The Many Faces of Xander Harris

Okay, let's get this series underway! But where do we start?

I have decided to split this series into two main sections: 1. Facets of Xander's character, behavior and portrayal and 2. fandom reactions, including meta discussions and fanfic.

Each post in the first section of the series will analyse one aspect (or, sometimes, group of aspects) of Xander's character or behavior in a variety of lights. A basic template would like something like this:


Topic of discussion for the post.

Examples throughout the show of this attitude (especially how (or if) it presents in Xander's six main female relationships - Buffy, Willow, Cordelia, Faith, Anya and Dawn). Including study of how the behavior is treated in-text. I will also bring up things many may say are "trivial" or "jokes". I will note if I believe a comment or action wasn't meant seriously but I don't believe that discounts sexist or otherwise discriminatory behavior.

Discussion of how attitude has/has not changed overtime.

Examination of real world implications.


I'd like to make a few other points clear. I will be disregarding comics, as I have not read them, I know many others have not read them, and I don't want canonical debates to spring up. Also: if the only criticism/defense of a character to be found is in a text created years after the main series I don't think if hold much weight.

I'm also not trying to condemn people who like Xander. It is okay to like problematic things. I happen to LOVE BtVS though I admit it is VERY problematic. I also like specific features or characters of BtVS that I see are particularly problematic. The point is to recognise the problematic elements.

Xander Harris and Me – A Background

I hate Xander Harris. Let’s just get that out of the way in the beginning. I find him the kind of person I’d hate to spend time with. I also find him the kind of character that presents a lot of harmful views without receiving much (usually any) criticism, explicitly or implicitly, by other characters, the narrative or the writers.

But although I came to the first conclusion very quickly (by the end of S1, which was ~3 weeks in real time for me watching) it was much later that I figured out the second. To dislike Xander as a person, to find him irritating was easy, natural. I automatically liked Buffy and Willow and found Xander frequently disrespecting them in a way I couldn’t articulate or deconstruct at 12. I also immediately liked the Buffy/Angel relationship (which, yes, I realise now is problematic in many ways, though I still appreciate a lot about it) which Xander was (in my view) unfairly hostile.

But figuring out the more complex, real world, social issues with Xander took longer. I had to grow up a bit. I had to read feminist essays on not only Xander but the Nice Guy trope, misogyny in a huge range of texts, sexually predatory behaviour, slut shaming… basically a lot of different things around feminism. I had to really learn what it meant to me to be a feminist – something I had previously identified without understanding exactly what I meant.

I see people arguing about Xander a lot. Some pick up on the same things I did without being able to fully express it. Others have expressed, very cogently. Some claim Xander is a great example of character growth from a very flawed individual to one who is much less sexist and self-centred. Others insist he didn’t need that kind of growth at all – his behaviour may have been bad but he was just “insecure”. A number feel he was the injured party in the narrative.

I don’t get into these arguments. I can’t. I always feel I have too much to say on the topic and seeing people trivialise legitimate points or get backed into corers is enough to turn me off the whole idea.

I am now planning a series of post deconstructing various areas of Xander’s behaviour – positive and negative – and larger connections to societal themes. Once I go through all those I will start to discuss different views on Xander’s behaviour and character I have seen across the fandom. I rough outline of posts would look like this:

   1.     Xander Harris and Me – A Background

   2.     The Many Faces of Xander Harris (An overview of how I plan to break up and deconstruct the first collection of posts)

   3.     But Xander’s such a Nice Guy!

   4.     The Stealth Protagonist

   5.     Madonna/Whore/Xander

   6.     Xander Harris - Protector of Female Virtue

   7.     Xander on Gender Roles

   8.     Xander Harris… Sexual Predator?

   9.     A Split Fandom (An overview of how I plan to break up and deconstruct the second collection of posts)

   10. Yeah, but…

   11. It’s all about the Arc!

   12. Everyone has their Flaws

   13. The. Most. Underutilised. Character. Ever!

   14. Super!Xander (and YAHF)

   15. Xander bash!fic

   16. Supporting Cast

This list is subject to change at my own discretion (order and titles, particularly). Questions, suggestions and comments are all very welcome. Lively debate is actively encouraged, and may inform later post (with credit to ideas).

I will note that much of this will have been inspired by others to a degree that I can’t mention or link everyone, but I will where I feel enough of an influence has been exerted to be relevant.

Finally I'd like to come back to my first sentence. I hate Xander Harris. But this series doesn't have to be for people who hate Xander. If you do it's likely you'll agree with a lot of what I have to say. But what I'm trying to do here is come at a topic I feel very emotional about and be analytical about deconstructing it. So maybe, if you like Xander, you can understand a bit better where some other people are coming from. Anyway, I hope this project will provide some interest to every one.

Oh, and Happy Easter!