Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Characters/Regulars: Difference between revisions

=== Buffy Anne Summers ([[Sarah Michelle Gellar]]) ===

{{quote| ''"Cool! Crossbow! Check out these babies. Goodbye stakes, hello flying fatality."''}}

{{quote| "You like men who hurt you. You need the pain we cause you. You need the hate. You need it to do your job, to be the Slayer."}}

* [[Big Brother Instinct|Big Sister Instinct]]: To Dawn.

* [[Braids of Action]]: Buffy, when on patrol, has the "two-braids" version. Alternate Buffy, from "The Wish,", as the "one-braid" version.

* [[A Date with Rosie Palms]]: She admits to thinking of her boyfriend before moving to Sunnydale, listening to the song "I Touch Myself.". [[Blatant Lies|Before claiming not to know what the song meant]].

* [[Disappeared Dad]]: Divorced.

* [[Flying Brick]]: {{spoiler|After getting a power-up in Season 8.}}.

* [[Gallows Humor]]: Buffy has always had a morbid sense of humor; in Season Six, after she's brought back from the dead, it tends to get a [[Dude, Not Funny]] reaction from the Scoobies.

* [[The Hero|The Heroine]]ine

* [[Heterosexual Life Partners]]: With Willow.

* [[Informed Flaw]]: Buffy does not really resemble the character type she is [[Word of God|supposedly]] subverting -- thesubverting—the girly blonde cheerleader who gets killed by the monster in a [[Horror]] film. She is not a cheerleader (and, outside of one episode in the first season, shows no interest in becoming one), is not slutty or particularly flirty (she is a serial monogamist with only four sexual partners in the seven-year series), does not drink especially often and (after the first season) does not even wear skirts or dresses very often. A flashback eventually reveals that she fit the cheerleader image a bit more in the years before the series began, but in a lot of respects, she is much more like the classic [[Final Girl]] than monster fodder.

{{quote| "Dates are things normal girls have. Girls who have time to think about nail polish and facials. You know what I think about? Ambush tactics. Beheading. Not exactly the stuff dreams are made of."}}

** In Season 3, Buffy, torn between the knowledge that a relationship with Angel is impossible and her emotional and sexual desires, bounces back and forth between [[Just Friends]] and [[Star-Crossed Lovers]] until Angel forces the issue by leaving Sunnydale altogether.

* [[Muscles Are Meaningless]]: She's not [[A Worldwide PunominumPunomenon|buff]] by any stretch of the imagination. She doesn't need to be, she's the Slayer, she can throw down with anything short of a invincible [[Big Bad]] or demon\human hybrid, or [[Physical God]].

* [[My God, What Have I Done?]]: Has this twice, once in Season 6, when she learns that {{spoiler|she [[Subverted Trope|''didn't'']] [[Came Back Wrong|come back wrong]] and has been doing all sorts of horrible stuff of her own free will}}, and again in Season 8 when {{spoiler|Giles is killed, magic is destroyed, and the Slayer line is ended, as a result of her [[Fan Nickname|space frak]] with Angel.}}.

* [[Not Himself|Not Herself:]] [[Once an Episode|Once a season,]], beginning with her stressing over The Master, then getting over the traumatic events that ended with her killing Angel. A demon tries to steal her soul, she has to deal with her Retconned sister, she sacrifices herself to save her sister only for her friends to bring her back to life (and pull her from heaven to hell on earth) and crack under the pressure of trying to command.

** Subverted in ''Season Eight'', when Buffy's loneliness and need for stability compels her to go to Xander. Xander declines, having long since decided he and Buffy are [[Better as Friends]].

* [[Only Mostly Dead]]: Buffy in "Prophecy Girl.".

* [[Platonic Life Partners]]: With Xander.

* [[Sex God|Sex Goddess]]dess: At least twice in Season 4, it's suggested that [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer|Buffy's]] superhuman physical abilities translate to bedroom prowess; both her one-night stand Parker and Faith, who steals her body in a [[Grand Theft Me]] plot, comment explicitly on the matter.

** In Season 6, Spike mentions having sex for five hours straight and raves about what an animal she is; he specifically mentions biting -- comingbiting—coming from a vampire, that's an impressive recommendation!

* [[Took a Level Inin Jerkass]]: Jumped into [[Jerkass]] territory with both feet after killing The Master, and slides into this after her [[Came Back Wrong|resurrection]].

* [[Weakness Turns Her On]]: She quite enjoys [[Florence Nightingale Effect|nursing Angel back to health]], and says that Riley looked "even cuter when you're all weak and kitteny". In the Season 8 Comics, we discover one of Buffy's sexual fantasies involves Angel and Spike chained to her; Buffy is dressed in a [[Naughty Nurse Outfit]].

** Also, in seasonSeason 7, Buffy is kicked out of her house after treating the girls under her care like dirt.

=== Willow Rosenberg ([[Alyson Hannigan]]) ===

{{quote| ''"You're the Slayer and we're, like, the Slayerettes!"''}}

** [[Took a Level In Badass]]: From being the show's main [[Distressed Damsel in Distress]] to virtually the most powerful character of the group.

* [[The Chick]]: In the first few seasons before Faith shows up.

* [[Cradle of Loneliness]]: Does this with Tara's clothes when Tara breaks up with her in seasonSeason 6.

* [[Final Boss]]: {{spoiler|In Season 6.}}.

* [[Heterosexual Life Partners]]: With Buffy.

* [[Literal -Minded]]: [[Kiss]] Rocks? Why would anyone want to kiss-- ohkiss—oh.

{{quote| '''Xander:''' You need a life in the worst way.}}

{{quote| '''Willow''': It's a little binding. I guess vampires really don't have to breathe. [[Male Gaze|Gosh look at those.]]}}

* [[Platonic Life Partners]]: With Xander.

* [[Power Strain Blackout]]: She often collapses after overdoing the spellcastingspell-casting.

* [[The Reliable One]]: Buffy explicitly calls her this at one point. Which is part of why her behavior in seasonSeason 6 was so shocking.

* [[Retroactive Wish]]: Almost a [[Running Gag]] with her ("Dead Man's Party", "Beer Bad", and "Triangle").

{{quote| '''Vamp Willow (looking Willow over)''': Well, look at me. I'm all fuzzy.}}

** "Beer Bad": ''Men haven't changed since the beginning of time.''. (cavemen burst in)

** "Two to Go": ''There's no one on this earth who has the power to stop me now.''. (Giles blasts her with a fireball)

* [[Tragic Bromance|Tragic Womance]]: Her refusal to lose Buffy pushes her to take more risks with magic than ever before. The resurrection leaves her so high off success that she responds to Giles's concern with threats, setting most of her season six arc into motion.

* [[Unlucky Childhood Friend]]:

=== Alexander LaVelle "Xander" Harris (Nicholas Brendon) ===

{{quote| ''"I don't like vampires. I'm gonna take a stand and say they're not good."''}}

* [[Author Avatar]]: According to Nicholas Brendan, his character is based on Joss Whedon in high school, which is why Xander "gets all the good lines.". They also dress alike.

* [[Class Clown]]: His personality in the early seasons. In "The Prom,", he complains about not winning the [[Class Clown]] award.

** In Season 2, he inadvertently reveals he was lying.

* [[The Face]]: He lacks the supernatural powers of his teammates, but is best friends with Buffy and Willow to the end. His storylines tends to revolve around interpersonal relationships, and, as the most consistent of the Scooby Gang, he interacts with everyone.

** [[The Heart]]: It's made clear more than once that Xander's strength doesn't lie in battle or conjuring spells, but in his interpersonal skills which hold the group together and keep them sane despite all the insanity swirling around them. {{spoiler|He brought Willow back from the brink by telling her he loved her.}}.

** In the last Seasonseason, it is revealed that he and Willow devised a secret phone code for "My date's a demon who's trying to kill me."

{{quote| '''Cordelia''': Does looking at guns make ''you'' wanna have sex?<br />

'''Xander:''' I'm 17. Looking at linoleum makes me wanna have sex. }}

{{quote| "What am I going to do? I think about sex all the time. Sex. Help. Four times five is thirty. Five times six is thirty-two... Naked girls. Naked women. Naked Buffy. Oh, stop me."}}

* [[The Load]]: What most new characters think he is. [[Hidden Depths|They're wrong]]...

* [[Making Use of the Twin]]: Nicholas Brendon's twin brother, Kelly Donovan, appears as a clone Xander in "The Replacement.".

** Another showed him losing it, and it was the least of what happened that night. See "The Zeppo.".

* [[Mission Control]]: Often served in this capacity for the Slayer Organization.

=== Rupert Giles ([[Anthony Stewart Head]]) ===

{{quote| ''"You're not, by any chance, betraying your secret identity just to impress, um, cute boys, are you?"''}}

** At least to others. Early in Season 3, Joyce acquires an artifact that summons zombies. When he finds out, Giles is pissing and moaning in his car:

{{quote| "'[[Sarcasm Mode|Do you like my mask? Isn't it pretty? It raises the dead.']] ''Americans!''"}}

* [[Good Is Not Soft]]: Most extreme example? Smothering a wounded {{spoiler|Ben}} to death rather than risk {{spoiler|Glory}} coming back. Before doing the deed, Giles cryptically remarks, "[Buffy's] a hero, you see. She's not like us." -- He—He wanted to spare Buffy from doing it.

* [[Hard Head]] / [[Tap on the Head]]: Giles tends to get knocked out, but never suffers any brain damage (well, not counting some WMG's about S7Season 7).

{{quote| ""I know I'm back in America now; I've been knocked unconscious."}}

{{quote| '''Jenny''': Do you own anything else?<br />

'''Giles:''' Uh well, not as such, no. }}

* [[Mentor Occupational Hazard]] : In the comics, at least.

* [[The Mind Is a Plaything of the Body]]: When transformed into a Fyarl demon in "A New Man,", Giles experiences the demon's natural violent urges.

* [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast]]: "Ripper.".

{{quote| ''"Because I've sworn to protect this sorry world, and sometimes that means doing what other people can't. What they shouldn't have to."''}}

{{quote| '''Giles:''' But that's the thrill of living on the Hellmouth! There's a veritable cornucopia of fiends and devils and ghouls to engage! ''([[Beat]])'' ...Well, excuse me for finding the glass half-full.}}

* [[TheSmart Obi-WanPeople Wear Glasses]]

* [[Xanatos Gambit]]: Season 6. {{spoiler|The magic Willow stole from him tapped into what humanity was left in her.}}.

** {{spoiler|As a result Willow senses the pain of all human beings. And her reaction is to try to wipe out all life on earth.}}.

=== Angel, né Liam (David Boreanaz) ===

{{quote| ''"For a hundred years, I offered an ugly death to everyone I met, and I did it with a song in my heart."''}}

* [[And Your Little Dog, Too]]: He meant ''actual'' dogs.

* [[Big Fancy House]]: A creepy, art deco mansion on the edge of town. Angelus moves into the abandoned residence along with Drusilla and Spike.

* {{spoiler|[[Dying as Yourself]]}}: Reversed when he came back.

* [[Enemy Within]]: Angelus.

* [[Evil Is Stylish]]: Not only his clothes, but also wants his kills to be "poetic.".

* [[Hell-Bent for Leather]]: Angelus' leather pants.

* [[Kick the Dog]]: As Angelus, oh so much. Giles was going to read something about an incident with a puppy:

{{quote| '''Buffy:''' Skip it. [[Squick|I don't have a puppy, I don't want to know]]. [["No. Just... No" Reaction|Skip it]].}}

* [[Loophole Abuse]]: He gets into the high school to kill {{spoiler|Jenny Calendar}} using this: Vampires can only enter buildings by the personal invitation of the owner or the owner's family, but apparently the sign above the school, which reads "Enter, all ye who seek knowledge" in Latin, qualifies as an invitation.

** And he's still up it on the fifth season of ''Angel'', despite being burdened with a desk job! (Hehe has "a source" keeping tabs on her in Italy.)!

{{quote| '''Xander:''' Okay, that's ''it''. I'm putting a collar with a little bell around that guy.}}

* [[Terms of Endangerment]]: You can always tell when he's crazy because he refers to Buffy as "Buff.".

* [[Warrior Poet]]: More like a warrior man of letters -- wellletters—well-read, multilingual and a talented artist.

* [[What the Hell, Hero?]]: {{spoiler|After he gets exposed as Twilight, everybody has this reaction to him, especially after it is revealed he was an [[Unwitting Pawn]] to a evil dimension trying to end the world. After he gets possessed by the real Twilight and kills Giles and Buffy is forced to destroy the Seed of Wonder is destroyed to stop the destruction of the world, the only ones willing to associate with Angel and not try to kill him are Buffy and Faith, and Buffy doesn't even ''want'' to be around him anymore.}}.

=== Cordelia Chase ([[Charisma Carpenter]]) ===

{{quote| ''"Tact is just not saying true stuff. I'll pass."''}}

* [[Alpha Bitch]]: Was definitely this while at Sunnydale during the first season. She eventually became the [[Lovable Alpha Bitch]].

* [[Backhanded Compliment]]: Any time Cordy tries to be relatively nice, this is the result.

* [[The Brainless Beauty]]: Was originally led to be this, but then subverted all to hell when she showed [[Hidden Depths]].

{{quote| "Actually, I'm looking forward to it. I do well on standardized tests." ([[Beat]]) "What? I can't have layers?"}}

{{quote| '''Xander:''' You're talking about messing with powerful magic, and you're weak.<br />

'''Willow:''' I'm okay.<br />

'''Xander:''' You don't ''look'' okay. ''(to Cordelia)'' Does she?<br />

'''Cordelia:''' You should listen to him. The hair, it's so flat, and the lips... }}

* [[Romantic False Lead]]: Angel immediately ends up in her crosshairscross-hairs. Luckily, Angel later confesses that he always found the noblewomen of his era (for whom Cordelia is the modern avatar) to be a horrific bore.

* [[Took a Level In Kindness]]: Zig Zagged in Season Three, when Xander cheats on her, effectively ousting her from the Gang. Cordelia attempts to return to her old ways, but Harmony has usurped her position and shut the door. Cordelia returns to aid the Scoobies in the Season Three Finale. Her move to ''Angel'' cements her growth as a caring person.

=== Anya, née Aud (Emma Caulfield) ===

{{quote| ''" I was feared and worshipped across the mortal globe and now I'm stuck at Sunnydale High. A mortal! A child! And [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking|I'm flunking math.]]"''}}

* [[Ascended Extra]]: Originally intended as a one-shot character for "The Wish.".

{{quote| '''Anya:''' OK. A man walks in to the office of a doctor. He's wearing on his head-- um, oh wait, there's a duck. Is that right?<br />

'''Heckler:''' YOU SUCK!<br />

'''Anya:''' Quiet! You'll miss the humorous conclusion. }}

* [[Humans Are Bastardsthe Real Monsters]]: Why it was easy for her to be a vengeance demon. Three years of fighting alongside the Scoobies allowed her to see the goodness in people and made it hard to go back to vengeance.

** Especially funny as she's technically speaking from ScandanaviaScandinavia.

* [[Punny Name]]: Aud. (Yesyes, she is).)

* [[Revenge Against Men]]: Describes herself as a righteous sword for all [[Woman Scorned]] (her actual behaviourbehavior as a demon belies this -- Anya essentially tricks women into inflicting [[Disproportionate Retribution]] on former loved ones, and took [[For the Evulz|open pleasure]] in the [[Crapsack World]] she accidentally created in "The Wish").

* [[Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?|Why Did It Have To Be Bunnies]]: Though she was shown to be fine with them while alive, suggesting something (possibly a wish gone horribly awry) occuredoccurred while she was demon.

=== Daniel "Oz" Osbourne ([[Seth Green]]) ===

{{quote| ''"Huh. A werewolf in love."''}}

* [[Fake Band]]: Oz is in a band called Dingoes Ate My Baby, after the famous case where Azaria Chamberlain was reportedly taken by a wild dog.

** [[Fridge Brilliance]]: Dingoes are from [[Everything Trying to Kill You|Australia]], or 'Oz.'.

* [[Real Men Wear Pink]]: Literally in the seasonSeason 2 finale. He also occasionally wears a t-shirt over his monk's robes, which makes it seem he's wearing a skirt.

=== Spike, né William Pratt ([[James Marsters]]) ===

{{quote| ''"I may be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it."''}}

* [[Author Appeal]]: [[Show Runner]] Marti Noxon is often accused of having an affinity for Naked!Spike.

* [[Bad Boss]]: In Season 2, Spike sacrifices a vampire mook on two separate occasions ("School Hard" and "Halloween") just to get an idea of how the Slayer fights.

* [[Blood Knight]] Light: Fighting isn't all he lives for, but it's a good portion of it. He especially likes it when he really can't tell who's going to win, which Angelus found unsophisticated.

* [[Bond Breaker]]: In the seasonSeason fourFour finale. He didn't create the problems they were facing, but made them likelier to anger and alienate each other. He calls it the [[Yoko Oh No|Yoko Factor]].

{{quote| "I know it looks like a closet but [[Implausible Deniability|it's a room now.]]"}}

{{quote| '''Joyce:''' Honey, did you somehow, unintentionally, lead him on in any way? Send him signals?<br />

'''Buffy:''' Well, I do beat him up a lot. For Spike, that's like third base. }}

* [[Drop in-In Character]]: In Season 4 and 5, after he's chipped.

* [[Living Lie Detector]]: Combined with [[Brutal Honesty]]. Mocks Buffy and Angel's attempts at being "just friends", points out that Willow is "hanging on by a thread" after breaking up with Oz, and accuses Buffy (and, by extension, all Slayers) of having a secret death wish in seasonSeason fiveFive.

{{quote| '''Spike''': I may be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it.}}

* [[Musical Trigger]]: The First takes control of Spike with the folk song "Early One Morning.".

* [[Open Mouth, Insert Foot]]: Does this often when he's trying to court Buffy.

* [[Poisonous Captive]]: In seasonSeason fourFour, Spike was often this to the Scoobies.

* [[Retcon]]: Angel being his sire and that he respected him. Flashbacks show Drusilla sired him and that he and Angel were always at each otherothers's throats.

* [[Stalker with a Crush]]: How he acts initially after falling in love with Buffy.

{{quote| "''Effulgent''"?}}

* [[Suspiciously Similar Substitute]]: Spike was initially demoted to comic relief as a way of filling the gap left by Cordelia. Joss felt the absence of both Cordy ''and'' Oz left the heroes without a dissenting voice.

* [[There Is Another]]: Spike gradually takes on 'Angel' mantle in Seasons 5-7, whereupon he get treated to guilt, hallucinations, [[Reduced to Ratburgers|eating rats]] -- the—the works.

{{quote| '''Robin Wood:''' Because [[Entertainingly Wrong|the military gave him a soul]]?}}

* [[Trademark Favorite Food]]: Aside from blood obviously, he fancies those onion blossoms and buffalo wings served at The Bronze, even though he can't digest them. He also likes to sprinkle Wheatabix into his blood bags for "texture.".

{{quote| Spike to {{spoiler|Buffy}}, after he's caught [[Stalker with a Crush|lurking outside her house]]: "And I never really liked you anyway, and [[Lame Comeback|and you have stupid hair]] (''[[Beat]]'') [''Leaves'']."}}

* [[Warrior Poet]]: Literally, although the latter isn't really showcased until ''Angel''.

{{quote| '''Spike:''' "So you'll give me what I want. Make me what I was. So Buffy can get what she deserves."<br />

'''Demon:''' "Very well. We will return...{{spoiler|your soul}}." }}

{{quote| '''Glory''' ''(about Spike)'': What the hell is that, and ''why'' is its hair that color? }}

=== Riley Finn (Marc Blucas) ===

{{quote|''"So, what have you got going on tonight?"'' <br />

''"Patrolling."''<br />

''"Patrolling?."''<br />

* [[Battle Couple]]: Riley is eager to form one with Buffy, but she finds his lack of superpowers cramps her style and his inability to measure up makes Riley feel inadequate even as a [[Love Interest]]. When Riley returns for one episode ("[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Recap/S6 /E15 As You Were|As You Were]]") in Season 6, he's married a [[Badass Normal]] [[Action Girl]], forming a new Battle Couple.

* [[Dogged Nice Guy]]: In Season 6, when he returns to find Buffy working in a dead-end job and sleeping with Spike, Riley refuses to condemn her for it, instead giving Buffy the encouragement to start pulling her life back together.

* [[Good -Looking Privates]]

** {{spoiler|[[Reverse Mole]], actually.}}.

=== Dawn Summers (Michelle Trachtenberg) ===

{{quote| "''We destroyed [[The Mall]]? ...I fought on the wrong side.''"}}

Buffy's younger sister who was [[Cosmic Retcon|Cosmic Retconned]]ned into existence in Season 5. Was actually a [[MacGuffin|Key]] that could open dimensional barriers. Spent two seasons as [[The Chick]] before becoming [[The Smart Guy]].

* [[Cursed with Awesome]]: While being a giant and centaurette were annoying to her, she at acknowledged they had some good points. Being turingturning into a doll though... not so much.

* [[Has Two Mommies]]: As part of the [[Cosmic Retcon]], it's stated that she spends the night at Willow and Tara's place whenever she gets upset. Later they semi-adopt her {{spoiler|when Buffy dies}} and move into her mom's old bedroom. Even when Willow and Tara separate early Season 6, Tara goes out of her way to assure Dawn, "This has nothing to do with you. You know we both still love you." Also, in Season 8, she directly says that Willow is like her mother.

* [[Incest Subtext]]: With her adopted mother, she shows signs of this. She wants Willow and Tara to teach her the stuff they do together, [[Les Yay|and is promptly told to go to her room]]. In another episode, Willow is pervingperverting on a girl dancing, to discover it was Dawn.

{{quote| "Dawn's in trouble. Must be Tuesday."}}

* [[Took a Level In Badass]]: In Season 7 (technically starting in the seasonSeason 6 finale).

{{quote| "Everyday was like the end of the world. She doesn't get worked up like that over you." }}

{{quote| "Buffy, Spike's completely in love with you."}}

=== Tara Maclay ([[Amber Benson]]) ===

{{quote| ''"I want my room to be Willow-friendly."''}}

Willow's love interest in Seasons 4-6. Also a capable witch, and a lot wiser about her powers than Willow. {{spoiler|Killed off in Season 6}}. She and Willow arewere the longest-lasting lesbian couple in network television history as of the end of the series, and one of the best known.

* [[Cure Your Gays]]: Parodied in "Once More, With Feeling.".

{{quote| "Oh my God, I'm cured! I want the boys!" (pretends to run off, only to collapse giggling into Willow's arms)}}

{{quote| Joss: Yeah... this is porn.}}

* [[Mind Rape]]: What Glory did in "Tough Love,", and what Willow did in "All The Way.".

{{quote| "Sweetie, I'm a fag. I've been there."}}

* {{spoiler|[[Stuffed Into the Fridge]]: ''Twice''.}}.

* [[Team Mom]]: Evolves into this during Seasons 5 and 6, thanks to her maturity {{spoiler|and needed after Joyce's death.}}.

{{quote| '''Tara''': I am, you know.<br />

'''Willow''': What?<br />

'''Tara''': Yours. }}