This article is about the mirror from Snow White. For the mirror in Beauty and the Beast, see Enchanted Mirror.
- “Slave in the Magic Mirror, come from the farthest space. Through wind and darkness, I summon thee. Speak! Let me see thy face.”
- ―The Evil Queen summoning the Magic Mirror[src]
The Magic Mirror is a powerful object that first featured in Disney's 1937 animated feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Within it dwells its slave, an imprisoned spirit (resembling a theatrical mask, surrounded by smoke and fire) who always speaks the truth, normally in verse form. The Evil Queen holds ownership of the mirror, and primarily exploits its power to ensure that she remains the fairest in the land. The spirit contained in the Magic Mirror was the Queen's familiar demon.[2]
Background[]
Personality[]
Not much is known about the mirror except that his sole purpose is to serve whoever may own him at the time. Whilst he is antagonistic on various occasions, he is not intentionally evil, as he is forced to obey the Evil Queen due to being her slave. He does not hesitate to tell the truth to the Queen when it is revealed that Snow White is still alive.
Voice[]
In order to produce the Slave in the Magic Mirror's 'weird voice', actor Moroni Olsen spoke his lines with his head in a frame covered with old drumheads.
Animation[]
Animator Wolfgang Reitherman found the task of animating the Magic Mirror difficult, particularly as the animator favored animating characters such as Goofy, who expresses himself by moving his entire body; the face in the mirror does not move about and has no pupils, so Reitherman was only able to animate its eye and mouth shapes to accompany the dialogue. In order to make the face completely symmetrical, for each extreme pose, Reitherman drew one-half of the face, folded the animation paper in half, and traced the other half. This, symmetry, to an extent, was lost in the final film, as special effects, including smoke, fire, and ripples, distort the features. Reitherman animated the Mirror nine times before he and Walt Disney were satisfied.
Appearances[]
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs[]
The Magic Mirror appearing before the Evil Queen.
The film's introduction (told in the form of a book) informs the audience that the Evil Queen consults the Magic Mirror every morning, demanding to know who is fairest of all; as long as the Slave in the Mirror answers that the Queen is the fairest, she is content, knowing that the Mirror never lies. However, fearing that her stepdaughter, Snow White, may one day become more beautiful than she, the Queen dresses the girl in rags and forces her to work as a scullery maid in the Queen's Castle. The first scene of the film reveals that the Mirror hangs in the Queen's private chamber; she walks to the mirror and summons the slave within, who appears amid smoke and fire. When asked who the fairest of all is, for the first time the spirit replies that, while the Queen is beautiful, a fairer being exists. When the Queen angrily asks for the girl's name; the spirit describes her, making it obvious to the Queen that Snow White is the one being referred to. The Queen then orders her Huntsman to kill Snow White.
The evening following Snow White's introduction to the Seven Dwarfs, the Queen again consults the Mirror, presenting it with what she believes to be Snow White's heart. Though the Queen at first believes the spirit to be incorrect, she is told that she holds the heart of a pig and that Snow White still lives, in the cottage of the seven dwarfs. This is the last appearance of the Mirror in the film; Whether the slave within is free following the Queen's death, whether the Mirror is broken, or whether it simply remains unharmed in the castle is unclear; like the Huntsman and the Raven, the Mirror is a minor character and is primarily used as a way of advancing the story of the Evil Queen.
Platinum Edition DVD[]
Roy E. Disney with the Magic Mirror on the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Platinum Edition DVD introduction.
Voiced by Tony Jay, the Magic Mirror appears as the host of the menus of the two-disc Platinum Edition DVD of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The viewer acts as the Mirror's 'master', and tells the Mirror where to 'transport' them by making a selection on the menu. Not making any selection for a certain amount causes the spirit in the Magic Mirror to make various prompts for the viewer to do so ("I haven't got all eternity, you know... Oh, wait, I do."). The menus on both discs are a variety of locations in the film. The DVD game "Dopey's Mine Ride", accessible from the special features on the first disc, is also narrated by the Magic Mirror, who explains each of the challenges presented to the player (mostly questions relating to the film). The spirit in the Magic Mirror does not appear to sympathize with the Queen anymore ("She has... issues"), instead appearing sympathetic towards the player. The Magic Mirror is also used to enable the 'Guided Tour' feature on the first disc. Selecting this feature causes the Mirror to introduce the viewer to Roy E. Disney, whom the spirit addresses as 'master'. Roy Disney then uses the Magic Mirror to 'summon' Angela Lansbury, who hosts a tour of the features on the DVD.
For the Diamond Edition Blu-ray, the Magic Mirror returns as the menu host, now voiced by Corey Burton and actually comments about viewers "returning" to the Blu-ray disc.
House of Mouse[]
Now in the possession of Mickey Mouse and friends, the Magic Mirror has been installed in the lobby of the club, helping answer questions guests may have or providing assistance for Mickey and his stage crew. However, he generally refuses to help the Queen, as notable in the pilot episode, "The Stolen Cartoons", where he says "Save it, Queenie. Everyone's fairer than you."
Descendants: Wicked World[]
The mirror in the Wicked World series.
The hand mirror that contains a shard of the Magic Mirror starts the short animated episodes off when Evie asks it to show her the future to see "what happens when" their "stories unfold".
Evie doesn't use the mirror or its magic like she did in the film, both she and Mal are trying to be good by not using the mirror or Mal's Spell Book. But Evie did talk to it in "Voodoo? You Do", after looking at herself in a mirror in a shop on the Isle of the Lost. She wanted to make sure that both the mirror and the reflection it gives of her know that she stills loves them: and so the mirror itself wouldn't get jealous. However, Evie dose use its magic in "Mal-lone", as she asked it to show her where Zevon is.
The spirit of the mirror's face/head can also be seen as a large mask in the Facilier shop as Mal, Evie, Ben, and Audrey walk into it.
The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse[]
The Mirror appears in the episode "Once Upon an Apple" serving the same function as in the original film. The Queen (in her hag form) finds herself unable to kill Snow White thanks to Mickey's interfering. After getting tricked into eating her own apples, the mirror reveals that Mickey is now the fairest in the land (earning him a punch and leaving a black eye). He is later shown wearing a Mickey Mouse Ears Hat and happily singing Mickey Mouse Club theme song.
LEGO Disney Princess: The Castle Quest[]
The Magic Mirror appears in the crossover special, serving as the assistant of an arrogant hunter named Gaston, who serves as the main antagonist of the special. When Gaston asks the mirror about how many castles he controls, he tells him that he controls many castles, showing images of them (including Snow White's castle), and that he could gain even more kingdoms, as long as nobody interferes. When King Triton proposes a challenge to defeat Gaston by bringing his bravest warriors, the Magic Mirror summons Snow White, Ariel, Tiana, Rapunzel, and Moana, for they are the only ones that could out best him and save the kingdoms. Before the challenges, the mirror is confronted by Snow White, who wants to smash him because of what happened during the events of the original film, fearfully apologizing to her, and she ends up forgiving him. After Gaston's defeat, the Magic Mirror reveals to the princesses that the castle is also made for them and theirs.
Live-action appearances[]
Early television specials[]
The Magic Mirror made appearances in two of Walt Disney's earliest television efforts, One Hour in Wonderland in 1950 and The Walt Disney Christmas Show in 1951, used to promote upcoming new films. Instead of being animated, the slave in the mirror is played by actor Hans Conried, under heavy makeup. Conried played the spirit in an over-the-top, flamboyant manner.
In One Hour in Wonderland, Walt had somehow bought the mirror from Snow White. He then summons the slave in the mirror for his guests. However, Edgar Bergen's wisecracking dummy friend Charlie McCarthy offends the mirror by calling it "a hopped-up television set". The mirror is upset at the remark, but Walt manages to calm him down. The mirror then proceeds to show the guests what they would like to see, all seen in footage of past Disney films, shorts and features alike, culminating at a preview of the then-in-production Alice in Wonderland. The program ends with Bergen having acquired the Magic Mirror. Charlie tries to make a deal with the spirit in the mirror, only to discover that Mortimer Snerd is the new slave in the mirror. Charlie quickly changes his mind and goes to sleep.
In The Walt Disney Christmas Show, the mirror fulfills a similar role as in the earlier program, showing Walt's guests what they would like to see, including a preview of the then-in-production Peter Pan, as well as a reissue of Snow White. It is also revealed that the spirit in the mirror has a nephew named Willoughby.
The Wonderful World of Disney[]
The Magic Mirror would appear in several episodes of the Disney anthology series, the spirit once again played by Conried. One of the first appearances of the mirror was "Our Unsung Villains", a 1956 episode of Disneyland. The program opens with Walt Disney describing the role the mirror played in Snow White before summoning the spirit in the mirror to take over hosting duties. The spirit takes this opportunity to inform the audience of the importance of the villain in a story in order for the hero to look good. The Mirror's presentation includes clips of the defeats of The Big Bad Wolf (as seen in Three Little Wolves), the Evil Queen (whom he seems particularly fond of), Captain Hook, and even Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear, all of whom are sympathized with.
In 1977, a new version of this program, still with Conried as the spirit in the mirror, aired called "Disney's Greatest Villains", which expands on the earlier program with defeats of additional villains, including Madam Mim, Maleficent, Willie the Giant, and Kaa. The slave in the Magic Mirror then proceeds to discuss Disney's female villains, including, Cruella De Vil, Lady Tremaine, and the Queen of Hearts. Madame Medusa is then introduced, but pulls out her gun; as she inadvertently shoots at the Mirror. damaging the frame and cracking the glass, the spirit decides to leave, promising to return after making some minor repairs. This program was later featured on The Disney Channel as part of A Disney Halloween, in which the narrator comments that Halloween is the time for the villain to steal the limelight, and introduces the audience to a special guest, the Magic Mirror. As the spirit in the mirror flees from Medusa's destruction, the narrator remarks that the guest would flee at the first sight of real danger.
The Mirror has made at least two other appearances on the Disneyland show as well. In one, "All About Magic", which aired in 1957, Walt shows off the studio basement, home to various magic props, including the Magic Mirror, the most powerful magic prop of all. After summoning the slave in the mirror, Walt turns hosting duties over to him. The spirit devotes the program to various magical-themed animated films, shorts and feature films alike, including the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" scene from Fantasia. In another, "Magic and Music", which aired in 1958, the slave in the mirror seems to be doing fine for himself as Walt's servant, so much so that he has been receiving fan mail, which Walt gives to him before handing hosting duties to him. The spirit then devotes this program to one of his favorite subjects, the magic of music, how images and stories are brought to life through music, as seen in clips of Fantasia and Melody Time.
Descendants[]
In this film, the magic mirror is reduced to a simple hand mirror as the Evil Queen was only able to hold onto a shard of her former possession. Evie, the daughter of the Evil Queen, is given possession of the mirror when she leaves for Auradon. Like most previous versions, it can answer any question. This time it shows the answer on the glass and must be asked a question in rhyme. Some questions posed it are "Where does Fairy Godmother's wand stand?" and "Who is the biggest jerk in the land?".
In the Museum of Cultural History, the magic mirror can be seen in front of the Evil Queen's statue.
Video Games[]
Kingdom Hearts series[]
In Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, the Spirit of the Magic Mirror first appears in Terra's storyline. As per the movie, it told the Queen Snow White was now much fairer than the vain ruler. However, it added on that her heart was a pure light that shone brightly. Moments later, the Queen notices Terra eavesdropping, whereupon he emerges and asks if she knows where Xehanort is. She says she does not, but makes him a deal that if he will kill Snow White and bring her heart back to the castle, she will ask the Mirror where to find him. Terra, however, merely asks Snow White if she knows where Xehanort is, and upon learning of her ignorance, returns to the castle. Terra then tells the Queen that unlike Snow White, she has much darkness in her heart. The Queen, insulted and outraged, commands the Mirror to destroy Terra, but it replies that it cannot, having no power except true answers. Furious, the Queen's increasing rage then caused the Mirror to be possessed by darkness (or, in the English version of the game, she strikes it with a magic potion), making it an Unversed and giving it the power to suck Terra in and fight him. However, he is defeated and releases Terra, who demands that the Queen ask the Mirror where Xehanort is. Grudgingly, the Queen complies, and the Mirror replies, "Beyond both light and dark he dwells, where war was waged upon the fells," indicating the Keyblade Graveyard, though Terra does not understand that at the time. Nonetheless, he thanks them both and leaves.
The Magic Mirror later appears in Aqua's storyline. When Aqua looks for a cure for Snow White in the castle, the Mirror, still possessed, drags her in for a fight, but she also manages to defeat him and is released. The Mirror then states that since the Queen is dead, his purpose has been fulfilled, and commends Aqua on her victory before disappearing, leaving her looking at an ordinary mirror.
In Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A Fragmentary Passage-, Aqua comes across the remains of Dwarf Woodlands while trapped in the Realm of Darkness. After seeing a vision of Ven in Snow White's coffin, she finds the Magic Mirror; however, it seems that the spirit no longer resides within the looking glass. She is pulled into The World Within by her own reflection, which becomes the Phantom Aqua. Many copies of the mirror appear in this dimension, stealing Aqua's reflection to create copies of the Phantom Aqua, who duels the original in the smoke-filled void that the Magic Mirror Spirit face Terra and Aqua in.
In Kingdom Hearts Dark Road, after being fought as a boss, the Magic Mirror reveals to Vor that she will never become a Keyblade Master. She then panics and says it's not true, which the Magic Mirror replies that nothing he can say can change her destiny.
Printed media[]
Comics[]
The Magic Mirror appeared numerous times in Disney comics. Among other things, he is prominently featured in La Storia Infinita, where Mickey Mouse seeks the Magic Mirror to find a way to defeat a nefarious force known as the Nothing. The Magic Mirror is shown to only be able to say and comprehend verses, forcing Mickey to form increasingly lame rhymes to make himself understood.
Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen[]
The Magic Mirror appears in this novel, telling the story of Snow White from the perspective of the Queen and providing her with a backstory and proper motivation for her actions.
The Magic Mirror began life as the Queen's father, a poor Mirror Maker who was always rather harsh with his daughter, as his wife died in childbirth having her. Years later, when he died, the King's cousins, themselves enchantresses now, had brought the Mirror to the Queen, having now married into the royal family. The Mirror continued to torment the Queen about her appearance and gradually lead to her breakdown that finally lead up to the events of the film. Upon the Queen's death, her own spirit now inhabits the mirror.
Mirror, Mirror (A Twisted Tale)[]
While it is never explicitly stated, this version of the tale all-but-outright states that the mirror hosts some evil spirit. When the Queen; here named Ingrid and the elder sister to Snow White's mother, Katherine; becomes the apprentice to a magician, she steals the mirror from her master's basement and forms a bond with it, to the extent that she must sacrifice some of her blood to it each time she uses it to cast a particularly powerful spell. It is also strongly suggested that the Mirror is the reason for Ingrid's evil, as it inspires her to kill her sister so that she can become Queen herself, with Ingrid actually hesitating at the idea of killing Katherine at first. It had also influenced Ingrid to banish Snow White's father and to have Snow White herself killed. Towards the end of the novel, the mirror attempts to manipulate Snow White into forming a bond with it in the Queen's place, but she resists this urge and destroys the mirror instead before having the Queen arrested for her crimes.
Disney Parks[]
Disneyland Resort[]
Water screen projecting the mirror in Fantasmic!
The Evil Queen appears in the second act of Fantasmic!, and asks the Magic Mirror who the fairest one of all is. The Mirror, voiced by Tony Jay and projected onto water screens, replies that Mickey Mouse's imagination creates fairer things than she. Jealous, the Queen transforms herself into the Witch and uses the Mirror to summon various 'forces of evil', including Ursula, Chernabog, and Maleficent. Mickey is able to defeat the villains using his imagination.
The mirror is also part of the Magic Mirror Realm area of the Sorcerer's Workshop in the Disney Animation Building at Disney California Adventure. The mirror's spirit will occasionally appear to describe the areas of the Sorcerer's Workshop.
Walt Disney World[]
The mirror also appears in the Florida version of Fantasmic!, the only difference being Cruella De Vil, Scar, Judge Claude Frollo, Jafar, and Hades are included along with the original group.
The Mirror was also seen in the Magic Kingdom version of Snow White's Scary Adventures, at the beginning, informing the Queen that Snow White is the fairest in the land.
Tokyo Disney Resort[]
In the Tokyo DisneySea version of Fantasmic!, Mickey calls on the Magic Mirror to ask if he's the greatest sorcerer of them all. The Magic Mirror tells him to look closer within and traps Sorcerer Mickey, allowing the villains to take over the show. It serves as a screen for the villain projections and Maleficent emerges through the mirror in her dragon form to fight Mickey.
The Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour begins when the guide shows visitors pictures of Disney Heroes and Heroines. These suddenly transform into pictures of the Disney Villains, and the Magic Mirror appears (played by an actor in make-up), explaining that the villains are misunderstood. The tour is hosted primarily by a guide, who leads visitors through various chambers throughout the castle, exploring the lairs of the Queen, Maleficent, and Horned King. The Magic Mirror's voice can occasionally be heard throughout the tour.
Shanghai Disneyland[]
The mirror is encountered by guests during the Once Upon a Time Adventure attraction inside of Enchanted Storybook Castle.
Gallery[]
See also[]
References[]
External link[]
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