Is Xander a hero (too?)

[Chosen Enemy]

As I see it, most, if not all of the Scooby Gang memebers are heroes, not just Buffy. Because they fight evil, no matter if they feel scared at times or might die. They all together saved the world.

Now Xander, who used to be the loser type, no special powers, only his heart, he even saved the world by himself once. But people treat him like a guy who's there to help out but not actually doing something that big. But they might be overlooking at all of the things he's done (even before Grave). They underestimate him way too often.

So my question is, is Xander a hero?

 

[kittenpoker]

I think he totally is...maybe even moreso because he has no special powers. He's constantly putting himself right there in the fight against opponents who are often stronger and better skilled fighters than himself. He puts the welfare of others above his own and that's what I think makes a hero.

 

[Icarium]

Of course Xander is a hero. Everyone in the Scooby gang is a hero, even the characters whom I loathe. I am pretty sure that Xander has saved Buffy more times than any other character, so he has a better claim than the average Scooby.

 

[Valjavertjinn]

I think that Xander is a hero. He is brave and dedicated, and has come through for Buffy more times than any other Scooby. He's Held the group together when they were at the breaking point, and saved the world (and Buffy). He's a great guy.

 

[VisionGirl]

He's absolutely a hero! Despite his "I laugh in the face of danger- and then I hide until it goes away", he is always in the fray. He just jumps right in there, even if he does get hurt a lot (The Zeppo). Think about his role in Graduation Day part 2: "key guy". He's probably more of a hero because he lacks special powers but tries anyway.

 

[wickedtiger86]

Yeah I think he is heroic.

And I love that he's a hero without any powers.

Like Steve before he got the super-soldier serum in Captain America. 😀

 

[Tome]

I'm not sure I agree about how everybody in the Scooby Gang(across the seasons) have been heroes; but Xander definitely is one. Like some have said, he has no super powers. He doesn't have much to rely on except his friends. He saved them all at least twice(The Zeppo and Grave)!

 

[Seeing Red]

Everyone's a hero in their own way!


Sorry, I could not stop my crazy fingers. But yes, Xander is a hero. He has saved people or helped save people a ton of times. And aren't sidekicks also heros? He has done a lot of heroic deeds so I would classify him as a hero.

 

[WileyDairyGnome]

Xander saved the world twice just from talking. That's pretty heroic. 😉

He may not have super powers, but he's still a hero like no other.

 

[BuffyElevated]

Now Xander, who used to be the loser type, no special powers, only his heart, he even saved the world by himself once. But people treat him like a guy who's there to help out but not actually doing something that big. But they might be overlooking at all of the things he's done (even before Grave). They underestimate him way too often.

So my question is, is Xander a hero?

Xander is absolutely a hero. In my opinion, he's an even bigger hero than the ones who help out with magic or mystical forces, because he's just a regular guy who chooses to do what he can to help save the world from the forces of darkness.

 

[PrincessBuffy16]

Yes. He's the boy with no powers who's ready to give his life for his friends and for the whole world. Who never thought about backing out although he probably knew he has the least chance of surviving. He's a hero.

 

[Goby]

I love Willow with all my heart and soul (lol!)

With that said, I think Xander is the most important member of the Scooby Gang (not counting Buffy).

He is the glue, the cheerleader, and the Minister of Morale. He is the one who without hesitation helped Buffy to fight the Master even when Angel sissied out. (BTW, I think that was a writing flaw... I don't think Angel in Season 2 BTV through Season 5 AtS would have done that). He didn't sissy out then, and he didn't sissy out after. He lost his eye, and made jokes the next day. He is a hero. He is amazing.

OMG... I'm feeling over come with Xander love right now. lol

 

[Litheran]

Personally I think they botched what could have been one of the greatest character arcs ever with Xander. They kept him a teenager throughout the entire show.

With that said; Xander is a hero in my eyes. And not because he's the heart or because he does it without superpowers. He saw that there are things out there that wanna hurt us; and he decided to fight back. Whether your Superman or just a lowly carpenter; making the choice to stand between evil and the rest of us is a noble act.

 

[Icarium]

Personally I think they botched what could have been one of the greatest character arcs ever with Xander. They kept him a teenager throughout the entire show.

Huh? How exactly did they keep him a teenager?

 

[Litheran]

Sunnydale high blows up; the girls go to college and start preparing for the real world. Xander spends a summer washing dishes and ends up delivering pizza until he just so happens to fall into a blue collar construction job. He cheats on one girlfriend; and then is dismissive and sometimes downright emotionally abusive of another.

The Zeppo could have been the start of Xander finally growing up and taking a more serious role in the group but instead they keep him as awkward joke guy. Seeing him in season eight as as commander at Slayer HQ was awesome; except for the fact that they skipped all the development that would have led him there.

I wont even go into the thing with him dating Dawn; but it all shows how perpetually immature and stunted they've left him. They took Willow from a geeky girl with no man and made her into a bad ass witch who doesn't need one.

They took one of Xander's eyes and slapped a hammer into his hand. I don't need for him to become a male slayer or any contrived fan fic type power boost like that.

But after seven years of engaging in let's just guess bi-nightly slayage while fighting beside some of the most bad ass warriors this generation has; you would think he'd be beyond having to make quips about his lunch money being stolen. If someone is gonna be the heart of the group; let him have some.

 

[Icarium]

I wont even go into the thing with him dating Dawn; but it all shows how perpetually immature and stunted they've left him. They took Willow from a geeky girl with no man and made her into a bad ass witch who doesn't need one.

Would that be the same Willow who tried to destroy the world because she couldn't handle the loss of Tara (and had previously abused Tara for daring to disagree with her) and derives an awful lot of her confidence from her significant others and her friends ("Dating a musician. Or I was..."). She is my favourite character but there is no way I can see her as more mature than Xander after her behaviour in S6-8. And independent? Please, she slept with Alluwyn.

Sunnydale high blows up; the girls go to college and start preparing for the real world.

And how have they fared in the real world, pray tell? Xander (or even Anya for that matter) had had far more success in his career than Willow or Buffy. Willow never even had a career. Going to college is great and all but in itself doesn't make anyone mature. I do think Xander's job search was poorly written story, mind you, but he did face his demons and succeeding. I am at a loss how this can be read at his stuck in his teenage years. What would you have had him do - become a professor at Harvard?

The Zeppo could have been the start of Xander finally growing up and taking a more serious role in the group but instead they keep him as awkward joke guy.

The Zeppo is the start of Xander being used as a comic relief only in most episodes and his accomplishment being played as surprise for the viewer. Prior to that he had a serious role in the group. He had saved Buffy many more times than all the rest of th gang combined, when Buffy ran to LA "Nighthawk" led the Scoobs into fighting vampires every night, etc.

He cheats on one girlfriend; and then is dismissive and sometimes downright emotionally abusive of another.

I am not going to bother with the "Xander is abusive to Anya" argument because I think it's perfect nonsense. But if he were such a failure in his romantic life as you claim, this doesn't make him stuck in his teenage years any more than anyone else in the show since no 'ships were actually successful in the long term.

 

[sosa lola]

Personally I think they botched what could have been one of the greatest character arcs ever with Xander.

I agree with this part. The writers could have done great things with Xander's character but they stuck him in the everyman/comic relief box and sadly ruined what was supposed to be one of the best characters on BtVS.

They kept him a teenager throughout the entire show.

I disagree with this part. I think Xander had walked into adulthood before Buffy and Willow, he had to worry about getting a job and paying rent and having his own apartment and car and then marrige way too soon for a boy his age. Buffy and Willow were still students - like in high school - their own parents pay for them to be educated. Buffy didn't know a thing about working and money until her mother died, Xander had to deal with this right after he left high school and became a foreman in construction in a matter of a year. That's impressive.

I have to say that by S7, Xander was the most mature Scooby -yeah, more mature than Giles, too.

 

[InsaneMystic]

I have to say that by S7, Xander was the most mature Scooby -yeah, more mature than Giles, too.

Seeing how they messed Giles up from mid-S6 onward (excluding the crowing moment of badass with him testing a certain theory), I'm inclined to agree. 🙂

As for the original question of the thread - I can't really see how that's in any doubt. Sure, Xander has moments when he's a total jerk, but if there's one thing you can't blame him for then it's a lack of courage to help out people he cares for... and that's grade A hero material.

 

[BuffyElevated]

Sunnydale high blows up; the girls go to college and start preparing for the real world. Xander spends a summer washing dishes and ends up delivering pizza until he just so happens to fall into a blue collar construction job. He cheats on one girlfriend; and then is dismissive and sometimes downright emotionally abusive of another.

The Zeppo could have been the start of Xander finally growing up and taking a more serious role in the group but instead they keep him as awkward joke guy. Seeing him in season eight as as commander at Slayer HQ was awesome; except for the fact that they skipped all the development that would have led him there.

I wont even go into the thing with him dating Dawn; but it all shows how perpetually immature and stunted they've left him. They took Willow from a geeky girl with no man and made her into a bad ass witch who doesn't need one.

They took one of Xander's eyes and slapped a hammer into his hand. I don't need for him to become a male slayer or any contrived fan fic type power boost like that.

But after seven years of engaging in let's just guess bi-nightly slayage while fighting beside some of the most bad ass warriors this generation has; you would think he'd be beyond having to make quips about his lunch money being stolen. If someone is gonna be the heart of the group; let him have some.

I see your points in some of this, but I think you're being overly harsh in others. One of the most charming things about Xander is his ability to make light in any situation. In their line of work, they need that. I don't agree that he's immature, but I do wish the writers would have given him more serious storylines as they show went on.

 

[FaithsFollower]

Personally, I think Xander is a hero because he is a nobody [generally speaking of course]. He has no powers, he doesn't have any good fight moves, he can't do magic, and yet he doesn't run away. He stays/stands behind and beside [figuratively speaking] his friends, willingly putting his very life at risk all because he believes in the greater good.

He knows it, too, and yet it doesn't bother him [that much]. To me, as an ordinary person, that's really remarkable and admirable.

He may be awkward and goofy but he's always there for his friends no matter what...even if it means losing an eye.