The newly released Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Unfortunately, this is nothing new when it comes to the MCU's Wanda Maximoff; her character has remained one of the most tortured and tragic within the entire franchise, maintaining that note from her introduction to her final scene. From never getting redemption to abandoning every happy ending, there are many devastating things that have come to define Wanda.
Never Getting A Real Mentor
From Peter Parker to America Chavez, most young and prominent of the MCU franchise appear to have some sort of mentor to help guide them and their abilities. Wanda, however, was denied this same treatment.
Despite being seen as a "kid" by the likes of Steve Rogers and other Avengers, none of them seemed to really see her as such since they all failed to give her and guidance when she needed it most, doing little more than the bare minimum when it came to helping her develop into a hero. As a result, Wanda was left completely isolated and desolate without Vision, having never formed strong ties with anyone else.
Growing Up Too Quickly
While there were a few moments in WandaVision that foreshadowed Wanda's villain arc, for the most part, the series sought to explain her tragic past and how much trauma and hurt she had endured. In the penultimate episode, it becomes apparent that Wanda was deprived of a proper and fulfilling childhood, being forced to grow up far too quickly.
Not only was she forever scarred as a child from her and Pietro cowering behind the Stark Industries missile, but shortly after she ed Hydra's ranks to try and better her country's circumstances. Although many Avengers have tragic backstories, the extent of Wanda's loss, her young age, and her apparent emptiness as she underwent Strucker's experiment make the robbing of her childhood sadder than most.
Trying Her Best Was Never Enough
There are many redeeming qualities that prove Wanda is an MCU hero, unfortunately, not everyone else within the franchise could see that. Whether it was about volunteering for Strucker's experiment or the incident in Lagos, many other characters failed to see the noble intentions behind her actions and instead allowed her powers and accidental destruction to define her.
While a few good-hearted characters (Steve, Clint, and Vision) saw the real her, the public branded Wanda as a volatile and chaotic force that was to be feared. Even in WandaVision, despite removing the hex after realizing the harm she had done, she was still seen as a villain rather than a hero who had erred while trying her best.
Constantly Sacrificing For Others
Despite the many times Wanda proved she was the most powerful villain in the MCU, she still distinguished herself from the others by always ultimately sacrificing her happiness for others, a constant trait that is easily one of the saddest things about her character.
Whether it was killing her true love by destroying the Mind Stone or giving up her fabricated suburban happy ending with Vision and her twins to free Westview, once Wanda realized what was for the greater good she always chose to give up her own wants and joys to protect others. Even in Multiverse of Madness, as the big and bad Scarlet Witch, Wanda still forsakes her own wishes and does the right thing yet again.
Having Felt Pietro's Death
Wanda Maximoff as fans know her now is no stranger to loss and pain; however, when she was first showcased in Age of Ultron, viewers were yet unaware of how much she had yet to go through, getting a mere glimpse through Pietro's death.
While she was not with him at the time, Wanda felt her twin brother's death and it completely broke her, as evidenced by how her grief manifests through her great powers and destroys all the enemies within her proximity. Having felt Pietro's death is one of the saddest things about Wanda as it not only highlighted how strong their sibling bond was but also made grief one of the trademark qualities within her development arc.
Always Being Destined For Darkness
Despite being such a complex and morally complicated character, it was always clear that Wanda was always trying her best to remain a hero, even with all the worst things the Scarlet Witch had ever done in the MCU. This is why knowing that she was always destined for darkness is one of the heartbreaking things about her.
Agatha's revelations about Wanda's origins and how she is meant to destroy the world with her chaos magic stood in stark contrast with everything Wanda had fought to become and made it even more difficult for her to reconcile the hero she strived to be with the villain everyone saw her as. Even with her best efforts, Wanda couldn't fight off her dark prophecy, finally succumbing to the Darkhold and retconning all her character growth.
No Happy Endings, Ever
With such a grief-ridden and loss-dominated character arc, it would've been nice to see Wanda Maximoff get a happy ending at least somewhere throughout the franchise. Sadly, this is never the case, with her constant pain being charted throughout the franchise and shown especially in all the times that Wanda Maximoff broke fans' hearts.
Whether it was never getting to say goodbyes to her family before losing them, having to kill Vision and being denied the right to bury his body, or saying goodbye to her twins, Wanda's story is a never-ending world of mourning and heartbreak, becoming one of the saddest and defining parts of her character.
Never Getting To Unpack Her Trauma
Despite going through some of the most harrowing and heart-wrenching traumas throughout the MCU, Wanda Maximoff never gets a breather to just sit and unpack that hurt; from one appearance to the next, Wanda is shown to always be faced with another difficult task and sacrifice far too soon, never being allotted any time to truly try and heal from the previous loss.
This is one of the saddest things about her character not only as it showcases just how much pain Wanda is constantly subjected to, but also since it emphasizes how her inability to properly cope with her heavy feelings and dire situations leads to her eventual destruction. Perhaps if she had been allowed to properly grieve and breathe between each loss, then she could have avoided all the damage done to others and herself.
Having To Kill The Love Of Her Life
From her most heartbreaking Scarlet Witch quotes to all the unfair choices she had to make, there are many miserable things Wanda had to endure. Of course, one of the worst things she had to do - and hence, one of the saddest things about her character - is the fact that she had to kill the love of her life to save the universe.
As Wanda mentions in Multiverse of Madness, what makes this even more sorrowful is that she "blew a hole through the head of the man [she] loved, and it meant nothing" as Thanos got the Mind Stone anyway. Not only was having to make this sacrifice one of the saddest things about Wanda, but it also led to her dark awakening and demise.
Never Getting A Redemption Arc
Even great and celebrated superheroes like Steve Rogers and Tony Stark made their fair share of mistakes throughout the MCU; the difference between them and Wanda Maximoff is that they were able to redeem themselves and remain heroes while Wanda was never given the same opportunity - the saddest thing about her character.
Although she made grave mistakes, they were often just a mishandling of her immense powers, and Wanda wanted to understand them better not only to have a deeper self-understanding but also to keep others safe and avoid a dark destiny. Sadly, despite all her heroic actions since being introduced, she is never granted the redemption arc she so desperately deserved and leaves with the same villain stamp that she was given when first introduced.
