Faith and the Cruciamentum

[Blaze]

I'm fairly sure we've debated Faith's age quite a few times and came to the conclusion that she is slightly older than Buffy, and most likely around 18, although it is never stated on the show.

So Faith had been a slayer since the ending of s2, so she had already been a slayer for a full summer before coming to Sunnydale (so give or take a few months). Do you think she ever went through the Cruciamentum (ritual Buffy had to go through in Helpless, when she must kill a vampire while having no powers on her 18th Birthday). What happens if a slayer is already 18 or older when turned?

 

[EVIL UU]

No - her watcher was killed, there was nobody to poison her.

 

[Blaze]

No - her watcher was killed, there was nobody to poison her.

But we don't know when her birthday is, and I assume her watcher was killed after a certain period of time of knowing Faith. Faith seemed to already have a connection with the watcher, since she was this affected by Kakistos. I always assumed Faith went on the run towards Sunnydale soon after her own watcher died, which mean the window where she was watcherless would have been small.

 

[white avenger]

No - her watcher was killed, there was nobody to poison her.

Yeah, and by the time that she got to Sunnydale, Giles had been fired, so, even if he had intended to do it, which I highly doubt, he couldn't have. As for Wesley, it probably never even occurred to him to do it, or it did, he mentioned it to Giles, and Giles threatened to go Ripper on him if he tried.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

May 12, 1998 Kendra died...
October 13, 1998 Faith arrived in Sunnydale...

Other than her slayer dying and she going on the run nothing is really known about that 5 month period (is it?). I cant imagine if she was 18 or just became 18 within that timeframe they would test her. Seems unfair. You've been a slayer for a month, but you're 18 so here's the test. Neither Post nor Price attempted to give her the test either. She either took the test in those 5 months or was exempt.

 

[Blaze]

Yeah, and by the time that she got to Sunnydale, Giles had been fired, so, even if he had intended to do it, which I highly doubt, he couldn't have. As for Wesley, it probably never even occurred to him to do it, or it did, he mentioned it to Giles, and Giles threatened to go Ripper on him if he tried.

Giles is fired in episode 12, Faith gets there in episode 3, albeit that isn't much time. And surely Faith would have warned Buffy had Giles given her the test.

I have a feeling Watchers weren't exactly given a choice about it, so Wesley couldn't have just forgotten. It was the higher ups that wanted this, Giles himself wasn't given the choice. It is possible that after the Buffy stuff, the council just gave up on the test, but that seems unlikely. What is the purpose of the test anyway.

But I also get the feeling that Faith was already 18 when she arrived in Sunnydale

May 12, 1998 Kendra died...
October 13, 1998 Faith arrived in Sunnydale...

Other than her slayer dying and she going on the run nothing is really known about that 5 month period (is it?). I cant imagine if she was 18 or just became 18 within that timeframe they would test her. Seems unfair. You've been a slayer for a month, but you're 18 so here's the test. Neither Post nor Price attempted to give her the test either. She either took the test in those 5 months or was exempt.

Ya, it seems really unfair to give her the test as soon as she turns into the slayer, but I wouldn't put it past the council either. Inventing the test in the first place seems super pointless. Not sure if they got some guide rules or what, for slayers that turn near 18 or beyond 18. But again, seems pointless to have the test in the first place if you're just gonna exempt half the slayers that comes to you.

 

[Fuffy Baith]

Do we ever get a confirmation of Faith's age? Anything in the comics? I like to assume Faith is just a bit younger than Buffy. And if that's the case, then she had gone bad, before her 18th in which case I think the cruciamentum was the least of the Watcher's Council's worries. I also kind of think that the test is designed to kill the slayer. They want young slayers who will do what they say. If the slayer passes, then they got someone who deserves to be the slayer and has proven it. But I do think they want to keep slayers going and changing every so often.

 

[Blaze]

Do we ever get a confirmation of Faith's age? Anything in the comics? I like to assume Faith is just a bit younger than Buffy. And if that's the case, then she had gone bad, before her 18th in which case I think the cruciamentum was the least of the Watcher's Council's worries. I also kind of think that the test is designed to kill the slayer. They want young slayers who will do what they say. If the slayer passes, then they got someone who deserves to be the slayer and has proven it. But I do think they want to keep slayers going and changing every so often.

I hadn't even thought about the fact that Faith could be younger, this theory makes sense! I always just pictures Faith as slightly older than Buffy 😛

But yes, I wouldn't put it past the council to do this to keep the Slayer's fresh. Awful to think about, gotta wonder how much Giles knew about this practice.

 

[Fuffy Baith]

I hadn't even thought about the fact that Faith could be younger, this theory makes sense! I always just pictures Faith as slightly older than Buffy 😛

But yes, I wouldn't put it past the council to do this to keep the Slayer's fresh. Awful to think about, gotta wonder how much Giles knew about this practice.

Really? I always picture Faith as being younger. Cause she kind of looks up to Buffy in a way like someone younger would. But yea I don't think Giles knew everything. This is just the one time Giles decides to listen to the Watcher's Council. lol. He just knew it was a test, but not until later did he find out what it was (I think, I haven't seen the episode in a while).

 

[white avenger]

Giles is fired in episode 12, Faith gets there in episode 3, albeit that isn't much time. And surely Faith would have warned Buffy had Giles given her the test.

Yeah, you're right. For some reason, I was thinking that Buffy's test took place before Faith came to town. My meds are screwing with my mind again.

 

[Fuffy]

I'm pretty sure that in season 3, Faith was no older than 17, mostly because by the way she looked up to Buffy and her reactions to being a slayer.
I'd find it easier to believe that she was 18 when she woke up from a coma.

 

[caitaintdead]

I have never understood the argument that Faith is older than Buffy. I always assumed that Faith was around the same age as Buffy.

Wesley would have likely performed her Cruciamentum for her, in my head and with no real reason I imagine her turning 18 around June-August.

If the situation had been slightly different do you think that Faith would have done as well as Buffy did? I can imagine Faith being a toughie even without the super powers, but I can also imagine Faith having a complete meltdown at the thought of losing her powers.

 

[Taake]

I have never understood the argument that Faith is older than Buffy. I always assumed that Faith was around the same age as Buffy..

I think it's partly because she's all alone and she does not appear to be in school/appears to have maybe finished high school.
We really don't know that much about her family situation, and it seems generally agreed upon that it was a bad one, but still... she's able to take off for months without anyone at all looking for her/reaching out for her... no mentions of her having obligations to finish high school... it just doesn't seem to me like she would be a minor. (Even in bad/abusive families people have bonds and can care for each other, so anyone going "oh her parents were crap, clearly, and didn't care if she was dead or alive", really need to consider what they're implying about non-ideal family units. There can be love even when it's flawed and generally insufficient, that's not excusing anyone just saying that a poor home doesn't automatically suggest that no one cares if your troubled minor disappears/takes off)

I'm not saying that Faith is older, but I remember that when I first watched the show I always assumed that she was (if only a year).



Now my problem with the Cruciamentum is that it appears to be so age-tied. Which would make sense if ALL Slayers were called at the same age - say 15 - and then needed to be 'tested' at the same time to see if they were still sharp after three years of heavy duty Slaying (though still being up and kicking after three years seems to imply that on itself).

It would make more sense if the Cruciamentum was time-tied, i.e. say three years after you've been called rather than specifically on your 18th birthday.

As for Faith, I don't think she had to undergo it, either because of a lack of a Watcher, lack of an appropriate birthdate or just because she was under the radar by then - overshadowed by everything going on in Sunnydale and later by her turning evil and even later yet by her being in a coma.

 

[Blaze]

@caitaintdead from what I remember the biggest arguments for Faith being 18 is that she is renting a place on her own. In most cases you would need to be 18, but again it is entirely possible her landlord didn't actually check is Faith was of age, or he simply didn't care. (After all, Buffy does it at 17).

I'm not sure why I always assumed Faith was older, but it would make sense if she was younger and therefore turned 18 after she "went bad".

I agree with @Taake it would make a lot more sense for the event to be time related and not age related.

 

[EVIL UU]

Isn't Faith only, like, 2 months older than Buffy? As in Faith was born in December 1980 and Buffy in January 1981?

 

[Skanky Vamp]

from what I remember the biggest arguments for Faith being 18 is that she is renting a place on her own. In most cases you would need to be 18, but again it is entirely possible her landlord didn't actually check is Faith was of age, or he simply didn't care.

Well, there was the initial impression that she was kinda squatting.. and then wasnt there some sexual innuendo between the landlords son/husband when he came to collect rent or something?

 

[Blaze]

Well, there was the initial impression that she was kinda squatting.. and then wasnt there some sexual innuendo between the landlords son/husband when he came to collect rent or something?

Oh god I hope not, poor Faith! I always thought the landlord dude was just a huge creep, but I hope it didn't go beyond that.

 

[The Bronze]

Isn't Faith only, like, 2 months older than Buffy? As in Faith was born in December 1980 and Buffy in January 1981?

I can find websites listing December 1980 or December 1982 but I have no idea where they've sourced those from. I always thought she was a few months to a year younger than Buffy so 1982 makes more sense to me.

 

[thetopher]

Isn't Faith only, like, 2 months older than Buffy? As in Faith was born in December 1980 and Buffy in January 1981?

Yeah, this is about as canon as Faith's birthday gets because it appears in 'Go Ask Malice' and also in the RPG bio of her character. I think it's about right- Faith is independent enough to take off on her own for a while but still wants a parental figure for herself (even subconsciously).

Kids from broken homes tend to grow up pretty darn fast on the surface, all cynical and knowing, but remain pretty immature in some ways deep inside- and that's Faith to a tee.

I see 18 as being the time where Faith 'grows up' and 'graduates' just like Buffy does, but she does it in the service of evil. Her path to maturity goes straight off a bridge.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

Kids from broken homes tend to grow up pretty darn fast on the surface, all cynical and knowing, but remain pretty immature in some ways deep inside- and that's Faith to a tee.

They also tend to be compulsive liars, develop some sort of obsessive behavior, become overly critical of themselves and become hypersensitive.