In a comic book spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a major character’s queerness may have been confirmed. The latest issue of The Vampire Slayer comic series, written by Sarah Gailey and Hannah Templer, features Faith Lehane, the vampire hunter, describing Willow, a magic-using bisexual character, as “wicked hot.” While Faith’s comment may seem small, it confirms what fans have long suspected about Faith, who was played by Eliza Dushku on the TV series. Throughout the TV show’s run, Faith only had sexual and romantic relationships with cis men. However, her fluid sexuality was hinted at on the show, with sexual tension between her and Sarah Michelle Geller’s Buffy, leading to fan theories eager to see broader queer representation on TV.
The original Buffy TV series was groundbreaking for including an out queer character, Willow played by Alyson Hannigan, but it seems the TV show shied away from more complicated and diverse depictions of sexuality. Series creator Joss Whedon admitted in 2020 that he’d intended Willow to be bisexual, but was discouraged by network executives. Despite the executives’ disapproval, early in the TV series, Willow dated a werewolf named Daniel “Oz” Osbourne and later dated Tara, a fellow witch who introduces Willow to magic. When Willow and Tara suddenly part in the show’s sixth season, Willow turns to “Dark Willow” and threatens to destroy the world over her intense emotional pain.
The Vampire Slayer, which launched its first issue in April 2022, has already re-envisioned the character Xander, played on the TV show by Nicholas Brendon, as queer. With Faith’s comment in the latest issue, it seems that the comic book spin-off is continuing the tradition of pushing the boundaries of queer representation on TV and beyond, bringing to light the complexities and fluidity of sexuality in a way that the original TV show couldn’t.
