How can there be so many slayers?

[Mamuska]

This has probably been discussed before but I couldn't find anything. I'm wondering how there were any potentials left in the world to become activated during the final battle. In "Bring On The Night", Giles says, "There were many more like them all over the world, but, um, now there's just a handful, and they're all on their way to Sunnydale."

I haven't read any of season 8 but in the beginning it says the slayer count is up to 1800. 1800 is more than a handful. How did all these girls manage to escape being murdered by Bringers or sent to Buffy? The First is supposed to be the ultimate evil with endless resources but it overlooked 1800 potential slayers?

Maybe I missed something somewhere or maybe it's explained in season 8, but that has just never made sense to me.

When you have a planet-wide population of 6 billion, 1,800 really is an almost infinitesimal number. The First may have tremendous resources but I don't think it is ever written that it has an infinite amount or that it is equal to the Creator.

 

[Grey Ghost]

It is still amazing that there were so many Slayers laying dormant, it was as if it were meant to happen eventually that there would be a showdown of forces. One thing is certain The First could not have been that powerful or great, they were soundly beaten by a group of young girls who compariosn had very little power!

 

[ILLYRIAN]

I have read what every one thinks, I prefer the Occams Razor of reasons. Giles has got(really) big hands, as Paramour stated, Giles said there was only a handful of them.

 

[Paramour]

Yea I noticed several people mention that 1800 compared to the population of the world is pretty small. Which is true, but irrelevant. When Giles said there was just a handful left, I'm pretty sure he didn't mean 1800.

The First may have tremendous resources but I don't think it is ever written that it has an infinite amount or that it is equal to the Creator.

Giles says, "It has eternities to act, endless resources."

Infinite, endless, same thing. I still don't understand how 1800 appropriately aged potential slayers slipped under the radar.

 

[TheCheese]

I have read what every one thinks, I prefer the Occams Razor of reasons. Giles has got(really) big hands, as Paramour stated, Giles said there was only a handful of them.

Actually this leads me to an interesting thought. Taken literally, occam's razor would lead me to believe that

A.) (From a perspective inside the show, since with Occam you have to define your perspective) Giles, a fallible mortal, was simply wrong about how many potentials there are or

B.) (From outside the show) Joss, or another writer, changed their minds about the number of slayers, and decided the story would be better with more.



Another possibility, having nothing to do with occam's razor but closer to your interpretation, is that Giles meant a handful, relative to the number of people, or women, on the planet.