Scooby Gang (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
| Scooby Gang | |
|---|---|
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| First appearance | The Harvest (assembled) |
| Created by | Joss Whedon |
| Information | |
| Purpose | Apocalypse-averting and demon-hunting |
| Membership |
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The Scooby Gang, or "Scoobies", are a group of characters in the cult television series and comic book Buffy the Vampire Slayer who battle the supernatural forces of evil. The team consists of Buffy Summers and her friends and colleagues who assist her in her duties as the Slayer. First forming in the Season One episode "The Harvest" to prevent The Master from opening a portal to hell, the line-up of the group varied from year to year, but the core that remained intact throughout the series' run was Buffy herself and her best friends, Xander Harris and Willow Rosenberg, as well as her Watcher, Rupert Giles. This group was also called the "slayerettes." The group was first referred to as the Scooby Gang by Xander Harris in the Season Two episode "What's My Line, Part One" as a reference to the group of monster-hunting teenagers from the Hanna-Barbera animated series Scooby-Doo that is otherwise known as Mystery Inc., who investigate and solve supernatural/occult monsters mysteries much like The Scoobies in Buffy. The first visible sign was in Season 1, Episode 11, where Willow is seen wearing a Scooby Doo T-shirt, Buffy sports the Daphne trademark neck scarf, and later Xander responds, "Can you say, 'Gulp'?" as Shaggy often does. Sarah Michelle Gellar, the actress who plays Buffy, would later also appear as Daphne Blake in the films Scooby-Doo and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed.
The Scooby Gang usually take an unimpressed, flippant attitude towards extraordinary events and supernatural occurrences. Originally a group of teenage friends attending Sunnydale High in a town built on top of a Hellmouth, the group gradually expanded, eventually merging with the Watchers' Council to become a global organization dealing with demonic threats worldwide and training thousands of Slayers. In the beginning, Buffy often had to protect her friends from monsters, but over the course of the series most of them gained superpowers and fighting skills of their own, with Xander the only notable member with no mystical abilities or connection to the supernatural, though he does acquire extensive military knowledge thanks to a spell. Due to the show's strong themes of female empowerment, the most powerful members of the team are often female (Buffy and Willow), while the men play passive roles such as that of father-figure (Giles) and supportive best friend (Xander). Also, in keeping with the show's themes of redemption and moral ambiguity, Willow, Angel, Spike, Faith, Giles, Anya, and Andrew have at some point in their lives descended into darkness. Each of these characters has murdered at least one person during their life, although for most it was substantially more.
At least initially, in Season Eight (a canonical continuation of the series in comic book format), the Scoobies are scattered across the world. In addition to the primary gang, there are short of 2000 Slayers, many of whom work with the expanded organization in addition to witches, psychics and other staff. The core Scoobies now each act as important figures in the new Watcher's Council and maintain a role of leadership and authority amongst the Slayers they employ. With the group scattered, communication is maintained primarily through phone calls, and the group leaders (in particular the core three) now assume more superheroic positions and parallels than in previous seasons. Former allies in Season 7 such as Andrew and Rona now lead squads of their own.
Alternative names
The group is also sometimes referred to as the "Slayerettes," mostly in early episodes or later in the scene descriptions to refer to the Potentials, but mostly it didn't catch on with fans. Both Willow (in the season one episode "Witch") and Spike (in the season four episodes "The I in Team" and "The Yoko Factor") have used the term in the show on different occasions.
Scooby Gang members
(In chronological order)
- Buffy Summers — As the Slayer, Buffy possesses enhanced abilities that enable her to battle the forces of darkness. She is the focal point of the Scooby Gang, as the team initially formed around her responsibilities as the Chosen One, and she is very close to most of its members. Although Buffy had initially been reluctant to accept her destiny, by the end of Season One she faces the prophecy of her death head-on, later revived by Xander. By Season Eight, she has become a leader as well as a Slayer, training her fellow Slayers in the fight against evil.
- Rupert Giles — As Buffy's Watcher, and a father-figure and mentor to the entire group, Giles is a founding figure of the Scooby Gang, although his British upbringing resists the lighthearted nickname at first. Even after the Watchers' Council stripped him of his title in Season Three, he continued to support Buffy. He remained with the Scoobies until the end of Season Five, when he returned to England at Buffy's death. In Season Six he returns after Buffy is resurrected, then leaves again so that his presence won't hold her back from growing strong and independent. Thereafter, he is based in England where he is training a squad of Slayers, and Andrew as a Watcher. Giles was almost killed by the evil Angelus toward the end of Season Two. In Season Eight, a possessed Angel snapped Giles' neck, killing him instantly.
- Xander Harris — The most consistent and reliable member of the Scoobies, the wise-cracking Xander is notable for being one of the few characters in the show with no "superpowers". Instead, his insight, compassion, and support is how he helps his friends in the battle against evil; for example, he brings Willow back from the brink of darkness with his unconditional love in Season Six. Xander also possesses some knowledge of military combat and weapons after being turned into a real soldier in a Halloween episode.
- Willow Rosenberg — Willow's abilities as a witch make her one of the most powerful members of the Scooby Gang. She is also a gifted hacker. Originally she sometimes resented being known as a "sidekick", but she grew to lead the Scoobies during Buffy's temporary death between Seasons Five and Six. Although she nearly causes the end of the world after her soulmate Tara is killed, she is also responsible for magically activating all of the Potential Slayers in the world.
- Angel — Angel is unique among vampires because he is cursed with a soul, Spike being the only other known vampire with a soul. He is also Buffy's lover in Seasons One through Three. Angel's ability to work with the other Scoobies on the side of good is completely dependent on his soul. Without his soul, Angel becomes Angelus, a vampire with no humanity whatsoever. In Season Two, his soul was briefly stripped from him after a forbidden moment of utter happiness. During this time he killed Jenny Calendar and tortured Giles causing his relationship with the group to remain strained even after his soul was restored. Angel leaves the Scoobies at Buffy's graduation. Together with Cordelia, he starts his own group, Angel Investigations, in Los Angeles. Though he returned to Buffy in Season Eight, Angel was possessed and killed Giles. This caused a rift between Angel and Buffy, and Angel decided to search for a way to resurrect Giles with the help of Faith.
- Jenny Calendar — The computer science teacher at Sunnydale High, who holds a secret allegiance to her gypsy clan. Her real name is Janna of the Kalderash tribe, and her secret motivation for being at Sunnydale is to make sure the curse her clan cast on Angel remains intact. However, she didn't know that a single moment of perfect happiness would break the curse, and thought it was enough just to ensure that Angel still suffered. She joins with the Scoobies while falling in love with Giles during Season Two. The discovery of her secret in "Innocence" creates a permanent rift between her and the Scoobies, which lasts until her death at Angelus' hands.
- Cordelia Chase — A snobby cheerleader at Sunnydale High, Cordelia looks down on the Scoobies, whom she dismisses as unpopular. However, she often finds herself in perilous situations and relies on Buffy to save her. In Season Two, Cordelia becomes Xander's girlfriend and an official member of the Scooby Gang until she leaves for Los Angeles and joins Angel Investigations. She dies after being the vessel for a demonic force.
- Daniel "Oz" Osbourne — Willow's boyfriend throughout Seasons Two to Four, Oz is a werewolf and the guitarist for local band Dingoes Ate My Baby. With his stoic sense of humor, Oz is a loyal and popular member of the Scoobies, although he does have to be locked in the library's cage for three nights each month during the full moon. He leaves the group in Season Four to learn how to control his wolf side and ends up living in Tibet with his new wife and infant son.
- Faith Lehane — A troubled girl who became a Slayer as a result of Kendra's death, Faith arrives in Sunnydale in Season Three after her Watcher is killed. Although she works with the Scooby Gang and even starts to accept Giles' authority, she never really integrates with them. During one desperate fight in partnership with Buffy, she accidentally kills a man, creating a permanent schism between her and the Scoobies and eventually leading Faith to join up with The Mayor. In Season Four Faith awakens from a coma and flees to Los Angeles, where Angel again offers to help her. This time Faith repents and turns herself in to the police, remaining in jail until her escape in Season Four of Angel to help capture Angelus. After Angel is re-ensouled, she returns with Willow to Sunnydale to help the Scoobies in their final battle against the First Evil. In Season Eight, she and Giles decided to partner together in a "Slayer social worker" program to keep Slayers from going to the dark side. After the Watcher's death, Faith accompanied Angel to both aid him in his quest to resurrect Giles and to make sure that he does not become evil again.
- Anya Jenkins — Born mortal a thousand years ago as Aud, Anya became the vengeance demon Anyanka after turning her cheating boyfriend into a troll. She specialized in cursing men who had wronged women. When one of her curses went in an unanticipated direction, the breaking of a curse stripped her of her powers and made her mortal again. During her struggles with her unwanted mortality, Anya falls in love with Xander, who helps her to understand human conventions. Anya often offends people due to her frank honesty and literalness. Initially very selfish, she eventually comes to respect humans and proves her loyalty to the team many times. She is killed by a Bringer during the series finale.
- Riley Finn — Buffy's college boyfriend, Riley is a soldier for the government demon-hunting operation the Initiative. Riley joins the Scoobies after he learns that the Initiative has become corrupt. However, his relationship with Buffy gradually disintegrates, and in Season Five he leaves to join another army unit. In Season Eight, he returns to work as a mole for Buffy, infiltrating the organization of the villain Twilight.
- Tara Maclay — Willow's girlfriend in Seasons Four to Six. Like Willow, she is also a witch. On her own, she is nowhere near as powerful as Willow, but together they make a formidable magical team. Before meeting Willow, Tara had been painfully shy, in part due to a father who led her to believe that she was demonic. Her confidence improved steadily as she formed strong friendships with several members of the Scoobies. During Buffy's temporary death between Seasons Five and Six, she became Dawn's surrogate mother. Tara is killed when Warren Mears accidentally shoots her, launching Willow's spiral into Dark Willow.
- Spike — A punk vampire who has killed two previous Slayers, Spike took his nickname from one of his former killings which involved a railroad spike. His real name is William. Although he enters the series as a villain, Spike allies briefly with the Scoobies during Season Two to save his vampire lover Drusilla and stop Angel from destroying the world. Part of the deal was that he and Drusilla leave Sunnydale. However, he returns several times after Drusilla leaves him. When Spike tries to return for good in Season Four, the Initiative promptly captures him and fits him with a tracking device and a microchip that prevents him from harming humans. As a result, he allies again with the Scoobies. Over time, Spike falls in love with Buffy, and he briefly becomes Buffy's lover in Season Six. Her rejection of him inspires him to recover his soul. Most of the Scoobies remain somewhat wary of him right up until the series finale, when he fights side by side with them and, with help from an amulet given by Angel, sacrifices himself to save the world. Following his mystical resurrection, Spike joined Angel's fight in Los Angeles. Spike later went off on his own, inherited a ship full of giant insects and reunited with Buffy.
- Dawn Summers — Buffy's younger sister, Dawn, is actually a mystical orb of energy who was turned into human form by her guardians. She and all those around her were also given false memories to conceal the fact that Dawn was not always part of the human world. Dawn suffers from abandonment issues due to both her mother and Buffy having died in the same year she entered Buffy's life; she considers the Scooby Gang to be her surrogate family and is very close to them. Particularly, she's very fond of Willow and Tara (her surrogate parental figures), and of Spike, whom she looks at as a sort of uncle or older brother.
- Kennedy — One of the potential Slayers of Season Seven, Kennedy is outgoing, impulsive, and a natural leader. She also becomes Willow's lover. Along with the other potentials, her Slayer nature is activated in "Chosen". In Season Eight, Kennedy heads and trains all the Slayers in the New York City area.
- Andrew Wells — Another former villain, Andrew is an immature nerd who was captured by the Scoobies. Over time, he learns to show remorse for his past crimes. Although the Scoobies are slow to accept him, he fights side by side with them during the season finale and starts training to be a Watcher in Season Eight.
Team variations
Season 1
- Buffy Summers
- Xander Harris
- Willow Rosenberg
- Rupert Giles
- Allies:
- Angel
- Cordelia Chase, starting with the episode "Out of Mind, Out of Sight"
- Jenny Calendar, starting with the episode "I Robot, You Jane"
Season 2
- Buffy Summers
- Xander Harris
- Willow Rosenberg
- Cordelia Chase
- Rupert Giles
- Angel, until he loses his soul in "Innocence"
- Jenny Calendar, until her secret was revealed in "Innocence"
- Allies:
- Daniel "Oz" Osbourne, starting with the episode "Surprise".
- Kendra Young, starting with the episode "What's My Line", until she is killed by Drusilla in "Becoming"
Season 3
- Buffy Summers, after she returns from running away in "Dead Man's Party"
- Xander Harris
- Willow Rosenberg
- Cordelia Chase, until "Lovers Walk" and then joins again in "Enemies".
- Rupert Giles
- Daniel "Oz" Osbourne
- Angel, from around the episode "Doppelgangland" when he started assisting the whole group again.
- Allies:
- Joyce Summers
- Anya Jenkins, helped in "Graduation Day"
- Faith Lehane, until she turns to the dark side and begins working for The Mayor in "Consequences".
- Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, from the episode "Bad Girls" until Buffy quits the Watchers' Council in "Graduation Day".
Season 4
- Buffy Summers
- Xander Harris
- Willow Rosenberg
- Anya Jenkins, from around the episode "Pangs"
- Rupert Giles
- Daniel "Oz" Osbourne, until he leaves town in "Wild at Heart"
- Allies:
- Angel, returns to Sunnydale to help the Scooby Gang in "Pangs"
- Tara Maclay, starting with the episode "Who Are You"
- Riley Finn, starting with the episode "Doomed"
- Olivia Williams, helped in the episode "Hush"
- Spike, reluctantly and unreliably from the episode "Pangs" until the episode "The Yoko Factor".
Season 5
- Buffy Summers, until her death at the end of "The Gift"
- Xander Harris
- Willow Rosenberg
- Anya Jenkins
- Rupert Giles
- Tara Maclay
- Riley Finn, until he leaves town in "Into the Woods"
- Allies:
- Dawn Summers
- Spike
- Joyce Summers, until her death at the end of "I Was Made to Love You"
Season 6
- Buffy Summers, from "After Life" onwards.
- Xander Harris
- Willow Rosenberg, until the episode "Seeing Red"
- Anya Jenkins, until her relationship with Xander ends in "Hell's Bells"
- Tara Maclay, until she breaks up with Willow in "Tabula Rasa". She later rejoins in "Entropy" until her death at the end of the episode "Seeing Red".
- Dawn Summers
- Rupert Giles, until the episode "Tabula Rasa"
- Allies:
- Spike, until he leaves for Africa in "Seeing Red".
Season 7
- Buffy Summers
- Xander Harris
- Anya Jenkins, rejoins in "Selfless", until her death in "Chosen."
- Dawn Summers
- Willow Rosenberg, rejoins the group in "Help"
- Spike, joins the gang in "Potential."
- Rupert Giles, rejoins in "Bring on the Night"
- Faith Lehane, starting with the episode "Dirty Girls"
- Allies:
- Kennedy, starting with the episode "Bring on the Night"
- Andrew Wells, reluctantly from around the episode "Never Leave Me"
- Robin Wood, starting with the episode "First Date"
- Potential Slayers
Comics
Season 8
- Buffy Summers
- Xander Harris
- Dawn Summers
- Willow Rosenberg, rejoins the group in "The Long Way Home, Part 2"
- Andrew Wells, in "Wolves at the Gate", and "Predators and Prey" onwards.
- Kennedy, in "Time of Your Life", and from "Retreat" onwards
- Rupert Giles, from "Retreat" onwards
- Faith Lehane, from "Retreat" onwards
- Allies:
- Renée, until her death in "Wolves at the Gate, Part 4"
- Daniel "Oz" Osbourne, assists the group in "Retreat"
- Bay, assists the group with Oz in "Retreat"
- Dracula in "Wolves at the Gate"
- Riley Finn, triple agent loyal to Buffy.
Season 9
- Buffy Summers
- Xander Harris
- Dawn Summers
- Willow Rosenberg
- Spike
- Andrew Wells
- Billy Lane (taken in by Buffy at the end of "Billy the Vampire Slayer")
- Allies:
- Riley Finn
- Kennedy, founder of Deepscan, the Slayer private security firm
- Anaheed, Buffy's new roommate, later revealed to be a Slayer.
- Tumble, Buffy's new male roommate
- Robert Dowling, a homicide detective in San Francisco that first appears in "Freefall"
- Eldre Koh, an ancient demon that swore loyalty to Buffy after her actions freed him from his magical prison, later betrayed her to find the location of his jailer for vengeance, but reconciles with her to stop the Siphon.
- Illyria (Angel) teams up with Koh and Buffy to stop Severin the Siphon but is drained of her powers. Later sides with Buffy, Koh, Willow and Xander at The Deeper Well.
Headquarters
Along with variations in the team roster, the place which serves as a sort of "headquarters" for the Scooby Gang has also changed a few times over the series. The most notable of these headquarters, before its explosion in the Season Three finale, is the Sunnydale High School library. Rupert Giles' apartment later becomes a temporary base for the gang in Season 4, until Giles becomes the new owner of the magic shop in Season 5, The Magic Box, where it becomes replacement for the school library. However, after the events of the series finale, the Scoobies have, as stated above, been spread across the world, with Buffy and Xander maintaining a "command center" in Scotland.
To the crew of Buffy, the headquarters was the set where the most exposition writing of the show took place, and thus was the most used and most hated of the Buffy sets.[1]
Seasons 1–3
- Sunnydale High School library[1] until Buffy, Willow and Xander's graduation
Seasons 4-5
- Giles' apartment until Giles buys the Magic Box
Seasons 5–6
- The Magic Box,[1] under the ownership of Giles in season 5, and later Anya's ownership in season 6, with Giles as a silent partner, until Dark Willow destroys it.
Season 7
- Summers Residence[1] until Sunnydale was destroyed
Season 8
- Scotland Castle, until it's blown up in "Time of Your Life, Part 2"
- Scotland Mansion, until they retreat in between "Living Doll" and "Retreat"
- Hidden and Disguised Castle, until they retreat for a second time onto their submarine in "Retreat, Part 1"
- Oz's Sanctuary in Tibet, from "Retreat" to the latest issue
Season 9
- Buffy's apartment in San Francisco.
Affiliated Organizations
References
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