Witches

*For the What We Do in the Shadows episode, see Witches (episode).*

**Witches** are female humans or vampires who practice magical skills through incantations or potions.

## Characteristics

Witches are capable of great power, mainly telekinesis, which can be used to lift objects or people in the air. They can also transform their own appearances, teleport other people and interfere with electronics. When demonstrating particularly strong power, a witch’s eyes will glow bright blue. Witch magic has the appearance of blue or purple energy.

Witches can fly through the use of broomsticks and are capable of living for several centuries. Like vampires, witches may adopt familiars to help them in exchange for eventually becoming witches themselves, but their familiars usually take the form of animals rather than humans.

Witches gain their powers from spellbooks and can become powerless without them. Like how werewolves stick together in packs, witches will tend to form their own groups, known as covens. Witches in covens will share mindsets and will frequently walk, talk and move simultaneously. Some witches will also adopt an appearance similar to their coven partners.

If the skin of a witch is removed, it can become cursed and cause a number of calamities to happen to the possessor, as demonstrated by Laszlo’s hat. According to the Staten Island vampires, witch urine is poisonous.

Similar to necromancers, witches may use concoctions as part of their magic practice. Witches will use vampire semen for magical purposes, mainly to extend their lifespan and youth. They also use it to make “magnets”.

Witches are invited to the Unholy Masquerade; the 2013 event was hosted by the Lower Hutt Vampire/Witch Club. Like vampires, witches are subject to prejudice from ordinary humans and can be targeted by hunters.

## Weaknesses

Witches are dependent on spellbooks for power. If a witch’s spellbook is destroyed, their power will also be lost, and if a spellbook is attacked (e.g. with a taser), the effect can rebound onto the dependent witches.

## History

The Lower Hutt Vampire/Witch Club were the co-organisers of the 2013 Unholy Masquerade. A vampire witch served as the main speaker of the event.

The vampire Laszlo Cravensworth received a hat made of witch skin while draining the blood of a Bavarian witch hunter, who demanded Laszlo take it from him. Laszlo failed to realise his warning that the hat was cursed, and it caused several horrible incidents to occur whenever he wore it. Fellow vampire Simon the Devious eventually seized the hat from him and accidentally blew himself up with a flaming arrow shortly afterwards. Simon later stole the hat back again, and most likely drowned after he got his foot stuck in a collapsing sewer grate.

In 2019, three social outcasts (Brianna A., Briannah H. and Bree-Anna Q.) working as volunteer librarians at St. Carrietta’s Girls High School in Wellington began practicing witchcraft after discovering a spellbook, Most Potente Spells, at their school library. The Briannas formed a coven and terrorised the school to gain revenge on the girls who bullied them, causing an explosion in the library and levitating girls who questioned them. The Paranormal Unit became involved when the girls used their powers for shoplifting. The coven attempted to scare away officers Minogue and O'Leary and intimidate fellow student Neve after she gave evidence to them. The girls were subdued when O’Leary took their spellbook and Minogue tasered them through it. The girls were subsequently sentenced to community service.

In 2020, a coven in Brooklyn led by Nadja’s former friend Lilith kidnapped Laszlo, Nandor and Colin Robinson in an attempt to steal their semen, using a process that would most likely maim or kill them. The witches let them go after Guillermo offered to sell the coven a regular supply of vampire semen, thus ensuring that their supply would not run out and the vampires would be unharmed.

## Appearances

* *What We Do in the Shadows* (film)
* *What We Do in the Shadows* (TV series)
	+ "Manhattan Night Club"
	+ "The Return"
	+ "Witches"
* *Wellington Paranormal*
	+ "Fear the Briannas"

## References

Meny, William (writer) & Newacheck, Kyle (director) (June 3, 2020). "Witches". *What We Do in the Shadows*. Episode 19. FX.
Alison, Amanda (writer) & van Beek, Jackie (director) (23 October 2019). "Fear the Briannas". *Wellington Paranormal*. Episode 8. TVNZ 2.
Scharpling, Tom (writer) & Clement, Jemaine (director) (April 17, 2019). "Manhattan Night Club". *What We Do in the Shadows*. Episode 3. FX.
Simms, Paul (writer) & Clement, Jemaine (director) (April 3, 2019). "City Council". *What We Do in the Shadows*. Episode 2. FX.
Clement, Jemaine (writer & director) (May 20, 2020). "The Return". *What We Do in the Shadows*. Episode 17. FX.