Absolutely EVERYTHING to Know About the Sanderson Sisters
If you haven't watched the Halloween classic Hocus Pocus in a while, here is a refresher on the Sanderson Sisters.
The Sanderson Sisters, the campy and delightfully antagonists of the beloved Halloween classic Hocus Pocus, are officially returning for a sequel on Disney+. Though there is nothing known regarding what their role will be in the sequel yet, there is much to say about their past. The trio of witches is remembered for their humor and their killer voices, but there was a bit more to them than that. For those that don't remember why the Sanderson Sisters were so hellbent on ruining a couple of kids' Halloween, here's a reminder.
The Sanderson Sisters
Hocus Pocus introduces the Sanderson Sisters, old, wizened witches of 17th century Salem who prey on children to restore their youth. This works well until they are subsequently hanged for the crime, setting a curse in place for their return to the living by way of a virgin. The sisters -- Winifred, Mary, and Sarah -- are individually gifted with magic, but the beginning of the film makes it clear that they are most powerful when casting spells together. This is evident in their killing of Emily Binx, the transformation of Thackery Binx and, of course, the casting of the curse before their deaths.
The sisters are ultimately brought back and vanquished, but not before they lure all of the modern '90s kids in Salem to be properly drained of their life force, giving up the opportunity to get revenge on the plucky protagonists. Their downfall is not so much incompetence as it is hubris. Winifred’s stubborn pride has the sisters hounding three children and a transmogrified cat all night when they are on a pretty strict deadline of draining the life force of a child before sunrise.
Sarah Sanderson
Sarah Sanderson, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, is the youngest Sanderson Sister and a bit of an airhead and a flirt. Sarah, like her sisters, is obsessed with being young and beautiful forever. As such, she has no qualms about murdering children and stealing their life force to achieve that goal. Sarah’s talents seem to lie in the realm of enchantment. She is the sister solely charged with luring the children into traps. She sings to mesmerize them, a bit like a siren, or maybe more like the Pied Piper, leading children against their will to their doom.
Sarah’s quirkiness makes her seem less evil than her eldest sister, but she is just as eager to kill the children and is probably a bit of a sadist given her tendency to want to “play” with captives before killing them. Hocus Pocus leans heavily into its silliness, and Sarah is one of the instances where if she was not so entertaining to watch be pretty and dumb, she'd actually be a bit horrifying. Luckily she’s a bit useless without Winifred’s guidance and is not too much of a threat beyond being an evil siren-like lady who can hypnotize people with her voice.
Mary Sanderson
Mary Sanderson, played by Kathy Najimi, is the middle ground between Sarah’s ditzy, carefree personality and Winifred’s hyper-capable and clever one -- which makes a lot of sense, given that Mary seems to be the middle child. Mary does not appear as crazy as either of her sisters, though she makes a few jokes about eating children that remind the audience that she is still dangerous and evil, even though she’s quite funny. Winifred is clearly beloved to her, as Mary tends to be the one to compliment and cajole Winifred when she is in a foul mood. Mary’s special talent is an enhanced sense of smell, which helps them track down the children numerous times throughout the film.
Mary seems to be more trusted by Winifred than Sarah, probably due to her being a bit more competent. However, generally, both sisters await Winifred’s orders and don’t stray from her leadership. Mary is often joking about food and is the least menacing of the three, though she growls at some points. Mary and Sarah die at the end of the film in similar fashions, essentially combusting when the sun comes up.
Winifred Sanderson
Winifred Sanderson, played by Bette Midler, is the eldest sister and leader of the trio. She is clearly the most competent, clever and evil of the three, devising most of the plans and often losing her temper, usually relying on Mary to calm her. Winifred is known for being ruthless, murdering her lover Billy Butcherson and sewing his mouth shut so “he could not tell her secrets even in death.” While her sisters clearly annoy her, Winifred feels a sense of duty toward them, and they are certainly most powerful when working together.
Winifred's special ability is shooting lightning at people, though her necromancy is nothing to slouch at either. Winifred is the most powerful of the three witches, even without her beloved spellbook, apparently gifted to her by the Devil himself. Unlike Sarah and Mary, who are simply killed by the sun when it comes up, Winifred first turns to stone from being an undead witch from hell walking on hallowed ground. Once the sun rises, her statue explodes too but not before her hubris gets the better of her.
