Buffy Summers is a Hufflepuff

[sosa lola]

I have read about the possibility of Buffy being a Hufflepuff instead of a Gryffindor and it's really interesting and makes sense. You can find the original post here on Tumblr written by terapsina.

terapsina:

"I just started thinking about Buffy and Hogwarts houses and had a strange thought.

I… don’t think Buffy would be a Gryffindor.

I mean I know it’s like the widely held opinion and practically the accepted headcanon for… everyone. But…

…isn’t she actually the very definition of a scary Hufflepuff?

Stay with me for a minute here.

So yes, obviously she’s brave. She’s the Slayer, that’s a given, but… bravery actually ISN’T her defining characteristic. And she doesn’t jump into danger without thought, she jumps into danger with both eyes wide open and knowing EXACTLY what the stakes are.

The most important thing about her is that she’s the protector of the whole freaking WORLD. Her loyalty covers basically every human on the planet. And she saves the world… a lot. It was engraved on her gravestone. That’s dedication. That’s hard work.

And she’s loyal to her friends and family to degree’s that are actually terrifying and not always entirely healthy. Plus she’s actually never been all that brave where her heart is concerned.

She’s unstoppable. And she has the truest heart imaginable. And she inspires loyalty in kind too. I mean I will never forget her graduation when the whole school stood behind her to take on the Mayor. Her EVERY classmate with weapons under their graduation robes. Now that was a Hufflepuff moment if ever there was one.

I mean. I guess that she’d sit under the sorting hat for a WHILE and the choice would be between the lions and the badgers. After all she’s both the sword (or the stake, as the case may be) and the shield for humanity, but at the end of the day the weight of those scales will always ALWAYS lean towards the shield.

And how did that song go?

“You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,
And unafraid of toil”

Just and loyal and true and unafraid of toil. And doesn’t that sound exactly like Buffy Summers?"

 

[Guy]

Well, the entire idea of the Hogwarts houses doesn't really make sense, IMO. It's a pretty silly way of dividing people. The dumbest thing about it is the concept of Slytherin, which is just the house for all of the people that Rowling doesn't like.

That said - Buffy is the very definition of Gryffindor. Her most defining feature, IMO, is her obsessive desire to do what's right (even when she has no idea what the right thing is), and I think that that's because of her Gryffindoric chivalry.

As for the "unafraid of toil" part, I think that does NOT fit Buffy at all - she always hated doing the chore of homework, she hated waiting in ambush with Giles, she hated the fact that the job of slayer-ness kept her from the things she really wanted (which was to have fun with her friends). She just did these things because she had to, because it was the right thing to do. But she was NOT "unafraid of toil".

Also, even in relationships, Buffy's NATURAL instinct was always to dare and go for what she wants ("Seize the moment. ‘Cause tomorrow you might
be dead"). It's just that as the series progressed, Buffy's life experience changed her, and made her more wary and reluctant to commit (wouldn't you be afraid to commit, if you went through what Buffy went through in season 2?). But that's not her natural state, not her instinct. Buffy's natural instinct is to go for it.

Also - loyalty? Buffy constantly flip-flops on this. Remember when, on the very first episode, Buffy said that she's "retired" from slaying? Or that in 1x12 she turned her back on slaying because she didn't want to die? Or that she pushed everyone around her away in 2x01? Or that she constantly lied to Giles about stuff? Or that she LEFT HER HOME in 'Becoming'? Or that she immediately searched for new boyfriends after break-ups or kinda-break-ups (Owen in season 1 when Angel kept his distance, or the college boy in 'Reptile Boy' when Angel was reluctant again, or Scott Hope in season 3 when Angel was dead, or Parker in season 4, shortly after Angel left, or Ben shortly after Riley left)? I think Buffy's more consistent trait is a need to be loved, not loyalty.

Also - Hufflepuffs are "patient". Buffy, on the other hand... Well, as she says - "life is short".

Also, Buffy's consistent rebellious attitude is very un-Hufflepuff-like.

 

[DeadlyDuo]

What houses the characters would get sorted into depends on if you think sorting is based on the traits a person admires or the traits the person exhibits themselves. eg Xander admires Buffy's bravery which would put him in Gryffindor but he's not brave himself.

 

[Blaze]

Well there's so many ways that the sorting works in the HP world.

1-sorted in the house you share the most attributes with
2-sorted in the house you most want
3-sorted in the house that will benefit you the most

Dont forget that going by house attributes only, it's likely that none of the three main characters in the HP sage would have been Gryffindors, although all of them were doubtfully brave.

I think Buffy has attributes from a few houses, I can see a case being made for both Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.

 

[sosa lola]

eg Xander admires Buffy's bravery which would put him in Gryffindor but he's not brave himself.

Xander is extremely brave - first time he heard about vampires he went down the sewers looking for his best friend. Unless you mean he didn't think he was brave.

 

[vellavu]

Summers and Tonks:

1. They both have a stupid given name.
2. They are both into older guys.
3. They both died for at least once.
4. They were both in charge of a teenage kid.
5. They both belong to a secret organization.

Buffy is definitely a Hufflepuff!

 

[Washburne]

As long as Willow is a Hufflepuff I'm good.

 

[Taake]

The dumbest thing about it is the concept of Slytherin, which is just the house for all of the people that Rowling doesn't like.

I think it's rather clear that Rowling is quite fond of both of Slytherin's defining members (with the exception of Voldemort) - Snape and Draco. Also Harry's almost Slytherin, it's only that he doesn't want to go there because of his own preconcieved notions of the house, that doesn't say that the house is for "evil" people, just says it has a bad rep. The purpose of the house, to me, always seemed to be that it was supposed to be misunderstood, not the place for people Rowling didn't like. So, those are my two nerd cents 😀

As long as Willow is a Hufflepuff I'm good.

Now Willow for sure could be a Slytherin. She's ambitious, she's arrogant, she thinks more about her own benefits than consequences (look at her track record with magic) and when aggrieved she tries to destroy the world, not because she's evil per say (just like Slytherin isn't) but because she's (again) blinded by her own needs over that of others. I think she's as far from a Hufflepuff as one could come, no matter how cute, innocent and bumbling she can seem.


As for Buffy I think Hufflepuff seems like a fair assessment. Hufflepuff is a rather overlooked house. Like who says a Hufflepuff can't be rebellious?

 

[Washburne]

@Taake Yes! I'm the posterboy for Slytherin.

 

[Guy]

I think it's rather clear that Rowling is quite fond of both of Slytherin's defining members (with the exception of Voldemort) - Snape and Draco. Also Harry's almost Slytherin, it's only that he doesn't want to go there because of his own preconcieved notions of the house, that doesn't say that the house is for "evil" people, just says it has a bad rep. The purpose of the house, to me, always seemed to be that it was supposed to be misunderstood, not the place for people Rowling didn't like. So, those are my two nerd cents 😀

I'm sure Rowling finds them to be interesting characters, but they're very unlikeable people. Draco, Lucius, Umbridge, Snape, Crabbe, Goyle - they're all dicks. Great characters, maybe, but the main thing they have in common is that they would all be very unpleasent people to meet in real life.

I guess my main problem with the housing system is that they seem to divide people into nerds (Ravenclaw), jocks (Gryffindor), wallflowers (Hufflepuff), and dicks (Slytherin), and that seems like a very twisted view on humanity. I always hoped that the last book would end with Harry abolishing the house system in Hogwarts.

Now Willow for sure could be a Slytherin. She's ambitious, she's arrogant, she thinks more about her own benefits than consequences (look at her track record with magic) and when aggrieved she tries to destroy the world, not because she's evil per say (just like Slytherin isn't) but because she's (again) blinded by her own needs over that of others. I think she's as far from a Hufflepuff as one could come, no matter how cute, innocent and bumbling she can seem.

Oh, you're being harsh on her. Willow isn't TRULY arrogant - her occasional displays of arrogance (which are mostly in season 6) were just a facade, to mask her insecurity. And her only ambition was to be loved. And while her own pain and fears make her blind to others' sometimes, she still cares very much about other people.

I always thought that Willow was a classic Ravenclaw. If anything, Giles is more Slytherin.

As for Buffy I think Hufflepuff seems like a fair assessment. Hufflepuff is a rather overlooked house. Like who says a Hufflepuff can't be rebellious?

Rebelliousness always seemed like a more Gryffindor-y trait to me. Hufflepuffs are loyal and patient, after all, and that really doesn't go well with rebelliousness. Besides, Buffy is the Harry Potter of her story, and Harry was a Gryffindor.

 

[Blaze]

Willow is totally a Slytherin!

I think Slytherins always get overlooked as the bad guys, when in fact they are described as having loads of great qualities. Sure they are cunning, but they are also ambitious, resourceful, over-achievers, clever, determined, and make strong leaders. Slytherins are known for being brilliant wizards. I think Willow fits right in there (so does Giles)

The movies/books might have portrayed a lot of the Slytherins as dicks, but we can't forget how we got some brilliant characters in Slytherin also. It's also important to note that the story was told from the point of view of Gryffindors, and even worse, from someone who didn't like Slytherins.

 

[thrasherpix]

I'll just throw in that I admire Hufflepuff the most, though I'm sure I'd be put in Ravenclaw. My BFF also said she'd rather see movies centered on Tonks, and I had to agree that would be pretty awesome.

It's also worth pointing out that despite the propaganda (which probably affected a lot of kids in either wanting to be or NOT to be Slytherin, which matters to the Sorting Hat), dark wizards came from outside of it, such as Pettigrew (Gryffindor) and Quirinus Quirrell (Ravenclaw, and I'll have to throw in Gilderoy for good measure). Likewise, it makes sense that Voldy could recruit from his own House more easier than most because he was the most familiar with them, and shared some common traits (which aren't necessarily evil, weren't for those like Slughorn, and even Draco turned out to be deeply disturbed--I'd say more horrified than cowardly, especially as he refused to identify Harry later on--when theory became practice and it was no longer just a mental exercise for him). If someone in Gryffindor were to attempt their own tyranny "for the greater good" (as Dumbledore nearly did) then Gryffindor would be the best House to recruit from for similar reasons as why Voldemort could recruit from his own House the best.

I actually find Gryffindor about as annoying as Slytherin, though there are members of both I like, even admire. But as a general practice, I believe I'd avoid both if I were part of that universe.
 
ETA: While many point out what an unfair jerk Snape was, I see Dumbledore as being just as arbitrary and unfair as the mood suited him. I actually see why Dumbledore and Snape related so well to each other despite their arguments as both were haunted by mistakes of the past and the grief and lifelong guilt it caused, and the fact both felt no guilt at breaking the rules (while pretending to champion them) or being unfairly arbitrary when it suited them to be so.

 

[Monkey Pants]

In my opinion, Buffy is the most obvious Gryffindor ever. And I think bravery IS her defining trait. Willow is definitely Slytherin imo. Insecure, smart, manipulative, selfish...those are Slytherin traits. Faith is the one I get tripped up on the most...I see Slytherin and Gryffindor the most.

 

[Guy]

In my opinion, Buffy is the most obvious Gryffindor ever. And I think bravery IS her defining trait. Willow is definitely Slytherin imo. Insecure, smart, manipulative, selfish...those are Slytherin traits. Faith is the one I get tripped up on the most...I see Slytherin and Gryffindor the most.

Definitely agreed on Buffy, as I said.

As for Willow, though - since when are Slytherins considered to be "insecure" or "smart"? These are the traits of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, respectively.
And while Willow can be selfish and manipulative, I think those traits are not that prominent in her, usually. So, I think Willow is much more of a Ravenclaw.

As for Faith - I think that she (like Cordelia and other Buffy shadow-selves) is a Gryffindor. Brave, headstrong, and even chivalrous - she always needed to see herself as being good, even if she had to make excuses and lie to herself to achieve that. Even when she was clearly doing evil things, she always talked about how Buffy is somehow worse than her, how the world screwed her over ("Faith, these are innocent people" "No such animal" - Faith rationalizes why she hurts poeple), how she's really the good guy in some twisted way. And when she finally truly realized that she's the bad guy, in 'Who Are You', she fell apart and started self-destructing, until she tried to get Angel to kill her. Faith always needed to know that she's the good guy, just like Buffy.

 

[Monkey Pants]

As for Willow, though - since when are Slytherins considered to be "insecure" or "smart"? These are the traits of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, respectively.
And while Willow can be selfish and manipulative, I think those traits are not that prominent in her, usually. So, I think Willow is much more of a Ravenclaw.

I definitely think Slytherins are supposed to be smart. I mean, they are cunning, good at planning, good at controlling people--those things take smarts. Willow has those kind of smarts, as well as the more academic kind that Ravenclaw is none for. And maybe Slytherins aren't explicitly insecure, but that is part of my reading of many Slytherin characters like Snape, Draco and Tom Riddle. They also tend to have a feeling of inferiority due to their childhood, and a need to prove themselves (which Willow also has) and jealousy. And imo, being selfish and manipulative are some of Willow's core traits, just ones she keeps hidden a lot. I definitely think Willow's a Slytherin rather than a Ravenclaw but of course most people have traits from more than one house.

As for Faith - I think that she (like Cordelia and other Buffy shadow-selves) is a Gryffindor. Brave, headstrong, and even chivalrous - she always needed to see herself as being good, even if she had to make excuses and lie to herself to achieve that. Even when she was clearly doing evil things, she always talked about how Buffy is somehow worse than her, how the world screwed her over ("Faith, these are innocent people" "No such animal" - Faith rationalizes why she hurts poeple), how she's really the good guy in some twisted way. And when she finally truly realized that she's the bad guy, in 'Who Are You', she fell apart and started self-destructing, until she tried to get Angel to kill her. Faith always needed to know that she's the good guy, just like Buffy.

I definitely think Faith has Gryffindor traits, but I don't think convincing herself she is doing good when she is really doing bad is one of them. To me, if there's one thing a Gryffindor can do it's see the difference between right and wrong, and do what's right, and be honest with yourself. Not try to lie to yourself to make yourself feel better. To me, that's similar to Willow telling herself her behavior is okay because she's just a shy nerd, the world owes her right? Like Faith thinks she's had a tough life so the world owes her. That seems more Slytherin to me, for both of them. Twisting things to suit your own perspective seems a very definite Slytherin trait to me. Like how Draco's always trying to say that Harry's worse than him.

 

[Guy]

I definitely think Slytherins are supposed to be smart. I mean, they are cunning, good at planning, good at controlling people--those things take smarts. Willow has those kind of smarts, as well as the more academic kind that Ravenclaw is none for. And maybe Slytherins aren't explicitly insecure, but that is part of my reading of many Slytherin characters like Snape, Draco and Tom Riddle. They also tend to have a feeling of inferiority due to their childhood, and a need to prove themselves (which Willow also has) and jealousy. And imo, being selfish and manipulative are some of Willow's core traits, just ones she keeps hidden a lot. I definitely think Willow's a Slytherin rather than a Ravenclaw but of course most people have traits from more than one house.

1) Slytherins have the manipulative kind of smarts, I'll give you that.
2) Insecure Slytherins? I always thought that their most consistent trait was their PRIDE, which is the opposite of insecurity. Draco, Lucius, Snape, Tom Riddle - they aren't insecure, they're full of pride and are offended when their high perception of themselves clashes with reality. Maybe Snape is an exception (MAYBE!), but the Malfoys and Riddle are definitely not insecure. And what about Slytherins like Crabbe and Goyle? Where's the insecurity there?
By contrast, Willow IS insecure, which makes her very un-Slytherin-like IMO.
3) Willow is inherently manipulative? Maybe, if only because she's so smart that manipulation is easy for her. Willow is inherently SELFISH? Nope. Not more than Xander, or Giles, or Buffy, or Cordy, or any other character. She can be selfish sometimes, same as anyone, but it's not an especially prominent trait of hers, IMO. I do think that she can be self-centered a lot, without realizing it, but I think she always wants to help others, and sees all her actions as being selfless.

I definitely think Faith has Gryffindor traits, but I don't think convincing herself she is doing good when she is really doing bad is one of them. To me, if there's one thing a Gryffindor can do it's see the difference between right and wrong, and do what's right, and be honest with yourself. Not try to lie to yourself to make yourself feel better. To me, that's similar to Willow telling herself her behavior is okay because she's just a shy nerd, the world owes her right? Like Faith thinks she's had a tough life so the world owes her. That seems more Slytherin to me, for both of them. Twisting things to suit your own perspective seems a very definite Slytherin trait to me. Like how Draco's always trying to say that Harry's worse than him.

1) I really don't think that Gryffindors have an inherent ability to tell right from wrong. If anything, I think Hufflepuffs are better in that regard. Gryffindors are just more inclined to act on what they think is right, because they're more daring.
2) I don't think that Faith has a natural inclination to lie to herself so she can see herself as right. I think her natural inclination is to do right, simply, but her circumstances forced her into a situation where she CAN'T honestly see herself as right, and so the only action she can take (as a chivalrous Gryffindor who wants to see herself as being good) is to lie to herself about her goodness, out of necessity.
3) Also, Faith is very insecure, which, as I said, is NOT a Slytherin trait IMO.
4) Malfoy isn't lying to himself when he says that Harry is worse than him, he genuinely believes it. Malfoy believes he's better than other people, because that's how he was raised (pureblood, rich, respected, ancient family). Faith, on the other hand, was often neglected and abused, and grew up in a poor family, and therefore believes she's worse than anyone. When Faith is saying that Buffy is worse than her, she's lying to herself to make herself seem good. When Draco says that Harry is worse than him, he's simply stating what he genuinely believes.
5) Generally, I believe that Faith and Buffy were born with the exact same natural traits and tendancies, and their differences come solely from their circumstances - Buffy was raised in relative privilege and love, while Faith was raised in poverty and neglect and abuse. And since Buffy is the most Gryffindor-y person ever, I believe Faith is a Gryffindor too.

 

[Monkey Pants]

Insecure Slytherins? I always thought that their most consistent trait was their PRIDE, which is the opposite of insecurity

I think they act prideful and confident (like Faith and Willow post season 5) but in actuality they're not. Imo, Snape is very insecure, as is Draco (especially where his father is concerned). And with Crabbe and Goyle, we don't know them well enough to really know, but they could be insecure imo. I don't think being insecure is the defining Slytherin trope though. That would be ambition, which I think is Willow's most prominent personality trait.

Willow is inherently SELFISH? Nope.

I would have to disagree, personally. Willow was selfish when she considered doing a love spell on Xander without asking. She was selfish when she wiped her girlfriend's mind just to make things easier on herself. Etc, etc. I think she behaves more selfishly than many of the characters, not that they all don't have their moments.

2) I don't think that Faith has a natural inclination to lie to herself so she can see herself as right. I think her natural inclination is to do right, simply, but her circumstances forced her into a situation where she CAN'T honestly see herself as right, and so the only action she can take (as a chivalrous Gryffindor who wants to see herself as being good) is to lie to herself about her goodness, out of necessity.

I don't know, as I said, I am conflicted on Faith myself, but imo a Gryffindor doesn't really have to lie to make themselves think they are doing the right thing...they WOULD do the right thing. Not that there wouldn't be some special cases. But to me, it's like...Harry and Tom were very similar in personality and ability, and they both had tough childhoods. Harry managed to stay good throughout. Tom snapped. Similarly with Buffy and Faith, Buffy stayed good and Faith strayed. Being a Slytherin doesn't make you evil, but they tend to have the tools of self preservation needed to be able to hurt others and shut down like that. Again, this is just imo though.

Also, Faith is very insecure, which, as I said, is NOT a Slytherin trait IMO.

Again, to me, Slytherins definitely have hidden insecurities...Hufflepuff has insecurities as well, but in different ways, and they show their insecurity (like Tara) whereas Slytherin's hide theirs.

Malfoy isn't lying to himself when he says that Harry is worse than him, he genuinely believes it. Malfoy believes he's better than other people, because that's how he was raised (pureblood, rich, respected, ancient family). Faith, on the other hand, was often neglected and abused, and grew up in a poor family, and therefore believes she's worse than anyone. When Faith is saying that Buffy is worse than her, she's lying to herself to make herself seem good. When Draco says that Harry is worse than him, he's simply stating what he genuinely believes.

Not sure if I agree with this...I think there is a part of both of them that believes both sides, to sum up what I was going to say lol....that probably makes no sense ah well

 

[Blaze]

As for Willow, though - since when are Slytherins considered to be "insecure" or "smart"? These are the traits of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, respectively.

Ravenclaws are known to be more witty. They are really intelligent, but also unusual and a bit weird.

Salazar, the founder of Slytherin did value cleverness. Slytherins are known to be smart, they however use their intelligence in a different way. Ravenclaws are focused on learning and understanding. Slytherins are focused on achieving.

Insecure Slytherins? I always thought that their most consistent trait was their PRIDE, which is the opposite of insecurity. Draco, Lucius, Snape, Tom Riddle - they aren't insecure, they're full of pride and are offended when their high perception of themselves clashes with reality. Maybe Snape is an exception (MAYBE!), but the Malfoys and Riddle are definitely not insecure. And what about Slytherins like Crabbe and Goyle? Where's the insecurity there?
By contrast, Willow IS insecure, which makes her very un-Slytherin-like IMO.

I think pride is an attribute both shared by Slytherin and Gryffindor. However, it's not a determining trait of either houses. In my opinion Draco was one of the most insecure character in the books. I don't think being insecure relates you to any house in particular, and it's definitely not a trait associated with any of the houses. I think anyone from any house can be insecure. We saw Gryffindors who were insecure (Neville), yet the traits of that house are the ones that directly oppose the idea of insecurity the best.

In the end, some traits are shared by multiple houses, and every person can have a combination of any traits, so it's not uncommon to see people who could be sorted in two different houses.

 

[Monkey Pants]

I think pride is an attribute both shared by Slytherin and Gryffindor. However, it's not a determining trait of either houses. In my opinion Draco was one of the most insecure character in the books. I don't think being insecure relates you to any house in particular, and it's definitely not a trait associated with any of the houses. I think anyone from any house can be insecure. We saw Gryffindors who were insecure (Neville), yet the traits of that house are the ones that directly oppose the idea of insecurity the best.

In the end, some traits are shared by multiple houses, and every person can have a combination of any traits, so it's not uncommon to see people who could be sorted in two different houses.

I think you said what I was trying to say better than I did. 🙂 However, I do see insecurity as a possible secondary defining trait for Slytherin, just because I think we see it often. IMO, it's the type of insecurity that the Trio, especially Warren has--essentially, that of someone who has been made to feel insecure by someone/someones/something, and lashes out, possibly planning revenge, and in doing so tries to act much tougher than they are. Like Snape, when he is very hard on Harry because of how Harry's father treated him. Like, Draco, for how he treats his friends, almost exactly how his father treats him. Like Willow, who causes Cordelia to delete her homework, and almost ruined Oz's life with a spell after she's been hurt. Faith has similar behavior, but I see her reaction more out of desperation than revenge, so I'm still unsure.