Several years after the Halloween-inspired series began and ended, Halloweentown is still one of Disney's most iconic and beloved franchises. The movies have a memorable cast of witches, warlocks, goblins and ghouls fitting the season, with teenage witch Marnie Piper being the heroine. However, a member of Marnie's family who's never been really shown is her dad.
William Piper, the father of Marnie, isn't seen alive in any of the Halloweentown movies, but his role is pivotal to the stories of several key characters. Here's a look at what happened to the unseen patriarch and why he was so important.
What Happened to William, Marnie's Dad?
William is never seen in any of the Disney Channel Original Halloweentown movies beyond a simple picture depicting him being surrounded happily by his children Marnie, Dylan and Sophie, though his presence is definitely felt. For instance, Gwen, his widow, is visibly sad whenever someone mentions him or brings up the picture, showcasing how good of a father and a husband he was.
However, while it's firmly established that William is dead, it's never stated how he died. Many assume that it was some sort of illness or accident that made him pass away, but there's never been anything explicit to confirm one way or another. But though he died before the events of the first Halloweentown, William was still a huge influence on his children, his wife and the events of the series going forward.
How William Piper Was Important to Halloweentown
Before the Disney movie series starts, William meets his future wife Gwen at a Halloween party when the latter was visiting the mortal world, and the two quickly fall in love. Marrying the human, non-magical William, Gwen decides to stay in the mortal world and leaves Halloweentown, much to the chagrin of her mother, Agatha. This anger is driven even further when Gwen stops using magic, embracing the mortal world and shunning her magical heritage. This is why Gwen and her son Dylan are so averse to much of Agatha's magical shenanigans, but it inspires a rebellious streak in Marnie. Inspired by her parents' meeting on the horrifying holiday, Marnie becomes obsessed with Halloween and later, her own witch heritage.
Gwen's marriage to William also causes many of the events of the first Halloweentown movie, with the evil warlock Kalabar striking at the Cromwell family due to his jealousy over Gwen marrying William instead of him. This fuels his already present resentment against the human world and sees him tally the people of Halloweentown against humans. Thus, the William/Gwen marriage also causes the events of the second movie, Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge, where Kalabar's son also seeks vengeance for his father's defeat. In that way, the mostly unseen William can is not only as responsible for keeping Gwen from marrying such an evil man as Kalabar in the series but for also inspiring his quest for vengeance against his widow and children years later.