How Does the Chosen Line Work?

if the slayer line didnt pass through buffy once she died and was brought back by Willow then how would she still have her power etc.

crabby patty said:

if the slayer line didnt pass through buffy once she died and was brought back by Willow then how would she still have her power etc.

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it was already proven that the slayer line didn't run through Buffy after she died in 'Prophecy Girl' because it was Kendra's death that activate Faith. Buffy still had her Slayer powers because she was still alive. i guess it has something to do with the fact that a Slayer's body is built for these powers and capabilities, and Buffy's body was alive, despite dying twice. So the power didn't move on from her, because i don't think it can. someone somewhere obvioulsy decides who could and should be a Slayer...because that person has died and been brought back, doesn't mean that they should loose those powers.

Lyri said:

it was already proven that the slayer line didn't run through Buffy after she died in 'Prophecy Girl' because it was Kendra's death that activate Faith. Buffy still had her Slayer powers because she was still alive. i guess it has something to do with the fact that a Slayer's body is built for these powers and capabilities, and Buffy's body was alive, despite dying twice. So the power didn't move on from her, because i don't think it can. someone somewhere obvioulsy decides who could and should be a Slayer...because that person has died and been brought back, doesn't mean that they should loose those powers.

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Of course, we might consider the fact that all those new Slayers came through Buffy, since it was her actions, along with Willow's magical power focused through the Scythe that activated them. Of course, she didn't die that time...

I don't know exactly how I feel about all this. On the one hand, I agree that it makes sense that Faith would have to die for another slayer to be activated. (Buffy dies, activates Kendra, Kendra dies, activates Faith, and Buffy no longer carries the slayer line.) On the other hand, I agree that there are plenty of references in season seven -- implied, stated, or otherwise -- that indicate that Buffy carries the slayer line again. It could have been because of how she was brought back in S6, though that explanation seems a little weak, and I wish they would have addressed it if that was the case.

I just watched "Showtime," in which Giles and Anya go talk to the Beljoxa's Eye, so this is fresh on my mind.

Beljoxa's Eye: The mystical forces surrounding the Chosen line have become irrevocably altered, become unstable, vulnerable.

Anya: Something The First did?

BE: The First Evil did not cause the disruption, only seized upon it to extinguish the lives of the Chosen forever.

Giles: Then what has caused this disruption? What was responsible for letting this happen?

BE: The Slayer.

(later)

Anya: I don't understand how Buffy's death mucked up the whole Slayer mojo. Y'know, it's not like she hasn't died before.

Giles: It's not because she died. The Beljoxa's Eye was quite clear about that in its enigmatic way. It's because she lives.... again. Buffy's not responsible for that.

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I'm not sure if that helps any. It still doesn't really explain it. It really just explains why The First chose to attack then (opportunity). Even that's a little weak to me, since bringing Buffy back and possibly creating two slayer lines wouldn't make the Good Guys (for lack of a better) any more vulnerable if you ask me. Seems like it would make them stronger. But anyway, it does in fact state that bringing Buffy back in S6 caused some sort of disruption in the Slayer line. What exactly that disruption is, and why it means the Slayer line is running through Buffy again, is not clear to me.

Believe it or not, I still haven't even mentioned what I originally came here to post. Oy. What I started this post for was to bring up a point that I don't believe anyone else has touched on. And that is, in "Potential," Dawn was freaking out partly because she believed that the only way for her to be activated was for Buffy to die, and that was repeated several times.

Not only that with the dawn thing but the other scoobs appear to embrace the suggestion of the slayer line now passing through Buffy as if it's the accepted truth.

It's interesting...those of us who embrace the fanwankery of the "through Buffy in Season 7" theory are able to use it to offer explanations for almost all the unanswered questions of Season 7. What did the First really want? Why did the First try to kill Faith, yet want Buffy alive? What did the First want with a souled vampire? What's meant by a "disruption in the Chosen line"? These and other questions are possible to answer with a change in the way the slayer line passes after The Bargaining spell. The reasoning is kind of labyrinth though, so I won't get into it here.

Basically though the theory begins like this. Willow did a spell bringing Buffy back from the dead in Season 6. In the Buffyverse there are consequences to such magic spells.

Also bringing Buffy back this time through magic was different than Xander performing CPR on her in Prophecy girl. At that time the slayer force was ingrained into her physical tissue. Physically she was still Buffy. When Willow brought her back in The Bargaining the tissue was rotting away. In other words Willow had to create a whole new Buffy, and draw the demon heart power of the slayer we saw in Get It Done into a unique organism. In this way we can think of it as Willow either creating a second line, or drawing the first line from Faith into Buffy. The line therefore now passes through Buffy at least, and possibly still through Faith as well.

I just discovered the Whedonverse Index a few days ago and have been spending hours upon hours a day reading it ever since. I was just reading N4H's summary of the two sides of the slayer line argument. I know he posted it here already, but I gave it some more thought this time. Here's the post.

I think I've officially decided that I'm on the side that says somehow the slayer line passes through Buffy again after she was brought back in S6. Obviously that's what everyone (Buffy, the Scoobies, The First, etc.) thinks and states repeatedly. I don't think it was a mistake. I do, however, wish they would have explained why this was. Yes, there are consequences to Willow's spell, but weren't we to believe that the hitchhiking demon thing in "After Life" was the consequence? I suppose there could be more than one consequence, but is sending the slayer line back through Buffy really a consequence anyway?

Even if the reasoning for the slayer line passing through Buffy again is never clear, I would just like to see or hear how it is that Buffy and the Scoobies figured it out. The Beljoxa's Eye tells Anya and Giles about the disruption in the slayer line in the episode "Showtime," right before "Potential" when everyone says that Buffy has to die for Dawn to be activated. Are there any other references to the line passing through Buffy before "Showtime?" (Short of going back and watching all those eps right now, I don't know. Anybody?) I'm wondering if perhaps the talk with the Beljoxa's Eye is when they figure it out, and it was just never expanded on....

Actually, in one of the buffy magazines it says(sorry if youve already beat this into the ground.) That since Buffy died in season 1 she wasn't the activated slayer anymore, Kendra was, and then Faith, so in order for another slayer to have risen..Faith would have had to die.

~*Drama Queen*~ said:

Actually, in one of the buffy magazines it says(sorry if youve already beat this into the ground.) That since Buffy died in season 1 she wasn't the activated slayer anymore, Kendra was, and then Faith, so in order for another slayer to have risen..Faith would have had to die.

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Honestly, that's pretty much a moot point, because there's no denying that in S7, it is stated directly and repeatedly that the slayer line now passes through Buffy again. So now we must ask ourselves, Was that a mistake by the writers, or are we to believe that Willow bringing Buffy back in S6 caused a "disruption in the slayer line?" (Or was it something else entirely that caused the slayer line to once again pass through Buffy?)

But I think it's indisputable that, as of S7, the slayer line no longer passes through Faith and in fact does pass through Buffy again. I'd have to guess that whatever magazine you're referring to was written before S7.

you can't say that the Slayer line no longer passes through Faith as of S7 because there was nothing on the show that stated that or even hinted at it. from what's been pointed out here, i'd have to say that i don't think it was a mistake on the writer's part for Buffy's repeated 'I need to die for you to be the Slayer' because it was said too many times and by many different people...these people aren't stupid, Joss and Co. knew what they were doing.
for arguments sake, i'm going with the two Chosen lines...as of S6, both Buffy and Faith's deaths could activate new Slayers...or maybe it's that they both hold the same line, and the first one to die passes the line on, and other one just goes back to be a spare. it's a possibility.
but really, it's all moot point now anyway...all the Potentials are activated and neither Buffy or Faith's death will activate a new Slayer.

Lyri said:

you can't say that the Slayer line no longer passes through Faith as of S7 because there was nothing on the show that stated that or even hinted at it.

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You're right about that. I didn't intend to write that. I was on my way out the door and was thinking about a hundred things at a time, and didn't have time to go back and proofread my post.

Lyri said:

...these people aren't stupid, Joss and Co. knew what they were doing.

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You're right about that, too. I would have a really hard time buying that this was a huge mistake on Joss and Co's part.

It was the Buffy Magazine, a few issues back, maybe around November, it was the buffy 101 issue, and it had a question like that that said, in order to get a new slayer BEFORE the S7 witchy Willow stuff, that Faith had to die in order to get a new slayer.

Though, now with slayers all over the world, it really doesn't matter.

One thing that always bothered me is that they kept talking about IF Buffy died then one of the "cannon fodder's" would be made a Slayer. I don't think that is true at all. There was never suppose to be 2 Slayers at one time. Only just 1. So when Buff died the first time, Zan brought her back with CPR. BUT that activated Kendra anyway. When she died that activated Faith. But when Buffy died the 2nd time, mystical or not, it never called another Slayer. Why not, you ask? That's because when one Slayer dies, normally dead is well, dead forever. The line goes on. It was going on, doing it's job, but they (old guys) never planed on a Slayer coming back to life. I have a feeling, that if you stopped Faiths hart, so she would be technically dead, another would be called. IF you revived Faith, then you would have another Slayer (#3), BUT if she died again, that's it, still just one for one. It isn't like if u keep on killing, but reviving Buffy or Faith u keep getting more. ONLY if u followed the "line" of Slayers. Meaning you did this to each NEW Slayer, would you bring another. So if Buffy did die, then it would JUST be Faith. You would be back to the balance of 1 girl in ALL the world. That's why Giles said before this has never happened. They (the old guys) also didn't know what we do today, about CPR & all that. They never thought about bringing some one back. If that happened back in the day it was all bad & your from hell & all that, whole you're a demon or witch thing.

Actually, although they never really explained when, why, or how, the slayer line does indeed pass through Buffy again in season seven. There are several schools of thought on the subject, including the theory that Willow bringing Buffy back in season six somehow caused the slayer line to once again pass though Buffy. The topic has been done to death, as it were. Below I'm linking to the most recent discussion, and also a more comprehensive discussion from a couple of years ago.

The more recent discussion: "aren't we one slayer short???"
The older thread: "Slayer Calling?"

It's worth reading all the posts if you can. Hope this helps! 🙂
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Edit:
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This is the direct link to nerd4hire's break-down of the two-sided argument. If nothing else, at least read this.

I've come to learn that, when all else fails, check with n4h. 🙂

Also, some other questions you may have may be more common that you realize, and the answers are likely somewhere here on the BB. Try looking over the Whedonverse Index. There's information there that you didn't even know you needed! :frog:

NOpe, i have to disagree. I think that the line is in Faith. When Buffy died, Kendra became the slayer. Just like if Buffy would have died for good. When Kendra died then came Faith. So now the line is in Faith. So the only way another Slayer would have been called is if Faith died and not Buffy. No matter how many times Buffy died, the line was always in Faith, as in the passing on of a new Slayer. But hey....thats just what I think.......🙂

Well, there is the theory that the line now runs through Buffy and Faith....

But it is clearly and repeatedly stated or implied during season seven that the line runs though Buffy (at least). It's highly doubtful that this was an oversight by Joss & Co.

urg...this topic has indeed, to quote Jruby, been done to death.
it was stated MANY time during S7 that when/if Buffy died, one of the Potenials would be Called as the Slayer. this can't have been a mistake, as it was said so many times during the last half of the season, by Buffy, Dawn and a bunch of other people...you can't ignore that. it's pretty much fact.
no one really knows when, where or how Buffy was inserted back into the Slayer line, but it's the popular theory that it happened when Willow brought her back to life at the beginning of S6.
in the thread 'Aren't we a Slayer short?' someone, i can't remember who, came up with a theory that i found very interesting.
When Xander revived Buffy, she was dead for less than five minutes. her body was still intact, her heart having stopped beating only moments before it was restarted. but, when Willow did her spell, Buffy had been dead for months, her body had decayed, almost to just a skeleton. Willow, essentially, had to create a new body for Buffy's soul to return to, or at least to 'repare' her old one. maybe something happened during this process that caused whatever essence gives the Slayer her power to get confused, and think that Buffy was actually a brand new Slayer, newly Called.
but then this opens more questions about Faith and where she fits in. my theory is that the Slayer line runs through Buffy AND Faith. and i'm sticking to it.
it's all moot point now anyway...all the Potentials are Slayers. no one left to Called when one of 'em dies! 😀

Why that was n4h who came up with that one, of course! 🙂 Here's the post.

Lyri said:

urg...this topic has indeed, to quote Jruby, been done to death.
it was stated MANY time during S7 that when/if Buffy died, one of the Potenials would be Called as the Slayer. this can't have been a mistake, as it was said so many times during the last half of the season, by Buffy, Dawn and a bunch of other people...you can't ignore that. it's pretty much fact.
no one really knows when, where or how Buffy was inserted back into the Slayer line, but it's the popular theory that it happened when Willow brought her back to life at the beginning of S6.
in the thread 'Aren't we a Slayer short?' someone, i can't remember who, came up with a theory that i found very interesting.
When Xander revived Buffy, she was dead for less than five minutes. her body was still intact, her heart having stopped beating only moments before it was restarted. but, when Willow did her spell, Buffy had been dead for months, her body had decayed, almost to just a skeleton. Willow, essentially, had to create a new body for Buffy's soul to return to, or at least to 'repare' her old one. maybe something happened during this process that caused whatever essence gives the Slayer her power to get confused, and think that Buffy was actually a brand new Slayer, newly Called.
but then this opens more questions about Faith and where she fits in. my theory is that the Slayer line runs through Buffy AND Faith. and i'm sticking to it.
it's all moot point now anyway...all the Potentials are Slayers. no one left to Called when one of 'em dies! 😀

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The line no longer passes through Buffy, even Joss Whedon himself has said this plenty of times. When Buffy died she was no longer THE Slayer she was just A slayer and the line passed through Kendra and then Kendra died and the line passed to Faith. Before the whole Willow spell Faith was THE Slayer. And yes Buffy said to the potentials plenty of times that her death would call the next slayer, I'm sure she knew that wasn't true because when she died in Season Six it didn't call another slayer, however she's trying to train the girls and it wouldn't do much for training if she goes into Faith's death will have one of you guys the next slayer, especially considering they didn't meet Faith yet and had no idea there were even two slayers in the world. Yeah the show is called Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but after Buffy died the first time she became the anamoly. She wasn't THE Slayer anymore. As the line didn't pass through her. Yeah she still possessed her powers, but her dead doesn't call anybody as it already had. So Buffy could die as many times as she wants there will be no other slayer coming from her death, only from Faith and whoever is called after Faith. But since people are born slayers now, nobody is getting called.

I'm pretty sure Buffy only said the line passed through her once in Potential. Dawn however, also said it, and the Scoobs appeared to agree.

When Giles and Anya return from their meeting with Beljoxa's eye they appear convinced of 2 things. There is a "disruption in the chosen line", and the resurrection spell from The Bargaining is what's responsible.

The Shadowmen appear to think of Buffy as "the" slayer, not "a" slayer.

As far as I know Joss Whedon has never said the line still passes through Faith after Season Six. He did however have the First Evil say the line passes through Buffy in Chosen.

you know, the reason there are so many threads about this could be that we cant just continue in one thread. wouldnt it be more convenient to just continue this in one of the other, still active, threads? just trying to make helpful suggestions...:lmao: