In ancient Celtic and European mythology, fairies – also known as Fae, Fey, or a variety of euphemistic names – are some of the most powerful creatures in existence. They span the full spectrum of morality and are often unfriendly to humans. However, very few people would dare cross them.
In a lot of contemporary fiction, fairies have been reduced significantly. Often, they are small, magically-adept creatures that are tricksy but not overly powerful, and usually serve as minor obstacles or helpers. However, in some fantasy films, fairies are portrayed with a power level far closer to what's displayed in their original myths.
8 Tinkerbell's Abilities Are Limited, But Powerful (Peter Pan)
Tinkerbell from Peter Pan is one of the more iconic fairies from modern fiction. She spent a long time as the face of Disney films and fits the profile of the modern "small magical helper" fairy. However, she also possesses powers that are quite large in scope.
Tinkerbell's innate fairy magic allows her to repair or improve any mechanical device near her – hence the name "Tinkerbell." She also produces the magical pixie dust that grants ordinary people the power to fly. Her powers might be narrow in scope, but they're certainly powerful within that scope.
7 The Fairy Godmother Can Do Amazing Things For A Short Time (Cinderella)
Descended primarily from old European folklore, many Disney films retain fairies as important plot elements. For example, Cinderella is one of the most notable movies with fairy ancestry. Its well-known fairy godmother blesses Cinderella with a beautiful dress, glass slippers, and a carriage made from a pumpkin so she can attend the ball.
The scope of the Fairy Godmother's abilities is far-reaching. She's able to create objects from thin air and transform objects into nearly anything else. Most impressive is her ability to transfigure rats and lizards into coachmen (apparently turning them into actual humans). However, her powers have one crushing limitation: her spells only last until midnight, at which point they revert.
6 Maleficent Carries Out All Manner Of Magic (Maleficent)
A re-imagining of the Sleeping Beauty story, Maleficent is a tale that humanizes the character. It also makes it clear that she's not a witch. Rather, she's fae. As an inhabitant of the Moors, Maleficent is a powerful fairy who eventually becomes a Queen.
Her powers include transforming other creatures (even into forms as powerful as dragons; elemental magic (she makes a wall of thorns around an entire kingdom), and the laying of curses so powerful that no force on Earth, even herself, can undo them. With versatile powers, grey morality, and an immense magical capability, Maleficent is one of the most powerful fairies seen in film.
5 The Pale Man Prefers Easy Prey (Pan's Labyrinth)
Many of the fantastical creatures in Guillermo Del Toro's 2006 film Pan's Labyrinth are assumed to be fairies, even if only a few are explicitly called such. Within that film, one of the most memorable and fearsome creatures is the Pale Man – the movie's secondary antagonist.
A child-eating monster, the Pale Man lives within a lavish banquet hall, deliberately designed to lure starving children in Franco's Spain. If the children touch the food, The Pale Man devours them without mercy. And although he prefers to target helpless children, the other fairies speak of him with fear. Sadly, he's shown to make short work of his smaller brethren in a fight.
4 Mulgarath Is A Skilled Shapeshifter (The Spiderwick Chronicles)
In the 2008 film adaptation of The Spiderwick Chronicles, Mulgarath is the central antagonist. A vicious yet cunning troll tied to the world of fairies, he seeks Arthur Spiderwick's research on his kind.
Mulgarath is naturally immensely strong and tough. However, he supplements his power with his cunning intellect and his magical ability to shapeshift. Although he can only transform himself, his shapeshifting prowess allows him to almost perfectly impersonate all manner of creatures. While doing so, he gains their abilities, including human beings. Mulgarath uses this power to its full potential, which makes him a terrifying adversary.
3 Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather Can Put An Entire Nation To Sleep (Sleeping Beauty)
Although the nature of Maleficent in Disney's version is left ambiguous, the three good fairies who stand against her are explicitly identified as such. Fitting into the "fairy godmother" role, they're benevolent fairies who want nothing more than to protect Aurora.
When they fail and Aurora pricks her finger on her sixteenth birthday, Merryweather's magic manages to counter Maleficent's powerful curse. However, in the process, it leaves Aurora unconscious. Working together, the three fairies then put the entire kingdom under a similarly enchanted sleep, only to awaken when Aurora does. It's a truly staggering feat of magic.
2 Fiona's Fairy Godmother Is Capable And Influential (Shrek 2)
Although clearly inspired by the Fairy Godmother of Cinderella, the character of the same name in Shrek 2 has very different intentions. Serving as the film's antagonist, she wants Fiona to marry her son, Prince Charming, and conspires to make it happen.
Fairy Godmother demonstrates a number of powers, including telekinesis, making powerful potions, and mastering various other forms of magic. Furthermore, she transforms a simple frog into the King of Far Far Away and manages to maintain the enchantment for several years. Aside from that, she's politically powerful with a large workforce and a private army. As a result, she's a welcome guest at any royal function.
1 Cherlindrea Is An Immensely Powerful Fairy Queen
In a fantasy world dominated by all kinds of mythical creatures, the film Willow details the journey of a group of adventurers who are trying to return a "Daikini" baby to a family of its own kind. One of the most powerful is Cherlindrea: the Queen of the Fairy Forest.
Although she's only briefly featured in the film, Cherlindrea is shown or stated to have great powers. She rules over all the fairies in the forest, is capable of great foresight, and is unkillable by all but the most dangerous weapons. Of all fairies shown in cinema, Cherlindrea is one of the closest to classical mythological depictions of her kind.