The Worst Buffy Character Was Almost Fixed
Ever learn some weird fact about one of your favorite shows that completely changes how you view one of its characters? That recently happened to me when I learned that the geeky character Xander in Buffy the Vampire Slayer was nearly made a gay character instead of Willow. I couldn’t help but think that this plot-line would have redeemed someone often considered Buffy’s worst character because it would transform his frequent misogyny and forced machismo into a compelling story of someone struggling with his own identity.
Xander’s Character Doesn’t Age Well
Before we go any further, I have a Xander confession to make: when I was watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a teen, he was easily my favorite character. He was the super-geek character who didn’t understand women and became a perpetual class clown to hide how much he really cared about everyone around him, qualities which made him instantly relatable to my own dorky self.
It was only watching the series as a much older fan that I discovered what countless recap podcasts had already figured out: Xander is frequently sexist and even cruel, making his scenes in those first few seasons downright hard to rewatch.
Xander’s Unclear Identity In The Early Episodes
That’s why I was fascinated to discover that Joss Whedon once considered making this character gay. Apparently, the Buffy showrunner toyed early on with whether it would be Xander or Willow who was gay, and he dropped early hints for both characters. While it was ultimately Willow who came out and made television history, some of the Xander hints are very strong, including him helping football superstar Larry come out of the closet (notably, Larry was quite sure that Xander was also gay).
A Perfect Opportunity To Retcon Some Problematic Behavior
Willow’s later relationship with Tara was both sweet and beautiful, but if Xander had been Buffy’s gay character, it arguably would have retroactively fixed most of what fans hate about him. For example, his character’s persistent crush on Buffy was always weird, and the times he lashed out at her because of his own hurt feelings often made us want to punch the guy. But if Xander was revealed to be a closeted character putting on a hyper-masculine front for fear of being outed, this behavior would be more understandable.
Would Have Clarified Some Romantic Confusion
Similarly, Xander has extremely antagonistic relationships with Buffy’s vampire beaus Angel and Spike. When he first saw Angel he freaked out because “he’s buff” and “a very attractive man,” and he later describes Spike as “strong and mysterious and sort of compact but well-muscled.” Your mileage may vary, but Xander acting out because he himself is attracted to Buffy’s suitors would be easier to accept than him just hating any male that his dream woman is attracted to.
Motives Would Have Made Much More Sense
While most of Xander’s most annoying moments occur in the show’s first few seasons, his becoming Buffy’s gay character instead of Willow might have explained some of his later awful actions, like suddenly deciding not to wed Anya.
The episode “Hell’s Bells” shows that his decision is motivated by false visions of a terrible life with Anya courtesy of a demon who hates her, but it has always been weird that he let some rando bad guy convince him to abandon the love of his life. How much better would this episode have been if Xander instead decided he had to finally stop living a lie?
This Concept Was Explored In The Comics
Of course, none of this happened, though Xander fans wanting a glimpse of how different things could have been should read the Boomtown Buffy comics which feature a multiverse (take that, Marvel!) of possibilities. This includes a universe with a gay Xander who has swapped out all of his toxic masculinity for boy-crazy bonding with Buffy. And honestly, since the show wouldn’t let him have a happily ever after with Anya (Emma Caulfield Stan for life, y’all!), this might be the closest he gets to true happiness.
