How Buffy the Vampire Slayer Fixed Xander’s Worst Character Flaws

There is no dearth of complex characters in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Even the beloved Slayer, Buffy played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, undergoes drastic changes while navigating adolescence and the responsibilities of saving the world. Few characters come across as polarizing as Xander Harris, portrayed by Nicholas Brendon, who remains an integral part of the show.

Xander functions as the comic relief while carrying a sense of nice-guy entitlement and flippant misogyny. Compared to Willow played by Alyson Hannigan or Cordelia played by Charisma Carpenter, who show dynamic character growth, Xander’s arc feels relatively stagnant. Inconsistency marks his emotional maturity, and the writing often allows him to avoid meaningful accountability.

Despite these flaws, his humanity grounds Buffy and the rest of the gang. Lacking supernatural powers, Xander demonstrates bravery against evil and strives to protect his friends. These admirable qualities persist alongside his drawbacks. The show addresses this balance directly in the fifth season. Titled “The Replacement,” this episode lets Xander step away from pure comic relief and grapple with the vulnerability of adulthood, pushing him toward self-acceptance.

What is “The Replacement” about?

The episode opens with the group trying to find an apartment for Xander, who wants to move out of his parents’ house. This major step toward adulthood makes Xander anxious about living alone. Buffy draws the attention of a demon named Toth, played by Michael Bailey Smith, who accidentally hits Xander with a beam of light. Xander appears fine at first, but the beam splits his body into two separate entities. One Xander is full of ambition and confidence, while the other remains haunted by insecurity and jealousy.

The narrative follows the two Xanders as they view each other as threats. The less confident Xander watches his double secure a promotion, lease a swanky apartment, and plan a date with Anya played by Emma Caulfield. Resentment builds until Buffy intervenes to explain that harming one Xander would eliminate the other. Toth’s beam was meant for Buffy to split her into two selves with opposing strengths. Eventually, Willow uses her magic to merge the two Xanders after Buffy defeats Toth.

This Xander-focused Buffy episode reinforces a long-running theme

The two Xanders are essentially the same person despite their vastly different behaviors. A person cannot simply pick and choose traits because Xander is a product of his circumstances. Societal perception also plays a role, as the less confident double spends time monitoring his confident counterpart and resenting him.

Competence and confidence are aspirational, but Xander’s flaws reflect a teenager growing up in a dysfunctional household. Eliminating his hesitant nature would erase parts of his authentic identity. That imperfection defines his struggle to do his best despite his bad impulses.

Xander’s predicament mirrors the internal conflicts of other characters in season five. Giles played by Anthony Stewart Head feels useless as a Watcher, though the gang considers him indispensable. Buffy worries about losing her humanity, leading her to protect loved ones with a self-sacrificing streak. Willow also struggles for control as old insecurities push her to overcompensate with magic.

“The Replacement” delivers the humor of a standard Buffy episode while putting Xander in the spotlight without ignoring his faults. Xander realizes he already possesses the tools needed to shape his life. Watching his successful double creates an existential crisis that prompts a breakthrough. Whether Xander maintains this mindset by the end of Buffy the Vampire Slayer remains debatable, but the episode pushes him forward.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is streaming on Hulu.

Source: Polygon