What is it you don't like about the Buffy character?

[Silum]

What is it you don't like about the Buffy character?

Its a fairly simple question. I direct this mainly at those who consider other characters to be their favourite(most members) or those who have some objection to Buffy for whatever reason.

I ask this with an intention. I want to write an essay'type thing on the character of Buffy and why she IS the hero. How I come to that conclusion depends obviously on the counter argument.

The only thing I ask of this thread is that it not be a debate defending Buffy, since that will come later.

 

[Buffy Summers]

So are you looking for why ISN'T she the hero? Or just things that we don't like about the character?

 

[Crazy Flakes]

I certainly don't not like Buffy. In fact, if she had been on any other show, she probably would have been my favorite. It's just that the Buffyverse is filled with so many other compelling characters. While Buffy is a brilliant character who I love to watch, in my eyes, she just can't quite match up to the likes of a character as evolved and interesting as Willow or as funny and light-hearted as Xander.

Another big issue I can see with Buffy's character is that she's fairly difficult to relate to, particularly in the later seasons. Even though everyone can connect with her in some way or another, I've found that I have a much easier time relating to most of the supporting characters. And it's not an issue of her having superpowers; Willow, Faith, and Spike are all just as, if not more powerful than she is, but they're still much easier to connect with. It's just Buffy's whole mindset. Even though she does have human flaws, problems, and doubts, she's just so damn heroic, and it's hard for a normal person to relate to that.

 

[Silum]

So are you looking for why ISN'T she the hero? Or just things that we don't like about the character?

It seems by general consensus that Buffy is disliked when compared to other characters. Reading peoples responses, most people sympathise with various characters but still view Buffy as thinking she is superior or lacking humility in some way.

I'll take the 'Empty Spaces' thread as an example. A LOT of people side with those rejecting Buffy and they have their reasons. Im more interested in what they think lead them to think Buffy was any less of a hero. Its a combination of both what people think makes Buffy less a hero and why people dont like the character.

...im curious if people can express clearly why Buffy falls short. I dont expect a big thread, im more intersted in some thought provoking opinions to represent their ideas.

 

[sosa lola]

I actually love Buffy, my favorite female character, but like the other characters, she has flaws. I think my least favorite flaws of hers are her ingratitude to her friends (at times, not all the time) and her self-pettiness. Buffy tends to forget all the times she has friends and family at her side, helping her save the day and being there for her whenever she was lonely and needed someone to listen, just to have a moment of self-pity "The slayer is always alone" and all the crap. When was she ever alone against her will? Whenever she's lonely, it's usually her doing -like when she ran away for the summer, she'd chose to be alone. But on regular bases, she always had her friends by her side, sometimes she would have died if they weren't there.

Now because she thinks "the slayer is always alone", it made her believe that she was the one who'd gotten her and the others this far, when that's not true. Buffy and her friends, family, and boyfriends had gotten them this far. Not just Buffy. I hated her sentence to Giles about trusting no one to watch her back but Spike when Xander was lying in the hospital because he was watching her back. Willow and Dawn had done nothing in S7 but watch her back. The comment was so unfair and I think Giles telling the gang that Buffy didn't trust them was one of the major reasons they stopped trusting her.

 

[TheChosenTwo]

What annoys me about Buffy, is that she's always like: "You wouldn't understand"

 

[anyatara]

Buffy's a good character in some senses, but sometimes she really does bug me. I completely agree with Anya's little speech in Empty Places (It was in Empty Places, right..?) about Buffy not being better than them, but being luckier than them. She does often act like she's so much better than all of her friends just because she is the slayer, when as a matter of fact that was just luck of the draw, she didn't learn her powers like Willow and Tara had to. Other than that, I don't hate Buffy, really. She can be whiny, sure, but it seems to be a thing that runs in the Summers family (Dawn anyone? 😉). And I was going to say she has a whole thing about everyone revolving around her...But since it's her show, they kinda do. XD

 

[sibby]

I realy like buffy. nout i dislike

 

[fly on the wall]

I certainly don't not like Buffy. In fact, if she had been on any other show, she probably would have been my favorite. It's just that the Buffyverse is filled with so many other compelling characters.

Another big issue I can see with Buffy's character is that she's fairly difficult to relate to, particularly in the later seasons. Even though everyone can connect with her in some way or another, I've found that I have a much easier time relating to most of the supporting characters. And it's not an issue of her having superpowers; Willow, Faith, and Spike are all just as, if not more powerful than she is, but they're still much easier to connect with. It's just Buffy's whole mindset. Even though she does have human flaws, problems, and doubts, she's just so damn heroic, and it's hard for a normal person to relate to that.

This is what I was going to say.
I love Buffy, she's definitely in my Top 5 favorite characters. But there are SO many characters that I love, it's difficult even to name those five.

And, towards the end, Buffy becomes the model of something we can relate to..but the other characters ARE something we can relate to, if that makes sense.
Meaning, I understand Buffy's loneliness, I understand the way she fights her demons, and I can relate to her that way...but she's more of a poster child for those things.

 

[hollybuffyfan1]

As Buffy being my Fav this is sorta a hard question, but the only thing that really springs to mind that im not 100% in support of what
she done, was when in season 6 she kinda used spike becuase she hated her self after she got braught back. And it was the darkest place
Joss went with Buffy and yes i love season 6 as Buffy comes back to life and its a differnt kinda vib but i feel it was horrible that she used him for sex
becuase the only way she could feel was by that. Its sad she felt that way but i still didn't agree with it.
BUT
I do like the way in season 7 how Buffy and Spike both treat each other. But buffy the hero to me i dont really have any faults in. I agree with everything she says say ins season 5 about how she cant let dawn die ect. But in season 7 she says she would and thats the only buffy hero moment i dont really agree with.
Holly-xox

 

[jesterjay]

I think we connect with characters who are non-threatening and sweet. Until Willow went Dark I totally thought we would've been best of buds...but honestly, once you get the power trip you start to stray. Buffy had that. She was all power and the power entirely went to her head, which is unfortunate, but how can someone be a hero and not isolate themselves from the mundane lives of those surrounding them? Fear seperates you from the herd.

Ex. Angel. Angel hid in fear for a long time afraid of himself, and we totally identify with him for some reason don't we? We identify with this meek, afraid person and not the vampire. Angel, who in every aspect represents the best that humanity has to offer. A humble powerhouse. We all are afraid, but something amazing happens when we prove that we're more powerful than we let ourselves believe.

Does this make any sense, or is it just too early for this canuck?

 

[Professor Walsh]

What is it you don't like about the Buffy character? Its a fairly simple question. I direct this mainly at those who consider other characters to be their favourite(most members) or those who have some objection to Buffy for whatever reason.

I have no more objections to buffy than I have to any other character. This thread actually prompted me to remove my favourite character because I like several of them a lot. But my main objection, from the top of my head, would be that she often creates the distance between herself and her friends by not trusting that they'll be there for her.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

I would say for me it's her pompous, self-righteous, holier-than-thou attitude.
Though the fact that she is a stuck-up tight-ass with no sense of fun, maybe is in there somewhere.

 

[Atren]

She is not Anya. That about sums it up.

 

[Silum]

Buffy's a good character in some senses, but sometimes she really does bug me. I completely agree with Anya's little speech in Empty Places (It was in Empty Places, right..?) about Buffy not being better than them, but being luckier than them.

Yea, I always found that a little wierd. It sort of the easy thing to say, which is why I always saw that kind of comment coming from Anya.

Buffy has proven herself to be the strongest slayer that ever lived. Now, some may point here to the fact that she is lucky because she has friends. I think people miss the glaring point there, Buffy is the kind of girl who needs friends and relies on friends. This is a trait that has clearly been missing from slayers of past (even faith rejects friends in favour of doing it her own way). Buffy's strength does come from her friends, i TOTALLY agree. But its because of Buffys trust in her friends that results in this two way relationship.

But her ability to fight, her ability as the slayer, she has earned them. Someone has to take that task (it is forced upon her...lucky? im not sure thats the word) but she has taken its responsibility and melded it with her life.

So is Buffy better than the rest of them. No, I dont think she ever professes to do so, and although I see where Anya's coming from, when we look at how Buffy deals with things around her, I really dont believe Buffy thinks so either. She pushes her friends away at times, but out of safety for them. When she said she didnt trust anyone but spike (paraphrased), it was Giles she was talking to, and I believe very much directed at Giles (who can blame her after him working beind her back). The trust she continually puts in them throughout the last 7 years proves she doesn't think she's better than them. If she did, they wouldn't be as close as they are (end S7 arguments aside).

By S7's end, the nature of the Slayer was very very different. It wasnt a buddy-buddy friendly slayer and friends defeat the baddy..it began to resemble war, with troops and the neccessity for a leader arose. Because Buffy is the strongest and most deserving of the group, she takes this RESPONSIBILITY, not a fun gay ol time.

She wasn't luckier. She was unluckier. And it takes the short sighted view of Anya (the character lol, not you Anya!) to make that comment who doesnt realize a)what it takes to do what Buffy does and b)Has no idea how lucky SHE is to have Buffy. Now my lovely outside, disconnected opinion.. Buffy IS better than them. She may be the slayer, but thats not what makes her powerful.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

haha, are you referring more to her S7 holier than thou, or you think throughout?

I think kinda throughout.. even in the first season- well ESPECIALLY in the first season, you saw a bit of it.. with the "I am slayer and you are sidekick" but throughout the series it was always an underlying "little miss goody two shoes" 'tude that she had. Which is part of the reason her and Riley clashed, is that he made her SEE that she was not the pristine person she thought she was, and that her poo smells just as bad as everyone else's.

 

[Atren]

Ok, I forgot to reply this earlier so here goes. You asked why someone else is favorite instead of Buffy. At least for me it is not just person A did something while person B did not or something like that. It is whole package for me and can't really tear it apart to analyze why exactly Buffy is not favorite. Character individual actions I can judge, but favorite is more of feel based rather than rational arguement. So to sum it up: my original post stands in sense that Buffy is not my favorite as she is not Anya.

Now about your reasons for this: you seem to expect negative reasons why Buffy is not favorite, furtheron you expect those with different favorite to disagree about Buffy being hero. Problem is that for some I bet Buffy being hero is why she is not favorite. Also remember many considered their favorite Spike at season 2 and hardly can call Spike hero.

 

[Silum]

Now about your reasons for this: you seem to expect negative reasons why Buffy is not favorite, furtheron you expect those with different favorite to disagree about Buffy being hero..

Yes. In the thread asking what it is you dont like about buffy, I expect negative reasons why Buffy is not the favourite. Im having a little difficulty figuring out what your saying there.

Thanks for your thoughts on Anya though, I just like to hear peoples points of view considering how much I personally connect with Buffy and so many others don't.

 

[Professor Walsh]

I ask this with an intention. I want to write an essay'type thing on the character of Buffy and why she IS the hero. How I come to that conclusion depends obviously on the counter argument.

So are you looking for why ISN'T she the hero? Or just things that we don't like about the character?

Now about your reasons for this: you seem to expect negative reasons why Buffy is not favorite, furtheron you expect those with different favorite to disagree about Buffy being hero. Problem is that for some I bet Buffy being hero is why she is not favorite.

Yes. In the thread asking what it is you dont like about buffy, I expect negative reasons why Buffy is not the favourite.

Reading the thread again, I notice what Buffy Summers pointed out right away. You say that you’ll discuss Buffys role as the hero, yet you just ask what we don’t like about her. Likeability is not what makes the hero, so that question is not really interesting for your “essay’type thing”.

 

[white avenger]

The thing that I like most about Buffy is that she never stops. No matter how bad the Big Bad is, no matter how many times she gets slapped down, she never stops fighting. It's like her life has been totally focused on one simple act: to get up one more time than she gets knocked down. Just one more time. The pain, the loss, the danger, even the absolute knowledge that no Slayer has ever lived long enough to celebrate her twenty fifth birthday, none of it stops her. Buffy Summers isn't like cookie dough, she's like iron ore. You crush it, you melt it, you sear it, you pound it, you drown it, and what do you get after all of that punishment? Steel.