Princess Ozma Tippetarius (currently going by Tippa) is a royal princess and current ruler of the land of Oz, though in absentia and currently under the regency of Brrr.
During the majority of The Wicked Years, Ozma is known simply as "Tip", due to having been enchanted into a boy by the witch Mombey to prevent Oz's long-lost heir to the imperial throne from being discovered.
In the Novels[]
A series of Ozmas previously ruled Oz for centuries, each defined with a unique title, the last known to rule being Ozma the Bilious, that is before her death and the beginning of the regency of her husband, Pastorious, the Ozma Regent who would rule until their daughter, Ozma Tippetarius comes to age.
When the Wizard invades the land and overthrows the monarchy in a coup d'état, Pastorius is ultimately assassinated and baby Ozma is given to La Mombey, an old witch and former court adviser to Pastorius. The witch uses her powers of transformation to transfigure the princess into a male-child she names "Tip"; this spell also slows Tip's aging considerably. Mombey would use Tip as her personal servant from then on; Tip was often used as her ambulatory cane as Mombey was an old hag with bent back.
Tip would join Mombey as they travel by sand sledge across the deserts surrounding Oz and come to the duchy principality of Ev, where they met the duchess, who has the ability to change the shape of her head and body to whatever pleased her. It’s unknown what happed after that, but when they travel back to Oz, they arrive in Gillikin and while the two are riding the train Mombey goes to the powder room and returns as a younger, beautiful woman, much to Tip’s shock.
Wicked[]
The lore surrounding the Ozma monarchy is discussed sporadically in the novel and legends over Ozma Tippetarius' whereabouts include being frozen in ice in a hidden cave. Elphaba Thropp makes several remarks about Ozma in not believing in a "child savior".
Son of a Witch[]
Tip encounters Liir while traveling with La Mombey who jokingly offers him in exchange for Elphaba's broom, but Liir declines.
Out of Oz[]
A runaway, Tip is living in the boy’s dormitory at St. Prowd’s Academy in the city of Shiz when he meets and befriends Rain while she is staying at the Academy. Tip and Rain fall in love during this time, but their time staying at St. Prowd's comes to an end when word comes that Munchkinlanders may attack Shiz. Tip and Rain attempt to warn the school's proctress, Ironish Clapp, but Rain is locked in her room when she criticizes Ironish for not taking the threat seriously. Tip, however, anticipates this and frees her, and the two leave the school.
The two flee Shiz and head for Kiamo Ko in the Vinkus, where they discover that Liir has been abducted by bounty hunters in Mombey's employ. One night, without notice, Tip returns to Mombey hoping to secure Liir's release.
Near the novel's conclusion, Tip and Rain are reunited in the Emerald City after Mombey attacks the city with dragons, securing her victory. The two had just finished making love when Mombey performs a spell called "To Call the Lost Forward", in order to return Liir to his proper form; the spell inadvertently also restores Rain’s natural green skin and returns Tip to his true form (the female Ozma), revealing that Mombey has kept Ozma in the form of the boy Tip for almost a century. After this, Mombey is imprisoned the emperor Shell willingly abdicates the throne and hands power to Brrr as Throne Minister until the newly appointed princess Ozma comes of age to rule.
Notes[]
- In the original Oz novels by L. Frank Baum, Ozma is the rightful ruler of Oz, and close friends with Dorothy. Baum indicated that she would reign in the fairyland forever, being immortal. Ozma is the daughter of the former King Pastoria of Oz. As an infant, she was given to the witch Mombi of the North by the Wizard of Oz. Mombi transformed Ozma into a boy and called him "Tip" (short for Tippetarius) in order to prevent the rightful ruler of Oz from ascending to the throne. The world of Wicked adapts this character by making Ozma a royal title, as well as incorporating the gender-swapping plot.