Buffy VS Faith - Who was the better slayer?

Who is the best slayer?

  • Buffy

    Votes: 48 81.4%

  • Faith

    Votes: 7 11.9%

  • Kendra Young

    Votes: 4 6.8%
  • Total voters
    59
BuffMarsters

BuffMarsters

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I personally think Buffy was the better slayer. Not only had she been slaying for years longer than Kendra or Faith, but Buffy was the right mix of gutsy and careful. She knew when to step back and when to charge into a situation. And she was smarter than Faith, who basically believed all Vampires were bad, and nearly got Angel killed by leading Gwendolyn right to him.

Faith was too wild and out of control. If she kept going on the path she was on,she would have ended up being a serial murderer after staking that real human guy she killed in season3. But some people think that Buffy wasn't as strong as Faith, and that Faiths anger and rebellious nature made her less of a liability, and more of a threat than Buffy. Like in this video,
 
Watching that vid...yeah, it is funny about the cosmetic rules. But people come to expect it, and it's generally best not to make viewers have to think too much about too many things if you want to keep them interested. Interesting enough, I once read a book on comic art and it said that female villains had to show more breast (which were also bigger) as well as skin in general, and Faith seems to follow that. (And it's such that I recall an anime I watched in which one woman turned evil, her breasts got bigger and more exposed). This gets made fun of in a lot of parodies and satires.

I disagree on the "murder" bit which was accidental, but I'm sure the narrator doesn't work in law, nor had to deal with harsh real life violence. Still, it seems too trivial to go into and I probably wouldn't have mentioned it at all were I not commenting as I watch it. Overall, her point comparing it with Ted still stands (though in a way it's a bit worse as Buffy attacked Ted thinking he was a human whereas Faith reacted instinctively against what she assumed was yet another vampire--and too bad Buffy didn't bring up Ted to Faith and others), though it falls apart when we see how Buffy and Faith handle it afterward respectively. Faith would become a murderer later on, but she didn't become one with the accidental killing (and she was obviously troubled by it, however badly she handled it).

I don't think the comparison of Faith to Annikan is apt, as though sandmen culture brings out the worst in them, they presumably have a choice. Save in the most extraordinary circumstances, vampires are psychopathic demons, though later on it becomes more fuzzy. And vampire women and children should not be considered civilians (though I expect the thought of women and children being a viable threat is probably a bizarre one to George Lucas, even if he did play with that idea at times).

I agree Buffy shouldn't have been jealous of Faith, but that does seem to be personality. She's not only jealous over her boyfriends, but even over Giles. I know it was brought up that Faith could take over for Buffy.

I think she's wrong on Xander and Kendra. It seems to me that Kendra was far more attracted to Xander than the other way around. For that matter, I don't recall him coming onto Faith, though Faith does take him (and then Xander operates under the delusion that they have a "connection").

She has a good point that Faith has an advantage in being more aggressive, but that means she really should have more direction (as well as links so she doesn't lose herself as a human being). Still, I prefer Buffy when she actually comes up with smart plans and is adaptable (and thus does better being autonomous).

Oh gods...but it's so funny...comparing the eating of humans to tacos. (Spike does describe humans as "happy meals on legs.")

And I think her reasoning falls apart about the "only one girl being a lie" spiel (though it's remarkable--but not totally unbelievable--that Buffy is the first to be brought back), and there was an entire Council of Watchers who also commanded other resources. That part makes sense to me even if it doesn't her. She seems to operate under the assumption that the Watchers ONLY manage the Slayer when I think that's assuming too much. I'd personally find it unbelievable if they only used Slayers and not many other people and resources as well.

HAHAHAHAHA! That's at her "Joss Whedon wins" bit. I do love her snarkiness.

That aside...Faith started off as a better Slayer than Buffy because she's not afraid of getting dirty or worrying about what others think of her (at least not to the same level of Buffy), though she does have her flaws...and Buffy was the better and more interesting (to me) character, based on what's actually shown. However, the special training in season 5 that hones years of experience, combined with Buffy's adaptability, make Buffy the better Slayer in the long run. (And that aside, I do consider Faith to be the good Slayer in season 7.) That's why I'm going to pick Buffy in your poll.
 
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Buffy is superior to Faith in every conceivable way. Buffy says, "I am the thing monsters have nightmares about." Who has Buffy nightmares? I rest my case.
BuffMarsters said:
But some people think that Buffy wasn't as strong as Faith, and that Faiths anger and rebellious nature made her less of a liability, and more of a threat than Buffy.
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Buffy almost lost to Faith once, and that was because she had to fight inside Faith's recently comatose body.
 
Loved this video, cool of them even posing this question. I agreed with only about 10% of what they were saying but I'd definitely watch more of their output 🙂

Anyways, best Slayer is and always will be Buffy
 
Buffy is the better slayer but it's not really a fair comparison because thanks to Buffy's support system she's been saved time and time again so that she can go on slaying and keep on the right path. We've been watching Buffy slay for 7 seasons, whereas we've barely seen Faith be a proper slayer. Also Faith did go to the darkside. So, I pick Buffy but I will say that I prefer Faith's attitude to being a slayer over Buffy's attitude.
 
Blaze said:
Kendra's last name is Young? How did I not know that?
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It's funny now, to think about the details we never knew about while the show was going, but that was brought in after by JW and co. It's never mentioned in-show, much like Faith and William's last names aren't, but still most fans know what those are. I blame it, personally, on my fanfic obsession 😉
 
No doubt Buffy was the better slayer!
Buffy had something that both Faith & Kendra did not have and what lead to Kendra's death and that was family and friends!
She had Joyce/Dawn to protect, to live for Willow, Xander , Giles etc.
Buffy knew how to love while Kendra and Faith didn't imo.
Buffy was able to love Spike while Faith/Kendra I don't think understand the concept of love.
Faith is a great slayer and Kendra was decent too but they don't compare to Buffy .
 
Considering the way that the characters were written, the situations that they were put in, and the general "feel" of the over all story line, Buffy was, without a doubt, the most effective Slayer. It has to be considered, however, that there might be situations encountered where a Viking berserker Kamikaze action would have been the only option that would save the day, and as we saw in Season 3, that was Faith. Or, there might come a time when a cooler, more calculating approach to a problem might have led to a much more secure victory (Imagine Kendra having to decide if defending Dawn was worth putting the world in jeopardy)

The show's title automatically insures that Buffy is always going to be the Slayer who is ultimately shown in the best light, whose decisions, if not always right, certainly wind up working for the best, and whose actions ultimately result in the day being saved.
 
Even that I support Faith, the logical answer would be Buffy. It is called Buffy the Vampire Slayer, not Faith the Vampire Slayer. True, Buffy is the shorter woman, and all the fights Faith runs away to make it look like like a draw. Within a role play Buffy needs to win, within any book or movie, Buffy needs to win. Buffy is the stronger slayer -- period.
 
The video isn't very good. I think they're trying to be humorous in some parts (like comparing the way both slayers 'used Xander' seemed over the top & really tongue-in-cheek) of it but mostly they come across as ill-informed, petty and bitchy.
It harshes on Buffy, Faith, the writers, ignores solid answers to some questions given on the show (for example there are multiple Watchers because of all the potentials running around, plus the Watcher's hunt evil without the aid of a slayer on occasion. ) and is all round irritating to listen to.

They're wrong to say that Faith 'suddenly' went evil, her personality faults are signposted from her very first appearance.
They make one solid point regarding Ted, but it wasn't Buffy that acts self-righteous and calls Faith a murderer after Finch's death, that was Willow.


Anyways,
TV show: Buffy of course, 100% She's a fantastic heroine never mind slayer, she never turned evil and teamed up with the bad guys. Seeing Faith reform is her main appeal, not her fall from grace.

Comics: Faith of course, 100% She never put the world in dire jeopardy multiple times by being an whiny, self-involved idiot. Faith is still the scrappy underdog, doing the right thing without a support network, much in the way of thanks or credit and is still key to saving the world multiple times.

WillowFromBuffy said:
Buffy almost lost to Faith once,
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Buffy almost lost to Faith least twice, and actually lost to her in 'This Year's Girl'.
 
I don't think that question can ever be truly answered. The story was written mainly from Buffy's point of view. I don't think that fighting styles or who can beat whom would make a plausible answer. And both have proved their capability of morally sinking very low. If the series had focused on Faith as long as it had on Buffy, I could have answered that question.
 
Hummmmmmm I believe they are both equally good as they survived long enough to tell the tale. But then again if Buffy died by the Master and never came back would we consider her less good because she wouldn't have time to prove herself? Would we consider her better than Kendra who didn't have the chance to be revived? Could we also argue that Kakistos would have probably killed Faith if Buffy wasn't there to help her out with her trauma? If not would she still turn evil and live longer but on the dark side? Too many questions to make a decision!
 
Buffy circumvented what it meant to be a slayer, therefor Faith was the better slayer as she was more closely aligned with the ethos of the slayer.
 
I just wanted to add that I assumed their shallow, petty, bitchy natures were acted out for comedic value (and also to avoid being seen as arrogant with such self-deprecating humor, as those on YT speaking on movies & shows who show intelligence and passion often are accused of, wrongly more often than not, IMO), and to make the snark more amusing. However, if that was them being authentic, then...let's just say I wouldn't find it anywhere as amusing.
 
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