Character Study: Willow Rosenberg

I named my cat after Willow Rosenberg. This was quite possibly the dumbest idea that I have ever had. Willow from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer has a stubborn streak that renders her literally evil from time to time. This is the same for my cat. On some days I'm convinced that she is the spawn of Satan.

Of course, we love her anyway. This is also the case for Willow (the character - now things are getting confusing). She is completely surrounded by her friends through times of trouble (especially when she is the one causing trouble with her magic-gone-bad super powers). Her character shifts dramatically throughout the seven seasons of Buffy and it continues to change in the series' graphic novels.

I have always been drawn to Willow. I liked that she started out shy and seemingly useless, finding her own power when she discovered magic. She completely throws herself into learning and understanding magic. She never takes the easy way out, wants to learn everything possible in order to become the best witch that she can be. I think a lot of us can relate to that kind of passion. Maybe not when it comes to studying Wicca, but there is something that causes a spark in all of us, that one thing that makes us not want to give up.

Willow is powerful. In high school, her power was shown through her academic abilities, always figuring out the answers to questions before the rest of the Scoobies (and often before Giles, which is an accomplishment all on its own). As she matures, so does her power, and the series begins to focus on Willow's magical abilities. Tragedy causes Willow's reliance on magic to go overboard and through this, Joss Whedon gives us one of the most complex and unique characters to ever be on television.