Fiyero

Norbert Leo Butz as Fiyero in the musical Wicked, with Idina Menzel as Elphaba.

Fiyero is a character in author Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The character also appears in the Broadway musical Wicked which is based on Maguire's novel.

[Spoiler warningSpoiler warning]: Plot and/or ending details follow.

In both the book and the musical, Fiyero is a Winkie prince who attends Shiz University. He eventually becomes the love interest of Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West). Between the two works, the character is portrayed very differently. In the book, Fiyero is covered with blue, diamond-shaped tattoos and is unhappily married to a woman named Sarima and father to three children: Irji, Manek, and Nor. He meets an early demise when he is brutally murdered by The Wizard's secret police, presumably because he is affiliated with Elphaba, who is now a fugitive from The Wizard. It is also noted that Fiyero has dark skin.

In the musical, the character has no tattoos (simply because the small designs did not translate well to the stage) and never married, but he is engaged (rather reluctantly) to Galinda (or Glinda). He is at first a careless, happy-go-lucky kid, but when he meets Elphaba, he begins to understand that there is more to life than having fun and never thinking. In the middle of his discovery, he is transformed unwittingly into the Scarecrow by Elphaba as she tries to save him from a murderous mob. He helps Elphaba stage her death and escapes with her out of Oz.

In the musical, the part of Fiyero was first played by actor Norbert Leo Butz. Butz was replaced by Kristoffer Cusick and Taye Diggs before briefly returning to the role. He was later permanently replaced by Joey McIntyre, and then David Ayers, who was subsequently replaced by Derrick Williams. In Chicago, Kusick originated the role, and continues to play Fiyero there. On tour, Derrick Williams was cast as Fiyero. When he left to replace David Ayers on Broadway, Sebastian Arcelus became the current touring Fiyero. Adam Garcia will play Fiyero in the West End production.

In the musical, Fiyero is the vehicle that makes a happy ending possible, by helping Elphaba escape. This is contradictory to the book, where he actually contributes to the Witch's downfall. Fiyero's death affects Elphaba deeply, leaving her struck with grief. She is left haunted by a sense of guilt and failure that eventually drives her to seek out Fiyero's widow and children in the isolated Vinkus castle, Kiamo Ko. This is where she is later killed by Dorothy.

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