If a character’s name headlines a TV show or movie, it’s natural to assume they are the protagonist. However, the finale of Agatha All Along masterfully subverts this expectation, firmly establishing Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) not as a misunderstood hero, but as a true villain. While her charm and occasional moments of levity might tempt viewers to root for her, the question remains: why does Agatha commit the dark act of killing witches?
Beware: Spoilers for Agatha All Along are ahead. Episode 9, titled “Maiden, Mother, Crone,” takes us back to 1750, revealing a pivotal moment in Agatha’s past. We find her pregnant and in labor within the woods. She gives birth to Nicholas Scratch (Abel Lysenko), her son, who was tragically stillborn. Desperate, Agatha makes a pact with Rio Vidal, also known as Death (Aubrey Plaza), bargaining for more time. Remember this crucial detail as we delve deeper.
The narrative then shifts to a scene where Agatha cradles baby Nicholas as they traverse the woods. They encounter a coven gathered within a protective circle. Agatha, feigning desperation, claims she and her baby have been without food for days. The compassionate coven welcomes her into their sanctuary. In a shocking betrayal of this kindness, Agatha unleashes her siphoning powers, draining the life force from the unsuspecting witches.
A montage follows, depicting Agatha and a now six-year-old Nicholas wandering and developing the haunting melody that becomes “Ballad of the Witches’ Road.” They engage in deceptive schemes, allowing Agatha to prey on various covens, stealing their power. When questioned about her lethal actions, Agatha’s justification is simple: survival. Yet, as we explore further, we uncover layers of complexity beneath this seemingly straightforward answer to “Why Does Agatha Kill Witches?”.
Power as the Prime Motivator
The most direct answer to “why does Agatha kill witches?” is her relentless pursuit of power. Agatha Harkness is, unequivocally, a villain. She is a mass murderer whose victims are her own kind – witches. Following the tragic loss of Nicholas Scratch, she perpetuates a sinister pattern. She lures covens with the promise of walking the Witches’ Road, and when their expectations are unmet, she unleashes her fury. She doesn’t merely overpower them; she obliterates them, leaving behind lifeless husks in the wilderness. She then absorbs their magical essence, adding it to her own formidable reserves. Agatha intended to execute this same deceitful plan on the coven in Agatha All Along, but Billy Maximoff (Joe Locke) inadvertently manifested the Witches’ Road in reality with his immense powers, disrupting her scheme.
So, why is power so vital to Agatha? Her explanation to Nicholas when he requests food is revealing. She confesses her inability to heal or shield him from Death. Her magic is primarily destructive. She can unleash blasts and manipulate objects with her mind, expending power in acts of force. Crucially, aside from Nicholas, she seems incapable of creation, only destruction. This implies a critical limitation: Agatha’s power is finite. As she utilizes her abilities, she depletes her magical reserves. To replenish and amplify her strength, she must siphon power from other witches. The scenes strongly suggest a grim exchange: while Nicholas needs food for sustenance, Agatha sustains her youth and potency by consuming the life force of other witches. This dark magic is her lifeblood, enabling her centuries-long existence.
While the quest for power is a significant factor in understanding “why does Agatha kill witches?”, it is not the only one. There are deeper, more intricate motivations at play.
Protecting Nicholas Scratch: A Twisted Maternal Instinct
It’s undeniable that Agatha derives pleasure from murdering witches. There’s a chilling lack of remorse in her actions. However, another significant motive intertwined with “why does Agatha kill witches?” is her desperate attempt to prolong her time with Nicholas. His stillbirth was a devastating blow, and Agatha’s pact with Death underscores her profound fear of losing him again. It is plausible that Agatha’s relentless pursuit of power is, in part, driven by a twisted maternal instinct to become strong enough to defy death itself and safeguard Nicholas eternally.
Tragically, her efforts are futile. Nicholas, seemingly affected by the weight of his mother’s dark deeds, appears to encourage her to abandon her murderous ways. Yet, their fragile peace is shattered when Rio/Death arrives for Nicholas. In a poignant farewell, he kisses his mother before departing, leaving Agatha to awaken to find him gone, his lifeless body beside her.
After this devastating loss, Agatha’s witch killings likely become fueled by a combination of vengeance, ingrained habit, and a profound emptiness. With Nicholas gone, her moral compass vanishes. Killing witches becomes her default existence, a grim routine born from centuries of violence and loss.
Agatha’s twisted perspective may even rationalize her actions as a brutal necessity: kill or be killed. In Episode 6, she tells Billy, “You survived, like witches have been doing for centuries… That’s what kept you alive. That’s what makes you special. That’s what makes you a witch.” While laced with irony, considering Agatha is a prolific witch killer, there’s a kernel of truth from her warped viewpoint. For Agatha, survival, however brutal, is paramount.
This survival instinct also sheds light on her surprising surrender to Rio in Episode 8. Billy, in a way, becomes a surrogate for Nicholas, reminding Agatha of her lost son. She recognizes the futility of her endless quest for power and sees an opportunity to save Billy from Death, a chance she missed with Nicholas. She chooses sacrifice, seemingly embracing death. However, this is not the end, as she transitions into Ghost Agatha. Is this a path to redemption? Probably not.
The Dark Pleasure of Villainy
Ultimately, while power and the ghost of Nicholas Scratch provide layers of justification for “why does Agatha kill witches?”, the core reason is far more disturbing: she enjoys it. Nicholas might serve as a convenient excuse, a tragic backstory to rationalize her actions, but Agatha’s true motivation lies in the dark pleasure she derives from manipulating, tormenting, and murdering witches. There’s an undeniable thrill for her in the act itself.
Even in her apparent act of sacrifice to save Billy, Agatha doesn’t fully relinquish her grasp on existence. She clings to a form of life, albeit as a ghost. And judging by her history, any future appearances of Wiccan and Agatha will likely involve mischief and malevolence.
Agatha Harkness is not a hero; she is a witch-killer, a murderer, and a villain. And perhaps, paradoxically, that’s precisely why audiences are so captivated by her. Sorry, witches.
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