BSV Forum - General - The Bloodshedpub

Characters in Three Words

Feb 25 2009 01:24 pm   #1sosa lola
I saw this in another forum and thought it's interesting and fun, write three words you think fit this character:

Buffy – strength, endurance, forgiveness,
Xander - loyalty, courage, protectiveness
Willow - change, power, sensitivity
Giles – father-figure, guidance, tradition
Angel – redemption, persistence, leading
Cordelia – honesty, growth, independence
Oz - tranquility, intelligence, laid back
Riley - dependability, sweetness, solidity
Anya - frankness, innocence, depending
Tara - nature, kindness, caring
Spike - growth, love, determination
Dawn - innocence, youth, cleverness
Feb 26 2009 12:30 am   #2EMM

Buffy – strength, guarded, an anomaly (as a Slayer)
Xander - loyal, goofball, dependable (well, for Buffy…not always for poor Anya)
Willow – trusting, independent, susceptible
Giles – redemption, intelligence, blind
Angel – redemption, sure, haunted
Cordelia – chic, go-getter, faithful
Oz – placid, dry (sense of humor wise), loyal 
Riley - reliable, dorky, regulation
Anya - blunt, capitalist, regressive (goes back to being a demon, seems stuck in the past to an extent)
Tara - nurturing, timid, calm
Spike - true, impulsive, honest
Dawn – rebellious, inexperienced, sheltered

I had to repeat a few, because I don't think Buffy could be separated from strength, nor Xander from loyal, nor Angel from redemption. Some of them I was thinking of particular episodes...but anyways, not exact...but I tried. Summing up all the characters that grow so much throughout the series is really more difficult than I thought it would be.


Feb 26 2009 03:06 am   #3Spikez_tart
Sosa/EMM - I was playing around with a similar the idea the other day.  I made a list of three things that made me like/love each character and came out with loyalty for everyone except Giles.  Not sure if that says more about the characters or about me.

The thing missing in Sosa's list are character flaws.  Most of the traits listed are pretty positive.  So here's the dark side:

Buffy - selfish, stubborn, lazy
Xander - jealous, judgmental, cowardly (about personal things)
Willow - controlling, arrogant, calculating
Giles - untrustworthy, believes ends justifies the means, murderer, heartless?
Angel - cruel, secretive, brooding
Cordelia - snobbish, vain, demands attention
Oz - detached, loner, slacker
Riley - naive, rigid, envious, jealous
Anya - weak, greedy, materialistic, vindictive
Tara - poor self image, too self deprecating, fearful
Spike - violent, immature, dependent, plays tricks, lies (when he isn't being brutally honest)
Dawn - bratty, self-centered, thoughtless


If we want her to be exactly she'll never be exactly I know the only really real Buffy is really Buffy and she's gone' who?
Feb 26 2009 03:45 am   #4Scarlet Ibis
First Spikez_tart?  Your list totally cracked me up :P

Buffy - hard headed, fearful, selfish
Xander - brave, clueless, average Joe
Willow - mastermind, worker bee, pushover and leader (depends on the situation)
Giles - smart, decisive, father figure
Angel - helper, champion, clever, loner (at heart)
Cordelia - strong, (but a bit) obtuse, nurturer, survivor 
Oz - monosyllabic, quiet, smart
Riley - beige, envious, insecure
Anya - sheep, materialistic, forthright
Tara - earth mother, low self esteem, giving
Spike - brutal, romantic, vulnerable, champion
Dawn - friendless, immature, annoying

"Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly."
https://www.facebook.com/FangirlNovel
Feb 26 2009 07:47 pm   #5sosa lola
The thing missing in Sosa's list are character flaws. Most of the traits listed are pretty positive. So here's the dark side:

LOL. I like to think the best of our characters :D But, hmmm, a flaws list? *interested*

Buffy – self-absorbance, stubbornness, self-pity
Xander – insecurity, jealousy, hot-temper  
Willow – insecurity, control, arrogance
Giles – stuffiness, know-it-all, deceptive
Angel – broodiness, self-loathing, pettiness
Cordelia – tactless, snobbish, shallow
Oz - lazy, expressionless, slacker
Riley – insecurity, blandness, stickler to policy
Anya – insensitivity, greediness, bitterness
Tara - timidity, pushover, anxiousness
Spike – manipulation, rudeness, drama-queen  
Dawn – naivety, selfishness, whininess


I like to see your good list now, spikez_tart ;)
Feb 27 2009 03:32 am   #6Spikez_tart
Riley - beige - like that one.

Okay - I have a theory, any characteristic you have can be for good or bad, depending on the situation, so here goes - The Good, the Bad and the Wicked ....

Buffy - brave=foolhardy, stubborn=strong willed, lazy = relaxed

Xander - jealous=devoted, judgmental=righteous, cowardly=cautious

Willow - controlling=good manager, arrogant=confident, calculating=sharp

Giles - untrustworthy=(okay this one stumped me), believes ends justifies the means=practical or not a foolish dreamer, murderer=hero, heartless=unswayed by subjective feelings

Angel - cruel=uninhibited, secretive=private , brooding=thoughtful

Cordelia - snobbish=superior, vain=self appreciative, demands attention=performer

Oz - detached=steady or calm, loner=self sufficient, slacker=laid back

Riley - naive=unsullied, rigid=strong willed, envious=admiring

Anya - weak=not aggressive, greedy/materialistic=appreciative of life's bounty, vindictive=won't be trampled or self-assertive

Tara - poor self image=modest, too self deprecating=shy, fearful=realistic

Spike - violent=brave, immature=child like, dependent=lets others lead, plays tricks=sense of humor, lies=clever

Dawn - bratty=needy, self-centered=not needy, thoughtless=carefree


If we want her to be exactly she'll never be exactly I know the only really real Buffy is really Buffy and she's gone' who?
Feb 27 2009 07:03 am   #7EMM
The characters are a bundle of contradictions, which make them real and way more interesting.

I think Buffy is insensitive and compassionate

I always felt this was the case. I think she is really insensitive to Giles when she keeps bringing Angel around in S3 after he tortured the poor man and killed his girlfriend. I think she is really insensitive to Dawn in situations that are too numerous to mention. And honestly, I think she was a bit insensitve to Willow during Something Blue (I mean come on! Willow helped her through all her Angel/Parker crap...you think she could be nice to Wills for more than one freaking episode). But, she's also amazingly compassionate at times.

Feb 27 2009 02:47 pm   #8sosa lola

EMM, when you think about it, my list for Buffy can apply to other characters as well. I mean, Buffy is strong but so are the other characters. Xander is brave but so are the other characters. You can't really stick the characters with one description, but when I chose for my list, I chose what stands out for all characters. Sure, Buffy and the others are brave, but they got the superpower advantage, Xander doesn't have anything but his hands and medieval weapons, and he still fights, now that's really courageous.

Also, "love" for Spike. All characters fell in love, but I think Spike is the one that stands out among them. He's devoted to love the most.

Feb 27 2009 03:47 pm   #9EMM

Oh, I know. I made a list up earlier in the post (see the second post). I just didn't have time to make another list with all thier traits...using words not previously on the list. I just had to comment on the negative=positive aspect on Buffy.

Guess, I just should have edited my original post...to express that I found the character's nature contradictory. So I guess I should have cleared that up.  

So, here's my original list filled with what I think are the character contradictions throughout the seven seasons...

My original list with contradictions and edited a bit….
Buffy – strength=emotionally weak, insensitive=compassionate, an anomaly (as a Slayer)= strives for normalcy
Xander – loyal=selfish, goofball=grown up (in S7), dependable=fly-by-night
uoted]

Willow – trusting=gullible, independent=needy, susceptible = powerful
Giles – redemption=downfall, intelligence=rigidity, blind = watcher
Angel – redemption=demise, sure=arrogant, haunted= boring 

Cordelia – chic=not afraid to get her hands dirty, go-getter=spoiled, faithful=to Angel, not Wesley
Oz – placid=werewolf, dry=funny, loyal=logical
Riley – reliable=needy, dorky=regulation
Anya – blunt=honest, capitalist=consumer 
Spike – true=obsessed, impulsive=planner (well…he makes them), honest=lies if it serves him
Dawn – rebellious=she was there for Buffy, sheltered=multiple kidnap victim

 

For some reason the font size hates me.


Feb 27 2009 10:39 pm   #10Spikez_tart
I think Buffy is insensitive and compassionate - EMM, she is not only insensitive, but downright cruel sometimes, which IMHO is not a thing that a hero ought to be and is partly the reason a lot of people don't like the Buffy character.  She is also compassionate, but usually when someone asks for her help (and appears to be completely pitiful) like Spike in S7 when he takes her to the dirt basement where he's buried a roomful of victims, or Willow when she bottoms out on magic and gets Dawn hurt.  They both cry for help and Buffy's hard little heart melts. 
If we want her to be exactly she'll never be exactly I know the only really real Buffy is really Buffy and she's gone' who?