A Slayer in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer fictional universe is a young girl bestowed with mystical powers from that originate from the heart of a demon. These powers include super-strength, speed, endurance, agility and stamina to fight demons.

Contents

1 The Chosen One 2 Known Slayers 3 Potential Slayers 3.1 Chao-Ahn 3.2 Kennedy 3.3 Molly 3.4 Vi 3.5 Other potentials

The Chosen One

In every generation, there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.

The Slayer is a girl, usually but not always a teenager, who is granted various supernatural powers. These include superhuman levels of speed, strength and stamina, enhanced senses, rapid healing, prophetic dreams and the ability to get by on very little sleep.

First created when sorcerors used powerful magic to bind a demon into a young girl (the primeval slayer), the Slayer is a hunter of monsters, demons, the undead in general and vampires in particular. When a Slayer is killed, the magic immediately transfers her power to the next potential slayer in line.

Thus, when Buffy was killed by The Master, the power was transferred to Kendra, although when Buffy was resusitated, she too retained the various slayer powers. When Kendra was killed by Drusilla, the power passed to Faith. However, when Buffy died and returned to life again, no new slayer was called, as now Buffy was merely a slayer, while Faith was the Slayer.

Known Slayers

(Note: As of the TV series finale, all current "potential Slayers" are now considered full Slayers.)

• The first Slayer (primeval Slayer)
• Chinese slayer (killed by Spike during the Boxer Rebellion)
• Nikki Wood
• Buffy Summers
• Kendra
• Faith
• Melaka Fray (from the comic book series set centuries in the future)

Only the above slayers are considered canonical, but several others have appeared in the non-canonical novels and comics, including Lucy Hanover and India Cohen (the Slayer immediately preceding Buffy).

Potential Slayers

Potentials (slayers-in-training) are girls, generally between the ages of 12 and 19 (although older or younger girls are sometimes called), all around the world, poised to become the next Slayer at any moment. They can be any girl, from the superstar of the gymnastic squad, to the 10th grade algebra queen. Potential Slayers generally have slightly better co-ordination (and other Slayer-type skills) than regular kids, but nowhere near the abilities of an active Slayer.

Sometimes these girls can be identified by the Watchers Council, and a new Watcher is dispatched to guide and train them, should they be called to be the Slayer. Other times the girl is completely oblivious to her calling, and remains that way unless she is activated as the new Chosen One. Buffy was one such potential, only becoming aware of her status when her predecessor was killed and her Watcher, Merrick, found her. Kendra, on the other hand, was given to her Watcher by her parents when she was very young and educated in Slaying throughout her life.

There is no particular order to the activation of a new Slayer; for example, if Kendra had died several years later, Faith may not have been the next Slayer called, someone like Kennedy may have been mystically chosen instead.

In Season 7, The First Evil put its plan to rid the world of the Slayer line into action. It used its high priests, the Bringers, and its followers, people like Caleb, to try to kill of all the potentials and then Faith and Buffy, thereby making sure no replacement Slayer would be activated. Buffy received several prophetic dreams of potentials being murdered, but didn't fully understand what was happening until Giles arrived back in Sunnydale, flanked by three potential Slayers, to explain what was going on. From that moment forth the surviving potentials from all across the globe began to flood to Sunnydale to be under Buffy's protection, some sent by their Watchers, others chased there by the Bringers. Eventually Willow and Buffy discovered a way to activate all the potential slayers across the world, including those as yet undiscovered by the gang, using the Guardians' Scythe.

Chao-Ahn

Chao-Ahn was from Shanghai, China and did not speak a word of English. Most of her lines served as comic relief, as none of the other characters understood her Cantonese words nor properly interpreted her non-verbal communication.

Chao-Ahn was portrayed by Kristy Wu.

Kennedy

Kennedy was tough New York girl and aggressively pursued a relationship with Willow whose long time lover, Tara, was murdered at the end of season 6. Eventually, Kennedy and Willow became lovers and remained so through the end of the series. Kennedy fought along side the other "potentials" and Buffy at the final battle with the uber-vampires in the series finale. During season 5 of Angel (after the end of Buffy), mention is made that Kennedy and Willow continue to be a couple and are traveling in South America together.

Kennedy was portrayed by Iyari Limon.

Molly

Molly was one of the three potentials in the season 7 episode "Bring On The Night". She likes to eat and is from England. She is stabbed and killed by Caleb in the episode "Dirty Girls".

Vi

Vi is a shy redhead who grew steadily braver and became an extremely courageous Slayer. Vi first appeared in the episode "Showtime". She lives to become a slayer in "Chosen" and survives the Hellmouth fight.

Other potentials

Slayerettes that we were introduced to included:

• A girl in Istanbul, murdered by the Bringers.
• A girl in Frankfurt, Germany, also murdered by the Bringers.
• Nora - a British girl, who was murdered and then discovered by her Watcher, Robson.
• Annabelle - another British girl, killed by the Turok-Han.
• Chloe - a quiet American girl, who loved Winnie the Pooh, and hung herself at the First's urging. Chloe was portrayed by Lalaine.
• Eve - Southern belle who got to Sunnydale, but was killed, the First used her form to infiltrate 1630 Revello Drive.
• Shannon - arrived in Sunnydale, and was stabbed by Caleb, she survived, barely, and made it through the final fight.
• Rona - a pessimistic African-American girl, who eventually accepted her destiny and made it out alive. Rona was portrayed by Alyssa Ashley Nichols.
• Amanda - a sweet, geeky friend of Dawn's who became a Slayer, only to be killed in the final assault on the Hellmouth.
• Caridad - pretty girl from the Philippines, who Xander was attracted to, and presumably made it out of the Hellmouth alive.
• Colleen - pretty potential who was killed in the final assault on the Hellmouth.
• Dominique - had the stomach flu, died in the final fight.
• Dianne - brave potential killed by Caleb during the fight in the vineyard.

As well as a large amount of anonymous girls seen at Buffy's house and/or killed during the last battle in the Hellmouth.

Many other potentials were also seen on the fifth and final season of Angel - including Dana.