Whitelighter
Encyclopedia
A Whitelighter is a fictional character
featured on the WB television series Charmed
. These beings are former human mortals who are given a second chance at life in order to serve under an angelic group known as The Elders as guardian angels for good witches and other future Whitelighters.
Whitelighters are people who were generally good people that have died. They are given the choice to become Whitelighters and given the powers of a Whitelighter instead of moving on to the afterlife
. Their bodies are replicas of their former human bodies, but are composed of orbs which are described as white lights (hence the term Whitelighter) that have a healing ability to them. If struck by a power that would usually kill a mortal (for example, an energy ball or particle acceleration), their bodies will explode into orbs then reform relatively unharmed; they can, however, be knocked unconscious. Because their orbs make their bodies immortal, the only sure way to kill a Whitelighter is to poison them with a Darklighter
arrow.
Within the series, Paige Matthews
is the first Whitelighter hybrid seen on-screen. She is also the first hybrid to display a magical power that has been affected by both her witch and Whitelighter halves. As a witch of Warren blood and a Charmed One, Paige received the power to "move things with her mind", which is one of the three powers belonging to her ancestor Melinda Warren. However, since she is also a Whitelighter, her Telekinesis became Telekinetic Orbing, which is the ability to call for an object and orb it to the caller.
Throughout the series' television run, there have been eight Whitelighter hybrids shown on-screen.
is a human soul that has been made a "guardian angel
" for good witches and other future Whitelighters (also known as a Whitelighter's "charge"). A Whitelighter acts in the service of The Elders who bestow these souls with their new angelic powers. Below is a list of notable powers associated with this race of guardian angels that have been used in multiple episodes and seasons.
only in the "good", but not in things unpleasant or unappealing. The term used in this sense is generally pejorative
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
featured on the WB television series Charmed
Charmed
Charmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M...
. These beings are former human mortals who are given a second chance at life in order to serve under an angelic group known as The Elders as guardian angels for good witches and other future Whitelighters.
Description
Whitelighters are the "guardian angels" of good witches and future Whitelighters. Mortal charges are not known or seen to have much interaction with their whitelighters. They watch over their charges and intervene when necessary to help them along their path and keep them safe; they can also be called by their charges. They can constantly hear the lives of their charges in their heads, and if one of them calls their Whitelighter's name, he/she can usually show up at a moment's notice.Whitelighters are people who were generally good people that have died. They are given the choice to become Whitelighters and given the powers of a Whitelighter instead of moving on to the afterlife
Afterlife
The afterlife is the belief that a part of, or essence of, or soul of an individual, which carries with it and confers personal identity, survives the death of the body of this world and this lifetime, by natural or supernatural means, in contrast to the belief in eternal...
. Their bodies are replicas of their former human bodies, but are composed of orbs which are described as white lights (hence the term Whitelighter) that have a healing ability to them. If struck by a power that would usually kill a mortal (for example, an energy ball or particle acceleration), their bodies will explode into orbs then reform relatively unharmed; they can, however, be knocked unconscious. Because their orbs make their bodies immortal, the only sure way to kill a Whitelighter is to poison them with a Darklighter
Darklighter
Darklighters are fictional characters in the WB television series Charmed. Darklighters are the demonic counterparts to Whitelighters, fictional guardian angels in the series.-Powers:...
arrow.
Hybrids
The type of Whitelighter hybrid seen on-screen have been the child of a witch and a Whitelighter. Whitelighter-witch hybrids have been shown to possess both the powers of a Whitelighter, which range from Orbing to Healing, and also witch abilities, such as spellcasting and potion making.Within the series, Paige Matthews
Paige Matthews
Paige Matthews is a fictional character from the television series Charmed. One of the featured leads, Paige is introduced at the start of season four as the fourth Halliwell sister and youngest Charmed One one of the most powerful witches of all time. The character was portrayed by Rose McGowan...
is the first Whitelighter hybrid seen on-screen. She is also the first hybrid to display a magical power that has been affected by both her witch and Whitelighter halves. As a witch of Warren blood and a Charmed One, Paige received the power to "move things with her mind", which is one of the three powers belonging to her ancestor Melinda Warren. However, since she is also a Whitelighter, her Telekinesis became Telekinetic Orbing, which is the ability to call for an object and orb it to the caller.
Throughout the series' television run, there have been eight Whitelighter hybrids shown on-screen.
| List of Hybrids | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | First Appearance | Notes |
| Paige Matthews Paige Matthews Paige Matthews is a fictional character from the television series Charmed. One of the featured leads, Paige is introduced at the start of season four as the fourth Halliwell sister and youngest Charmed One one of the most powerful witches of all time. The character was portrayed by Rose McGowan... |
4x01 - "Charmed Again (Part 1)" | Daughter of witch Patty Halliwell and her Whitelighter Sam Wilder. |
| Wyatt Halliwell Wyatt Halliwell Wyatt Matthew Halliwell is a fictional character on the WB television series Charmed. Charmed is a series which focuses on three good witches, the prophesied "Charmed Ones", sisters who battle the forces of evil. In present day scenes, infant Wyatt is portrayed by twins Jason and Kristopher... |
5x15 - "The Day the Magic Died" | Son of witch Piper Halliwell Piper Halliwell Piper Halliwell is a fictional character from the television series Charmed. One of the featured leads, Piper is introduced in the series as a witch and, more specifically, a Charmed One one of the most powerful witches of all time. The character was portrayed by Holly Marie Combs throughout the... and her Whitelighter Leo Wyatt Leo Wyatt Leonardo "Leo" Wyatt is a fictional character from The WB television series Charmed, portrayed by Brian Krause. A possible breakout character included in the writing initially as a love interest beginning in the seventh episode of the first season that initially set Phoebe and Piper quarreling and... . |
| Chris Halliwell Chris Halliwell Christopher Perry "Chris" Halliwell is a fictional character on The WB television series Charmed. He is played by actor Drew Fuller. He is the son of Piper Halliwell and Leo Wyatt.- Character's background :... |
5x22 - "Oh My Goddess (Part 1)" | Son of witch Piper Halliwell and her Whitelighter Leo Wyatt. |
| Simon Marks | 7x15 - "The Last Temptation of Christy" | Unrelated to the Halliwells, their families worked together during the Salem Witch Trials. |
| Prudence Melinda Halliwell | 8x22 - "Forever Charmed" | Daughter of witch Piper Halliwell and her Whitelighter Leo Wyatt. |
| Kat and Tamora Mitchell | 8x22 - "Forever Charmed" | Twin daughters of Whitelighter hybrid Paige Matthews and her husband Henry Mitchell. |
| Matthew Halliwell | 8x22 - "Forever Charmed" | The official shooting script for the episode states that Piper and Leo's eldest grandchild is named Matthew. |
Powers and abilities
In Charmed a WhitelighterWhitelighter
A Whitelighter is a fictional character featured on the WB television series Charmed. These beings are former human mortals who are given a second chance at life in order to serve under an angelic group known as The Elders as guardian angels for good witches and other future...
is a human soul that has been made a "guardian angel
Guardian angel
A guardian angel is an angel assigned to protect and guide a particular person or group. Belief in guardian angels can be traced throughout all antiquity...
" for good witches and other future Whitelighters (also known as a Whitelighter's "charge"). A Whitelighter acts in the service of The Elders who bestow these souls with their new angelic powers. Below is a list of notable powers associated with this race of guardian angels that have been used in multiple episodes and seasons.
| List of notable Whitelighter powers | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power | |Last Seen | Description | |||
| Orbing | 1x10 - "Wicca Envy" | 8x22 - "Forever Charmed" | A teleporting ability unique to Whitelighters as it allows them to travel between various supernatural worlds, including the magically guarded realm of The Elders often called "Up There" in the show. | ||
| Healing | 1x10 - "Wicca Envy" | 8x19 - "The Jung and the Restless" | The power to restore an individual to full health or an object to pristine condition. In the Charmed series, certain magical powers are attached to emotional triggers, although all powers can be affected by the user's emotions. For healing, the emotional trigger is love. Whitelighters can only use their healing powers on humans and not animals or demons. | ||
| Hovering | 1x14 - "Secrets and Guys" | 8x21 - "Gone with the Witches" | The supernatural power to rise in the air a few feet, similar to levitation but slower and just in one place, unlike flight. Whitelighters and Elders have the power to hover, and sometimes use it to meditate in a swirl of orbs. | ||
| Sensing | 2x21 - "Apocalypse Not" | 8x22 - "Forever Charmed" | This is a supernatural power which grants a Whitelighter a magical awareness of a charge's location and physical well being. This power enables a Whitelighter to hear the "call" of their charges whenever they are in need, allowing them to go the charge when they need them most. A Whitelighter's charge must not always vocally call out to them when they are in need. The sensing power allows the Whitelighter to instantly hear a charge's inner call whenever the charge is in immediate danger, which is, more often than not, life-threatening. | ||
| Glamouring | 3x07 - "Power Outage" | 8x04 - "Desperate Housewitches" | A number of Whitelighters possess the power to glamour their identity by creating an illusion around their body to appear as another individual. | ||
| Photokinesis | 3x15 - "Just Harried" | 8x13 - "Repo Manor" | The ability to create and manipulate light. It is a power that is most commonly possessed by angelic beings, like Whitelighters and the Elders. This power is usually demonstrated by controlling orbs of light, rather than manipulating actual light. | ||
Modern usage
"Whitelighter" is also a term used in the Neopagan community, particularly amongst Wiccans to describe those who see DeityDeity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
only in the "good", but not in things unpleasant or unappealing. The term used in this sense is generally pejorative
Pejorative
Pejoratives , including name slurs, are words or grammatical forms that connote negativity and express contempt or distaste. A term can be regarded as pejorative in some social groups but not in others, e.g., hacker is a term used for computer criminals as well as quick and clever computer experts...
.