Anya's humanity

[Chosen Enemy]

Do you feel that Anya's humanity was enough... human-y by the end of the series?
Since season 3, she has worked so hard to become a better person... a person. Even when humans and humanity grossed her out at times. I believe it was mostly for Xander, and thanks to Xander. And from time to time she went back to her demon self. But if you look at her in the ending of the series, before she died, did she do a good job turning into human? Or was she bound to have a demon side? Could she have been more human-y in your opinion?

 

[Steven123]

I think any demon who ended up more human would obviously always have a demon side to them, in respect to that it's part of what made them who they were as "people" i mean if you look at Spike & Angel, both Vampires, but having a soul brought them closer to being human again,and made them more human since they had to think about their actions and past actions etc.

But as for Anya, yes i think she had a firm grasp on humanity and she was more "eccentric" (lol) than demon by the end.

 

[Ripper666]

Well my question is: If there wouldn't be a Xander, what would have happened with Anya? I think she would have got lost in the crowd. She really tried to become a human, in a confusing world with strange rules and strange new feelings for her! I think she did a good job. The demon in her was confused in several times a day and she tried to learn. And a big tribute to Xander. Because of Anja he was often in embarassing situations. He handled them(mostly) with a imposing way of humor and seriously. I think it was often very hard for him too, with Anja(nka)! Even if they loved each other. Or no just because they loved each other so much they go through some hard times!

 

[Gum Gnome33]

I don't think Anya made true progress toward becoming human, (or more accurately, becoming less of a demon), until "Selfless." Sure, she adapted in superficial ways to human life; she conformed to the same code of behavior that most other mortals in society do. But it's very telling that as soon as she had lost the prospect of being with Xander, she was ready to become a demon again. And to start killing again.

Until season 7, she is merely living in a human's world, relentlessly referring to the good ol' times when she had power and a mission, and not seeming too guilty about what it was that she actually did. "Selfless" is the fist time she actually decides that what she has done is wrong instead of trying to justify it "in the name of vengeance." From that point on she finally begins to understand humanity, (I think it's in "End of Days" that she gives that great monologue in the hospital to Andrew about humans and why she respects them so much), and that's when she's well on her way toward truly becoming one herself. "Human" Anya in earlier seasons is just window dressing.

 

[WileyDairyGnome]

I don't know about you, but I don't know any humans who are afraid of bunnies. 😛

 

[BuffyElevated]

I think Anya was definitely more in touch with her humanity by the end of the show. I don't want to say it was all because of Xander, but he brought it out of her, for sure.

 

[FlowerPower]

Word to Gum Gnome. It's actually pretty chilling because the audience connects with cute, funny, pretty Anya in S3 through Hell's Bells. And I do think she made something of progress towards being human. Her care for Brain Sucked Tara is real and her Doppelgangland-Hell's Bells arc makes her a less effective vengeance demon in the second go-round. However, she remained the kind of person who would sell her morality for power, try to get Xander's friends to kill him and murder a houseful of frat guys.

Frankly, Anya's remorse seems inadequate post-Selfless. She swings back into snarking on everyone and calling Buffy's slayerness just luck real fast. However to quote Buffy in Intervention, sacrificing her life for Andrew was real.

 

[OhWow]

Anya's final battle and death in Chosen showed me how much she had changed.

Many people see her death as quick and brutal. I won't argue that, she didn't get a beautiful, magical, self-sacrificing death like Buffy did in The Gift. It wasn't "epic" by any means and the quickness shows that it certainly wasn't the focal point of the episode.

All that doesn't matter though. The point is she protected a human. She sacrificed her life for a human. She fought side by side with a human. It doesn't matter what human (Andrew, obviously not that significant). She died in a battle for the human race and that is what matters. It doesn't have to be fancy or in slow-motion or have pretty music in the background because the point was clear; she gave her life for a human (Would she ever do that in S3,S4,S5? NO. Except for Xander, but for someone like Andrew? Hell Nah.)