Faith/Buffy

[Edmund Blackadder]

I posed something in another thread that Buffy and Faiths remationship is more akin to sibiling relationship than anything else.

So, discuss what you think about their relationship.

 

[Blondie Bear]

They do often refer to each other alternately as "big sister" and "little sister." Doesn't seem to have anything to do with actual age, but more who's more experienced with whatever they're talking about.

 

[LorneyTunes]

I think sometimes Buffy acts like the big sister in their relationship and Faith is the rebel younger sister. I feel for Faith because Buffy has the spotlight on her and really it was Faiths chance to shine.

Buffy however always acts like the elder sibling automatically because she is babysitting the world from peril and evil with every breath she takes. So its only natural that she has grown up faster. learning from her mistakes but also putting her giant foot in it most of the time.

Faith is like the rebel teen who wants to try everything before she burns out.

Buffy wants the safe road.

 

[Shayla]

I agree with Blondie Bear. I guess if you take out the slayer parts and ignore the fact that they are not really related and just look at the relationship itself they do act alot like sisters.

 

[Tsquared]

I agree too with what has been said. I never really understood Buffy's exact feelings on Faith, it was always rocky with me. On some level I thought she was jealous of Faith, because of her care-free attitude.. well, not exactly jealous. More envious. And Faith too, because of everything Buffy had that she never did. I think the show would have been more interesting having them as siblings, well not exactly.. two slayers being sisters seems a little too coincidental. But yeah, their relationship was totally sibling like.

 

[Flannen]

It obviously changes over the series, but in Season 3 I think Buffy kind of looked up to Faith, which could be construed into a sisterly relationship; the younger wanting to be like the older.

At times though I think there are elements of some real sexual tension, not often and I am in NO WAY suggesting a lesbian relationship or anything of the kind here!

Season 7 its back to that sibling sort of thing, becomes more like a sibling-rivalry than sibling-relationship, they both have so much to prove. Even though Buffy, herself thought like she was the older sister in Season 7, it was definitely Faith who was acting like it. Buffy definitely came across more like the spoilt little sister to me, wanting everything to be done her way.

 

[itsxpaperdoll]

I, too, agree with the sibling thing. Their rivalry in s3 is really like a younger sister being afraid their parents love the older more, because she was the first, and the older sister (I guess, in this case, Buffy) being afraid the parents love the younger one more because she's all young and new an cute. In s7, both have grown and changed, and so ahs their relationship, but the sibling thing is still there. I think Faith is annoyed with Buffy because everyone trusts her more and always look to her first (like a younger sister would be), and Buffy seemed to be at least a little worried that people treated Faith nice (nicer than her) because she was 'the young one'.

Yeah, I think the sibling relationship is a good chathergorisation for what was going on between them 🙂

 

[Fake Shemp]

Hasnt Joss said that faith/buffy were both the big sisters and the little sisters in different instances.

I really like this thread EB 🙂


I dont think it necessary matters older or younger but they certainly did have the "sisters" thing down.

Buffys the sensible, all responsibilities one and we all know Faith really isnt.

Ive seen instances where younger sisters are more "together" than the older one, (back to the age didnt matter, since i was never sure of Faiths age anywhos)

But i certainly agree with Buffy looking up to Faith in season 3, well at least, Faith had/acted the way Buffy didnt always let herself (we've all seen Bad Girls right 😉

Then Faith might have seen the family/friends that Buffy has and wanted that, to me theres always a push/pull thing going on with them.

*thinks back to Bad Girls again* ::blush::

 

[Kana]

I think a lot of it is to do with rivalry. Faith had little in her life apart from being a Slayer. I'm not sure if a father is mentioned and it seems that her mother was negligent and possibly abusive. So she embraced slayerdom. Buffy had everything she didn't, the Scooby gang, the boyfriend and mother who love her and it seems Faith gets jack and not only that Buffy seems to be the overachieving Slayer as well. As Faith moved in to Buffy didn't like her playing with 'her toys', which is common with a lot of siblings who are used being the only child for a while.

Another interesting connection is that they both show what the other could be. Buffy shows the heroism in being a Slayer and Faith is beginning to see that, however Buffy also sees the instinctual connection in being a Slayer, the primal side to it which Faith connected to straight away. All Slayers have the instinct of a predetor and in Season 5 Buffy embraced that. What they need to find is a balance in the light and dark sides of their psyche, their spirit as well as their power. I think part of their actualisation is having some self knowledge and/or acceptance, whether its self hatred (Faith) or one's superiority complex (Buffy) and attempting to salvage some form of self determination. Maybe connecting to that will allow them to connect to eachh other.

 

[Silum]

Im not sure I have much to add to this thread but I definitely agree with the Faith-Buffy relationship as a sisterly relationship.

Where Al originally brought this up in Empty Spaces its even more evident. When Faith takes over power (a lot argue that it was the wrong place and wrong time) but it was very much the way you try to control a sibling. Sure, faith didnt even want the responsibility of leadership, but seeing it in Buffy's hands makes her say things as if she did.

I also think its a lot more complex than a sisterly relationship. Now that we see Buffy living with a couple thousand slayers, we can't really effectively argue that 'two slayers just cant get along'. Because they can. The difference is in how they started. I think Faith and Buffy are considered (at least by me) to be the original slayers...which also indirectly makes them the most powerful slayers.

I think under different circumstances they could be great friends, but they do represent two different ways of doing things. S3 Bad Girls shows them as friends, but only under Faiths terms. And Faith is too 'wild' to be a friend in Buffys terms. I think their just different but eternally linked by what they share...and its such a deep relationship you could write entire essays on a single aspect of their relationship. ...Its what makes Joss brilliant at writing characters!

 

[Blaze]

Well lets see, I'm a Fuffy shipper so I'll just ignore the sister thing. But I do think that they had a type of bond that is so much different from every single other character. And I'm not saying this while talking about the sexual tension, I'm refereing the the complexity of the relation overall. They were indead the ying and the yang, they almost represented two face of the same coin. Even when they were at the worst in their relation ship, like right after buffy stabed Faith, there was still a sense of understanding and even a weird sense of love for each other(not necessarely romanticly) Even though they almost became wrost enemies at one point, remember that faith had a couple of chances to hurt or kill Buffy but she didn't for the simple fact that its probably the one thing that Faith couldn't accept doing. We also saw in the dreams they kinda share that they were connected and by killing each other they would automaticly destroy their own life. If Buffy had in fact killed Faith, I don't beleive that she would have forget herself for it even if she didn't seem to care at the time and if Faith had killed B, there was no way she was coming back from the darker side of herself.

They also both always found a way to be at peace with each other in some way. the kiss that Buffy gave to comatized Faith was a bit like her forgaving her and understanding Faith's decision. It was like a closure (even though Faith woke up later) and this kind of peace came back eventually after each event that lead them appart. Like in season 4, she then went to jail after. And when she came back in season 7, they reconcile (even if the relation ship would never be the same, at least they weren't at war anymore).

Anyway, I could go on forever for the simple fact that there relation ship is probably even more complicated then a sister kind of bond.

-Blaze-

 

[white avenger]

I think that Faith in Season 3, despite all of her bravado, was somewhat intimidated by Buffy and also wanted very badly to be accepted her and the rest of the gang. It could ce interpreted as either a little sister trying to measure up to big sis' standards OR some sort of tentative romantic feelings that Faith, having no experience in girl/girl relationships, had trouble either expressing or even admitting to herself. Take your choice.

I always hoped that they would eventually become good friends, and I still cling to that hope.

 

[Perny]

The relationship Faith is looking for is not romantic. I refuse to think it, based on her acting towards Buffy. She wants family. And Buffy is a Slayer like her, so she might feel Buffy is some kind of family. Faith sees Buffy as her sister, however, she isn't really good at showing this or act like she truly cares. What Faith has been put through has scarred her socially, and made her the tough girl she is. If she hurts them first, they can't hurt her. It's her nature. She is protective about herself, at the same time she is reaching out a hand for family.

Wow... This is just for Days of our lives XD

 

[Fusions2]

I can definitely see a sister type bond between Buffy and Faith its been there since they first met and right up until the end. In season 3 Buffy took it upon herself (not willingly though) to show Faith Sunnydale and how things were done. Almost like a big sister would do for thier younger sibling. Instantly they had that underlying tension and didn't agree on how the other one took their slaying responisbilities. Faith revelled in the power and had fun with it and Buffy felt of it more as burden.

Its such a typical sibling relationship and when we get to get back to that in season 7 its still there. This time though Faith has taken on a more matureness to that role but still likes to have fun with it. With the added Potential Slayers Faith becomes the cool fun Aunt type role and Buffy the mother figure. But together its like seeing a sibling bond between them of jealousy, annoyance but also understanding and relief. Its definitely a good twist on an old trick that makes Buffy and Faith's relationship even more interesting to watch.

 

[Flannen]

By the way - just because I mentioned a sexual tension, I don't by any means think that they Faith was looking for a romantic relationship with Buffy. I don't think Faith fancied Buffy or anything, I just think there is underlying sexual tension and necessarily FOR each other but ABOUT each other. It makes sense to me anyway 😀

 

[Nikkolas]

Bumpage. I hope that's okay?

I've always supported Fuffy. I'm by no means pure in my intent...I think they'd be hot together. But even beyond such superficial qualities I like it.

In Season 3, as others have said, there wa sa bond between them. From what we can see and what we are told by the makers of the episodes themselves, there is an underlying sexual/romantic subtext to their relationship. However with both of them being young and Faith already being somewhat messed up it never could bloom. THen comes her accidental murder and joining up with the Mayor and that kinda derailed the relationship even more.

Yet in the end she chose Buffy over the Mayor...and in Season 7 ((IIRC) it's mentioned she only ever wanted Buffy to love her. Of course love covers many fields so it doesn't have to be romantic love.

I feel though that Faith and Buffy had something in Season 3 and it never came back. Faith was better by Season 7 and sure she and Buffy "made up" but whatever they had was lost forever. Unless it's been regained in the comics which I don't read.

To conclude, now that Faith has her crap together, I think she and Buffy could work as a couple. They just have to rekindle the spark from Season 3.