Maleficent Characters

Maleficent

Maleficent, the title character, is the protagonist of the film. She is an orphan living in the Moors who enjoys flying and possesses a nurturing, protective spirit. As a young girl, Maleficent meets and befriends Stefan, an orphan human boy, who ultimately betrays her. Maleficent is one of the most powerful fairies in existence and earns the title Protector of the Moors. After Stefan's betrayal, she unofficially crowns herself Queen of the Moors and curses Aurora, King Stefan's daughter. Despite her assertions that she hates Aurora, she comes to love her; Maleficent's maternal love awakens Aurora from her enchanted sleep.

Aurora

Although Aurora was the protagonist of the original Sleeping Beauty film, she is a supporting character in Maleficent. Aurora is King Stefan's daughter, whom Maleficent curses to fall into a "sleep like death" on her sixteenth birthday. To escape the curse, Aurora grows up under the "care" of the three fairies, believing her parents are dead. Aurora is curious and kind and develops a mother-daughter relationship with Maleficent. Ultimately, Aurora helps Maleficent get her wings back and becomes queen of both the Moors and the human realm.

King Stefan

At the beginning of the film, Stefan is a poor orphan who dreams of one day being king. Stefan first meets Maleficent when he is caught trespassing in the Moors and stealing. He and Maleficent fall in love but grow apart as Stefan tries to socially advance in the human world. When King Henry announces that whoever kills Maleficent will become king, Stefan tricks Maleficent and cuts off her wings while she sleeps. Stefan and his wife, Queen Leila, hold a christening for their daughter, Princess Aurora, where Maleficent curses the child. Over the years, Stefan goes mad trying to undo the curse and get revenge on Maleficent. Though Maleficent tries to end their feud, Stefan attacks her and falls to his death.

Diaval

Diaval is a raven who becomes Maleficent's servant after she saves his life. Under Maleficent's command, Diaval takes many forms, including those of a human, a wolf, and a dragon. He is faithful to and friendly with Maleficent and Aurora and is optimistic Aurora's curse can be broken.

King Henry

King Henry is King Stefan's predecessor. In his old age, he hears of Maleficent's power and leads an army to the Moors to kill her. After Maleficent wounds him in battle, motivated by a desire for revenge, he declares that whoever can kill Maleficent will be his successor.

Prince Phillip

Prince Phillip is the son of the King of Ulstead, a foreign kingdom. He meets Aurora in the woods while traveling to King Stefan's castle. Maleficent, Diaval, and the three fairies hope Aurora's romantic attraction to Prince Phillip will break the curse, though the prince is unsuccessful. After the curse is broken and Stefan is killed, Prince Phillip attends Aurora's coronation in the Moors, implying the two eventually become a couple.

Flittle

Flittle, Knotgrass, and Thistlewit are three fairies from the Moors tasked with caring for Aurora. They are incompetent guardians who ignore Aurora's physical needs and safety and resent their responsibilities. Flittle is the quietest of the three fairies, and her color scheme is blue.

Thistlewit

Thistletwit is one of the three fairies tasked with caring for Aurora. She is portrayed as selfish and scatterbrained, and her color scheme is green and yellow.