Willow Rosenberg
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 Alyson Hannigan as Willow |
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Willow Danielle Rosenberg (born either in 1980 or very early 1981 in Sunnydale, California) is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the cult television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She was portrayed by Alyson Hannigan, who also played the character in three episodes of the show's spin-off, Angel.
Willow is the show's only major character known to be Jewish, and later as one of the most prominent lesbian characters in American television. Much as Buffy Summers established an archetype of contemporary female action heroes, characters similar to Willow appear frequently since Buffy the Vampire Slayer in many other teen-oriented dramas — noteworthy examples include Thelma Bates in Hex and Mac Mackenzie in Veronica Mars.
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[edit] Character history
Willow is the only child of Sheila and Ira Rosenberg. Her supercilious and distant mother, a psychologist, appeared in the Season Three episode "Gingerbread." Under the influence of a demon, Sheila tries to burn her daughter at the stake for being a witch, and though she loses much of her memory of the incident, Willow does not. Willow may have inherited from her mother a strong sense of outrage against political injustice, especially that committed against Native Americans. Her father, never seen, is hinted to be equally uninvolved. Her middle name is given as "Danielle" in an early draft of the script for the episode "Bad Girls": "If my parents hadn't settled on 'Danielle,' Danger would be my middle name."
In the first few seasons, Willow is a shy, naïve loner with a light, risqué sense of humor. A member of the Math, Science, and Computer clubs, she is the person to go to for tutoring help. Willow is ridiculed by her more popular classmates, including cheerleaders Cordelia Chase and Harmony Kendall. A fledgling hacker, she is one of two students at Sunnydale High to be selected to be wooed by an unnamed, but very prestigious software company, and is chosen to teach computer science after Jenny Calendar is murdered by Angelus. Willow has a hopeless crush on her childhood friend Xander Harris, who ignores her to pursue his equally hopeless crush on Buffy Summers and later, a relationship with Cordelia Chase. Before Xander develops feelings for the latter, he and Willow had been charter members of the "We Hate Cordelia" Club.
Willow soon becomes Buffy's best friend. When they discover Jenny's secret project, Willow tells Buffy that she has gone through her former favorite teacher's belongings and dabbled in magic. After performing the Ritual of Restoration, she continues to learn magic even though she does not learn of her success in restoring Angel's soul until the episode "Faith, Hope & Trick." Willow develops a romantic relationship with Daniel 'Oz' Osbourne, a guitarist in the local band Dingoes Ate My Baby, which survives the revelation that Oz is a werewolf and a kiss with Xander while being held hostage by Spike. She also meets her demonic alter ego in Season Three's "Doppelgängland," when her vampiric counterpart arrives from an alternate timeline.
At UC Sunnydale, Willow and Buffy move across town to Room 214 in Stevenson Hall. After Oz's dramatic departure in the episode "Wild at Heart," she joins the campus Wicca group, a disappointing experience but for the presence of Tara Maclay. After discovering each other's magic, they become friends, lovers, and later soulmates, sharing one of the few lesbian relationships portrayed on American television.
Willow's magical skills first peak in the Season Six premiere "Bargaining", when she leads Tara, Xander, and Anya in resurrecting Buffy. Afterwards, Willow becomes addicted to using magic, and her disregard for the consequences of her actions eventually drives Tara away and lands Buffy's sister Dawn in the hospital. With Tara's departure and Dawn's injury, Willow is forced to face her problem and stops using magic. When Tara is murdered by Warren Mears, however, a grief-stricken Willow unleashes the dark energies once more, and her vengeance reaches a climax when she uses magic to skin Warren alive. Willow absorbs volumes of magic as she pursues Jonathan Levinson and Andrew Wells, Warren's accomplices, turning against her friends in the process. Her attempt to trigger the apocalypse is thwarted by Xander who refuses to leave her out of love, regardless of what she has done or is doing. This eventually causes Willow to break down over the horrible things she has done (partially because she has absorbed power from Giles that put her back in touch with her true emotions and feelings) and start to come to terms with Tara's death.
Willow retreats to England with Buffy's Watcher Rupert Giles, but is forced to deal with her magical nature and her place in the universe. In an important crossover with the Buffy spin-off series Angel, she battles the being later known as Jasmine, and restores Angel's soul. Willow returns from Los Angeles with Faith, a reformed Slayer. She slowly regains control of her powers and begins a relationship with Potential Slayer Kennedy. In the Buffy series finale, "Chosen," Willow is able to use her powers to change the rules for the entire Slayer line.
Buffy: "In every generation, one Slayer is born...because a bunch of men who died thousands of years ago made up that rule. They were powerful men. This woman [points to Willow] is more powerful than all of them combined. So I say we change the rule. I say my power...should be our power."
[edit] Post-Sunnydale
Following "Chosen," the fifth season of Angel continues the Buffyverse, mentioning Willow spending some time with Kennedy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as well as visiting the Himalayas, and astrally projecting to another plane (cf. "Shells"). Willow will play a major role in the Buffy season eight comics, which are canon.
[edit] Powers and abilities
In Season One, Willow's major "powers" were her intelligence and computer skills, as well as marked snarkiness. She aids Giles as he researches information to aid Buffy in overcoming various challenges. Willow also aids in the preparation of magical materials, making her first potion to detect a witch in the episode "Witch" and performing the ritual to revoke Angelus' invitation to Buffy's house in "Passion", but did not seriously begin practicing magic until the death of Jenny Calendar, one of her teachers. She was asked to take over teaching the class because of her high intelligence and came upon a spell to curse a vampire with a soul. Willow's initial interest in Wicca lies more in the spell-casting portion rather than the faith itself; she sees magic as a way of hacking the universe, and an extension of her computer skills. This is probably because of her relationship with Jenny, who was connected to an online pagan network.
Willow's first major spell involved re-cursing Angel with a soul in the Season Two finale, a feat she repeated in the Angel episode "Orpheus." She learns to levitate a pencil early in the show's third season and her powers continue to develop until, at the end of Season Four, she is casting powerful spells independently and with the help of Tara Maclay. Season Five finds her surpassing Tara, a more experienced witch, in skill and being able to draw enough power to fend off the hell-god Glory.
In Season Six, Willow demonstrates the ability to bring Buffy back to life, leaving her drained but regaining her magic in a few hours. Her friend Amy Madison introduces her to a warlock, Rack, who gives her the ability to go longer and do more spells, which leads Willow further down the path to the dark side of magic. Eventually, after Tara dies, magic consumes Willow and she nearly destroys the world. It is at this time that Anya assumes Willow is now the most powerful Wicca in the Western Hemisphere. Willow is capable of imbuing herself with super strength rivaling Buffy's, flying, absorbing life from others, unleashing powerful energy blasts, and exerting a high level of telepathic mind control.
Season Seven sees her willingness to use magic greatly diminished after the events of the Season Six finale. Willow spends time at a coven in England with Giles where she develops a better understanding of magic, balance, etc. At this point, she is so powerful her very feelings and thoughts can affect the world. Amy comments that other practitioners would have to work twice as hard to gain half of Willow's power. Despite this, Willow is largely prevented from accessing more than slight magic by The First Evil, who attempts to corrupt her at each spell. Examples of the controlled usage of her power are her use of telekinesis to practice self-restraint, conjuring force fields, extensive telepathic conversations, opening a portal, and exerting hypnotic control. Willow also comments that she now absorbs power from the things around her, one time unwillingly draining some of Kennedy's life-force. At the end of Season Seven, Willow casts a spell that imbues all Potential Slayers on Earth with Slayer powers (formerly reserved for only one girl in every generation), temporarily turning Willow's eyes and hair crystal white in the process. Kennedy remarked on it by calling her "A Goddess."
[edit] Religion
Willow is portrayed on the show as "a Wicca." For example, in the Season Three episode "Doppelgängland," Anya tells her: "I heard you were a pretty powerful Wicca, so..." Willow replies: "You heard right, mister!" However, some critics have pointed out that the depiction of Wicca on the show is inaccurate. In the book Seven Seasons of Buffy,[3] author Christie Golden describes Willow as a "Hollywood witch" and points out that even the phrase "a Wicca" makes no sense, stating: "One who follows the faith of Wicca is a Wiccan." The term is, however, closer to the root word (wicce).
Willow also refers to herself on a number of occasions as Jewish and appears to come from a religious family, noting in the Season Two episode "Passion" that she has to go to Xander's house just to watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas" every year. Xander again says it in the Season Five episode, "The Replacement."Willow says her egg is Jewish in the Season 2 episode Bad Eggs. In Seventh season episode "Help", Willow places stones on Tara's headstone, a Jewish tradition to honor the dead.
[edit] Notable spells and incidents
In Season Two's "Halloween", a ghost costume charmed and sold by Ethan Rayne made Willow an immaterial specter. The spell was soon broken and Willow returned to normal.
In Season Four's "Something Blue," Willow cast a spell which granted her the ability to make anything she said come true, although it would only work if she did it unintentionally. She lacked control over this ability and cancelled the spell.
In Season Five's "Triangle," Willow accidentally released a troll from a crystal while trying to create a ball of sunshine to help Buffy slay vampires easily.
Throughout Season Five, Willow showed the ability to summon elements such as fire and lightning. She also began to learn "Tactical Spells" in Season Five as a safeguard against the possible attack of Glory.
In Season Six's last arc, Willow had developed the ability to drain magic from people and objects. As Dark Willow, she could fire dark bolts of energy at her foes and achieve flight. At one point, Willow came near to destroying the world (although she did use a pre-rigged device). Near the end of the series, Buffy states that Willow alone is now more powerful than the Shadowmen, the group of ancient wizards who created the line of Slayers.
[edit] Romantic interests
- Xander Harris — Willow "dated" Xander when they were five, until he stole her Barbie. She continued a hopeless, unrequited crush on her lifelong friend into high school. Her moment of tenderness with Xander in the Season Two opener ended when Buffy popped up. The two began a brief affair in Season Three's "Homecoming," when they were each involved with someone else. Willow's vampire alter-ego also had a long-lasting relationship with her universe's Xander after each of them were turned.
- "Malcolm Black"/Moloch — See "I, Robot... You, Jane"
- Daniel 'Oz' Osborne — Willow lost her virginity in this first long-term relationship, which ended after Oz killed a female werewolf with whom he had sex while in wolf form. When he returned to Sunnydale months later hoping for a reconciliation, Willow had begun her relationship with Tara. However, her feelings for Oz remained strong, and she told him, "I feel like some part of me will always be waiting for you."
- Willow Rosenberg — Willow's bisexual vampire alter ego expresses an attraction for her (cf. "Doppelgängland") in the first hint that Willow's sexual orientation may be something other than heterosexual.
- Tara Maclay — Willow's first lesbian relationship initially started as a rebound relationship following the departure of Oz but quickly developed into something more. Tara was portrayed as her true love. The relationship ended when Tara was shot and killed by Warren Mears.
- Rupert Giles — When Willow saw him sing at the Espresso Pump, her reaction was to say "Now I remember why I used to have such a crush on him." There was a hint in the high school seasons, where you could see pictures of Giles in Willow's locker, but it never went anywhere. Normally, they share a "little sister-big brother" relationship (more than "daughter-father" one that both Buffy and Anya have), very affectionate, mutually respectful, but often conflictual.
- Amy Madison — The two became good friends during Willow's magic junkie period, with possible overtones of an attraction. Their friendship ended abruptly, however, and Amy later sought retribution.
- Kennedy — Willow continued her recovery from Tara's death as she embarked on relationship with this Potential Slayer. When mentioned in Angel's episode "Damage", they were living together in South America. In episode "Shells", though, she's known to have traveled to Himalayas and then to an astral plane. It's unknown if Kennedy followed her in Asia.
[edit] Trivia
- Willow's dark turn in Season Six is explicitly compared to X-Men's "Dark Phoenix Saga," of which Joss Whedon is a huge fan. Both characters (Willow and Jean Grey) have red hair. Also, during X3: The Last Stand, Jean Grey and Willow are given even more similarities such as Jean's eyes turning completely black, and her skin becoming pale and covered in veins just like Dark Willow.
- Willow has a fear of frogs (cf. "What's My Line, Part One"), which she uses to help Buffy escape in the episode "Killed By Death."
- In X-Men 3 movie, the final scene with Wolverine and Phoenix is very resembling the one with Xander and Willow in episode "Grave" (the finale of sixth season).
- A new species of sea slug found on the West Coast, Alderia willowi, was named after this character in a tongue-in-cheek tribute due to Alderia willowi's rare reproductive dimorphism and Willow's own unique sexuality shifts during various seasons and episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
[edit] Appearances
Willow has appeared in:
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Willow was a series regular for all seven seasons. Buffy and Willow were the only two characters that appeared in every episode of the show. She is however absent from the first "episode" of season eight, "The Long Way Home, part 1".
- Angel
- Willow made guest appearances in three episodes:
- "Disharmony" (April 17, 2001) (On the other end of a phone call, she revealed to Cordelia that Harmony was a vampire)
- "There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb" (May 22, 2001) (Visited the Hyperion Hotel to tell Angel that Buffy had died)
- "Orpheus" (March 19, 2003) (Visited the Hyperion Hotel to re-ensoul Angel; departed for Sunnydale accompanied by Faith)
[edit] Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG
Willow and Tara were prominently showcased in the first published adventure for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG, the The Dark Druid. The adventure features Fionn mac Cumhaill as a protagonist and ally. His battle with the druid Fer Doirich continues into the modern age and posits that Willow and Tara are the reincarnations of his fosters Bodhmall and Liath respectively.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Unaired Buffy pilot
- ^ The Killer in Me
- ^ Seven Seasons of Buffy edited by Glenn Yeffeth, BenBella Books, April 2003.
- ^ The Dark Druid by Brannan, Timothy S., Games Unplugged , July 2002, p.25. [1]
[edit] See also
| Preceded by The Trio |
Buffy Big Bad Season Six (as Dark Willow) |
Succeeded by The First |
Categories: Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters | Fictional magic users | Fictional characters from California | Fictional Jews | Fictional hackers | Fictional witches | Fictional characters with telekinesis | Fictional lesbians | Angel (TV series) characters | Fictional characters who can teleport | Fictional murderers | Fictional characters with the power to manipulate light | Fictional characters with the power to manipulate plants
