Season 8 Slayers' Age

[white avenger]

Does it seem that the current generation of Slayers, at least the ones we've seen so far, seem a bit older than was the case in the past? In Season 7, Kennedy and the other Potentials were talking about when a girl is called, "the younger, the better." Everyone in Buffy's crew seems to be at least 17 0r 18, if not older.

 

[Rowan Hawthorn]

Well, except the party scene with Gulliver Dawn. There are quite a few girls there who look to be younger.

 

[Washburne]

Does it seem that the current generation of Slayers, at least the ones we've seen so far, seem a bit older than was the case in the past?

Yes they do. But I wonder if it has to do with "From now on, every girl in the world who might be a Slayer, will be a Slayer." It´the same as "every potential will become a slayer", right? So my question is, then do you stop being a potential? Are you a potential at 30 even if you don´t get chosen? Are there an age limit so to speak? I might have misses something. And if there´s not. Then will we see we first slayer at age 60? 😉 They can´t all die prematurely right? Or did the bringers actually kill them all? I guess there must be a age limit.

 

[Kemy]

In the montage in Season 7 we see Potentials can be of any age, the Spell activates them even though through the normal process they would not have been.

So the Slayers number over 1800, but they're aged maybe 6-46 or more. The vast majority would probably be in the 15-25 mark.

Children would be trained well away from danger but still taught the ways of the Slayer by the new Watchers and volunteers within their ranks.

The 15-25 demographic would comprise the actual army and be the ones the comic centers on.

Older and they would either be left to live their lives never knowing what it was that happened or allowed to seek out the other Slayers and help them in some way, I could see the older ones being part of the new Council, making it the first Slayer/Human/Demon Council ever.

 

[Superstar]

Does it seem that the current generation of Slayers, at least the ones we've seen so far, seem a bit older than was the case in the past?

Actually, when you count Faith (at minimum) there really doesn't seem to be a specific age limit for being called. Faith was certainly not 15 when she was called.
If you count Nikki Woods, I sincerely doubt she remained a slayer for too long. The actress who portrayed her could in no way pass for someone in her teens which means she was probably called in her early twenties. Based on how easily Spike took her down, probably not a slayer for a great amount of time - something similar to Kendra I would say. Based on Robin's age at the time of her death I would even hazard a guess that he was born prior to her calling.

Are there an age limit so to speak? I might have misses something. And if there´s not. Then will we see we first slayer at age 60?

Hard to say really. There really isn't a wealth of information from the series regarding past slayers, let alone their ages.

Unfortunately, I think one of the major red herrings in the assumption of younger slayers as regular occurrences is the Cruciamentum.
The assumption being that it is performed on every single slayer should she reach her 18th birthday.
I tend to think this is an irregular practice slayer-wise given that there seems to be no specific age limit to the calling as being under the age of 18.

Based on Wes' confusion during Spin the Bottle. Buffy's test may even be a slayer refinement to a practice performed on Watchers - otherwise Wes' confusion is without much foundation especially regarding his specific language: "It has been done in the past with slayers". If it was a slayer test only I think he would say something more along the lines of "it is done on slayers - do we have a slayer here?". Why would he think that a group of them together would be in a test? With an advisor? I know he had shown a tendency to make things up, but again the question remains regarding slayer only test vs something the watchers themselves may be put through - perhaps not alone. Or. it simply could be something he knew almost nothing about and just assumed. Hard to say with Wes - he claimed to be head boy so he must have known something.

 

[white avenger]

So the Slayers number over 1800, but they're aged maybe 6-46 or more. The vast majority would probably be in the 15-25 mark.



The 15-25 demographic would comprise the actual army and be the ones the comic centers on.

Buffy said in "Chosen" that any girl who COULD be a Slayer, WILL be a Slayer." If she meant every Potential, it's generally accepted that a girl becomes a Potential about the age of puberty. Since Kennedy states that she was almost too old to be called, it would seem logical to assume that a girl loses her eligibility around 19 or 20. That would mean that the new Slayers probably range in age from early teens to late teens.

Maybe Buffy just prefers to work with the older girls and keep the younger ones out of the fight until they have more training and maturity.

 

[andrewcutter]

its possible that a slayer is chosen when they are physically in their prime so i would think at the youngest 14ish and oldest 30. however i wouldn't doubt a slayer older then 30 activated

 

[Kemy]

Umm hello? in the final episode we *SEE* Slayers aged from 5-45 or so being called. We're shown it, for a reason, its even recreated at the beginning of one of the comics in a flashback.

The Slayers as they are now, are of all ages. Not all of them can or could fight, one of the Slayers called in Chosen seemed crippled and now was walking, badly but still. Another was severely overweight. Some where white, some where black, tall and short. Basically being female and being Slayers was all some of them had in common.

And since they had a hard enough time finding a few dozen Potentials in Season 7 and at the beginning of Season 8 the main army with Buffy only consists of 500 of those 1800, with much smaller groups in other countries, even a year and a half on they haven't conscripted half of them into active duty and some don't even want to be good.

Factor in loosing Satsu and Renee from the roster and they're down two main Slayers already, one dead one resigned.

 

[white avenger]

Umm hello? in the final episode we *SEE* Slayers aged from 5-45 or so being called. We're shown it, for a reason, its even recreated at the beginning of one of the comics in a flashback.

I can't remember anyone at either end of that scale being activated in "Chosen." All that I saw were what appeared to be teen aged girls. (Of course, I've just got a cheap tv, and it doesn't show things accurately. {That's another joke})

 

[Kemy]

Ahh, I see, because your TV was crap and you're memory is going it didn't happen?

At least two of those activated looked to be well into their 30's and that moment with the 6 year old playing baseball, defining moments of the finale, showing the Slayers being called.

They were of all ages, sizes etc.

 

[Tueuse de Vampires]

that baseball girl didn't look 6! Come on, she was at least 10 from what it looked like. And honestly, those others didn't look old either.

 

[Blondie Bear]

I'm noticing a certain amount of unnecessary sniping here. Can we all be nice, please?

 

[white avenger]

It was never my intention to snipe or snap, and if my poor attempts at brevity have in any way offended anyone, then I most humbly apologize. And just in case anyone is wondering, that is most certainly NOT a joke.

 

[The Chosen]

In the montage in "Chosen", the ages seemed to range from 12 (softball girl) to late 20s/early 30s (the Asian mother standing up at the dinner table).

Buffy said in "Chosen" that any girl who COULD be a Slayer, WILL be a Slayer." If she meant every Potential, it's generally accepted that a girl becomes a Potential about the age of puberty. Since Kennedy states that she was almost too old to be called, it would seem logical to assume that a girl loses her eligibility around 19 or 20. That would mean that the new Slayers probably range in age from early teens to late teens.

The way I've figured it is that although a girl may lose her eligibility, she doesn't lose the Potential to be the Slayer. Did that make sense? So even though they may not be chosen normally, they could have still been chosen by Willow's spell. Like they were given a second chance.

If you count Nikki Woods, I sincerely doubt she remained a slayer for too long. The actress who portrayed her could in no way pass for someone in her teens which means she was probably called in her early twenties. Based on how easily Spike took her down, probably not a slayer for a great amount of time - something similar to Kendra I would say. Based on Robin's age at the time of her death I would even hazard a guess that he was born prior to her calling.

Nikki Wood was called in 1971 and was a Slayer until 1977, so six years. She had Robin in 1973 and was pregnant with him during her Cruciamentum. So Nikki was like 22 when she died, right? (Btw, all this information is coming from the novel Blackout by Keith R. A. DeCandido. :nod🙂

 

[Washburne]

The way I've figured it is that although a girl may lose her eligibility, she doesn't lose the Potential to be the Slayer. Did that make sense? So even though they may not be chosen normally, they could have still been chosen by Willow's spell. Like they were given a second chance.

Now why couldn´t I put it like that? So people, this ^ is what I meant!

 

[Lyri]

Nikki Wood was called in 1971 and was a Slayer until 1977, so six years. She had Robin in 1973 and was pregnant with him during her Cruciamentum. So Nikki was like 22 when she died, right? (Btw, all this information is coming from the novel Blackout by Keith R. A. DeCandido. :nod🙂

But, TC, that novel's not canon, neither is the Tales of the Slayers novels, despite some of them being written by BTVS writers.

For those of you 'discussing' the ages of the Slayers we see being called in 'Chosen', here's some screncaps showing all the girls we see:

To me, they all look like early teens to twenties.