Anna Leigh Leighton

Anna Leigh Leighton is the Supreme preceding Fiona Goode. She is a character in Coven portrayed by Christine Ebersole.

Background

She was proclaimed heiress to the Supremacy in 1940, when she was 29 years old, during the reign of Mimi DeLongpre. During her reign, Anna Leigh signed a truce with Marie Laveau. In 1971, after revealing to Fiona how she realized that her growing powers were a sign of her rightful inheritance to the Supremacy, both had an argument. As Anna Leigh told her protegé that she was not yet ready to claim the Supremacy, Fiona mocked her deteriorating health. Anna Leigh, seeing Fiona's lust for power, swore that she would never let her take the throne. Fiona responded by slitting her throat.^[1]

When Fiona was questioned by the Council about Anna Leigh's disappearance, Fiona lied and told the Council that the last time she saw Anna Leigh, the Supreme was carrying a fine bottle of wine, taking it as a gesture of good-will to an unknown person. The Council members thought then that Marie Laveau had killed the Supreme and Fiona was selected as Anna Leigh's successor, following the deceased Supreme's will.^[2]

Personality and Appearance

Anna Leigh Leighton was sweet, proper, refined, and classically old-fashioned, and had a majestic air to her presence and speech. Despite this, she was shown to have quite a temper when provoked. She was a powerful witch, and was a highly able Supreme during her time, considering she signed a truce with Marie Laveau and subsequently brought peace (despite still harboring hostilities) between the two groups for several decades.

Anna Leigh was a blonde, buxom sexagenarian. Though plagued with several health problems in her later years, she was still quite beautiful. She dressed in old-fashioned, regal attire and styled her blonde hair in an Edwardian-style bun. She was also quite tall standing at 5'10.

Powers

Anna Leigh was a very powerful natural born witch who is shown to have mastered all of the Seven Wonders.

Telekinesis - One of the Seven Wonders, the magical ability to move things with only the power of the mind.
Concilium - One of the Seven Wonders, the magical ability to bend the will of another individual and force them to do whatever the user desires. This power is more commonly known as Mind Control.
Transmutation - One of the Seven Wonders, the ability to instantaneously move from one place to another. This power is more commonly known as Teleportation.
Pyrokinesis - One of the Seven Wonders, the magical ability to create, control and manipulate fire with the power of the mind. She used this ability to light her cigarette.
Vitalum Vitalis - One of the Seven Wonders, the magical ability to balance the scales between life and death.
Divination - One of the Seven Wonders, the magical ability to gain knowledge through indirect means.
Descensum - One of the Seven Wonders, the magical ability to descend into the netherworlds of the afterlife. This power is also known as Astral Projection.

Quotes

To Fiona: "Fiona! I thought you had gone with the other girls down to Jackson Square to burn your bra."
Anna Leigh Leighton: "I was just 29 years old when the reigning Supreme at the time, Mimi DeLongpre, called a Council and I performed the Seven Wonders and was unanimously proclaimed to be the true-born heir of the Supremacy."
To Fiona: "By the time I was your age, I had already been manifesting multiple powers. It's not unusual for a talented witch to manifest four, even five innate gifts once she starts to flower. But that does not make you the Supreme. Only the mastery of the Seven Wonders could prove that."
To Fiona: "You vicious little gash! I've seen the ruin you will bring to this coven."
To Fiona: "Careful girl, don't test my wrath."

Notes

Despite having killed Anna Leigh, Fiona proclaimed admiration for her. She described her as majestic and powerful and credited Anna for teaching her everything she knows.^[1]