History YMMV / Willow

* FanonDiscontinuity: The ''Literature/ChroniclesOfTheShadowWar'' sequel novels, depending on your mileage, of course. Or you can pick and choose among the novels too. The first is DarkerAndEdgier but still has the same general feel of adventure and tension as the movie. The following ones follow an Elora Dannon who at one point [[{{Narm}} melodramatically]] recites a story that's basically ''Film/{{Braveheart}}'' [[InSpace with dragons]]. The whole trilogy is basically a deconstruction of TheChosenOne and fantasy tropes in general; like the movie, several characters are ludicrously powerful with backstories about how super special they are to the setting but they're all really just support for a relatively weak sorcerer.

* FairForItsDay: Using little people to play a separate species from humans would come across as ''incredibly'' insensitive today, but back at the film's time, ''Willow'' was considered a spectacular advance in their history in cinema. The characters are respectful and well-rounded (for what they are, as this film does love its clichés), and the fact that such an actor is the ''main character and hero'' on its own stands out from other media, both then and now. Of particular note are the Nelwyn warriors, who could easily have been reduced to a punchline, but instead get to be genuine badasses. Even today, when many little actors are reduced to playing "leprechaun parts" where their stature is exclusively used for comedy, ''Willow'' is a breath of fresh air.

* CultClassic: The film didn't do that well at the box office and among critics, but it has developed a cult following amongst fantasy fans, one strong enough for a SequelSeries to be made decades later.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Couldn't expect any less from Music/JamesHorner, who delivered a score that's suitably majestic, epic and heroic.
** Leading to a huge SugarWiki/AndTheFandomRejoiced moment when an expanded soundtrack was announced from Creator/{{Intrada}} in June 2022.

* CultClassic: The film didn't do that well at the box office and among critics, but it has developed a cult following amongst fantasy fans, one strong enough for a SequelSeries made years later.

** The NES game, although laden with GuideDangIt, is often regarded as a forgotten classic. Plotwise and structure-wise, it has relatively little to do with the movie, though; it's been suspected for a long time that it began life as something else and picked up the ''Willow'' theming once Capcom secured the license.

** Willow is none other than the evil ''{{Film/Leprechaun}}'' who tried to kill Creator/JenniferAniston before she was on ''{{Series/Friends}}'', and Professor Flitwick/Griphook in the ''{{Film/Harry Potter}}'' films.
** Madmartigan is none other than [[Film/{{TheDoors1991}} Jim Morrison]], [[Film/{{Tombstone}} Doc Holiday]], [[WesternAnimation/{{ThePrinceOfEgypt}} Moses]], [[Film/{{BatmanForever}} Batman]] and [[Film/{{Alexander}} King Philip the Pretty Good]] all rolled into one.

* FriendlyFandoms: With ''Film/{{Solo}}'' due to sharing the same director, Warwick Davis being in both, both being Lucasfilm projects and both being beloved by kids. Many fans of both films are hoping ''Solo'' is VindicatedByCable as well.

** Leading to a huge AndTheFandomRejoiced moment when an expanded soundtrack was announced from Creator/{{Intrada}} in June 2022.

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* CultClassic: The film didn't do that well at the box office and among critics, but it has developed a cult following amongst fantasy fans.

* FairForItsDay: Using little people to play a separate species from humans would come across as ''incredibly'' insensitive today, but at the same time, the characters are respectful and well-rounded (for what they are; this film does love its clichés). Even today, when many little actors are reduced to playing "leprechaun parts" where their stature is exclusively used for comedy, ''Willow'' is a breath of fresh air. Of particular note are the Nelwyn warriors, who could easily have been reduced to a punchline, but instead get to be genuine badasses.
** The fact that such an actor is the ''main character and hero'' on its own stands out from other media, both then and now.

* SpecialEffectFailure: You can clearly see the blue screen lines on the brownies when Willow is in focus and vise versa when the brownies are in focus. This is especially noticable in their first scene.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: One that didn't make it to the final cut. At one point, Willow has to cross a river. A strange hairless boy asks him what he's doing, and warns Willow that the water is cursed, just before jumping in himself. Later, as Willow rows across, the boy resurfaces, but this time his teeth are long and sharp, like a carnivorous fish. He resurfaces again a moment later, and now has a fin on his back. Finally he resurfaces as a monstrous fish and attacks Willow's boat, capsizing it and pursuing Willow through the water. Willow manages to escape by throwing one of his magic acorns at it and turning it to stone (which explains why he was given three acorns, yet only seen using two). The scene was not cut for time, or because it had nothing whatsoever to do with the plot. It was cut because they could never get the fish monster to look right. As it turns out, it lifted easily out of the story because it comes out of nowhere, is never explained, and is never mentioned again. [[https://www.ign.com/videos/2013/03/11/willow-fish-boy-deleted-scene Parts of it are available as a special feature on the DVD]].

* CompleteMonster: [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen Bavmorda]] is an [[SorcerousOverlord evil conqueror]] who learns of a prophecy of a child destined to defeat her, so she has all pregnant women in her kingdom imprisoned. After the child is saved from death, Bavmorda has the mother and midwife killed, who barely gets the child to safety before being torn apart by the Queen's hounds. To stop Willow and the child from getting help, Bavmorda turns a kind sorceress into a frog and the inhabitants of a castle into [[TakenForGranite stone]]. When confronted, Bavmorda tries to cast a spell to [[WouldHurtAChild destroy the prophesied child's soul]] so none can oppose her and attempts to [[OffingTheOffspring kill her own daughter for turning against her]].

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: One that didn't make it to the final cut. At one point, Willow has to cross a river. A strange hairless boy asks him what he's doing, and warns Willow that the water is cursed, just before jumping in himself. Later, as Willow rows across, the boy resurfaces, but this time his teeth are long and sharp, like a carnivorous fish. He resurfaces again a moment later, and now has a fin on his back. Finally he resurfaces as a monstrous fish and attacks Willow's boat, capsizing it and pursuing Willow through the water. Willow manages to escape by throwing one of his magic acorns at it and turning it to stone (which explains why he was given three acorns, yet only seen using two). The scene was not cut for time, or because it had nothing whatsoever to do with the plot. It was cut because they could never get the fish monster to look right. As it turns out, it lifted easily out of the story because it comes out of nowhere, is never explained, and is never mentioned again.

* FanonDiscontinuity: The sequel novels, depending on your mileage, of course.
** Or you can pick and choose among the novels too. The first is DarkerAndEdgier but still has the same general feel of adventure and tension as the movie. The following ones follow an Elora Dannon who at one point [[{{Narm}} melodramatically]] recites a story that's basically Film/{{Braveheart}} [[InSpace with dragons]].
** The whole trilogy is basically a deconstruction of TheChosenOne and fantasy tropes in general; like the movie, several characters are ludicrously powerful with backstories about how super special they are to the setting but they're all really just support for a relatively weak sorcerer.
* FriendlyFandoms: With ''[[Film/{{Solo}} Solo]]'' due to sharing the same director, Warwick Davis being in both, both being Lucasfilm projects and both being beloved by kids. Many fans of both films are hoping ''[[Film/{{Solo}} Solo]]'' is VindicatedByCable as well.

* FairForItsDay: Using little people to play a separate species from humans would come across as ''incredibly'' insensitive today, but at the same time, the characters are respectful and well-rounded (for what they are; this film does love its clichés). Even today, when many little actors are reduced to playing "leprechaun parts" where their stature is exclusively used for comedy, ''Willow'' is a breath of fresh air.

* FairForItsDay: Using little people to play a separate species from humans would come across as ''incredibly'' insensitive today, but at the same time, the characters are respectful and well-rounded (for what they are; this film does love its clichés). Even today, when many little actors are reduced to playing "leprechaun parts" where there stature is exclusively used for comedy, ''Willow'' is a breath of fresh air.

** The NES game, although laden with GuideDangIt, is often regarded as a forgotten classic. Plotwise and structure-wise, it has relatively little to do with the movie, though; it's been suspected for a long time that it began life as something else and picked up the ''Willow'' themeing once Capcom secured the license.

** Willow is none other than the evil Leprechaun who tried to kill Creator/JenniferAniston before she was on ''Friends'', and Professor Flitwick/Griphook in the Harry Potter films.
** Madmartigan is none other than Jim Morrison, Doc Holiday, Moses, Batman and [[Film/{{Alexander}} King Philip the Pretty Good]] all rolled into one.

* NightmareFuel:
** The opening on the movie, in which Elora Danan's mother hands the child to the midwife before Bavmorda orders the former executed. Later, the midwife is attacked by ferocious death dogs and forced to place Elora on a makeshift raft.
** The dragon. Willow first shoots a troll with the wand and the troll burns up into a fleshy lump and two tiny heads start to grow out before Willow kicks it in the water. The dragon emerges at full size just moments later.
** There's a positively scarifying scene where Bavmorda transforms Airk, Madmartigan, Sorsha, and their allies into pigs. All, that is, except Willow, who protects himself from the curse using a "shelter chant" Raziel taught him.
** Queen Bavmorda looking increasingly ghoulish the longer the ritual takes. EvilMakesYouUgly indeed.

* MemeticMutation: "You're no woman!" and ''"Not a woman?!'' '''''NOT A WOMAN?!!!"''''' can be used when someone turns out to be a trap.

* MemeticMutation: "You're no woman!" and ''"Not a woman?!'' '''''NOT A WOMAN?!!!"''''' can be used when someone turns out to be a trap.