Quentin Travers
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 Harris Yulin as Quentin Travers. |
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Quentin Travers was a fictional character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. His character was seen in seasons three, five, and seven.
Quentin was an Englishman and very senior member of the Watchers' Council (he led the team that instigated the test, he led the delegation with the information on Glory and seemed to be head of the council at the time of his death), and as such, attempted to meddle in the affairs of the Slayer. He insisted that Buffy undergo a ruthless rite of passage on her 18th birthday, in which Giles was forced to inject her with powerful muscle relaxants to greatly diminish her powers. After that, she was to be placed in a room with an insane vampire. The plan backfired, Giles alerted Buffy to the situation, and she was able to overcome her temporary weakness to defeat the vampire with pure cunning. Quentin was impressed with Buffy's performance, but fired Giles for failure to obey the terms of the rite. Later in the season, a replacement Watcher Wesley Wyndam-Pryce was sent to assume Giles' former position. However, his tenure was short and Buffy ended up severing all ties with the Watcher's Council.
In season five, Quentin returned with a cadre of Watchers, and offered Buffy information on her new nemesis Glory if she completed another set of rigorous trials. Buffy grew tired of his antics, and gave Quentin an ultimatum—if Giles were reinstated and the Council assisted her, she would rejoin their ranks. Quentin acquiesced to her demands, and then was not seen for two seasons.
During season seven, Quentin was inside the Watcher's Council building when it was destroyed by Caleb. Though it is possible that some Watchers survived the explosion (as was claimed once on Angel), it is generally assumed that he perished in the attack.
Quentin portrays the antithesis of Giles, as he is a domineering, strict and ruthless individual whose regard for the individual soldier is lost in favor of his regard for the mission, the end truly justifies the means for him, a concept that may be the only trait he and Giles share. While he is on the side of good, his mannerisms and actions are rarely compassionate. Whereas Giles treats his ward with love (inappropriately in Travers' opinion) he refers to the Slayer as a "tool" of the Council. Ironically by the end of season 7 Giles himself begins to demonstrate these traits, especially in his view of Spike and the subsequent plan to kill him. It appears Travers' "hard-nosed" methods are required in a good watcher.
However for all his faults he was clearly an individual of great willpower and personal strength to lead the Council, such determination being shown in the moments prior to his death.
Travers' family may was featured in the tie-in novel Pretty Maids All in a Row. Harold Travers, John Travers (Harold's son) and Arianna de la Croix (a potential slayer turned Watcher that falls in love with John).
Quentin Travers was played by Harris Yulin.
