Agatha All Along: How did Agatha get the Darkhold? Nicholas Scratch theory explained

The Agatha All Along finale tied up plenty of loose ends, but there’s still the question of how the titular character got her hands on the Darkhold in the first place. (Warning: spoilers ahead!)

The journey through the Witches’ Road was a long and tragic one, leaving Agatha All Along fans with just as much heartache as hope for the future. We finally got a look at Agatha’s son Nicholas, as well as a tease for Billy’s continued search for Tommy.

But there was one thing the Marvel show never ended up confirming, and that was how Agatha got her hands on the Darkhold, the powerful book of ancient spells. It’s dark magic at its most deadly, and many were hoping to learn how it came to be in her possession.

The show didn’t give a straight answer, but there were still plenty of clues that might have already provided one.

The Darkhold’s origin is still unconfirmed in the MCU

Agatha’s possession of the Darkhold is still a mystery, as neither WandaVision nor Agatha All Along revealed how she got her hands on the powerful book.

To recap, the Darkhold was first revealed in WandaVision. Agatha had hold of it, which allowed her to manipulate and avoid Wanda’s powers. Wanda soon steals the Darkhold, and a post-credits scene in the series shows her studying it.

In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wanda uses the book to learn about the multiverse. She wants to harness its powers to locate her children, Billy and Tommy. After becoming aware of her evil nature, Wanda then destroys all variants of the Darkhold, killing herself in the process.

Marvel/Disney

The Darkhold then reappeared in Agatha All Along, most notably in a traumatic vision Agatha experiences. Seeing the Darkhold in place of a baby in a crib, it was assumed that she had traded her son Nicholas to get hold of the book, painting her as a selfish and manipulative figure.

However, it was later revealed that this wasn’t the case at all. By Episode 9, Agatha’s heartbreaking backstory had been fully explored, revealing that her son had been taken by Death (Rio) after he was supposed to die in childbirth.

While the show didn’t actually confirm how she got the book, some theories suggest Nicholas was involved in the exchange somehow. And if true, it might just make Agatha’s moral standing even more complicated.

Darkhold theories explained

The biggest theory regarding the Darkhold is that Agatha might have made a deal to get it in exchange for her child – but she later changed her mind after becoming pregnant.

Of course, there may be another explanation given down the line for Agatha’s possession of the Darkhold. But if there’s still a connection to be made within Agatha All Along, then it most likely ties to Nicholas Scratch.

Even though those rumors about Agatha trading her son for the Darkhold were proved to be untrue (Agatha very much wanted to keep Nicholas), perhaps she made her offer earlier on.

Disney+

It’s possible that Agatha made a deal with Death (or some other entity) to trade the life of her firstborn child for the Darkhold. However, when she became pregnant, she changed her mind and decided she wanted to keep her baby, who she already loved.

So, when Death turned up during childbirth, she begged for his life, getting more time in exchange. Ultimately, Death would still turn up to take Nicholas six years later, as was the deal.

If Agatha had made a deal for the Darkhold before giving birth, then that might account for why Death turned up to take Nicholas in the first place.

Disney+

This theory seems to be the strongest among fans. As one Reddit user wrote: “I assumed she made a deal well before her son was born that her firstborn’s life would be forfeit in exchange for the Darkhold. So Rio was just showing up to collect a debt.”

“Guessing she made the deal with Death before or during pregnancy, regretted it during childbirth which made her plead with Death not to take him,” another wrote. “That’s why Death was like ‘Sorry, I can only give you time’ as in ‘deal’s done, I’m gonna have to take the kid at some point.’ Then after Nicky died Agatha gets the Darkhold from that transaction off screen.”

However, another theory revolves around Agatha getting the Darkhold after Nicholas died, either in an attempt to bring him back or to make sure she never has to meet him in the afterlife.

This is one of her biggest fears, so it makes sense that she would seek out this power to give her the advantage. Equally, it might have been an act of vengeance, seeking out the dark magic to either bring him back or work through her grief and wrath.

The only problem with both theories is that we never actually see her getting the Darkhold in Agatha All Along or WandaVision, therefore the MCU may have its idea of where the Darkhold came from.

If Scarlet Witch gets a solo movie (as many are hoping will happen), then we may get a full explanation from Agatha herself.

For more, check out our guides on Agatha Harkness and Rio’s relationship, which was the best scene in the Agatha All Along finale, and why Agatha All Along didn’t need a post-credits scene.