What if the most fearsome antagonist of the iconic series had never been a vampire or a demon?
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| Image Credit: The WB |
At first glance, Buffy the Vampire Slayer leaves no room for doubt as to who the villains of the series are: vampires, demons, and dark forces constantly threaten Sunnydale, and Buffy Summers, with her superhuman strength and courage, faces them without hesitation. However, beneath this surface lies a much more insidious and devious antagonist, whose role as a “villain” has eluded us for years. We are not talking about Angelus, Glory, or the First, but about a seemingly harmless character, and part of the “good team”: Xander Harris.
In fact, from the beginning of the series, Xander presents himself as an ordinary boy, who perfectly embodies the most human side of the group. However, he soon reveals a toxic attitude, which is especially evident in his relationship with Buffy. He has a romantic interest in her that is not reciprocated and, rather than accepting it with maturity, he turns the rejection into resentment and jealousy. This inclination is evident in his hatred for Angel, Buffy's love interest, which persists even when he proves to be a reliable ally.
The most controversial moment of the character comes when Xander, intentionally, does not inform Buffy of Willow's plan to return Angel's soul. The choice to withhold this information leads our protagonist to kill Angel the moment his spirit has been saved, leaving her devastated. This gesture, which Xander never acknowledges as a mistake, reveals his tendency to manipulate events to satisfy his own insecurities and ego. In general, all of Xander's romantic relationships follow the same pattern of self-centeredness and immaturity. His relationship with Cordelia, his first love, is marked by insecurity and the constant idealization of Buffy.
With Anya, the former demon who becomes his girlfriend, things seem to improve, but Xander's true face emerges at the most crucial moment: the wedding. Frightened by responsibilities and his own insecurities, he abandons Anya at the altar, inflicting deep and irreparable pain on her. This inability to face his own feelings and to grow emotionally makes him a static character, who does not enjoy the same evolution as the other members of the group. Buffy, Willow, and even Spike in fact face their inner shadows and mature, while Xander remains stuck in his fragilities, which often harm others.
Nicholas Brendon's character never acts as a traditional villain: he does not plot against Buffy and does not try to destroy her physically. However, his constant inability to support her emotionally, his judgmental attitude, and his marked selfishness make him a "hidden" antagonist. His behavior, often justified by the narrative, reflects attitudes that, today, would be recognized as examples of toxic masculinity. In light of all this, Xander Harris emerges as a figure who, unwittingly, endangers the cohesion of the group and the well-being of Buffy. His presence, more than a help, becomes a burden, and his role as an “ally” reveals itself as a facade behind which insecurities and manipulations are hidden.
Source: CBR