Deplorable Word

The Deplorable Word was an evil incantation from the world Charn, a magical word which, when spoken, would destroy all life except the person who uttered it. This 'doomsday weapon' was used by Queen Jadis when she lost a civil war with her sister, destroying the population of Charn and turning the planet into a sterile wasteland.

The existence of the Deplorable Word was a closely guarded secret passed down through generations of the magically adept ruling family of Charn, but they had bound themselves with oaths never to seek knowlege of it. Jadis, more power hungry than her ancestors, "searched long for it and paid a terrible price to learn it".

The war with her sister, an extremely bloody world war, was apparently just a power struggle between the two, which the sister won. Jadis waited to use the word until her victorious sister was within eyesight, so that she could gloat and watch her death. Then, "I spoke the Deplorable Word. A moment later I was the only living thing under the sun." The spell may have made living things disappear rather than just killing them; there were no signs of bodies or skeletons around the Palace of Charn. Jadis's use of this weapon may be partially understood because she was about to be captured by her bloodthirsty sister, who would undoubtedly have killed or tortured her. But her willingness to destroy a planet full of people rather than lose to her sister was in accord with her character; she regarded all other people as tools for her own use. Afterward, Jadis narcissistically blamed her sister for her act; "Her greed has destroyed the whole world!" Besides killing Aslan on the Stone Table, this was Jadis's most evil act (that we know about).

Apparently the Deplorable Word, along with many of her other magical powers, only worked on Charn, since she didn't use it to destroy Narnia when she was defeated and killed by Aslan at the Battle of Beruna.

The Deplorable Word should not be confused with a lesser spell, also involving a magic word, which Jadis used to destroy the gates of the palace on Charn.