a character exits: kendra

Kendra gets her own post even though she was a pretty minor character, appearing in only three episodes (though being part of four, technically) of season two. Why get her own post? Because even though her part was so small, it was significant.

Kendra first appears when a hit is taken out on Buffy's life. Indeed, at first Buffy thinks Kendra is one of the assassins sent to kill her. Kendra, likewise, thinks Buffy is a vampire since she saw Buffy kissing a vampire - Angel. When Kendra reveals herself as THE Vampire Slayer, Buffy takes her to Giles to find out the truth. It turns out Kendra IS a Slayer. She works with Buffy to stop Spike and save Angel. At first she doesn't want to, feeling that Angel should just die anyway since soul or no soul he is still a vampire. Oddly enough, Xander stands up for Angel and insists they have to rescue him. She returns for the end of season two, to help Buffy prevent the apocalypse. Drusilla hypnotizes her and kills her.

Kendra is a bit of a sad character. She is isolated from the world and is taken care of exclusively by her Watcher, who dictates every aspect of her life. When she is introduced she talks about only owning one shirt and how she isn't allowed to speak to boys. Her life is depicted as studying, training, and slaying - over and over and over again. She doesn't even go to a traditional school and receive a basic education. She also hasn't seen her parents since she was a small child. When her family found out that she might become a slayer one day they let her be taken away, feeling her calling was more important then anything else.

All of this is such a contrast from Buffy, who avoids studying when possible, has close friends, has a boyfriend, and lives with her mother. Kendra is the exact opposite of Buffy. She is a weapon, a finally honed weapon, and nothing else. She is the ideally perfect Slayer.

However, Buffy would disagree with this. Kendra sees Buffy's attachments and emotions as a distraction and a weakness. Buffy sees them as strengths. Her friends and her attachment to the world are reasons for her to not only fight, but win. And Buffy feels that her emotions give her that extra urge to push herself even further then she can go. Buffy tells Kendra that while Kendra is the better slayer, Buffy herself would win because Kendra is too removed, too reserved whereas Buffy fights with her all. So while Kendra might be the better weapon, that does not make her the better Slayer.

Arguments of better slayer aside, Kendra is also arguably THE Slayer. After all, Buffy did die and another Slayer was called and that was Kendra. This leads to the implication that Buffy is no longer "the chosen one" and were she ever to die again no new slayer would be called. It is Kendra's death that will call a new slayer. Incidentally, both of these things - Kendra dying and Buffy dying again - will be explored in future seasons.