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Watcher (Buffyverse)
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Buffyverse
The Buffyverse, also known as the Whedonverse or Slayerverse , is the shared fictional universe in which the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel are set. This term, originally coined by fans of the TV series, has since been used in the titles of published works, and adopted by Joss...
established by the television series Buffy and Angel
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
, a Watcher is a member of a secret organization, the Watchers' Council, which seeks to prepare the Slayer
Slayer (Buffyverse)
A Slayer, in the fictional Buffyverse established by Buffy and Angel, is a young female bestowed with mystical powers that originate from the essence of a pure-demon, which gives her superhuman senses, strength, agility, resilience and speed in the fight against forces of darkness...
to fight demonic forces.
Description
Watchers are devoted to tracking and combating malevolent supernatural entities (particularly vampiresVampire (Buffyverse)
Vampire, in the fictional world of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, is a species of demon which inhabits and animates a human corpse...
), primarily by locating individuals with the talents required to fight such beings and win. More specifically, Watchers are assigned to Slayers, girls that are part of a succession of mystically powered individuals who are destined to face said foes. Upon a Slayer's demise, the next Slayer is called into duty and is assigned a Watcher.
The Watchers' Council trains new Watchers in a private school of some kind. In "Never Kill a Boy on a First Date
Never Kill a Boy on the First Date
"Never Kill a Boy on the First Date" is the fifth episode of season 1 of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode was written by story editors Rob Des Hotel and Dean Batali, and directed by David Semel...
", Giles implies that Watchers are, to a certain extent, "called" or assigned to become Watchers before going to university. This idea is supported by Watcher families such as the Giles and Wyndam-Pryces.
Notable Watchers include Rupert Giles
Rupert Giles
Rupert Giles is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The character is portrayed by Anthony Stewart Head. He serves as Buffy Summers' mentor and surrogate father figure...
and Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel...
. Giles was Buffy's official Watcher in the beginning of the series. After being fired by the Council for having "a father's love" for the Slayer, he remained her unofficial Watcher for most of the story's remainder. After being fired, Giles was replaced by Wesley Wyndam-Pryce who became Buffy and Faith's Watcher for a short period of time; Wyndam-Pryce was eventually fired by the Council after Faith turned rogue and Buffy "quit". Rupert Giles was reinstated as Buffy's official Watcher in the season 5 episode Checkpoint, and he remains so until the events at the end of Season 5.
Powers and abilities
A standard Watcher has at least some proficiency in the use of magic with certain individuals being more powerful than others. One episode in Angel reveals that numerous members of the board of directors are alchemists. They are students of demonology and as such have a wide knowledge of various incarnations of evil, but their expertise is usually the vampireVampire (Buffyverse)
Vampire, in the fictional world of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, is a species of demon which inhabits and animates a human corpse...
. They are also highly educated and can speak a wide variety of languages, both human and demonic in nature.
Watchers are typically well versed in hand-to-hand combat techniques, though they generally confine themselves to training Slayers or supporting them in battle, as their relative strength limits their effectiveness in directly engaging vampires.
Shadow Men
In 2003, Slayer Buffy Anne Summers
Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name...
uses a strange mystical device to meet with the Shadow Men about the threat she faces from the First Evil
First Evil
The First Evil is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The First Evil first appeared in the third season episode "Amends", and became the main antagonist of the 7th and final season.A being manifested from all evil in existence, the First is an...
. She learns how the Slayers
Slayer (Buffyverse)
A Slayer, in the fictional Buffyverse established by Buffy and Angel, is a young female bestowed with mystical powers that originate from the essence of a pure-demon, which gives her superhuman senses, strength, agility, resilience and speed in the fight against forces of darkness...
were created and is shown a vision which reveals the First's massive army of Turok-Han
Turok-Han
The Turok-Han vampires are fictional characters from Joss Whedon's TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They appear in the 7th and final season of the series, making their first appearance in the episode "Never Leave Me", when the Seal of Danzalthar is opened under the basement of Sunnydale High,...
Vampires in the Hellmouth. They attempt to repeat history by infusing an unwilling Buffy with the same demonic essence that they used on the First Slayer to increase her power; however, Buffy refused, as she had come to seek only knowledge, not power, especially if that power meant that she would lose her humanity
Human nature
Human nature refers to the distinguishing characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting, that humans tend to have naturally....
.
The Shadow Men first appeared in Fray
Fray
Fray is an eight-issue comic book limited series, a futuristic spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Written by Buffy creator Joss Whedon, the series follows a Slayer named Melaka Fray, a chosen one in a time where vampires are returning to the slums of New York City, and the...
issue #3, and were later shown onscreen in the episode "Get It Done
Get It Done (Buffy episode)
"Get It Done" is the 15th episode of season 7 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.-Plot synopsis:The First Slayer tells Buffy in a dream that "It is not enough".Anya and Spike are walking when a demon appears, sent by D'Hoffryn to kill Anya....
".
Watchers' Council
The Watchers' Council of Britain is an organization dedicated to finding, training, and supervising SlayersSlayer (Buffyverse)
A Slayer, in the fictional Buffyverse established by Buffy and Angel, is a young female bestowed with mystical powers that originate from the essence of a pure-demon, which gives her superhuman senses, strength, agility, resilience and speed in the fight against forces of darkness...
. Over the years, however, the Council had become increasingly arrogant and egocentric, believing themselves to be the supreme authority while the Slayers were just their tools.
The Council eventually bases its headquarters in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It tries to locate potential Slayers and then send Watchers
Watcher (Buffyverse)
In the fictional Buffyverse established by the television series Buffy and Angel, a Watcher is a member of a secret organization, the Watchers' Council, which seeks to prepare the Slayer to fight demonic forces.-Description:...
to inform and train them. It is not always successful in doing so, and therefore some Slayers are fully trained when they are called, while others know nothing of the heritage or purpose of their power. Each potential Slayer is assigned her own Watcher – a Council employee who is responsible for training the Slayer in combat techniques as well as researching demons, vampires, and magic's. Watchers also maintain diaries chronicling the lives of the Slayers under their charge.
In late 2002, the Council learns that The First
First Evil
The First Evil is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The First Evil first appeared in the third season episode "Amends", and became the main antagonist of the 7th and final season.A being manifested from all evil in existence, the First is an...
is systematically eliminating potential Slayers around the world in an effort to end the Slayer line. Unfortunately, before this information can be acted on, the Council headquarters is destroyed by agents of The First, specifically Caleb
Caleb (Buffyverse)
Caleb, played by Nathan Fillion, is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer created by Joss Whedon.He was introduced, according to Joss Whedon, because the mutable, non-corporeal nature of the First Evil "meant that we didn't really have anything to push against. We...
– "At long last. All this time. All the work I've done for you... Blowing up the Council". The Council leadership is killed, and the Council is not able to offer assistance in the struggle against The First.
In the aftermath of the battle with the army of The First and the destruction of the Sunnydale Hellmouth, the Watchers' Council begins the process of rebuilding. The work to be done is considerable, especially in light of the creation of hundreds of active Slayers around the world. The structure of this new Council is unknown, but it appears that Rupert Giles is its new head and is training Andrew Wells
Andrew Wells
Andrew Wells is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, played by Tom Lenk. The character also appears in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, the canonical continuation of the series....
as a Watcher. Only three members of the Watchers' Council have been shown to have survived the First's attacks: Rupert Giles; an acquaintance to him named Robson who survived a Bringer attack; and Roger Wyndham-Pryce. His son, Wesley, and Rutherford Sirk were ex-members of the Council and thus not targeted by the First Evil.
In the canonical comic Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight is a comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics. The series serves as a canonical continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and follows the events of that show's final televised season. It is produced by Joss Whedon, who wrote the...
, Giles informs Faith that he is, for all intents and purposes, the Watcher's Council. Andrew, Xander Harris
Xander Harris
Alexander LaVelle "Xander" Harris is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as in numerous items in the series Expanded Universe, such as comic books, tie-in novels and video games...
, and Robin Wood are functioning as Watchers (though Xander dislikes that term and insists that others do not call him as such), assisting in the training and supervision of the new Slayers in separate squads around the world (Rome, Scotland, and Cleveland respectively). Their duties have expanded to monitoring Slayers as well; Giles offers Faith Lehane a new identity in exchange for her undertaking the mission to kill Genevieve Savidge, a sociopathic Slayer. Later, the two form a "Slayer social worker" program in order to try and prevent more Slayers from going rogue.
According to the comic Fray
Fray
Fray is an eight-issue comic book limited series, a futuristic spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Written by Buffy creator Joss Whedon, the series follows a Slayer named Melaka Fray, a chosen one in a time where vampires are returning to the slums of New York City, and the...
, a Slayer in the 21st century banishes all demons and magicks from the world. When evil returns, a new Slayer – Melaka Fray – is called. The Watchers' Council in this era apparently retains the resources to locate Slayers. Melaka Fray is approached by her assigned Watcher, but rather than assist or train her, he immolates himself in front of her. Melaka is instead trained by a demon who says that the remaining Council consists of fanatics and fools.
Methods
The Watchers' Council has been known to use ethically questionable methods to accomplish its goals. The Council employs a trio of operatives known as the Special Operations Team. This team is responsible for some of the more unsavory aspects of the Council's work, such as interrogations, smuggling, and, if necessary, assassinations. When Faith Lehane stakes and kills a human, the Special Ops Team was dispatched to retrieve the rogue Slayer, circumventing local and international authorities.The Council is also known for placing its principles and perceived goals ahead of the well-being of the Slayer. A test known as the Cruciamentum involves suppressing the Slayer's natural abilities with a drug and pitting her against a particularly dangerous vampire on the Slayer's eighteenth birthday in order to test the Slayer's intelligence and practical capabilities. When one particular Watcher, Rupert Giles
Rupert Giles
Rupert Giles is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The character is portrayed by Anthony Stewart Head. He serves as Buffy Summers' mentor and surrogate father figure...
, defies the rules of the test and interferes in the Cruciamentum of his Slayer – Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name...
– he is dismissed from his position immediately.
In 2001, representatives of the Council visit Sunnydale, California
Sunnydale
Sunnydale, California is the fictional setting for the U.S. television drama Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Series creator Joss Whedon conceived the town as a representation of a generic California city, as well as a narrative parody of the all-too-serene towns typical in traditional horror...
to deliver vital information on the seemingly unstoppable Glory
Glorificus
Glory is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Also known as "Glorificus," "That Which Cannot Be Named," "The Abomination," and "The Beast," she appeared during the fifth season of the program and was portrayed by Clare Kramer.-History:Glorificus is a god from a...
to the Slayer, Buffy Summers. However, the Council refuses to turn over the information until an extensive review of Buffy's abilities is completed. This assessment includes a review of Buffy's combat skills, as well as interviews with many of her closest friends. Eventually, the Slayer turns the tables on the Watchers, declaring that they need her to validate their existence more than she needs their help. She defends the frequent assistance of her friends (Slayers typically operate alone) and demands that Rupert Giles be reinstated as her Watcher, with retroactive pay to the time of his dismissal. The Council agrees to this, changing the nature of the Council/Slayer relationship until the Council's destruction two years later.
When the Scoobies rebuilt the Council proceeding the war with the First, they did so under better circumstances. Thus, the new Council is far more moral and ethical, in contrast to the moral ambiguity of the original.
Guardians
The Guardians are an organization of long-lived women who developed parallel to the Shadow Men and Watchers. They forge a weapon, the Scythe, for the Slayer to use. They are apparently mistrustful of the Shadow Men and Watchers who followed, as they keep this weapon, along with their very existence, a secret. They allow the Watchers to observe and manage the Slayer for centuries, but all the while the Guardians are watching the Watchers. They remain in hiding until Buffy Summers discovers the Scythe and tracks its origin to an Egyptian-style tomb, where the last Guardian waits. Immediately after explaining herself to Buffy, the Guardian is killed by CalebCaleb (Buffyverse)
Caleb, played by Nathan Fillion, is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer created by Joss Whedon.He was introduced, according to Joss Whedon, because the mutable, non-corporeal nature of the First Evil "meant that we didn't really have anything to push against. We...
, putting an end to the organization.
List of Watchers
Note: Some Slayers have had more than one Watcher in the course of their careers.| Watcher | Slayer(s) | First appearance (as a Watcher) |
|---|---|---|
| Merrick | Buffy Summers Buffy Summers Buffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name... |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film) Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a 1992 American action/comedy/horror film about a Valley girl cheerleader named Buffy who learns that it is her fate to hunt vampires. The original script for the film was written by Joss Whedon, who later created the darker and more acclaimed TV series of the same name... (non-canon), "Becoming, Part One" |
| Giles, Rupert Rupert Giles Rupert Giles is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The character is portrayed by Anthony Stewart Head. He serves as Buffy Summers' mentor and surrogate father figure... |
"Welcome to the Hellmouth Welcome to the Hellmouth "Welcome to the Hellmouth" is the series premiere of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This episode and "The Harvest" were originally aired as a two-part series premiere on The WB Television Network... " |
|
| Zabuto, Roger "Sam" | Kendra Young | Mentioned in "What's My Line, Part One" |
| Post, Gwendolyn* | Faith Lehane | "Revelations Revelations (Buffy episode) "Revelations" is the seventh episode of season 3 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.- Plot synopsis :Gwendolyn Post shows up as Faith's new Watcher. She is British, strict, arrogant, and looks down on all the Scoobies and especially Giles. Despite this, Faith starts to like and trust her... " |
| Travers, Quentin | none (chairman of the Council) | "Helpless" Helpless (Buffy episode) "Helpless" is the twelfth episode of season 3 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.-Plot synopsis:Buffy and Angel spar until Buffy pins him and holds a breadstick to his heart. They talk, and Buffy reveals her plans to go to an ice show with her father for her 18th birthday... |
| Crowley, Bernard | Nikki Wood Nikki Wood Nikki Wood is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon in the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, portrayed originally by April Weeden-Washington and later by K.D. Aubert.-Biography:... |
Mentioned in "First Date First Date (Buffy episode) "First Date" is the fourteenth episode of season 7 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer.-Plot synopsis:Buffy discusses the removal of Spike's chip with Giles; Giles doesn't believe that it was the right thing to do, while Buffy is convinced that it was.At work, Buffy tries to hunt for... " |
| Sirk, Rutherford | Unknown | "Home Home (Angel episode) "Home" is episode 22 of season 4 in the television show Angel. Written and directed by Tim Minear, it was originally broadcast on May 7, 2003 on the WB network... " |
| Wyndam-Pryce, Roger | Appears as a robot in "Lineage Lineage (Angel episode) -Plot synopsis:Wesley meets with a man named Emil in a warehouse and is displeased to be talking to a middleman when he had expected to meet with the distributor. Fred appears with a highly specialized rifle that has been custom-made by Wolfram & Hart and details the specs for Emil... " |
|
| Wells, Andrew Andrew Wells Andrew Wells is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, played by Tom Lenk. The character also appears in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, the canonical continuation of the series.... |
Many | "Damage Damage (Angel episode) "Damage" is episode 11 of season 5 in the television show Angel, originally broadcast on the WB network. In this episode, Angel calls on the Watchers' Council for help in tracking down a psychotic vampire slayer named Dana, who was tortured by a serial killer as a child.-Plot:At Wolfram & Hart,... " |
The following have featured with no significant details known about them. Not all of these are true Watchers, some of them are merely operatives on payroll.
- Blair
- Hobson
- Lydia—Wrote a Thesis on William the Bloody
- Nigel
- Phillip
- Robson
- Faith's first Watcher
- Giles' father
- Giles' paternal grandmother (named Edna in a Tales of the VampiresTales of the VampiresTales of the Vampires is a five issue American comic book limited series , published by Dark Horse Comics and set in the Buffyverse. It comprises an anthology of short stories written by Joss Whedon, Jane Espenson, Ben Edlund, and Drew Goddard...
comic by Joss Whedon) - Collins, Weatherby and Smith—The Council Special Ops Team
- Faith's nurse
- Wesley's thugs
The (non-canon
Buffyverse canon
The Buffyverse canon consists of materials that are thought to be genuine and those events, characters, settings, etc., that are considered to have inarguable existence within the fictional universe established by the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer...
) novels and comics, specially those focusing on previous Slayers, show or mention other Watchers including: Michaela Tomassi (The Gatekeeper trilogy
The Gatekeeper (Buffy novel)
The Gatekeeper is a trilogy of books written by Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder based on the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.-Plot summary:...
), Archibald Lassiter (Giles
Giles (Buffy comic)
Giles is a comic, a story based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series.-Story description:Giles has been Buffy's Watcher now for four years. He becomes involved in a solo adventure when the Watcher, Michaela Tomasi, notifies him of the death of his former mentor, Archie Lassiter. This...
), Harold and John Travers (Pretty Maids All in a Row
Spike and Dru: Pretty Maids All in a Row
Spike and Dru: Pretty Maids All in a Row is an original novel based on the U.S. television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Voodoo Lounge, found in Tales of the Slayer Volume III, is a companion to this story.-Plot summary:...
), Yanna Narvik (watched over the Slayer, Sophie Carstensen in Pretty Maids All in a Row), Marie-Christine Fontaine (watched Slayer, Eleanor Boudreau in Pretty Maids All in a Row), Diana Dormer (the name given to Faith's first Watcher in Go Ask Malice
Go Ask Malice
Go Ask Malice: A Slayer's Diary is an original novel based on the American television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The author, Robert Joseph Levy, also wrote the Buffyverse novel The Suicide King....
).
See also
- SlayerSlayer (Buffyverse)A Slayer, in the fictional Buffyverse established by Buffy and Angel, is a young female bestowed with mystical powers that originate from the essence of a pure-demon, which gives her superhuman senses, strength, agility, resilience and speed in the fight against forces of darkness...
- Rupert GilesRupert GilesRupert Giles is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The character is portrayed by Anthony Stewart Head. He serves as Buffy Summers' mentor and surrogate father figure...
- Wesley Wyndam-PryceWesley Wyndam-PryceWesley Wyndam-Pryce is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel...