives the girls' their ability to transform into their taller, stronger and more elaborate Guardian costumes. Hay Lin's paternal grandmother lives here with the Oracle when she "dies" unexpectedly on Earth.

Metamoor

Metamoor is a world ruled by the Escanor, who originates from Earth. For a long time Metamoor, and its capital Meridian, was isolated from the rest of the universe because it was ruled by the evil prince Phobos. With help of the Guardians and the Meridian people the rightful heiress to the throne, Elyon, could reign again. Elyon is the last of the Escanor.

Arkhanta

Arkhanta is an Earth-like world ruled by Ari. Ari accused the Oracle for not wanting to cure his son. Even the banshee Yua was unable to help him. With trickery, Ari could keep Yua in his scarlet citadel forever. Despite all this, Ari brought prosperity to his people. Knowing they had received everything thanks to the powers of Yua, the people are both happy and disturbed. Fortunately, after the Guardians released Yua and healed Ari's son Maqui, any threat of Yua's anger was over. On his turn Ari ended his hostility against Kandrakar.

Basilíade

Basiliade is the home world of the Oracle (Himerish), Endarno, and Orube. It makes up part of a binary solar system.

Other printed media

After the success of the 2001 release of the W.I.T.C.H. comic magazines, Disney Publishing Worldwide expanded the W.I.T.C.H. franchise to magazines, video and mobile games and a website.[14]

Chapter books

The W.I.T.C.H. book series consists of twenty-six books; all are adapted from the comic series by either Elizabeth Lenhard or Alice Alfonsi, but have entirely different titles than those of the graphic novel series. Each contains comic inserts from the original comics. The book series was designed for UK and USA release and preceded the graphic novel adaptation in the United States.

• The Power of Five (Elizabeth Lenhard)
• The Disappearance (Elizabeth Lenhard)
• Finding Meridian (Elizabeth Lenhard)
• The Fire of Friendship (Elizabeth Lenhard)
• The Last Tear (Elizabeth Lenhard)
• Illusions and Lies (Elizabeth Lenhard)
• The Light of Meridian (Julie Komorn)
• Out of the Dark (Julie Komorn)
• The Four Dragons (Elizabeth Lenhard)
• A Bridge Between Worlds (Alice Alfonsi)
• The Crown of Light (Elizabeth Lenhard)
• The Return of a Queen (Elizabeth Lenhard)
• A Different Path (Elizabeth Lenhard)
• Worlds Apart (Alice Alfonsi)
• The Courage to Choose (Alice Alfonsi)
• Path of Revenge (Alice Alfonsi)
• The Darkest Dream (Alice Alfonsi)
• Keeping Hope (Alice Alfonsi)
• The Other Truth (Alice Alfonsi)
• Whispers of Doubt (Alice Alfonsi)
• A Weakened Heart (Alice Alfonsi)
• A Choice is Made (Alice Alfonsi)
• Farewell to Love (Alice Alfonsi)
• Trust Your Heart (Alice Alfonsi)
• Enchanted Waters (Alice Alfonsi)
• Friends Forever (Alice Alfonsi)

Original adventures

A miniseries of five chapter books were produced in 2004 and 2005, each one featuring one of the five Guardians of the Veil narrating her own story in fighting a certain antagonist relating to one of them, or ancient evil being, with her four fellow Guardians. The second book, told in the eyes of Irma Lair, has not been available at either Amazon or any other book stores; said to be the only out of print.

• When Lightning Strikes (by Will Vandom, Guardian of Energy/Keeper of the Heart of Candracar)
• Enchanted Music (by Irma Lair, Guardian of Water)
• Heartbreak Island (by Taranee Cook, Guardian of Fire)
• Stolen Spring (by Cornelia Hale, Guardian of Earth)
• The Cruel Empress (by Hay Lin, Guardian of Air)

Graphic novels

Eight graphic novels were published by Hyperion Books in the United States.[15] They were first released in 2005, each of them containing two issues from the comic book series. Included in every graphic novel was a miniature poster relating to the W.I.T.C.H. franchise. The titles of the graphic novels are as followed:

1. The Power of Friendship (Halloween and The Twelve Portals)
2. Meridian Magic (The Dark Dimension and The Power of Fire)
3. The Revealing (So Be It Forever and Illusions and Lies)
4. Between Light and Dark (One Day You'll Meet Him and The Black Roses of Meridian)
5. Legends Revealed (The Four Dragons and A Bridge Between Worlds)
6. Forces of Change (The Crown of Light and The Challenge of Phobos)
7. Under Pressure (I Know Who You Are and The End of a Dream)
8. An Unexpected Return (The Courage to Choose and Nerissa's Seal).

Republication

In 2017, Yen Press announced at the San Diego Comic-Con that they would be reprinting the comics as W.I.T.C.H.: The Graphic Novel with new translations[16] and will be releasing new graphic novels in the series for every 4 months beginning with the first story arc of the comic book series on Halloween.[17] Each volume contains 3 or 4 chapters of the original comic, plus a few pages of additional content from the original magazines such as character profiles, bedrooms and wardrobes, information on various locations in the series, and how-to-draws. The following volumes, with some chapter names changed from the original release, have been published or announced so far:[18]

No.	Title	English release date	English ISBN
01	Part I. The Twelve Portals, Volume 1	October 31, 2017	978-0316476928
001. "Halloween" 002. "The Twelve Portals" 003. "The Dark Dimension" 004. "The Power of Fire"
Twelve portals have opened between Earth and the dark world of Metamoor, weaking the mystic veil that separates the two and protects humanity from an evil that threatens to consume it. Five girls have been chosen as Guardians to stand against this menace. Gifted with powers over the elements, Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin step into their new roles and together become the force for good known as W.I.T.C.H.!
02	Part I. The Twelve Portals, Volume 2	October 31, 2017	978-0316476966
005. "The Last Tear" 006. "Illusions and Lies" 007. "One Day You'll Meet Him" 008. "The Black Roses of Meridian"
The new Guardians pursue their mission to close the twelve portals to Metamoor that threaten their world. When the prediction that they will be betrayed by someone close to them comes to pass, though, can the W.I.T.C.H. girls pull together, or will they come apart at the seams...?
03	Part I. The Twelve Portals, Volume 3	October 31, 2017	978-0316476997
009. "The Four Dragons" 010. "A Bridge Between Two Worlds" 011. "The Crown of Light" 012. "So Be It Forever"
The final confrontation is at hand, and the girls must find a way to take down the evil Prince Phobos and reclaim the crown of Meridian! Who will emerge victorious in the showdown between light and darkness?
04	Part II. Nerissa's Revenge, Volume 1	January 23, 2018	978-0316518345
013. "I Know Who You Are" 014. "End of a Dream" 015. "The Courage to Choose" 016. "The Mark of Nerissa"
In the aftermath of their first adventure, Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin have unleashed a dormant evil... Corrupted by a power greater than herself, the ex-Guardian Nerissa re-emerges to threaten Kandracar, and only the girls of W.I.T.C.H. can stand in her way!
05	Part II. Nerissa's Revenge, Volume 2	January 23, 2018	978-0316477055
017. "Don't Close Your Eyes" 018. "Fragments of Summer" 019. "The Other Truth" 020. "Whispers of Hatred"
Desperate to reclaim the power of Heart, Nerissa and her Knights of Vengeance deploy put their schemes into motion, and the W.I.T.C.H. girls and their friends won't escape unscathed... Could this be their first true failure as Guardians?
06	Part II. Nerissa's Revenge, Volume 3	January 23, 2018	978-0316477079
021. "Under the Shadow Sign" 022. "The Broken Heart" 023. "Good-bye!" 024. "Trust Me"
Nerissa has the Heart, and all of Kandracar is at her mercy! The girls must face her again, but are they prepared for the sacrifices required for victory...? Will Nerissa finally have her revenge?
07	Part III. A Crisis on Both Worlds, Volume 1	May 29, 2018	978-0316477086
025. "Water Shadows" 026. "The Ultimate Blackmail" 027. "The Departure" 028. "So Near, Yet So Far"
The girls seem to face new challenges everywhere they turn, and the pressure is threatening to tear them apart. Even their normal lives aren't free of stress--particularly now that Will's long absent father is back in the picture. Can the girls pull it together before a new enemy emerges?
08	Part III. A Crisis on Both Worlds, Volume 2	May 29, 2018	978-0316477093
029. "The Lesser Evil" 030. "The Path of the Wind" 031. "The Voice of Silence" 032. "A Play of Many Parts"
Ari, the lord of Arkhanta, has a grudge against the Oracle and will go to any lengths to destroy him. The Guardians must stop Ari's rising power at the source to protect Kandrakar, but who is the real threat?
09	Part III. A Crisis on Both Worlds, Volume 3	May 29, 2018	978-0316477109
033. "The Greatest Gift" 034. "Drops of Freedom" 035. "Reflected Lives" 036. "Rebel Spirits"
The girls have barely recovered from their adventure in Arkhanta when they suddenly find themselves facing an Astral Drop revolution! How can the Guardians stop their doubles from wreaking havoc in their lives, though, when the Astral Drops know exactly where to strike the Guardians to turn their lives upside down.
10	Part IV. Trial of the Oracle, Volume 1	September 25, 2018	978-0316477116
037. "The Dispute" 038. "The Heart's Desire" 039. "A Flutter of Wings" 040. "The Last Secret"
A shadow moves over Kandrakar, and the Oracle can feel it stirring. When a member of the Congregation questions his recent decisions and his involvement in human affairs, Kandrakar's leader suddenly finds himself on trial! The girls are called to testify, but given their recent treatment by the Oracle, will they stand with him or against him...?
11	Part IV. Trial of the Oracle, Volume 2	September 25, 2018	978-0316477123
041. "The Whole Truth" 042. "No Hope" 043. "The Magic of Light" 044. "Never Alone Again"
The new Oracle's ambition is revealed, and he'll stop at nothing to possess Elyon's power! Don't think for an instant, though, that he has forgotten about the Guardians. Biding his time, he has every intention of eliminating them as soon as the opportunity presents itself. The girls may still have some allies, but can they hold it together long enough to recognize their true enemy...?
12	Part IV. Trial of the Oracle, Volume 3	September 25, 2018	978-0316477130
045. "Double Deception" 046. "The Strength of Courage" 047. "The Sands of Time" 048. "New Horizons"
Having uncovered the true identity of the new Oracle, W.I.T.C.H. and the former Oracle head to Kandrakar in an effort to free Elyon, return the Crown of Light to its rightful owner, and protect all of creation from this terrible threat. Things seldom go as smoothly as planned, though, and as things begin to unravel, can the girls survive their most important mission ever?
13	Part V. The Book of Elements, Volume 1	January 22, 2019	978-1975383770
049. "Between Dream and Reality" 050. "It's Magical Anyway" 051. "Out of Control" 052. "The Book's Eye"
The girls are growing into their powers, but possibly not quickly enough...? As their elemental magic swells, the girls begin losing control of their frighteningly increased abilities. Possibly even more frightening, though, is that Cedric is back... and getting a second chance from the Oracle?
14	Part V. The Book of Elements, Volume 2	January 22, 2019	978-1975383800
053. "Dancing to a Different Tune" 054. "One More Hug" 055. "The Day After" 056. "The Riddle"
Running Heatherfield's Ye Olde Book Shop isn't the new life Cedric wanted for himself, but it may have given the perfect opportunity for revenge! With the Book of Elements and the secrets it contains, Cedric's found the power he needs to finish the Guardians once and for all, but is that what he really wants...?
15	Part V. The Book of Elements, Volume 3	May 21, 2019	978-1975383831
057. "The Island of Memories" 058. "Illusions" 059. "The Jaws of the World" 060. "Air and Earth"
To save Matt, the Guardians must track down the elemental gems required to open the Book of Elements, but no one ever said the task would be easy! Meanwhile, Cedric finds himself being increasingly drawn to Orube...
16	Part V. The Book of Elements, Volume 4	May 21, 2019	978-1975383893
061. "The World Inside the Book" 062. "Between the Pages" 063. "Arrivals and Departures" Celebrating 50 issues: "Pin Up Gallery"
Trapped in the Book of Elements, the Guardians, Orube, and Cedric must confront Jonathan Ludmoore, the sinister alchemist who was once the servant of Phobos, but can they survive this encounter?
17	Part VI. Ragorlang, Volume 1	September 17, 2019	978-1975332228
064. "The Screaming Man" 065. "Only a Flower" 066. "Reflected Memories" 067. "On Your Side"
Eric has started at a new school, but something seems off. The students are tired and listless, almost as if something is sapping their strength. Could this have anything to do with the folktale Hay Lin recently heard about, the monster that drains the energies of its victims?
18	Part VI. Ragorlang, Volume 2	November 19, 2019	978-1975332242
068. "The Dark Side" 069. "Beyond Borders" 070. "Radio Silence" 071. "The Mark of Fear"
The Ragorlangs are real! Attacked by one of the beasts and only surviving with the help of her friends, Hay Lin, along with the rest of W.I.T.C.H., has to find out where these creatures are coming from to protect Heatherfield!
19	Part VI. Ragorlang, Volume 3	July 21, 2020	978-1975332273
072. "The Green Flash" 073. "The Black Beat" 074. "At the Heart of It All"
The Ragorlangs are out of control, and not even Kandrakar is safe! Can the W.I.T.C.H. girls pull together to defeat this threat unlike anything they've faced before?
20	Part VII. New Power, Volume 1	October 20, 2020[19]	978-1975332983
TBA

Manga

The comic was never published in Japan, and instead a manga based on the comic, with art by Haruko Iida (飯田晴子, Iida Haruko), was published by Kadokawa Publishing (角川書店, Kadokawa Shoten) in their monthly magazine Asuka Monthly (月刊あすか, Gekkan Asuka) and later collected in two Tankoban volumes, upon which the comic was canceled. The paperback volumes contained covers by Daisuke Ehara (江原大介, Ehara Daisuke). The two volumes were also published in Italy and Eastern Europe by the Italian Disney Manga.[20]

TV series

Main article: W.I.T.C.H. (TV series)

Video game

Main article: W.I.T.C.H. (video game)

Welcome Magazine

Welcome is a side magazine of W.I.T.C.H. In total, there are eleven issues of the magazine. It is only published in parts of Europe, and is not published in the UK or Australia. Its mascot is We, a creature from Basilíade. Welcome was included with the Italian W.I.T.C.H. magazine, starting with issue #64. The Swedish W.I.T.C.H. magazine started publishing Welcome stories much earlier, instead of publishing a separate magazine.

Lene Kaaberbøl

Danish author Lene Kaaberbøl has written nine novels set in the W.I.T.C.H. universe, which have been published in 2002 and 2003 in Denmark. The first five of them each have one of the five girls as the main character in the order of the first letters in their names (Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin).

• When Lightning Strikes (The Heart of the Salamander)
• Enchanted Music (The Music of the Silencer)
• Heartbreak Island (The Fire of the Ocean)
• Stolen Spring (Green Magic)
• The Cruel Empress (The Gruesome Empress)

Her next series of W.I.T.C.H. pockets is called Crystal Birds. It contains the following titles:

• The Stone Falcon
• The Talons of the Eagle
• The Shadow of the Owl
• The Golden Phoenix

Scandinavian releases

Books that have been released in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Scotland, Denmark, Poland and Russia.

Ruben Eliassen

• Ibenholt Pyramiden (The Ebony Pyramid)

Josefine Ottesen

• Isblomsten (The Iceflower) 2004
• Den Gyldne Kilde (The Golden Spring) 2005

Maud Mangold

• Queen of the Night
• The Flame of Clarity

Lene Møller Jørgensen

• The Pristine Rose
• A Touch of a Star

Cecilie Eken

• The Wells of Fog
• The Storms of Windmor

References

1. Altehenger, Jennifer (2013). "Chapter 4: Comic Travels: Disney Publishing in the People's Republic of China". In Fung, Anthony Y.H. (ed.). Asian Popular Culture: The Global (Dis)continuity. Routledge. pp. 66–70. ISBN 9781134089956.
2. Bellerby, Grace (August 15, 2012). The History of Magical Girl Anime: Sparkles Without Cullens (Speech). Amecon 2012. Keele University: SlideShare. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
3. "Italy: W.i.t.c.h". Coa.inducks.org. Retrieved 2015-09-15.
4. "Fact Book 2005" (PDF). The Walt Disney Company. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
5. "In ogni fine c'è spazio per un nuovo inizio". Il Blog del Direttore. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012.
6. "Disney's journey to the teen heart". en.tefen.com. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
7. Cutler, Jacqueline (6 February 2005). "FOR YOUNG VIEWERS; Growing Up Galactic". Retrieved 25 March 2018 – via NYTimes.com.
8. "Animators' Hall of Fame". www.agni-animation.com. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
9. Alternate spellings have been used in various regions, as well as for the TV series; see that page for further information on these changes.
10. https://antoniogenna.com/2013/03/25/disney-in-edicola-14-speciale-la-chiusura-di-w-i-t-c-h-con-interviste-a-francesco-artibani-e-teresa-radice/
11. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/new-titles/adult-announcements/article/14783-french-publisher-soleil-finds-success-at-marvel.html
12. Gradozzi, Francesco (2008). "I segni distintivi nella giurisprudenza" (PDF) (in Italian). University of Macerata.
13. Artibani, Francesco (9 April 2006). "Intervista a Francesco Artibani". Comicus (Interview) (in Italian).
14. "About Disney Publishing Worldwide" (PDF). Disney Publishing Worldwide. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
15. "USA: Witch Graphic Novel". Inducks. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
16. "W.I.T.C.H first arc coming this year!!". Twitter. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
17. "USA: Yen Press to Launch Kids' Graphic Novel Imprint in Fall 2017". Retrieved 3 August 2017.
18. "W.I.T.C.H. Graphic Novel Series". AmazonUK. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
19. "Amazon.com: W.I.T.C.H.: The Graphic Novel, Part VII. New Power, Vol. 1". Amazon.com. 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
20. "Arriva W.I.T.C.H. Manga". Il Sole 24 Ore. 16 June 2008. Archived from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2012.