The Chosen Slayer

[Cordy_Chase]

Though I am only on season 5 of BTVS there are some things that have gone through my mind about the whole Slayer process.
So far the rules that have been made clear are:

*There can only be one slayer in existence at once
*A slayer is called forth when their predecessor has died.
*Each slayer has a watcher who trains and guides them in their duties.
*All slayers are female

We know that first rule has been broken since Buffy became the slayer, twice as far as I have seen and I have a vague idea that it will be happening twice more.
But what dictates a certain individual being chosen and their life prior?

Kendra for example even when not an appointed slayer had a watcher and had trained seemingly her entire life. All she knew was slaying to the point where she responded to simple aspects of human life like an alien from another planet. While Buffy had been a typical teen enduring high school with friends and popularity who'd then been suddenly approached when her time had come.
I needed to pay more attention to Faith's backstory but she too had a watcher prior to being appointed (who had been killed).

What is the reason for this significant difference? Why was Buffy seemingly the only slayer not prepared for it when it was her time?

The there is that last point, apparently there has never been a male slayer, is there a reason they can only be female?

I am very interested in learning about the two slayers I still have yet to be introduced to.

 

[iShower4free]

The two slayers you are thinking of are probably past slayers or something. I think for one thing the reason Kendra and Later Faith were activated was because Buffy technically died for a little at the end of season 1. That activated Kendra and then after Kendras death Faith was activated. As far as how they are chosen I know that there are a large number of girls who carry the ability to become Slayers but im not sure what determines who becomes one. Perhaps the watchers know the exact order? About Faith having a watcher she was a slayer prior to coming to Sunnydale, I think she only came there because she was hunting that one super gross fat old one lol.

 

[Cordy_Chase]

The two slayers you are thinking of are probably past slayers or something.

I don't believe so, in the season 3 'If Buffy had Killed Faith Thread' a user mentioned two slayers, names I did not know but according to the forum summaries for each season Buffy cheats death twice more somewhere in seasons 6-9 which would case the activation of said slayers.

About Faith having a watcher she was a slayer prior to coming to Sunnydale, I think she only came there because she was hunting that one super gross fat old one lol.

True I should have considered that both Kendra and Faith were activated slayers before they came to Sunnydale.

 

[iShower4free]

No, Buffys death only activated Kendra. I think as the Slayer line is concerned Buffy is dead. The only way for the next to be naturally activated is for Faith to die. I could be wrong though.

 

[Kean]

There is no way to answer these questions without spoiling events in later seasons. Keep watching, it's all dealt with.

 

[Yosso]

Like [MENTION=7585]Kean[/MENTION] says, if I were you I'd just keep watching the rest of the series so you can discuss the show without risk of spoilers before discussing, but it's your call 🙂

You'll find out in S7 why there have only been female slayers.

[MENTION=12155]iShower4free[/MENTION] is right, once Buffy died in S1, the slayer line sees her as dead and anymore deaths won't activate another slayer. It's never stated in the show explicitly I don't think, it's just what most fans generally accept as the explanation. Within S1-7, if Faith dies then her death would activate another slayer.

As to why Buffy seemed unprepared for slayerhood compared to Kendra, I can only assume the Council didn't manage to track her before she was activated, but they did track Kendra. I think it's just a mistake on the Council's part.

 

[white avenger]

Something that won't be revealed, even up through Season 9 so far, is how the Watchers manage to locate the Potentials, or at least the most likely Potentials to become Called, usually years in advance, so that they can be trained and conditioned for what their future may bring. That remains a total mystery, but we do know that the system isn't perfect, Buffy being at least one example of a Slayer being called prior to ever meeting her Watcher.

Joss has a bad habit of sometimes just tossing a comdition or event into his stories with no explanation or background data ever being given, and no follow up on something that is very important in one or two episodes, then never be addressed or followed up on again. This becomes more prevalent about the beginning of Season 4 and the premier of Angel's own series, and has followed on through the current comic book story lines.

Not only are we required to suspend our disbelief in order to enjoy the fantasy elements in the Jossverse, we are also expected to forget, or at least disregard, certain elements of the story line that SHOULD have affected the major story line from that point on, but instead simply disappear as soon as a particular episode ends.

 

[Cordy_Chase]

There is no way to answer these questions without spoiling events in later seasons. Keep watching, it's all dealt with.

You'll find out in S7 why there have only been female slayers.

Alright good to know, thanks.
I apologize for all the spoiler required questions. I did not think it would be this complicated to join discussions before finishing the series.

 

[Yosso]

Alright good to know, thanks.
I apologize for all the spoiler required questions. I did not think it would be this complicated to join discussions before finishing the series.

Fair enough. A lot of the discussions compare characters and issues across seasons, even across shows e.g. comparing Buffy S3 Wesley to Angel Wesley. Hope you're enjoying watching for the first time 🙂

 

[Kean]

Alright good to know, thanks.
I apologize for all the spoiler required questions. I did not think it would be this complicated to join discussions before finishing the series.

If you don't mind spoilers it's fine but if you are trying to avoid spoilers it's very difficult. Especially when you consider the finale of the show aired ten years ago. Any discussion in any of the tv season forums is liable (if not likely) to contain spoilers for the whole show. I think the fact that Buffy has such a deep mythology and things that happen in earlier seasons often not having pay off until much later seasons, adds to the difficulty.

 

[Cordy_Chase]

Honestly I can't say I'd be angry if I did find something important out, a part of why I am still watching after season 3 is just for the ability to discuss though Dawn's story which I had found quite stupidly introduced has begun to grow on me now that they had made sense of it and Buffy isn't being such a big baby about her anymore (though she was slightly valid, Joyce did have kind of a favorite thing going on with Dawn in the beginning).