"In a time of ancient gods, warlords, and kings, a land in turmoil cried out for a hero. She was Xena, a mighty princess forged in the heat of battle. The power, the passion, the danger. Her courage will change the world!"
Xena, Joxer and Gabrielle (from episode 3.2 Been There, Done That)
The warrior woman Xena has cast aside her ways of tyranny and conquest as an ambitious and cruel warlord. Now, she seeks to atone for her past evil deeds as she seeks to help those in need. Befriended by a quick witted but naive farm girl, Gabrielle who wants to see the world and be more like Xena; the pair wanders the ancient world of Greece, Rome, China, and India. As part of her self-imposed quest for penance ... the Warrior Princess is destined to become a hero and a legend.
Xena: Warrior Princess was an Emmy Award-winning American produced action-adventure historical fantasy TV series starring Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor. The show and the main character of Xena was a spin-off of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys TV series.
Xena was originally a guest star in several episodes as one of Hercules' most dangerous enemies who was scripted to perish at the end of her story arc but was so popular with critics and viewers which led to her survival (and her own spin-off series). Set in the ancient mythical world approximately two thousand years ago; the series was noted for its adventurous, action-packed, and dramatic episodes combined with tongue-in-cheek comedy. There were also a handful of episodes which are set in the more modern day that are tied back to Xena's adventures.
Xena: Warrior Princess was produced simultaneously with its parent series with various guest stars crossing over and appearing in both shows and even resulted in an animated film; Hercules and Xena - The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus released in 1998 as well as various books, magazines, comics, and video games as part of its wildly successful franchise.
Xena: Warrior Princess would go on to surpass its parent show in popularity and ratings; becoming a top ranked cult show with its titular character becoming a cultural icon in both pop culture and feminism. In addition, her onscreen deep friendship with Gabrielle resulted in furious fan debate and speculation that their "relationship" was far more than platonic with the lesbian and gay communities embracing them as lesbian icons and role models. Even star Lucy Lawless who portrayed Xena admitted that she felt that her and Gabrielle's relationship was definitely far more than close friends but akin to intimate lovers and "soulmates". A potential reboot to the series was planned in 2015 but it appears to have fallen in limbo.
The titular character of the series. Once Xena was feared throughout the world as a warlord beloved by the God of War, Ares himself. She was the Destroyer of Nations; the leader of the most ruthless, powerful, and destructive army ever seen. Through an encounter with the heroic demigod Hercules however, Xena came to repent her actions and begun an uneasy path to redemption as a wandering hero herself. She was portrayed by Lucy Lawless.
The secondary lead character of the series, Gabrielle is Xena's beloved friend and traveling companion. An aspiring bard whose encounter with Xena gave her the courage to leave her stifling farming village and become an adventurer to see the world as she always wanted to do. While Xena thinks on her feet and is very pro-active in dealing with situations, Gabrielle likes to weigh up the pros and cons of a situation before diving in. She is always ready to follow Xena who relies on the spirited and kind-hearted Gabrielle to keep her from straying back into evil ways. She was portrayed by Renee O'Connor.
A clumsy oaf who delusionally thinks of himself as a mighty warrior. Despite often fouling things up and comedically complicating situations by doing more harm than good, he has been a loyal and trustworthy friend to both Xena and Gabrielle. He was portrayed by Ted Raimi.
The Greek God of War and frequent enemy to his half-brother Hercules. A manipulative and amoral immortal, he wishes to bring about war and dominate the world. He is also extremely fond of Xena who he views as his greatest champion and seeks to seduce her (in more than one way) back to her previous ruthless and sadistic ways as the Destroyer of Nations. He was portrayed by the late Kevin Smith.
As a child, Callisto watched her family die at Xena's hand during her dark days as Destroyer of Nations. Consumed with the need for revenge and has developed into a murderous, highly skilled warrior who has become Xena's greatest enemy. She was portrayed by Hudson Leick.
The self proclaimed "King of Thieves" who can't resist stealing valuable items especially if it presents a challenge for him. He also has a good heart and will help people in need but doesn't want anyone to know about it for fear of ruining his reputation. He is a friend to both Hercules, Xena, and Gabrielle ... although they all know better than to trust him entirely as he'll usually try to figure out a way to profit from a situation. He was portrayed by Bruce Campbell.
An ambitious Roman general that Xena met in her dark past and were even lovers at one point. However the ruthless Julius Caesar betrayed her and they have been bitter enemies ever since. He was portrayed by Karl Urban.
Ephiny is an amazon warrior and good friends with Xena and Gabrielle although her loyalty is strongest towards Gabrielle. She was portrayed by Danielle Cormack.
An evil and powerful shamaness. She desires greater power above anything else and does not hesitate to kill anyone who stands in her way and is a recurring antagonist to Xena and Gabrielle. She was portrayed by Claire Stansfield.
A street magician in India who has great compassion and despairs at the suffering in the world. He discovers that he is the Avatar, a Deity in human form destined to save humankind from evil and becomes allies with Xena and Gabrielle. He was portrayed by Timothy Omundson.
Eve is Xena's daughter but grew up without her for the first twenty five years of her life while Xena and Gabrielle were trapped in a form of suspended animation. In that time, Ares moulded her into a brutal Roman commander. Xena with the help of Eli, made her see the error of her ways. She was portrayed by Adrienne Wilkinson.
For more Xena: Warrior Princess characters click on the link below:
Xena meets Gabrielle for the first time while saving her village. They become good friends, with Gabrielle learning a lot from Xena's advice. They overcome various enemies along the way, including warlords, gods and titans.
Ares attempts to seduce Xena back into her warlord ways.
One god in particular is a constant thorn in Xena's side - Ares, God of War. He is upset that Xena has abandoned her evil warlord ways and repeatedly tries to persuade her to come back and be by his side. He frames her for murder and claims to be her saviour. He also masquerades as her father to try and dupe her into lashing out against innocent villagers. It almost works but Gabrielle is there to make Xena realise that attacking these villagers is wrong.
Xena unexpectedly bumps into an old flame, Marcus, while trying to rescue a young woman. She tries to persuade him to stop serving an evil warlord and do good. Unfortunately, his first act of kindness is to give his life to save the kidnapped woman. She meets him again much later but this time he is an undead spirit asking for help in the underworld. The only way into the underworld is to die and become a spirit. Xena does this without hesitation as she loves Marcus very much and manages to stop the madman Atyminius from causing havoc.
Gabrielle learns how to use a Fighting Staff
As Gabrielle spends more time with Xena she becomes more confident but she grows a little frustrated with being unable to help Xena in combat. When she inadvertently becomes an Amazon princess, she quickly learns the use of a Fighting Staff from the Amazons. Despite being a princess to the Amazons she was able to leave them and continue following Xena but promised to return to them.
While Xena advised Helen of Troy in the midst of the Trojan War, Gabrielle unexpectedly meets Perdicus, a man she was reluctantly to marry back in her home village before meeting Xena. But on meeting him this time she is taken with how capable he has become as a soldier. They part on good terms hoping to meet each other again.
Xena discovers she has an exact double in the form of Princess Diana, daughter of King Thrace. She takes her place to thwart attempts on her life. This is the first of numerous doubles that Xena comes across over the course of the six seasons.
Xena and Gabrielle meet Autolycus, a friend of Hercules, for the first time. He is persuaded to masquerade as Synteres, an assassin, to help them retrieve a stolen holy artefact and will meet them again on numerous occasions in the future.
Callisto
Xena encounters perhaps her greatest and certainly her most persistent enemy of the entire show. Callisto is a highly skilled warrior woman out for vengeance against Xena. In her dark past Xena had destroyed Callisto's family and village. This twisted Callisto into an evil and vengeful warrior. Although Xena defeated her this time, they would meet again. During their encounter with Callisto they also meet Joxer, a clumsy warrior who becomes good friends with them.
Xena is finally able to revive Gabrielle, saving her life
Xena teams up with her estranged older brother, Toris, to get revenge on Cortese. Cortese was responsible for the death of their younger brother Lyceus and the destruction of their village (the village was later rebuilt). Cortese was also responsible for Xena becoming the dark vengeful warrior that she used to be. Although they worked well together in bringing Cortese down, Xena and Toris would remain estranged.
Xena and Gabrielle help the wounded in a Greek civil war. Gabrielle risks her life to save someone from the battlefield but is gravely wounded for her troubles. Xena desperately tries to save her, bringing all her medical knowledge to bear. Without realising it Xena was stimulating her heart when she lightly punched Gabrielle's chest in a moment of despair and desperation. Having saved Gabrielle's life, the two have become inseparable.
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