| “ | Frankly, to human beings, all Scarecrows look the same, which is odd, since we seem to be much more individual than humans. But we’re made in their image and likeness, so all they see in us is themselves, and one mirror is as good as another, I guess. | ” |
| — The Scarecrow[src] | ||
The Scarecrow is a supporting character in Gregory Maguire's revisionist novels. He is one of the traveling companions of Dorothy Gale, being discovered along her journey down the Yellow Brick Road. After the Wizard's departure, the Scarecrow would temporarily become the Throne Minister of Oz, before being deposed and replaced by Shell Thropp.
Wicked[]
Elphaba suspects that the Scarecrow is her lover Fiyero coming back to her in a disguise; to investigate further, she has her flying monkeys tear the straw out of the Scarecrow's clothing. Elphaba does this to make certain if he was Fiyero or not, but the monkeys find nothing but straw. Despite this, Elphaba believes it could be the spirit of Fiyero within the straw itself. It is left to the reader of the novel to decide if the Scarecrow is indeed Fiyero or not (Coincidentally, in the musical based on the novel, the Scarecrow is indeed Fiyero who was transformed into the Scarecrow by Elphaba to save his life).
Son of a Witch[]
In Son of a Witch, the Scarecrow briefly talks to Elphaba's teenage son Liir after Dorothy Gale was sent back home to Kansas. He warns him that Dirt Boulevard, the Emerald City slum he is living in, is about to be 'cleaned up' by the authorities, and helps him escape from the purge. Scarecrow also brings Elphaba's broom to Liir, which Palace officials were going to throw out.
Before he and Liir part ways, Scarecrow tells Liir that he is not planning to remain in the Emerald City, explaining: "One day you're a celebrity, the next day you're hauled off to jail." The Scarecrow also tells Liir that he knew Dorothy was not from this world and had to leave.
Later on, after the Wizard leaves Oz, the Scarecrow is propped up as the Throne Minister after the brief 6-month installment of Glinda the Good. It is often assumed that he was installed as Throne Minister by Palace apparatchiks sympathetic to Shell Thropp, the youngest of the three Thropp siblings. The Scarecrow proves a weak figurehead, though his elevation allows Shell to avoid having to challenge Glinda for more leadership.
The Scarecrow that later appears at Glinda's induction into the Order of the Right, is, according to Liir, "an obvious impostor"; Liir doesn't believe the Scarecrow who sat on the throne was the one who he spoke with prior, nor the one who befriended Dorothy, thinking that the Scarecrow on the throne was a mere 'performer', a human in a costume to fool the citizens of Oz and doubts if the original Scarecrow is even still alive. It is up to the reader to decide, however, to believe if they are the same Scarecrow.
Later, through "an unfortunate accident involving a beaker of lighter fluid", the Scarecrow is deposed and is replaced as Throne Minister by Shell, who would later ultimately crown himself Emperor Apostle of Oz.
A Lion Among Men[]
The Scarecrow makes a brief appearance when Brrr, the Cowardly Lion first encounters him on the yellow brick road when he is accompanied by Dorothy Gale and Nick Chopper (the Tin Man). The Scarecrow then travels with Dorothy to Emerald City and then to Kiamo Ko when the Wizard demands the group kill Elphaba.
In the Musical[]
In the musical, Wicked, Fiyero turns into the Scarecrow after Elphaba chants a spell to save his life during the song, No Good Deed. He can be seen for the first time after the "melting" when he opens a trap door to release Elphaba. The pair leave Oz during the Finale to start a new life, as both of them are presumed dead.