How Old Agatha Harkness Really Is

Agatha Harkness' backstory and Salem Witch Trials origins are revealed in WandaVision episode 8, but how old does this make the character? While she originally appeared as Agnes, purportedly one of the Westview residents under Scarlet Witch's control, it had long been speculated that there was more to the character than meets the eye. This was confirmed in WandaVision episode 7, where Agnes unveiled herself as the villain Agatha Harkness, a powerful witch who clearly had her eyes on Wanda's own incredible abilities, and had been meddling with things to her own whims.

The opening of WandaVision episode 8 continued to flesh out Agatha Harkness, revealing that she had lived in Salem during the infamous Witch Trials, where she had been part of a coven led by her mother, Evanoras. Agatha was accused of betraying her coven, stealing knowledge and practising the darkest magic. Although she was set to be punished by magical means, Agatha was able to turn the tables, using that same dark magic to drain them of their power, taking it for her own, including from her own mother. WandaVision then jumps back to the present day, but it leaves behind the question of how long Agatha has really been around.

The scene in Salem takes place in 1693, while WandaVision is set in 2023, shortly after the events of Avengers: Endgame, or 330 years after the opening scene with Agatha and the coven. It's unclear exactly how old Agatha is in this scene, but the implication is that she is a "regular" witch at this point, and so would perhaps be aging somewhat more normally, since her mother is visibly older and it's seemingly taking the power from the other witches that grants Agatha her long lifespan. Kathryn Hahn, who plays Agatha, is 47-years-old, though she can convincingly play younger, so using that as a guide would mean Agatha was born in approximately 1646. If correct, then Agatha Harkness would be around 377-years-old in WandaVision.

WandaVision Episode 8 Agatha Harkness Origin

Of course, that's just a rough minimum age she may be, and it's possible that Agatha is even older in this. When Agatha drains her mother's power, the result is that she looks a lot older than she did before; that may just be the effect of having your magic and life drained out of you, but could hint that they've been around even longer. Agatha's counterpart in Marvel Comics, meanwhile, looks like an old woman, and that's because she truly is. That version of Agatha Harkness is thousands and thousands of years old, being able to remember a time before the sinking of Atlantis (making her well over 10,000-years-old). This Agatha formed her own coven in Salem during the 17th Century, and the change in that story and origin does fit with the idea that this is a much younger (relatively speaking) take on the character, rather than one who is thousands of years old. Nonetheless, though, Agatha has been around a very long time, and has become incredibly powerful with it.

It's easy to see why WandaVision changed Agatha from the comics, with a backstory that fits and casting Hahn means she slotted perfectly well into the sitcom setting. There could, however, be a way of giving a nod to the comics character, if Agatha is hiding her true form. Similar to Game of Thrones' Melisandre age twist, it could reveal that Agatha really does look like an incredibly old woman, but uses her magic to hide it. If, as seems somewhat plausible, her magic is stripped away in the WandaVision finale, then it could show what she truly looks like. Agatha may be almost 400-years-old (if not more), but her power seemingly does not compare to the Scarlet Witch.

Next: WandaVision: Every MCU Easter Egg In Episode 8