And not just because I don't want to argue with Jane E.'s take.
Xander, of everyone in the Scoobs, is the most self-aware of his shortcomings by the time the series ends. He got a little lost in the pressures of S6, but by the end of S7 he was probably the most adult of all the Scoobs, to the point where Giles was treating him as a complete equal.
For example, although we didn't see it, one-eyed Xander makes reference to Giles joking with him about his missing eye. Some people viewed that throw-away comment as cruel and NB plays it like Xander's not entirely thrilled about it. But it also shows Giles is operating on Xander's level. Hell, Giles was even playing D&D and directing a lot of his meta comments at Xander.
So, yeah, on one level, Xander is more self-aware that he's got issues that can lead him into trouble. I think it's a key element in Xander's process to adulthood.
I also argue that he's not the most self-aware person about his strengths or that what he says carries more weight in some quarters than he realizes.
For example, a lot of the reason why Buffy kept throwing Dawn under Xander's protection in the last two episodes (I argue) is because she knew that Xander would do everything in his power to make sure Dawn stayed alive. It's not that Giles or Willow would deliberately put Dawn in danger, it's that they'd more likely be more pragmatic about what they could or couldn't do. Anya was even more likely to tend towards pragmatism and didn't really have as strong an emotional connection as Xander, Willow, or Giles. As for Andrew...well, would you want Andrew watching your sister's back? And Robin was a total unknown who already (in Buffy's mind) had proved unreliable. Faith wasn't even an option.
Xander, in typical Xander fashion, saw it as Buffy putting him out to pasture the first time. He didn't even question it the second time when she changed the line-up on him to put him with Dawn. Although I'd like to think that he eventually figured it out.
So maybe I'd put it like this: in my own little fanworld, Xander is the character most aware of his problems and works to make sure they don't trip him up so he can do his job in his "pack."
His friends tend to be more aware of their strengths and are still figuring out their weaknesses (a threshold I'm working to make Willow cross by the end of Water).
no subject
And not just because I don't want to argue with Jane E.'s take.
Xander, of everyone in the Scoobs, is the most self-aware of his shortcomings by the time the series ends. He got a little lost in the pressures of S6, but by the end of S7 he was probably the most adult of all the Scoobs, to the point where Giles was treating him as a complete equal.
For example, although we didn't see it, one-eyed Xander makes reference to Giles joking with him about his missing eye. Some people viewed that throw-away comment as cruel and NB plays it like Xander's not entirely thrilled about it. But it also shows Giles is operating on Xander's level. Hell, Giles was even playing D&D and directing a lot of his meta comments at Xander.
So, yeah, on one level, Xander is more self-aware that he's got issues that can lead him into trouble. I think it's a key element in Xander's process to adulthood.
I also argue that he's not the most self-aware person about his strengths or that what he says carries more weight in some quarters than he realizes.
For example, a lot of the reason why Buffy kept throwing Dawn under Xander's protection in the last two episodes (I argue) is because she knew that Xander would do everything in his power to make sure Dawn stayed alive. It's not that Giles or Willow would deliberately put Dawn in danger, it's that they'd more likely be more pragmatic about what they could or couldn't do. Anya was even more likely to tend towards pragmatism and didn't really have as strong an emotional connection as Xander, Willow, or Giles. As for Andrew...well, would you want Andrew watching your sister's back? And Robin was a total unknown who already (in Buffy's mind) had proved unreliable. Faith wasn't even an option.
Xander, in typical Xander fashion, saw it as Buffy putting him out to pasture the first time. He didn't even question it the second time when she changed the line-up on him to put him with Dawn. Although I'd like to think that he eventually figured it out.
So maybe I'd put it like this: in my own little fanworld, Xander is the character most aware of his problems and works to make sure they don't trip him up so he can do his job in his "pack."
His friends tend to be more aware of their strengths and are still figuring out their weaknesses (a threshold I'm working to make Willow cross by the end of Water).
Though that's just my fanwank. :-)