The Halliwell sisters were always different, not just from the world around them, but also from each other. Though were bound together by DNA and destiny, these twentysomething women could not have been more dissimilar. Yet the discovery that the three sisters were powerful good witches, foretold as the Charmed Ones, created a bond that reached far beyond petty sisterly grudges, and they banded together to keep their otherworldly witchcraft a secret and vanquish all demons.

Each sister has her own unique set of powers, which are constantly evolving. Phoebe (Alyssa Milano, Who's The Boss?, Melrose Place), who has premonitions and the ability to levitate, finds new power as an empath this season. Her newfound ability to feel what others are feeling will prove extremely useful. New mother Piper (Holly Marie Combs, Picket Fences) can freeze time and cause explosions. As the progeny of a witch and a Whitelighter, Piper's son, Wyatt, has already shown himself to be a powerful magical being, though no one knows yet what powers he possesses or how he will decide to use them.

Newest to the Halliwell fold, Paige (Rose McGowan, Scream) was raised by adoptive parents and always felt that there was something different about her. In the search for her birth parents, she learned that she was abandoned at a local church as an infant, the result of an unwanted relationship between Pheobe, Prue, and Piper's mother and a Whitelighter guardian angel. This ancestry and the unexpected death of the oldest Halliwell sister, Prue, resulted in the awakening of Paige's powers to move things with her mind and to "orb" in and out between planes. Paige's more experienced sisters helped her harness the power in their battle against evil. Still, Paige has not yet come to grips with witchcraft, and she will take on a series of temporary jobs this season in her search to find not only a career, but her true purpose in life as well.

The free-spirited and eccentric Phoebe has come through a disastrous marriage to a half-human/half-demon and a brief reign as Queen of the under world. Phoebe also found herself experiencing several supernatural lifestyles when she was magically transformed into a mermaid, a mummy and, finally, the Goddess of Love. More than ever before, love will be the focus of attention for all three of the Charmed Ones this season, as they take advantage of the newfound freedom in their personal lives to date almost every man they see - both from this world and the world beyond. Even Piper, who was happily married to the girls' own Whitelighter, Leo (Brian Krause, Sleepwalkers), and is the first Halliwell sister to become a mother, finds herself available again now that Leo has moved on to his new calling as the leader of the Council of Elders.

Taking Leo's place as the girls' personal Whitelighter is the mysterious Chris, (Drew Fuller, Black Sash, Vampire Clan), who has come to them from the future. Though Chris appears to be the protector The Charmed Ones need so desperately, he carries dark secrets that cloud his true intentions. Only time will tell the sisters if their new Whitelighter is truly worthy of their trust.

All three sisters continue to move between planes of existence this season as they are transformed into warrior-maidens on a mythical island. They even get a taste of Camelot when magical creatures show up at their house for a "sword in the stone" competition. They will also face powerful new enemies, including three evil sisters bent on stealing their identities, a revenge-seeking ghost and an enormous dragon. One sister will even experience the surreal career of a successful talk show host.

As they have so often in the past, the Charmed Ones will continue to depend on their loyal friend and protector, Lt. Darryl Morris (Dorian Gregory, The Other Half). Despite his lack of supernatural powers, Lt. Morris is always there to help in whatever way he can