List of The Worst Witch characters facts for kids

The Worst Witch is a series of popular children's books. They were written and illustrated by Jill Murphy. These magical stories have also been made into different films and television shows.

Meet Mildred Hubble

Mildred Hubble is the main character of The Worst Witch series. She is a kind-hearted but very clumsy young witch. Unlike most students at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches, Mildred doesn't come from a witch family. She got a special scholarship to attend the school, which really impressed Miss Cackle.

Mildred is best friends with Maud Spellbody and Enid Nightshade. She often finds herself in funny or tricky situations. In the first book, The Worst Witch, Mildred accidentally messes up a broomstick display. This happens because someone sabotaged her broomstick. But she bravely saves the whole academy from Miss Cackle's evil twin sister, Agatha Cackle! Agatha wanted to turn everyone into frogs. Mildred quickly turns Agatha and her witch friends into snails instead.

Mildred's Adventures

In The Worst Witch Strikes Again, Miss Cackle trusts Mildred to look after the new girl, Enid Nightshade. This makes Maud and Miss Hardbroom a bit annoyed.

In A Bad Spell for the Worst Witch, Mildred is turned into a frog by Ethel Hallow. As a frog, she meets a frog-magician named Algernon Rowan-Webb. Mildred helps him turn back into a human.

In The Worst Witch All at Sea, Mildred secretly brings her own clumsy tabby cat, Tabby, on holiday. She was supposed to bring a new, ordinary black cat called Ebony.

Mildred saves the academy again in The Worst Witch Saves the Day. The sneaky Agatha Cackle sneaks into the school. She pretends to be a new teacher called Miss Granite. Agatha tries to turn everyone into snails again, but Mildred stops her.

In The Worst Witch to the Rescue, Ethel Hallow steals Mildred's special project. Ethel also gets Mildred banned from art lessons. This happens after Ethel turns Mildred's clay pot into five rattlesnakes. In the same book, Mildred bravely rescues her talking pet tortoise. He was hidden in a tall pine tree by Drusilla Paddock, following Ethel's orders. Mildred is allowed to keep the tortoise once he returns to normal.

As she starts her fourth year in The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star, Mildred becomes a Lantern Monitor. She makes a wish on a shooting star and gets a new pet, a dog named Star. Star is surprisingly good at doing tricks on a broomstick! Even though some people don't like Star being there, he and Mildred help Cackle's win a competition. This earns money for a new swimming pool. Mildred then gets special permission for Star to be her broomstick companion instead of Tabby.

Mildred's Pets and Looks

Even though she is clumsy, Mildred always means well. She loves her cat, Tabby, even though he's grey with black stripes instead of the required black. She enjoys cuddling him in bed. She even risks getting expelled to take him on holiday. Mildred also has three bats in her room named Winky, Blinky, and Nod. By the fourth book, she has eight bats!

Mildred is tall and thin. She has long, black hair that reaches her waist. She usually wears it in two messy pigtails. In The Worst Witch Saves the Day, Ethel cuts off all of Mildred's hair. Ethel then gives Mildred a hair-growth potion. This potion makes Mildred's hair grow so long and fast that it covers the whole school!

Mildred in Films and TV Shows

• In the 1986 film, Mildred is played by Fairuza Balk.
• In the 1998 TV series, Georgina Sherrington plays Mildred.
• In the 2017 TV series, Mildred is played by Bella Ramsey. Later, Lydia Page takes over the role in Season four.
• Both TV shows explain that Mildred is the "worst witch" because she is the first student at Cackle's from a non-magical family.
• In the 2017 series, it's revealed that Mildred's ancestors were magical.
• In Season four, Mildred's appearance changes to a redhead with blue eyes due to a spell. She also meets her father, Spike Jones, and her younger half-sister, Isabella "Izzy" Jones.
• At the end of Season four, Mildred becomes the new head girl. She also makes peace with Ethel.

Maud Spellbody: Mildred's Best Friend

Maud Spellbody is Mildred's first best friend. She is short and a bit chubby. She wears glasses and her hair in bunches. Maud is very loyal to Mildred and Enid. She often stands up to Ethel.

In The Worst Witch Strikes Again, Maud gets jealous of Mildred's friendship with the new girl, Enid Nightshade. She stops being friends with Mildred for a short time. But they become friends again after Ethel locks them in a cupboard. Maud then also becomes friends with Enid.

Maud in Films and TV Shows

• In the 1986 film, Maud is played by Danielle Batchelor.
• In the 1998 TV series, Emma Brown plays Maud. She is still small, wears bunches and glasses, and is very loyal.
• In the 2017 CBBC version, Meibh Campbell plays Maud in Series 1. Megan Hughes plays her in Series 2.

Enid Nightshade: The Practical Joker

Enid Nightshade is Mildred's second-best friend. She is introduced in The Worst Witch Strikes Again. Enid has hair the color of "milky tea" and wears it in a thick plait.

Mildred is asked to look after Enid by Miss Cackle. At first, Enid seems quiet, but she turns out to be a wild practical joker! She often causes trouble for Mildred, even leading to Miss Cackle threatening to expel Mildred. Despite this, Enid is just as loyal as Maud. She supports Mildred in later books. Enid is considered the second-worst witch at the academy. Both she and Mildred are not very good at broomstick riding.

Enid in TV Shows

• In the 1998 TV series, Enid is played by Jessica Fox.
• In the 2017 BBC reboot, Enid is played by Tamara Smart.

Ethel Hallow: Mildred's Rival

Ethel Hallow is Mildred's snobby, stuck-up, and sly enemy. She is often favored by Miss Hardbroom. Ethel doesn't seem to have many friends, except for Drusilla Paddock, who is also quite mean. Ethel is described as someone for whom "everything goes right," which makes her very snobby.

Ethel is tall and thin, like Mildred. She has blonde hair that she wears in a ponytail with a black ribbon. She also has a very spiky nose. Ethel is good at following rules and learning new spells. However, she struggles when she has to be creative or think for herself.

Ethel's Nasty Tricks in the Books

• In The Worst Witch, Mildred turns Ethel into a pig for teasing her. In revenge, Ethel puts a jinx on Mildred's broomstick.
• In The Worst Witch Strikes Again, Ethel locks Mildred and Enid in a cupboard.
• In A Bad Spell for the Worst Witch, she turns Mildred into a frog.
• In The Worst Witch All at Sea, Ethel sets a boat adrift with Tabby and an unconscious Miss Hardbroom inside.
• In The Worst Witch Saves the Day, she cuts off Mildred's hair and gives her a potion that makes it grow out of control.
• In The Worst Witch to the Rescue, Ethel steals Mildred's project and gets her banned from art lessons. She also hides Mildred's talking tortoise.
• In The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star, Ethel tries to expose Mildred's new dog, Star. This accidentally helps Mildred get permission to use Star as her broom companion.

Ethel's mean actions often lead to the main events in the stories. For example, if she hadn't jinxed Mildred's broom, Mildred wouldn't have found Agatha Cackle. If she hadn't turned Mildred into a frog, Mildred wouldn't have found Algernon Rowan-Webb.

Ethel in Films and TV Shows

• In the 1986 film, Ethel is played by Anna Kipling.
• In the 1998 ITV series, Felicity Jones plays Ethel in the first series. Katy Allen plays her in the second and third series.
• In the 2017 CBBC series, Ethel is played by Jenny Richardson. This Ethel is very driven to prove herself because her older sister, Esmerelda, is seen as the best student. Her rivalry with Mildred starts when Mildred accidentally ruins Ethel's potion.
• At the end of the 2017 series, Ethel and Mildred become friends.

Miss Hardbroom: The Strict Teacher

Miss Constance Hardbroom is the strict deputy head teacher at Miss Cackle's Academy. She is tall and thin. She keeps her shoulder-length blonde hair tied in a very tight knot. Miss Hardbroom seems to favor Ethel Hallow and is very tough on Mildred Hubble.

Miss Hardbroom is so scary that she can make any student tremble with just one word. But despite her strictness, Miss Hardbroom sometimes shows a softer side. For example, she admits her mistake in The Worst Witch to the Rescue when she learns Ethel stole Mildred's project. Maud notes that Miss Hardbroom dislikes cheats, so Ethel is watched closely after that.

In the books and earlier TV series, Miss Hardbroom's first name is Constance. In the 2017 CBBC series, she is called Miss Hecate Hardbroom.

Miss Hardbroom in Films and TV Shows

• In the 1986 film, Miss Hardbroom is played by Diana Rigg.
• In the 1998 TV series, she is played by Kate Duchêne.
• In The New Worst Witch, she is played by Caroline O'Neill.
• In the 2017 CBBC series, she is played by Raquel Cassidy.