Xander Harris, the winner or the loser?

[Ripper666]

What do you think, is Xander a winner or loser, from season 1 upto season 7.

He lost his best (and only) friend Jessy because of the vampires in season 1. His relationships with girls hadn't been very succesfull. He failed with his feelings for Buffy and he lost Cordelia and Willow. He lost Anja and all in all he wasn't really a girls swarm.
He broke his arm once and he lost an eye! He couldn't went to college because he hadn't had the prerequisites. His family was horrible, he had to lived in cellar for a while. He traveled and worked as a male-stripper. He had terrible "useless" feelings because he hadn't had any superpowers! In fact his first comment was in the second episode of season 1. Willow was searching on the internet for informations, Buffy fought the vampires and Xander felt very allone and not part of the Gang.
Quote:

And in the meantime I will help by standing around like an idiot.

On the otherside we have to remember that he could helped the Gang more than once, he helped them fighting some demons and gave others trust and advices when noother person was there for them! (Dawn:You're extraordinary, Buffy: Go find Riley...)
He was a loyal character who had his prinziples and he fought for the things which he thought were right. He was more than once forgotten from the Scoobie Gang, anyway he tried to help wherever he can. And when it's only a broken window... He was the one who watches, who take care when others don't (want to) see. He is always there when somebody needs help, it doesn't matter when they trie to safe the world or just need somebody to drive Dawn to school. To help others he sacrifices his own life. In the end he become a rich builder and was still happy with his life.

And that's why he is a winner for me, because he stands up again and again. Because he loves his life, neither if he has a easy time or a hard time! Because he is the one who sees...

What do you think, I know that there are many of you who dislike Xander and of course others who love him too! Explain if you love Xander or not and then if you think that he is a winner or loser! (That are two questions not just the love him or hate him one! 😀 )

 

[Steven123]

In the end i'd say he was a winner. I think he got more pride and satisfaction from helping the gang and doing his part for the group than anything else. At times i think he was probably viewed as the "loser" probably more so for what happened between him and Anya. And at times to the viewer he came across as a the typical "loser" by that i mean when he was ousted to Buffy's affections by Angel,he lost Cordelia due to his feelings for Willow,who he then lost to Tara (in that sense of the way) and then what happened with Anya.

But overall i think he came out of it the winner.

 

[SpikesGrrl4Real]

total Xander fan here - in answer to the question of whether he won or not, all I'm gonna say right now is Zeppo (total win 🙂 ) but if I can deviate for a second and say he definitely deserved to be doing more martial arts. I was always hoping to see him go nuts and kill everything nonhuman in the room. But yeah, I do think Xander won a lot...

 

[david4wt]

I don't like Xander. I know I'm not aswering your question. But I don't like Xander. 😀

 

[Living Dead Boy]

I might not always like his actions, but he is still like family to me, so I can't help but love him. He's just like a real person. And he's a winner, hands down, not because he fell down, but because he got back up. He survived it all.

 

[ladydorotea]

My sympathy for Xander rises and ebbs season to season. I disliked him most in S1 and S6, but even then he was a lot of fun to have on screen - my fav Xander centric episode is the one where he gets split into two Xanders. I sort of think that ever since that moment he was more on the 'winner' side even at his worst. I really like him right now where he is post S8, and he is definitely a winner insofar - but we all know Joss is evil...

 

[BuffyElevated]

In the end i'd say he was a winner. I think he got more pride and satisfaction from helping the gang and doing his part for the group than anything else. At times i think he was probably viewed as the "loser" probably more so for what happened between him and Anya. And at times to the viewer he came across as a the typical "loser" by that i mean when he was ousted to Buffy's affections by Angel,he lost Cordelia due to his feelings for Willow,who he then lost to Tara (in that sense of the way) and then what happened with Anya.

But overall i think he came out of it the winner.

This... I agree. I think he was a winner because he took great pride and satisfaction in being able to help Buffy and his friends, even in small "insignificant" ways.

 

[EvilWillow]

Hmm...I guess I would say winner. He was a decent friend...he was just a crappy bf. BUT he had really good moments in the series. 🙂

I didn't think I liked Xander that much until I had a dream last night that we were in love and I "couldn't live without him" and we made out a lot. (LOL) Funny that this thread was posted the morning after that dream haha.

So I guess subconsciously I do like him.A lot. Or maybe I just think he is hot. 😛

 

[Nix]

I think he was a winner. He bought a different element to the show and bought people back down to earth sometimes and at other times lifted them up. I thought he was a great character even though he had a few faults here and there (like being a pants bf).

 

[EVIL UU]

Xander? A loser? Oh...wow, I mean, we are talking here about the guy who slept with Faith, Anya, Dawn and Dracula (!) and has been wanted by EVERY WOMAN EVER. The guy who survived all those years and never went insane. The guy who gave Buffy - the protagonist, a brush-off in her own comic book (!) because he's so over her. The guy who invented the holy water gun, sweet mother of Batman, that's almost as awesome as the holy hand grenade.

Gods die - he stands, witches and demons die - he stands, slayers die - he stands, apocalypses come and go - he stands, protagonist dies - he stands.

Xander Harris is a higher being.

 

[Ripper666]

I don't think that Joss and the writters wanted to tell us this but I read "The Great Gatsby" in our English-class and the book critizeses that all people tries too hard to archieve the "American Dream of life"! They forget about their friends and moral standards just to become rich and famous. (What not means that the American Dream is wrong or something like this... just overrated.)
Xander never tried to become rich and famous, in contrary he tried to help friends and he gives more than it looks like in the first view. He looses so much but anyway...he is still happy. And in the end he got a great job and is allowed to rebuild the Sunnydale High. So by helping others he passed through this path and ended where others sees the end of the American Dream. Work hard, be honest and help the ones who need help and you'll archieve your goals in life! That's what Xander represents. He lost fights but in the end he is the (silent) champion.

 

[PassionBecoming]

When I came to BB, I was actually shocked that some people disliked Xander! I wouldn't say he's a favorite character for me, but I think he's awesome! I have a respect for him because he is someone who, though he has no special power, would stand up and fight with his friends. He wants to protect Buffy, Willow, Dawn, and the world even though he knows there's a good chance he will get hurt or die trying. To me, the characters that fight using only themselves are awe-inspiring. (See my current banner along with that theme. 🙂 )

So, in short, Xander does have flaws, but he is a winner in my book. He went from geeky high school kid to construction guru, all while fighting along with Buffy and saving the world.

 

[SlayerFest]

I might not always like his actions, but he is still like family to me, so I can't help but love him. He's just like a real person. And he's a winner, hands down, not because he fell down, but because he got back up. He survived it all.

Yesss, it sounds so weird to say that, but it's so true. I have a friend who cannot stand Xander and neither can her brother haha but I just can't help but love him. He was such an absolute ass at times, ugh...but there are people who hate him, and I just don't understand that.

To answer the question, he was far from a loser. He was there for his friends and he was with them every step of the way. I can't imagine how frustrating it must have been, not to have a special power and to feel like a total loser all the time but he saved all of their damn lives in The Zeppo and in Grave. I love that they never figured out what he did that night, I think they all would have been pret.ty screwed if the school had blown up 😉

So while he had his total dickhead moments, overall...he's only human and he's a pro when it comes to fixing windows.

 

[Jules]

I dont think Xander is a loser. I think the speech he says to Dawn in Potential's sums him up perfectly:

They'll never know how tough it is, Dawnie, to be the one who isn't chosen. To live so near to the spotlight and never step in it. But I know. I see more than anybody realizes because nobody's watching me. I saw you last night. I see you working here today. You're not special. You're extraordinary.

Yes, he has his moments of being judgmental and opinionated but in the end he works with supernatural beings, he fights the forces of darkness and he does it without any special gifts. He's like Batman minus the cool gadgets 🙂

 

[brinkster130]

Xander has surrounded himself with a great set of friends and is involved in meaningfull work with them; that alone makes him a winner.