The Key..What's the Point? You telling that's it?

[CharmedSlayer85]

I think after Seven Seasons of Buffy the whole idea of Dawn being the key is somewhat stupid. Because I mean think about it Dawn in her true form is suppose to be almost as old as Glorificus herself which is like eons old, okay so if that's the case then why is it that Dawn doesn't have any special powers. Because I find it quite strange that the key can only be used ONCE and that one time happened to be in 2002 in Sunnydale. If that's the case then how were the monks trying to use it for the forces of light? I just find it weird that who ever created the key, ONLY created it to be used a couple of millenia later and only just that one time. Also I wonder what would happen to Dawn after she died, would she return back to the form to The Key or would she actually die, also does Dawn even have a soul? Can she have children and would that make them Part Keys Part Human?

 

[nerd4hire]

What is the essence in the Buffyverse anyway? The first slayer is implanted with the essence of a demon. Willow, Xander, Giles and Buffy combine their essences in Primeval. Buffy and Faith's can trade bodies. Is it eternal? Is it the soul? If so Angel's will fit in a jar. Does it go both ways past and future, or is it born with the body, and continues eternally into the future. Is the essence of Dawn older than the essence of the other scoobs, or younger? If the essence is the same thing as the soul in the Buffyverse, and Dawn's essence has the function of a key, what does that say?

There's the alternate reality theory of Dawn which says Dawn is actually Buffy's sister in another reality. Portions of that reality are transplanted into Buffy's and the essence of the key is implanted into Dawn.

I don't know how true this is, because I can't remember where I heard it but I heard

Spoiler

they will go into Dawn's Keyness in Season 8

 

[watcher1006]

Well some good questions. It's not like the history and science of "The Key" was ever laid out like the laws of physics.

It's not clear that there was only one time in all of history and across many dimensions when the Key's energy could be used to open the portals. The Key was so old and so powerful - maybe there were certain points when everything meshed together to make the opening possible. It might come once in a human lifetime or once in a thousand years, but who knows? Dawn herself raised the matter talking to Spike in "Bargaining Pt. I" where she says "I'm not the Key. Or if I am, I don't open anything any more." It's not like she herself would know, the question of whether she was still the Key or not was left unanswered.

As far as the series went, it seemed that Dawn was free to live life as a "normal" human being after "The Gift". Assuming she was still the Key, maybe after she died - however that happened - the energy would come free of her body once again, as it started to do when Doc cut her. But nothing dramatic would necessarily happen when it did, the Key's energy might just go elsewhere. I think there's no à  priori reason she'd pass on the Key properties to any children. If Buffy could share her blood and not be the Key herself, the same could hold true of her children, who'd only have half of Dawn's blood anyway.

Yes I do wonder if, in embodying the Key energy in a human body, the monks created a soul.

Maybe they'll delve into such issues one day in the comics continuation, if you accept that as legitimate. But leaving things as they are is okay with me too.

 

[hyperballadbrad]

Well some good questions. It's not like the history and science of "The Key" was ever laid out like the laws of physics.

Buffyverse-wise yeah, there are some questions there, but like the above said, it isnt really dictated by any rules persay. I think we need to give some thought away to artistic license.

The idea that Dawn has no powers, I think comes down to the fact that she was being preserved in human form closest to the Slayer for protection. She had to be made into her sister and yeah as a human! Humans don't have any powers, and i don't see how or why the key would have any powers beyond what it was made to do. Therefore, I don't think Dawn would be able to tap into any possible old powers, not just because the actual form of the key has been changed completely - into a flesh and blood being rather than just energy. Thats why when the time came she had to be bled, because her essence became flesh blood, it was real and not just an energy. And if Glory had been successful its my speculation that Dawn would have just died and her body left. I don't think she would have been turned back into energy form because once the key had been used there would have been no energy left.

I do hope I'm making some sense hehe. Feedback please 😛 I'm kinda new to big Buddy analyses *blush*

 

[Nicole]

Buffyverse-wise yeah, there are some questions there, but like the above said, it isnt really dictated by any rules persay. I think we need to give some thought away to artistic license.

The idea that Dawn has no powers, I think comes down to the fact that she was being preserved in human form closest to the Slayer for protection. She had to be made into her sister and yeah as a human! Humans don't have any powers, and i don't see how or why the key would have any powers beyond what it was made to do. Therefore, I don't think Dawn would be able to tap into any possible old powers, not just because the actual form of the key has been changed completely - into a flesh and blood being rather than just energy. Thats why when the time came she had to be bled, because her essence became flesh blood, it was real and not just an energy. And if Glory had been successful its my speculation that Dawn would have just died and her body left. I don't think she would have been turned back into energy form because once the key had been used there would have been no energy left.

I do hope I'm making some sense hehe. Feedback please 😛 I'm kinda new to big Buddy analyses *blush*

I totally agree with everything you said. But I do have a questions.

Your saying that if Glory had bled Dawn then there would be no more of her at all right? Like she would just be dead? What about now? Do you think that would still apply since the timing for opening the portal and all that is gone. Do you think that if dawn had died in "chosen" that she would have been dead? or would she had turned back into that energy?

Or are you saying that her energy will always be flesh and blood and that there is no way to make use of her keyness ever again?

 

[hyperballadbrad]

I totally agree with everything you said. But I do have a questions.

Your saying that if Glory had bled Dawn then there would be no more of her at all right? Like she would just be dead? What about now? Do you think that would still apply since the timing for opening the portal and all that is gone. Do you think that if dawn had died in "chosen" that she would have been dead? or would she had turned back into that energy?

Or are you saying that her energy will always be flesh and blood and that there is no way to make use of her keyness ever again?

Hmm... well, I think the key had been changed to flesh and blood. If Dawn had died and been bled then I think she would just be dead rather than turn back into the energy... this is because Dawn's blood was the energy but in a different form.... in the form of something physical.

With regards to whether the Dawn's blood could be used again by someone who wants to open the doorways to all dimensions, then I don't know. I'm not sure if it was just a one time only thing, one chance for the key to work or if it comes for example when the 'stars are again correctly aligned again' or under whatever conditions were needed for the key to work that time in Chosen. I don't think that's ever been addressed

 

[alexa]

Really interesting.. either that or I'm just really boring 😛
The only thing she seems to be able to do is open doors.. so to speak. And only with a type of blood magic, which is really primal, as noted in season 4 of Angel. It would be fun if she began to have memories of her ancient existance... but then again, I'm confused as to how a "key" is also a soul... or is Dawn's soul a completely different thing. Giles mentions that the "key" has been fought over for centuries, so I'm also assuming that the "key" was used, or wanted to open/close portals earlier.
Hmm, well I've just confused myself more now. I hope there is more Dawn/key stuff to see in season 8.

 

[watcher1006]

While the Dawn-Key question might be further explored in comics-land, I feel it would be something of inventing an explanation after the story had been told - it still wouldn't mean that it was what the creators of the story had in mind back in 2000-2001 when it was written. I suspect that whatever further is told about it won't settle everything.

Still, I've always preferred to think that the human soul, the human entity of Dawn, Buffy's sister, existed somewhere, somehow before she was the Key. The idea of the monks creating a human being complete with a soul from Buffy's person, her blood to embody the Key still seems too much. Actually creating a human soul rather than restoring one or resurrecting one from death as Willow did seems like the work of a higher power altogether.

On the other hand if the true entity or essence of Dawn is really nothing but the (powerful and ancient) Key then how can we see her as having "Blood Ties" to Buffy?

Because of the questions regarding her existence I've always thought Dawn took a long time to gain legitimacy and it was difficult for many people to feel the bond that Buffy had with her.

 

[Ronin]

In the season six episode "Two to Go" Willow tells Dawn that she can end the pain and turn her back into a ball of energy. So apparently a being powerful enough can access whatever part of her that is.

I don't know what if any powers a "key" would have. But since Dawn is the key and the key is living energy, and her form of living energy, at least by Willow's estimation was simply a ball of energy then maybe Dawn herself has no actual power. However, it does seem that since so many people, or groups of people through so many periods of time have fought and killed to gain possession of it, and that guy Gregor said in "Spiral" that the key was "the destroyer of the universe", then it seems reasonable to me anyway, that if the right being had control of Dawn then she, as a tool, could be very powerful indeed.

My question is though: if Dawn was made from Buffy, and since Buffy was able to close the portal in Dawn's place, then it seems that Dawn carries buffy's blood in her veins, why then isn't Dawn a slayer?

 

[CharmedSlayer85]

Because a slayer's powers isn't given to them by blood. It's a mystical thing blood doesn't dictate who is and who isn't a slayer. Take Joyce for example she has the same blood as Buffy and Joyce could very well have closed the portal as well, because she too has Summers blood, just like Hank Summers has Summers blood, but that doesn't mean they'll be slayers themselves. Look at Robin he was born from a woman that was a slayer and he didn't/doesn't have slayer powers, abilities, or anything of that nature and has the same blood as his slayer mother. Unlike Connor who basically gained vampire powers from his parents but was not himself a vampire. How this works only Joss could tell you, because I personally think Robin should have had slayer powers, but whatever

 

[Black Eye Guy]

On the blood thing, CS85 is right, The slayer power isn't tied to blood, just random mystical energy! But I don't think Joyce or Hank could have closed the Portal, Cuz Buffy is a composite of both Joyce and Hank, Half and Half from each. Then Dawn was created from Buffy's blood, almost a clone of her blood, like they literally share the same blood!

And on the Dawn can only be used once thing, I don't think that's too far a stretch, if you think about it each key is unique and only fits one lock, One lock in the entire world, I don't it's that far a stretch that Dawn could only be used at one specific time.

 

[CharmedSlayer85]

But we don't REALLY know if Dawn is made from Buffy or not. That's just something that Buffy herself said but we don't know for sure. I mean some people could point to the fact that Buffy herself was able to close the portal, but that doesn't mean they they are in fact one in the same. Look at the whole flash back point Buffy realized when she did jump into the portal she thought about her saying "It's Summer's blood. It's just like mine." Basically meaning they're sisters they have the same blood. They could give each other blood transfusions, just like their mother and/or their father.

 

[Black Eye Guy]

But Buffy says it and no one corrects her, it looks like the group looked into this and know, She was made from Buffy so Buffy would feel close to her, like she said in the gift:

BUFFY: (pause) No. She's not. She's more than that. She's me. The monks made her out of me. I hold her ... and I feel closer to her than ... (looks down, sighs) It's not just the memories they built. It's physical. Dawn ... is a part of me. The only part that I- (stops)

Source

 

[Xin Rong]

It's also possible that dawn no longer possesses her keyness as her energy may have been used or diffused when her blood was actually used to open the portal between worlds.

 

[CharmedSlayer85]

But Buffy says it and no one corrects her, it looks like the group looked into this and know, She was made from Buffy so Buffy would feel close to her, like she said in the gift:

Source

Yeah but how and why would they correct her when they don't know themselves. All they really know is the key's purpose and what it looks like, but there's really no information on the key. Also Buffy's speech was like a heartfelt thing so why would somebody come out and say "Sorry Buffy you're crying and you're wrong."