Watcher (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Watchers' Council
Watchers' Council
	The Watchers' Council, assembled at their headquarters
First appearance	Welcome to the Hellmouth
Last appearance	Never Leave Me
Created by	Joss Whedon
In-universe information
Purpose	Find, train, and support The Vampire Slayer
Membership	Key members: Rupert Giles ; Quentin Travers ; Wesley Wyndam-Pryce ; Merrick ; Andrew Wells ;

Watcher
Watcher
Buffy the Vampire Slayer character
	Screenshot of two Watchers: Wesley (left) and Giles (right) in "Bad Girls" (1999).
First appearance	"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1992) (non-canon); "Welcome to the Hellmouth" (1997)
Created by	Joss Whedon
Portrayed by	Donald Sutherland (non-canon), Anthony Head, Richard Riehle, Alexis Denisof, Harris Yulin, Serena Scott Thomas, Cynthia Lamontagne, Kris Iyer, Oliver Muirhead, Rob Nagle, Michael Halsey, Tom Lenk
In-universe information
Affiliation	Watchers' Council
Classification	Human
Notable powers	Moderate fighting techniques and superior knowledge of demonology, sorcery, the black arts, and magical artifacts.

Last updated February 01, 2024

In the fictional universe of the television series' Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel aWatcher is a member of a secret organization of parapsychologists. The Watchers' Council, which seeks to prepare the Slayer to fight demonic forces. A notable example of a Watcher is Buffy main character Rupert Giles. They are typically modelled after the fictional character Abraham Van Helsing from Bram Stoker's novel Dracula .

Description

Watchers are devoted to tracking and fighting malevolent supernatural entities (particularly vampires), primarily by locating individuals with the talents required to fight such beings and win. More specifically, Watchers are assigned to Slayers, girls who are part of a succession of mystically powered individuals who are destined to face said foes. Upon a Slayer's demise, the next Slayer is called into duty and is assigned a Watcher.

The Watchers' Council trains new Watchers in a private school of some kind. In "Never Kill a Boy on the First Date", Giles implies that Watchers are, to a certain extent, "called" or assigned to become Watchers before going to university. This idea is supported by Watcher families such as the Giles and Wyndam-Pryces.

Rupert Giles was Buffy's Watcher at the beginning of the series. It was revealed that he had never been invited to the Watchers' retreat. After being fired by the Council for having "a father's love" for the Slayer in season 3, he remained her unofficial Watcher for the rest of the series. Wesley Wyndam-Pryce became Buffy and Faith's Watcher for a short period. Wyndam-Pryce was fired after Faith turned rogue and Buffy "quit". Rupert Giles was reinstated as Buffy's official Watcher in the season 5 episode "Checkpoint," and he remains so until the events at the end of Season 5, though Giles maintains his contacts with Buffy.

Powers and abilities

A standard Watcher has at least some proficiency in the use of magic, with certain individuals being more powerful than others. One episode in Angel ( Sanctuary ) reveals that numerous members of the board of directors are alchemists. They are students of demonology and as such have a wide knowledge of various incarnations of evil, but their expertise is usually the vampire. They are also highly educated and can speak a wide variety of languages, both human and demonic in nature.

Watchers are typically well versed in hand-to-hand combat techniques, though they generally confine themselves to training Slayers or supporting them in battles, as their lower strength relatively limits their effectiveness in directly engaging vampires.

Shadow Men

In ancient times, a group known as the Shadow Men used magic to infuse a captive girl with the essence of a demon, thereby creating the First Slayer, whom they use to fight demonic forces. The descendants of the Shadow Men go on to form the Watchers' Council.^[1]

In 2003, Slayer Buffy Anne Summers uses a strange mystical device to meet with the Shadow Men about the threat she faces from the First Evil, where she learns how the Slayers were created.^[2] They attempt to repeat history by infusing an unwilling Buffy with the same demonic essence that they used on the First Slayer to increase her power; however, Buffy refused, as she had come to seek only knowledge, not power, especially if that power meant that she would lose her humanity. After Buffy defeats them, one of the Shadow Men gives Buffy what she wants: knowledge of what is coming. He shows her a vision of the First's army of Turok-Han in the Hellmouth, causing her to start to reconsider her decision, but she is brought back by her friends before she can do anything else.

The Shadow Men first appeared in Fray issue #3 and were later shown onscreen in the episode "Get It Done".

Watchers' Council

The Watchers' Council of Britain is an organization dedicated to finding, training, and supervising Slayers. Over the years, however, the Council has become increasingly arrogant and egocentric, believing themselves to be the supreme authority while the Slayers are just their tools.

The Council eventually bases its headquarters in London, England.^[3] It tries to locate potential Slayers and then send Watchers to inform and train them. It is not always successful in doing so, and therefore some Slayers are fully trained when they are called, while others know nothing of the heritage or purpose of their power. Each potential Slayer is assigned her own Watcher – a Council employee who is responsible for training the Slayer in combat techniques as well as researching demons, vampires, and magics. Watchers also maintain diaries chronicling the lives of the Slayers under their charge.

In late 2002, the Council learns that The First is systematically eliminating potential Slayers around the world in an effort to end the Slayer line. Unfortunately, before this information can be acted on, the Council headquarters is destroyed by agents of The First, specifically Caleb – "At long last. All this time. All the work I've done for you... Blowing up the Council". The Council leadership is killed, and the Council is not able to offer assistance in the struggle against The First.^[4]

In the aftermath of the battle with the army of The First and the destruction of the Sunnydale Hellmouth, the Watchers' Council begins the process of rebuilding. The work to be done is considerable, especially in light of the creation of hundreds of active Slayers around the world.^[5] The structure of this new Council is unknown, but it appears that Rupert Giles is its new head and is training Andrew Wells as a Watcher.^[6] Only three members of the Watchers' Council have been shown to have survived the First's attacks: Rupert Giles; an acquaintance to him named Robson who survived a Bringer attack; and Roger Wyndham-Pryce. His son, Wesley, and Rutherford Sirk were ex-members of the Council and thus not targeted by the First Evil.

In the canonical comic Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight , Giles informs Faith that he is, for all intents and purposes, the Watcher's Council. Andrew, Xander Harris, and Robin Wood are functioning as Watchers (though Xander dislikes that term and insists that others do not call him such), assisting in the training and supervision of the new Slayers in separate squads around the world (Rome, Scotland, and Cleveland respectively). Their duties have expanded to monitoring Slayers as well; Giles offers Faith Lehane a new identity in exchange for her undertaking the mission to kill Genevieve Savidge, a sociopathic Slayer. Later, the two form a "Slayer social worker" program to try to prevent more Slayers from going rogue.

According to the comic Fray , a Slayer in the 21st century banishes all demons and magics from the world. When evil returns, a new Slayer – Melaka Fray – is called. The Watchers' Council in this era apparently retains the resources to locate Slayers. Melaka Fray is approached by her assigned Watcher, but rather than assist or train her, he immolates himself in front of her.^[7] Melaka is instead trained by a demon who says that the remaining Council consists of fanatics and fools.^[8]

Methods

The Watchers' Council has been known to use ethically questionable methods to accomplish its goals. The Council employs a trio of operatives known as the Special Operations Team.^[9] This team is responsible for some of the more unsavory aspects of the Council's work, such as interrogations, smuggling, and, if necessary, assassinations. When Faith Lehane stakes and kills a human, the Special Ops Team was dispatched to retrieve the rogue Slayer, circumventing local and international authorities.^[10]

The Council is also known for placing its principles and perceived goals ahead of the well-being of the Slayer. A test known as the Cruciamentum involves suppressing the Slayer's natural abilities with a drug and pitting her against a particularly dangerous vampire on the Slayer's eighteenth birthday in order to test the Slayer's intelligence and practical capabilities. When one particular Watcher, Rupert Giles, defies the rules of the test and interferes in the Cruciamentum of his Slayer – Buffy Summers – he is dismissed from his position immediately.^[11]

In 2001, representatives of the Council visit Sunnydale, California to deliver vital information on the seemingly unstoppable Glory to the Slayer, Buffy Summers. However, the Council refuses to turn over the information until an extensive review of Buffy's abilities is completed. This assessment includes a review of Buffy's combat skills, as well as interviews with many of her closest friends. Eventually, the Slayer turns the tables on the Watchers, declaring that they need her to validate their existence more than she needs their help. She defends the frequent assistance of her friends (Slayers typically operate alone) and demands that Rupert Giles be reinstated as her Watcher, with retroactive pay to the time of his dismissal. The Council agrees to this, changing the nature of the Council/Slayer relationship until the Council's destruction two years later.^[12]

When the Scoobies rebuilt the Council after the war with the First, they did so under better circumstances. Thus, the new Council is far more moral and ethical, in contrast to the moral ambiguity of the original.

Guardians

The Guardians is an organization of long-lived women who developed parallel to the Shadow Men and Watchers. They forge a weapon, the Scythe, for the Slayer to use. They are apparently mistrustful of the Shadow Men and Watchers who followed, as they keep this weapon, along with their very existence, a secret. They allow the Watchers to observe and manage the Slayer for centuries, but all the while the Guardians are watching the Watchers. They remain in hiding until Buffy Summers discovers the Scythe and tracks its origin to an Egyptian-style tomb, where the last Guardian waits. Immediately after explaining herself to Buffy, the Guardian is killed by Caleb, putting an end to the organization.^[1]

List of Watchers

Note: Some Slayers have had more than one Watcher in the course of their careers.

Watcher	Slayer(s)	First appearance (as a Watcher)
Merrick	Buffy Summers	Buffy the Vampire Slayer (non-canon), "Becoming, Part One"
Giles, Rupert	Buffy Summers and Faith Lehane	"Welcome to the Hellmouth"
Zabuto, Roger "Sam"	Kendra Young	Mentioned in "What's My Line, Part One"
Post, Gwendolyn*	Faith Lehane	"Revelations"
Wyndam-Pryce, Wesley	Buffy Summers and Faith Lehane	"Bad Girls"
Travers, Quentin	none (chairman of the Council)	"Helpless"
Crowley, Bernard	Nikki Wood	Mentioned in "First Date"
Sirk, Rutherford	Unknown	"Home"
Wyndam-Pryce, Roger	Unknown	Appears as a robot in "Lineage"
Wells, Andrew	Many	"Damage"

* Watcher fraudulently "assigned" herself to Faith after being expelled from the Council.

The following have been featured with no significant details known about them. Not all of these are true Watchers, some of them are merely operatives on payroll.

Blair
Hobson
Lydia—Wrote a thesis on William the Bloody
Nigel
Phillip
Robson
Faith's first Watcher
Giles' father
Giles' paternal grandmother (named Edna in a Tales of the Vampires comic by Joss Whedon)
Collins, Weatherby and Smith—The Council Special Ops Team
Faith's nurse
Wesley's thugs

The (non-canon) novels and comics, especially those focusing on previous Slayers, show or mention other Watchers including: Michaela Tomassi (The Gatekeeper trilogy), Archibald Lassiter ( Giles ), Harold and John Travers ( Pretty Maids All in a Row ), Yanna Narvik (watched over the Slayer, Sophie Carstensen in Pretty Maids All in a Row), Marie-Christine Fontaine (watched Slayer, Eleanor Boudreau in Pretty Maids All in a Row), Diana Dormer (the name given to Faith's first Watcher in Go Ask Malice ).

Interpretation

The Watcher's Council as a religious organization

J'annine Jobling believes that there is a parallel between the Watcher's Council and religious organizations, because they are "bound by tradition and hierarchy", while Buffy and her friends act more democratically and are motivated by love.^[13] James Rocha and Mona Rocha add that members of the Council do not even question the institution, which for them is always right. They are valuing their old customs and do not want to change it. They portray themselves in a very positive way and believe in their own portrayal. This makes them unable to do any moral thinking and leads them to betraying the values, they pretend to have.^[14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffy Summers</span> Lead character of Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Buffy Anne Summers is the title character of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in The WB/UPN 1997–2003 television series and subsequent 1998–2018 Dark Horse and 2019–present Boom! Studios comic series of the same name. The character has also appeared in the spin-off series Angel, as well as numerous expanded universe materials such as novels and video games. Buffy was portrayed by Kristy Swanson in the film and by Sarah Michelle Gellar in the television series. Giselle Loren has lent her voice to the character in both the Buffy video games and an unproduced animated series, while Kelly Albanese lent her voice to the character in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight motion comics.

Rupert Giles is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The character is portrayed by Anthony Stewart Head. He serves as Buffy Summers' mentor and surrogate father figure. The character proved popular with viewers, and Head's performance in the role was well received. Following Buffy's run, Whedon intended to launch a television spin-off focused on the character, but rights issues prevented the project from developing. Outside of the television series, the character has appeared substantially in Expanded Universe material such as novels, comic books, and short stories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wesley Wyndam-Pryce</span> Character in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel

Wesley Wyndam-Pryce is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Played by Alexis Denisof, Wesley first appeared in the fourteenth episode of Buffy's third season in 1999, appearing in nine episodes before moving over to spin-off series Angel where he became a main character for all five seasons. Following Angel's final season, the character's story is continued in the 2007 canonical comic book series Angel: After the Fall.

Faith (<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>) Character from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Faith Lehane is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Played by actress Eliza Dushku, Faith was introduced in the third season of Buffy and was a focus of that season's overarching plot. She returned for shorter story arcs on Buffy and its spin-off, Angel. The character's story is continued in the comic book series Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, and she also appears in apocryphal material such as other comic books and novels. Faith was set to receive her own spin-off television series after the final season of Buffy, but Eliza Dushku declined the offer, and the series was never made. The character later co-stars in the 25-issue comic book Angel & Faith beginning in August 2011 under the banner of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine, the story taking place mostly in London and the surrounding area. Seven years after the character's creation, Whedon granted her the surname Lehane for a role-playing game and subsequent material. The last issue of Season Eight was the first source officially confirmed to be canon that referred to Faith by her full name.

Fray is an eight-issue comic book limited series, a futuristic spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Written by Buffy creator Joss Whedon, the series follows a Slayer named Melaka Fray, a chosen one in a time where vampires are returning to the slums of New York City, and the rich-poor divide is even greater. Volume one is drawn by Karl Moline (pencils) and Andy Owens (inks).

The Buffyverse or Slayerverse is a media franchise created by Joss Whedon. The term also refers to the shared fictional universe in which the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel are set. This term, originally coined by fans of the TV series, has since been used in the titles of published works, and adopted by Joss Whedon, the creator of the fictional universe. The Buffyverse is a place in which supernatural phenomena exist, and supernatural evil can be challenged by people willing to fight against such forces. Much of the licensed Buffyverse merchandise and media, while being official, is not considered to be canon within the universe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harmony Kendall</span> Character in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel

Harmony Kendall is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel. The character is portrayed by Mercedes McNab. Originally cast as a minor character, McNab's credited status elevated to guest star and ultimately series regular over the course of her tenure in Buffy and Angel.

A Slayer, in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, is a young woman bestowed (unwillingly) with mystical powers that originate from the heart, soul and spirit of a pure-demon, which gives her superhuman senses, strength, agility, resilience and speed in the fight against forces of darkness. She occasionally receives prophetic dreams in the few hours that she sleeps.

"Bad Girls" is episode fourteen of season three of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was written by Doug Petrie, directed by Michael Lange, and first broadcast on February 9, 1999 on The WB.

"Consequences" is episode fifteen of season three of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was written by Marti Noxon, directed by Michael Gershman, and first broadcast on The WB on February 16, 1999.

In the fictional world of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series Angel, a vampire is a unique variety of demon that can only exist on the earthly plane by inhabiting and animating a human corpse. In Fray, a Buffy comic book spin-off set about a century in the future, vampires are also called "lurks".

"The Harvest" is the second episode of the first season of the American supernatural drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was written by series creator executive producer Joss Whedon and directed by John T. Kretchmer. The episode originally aired on The WB on March 10, 1997, forming a two-hour premiere with the previous episode, "Welcome to the Hellmouth", and attracted 3.4 million viewers.

<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight</i> Comic book series

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight is a comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics from 2007 to 2011. The series serves as a canonical continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and follows the events of that show's final televised season. It is produced by Joss Whedon, who wrote or co-wrote three of the series arcs and several one-shot stories. The series was followed by Season Nine in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Long Way Home (Buffy comic)</span> 2007 comic arc

"The Long Way Home" is the first arc from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series of comic books, a direct continuation of the television series of the same name. It is written by creator Joss Whedon. It ran for four issues. The first issue was released on March 14, 2007, and the final issue of the arc was released on June 6, 2007. A collected edition of the arc was released on November 14, 2007.

<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine</i>

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine is a comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics from 2011 to 2013. It is the sequel to the Season Eight comic book series, a canonical continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The Season Nine brand also incorporates a new Buffy spin-off series, Angel & Faith, and two spin-off miniseries Willow: Wonderland and Spike: A Dark Place. The core series consisted of 25 issues and each miniseries consisted of 5 issues.

<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i> (season 3) 1998-1999 season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The third season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on September 29, 1998 on The WB and episode 22, the second of the two part season finale, aired on July 13, 1999. However, episode 18 "Earshot" did not air until September 21, 1999, shortly before the season 4 premiere. The show maintained its previous time slot, airing Tuesdays at 8:00 pm ET. "Earshot" and "Graduation Day, Part Two", were delayed in the wake of the Columbine High School massacre because of their content.

<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i> (season 4) Season of television series

The fourth season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on October 5, 1999, on The WB and concluded its 22-episode season on May 23, 2000. It maintained its previous timeslot, airing Tuesdays at 8:00 pm ET. Beginning with this season, the character of Angel was given his own series, which aired on The WB following Buffy. Various Buffy characters made appearances in Angel, including Buffy herself; Cordelia Chase, formerly a regular in Buffy, and Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, who appeared in Buffy season three.

<i>Angel</i> (season 1) Season of television series

The first season of the television series Angel, the spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, premiered on October 5, 1999, on The WB and concluded its 22-episode season on May 23, 2000. The season aired on Tuesdays at 9:00 pm ET, following Buffy.

References

1 2 "End of Days". Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Season 7. Episode 21. 2003-05-13.
↑ "Get It Done". Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Season 7. Episode 15. 2003-02-18.
↑ Holder, Nancy (2012). Buffy: The Making of a Slayer: The Official Guide. London: Titan Books. p. 41. ISBN 9781781162460.
↑ "Never Leave Me". Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Season 7. Episode 9. 2002-11-26.
↑ "Chosen". Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Season 7. Episode 22. 2003-05-20.
↑ "Damage". Angel. Season 57. Episode 11. 2004-01-28.
↑ Whedon, Joss ( w ), Moline, Karl ( p ), Owens, Andy ( i )."Big City Girl" Fray ,vol. 1,no. 1(2001). Dark Horse Comics .
↑ Whedon, Joss ( w ),Moline, Karl ( p ),Owens, Andy ( i )."Ready, Steady..." Fray ,vol. 1,no. 3(2001). Dark Horse Comics .
↑ "Who Are You". Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Season 4. Episode 16. 2000-02-29.
↑ "Sanctuary". Angel. Season 1. Episode 19. 2000-05-02.
↑ "Helpless". Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Season 3. Episode 12. 1999-01-19.
↑ "Checkpoint". Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Season 5. Episode 12. 2001-01-21.
↑ J'annine Jobling (2007): Fantastic Spiritualities: Monsters, Heroes and the Contemporary Religious Imagination. A&C Black. P. 112, 117, 195 ISBN 9781472535290
↑ James Rocha, Mona Rocha (2019): Joss Whedon, Anarchist?: A Unified Theory of the Films and Television Series. McFarland. P.134-151 ISBN 9781476637457