What would happen if dawn died?

[S Rou]

Wouldn't everyone's memories of her be erased? Doesn't something like this happen in the comics, but she's brought back or something?

Does she even have a spirit/soul or will she just cease to exist after death while the key energy will live in, but it won't be her anymore? Can someone elaborate?

 

[Ragnar]

Had she died in the series, I think everyone's memories of her would remain. I always got the impression she was a normal human like anybody else, she just came into existence differently.

The key energy would continue after she died, but that's similar to what happens to all of us. We die, but whatever makes us up continues to exist in different forms. I think? I don't know science.

I don't take the comics that seriously, and can't really remember that storyline too well. I remember it annoyed me a bit, because the show made a point of stating she was a normal person, and Buffy's sister regardless of origin.

 

[Priceless]

If Dawn died of natural causes, it would be as if a normal girl had died. She is still the key, so that part of her would revert back to a ball of energy. It would need to controlled and protected, but I am sure Willow could deal with that.

In the comics, due to the destruction of magic, Dawn began to fade away, as did everyones memories of her. It's a beautifully written story and one of my favourities. Luckily magic was reinstated so Dawn survived.

 

[white avenger]

What would happen if Dawn died? Could we just say that the series would be improved and let it go at that? I guess not.

Supposedly, if Dawn dies, it would be pretty much the same as any other character who has died in the Buffyverse. They are mourned for awhile, then everyone pretty much goes back to their regular routine. Then there's a good chance that she will be resurrected the next Season.

 

[AlphaFoxtrot]

I assume Dawn's body would revert back to the pure green energy and disperse, until it was summoned/collected of it's own accord. I don't think she would die in the manner that everyone else does.

 

[Altoz]

What about the spatiotemporal effects? Would everything Dawn said or did in the Buffyverse also be erased retrospectivelY?

 

[thrasherpix]

What about the spatiotemporal effects? Would everything Dawn said or did in the Buffyverse also be erased retrospectivelY?

That would be how spells normally work. Since there was a sacrifice (Buffy's), and she also demonstrated the quality of having a soul (by being able to invite in vampires) I'm not sure it counts in this case. (For what it's worth the characters began forgetting her in the comics when she died, though I only heard about it.)

Which begs the question, what WOULD they remember? Would Joyce have died of a demon attack without Dawn to distract the demon about to pounce on Joyce, calling to Buffy? Would Dolores the social worker still have her job? Would Buffy have had sex with that high school boy with the magic jacket without Dawn to interrupt things more than once? (I'm only assuming she'd be a counselor at the school because Principal Wood seemed to want her there anyway, but a few wouldn't have survived since it would've taken longer for him to involve her.) Would Buffy have gotten thrown out of her house (and if so, how would she remember it)?

And most of all, how would they remember their encounter with Glory at all, which presumably still happened? The butterfly effect is especially dangerous, or at least surreal memory wise, on this one.

 

[Altoz]

Which raises the other question- how essential is Dawn to those episodes? For starters. Season 5 would look very different. Glory wouldn't have come to Sunnydale without a Key to search for, would she?

 

[AlphaFoxtrot]

My understanding is that her death had something to do with the end of magic. Yes, there was some seed that was keeping magic in the Buffyverse, then it got destroyed, but then they restored it, and Buffy and friends started a Magic Council to rewrite the rules. Remember when Dark Horse Comics was held in high esteem? Hmm.