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Who Is the Most Powerful Slayer (next to Buffy)?

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david milligan

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Dec 20, 2021, 12:41:23 PM12/20/21
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https://screenrant.com/buffy-vampire-slayer-most-powerful-faith-reason/

Buffy: Who The Most Powerful Vampire Slayer Is (Besides Buffy)

Numerous Slayers appear across Buffy the Vampire Slayer's seven seasons, but there's only one who can rival Buffy's physical and emotional strength.

BY MURRAY FERGUSON


Several Slayers were introduced throughout Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but there’s one in particular who rivals the central hero, Buffy, as the most powerful. Airing from 1997-2003, the supernatural drama was a vast improvement over the original 1992 film, reinvigorating the intended feminist approach and allegorical storytelling. Buffy the Vampire Slayer boasts numerous compelling female characters who are powerful enough to regularly take on vampires and demons.

Sarah Michelle Gellar stars as Buffy Summers, who struggles to preserve a normal life while battling hordes of the undead. First navigating high school before being thrown into the adult world with a wealth of new responsibilities, Buffy’s friends keep her from feeling isolated. However, she isn’t the only Slayer called to duty over Buffy the Vampire Slayer's seven seasons. Kendra Young makes a brief appearance in season 2, and the show's finale sees Buffy lead a small army of Potential Slayers into the vampire-infested Hellmouth.

The Slayers varied in strength and conviction, with many receiving grisly ends. However, Faith Lehane eventually proves herself as the second most powerful Slayer after Buffy. Introduced in Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 3, Faith immediately displays considerable strength and agility, even if her impulsive nature leads her down a dark path. Faith was filled with resentment, but what makes her one of the most powerful Slayers is her ability to overcome her sins and undergo a compelling redemption arc.

Buffy was strongly affected by her parents' divorce and subsequently raised by her loving mother, Joyce. However, Faith had a worse upbringing, with an alcoholic mother and absentee father. This helps explain her reckless behavior and habit of keeping everyone emotionally distant. It also prevents Faith from being as powerful as Buffy, whose love for her family and friends gives her the strength to survive and become the greatest Slayer. Yet, Faith is undeniably a close match for Buffy when it comes to physical combat. She becomes a powerful enemy when she defects to Mayor Richard Wilkins. Even after Buffy puts her in a coma in "Graduation Day," she returns in season 4 and immediately reminds the Scooby Gang of her deadliness. Faith's villainous turn in Buffy the Vampire Slayer demonstrates her dangerous capabilities, but her anger is also a significant weakness. This leads to a powerful redemption narrative that, ultimately, makes Eliza Dushku's Faith the most powerful Slayer besides Buffy.

Faith is responsible for numerous crimes but gradually atones for her sins. There is strength in allowing oneself to be vulnerable, something that Faith initially struggles with. However, her appearance on the spinoff show Angel illustrates her capacity for change. Consumed by self-loathing, she has a death wish before finally accepting Angel's help. Faith willingly goes to prison, despite possessing the ability to escape at any time, but only does so when she is needed to save Angel from his evil counterpart, Angelus. Much like Angel and Spike, Faith is originally passive in her redemption before fully committing to helping the heroes on both shows. Faith's emotional connection to Angel proves more powerful than her physical strength, and it inspires her to trust others. In Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 7, Faith makes amends with Buffy and helps her lead the Potentials in their fight against the First Evil. This demonstrates her true power, continually evolving into a more mature warrior.

Faith survives because of her newfound belief in others, preventing a lonely death that befell previous Slayers. Implementing horror as coming-of-age metaphors is one of the reasons why Buffy the Vampire Slayer resonates so strongly. Faith struggled through trauma even before she was a Slayer. Her personal growth from an angry, jealous outsider into someone who faces their sins and strives to help others is why she is the most powerful Slayer, besides Buffy.

[ I did NOT know Kendra's last name was Young. I would have thought it would be something a bit more exotic.]
[The best fights on Buffy were the ones between Buffy and Faith, IMO. I would have liked to have seen an extended fight between Kendra and Faith, when she was bad.]

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