41

While this was all most certainly thrown out of whack after the events of the series finale, I want to know what was up with the Slayer lineage between seasons 2 and 7.

Only one girl is called to be a Slayer at a time, after the previous one dies. After Buffy's brief death in the season 1 finale, Kendra was called. After Kendra's death in the season 2 finale, Faith was called. At that point, you had two active Slayers (Buffy and Faith). When Buffy died for a longer period of time in the season 5 finale, no other Slayer was called. I assumed this was because Buffy's first death removed the lineage from her and passed it on to Kendra who passed it on to Faith. I thought the whole Slayer thing only ever thought Slayers would die once, so Buffy ("Hey, I died twiiiiice") threw a kink in the system.

But all throughout season 7, Buffy kept saying to the Potentials that if she dies any one of them could be called to be a Slayer, seemingly forgetting that no one was called when she died in the season 5 finale. Was she just messing with the Potentials? Did the writers make a goof? Who did the Slayer lineage run through, really?

1
  • 4
    And it only took eight years to get you an official answer.
    – Valorum
    Jan 29, 2019 at 6:35

5 Answers 5

26

There's a few potential answers (no pun intended):

  1. It's always possible that another Slayer WAS called when Buffy died the second time. The Watchers didn't have their eyes on every Potential, and the new Slayer could have slipped through the cracks.
  2. When Buffy said that, she may have thought Faith was dead (I can't recall exactly when Faith returned, but I seem to recall Buffy believing she'd killed her for a while).
  3. Finally, I think you may have your quote wrong. I believe Buffy actually said that she thought that both she AND Faith would have to die before any of them were Chosen.
4
  • 4
    Ah, you are probably right about the third point. Although it still doesn't make sense, because really only Faith would have to die. Unless your first point is also true. Nov 10, 2011 at 17:44
  • 4
    Buffy kept her "Slayer" abilities when she dies (as seen in one episode where Giles takes them from her), which seems to say that Buffy was indeed still a Slayer and her death should cause another slayer to appear. That evidence points to the first one to me. Also, there was no diminishing of her power when Faith was named, so there could potentially be several that the show didn't follow or weren't under a Watcher's eye.
    – Dragus
    May 7, 2013 at 21:05
  • 1
    Point #2 is definitely not the case. Buffy knew exactly exactly where Faith was before coming to Sunnydale, prison. Buffy say Faith turning herself in to the police in "Sanctuary", episode 19 of season 1 of Angel.
    – Drew
    Aug 19, 2014 at 20:05
  • @Dragus +1 for Potential-ly. Aug 19, 2014 at 20:36
12

Buffy's (second) death didn't result in the calling of a new Slayer as hers was no longer the "active line".

New Vampire Slayer Wanted? by Charlie Mason

Where's the Watchers Council when you need it? Historically, every time that one Slayer is killed on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, another is magically drafted for active duty. Heck, back in the first season, Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) only stopped breathing for a matter of seconds before a successor, Kendra (Bianca Lawson), was dispatched to Sunnydale. So, after Buffy spent the entire summer pushing up daisies, how come no new Slayer has been called to arms? Has the show forgotten its own mythology?

"We actually have an answer for that," executive producer Marti Noxon tells TV Guide Online. "It's a technicality. The reason [Buffy's demise didn't activate another vampire hunter] is that when she died the first time, a Slayer was called, so she's already had her replacement Slayer.

"It doesn't happen twice," she continues. "You only get one, and Buffy already did."

The fact that Kendra quickly kicked the bucket, and her next-in-line, Faith (Eliza Dushku), is behind bars makes no difference to the powers that be. "Since Faith is still alive," Noxon notes, "the line remains intact."
So, in other words, viewers shouldn't look for another stake-toting teenager to turn up in Sunnydale anytime soon "” at least not unless Dushku's burgeoning film career takes a dive. "It would take Faith dying for another Slayer to be called," Noxon says, "and since we can't get [Dushku] on the show, the odds of that happening aren't big."

Buffyboards.com quoting TV Guide

So, in the absence of Faith dying, no additional slayers will be called.

6
  • 1
    That leaves a potential (if horrible) loophole for increasing the Slayer count of a current generation. Find the Slayer, kill her, wait for the Calling to move on, revive dead Slayer, find new Slayer, repeat...
    – Shadur
    Apr 21, 2020 at 12:25
  • So much for that idea, then. Ah well. Igor, go take down the lightning rods, we won't be needing them after all.
    – Shadur
    Apr 21, 2020 at 12:31
  • Except for s3e17 Enemies. In that episode The Mayor and Faith specifically don't kill Buffy because they don't want a new slayer popping up. I can understand Faith not being up on technical mumbo jumbo, but the Mayor was the type to know all the specifics on something. Plus, as Angel was let in on the plan and he was colluding with Buffy and Giles, they would have known that reasoning as well, but nobody seemed to imply that the Mayor's reasoning was erroneous. So, later on some background executive might have made up some behind the scenes rule, they didn't officially refute canon.
    – Jordan
    Apr 26, 2021 at 19:55
  • @Jordan - I guess they wouldn't know for certain until Buffy died a second time and no additional slayers arose.
    – Valorum
    Apr 26, 2021 at 22:36
  • @Valorum It appears that behind the scenes the producers tied off that loophole by quietly making it that Buffy no longer keeps the line going. It makes sense, but it does backtrack on the early perspective. Over all, it opens a big can of worms logic wise to even allow a second, but in a way, only having one Slayer was always a logical misstep. it sounds cool in the beginning, but the more they explore what it means to be a slayer, the more there only being one makes no sense at all. She's supposed to fight for balance, but the other side can theoretically have endless vampires.
    – Jordan
    Feb 23, 2022 at 3:58
10

When Buffy dies the first time, Kendra and called. Although Buffy comes back to life, the Slayer line now goes through Kendra. So when Kendra is killed by Drusilla, Faith is called to take her place. When Buffy dies at the end of season 5, no new Slayer is called. A new Slayer will not be called until Faith dies. Of course, this all changes at the end of season 7.

2
  • 3
    Do you have evidence that a new Slayer wasn't called when Buffy died the second time? Lack of evidence isn't evidence of lack - there could have been a new Slayer called who was never seen on the show.
    – Jeff
    May 8, 2013 at 13:30
  • s3e17 Enemies disagrees with that statement. In that episode, the Mayor and Faith specifically don't kill Buffy because they don't want her next in line slayer to pop up and complicate their plans.
    – Jordan
    Apr 26, 2021 at 19:58
5

The Slayer line passes through Faith. Sineya was created with the heart and soul of a demon, which passes to another potential on her death. There is not another new demon soul created because a Slayer died and was brought back. That Buffy still had her powers when she was brought back indicates that the demon's essence is only needed for the transformation, that it is one way, and that the Slayer's body simply hosts it until her death.

I would presume that if all the Slayers activited by the Scythe were wiped out, no new potentials would be called until Faith died.

-2

I have been binge-watching Buffy for the last month-and-a-half rewatching it from what I can gather when Buffy died Kendra was activated when Kendra died Faith was activated So the activation after Buffy had already occurred so even though Buffy was brought back for the next Slayer in line it would have to be Faith to die and it never said that Faith didnt died temporarily at the hospital when Buffy put her in the coma but if she did and another potential was activated the council may not have known or told anybody but if she didn't die it would still be her and just Buffy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.