Zelda Spellman

Zelda Phiona Spellman is a main character on Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. She is portrayed by Miranda Otto.

She is a witch who became the High Priestess of the Church of Night after marrying Father Blackwood, who abandoned the coven only after poisoning them following the return of the Dark Lord.

Character Description
''Zelda is the harsher of the Spellman sisters who helped raise Sabrina, though her sternness and tough facade might be hiding a more…mothering soul. Unlike Hilda, Zelda claims that she has never known love—her devotion to the Dark Lord is all-consuming—which is why people looking for a love-potion go to Hilda; those looking to make a spite-jar go to Zelda''

Early Life
When she was sixteen, Zelda signed the Book of the Beast, pledging her allegiance to the Dark Lord and joined the Academy of Unseen Arts. When Hilda went to Academy, Zelda submitted her to the school's Harrowing, a form of hazing for new witches, making academic life difficult for her little sister.

When Sabrina was three days old, Zelda acted as a witness for her brother, Edward, in signing Sabrina's name to the Book of the Beast, promising Sabrina to the Dark Lord's service.

At some point, Zelda's nephew Ambrose was arrested for a conspiracy to blow up the Vatican, and when he refused to give up his co-conspirators, he was sentenced to house arrest under the watch of Hilda and Zelda. After Edward and Diana Spellman died, Zelda and her sister became Sabrina's guardians and raised her.

Part 1
On the morning of Tuesday, October 28th, Sabrina walks into the kitchen carrying a box containing the bat she killed the night before. She greets Zelda, Hilda, and Ambrose. Hilda asks Sabrina how she slept, to which Zelda responds by saying "tempestuously". Sabrina remarks that she was restless the entire night as a result of her upcoming dark baptism. Hilda presents Sabrina with rabbit's feet to help her sleep at night. This prompts Sabrina to tell her aunts and cousin about the bat that flew into her room. Hilda informs Sabrina that she can bury the bat in the pet cemetery by the sundial in the garden. She also presents her niece with a concoction meant to cleanse her body of toxins in preparation for the dark baptism. Zelda tells Sabrina that she has to choose her familiar before her dark baptism, and shows her options from a registry sent by the Witches' Council. Believing the practice to be dehumanizing, Sabrina offers up an alternative: she is instead going to summon a familiar through a spell she found in the Demonomicon. Zelda then asks Sabrina what her baptismal name will be. Sabrina has decided that it will be "Edwina Diana", in honor of both her parents as she is about to walk the Path of Night. Hilda wishes that Sabrina's parents would have been present to see the young woman their daughter has become. Zelda corrects her sister by saying that Edward and Diana would have been proud to see the young witch Sabrina is becoming.

After getting a call at the mortuary, Hilda informs Zelda that a young man has been stabbed and that his parents are coming to see them. "Praise Satan", Zelda responds, asking if they want a closed or open casket. Even if they can’t use his flesh, they need blood for Sabrina’s baptism, and human blood is always preferable, so, the timing is perfect.

Zelda and Hilda meet with the Kempers to discuss funeral arrangements. They Kempers couldn’t have children, so they had to adopt Connor. Mrs. Kemper hands Hilda a photo of Connor and asks if they can make him look as he does in the photo.

Sabrina shares with Hilda her disdain for the students at the academy, especially the Weird Sisters, who cursed her, though Sabrina claims to have washed it off. However, Hilda isn’t so sure. Zelda explains they cursed Sabrina because they’re jealous as Sabrina’s the daughter of a High Priest. These sort of attacks are precisely why Sabrina needs a familiar. Hilda then makes Sabrina break an egg to test if she truly washed the curse away. As it turns out, she didn’t. The egg is bloody red. A blood curse is what Sabrina is inflicted with. Untreated, it will slowly eat away at Sabrina’s health, will, and sanity. Hilda recommends a regimen of salt water baths and reversing candles for a couple weeks. Sabrina recalls what the Weird Sisters said about her mother and father. So, she asks if her parents accident was truly an accident. Hilda and Zelda explains that it was. Sabrina’s parents were flying to Italy. Edward was giving a lecture at the Vatican when their plane went down.

The following morning, Wednesday, October 29th, Zelda questions why Sabrina would prefer a feral familiar over one bred for service. Sabrina explains that Salem doesn’t serve her. They’re in a partnership, in which they’ll both protect each other. Hilda on the other hand is just happy that Sabrina has a familiar and that she’s purifying herself for the baptism. Speaking of which, Sabrina informs them of the club she’s starting at school for the girls to protect themselves and she’s hoping they could postpone her baptism, but Zelda will have no talk of such. Sabrina’s also asking because of Harvey, who she’s taken the next step in her relationship with. Furthermore, she has reservations about saving herself for the Dark Lord. Zelda explains that he gets to decide what Sabrina does with her body because it’s witch law. Covenant. Still, Sabrina questions why this is. And if Zelda won’t answer, she’s like to talk with someone who can help her understand so that she can make an educated choice.

However, as far as Zelda is concerned, the choice has already been decided. It’s their right and duty to serve the Dark Lord. Zelda is furious that Sabrina would even consider turning down the Dark Lord when the rest of them signed his book proudly. She accuses Sabrina’s behavior being that of her mother’s influence. Hilda then asks if Sabrina doesn’t want to be a full member of the Church of Night. Sabrina thinks that she does, but she can’t seem to reason why she has to give up her mortal life to do it. Zelda states that it’s witch law. The Path of Night or the Path of Light. But not both. However, Sabrina points out how her warlock father married her mortal mother, which nearly got Edward excommunicated, Zelda informs Sabrina. Zelda then reminds Sabrina that singing the Dark Lord’s book is what her parents wanted for her. Hilda backs this up.

Ambrose performs an autopsy on Connor Kemper. While doing so, he notices a witch’s mark on Connor’s right arm and decides to alert Hilda and Zelda of his discovery. When Ambrose pokes the mark, it doesn’t bleed, however, Zelda is skeptical. Nonetheless, if Connor was murdered by a witch hunter, then they’ll need to bring this to the Council’s attention. Another reason for Sabrina to walk Path of Night. Witches without covens are easy pickings. While on the subject, Hilda agrees that Sabrina should be able to speak to someone should she want to. Someone as close to the Dark Lord as reasonably possible. Zelda doesn’t respond, only looking to Ambrose to complete the embalming process so that they can get every single drop of blood out of Connor’s body for Sabrina’s anointment during the baptism.

Hilda, Zelda, and Ambrose await Sabrina's return home along with Father Blackwood. The High Priest of the Church or Night. Dark Lord Satan’s representative on earth. He informs her of just how special she is and how she’s been chosen. Having learned that Sabrina is having doubts about her baptism and that she may in fact not be signing her name into the Book of the Beast, he’s come to convince her otherwise.

Physical Appearance
Zelda is a middle-aged woman with red hair and green eyes. Her clothing style reflects the fashion of the old Hollywood. She often wears elegant necklaces, fur, and sunglasses. She can regularly be seen with her cigarette holder. Her makeup often includes pink lipstick and black mascara.

Personality
Zelda is a stern, proud and sometimes haughty witch, devout to the Church of Night. She follows the rules of the Church but is also willing to break them, to protect her family. Although she often abuses and kills Hilda, Zelda genuinely loves and cares about her; one of her greatest fears is losing her forever. Despite her devotion to the Dark Lord and the Church, Zelda has standards about certain things and even took Father Blackwood's daughter away because she was afraid that he might harm her because the baby was not a male heir. Zelda is willing to always do the right thing, proven when - despite her aversion to mortals - she and her family, summoned a tornado to lure them all to Baxter High to protect them from the Red Angel of Death. Zelda is also the one who comforted Sabrina the best after her breakup with Harvey Kinkle, showing that she's also able to be emphatic and maternal to her niece.

Powers and Abilities

 * Spell Casting: The power to change and control events through the use of incantations, commands, or even gestures.
 * Astral Projection: Zelda is capable of astral projecting her spirit from her body.
 * Containment: The power to contain a being in a given area.
 * Demonic Exorcism: Zelda is able to perform an exorcism, with the help of other witches.
 * Atmokinesis: The power to control the weather. An example is when she and the other Spellmans created a tornado in order to lure every resident in Greendale to go on the Baxter High's basement.
 * Warding: The power to place protection spells and wards on places and people, shielding them from harm.
 * Telekinesis: The power to move and control things with the mind. Zelda uses this ability to save Harvey from getting punched by his father.
 * Mediumship: Zelda is able to see and communicate with the spirits of the dead.
 * Longevity: As a full witch, Zelda ages at an especially slow rate.

Trivia

 * Zelda has a familiar in the shape of a dog named Vinegar Tom.
 * Zelda likes contact sport and movies.
 * According to Zelda, the eclipsing of a blood moon is stated to only occur once every 66 years. Furthermore, all the Spellmans before Sabrina have been baptized under a blood moon. As Hilda, her younger sister would have been baptized under one and Zelda would have too, this means there is a minimum of sixty six years between their ages.