With news that Hulu’s sequel series forBuffy the Vampire Slayeris moving forward quickly, the community continues to speculate which fan-favorites could make a comeback. One such character is Anya Jenkins, especially following Emma Caulfield’s teasing of her character’s return before the reboot was even announced.
That said,there may be no need forBuffy the Vampire Slayer’ssequel to resurrect Anya, because theSeason Tencomics have already done so. Anya’s final on-screen appearance ends with her death in the Season Seven finale, just before the series concluded. Even after Joss Whedon launched a canonical comic continuation, it appeared her fate was permanent.
Anya was notably absent from bothSeason EightandSeason Nine, reinforcing the idea that her story had ended. That’s why it came as such a shock when her image suddenly reappeared inSeason Ten, and in the most unexpected way.
The Cloned Spirit of Anya Haunts Xander in theBuffy the Vampire SlayerComics
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten#1 by Christos Gage, Rebekah Isaacs, Dan Jackson, Richard Starkings, and Jimmy Betancourt
With the on-panel 10th season ofBuffy the Vampire Slayer, the Scooby Gang had just defeated a Slayer-turned-supervampire named Simone, restoring magic to a once magic-less universe, and saving Dawn’s life. When Dawn was in danger,her romance with Xander, which 90s fans dreaded, came to a head when Mr. Harris betrayed the Scoobies in an attempt to salvage his lover’s life. By the time the day is saved and all is forgiven, Xander still feels immense guilt for his actions.This is when the ghost of his late ex, Anya, begins to appear before him.
To better understand why Xander betrayed Buffy and co., along with the events prior to this season, check outBuffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine!
Initially, Xander believes Anya is a manifestation of his guilt over keeping secrets from his current girlfriend, or possibly that she’s haunting him from beyond the grave as some sort of consequence. However, as revealed inSeason Ten#25, the truth is much stranger. The figure confronting Xander isn’t the real Anya, but a carbon copy created from her memories by D’Hoffryn, who has been elevated from a recurring character on the show to the season’s Big Bad.This ghostly version of Anya thinks and feels exactly as the real Anya would, just without actually being her.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season TenFinally Gives Xander and Anya the Closure the Show Never Did
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten#30 by Christos Gage, Rebekah Isaacs, Dan Jackson, Richard Starkings, and Jimmy Betancourt
Some readers may wonder how this can even count as a return for Anya if it’s technically not the real Anya. On the contrary,this Anya is more real than one might think, considering that D’Hoffryn’s magic crafts a perfect image of Anya, who herself feels real and is treated as such by those around her. When Xander talks to Anya, he believes he’s talking tothe real ex-Vengeance Demonbrought back to life. In return, Anya’s memories make this copy receive Xander’s words as such, reacting as the Anya of flesh and blood would react if she were still alive.
That’s why the final issues of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Ten resonate so strongly when Xander finally tells Anya he’s sorry for everything. Xander’s always been remorseful for his role in their relationship (i.e. leaving her at the altar, chastising her for sleeping with Spike, etc.) but he never truly had the opportunity to apologize until that moment. This comic finally brings closure to the former lovers, with Xander not only apologizing and taking accountability, but Anya forgiving Xander.If audiences want Anya back for the reboot so the ex-couple can get closure, the comics have already provided it.
Buffy’s Comics Gave Anya Two Perfect Endings So the Sequel Doesn’t Have To
Buffy the Last Vampire Slayerby Casey Gilly, Joe Jaro, Joana LaFuente, and Ed Dukeshire
For audiences who want to see Anya return for theBuffy the Vampire Slayersequel simply to see more of Anya, theBuffycomics have fans covered. Alternatively, outside the canon, BOOM! Studios releasedBuffy the Last Vampire Slayer, a comic franchise analyzing a new future continuity where Buffy Summers is an older Slayer standing in a post-apocalyptic world after the vampires manage to kill all her friends and potential Slayer proteges. Miraculously,the immortal and youthful Anya is Buffy’s only friend still alive, thematically serving as a constant reminder of everything she’s lost.
WhileBuffy the Vampire Slayer’sfinal season never gave Anya a happy ending, Anya’s final fate here sees her as a member ofBuffy’s new Watchers Council, an organization created to coach the next generation of Slayers. One comic series brings Anyanka closure, while this one brings her journey to a pleasant conclusion. Even better is that both can co-exist without either undoing or contradicting Anya’s noble death from season seven.Buffy the Vampire Slayer’srevival could bring a lot of great elements to the table, but reviving Anya isn’t necessary because the comics executed the task to perfection twice.
All issues ofBuffy the Vampire Slayer Season TenandBuffy the Last Vampire Slayerare available from Dark Horse Comics and BOOM! Studios.
