How Xander's Friends View Him

[sosa lola]

I'm trying to make a new Xander video and I've been thinking about the characters who thought highly of Xander. Anya and Dawn come quickly to my mind, they've always thought Xander was wonderful, if not perfect.

I started thinking about Buffy and Willow, but I couldn't find a moment in which they thought the same toward Xander. They love him so much, but they don't look up to him or think highly him. On the other hand, you have Xander calling Buffy his hero and always praising her and asking others to trust her and believe in her.

Spoiler

In S8, he was calling her when she wasn't around because he knew she'll hear him.

Same goes for Willow, when Buffy died he chose Willow to be the leader and

Spoiler

pointed proudly at her when she was fighting Amy in S8, telling his slayers about how great she is.

Buffy thought it was typical of Xander to get lost. Willow thought they always had to save Xander.

 

[The Unspoken]

The problem with this is that Buffy and Willow are out of character in seasons 4-7 and suddenly think the guy who saved their asses countless of times is useless and a burden. Xander is also effectively retconned into being that guy, though on occasion the writers are brave enough to depict him as possessing some modicum of competence.

 

[sosa lola]

I'm not sure they're out of character. With Willow, at least, she believes that powers make her special and without them she's nothing. Xander doesn't have any powers, I can see why Willow won't have much respect for him even if she loves him.

 

[caitaintdead]

The scene that springs to mind is where Xander is working on the broken window in Season 7 and Buffy tells him how much he means to her. I can't remember anything more specific, but I know that she gives him a look of adoration.

Also in Chosen when it's just Buffy and Xander and they have their hands clasped and you can just see from Buffy's eyes how much he means to her.

 

[sosa lola]

The scene that springs to mind is where Xander is working on the broken window in Season 7 and Buffy tells him how much he means to her. I can't remember anything more specific, but I know that she gives him a look of adoration.

I don't remember this scene. But it sounds so nice. I was thinking of the moment where Buffy called Xander her strength in End of Days, but most of the scene she was trying hard to get him and Dawn out of Sunnydale, so I'm not sure that scene counts.

Also in Chosen when it's just Buffy and Xander and they have their hands clasped and you can just see from Buffy's eyes how much he means to her.

This moment was perfect! Sets their close friendship in S8 very well.

 

[caitaintdead]

I don't remember this scene. But it sounds so nice. I was thinking of the moment where Buffy called Xander her strength in End of Days, but most of the scene she was trying hard to get him and Dawn out of Sunnydale, so I'm not sure that scene counts.

You know what? I think this is what I might be talking about. I'll go through some screencaps when I get home and try to figure out what I'm going on about here!

This moment was perfect! Sets their close friendship in S8 very well.

I love the entire exchange between these two in the last episode.

 

[BuffyElevated]

Also in Chosen when it's just Buffy and Xander and they have their hands clasped and you can just see from Buffy's eyes how much he means to her.

That scene, when it's just the two of them walking down the hall right before she goes down into the basement, is absolutely beautiful. The whole episode is so emotionally-charged, but this scene always brings tears to my eyes. You can feel their love for each other (and no, I'm not necessarily talking about romantic love).

Another scene I love is in "End of Days" when they're talking in the kitchen and Buffy's asking him to take Dawn away because she can't bear to lose either him or Dawn. Awww....

 

[Icarium]

I hope this helps.

Final scene of Inca Mummy Girl:

Buffy: I remember how I felt when I heard the prophecy that I was gonna die. I wasn't exactly obsessed with doing the right thing.

Xander: Yeah, but you did. You gave up your life.

Buffy: I had you to bring me back.

From "Real Me":

WILLOW: Somebody making you feel uncomfortable? Is it Xander? It's Xander, isn't it?
TARA: No, Xander's a sweetie.

Willow's paranoia is annoying here but Tara seems to like Xander even if they never have conversations (and I never tire of complaining of that 🙂).

From "Some Assembly Required":

Cordelia: Xander? I just wanted to thank you for saving my life. What you did in there was really brave and heroic, and I just wanted to tell you if there was anything that I could ever do to...

From "Lovers Walk":

Xander: Dizzy. (winces) Kind of nauseous, too. Do I remember having a fight with Spike?
Willow: You do.
Xander: I won, right? Kicked his ass?
Willow: You were real brave. Do you need to barf?


You know, I never really thought it would be so hard finding such examples. And the examples of the opposite are so annoying like Willow's "we all save you" crap in The Replacement or Buffy's weak "he has clocked field time" in Checkpoint.

 

[Doppelgang]

I think the scene others have mentioned, the season 7 ending in the school shows how close Buffy and Xander are as friends. Similarly we see how important Xander is to Willow in the season 6 ending. They have their ups and downs through the seasons, in particular season 4 was obviously a strained time for the friendship due to Giles being unemployed and Xander not being at university with Willow and Buffy, and this all was released in the yoko factor in the big fight they have with each other, I always remember Xanders line in it to Buffy because of its crazy Xander logic, "Just because you're better than us, doesn't mean you can act all superior." And also Giles being drunk in that episode.

This doesn't carry on into S5-S7 though, in Restless and continued through to the Replacement we begin to see Xander overcoming his demons of feeling inferior to others in the group, becoming more aware of it and acting to change his way of looking at things and of living. From then on he is gradually viewed more as a good friend again to both Buffy and Willow that they can confide in, like he had been in the first few seasons.

 

[OhWow]

What about the scene in Season 7 when Buffy is talking to Xander in the kitchen and says that she would not have made it this far without you..or whatever. It was something like that near the end of the series and she asked him to take Dawn away. And as for Willow can't think of anything

 

[Deus Ex Machina]

Uh, the scene in S7 when Xander is in the hospital and Willow is on his bed. Would that be good?