How do you feel about Xander?

[chasesummers]

I've been reading the comics and I'm at Seson 9 of Buffy.
On "The Watcher" which is episode 20th (correct me if I'm wrong) and throughout the Season so far I had mixed feelings about Xander again.

The jealousy he had for Angel in the past, blaming him for many things when he wasn't himself like recently when Twilight killed Giles, he beat Angel up while he was helpless, same thing he used to do with Spike.
The ganging up on Buffy on Season 3 and getting in the middle of Buffy and Riley (because he liked the guy apparently).

Then, the famous "what would Buffy do?" and being the friend he is. Pay Cordelia's dress when she couldn't afford it, being protective of Buffy when Spike attempted rape, reminding Buffy how strong she is and the sweet speech he gave to Dawn in Season 7.

Clearly he's a very nice guy and personally the positive kept the negative in the dark but I still have very mixed feeling towards him.

How do you guys feel about Xander?

 

[Blaze]

I like Xander. He's a very flawed character, but also a real character. I love when they show his flawed moments as much as when he does something truly inspirational. He's often viewed as the comic relief, but he does shine through when he needs too.

 

[EVIL UU]

Xander is not Angel or Spike, he's not even Riley. Basically, Xander's not a fantasy, OK? This is all you need to know about Xander and how he is perceived by some fans. He's not dangerous, he's not mysterious, he's not tormented, he's got nothing to atone for, he doesn't wear cool leather coats and stuff, he's not a cliche, he's imperfect, he's reckless, he's foolish, he's obnoxious, he's a liar and an asshole and, like Willow, he's still the bravest, toughest, most selfless, incredible and heroic son of a bitch in this franchise.

Spoiler

And yes, his boy eyelashes are pretty thick as well

You know why? Because he's a human.

He drags Angel's ass into The Master's lair and saves Buffy's life. When the brooding one loses his soul he does that again by stopping Angelus in the hospital. And he's just a kid. He's 16. He is in love with Buffy and manages to transform his feelings into friendship without ever abandoning her. What other character does that? He's spends seven years with the slayer because he loves her and because it's the right thing to do. And he's just a guy. No destiny, no powers - only a big heart.

Yeah, I think I kinda love Xander.

 

[thetopher]

Xander has a big heart, which is his greatest asset, but also his flaw. He's always leading with it, when he does the jealous, hurt thing, and screws up. or the inspiring, good guy thing and helps save the damn day.
I think this is why people don't call Xander out on some of his more obvious screw ups (I'm thinking of 'Revelations' here) because I genuinly don't think he's being malicious, he's just going with his gut and not thinking things through.
I think he's one of the most heroic characters on the show, and actually gets a lot more chances to shine than a lot of the other characters (apart from in S4, poor Xand 🙁).

I do, however, think the Xander character gets diminished over time because of his relationship with Anya, which is unfortunate. 🙁

 

[Kurai]

He's my second favorite character in the series (with Oz being my favorite). He's definitely the most human character in the series. He makes mistakes sometimes, yeah, but he's human, that's what we do. He gives the series the human aspect, and 'The Zeppo' highlights this a lot. Like, while Xander's having his own adventure, the others are stopping the apocalypse, and everything is really melodramatic. It shows that Xander's there to put things into perspective and give his point of view.

Plus, he has some great character development throughout the show. The guy he is in the first episode isn't exactly the same as the character he is in the last episode. He gradually becomes more confident, and he's more of a soldier by the end of the series. He even loses his eye in battle, but that doesn't stop him helping Buffy et al.

 

[SRMarx]

I love Xander!

I thought his character was very well-written and well-acted. He comes off as very human, because of his flaws and mistakes. He also has some consistent character growth.