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Old 26-08-09, 14:01   #1
Alex Shepherd
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Default General Xena The Warrior Princess Thread





XENA
Xena of Amphipolis, the Warrior Princess and Destroyer of Nations was the main character of Xena: Warrior Princess and a recurring character on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. As a warlord, she was at the head of one of the most ruthless and destructive armies that the World had ever seen. With her lover Borias, she travelled to numerous countries making her name known and feared, notably Chin, Siberia, Jappa and later (after Borias' death) Norway, Britannia and Greece. After being redeemed by Hercules, she attempted to walk a path of redemption. With her friend Gabrielle, she became renowned as one of the greatest heroes of that time, travelling to new places, such as India and Egypt and fighting for the Greater Good.
When Xena was in her late teens to early twenties, her village was raided by the warlord Cortese. She organised a small band of men, consisting of simple villagers and her two brothers, Toris and Lyceus - against their mother's wishes. In the battle, Lyceus was killed and so she was ostracised from Amphipolis and forbidden to return. This shaped her into a violent and merciless warlord. She travelled around the World; mainly to Chin, Jappa and Siberia with lover Borias. Xena gave birth to her son (by Borias), Solan, in the middle of one of the greatest battles of the age - The Battle of Corinth, between Borias and herself and the Centaurs. This battle led to Borias' untimely death, moments after the birth of his son. Xena claimed that giving birth to Solan was one of her turning points, along with meeting Hercules and Gabrielle.
After being set on a path of redemption by Hercules, she travelled with her close friend Gabrielle, fighting for the Greater Good. Her final demise was deemed necessary to complete her quest for redemption. During her journey to Jappa with Borias, years before meeting Hercules, she inadvertantly (and unknowingly) caused the death of the 40,000 people of Higuchi, a large village in Jappa. These souls were captured by Yodoshi and were rendered unable to cross over to the other side. Xena had to die to fight Yodoshi and then stay dead to protect the souls from being condemned once again.
She was played by Lucy Lawless.

GABRIELLE

Gabrielle, the Battling Bard of Potidaea and Amazon Queen was one of the main characters on Xena: Warrior Princess and a recurring character on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. She was the soul mate of Xena, accompanying her on her journey to find redemption, as she chronicled the adventures that they had. Having grown up on her family's farm in the village of Potidaea, Gabrielle began travelling with the recently reformed Xena when she saved the village from the warlord Draco. She was eager to learn how to fight, and later gained a fighting staff when she was given the Rite of Caste from the amazon Terreis, which subsequently led to her becoming an amazon princess. When their queen, Melosa, was killed by Velasca she automatically inherited the throne, but gave it to fellow amazon Ephiny, as she chose to continue traveling with Xena.
However, when Xena's anger and dark past with Julius Caesar led her to Britannia to fight alongside Boudica, Gabrielle met Krafstar, who was discovered to belong to a sinister cult led by the evil god Dahak. She was forced to kill one of their members and then became the host for Dahak's child, which she gave birth to in a matter of days and named Hope. This child grew quickly and killed within hours of birth, growing up to kill Xena's son, Solan, but was herself later accidentally killed by her own son.
After traveling to India and discovering a peaceful way of life, she temporarily became a pacifist. However, the shamaness Alti had predicted her death at the hands of the romans, and after Brutus had killed Ephiny and Gabrielle gave the throne to fellow amazon Chilapa, Caesar (with help from Callisto) caught both Xena and Gabrielle and crucified them (moments before his own death). Eli, a powerful avatar and friend of Xena and Gabrielle, managed to ressurect them, with help from a reformed Callisto. Once back on earth, Xena discovered that she was pregnant and later gave birth to a little girl, Eve. However, this child was prophesied as being "the bringer of twilight," an event that would ultimately lead to the deaths of several Olympians. This later forced both Xena and Gabrielle to fake their own deaths, as well as Eve's. They were taken away by Ares and conserved in ice for 25 years at the foot of Mount Etna, whilst Eve grew up to become a ruthless leader of the Roman Empire. The twilight took place when they were both released from their conservation and reformed Eve.
Gabrielle was the queen of three separate Amazon tribes during her time with Xena. Her own tribe, the Telaquire Amazon tribe, the Northern Amazon tribe, and Marga's tribe. Each time, she passed the crown onto a worthy candidate so that she could continue traveling with Xena.
After Xena's death in Jappa, Gabrielle taught herself how to use the chakram and continued her adventure for the greater good without her.
She is played by Renée O'Connor.


JOXER

Joxer the Mighty was a recurring character on Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. He was one of the closest friends of Xena and Gabrielle. Although he was incapable of fighting and wasn't the smartest of people (and mostly oblivious of this), he was a loyal friend and extremely trustworthy. He was one of three identical triplets; Jett, a professional assassin and Jace, a rather flamboyant performer. He didn't have a close relationship with either of them, although implications would lead one to believe that he was closer to Jett than he was to Jace.
When he was first introduced, Joxer wanted to join Callisto's army and seemed to have convinced himself that he was a villain of a sort. His far fetched self-belief lead him to realise that he would be more useful as a "good-guy" type, and he began to see himself as the hero instead of the sidekick. Traveling with Xena and Gabrielle, they built a strong friendship and trust. By the end of Season Two, he had fallen in love with Gabrielle, something that he would not tell her until three seasons later. This was one of the longest continuing relationships on Xena: Warrior Princess.
When Xena and Gabrielle were presumed dead to prevent the Twilight of the Gods, Joxer was convinced that they were alive, and searched for their bodies for years. He looked after Argo and her daughter and dedicated his business to the duo, creating an inn that was filled with pictures and artwork related to them. He and Meg had three known children, two of which were shown but never named and the other was Virgil. When Xena and Gabrielle escaped the ice cave, they found Joxer's Inn and were reunited with him. In order to find Eve, they traveled to Rome, where they discovered that Eve was in fact the Roman Empress-to-be, Livia. Once Xena had managed to expose her affair with Ares and split her and the Emperor Octavius, she went on a killing spree of the Elijans. Joxer attempted to protect Gabrielle, who had been captured by Eve, but was killed by her.
Joxer built several relationships throughout the show. His love and strong relationship with Gabrielle, close friendship with Xena and love interest with Meg, being the most obvious. He also had other notable friendships with Amarice, Autolycus, and Arman. He also had a notable antagonistic relationship with Callisto.
Joxer was played by Ted Raimi.


DRACO

Draco was a recurring character on Xena: Warrior Princess. He was a warlord and ex-lover of Xena's. Baby Bliss hit him with one of Cupid's Arrows and he fell madly in love with Gabrielle, which made him change his ways and try to fight for good. He was a very skilled fighter, going toe-to-toe with the Warrior Princess herself. He was the catalyst that led Xena to meet Gabrielle, as it was him that attacked Potedia and motivated Xena to save the villagers, including Gabrielle.
He was played by Jay Laga'aia.


CALLISTO
Callisto was a recurring character on Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. She was one of the most bloody and ruthless warlords of the time, due to witnessing the horrific deaths of her mother and father at the hands of Xena, during a chaotic assault on her village. She built an antagonistic relationship with Xena throughout the years, (along with others, notably Gabrielle and Hercules) constantly attempting to destroy her both mentally and physically.
Despite her short temper and evil behaviour, Callisto's life was filled by many events. She witnessed the death her parents and the destruction of her home, died twice at the hands of Xena and was sent to Tartarus, Heaven and Hell. She has been a mortal, an immortal, due to the golden apples, and a God, due to Ambrosia. After final death, she was sent to Hell and became a Demon and, later, an Archdemon. She was then sent to Heaven by Xena and became an Angel, before reincarnating into Eve, Xena's daughter, who would later become the bringer of Twilight and peace.
Her murderous nature led to the deaths of several people, such as Strife, Perdicus and Solan, which helped her to build antagonistic relationships with Ares, Gabrielle and Xena, respectively. She was a highly skilled strategist and martial artist, with fighting skills on par with Xena. However she would often get carried away when fighting, entering a blind rage which would cause her to lose focus. She has outsmarted and beaten Xena on several occasions, and also seems to have a strange affiliation with Xena's Chakram, catching and using it whenever the oppurtunity arose.
Traumatised by the raid on her home town as a child, Callisto has been consumed with a twisted hatred and love for violence, pain and torment. She cares not for honor or fair play, and takes delight in tormenting her foes. On many occasions she has let the oppurtunity to simply kill Xena pass by, as she would rather have Xena suffer and feel the same pain that she did. She displays signs of bipolar disorder and psychopathy constantly.
She was played by Hudson Leick.


Xena has 6 seasons each contain 22 episodes except the first one contains 24

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SPOILER:
Several years prior to the series pilot, "Sins of the Past", Xena commits numerous horrible deeds from terrorism to piracy and murder and at one point becomes known as the "Destroyer of Nations." Her journey down the path of evil arguably begins when her beloved brother is killed during an attack by the warlord Cortese. Xena vows revenge and she becomes estranged from her mother as a result. Sometime later, she acts as the captain of a pirate ship, doing everything from raiding other ships and ransoming hostages. It is during one ransom attempt that she encounters the young, handsome and brash Roman nobleman named Julius Caesar. Caesar is an experienced warrior and military commander with grand ambitions. He and Xena have a passionate love affair and plan to join forces. Caesar, however, betrays Xena and has her beaten and her legs broken and then strung up on a beach to die of exposure—that is, until she is saved by an Egyptian slave girl named M'Lila. M'Lila had originally stowed away on Xena's ship and subsequently befriends her and teaches Xena her first pressure points. After saving Xena, M'Lila takes her to a healer who treats her injuries. While the healer is treating Xena, Roman soldiers burst in and try to kill Xena but M'Lila shields Xena and takes a fatal shot from a crossbow and dies in Xena's arms. This event drives Xena to the side of evil completely and despite her injuries manages to kill the soldiers but warns the last one before he dies: "A new Xena is born tonight; tell Hades to prepare himself."

Afterward, Xena becomes the leader of an army and aligns herself with Borias whom she effectively seduces away from his family and the two join forces. The two become lovers and after a time, Xena becomes pregnant with her son Solan. It is during her pregnancy that a significant event happens. Xena travels with her Army to China where she hopes to build an alliance with the powerful Lao clan to facilitate her activities there. Subsequent events that involve Borias betraying Xena lead to Xena running for her life and being hunted. While on the run, Xena finds her way into Lao Ma's estate and she is protected and sheltered by the powerful noblewoman. Lao Ma cares for Xena as she never had been before by treating her as a friend who is only interested is helping her become a better person. Under her friend's guidance, she learns to put aside a great deal of her hatred and pain. Additionally, Lao Ma heals Xena's crippled legs and teaches her more about pressure points. Lao Ma gives Xena the metaphorical title "Warrior Princess", intending that she be a major catalyst for change in the land. In the end, Lao Ma's efforts come to nothing, at least in the short term. In the long run, however, Lao Ma's teachings are instrumental in shaping the good person she was to become.

Borias and Xena reconcile and renew their alliance only to break it a final time and to split their forces between them—with Xena proving the stronger of the two. Borias is killed in the forthcoming battle and Xena gives the newborn Solan to the Centaurs to raise so that he will be kept safe and protected.

Xena continues her life as a warlord for many years until she has a life changing encounter with Hercules wherein she turns her back on the path of evil. She turns against her troops to protect a baby whose family would not pay the ransom she demanded. Her troops were going to kill Xena for becoming weak in their eyes. After these events, Xena travels with Hercules for a short time and the two share a brief romantic relationship. While their romance doesn't last long, the two form a special friendship. Each comes to respect the other's abilities and judgement. In a series 1 episode, each acknowledged the positive impact the other had on the world wherein Xena said, "The world needs Hercules," and Hercules responded that "the world needs Xena, too." As the years progress, Xena and Hercules come to each other's aid at different times as well as acting as a source of comfort to the other. However, after first meeting Hercules Xena finds the way to redemption to be more painful than she anticipated. Haunted by her past transgressions, she is about to give up on her life as a warrior completely. In the pilot episode, she strips off her armor and weaponry and buries them in the dirt. She sees a group of village girls being attacked by a band of warriors. In the group is Gabrielle. Xena saves the young women and Gabrielle is left in awe of the Warrior Princess' abilities. Gabrielle follows Xena in a quest to persuade Xena to let her be her traveling companion. During the pilot, Xena returns to her home town, Amphipolis, where she eventually reconciles with her mother, Cyrene. She also visits the grave of her brother Lyceus to 'speak' with him. When Xena privately confides with Lyceus that it is difficult to be alone, Gabrielle—who is silently standing in the doorway of the crypt—tells her, "You're not alone." Soon, Xena agrees to allow Gabrielle to travel with her. Over time, Gabrielle becomes Xena's dearest friend.

Gabrielle and Xena become best friends, soulmates and indeed constant companions over the many adventures that follow. Each of the women learns from each other; Gabrielle becomes a hardened warrior and Xena develops a softer and more loving personality to balance her warrior's heart. Xena's subsequent life is marred by many tragedies. Her son Solan, who never came to know her as his mother, is killed by Hope, Gabrielle's demonic child, (with the help of Callisto); and Xena nearly loses Gabrielle more than once.

The instances where Xena and Gabrielle almost part ways are almost caused by the outside manipulations of others. The most serious of these, is, of course, the death of Xena's son at the hands of Gabrielle's demonic child, Hope. After this, Gabrielle, consumed with grief journeys to stay with the Amazons. Xena, in turn, locates her and tries to take Gabrielle's life by throwing her over a cliff while she is in a weakened state. Xena fails in doing this and subsequently; both women reconcile with the help of the spirit of Xena's son Solan. Specifically, Solan creates the land of Illusia wherein through music both women expresses their grief and anger; not so much with each other, but with the tramuas they have each endured. It is here that Xena confesses that she did, indeed, kill Ming Tien and she admits to Solan that she is his mother and sings to him asking forgiveness. After this, they travel together again.

Soon after the start of her journeys with Gabrielle, Xena runs into Ares, who has evidently known her since her warlord days and he tries to seduce her into joining him as his Warrior Queen, efforts that she repeatedly thwarts. She also encounters a formidable warrior woman named Callisto, whose family was killed by Xena years ago.

Marcus, a warrior, close friend and lover from her warlord days, whom she persuades to follow her in choosing good, is killed while doing his first good deed. Later, he is allowed to briefly return to the world of the living to help thwart a vicious killer who has escaped from the underworld. He and Xena spend a night together before Marcus has to return to the other side. Several years after her first meeting with Loa Ma, a messenger is sent by Lao Ma to ask Xena to travel to China to aid in stopping a great evil from taking hold. She sets out without delay to help her dear friend but insists that she must deal with this alone insists that Gabrielle stay behind. In spite of her best efforts, she is too late to save her mentor and friend Lao Ma from being tortured to death by her own son, the emperor Ming T'ien and is crushed with the loss. Finally, she and Gabrielle are crucified by the Romans on the Ides of March, as Caesar, previously an ally and former lover of Xena's with whom she had planned to take over known civilization until he betrayed her. Caeser, himself, is betrayed and killed by Brutus. They are later revived by a mystic named Eli with the spiritual aid of Callisto, who by that time had become an angel after being killed by Xena. This event would have long lasting effects for all involved.

The event mentioned above, leads to the birth of Xena's daughter, Eve. Essentially speaking, Eve is the reincarnated Callisto. Unfortunately, mother and daughter would have little time together as the gods were bent on destroying the child to save themselves as she is prophesied to bring about the Twilight of the Olympian gods and the birth of Christianity. In order to save her child as well as herself and Gabrielle; they fake their deaths, but their plan goes awry when Ares buries them in an ice cave where they sleep for 25 years.

During that time, Eve is adopted by the Roman nobleman Octavius who provides for her every need and make certain that she receives the best of everything. She grows up to become Livia, the Champion of Rome, and a ruthless persecutor of Eli's followers. Eve's ruthless behavior may be due to the influence of Callisto's soul, but this is unclear. After her return, Xena is able to turn Livia to repentance, and Livia takes back the name Eve and becomes the Messenger of Eli After Eve's cleansing by baptism, Xena is granted the power to kill gods as long as her daughter lives. In a final confrontation, the Twilight comes to pass when Xena kills most of the gods to save her daughter, with the help of God and Archangel Michael, and is herself saved by Ares when he gives up his immortality to heal the badly injured and dying Eve and Gabrielle, with Xena later helping him regain his godhood. Xena's quest for redemption ends when she sacrifices herself to kill the Japanese demon Yodoshi, and decides to stay dead so the souls of the 40,000 she (accidentally) killed years ago could be released into a state of peace. However, her spirit is seen with Gabrielle in a ship shortly afterwards.

According to the darsham, Naiyima, this is only one of many lives Xena will live throughout the ages. One such life is that of an Indian holy mother who leads a movement that preaches peace and yet another is a woman named Madeline, who, during World War Two undercovers the tomb of Ares and is possessed by the spirit of Xena to stop the God of War. In many of those lives, she will walk a path together with her soulmate Gabrielle furthering the cause of good against evil.

Last edited by Alex Shepherd; 24-06-12 at 20:58.
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Old 26-08-09, 14:02   #2
Vinkula
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Xena is one of my favourite TV-characters / TV-shows!
I love her!
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Old 26-08-09, 14:03   #3
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XENA!!!!!


I love Xena! I have all the series' in the complete boxset!!! It's amazing.

Lesbian love ftw! <3
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Old 26-08-09, 14:10   #4
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Originally Posted by bloodstormaoa View Post
XENA!!!!!


I love Xena! I have all the series' in the complete boxset!!! It's amazing.

Lesbian love ftw! <3
She's not Lesbian. (I guess)
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Old 26-08-09, 14:11   #5
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^ I think she is "normal"
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Old 26-08-09, 14:12   #6
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^
Are you saying Lesbians aren't normal?
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Old 26-08-09, 14:14   #7
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No, but I don't know the word Straight?
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Old 26-08-09, 14:14   #8
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I used to watch it alot, and then i just kinda got a bit bored with it, I wouldnt mind getting the boxset so i can re-watch it, but im triying to save up for the X-files boxset first.
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Old 26-08-09, 14:16   #9
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I have the big collectors chest with all the seasons on dvd! I still haven't got through them all haha. I LOVE Xena though, it was such a great programme!!
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Old 26-08-09, 14:16   #10
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She's not Lesbian. (I guess)
Up to the viewer. There's a lot of subtext in the series saying Gabrielle and Xena were lovers - the same with Xena and Ares. In 'A Friend in Need (Part Two)' the scene where Gabrielle gives the water to Xena can either be viewed as a simple passing of water or a kiss from Gabrielle to Xena.

The writers deliberately left it open ended as not to alienate any fans and for the viewer to make the decision for themselves.

Xena herself had plenty of female companions who she loved or grew fond of - Akemi, Gabrielle, Alti and Lao Ma for example. Same for male companions - Borias, Marcus, Ceaser and Draco to name a few. It was a decision left to the viewers what Xena (and Gabrielle's) sexuality was. Most just say they were 'human lovers' - they loved who they wanted to regardless of sex (so bisexual really ).
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