Willow Rosenberg

Willow Rosenberg is a female television character who features in Buffy-Angel.

Biography

Origin

Willow Rosenberg (1981-?) is a powerful witch and a longtime friend and ally of Buffy Summers, the current vampire slayer. She uses her knowledge of magic to help fight the forces of evil.

Willow first met Buffy her sophomore year of high school. Initially, Willow was a shy and withdrawn student at Sunnydale High School. She excelled at school and was particularly knowledgable of computers and science.

Soon after Buffy arrived in Sunnydale, she saved Willow from a vampire. Following that incident, Willow, along with classmate and best friend Xander Harris, aided Buffy and her Watcher Rupert Giles in protecting Sunnydale from all kinds of supernatural threats.

After witnessing Willow being insulted by Cordelia, Buffy quickly approached Willow as a friend despite Willow responding in fear as she saw her with Cordelia. The two met at the Bronze and Buffy encouraged Willow to seize her day, so she went out with a boy she had just met, Thomas, who was actually a vampire. (Episode: Welcome to the Hellmouth) Buffy saved Willow from the Order of Aurelius, leading Willow along with Xander to learn about Buffy's secret identity as the Slayer, but their friend Jesse McNally did not survive. Willow soon became Buffy's best friend, and the revelation of the supernatural led Willow to dedicate herself to aiding her friend in the battle against evil. Willow's assistance to the Scooby Gang was mostly through her computing and hacking skills as well as helping the school librarian and Buffy's Watcher Rupert Giles on researching about demons. (Episode: The Harvest)

By the end of her sophomore year, Willow's interest in computers got her almost killed by the demon Moloch the Corruptor, who pretended to be a teenage boy talking to her on the net. Willow initially ignored her friends' warnings but came to realize his true nature when he revealed himself in his new robotic form. After Buffy killed him, Willow felt bad for falling for a demon, thinking something was wrong with her. Buffy and Xander cheered her up by reminding her of the times they fell for someone out of the norm. (Episode: I Robot, You Jane)

She also witnessed the death of several students at the hands of the Order of Aurelius, affecting her emotionally. This experience gave Buffy the push to confront the Order's leader, the Master who was prophesied to kill her. Learning this, Willow met up with Giles, Xander and Jennifer Calendar, her computer science teacher and technopagan she admired. They believed that a swarm of the Master's vampire minions would assemble at the Bronze where the school's prom was currently being held. Willow accompanied Jenny to her car where they discovered that the vampires were instead going to the school where they were. Luckily, Cordelia arrived and rescued them with her car, having been helped the gang prior. Returning to the library, Willow fought off both vampires and a tentacle monster that spawned from the Hellmouth, awakened by the Master after he bit Buffy and left her to drown. Buffy, however, was revived by CPR and came to their need and killed the Master. (Episode: Prophecy Girl)

The following year, just as Buffy returned, Willow was kidnapped along with Giles, Jenny, and Cordelia by the Order's remaining members and almost killed in the ritual to resurrect the Master, since they were at close proximity to him as he died. Even though it was Buffy's emotional irrationality that put them in danger, Willow along with the others did not express any anger to her afterward. (Episode: When She Was Bad)

In her junior year, Willow began to have huge advances to her persona. During Halloween when everyone became whatever their costumes from Ethan's Costume Shop represented , Buffy and Xander were given different mindsets, leaving the ghostly Willow to take initiative. She assigned for Giles' help while wearing skimpy outfit that Buffy before hence encouraged her to put on to impress Xander, though she kept it hidden a ghost costume that she abandoned while becoming a ghost. (Episode: Halloween)

Also, when Buffy lied to Giles so she could hold off her Slayer duties to attend a college frat party, Willow burst out in a fit of guilt yet also judging Giles for not allowing Buffy to have time for herself and Angel for not bothering to make time for her. (Episode: Reptile Boy)

After discovering Xander's relationship with Cordelia when she caught them kissing, a heartbroken Willow angrily expressed her shock and disgust that Xander would involve himself with someone like Cordelia before her, further strengthening her assertiveness and pride. (Episode: Innocence)

She then quickly decided to move on, starting a romantic relationship with Daniel "Oz" Osbourne, a guitarist in the local band Dingoes Ate My Baby. The two began talking after they were selected by the "world's leading software concern" during the Careers Fair. (Episode: What's My Line? Part One) She later invited him to Buffy's birthday where he witnessed his first vampire being staked. (Episode: Surprise) Even after the revelation that he was a werewolf and almost getting killed by him, Willow still continued to date him, even confidently kissing him at her own accord. (Episode: Phases)

When Jenny Calendar was murdered by Buffy's newly soulless boyfriend Angel, Willow agreed to teach her classes for the rest of the year. (Episode: Passion) During this time, she went through her former teacher's belongings, dabbling in magic. She eventually discovered a floppy disk containing the translated text of the lost Ritual of Restoration, the curse that originally had been used to ensoul Angel decades before. Willow took it upon herself to perform the spell if Buffy couldn't kill him, as she claimed it would be the last resort. Willow first attempted the ritual in the school library, but failed when Angel's vampire minions attacked and a bookcase was dropped on her. (Episode: Becoming, Part One) Recovering at the hospital, Willow performed the Ritual of Restoration with Cordelia and Oz at her side. She told Xander to inform Buffy of this, who instead just told Buffy to kill him. At the exact climax of the ritual, a powerful burst of magic surged through her, ensouling Angel just before Buffy stabbed and sent him to hell to close Acathla's portal. (Episode: Becoming, Part Two)

While Buffy was away in Los Angeles, Willow continued to practice witchcraft — first starting simple through a number of pagan blessings and also once used a glamour to conceal a pimple. She even took a frightening turn when she attempted to contact the spirit world while not being ready, having found the experience to have 'pulled her apart inside', as well as blowing out the power for the whole street block. (Episode: Dead Man's Party) Willow also took charge of the Scooby Gang through their series of unsuccessful vampire hunts. (Episode: Anne) Willow joined a coven with fellow magic-users Amy and Michael Czajak, who became the victims of a witch-hunt led by the group Mothers Opposed to the Occult (MOO), of which Willow's mother was a member. However, the group had been under the influence of a demon who impersonated two victims of witches. Willow, Buffy, and Amy were nearly burned at the stake before Giles revealed the demon, which Buffy then slew, breaking the spell. Afterward, Willow kept Amy as a pet after she turned herself into a rat to escape, Willow not possessing Amy's powers of transmogrification at that time. (Episode: Gingerbread) Though she showed initial shock at Buffy's secret relationship with Angel who had just returned, the heads of the gang were turned when Angel saved her from being killed by corrupt ex-Watcher Gwendolyn Post. (Episode: Revelations)

Willow and Xander discovered a growing attraction for each other, despite the fact that they were each in relationships with other people. (Episode: Homecoming) While being held hostage by Spike, Willow and Xander shared a kiss, believing that they were going to be killed. To their dismay, they were caught in the act by Oz and Cordelia, who had come to rescue them. Although Cordelia broke up with Xander for good. (Episode: Lovers Walk) Oz and Willow eventually managed to work things out after some weeks. (Episode: Amends)

Willow graduated from Sunnydale High School in 1999 and enrolled in The University of California Sunnydale where she roomed with Buffy. After a painful break-up with Oz, Willow joined an on-campus Wicca group. There, she met Tara and persued a romantic relationship with her.

Willow and Tara shared a generally smooth relationship whose only argument was over the growth of Willow's magic. When Tara's mind was drained by Glorificus, Willow saved her, and they patched things up.

Eventually, Tara felt that Willow was abusing her power and broke up with her. This caused Willow to even further succumb to the darker side of magic, but after a recovery, she and Tara got back together. Soon after, Tara was murdered by Warren. Willow absorbed dark magic, causing a change in her appearance, and eventually killed Warren.

Buffy and her friends tried to stop Willow from killing Warren's accomplices, Johnathan and Andrew, but they didn't have much success until Giles confronted her with borrowed power from a coven. Willow absorbed Giles' power and then tried to destroy the world. Xander was able to help her find her humanity.

Willow spent the summer of 2002 in England with Giles training in the use of her powers until she returned to Sunnydale in the fall. Willow was hesitant to use magic, especially after an encounter with The First, but she soon overcame her fear. She also began dating a potential slayer named Kennedy.

In the final battle with The First, Willow channelled her power through an ancient scythe and turned all the potential slayers into full vampire slayers. This process briefly turned her hair white, as opposed to the dark magic turning her hair black.

Following the end of Buffy, Willow is mentioned two more times. Andrew tells Spike, that she and Kennedy went to South America. Later, Angel, tries to contact her, and Giles tells him that Willow is on the astral plane.

Overview

Personality and attributes

In appearance, Willow Rosenberg was first shown as a modestly dressed teenage girl, with long red hair, pale skin, and a nervous smile. She often wore loose-fitting clothing, including sweaters and skirts, emphasizing her reserved and bookish personality. Her large, expressive eyes and youthful features highlighted her innocence during the early years at Sunnydale High.

In personality, Willow was initially shy, awkward, and highly self-conscious, particularly around boys and in social situations. However, her intelligence and kindness stood out immediately, as did her loyalty to her friends. She displayed a strong moral compass, a desire to help, and a natural curiosity that drew her into research and problem-solving. These traits formed the foundation of her role in the group and foreshadowed her growth into one of its most powerful and confident members.

Willow often did not hold grudges against people. In fact, she was usually one of the first to forgive people for their mistakes, even if large ones, being incredibly forgiving. Another notable trait of Willow was her remarkable ability to put aside grudges and personal feelings to get an important task done which she had done on numerous occasions.

When doing the spell to un-invite Angel from her house, she hid the crosses she nailed to the wall behind a curtain, noting that her father would have a fit if he saw them. Willow also said that the egg given to her to take care of in her junior year of high school was Jewish. (Episode: Bad Eggs)

Powers and abilities

In powers and abilities, Willow began as a human with no combat skills or magical knowledge. Her strengths lay in her intelligence, particularly her advanced computer skills and research abilities, which she used to assist Buffy and Giles in gathering information on vampires and demons. Over time, she studied witchcraft, but in her earliest appearances, she was simply a resourceful and brave young woman, relying on her intellect and courage rather than physical or supernatural power.

At first, Willow's major powers were her intelligence and computer skills. She aided Giles when he researched information to aid Buffy in overcoming various challenges.

As Willow's skills developed, she manifested the power of telekinesis, which enabled her to move objects as well as individuals with her mind. In the beginning, she used this ability to levitate objects like pencils to stake vampires. (Episode: Choices) In that time, she had to combine her strength with Tara's to perform greater feats. (Episode: Hush) This included levitating individuals and blasting crowds apart. (Episode: The Gift)

At one point, she learnt a spell to resurrect a person back from the dead. (Episode: Bargaining, Part One)

Notes

• Willow Rosenberg was created by Joss Whedon where she was portrayed by actor Alyson Hannigan and featured in the setting of Buffy-Angel.

Alternate Versions

• In the episode "The Wish", an alternate version of Willow Rosenberg appeared in a reality altered by a wish granted by Anya Jenkins to Cordelia Chase that saw a world where Buffy Summers did not exist. The vengeance demon transported her to a reality in which the absence of the Slayer had allowed the town to be dominated by vampires. Willow, accompanied by Xander, encountered Cordelia alone in the streets, oblivious to their identity as vampires. They attempted to bite her, but she was saved by the White Hats at the last minute. Willow and Xander went to the Bronze, where she fed off a girl. Xander revealed to the Master that Cordelia had mentioned summoning the Slayer, so the Master ordered Xander and Willow to kill her. Willow and Xander trapped Giles at the Sunnydale High School library and drank Cordelia's blood together. Concluding their mission, the Master allowed Willow to play with her 'puppy', which meant torturing Angel, the traitor vampire with a soul, while Xander watched them. Later, while the Master inaugurated his plan to mass produce human blood for vampire consumption, Buffy Summers and the White Hats arrived at the blood plant, beginning a battle. Willow was momentarily saved from death, when Anya and Willow from the main timeline attempted to perform a temporal fold to retrieve the Symbol of Anyanka. Though, a interruption of the spell pulled the vampire Willow into their reality instead. The vampire Willow was bothered to see the humans roaming freely at night. She had an altercation with Percy West in the Bronze, which would make him respect the main Willow. Following this, she exposed her vampire face to Alexander and Buffy, causing them to believe their Willow was then undead. Disappointed with this reality, Willow found herself wandering through the streets, until she was found by a group of vampire assassins sent by the Mayor Wilkins. She subdued them all and made them her minions through intimidation of the leader Alphonse. With this, she proceeded to try to make the world as it was in her reality. They started by taking over the Bronze, taking the patrons as hostages, where she sired Sandy. At the club, Anya recognized the vampire Willow and convinced her that she could help her get back to her world, but first they needed this world's Willow to perform the spell. The vampire tried to kidnap her human counterpart at the school library, but was subdued with a tranquilizer gun. Switching clothes with her vampire counterpart, the human Willow helped the Scooby Gang retake the Bronze.

Appearances

• Buffy-Angel:

External Links

• Buffy Wiki Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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