Xena
Lucy Lawless as Xena
First appearance "The Warrior Princess" Last appearance "A Friend in Need, part 2" Created by Robert Tapert
Statistics Name Xena Occupation Warrior for good, formerly Warlord and Destroyer of Nations Species Human Affiliation Gabrielle, Ares, Borias, Caesar, Alti, Lao Ma, the Amazons Portrayed by  Lucy Lawless

Xena is the main character in the television series Xena: Warrior Princess and a recurring character on the series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. Lucy Lawless (born Lucille Frances Ryan; 29 March 1968 is a New Zealand actress and Singer best known for playing the title character Robert Gerard Tapert (born May 14 1955) sometimes credited as Rob Tapert, Robert G According to the Random House Dictionary, the term warrior has two meanings A warlord is a person with power who has military control over a subnational area due to Armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority Gabrielle is a Fictional character in Xena Warrior Princess, played by Renée O'Connor. Ares is a Fictional character on the television shows Xena Warrior Princess, Hercules The Legendary Journeys and Borias is a Fictional character in the cult television program Xena Warrior Princess. Caesar is a Fictional character from the television series Xena Warrior Princess loosely based on the Roman leader of the same name. Alti is a Fictional character in the Television series Xena Warrior Princess. Lao Ma is a Fictional character in the television series Xena Warrior Princess. The Amazons (in Greek, grc Ἀμαζόνες are a nation of all-female warriors in Classical and Greek mythology, who were possibly historical Lucy Lawless (born Lucille Frances Ryan; 29 March 1968 is a New Zealand actress and Singer best known for playing the title character Xena Warrior Princess is an American Television series that aired from September 15 1995 until June 18 2001 Her character was played by the New Zealand actress Lucy Lawless. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island An actor, actress, player or thespian (see terminology) is a person who Acts in a Dramatic production and who works Lucy Lawless (born Lucille Frances Ryan; 29 March 1968 is a New Zealand actress and Singer best known for playing the title character Xena first appears on the Hercules: The Legendary Journeys television series (in the episode "The Warrior Princess" airing in March 1995), as a seductive but treacherous warlord. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 A warlord is a person with power who has military control over a subnational area due to Armed forces loyal to the warlord and not to a central authority ^[1] Two more episodes during May sweeps chronicle her evolution from a villain^[2] to a friend and ally of Hercules. Nielsen Ratings are audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research to determine the Audience size and composition of television ^[3] Interest in her was so strong that shortly afterwards she became the main character of the spin-off series Xena: Warrior Princess. A spin-off (or spinoff) is a new Organization or Entity formed by a split from a larger one such as a Television series based on a pre-existing Although her character is originally obsessed with defeating Hercules and obtaining his title as the greatest living warrior, she never defeats "Zeus' Favorite Son". In fact, Hercules is the one credited with pointing her down the path of redemption when he beats her in combat and shows her that selfishness and greed are not the way to live. ^[3] In her own series, Xena sets out to redeem her murderous past by fighting against tyranny and evil and protecting the innocent and weak. Many of her adventures prior to the televised stories are subsequently revealed in flashback episodes (although much remains obscure). In history film television and other media a flashback (also called analepsis) is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current The season two episode, Orphan of War^[4] is the first in a series of episodes with flashbacks to Xena's past. Although her earliest history is established in the introductory Xena Trilogy on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, there is a gap of about a decade between the time that Xena initially leaves her village to form an army and the crucial moment when she crosses paths with Hercules and becomes good friends with him. The flashback episodes reveal various journeys or milestones in Xena's past that define the woman that she is.

Contents 1 Character history 2 Influence 3 Industry achievments and awards 4 References 5 External links

Character history

The only daughter of the tavern keeper Cyrene, Xena grew up in Amphipolis with her two brothers, Toris^[5] and Lyceus. A tavern or pot-house is loosely a place of Business where people gather to drink Alcoholic beverages and more than likely also be served Food Cyrene is a Fictional character in the television series Xena Warrior Princess. Amphipolis (Ἀμφίπολις &ndash Amphípolis) was an ancient Greek city in the region once inhabited by the Edoni people Her father Atrius was believed to have left her family when she was a child,^[6] but it is subsequently revealed that he was killed by Cyrene when he tried to kill seven-year-old Xena as a sacrifice to Ares. Ares is a Fictional character on the television shows Xena Warrior Princess, Hercules The Legendary Journeys and ^[7]

During Xena's mid to late teens, the warlord Cortese attacked the village, which prompted some villagers, including Xena's older brother, Toris, to run for the hills. ^[5] However, Xena and her younger brother Lyceus convinced the remainder of their fellow villagers to stay and fight. Although Amphipolis was saved, Lyceus and many other villagers were killed in the battle, which formed a rift between Cyrene and her daughter and caused Xena to be ostracized by the town. Ostracism ( ostrakismos) was a procedure under the Athenian democracy in which a prominent Citizen could be expelled from the City-state

The death of her beloved younger brother Lyceus led Xena to leave Amphipolis and begin to build her own army, with her ultimate goal being to take revenge on Cortese. She crossed the seas early on as a pirate, meeting Caesar and a young Gallic slave-stowaway, M'Lila,^[8] who both profoundly affected the destiny of the Warrior Princess. Caesar is a Fictional character from the television series Xena Warrior Princess loosely based on the Roman leader of the same name. For Gaul before the Roman conquest see Gaul. Roman Gaul consisted of an area of provincial rule in the Roman Empire, in modern day The following is a list of minor characters in the America Television series Xena Warrior Princess. While onboard Xena's ship, M'Lila taught her several fighting techniques as well as instructing her in the use of pressure points, including what became her signature "pinch" maneuver. A pressure point in the field of Martial arts represents an area on the human body that when contacted produces significant pain or some other effect ^[8]

Xena took Caesar as a hostage, and was naively swayed by the young officer to join forces, after beginning an affair with him. A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor The original definition meant that this was handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security ^[8] She ransomed him back to Rome as they had planned, only to have him come back with his own men and capture her ship. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 He had Xena and her men crucified on a nearby beach, watching as his orders to break her legs were carried out. ^[8]

M'Lila rescued her from the cross and took Xena to a healer named Niklio. They were found by Roman soldiers, who killed the Gaelic woman as she jumped in front of an arrow meant for Xena. After M'Lila died in her arms, Xena fully embraced her dark side and fought the soldiers, killing them (despite her broken legs). ^[8]

After surviving Caesar's betrayal, a crippled and rage-filled Xena traveled east where she teamed up with the warlord Borias, who left his wife and son to become her lover. Borias is a Fictional character in the cult television program Xena Warrior Princess. ^[9] The two terrorized Qin with their joint forces until Xena angered Borias by alienating the powerful Chinese families Ming and Lao. Qín or Ch'in ( Wade-Giles) (秦 ( 778 BC - 207 BC) was a State during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National ^[10] Without his knowledge, Xena kidnapped Ming Tzu's son, Ming T'ien, for ransom. With Borias' help, Ming Tzu captured Xena, intending to hunt her as she fled in her crippled state, for sport and vengeance. ^[10]

Xena was saved from certain death by Ming T'ien's mother, Lao Ma, a woman of great spiritual power. Lao Ma is a Fictional character in the television series Xena Warrior Princess. Lao Ma hid Xena deep beneath her bathing pool, even sharing her breath with the desperately submerged Xena, while Ming Tzu was momentarily present and asking questions. A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is an artificially enclosed Body of water intended for Swimming or Drowning is Death as caused by suffocation when a liquid causes interruption of the body's absorption of oxygen from the air leading to Asphyxia. Underwater is a term describing the realm below the surface of Water where the water exists in a natural feature (called a body of water) such as an Ocean During their time together, Lao Ma healed Xena's legs and gave her the title of warrior princess. In fictional works the character type warrior princesses refers to a strong female personality of royal background determined in pursuit of her goals and often eager to take on typical ^[10] Under Lao Ma's tutelage, Xena briefly left some of her darkness behind until Borias re-entered her life. A rift formed between Xena and Lao Ma when she murdered Ming Tzu, and suggested that they also kill Ming T'ien. With Lao Ma now their enemy, Xena and Borias were forced to leave Qin. ^[10]

They went further east to Jappa, where they kidnapped a girl named Akemi for ransom. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. ^[11] Xena ended up falling in love with Akemi, and teaching her the pinch (Something she didn't even teach Gabrielle until the series finale), which cuts off the flow of blood to a person's brain, resulting in death. Akemi then used the pinch to kill her abusive and tyrannical father, Yodoshi, and committed seppuku. A pressure point in the field of Martial arts represents an area on the human body that when contacted produces significant pain or some other effect is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by Disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for Samurai. ^[11] A grieving Xena tried to put Akemi's ashes in her family crypt, but was set upon by a mob of villagers who felt she was desecrating the crypt by putting the ashes of a patricide in it. Patricide is (i the act of killing one's father or (ii a person who kills his or her father Defending herself, Xena used a fire-breathing trick she had mastered. The result was a fire that spread through the town and killed 40,000 people. ^[11]

Back in northern lands, Xena and Borias met a shamaness, Alti, who lured Xena toward greater evil with promises that she would become the Destroyer of Nations. Alti is a Fictional character in the Television series Xena Warrior Princess. ^[12] She was also befriended by the Amazon queen Cyane, who tried to steer her toward good; but Xena chose Alti's promise of power, and killed Cyane and the Amazon elders at her instigation. The Amazons (in Greek, grc Ἀμαζόνες are a nation of all-female warriors in Classical and Greek mythology, who were possibly historical In Greek mythology, Cyane or Kyane ( Κυανη in Greek) was a Nymph who tried to prevent Hades from abducting Persephone By then pregnant with Borias' child, she set out to conquer Corinth. Corinth, or Korinth ( Greek Κόρινθος ( is a city in Greece. ^[12] Borias was increasingly troubled by the excesses of her violence, but could do little to stop her: by then, they had split their armies, and Xena's was the bigger of the two. ^[13] At Corinth, they became mortal enemies after he stopped her from slaughtering the Centaurs with whom he had tried to negotiate an agreement. In Greek mythology, the centaurs (from Ancient Greek: Κένταυροι - Kéntauroi are a race of creatures composed of part Human With Xena about to give birth, Borias tried to get her out of her camp in the hope of rescuing their relationship. He was killed by one of her lieutenants, Dagnine; but the realization that Borias came back for her because he loved her and their unborn child had a strong effect on Xena. Lieutenant (abbreviated Lt or Lieut) is a Military, Naval, Paramilitary, Fire service, Emergency medical services ^[13] It was enough to make her decide to give up her newborn baby to the Centaurs, so that he would be raised in safety and away from her dangerous influence. ^[14][13]

Xena traveled to the Norselands, after Qin ~ "She came to us from a distant land in the east. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well She called it Qin. We call it the land that sent us a demon" (Brunnhilda, The Rheingold). She found Odin, King of the Norse gods full of despair. She brought him out of his contempt and he, in return, made her a Valkyrie. It wasn't long before she came into conflict with Odin's lover, and the head of the Valkyrie, Grinhilda. Xena seduced Odin with her lust for life, convincing him that one could live without love, so that he would tell her the location of the Rheingold. Das Rheingold ("The Rhine Gold" is the first of the four operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen ( The Ring of the Nibelung) by Richard Wagner ^[15] She planned to forge it into a ring, which gives anyone supreme godlike powers at first, but if they have not forsaken love, it destroys what they value most. As soon as Xena forged the ring, Grinhilda tried to stop her and put the ring on. Before long it destroyed her humanity (her beauty) - what she valued most. Since she had not forsaken love she became a monster and her fight with Xena reached a standstill when Xena used her own necklace as a lock (which can only be broken by Odin) and trapped her in an abandoned mine with the ring. She was with child when Xena trapped her, and her child, Grindl, terrorized the Norselands for years. Xena was not aware Grinhilda was with child when she trapped her and didn't realize it until she, Gabrielle, Brunnhilda, and Beowulf killed Grindl 35 years later.

35 years later, Odin joins forces with the mourning Grinhilda, and with his Valkyrie, he sets off to take the ring back from Xena. Brunnhilda, who was supposed to betray Gabrielle, takes Gabrielle away from the battle. She tells Gabrielle that she changed her like she changed Xena and that she is in love with her. Xena, and Beowulf are left to fight Odin, Grinhilda, and the Valkyrie, and before long the battle becomes hopeless. Xena, knowing she is out of options, puts the ring on and has enough power to get away from them, but at the price of losing what she values most - Gabrielle, and the woman she helped her become. Brunnhilda finds Xena lost and confused with no idea of who she is, or Gabrielle. She takes the ring from Xena and brings it to Gabrielle. She harnesses all of her fiber and being into a flame that will burn only until her true soulmate passes through. Gabrielle enters a year long sleep, with the ring in her hand, within Brunnhilda's flame. The only person who can ever enter the flames and retrieve the ring is her soulmate, Xena. With the help of Beowulf, Xena jumps through the flames and kisses her beloved Gabrielle, regaining her former self. She then undoes the evil set in the ring, turning it back into the Rheingold, and returning Grinhilda back into her former self. Xena takes the Rheingold back to the Rhein Maidens, and implies no magic changed her, just Gabrielle.

About ten years into her career of pillaging and marauding, Xena meets Hercules. Hercules is the Roman name for the Mythical Greek hero Heracles, son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmena. ^[1] Initially, she sets out to kill him. Then, her army turns against her because of Darphus' lust for power and believing Xena has become weak after she stops her lieutenant Darphus from killing a child in a sacked village. ^[1] She runs a gauntlet, and survives, becoming the only person ever to survive the gauntlet. Running the gauntlet (alternative spellings gantlet and rarely gantlope or gantelope) is a form of physical punishment wherein a man is compelled to run ^[2] She then fights Hercules, in the hope that she will get her army back if she can bring back his head. ^[2] Xena seems to be getting the upper hand until Hercules' cousin intervenes, giving him the moment to regain composure and defeat her. However, Hercules refuses to kill Xena, telling her, "killing isn't the only way of proving you're a warrior. " Touched and inspired by Hercules' integrity and by the fact that he suffered the loss of blood kin as she did and yet chooses to fight in honor of them, she decides to join him and defeat her old army. ^[3] Hercules tells Xena that there is goodness in her heart, and the two of them share a brief romantic relationship, before Xena decides to leave and start making amends for her past.

However, Xena finds this to be more painful than she thought, haunted by her past transgressions, she is about to give up on her life as a warrior completely. ^[16] As she strips off her armor and weaponry and buries them in the dirt, she sees a group of village girls being attacked by a band of warriors. Armour (or armor) is protective covering most commonly manufactured from metals to prevent damage from being inflicted to an individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact In the group is Gabrielle. Gabrielle is a Fictional character in Xena Warrior Princess, played by Renée O'Connor. Xena saves the young women and Gabrielle is left in awe of the Warrior Princess' abilities. Gabrielle persuades Xena to let her be her traveling companion, and over time, Gabrielle becomes Xena's dearest friend. Xena also reconciles with her mother, Cyrene. ^[16]

Soon after the start of her journeys with Gabrielle, Xena runs into Ares, who has evidently known her since her warlord days and he tries to seduce her into joining him as his Warrior Queen -- efforts that she repeatedly thwarts. She also encounters a formidable warrior woman named Callisto, whose family died in one of Warlord Xena's raids and who is obsessed with revenge against Xena. Callisto is a Fictional character in the fantasy TV series Xena Warrior Princess.

Xena's subsequent life is marred by many tragedies. Her son Solan, who never came to know her as his mother, is killed, with the help of Callisto, by Hope. Hope is a Fictional character in the Television series Xena Warrior Princess. ^[17] She nearly loses Gabrielle more than once. Marcus, a warrior, close friend and lover from her warlord days, whom she persuades to follow her in choosing good, is killed while doing his first good deed. Later, he is allowed to briefly return to the world of the living to help thwart a vicious killer who has escaped from the underworld. He and Xena spend a night together before Marcus has to return to the other side. She is too late to save her mentor and friend Lao Ma from being tortured to death by her own son, the emperor Ming T'ien. Finally, she and Gabrielle are crucified by the Romans on the Ides of March, as Caesar is betrayed and killed by Brutus. The Ides of March ( Latin: Idus Martiae is the name of the date 15 March in the Roman calendar. ^[18] They are later revived by a mystic named Eli with the spiritual aid of Callisto, who by that time had become an angel. Eli is a Fictional character from the television series Xena Warrior Princess. ^[19]

Eve, the miracle child Xena conceives after her resurrection (again through the efforts of the redeemed Callisto),^[19] is prophesied to bring about the Twilight of the Olympian gods. Eve is a Fictional character in the popular TV series Xena Warrior Princess. To escape the gods' persecution, Xena and Gabrielle fake their deaths. ^[20] Their plan goes awry when Ares buries them in an ice cave where they sleep for 25 years. During that time, Eve is adopted by the Roman nobleman Octavius and grows up to become Livia, the Champion of Rome, and a ruthless persecutor of Eli's followers. Augustus ( Latin: IMPERATOR·CAESAR·DIVI·FILIVS·AVGVSTVS September 23 63 BC – August 19 AD 14) born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, was ^[21] After her return, Xena is able to turn Livia to repentance, and Livia takes back the name Eve and becomes the Messenger of Eli. ^[22] After Eve's cleansing by baptism, Xena is granted the power to kill gods as long as her daughter lives. In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted ^[23] In a final confrontation, the Twilight comes to pass when Xena kills most of the gods to save her daughter, and is herself saved by Ares when he gives up his immortality to heal the badly injured and dying Eve and Gabrielle. ^[23] Xena later helps him regain his godhood. ^[24] Xena's quest for redemption ends when she sacrifices herself to kill Yodoshi, and decides to stay dead so the souls of the 40,000 she killed years ago could be released into a state of peace. However, her spirit is seen with Gabrielle in a ship shortly afterwards.

According to the darsham, Naima,^[25] this is only one of many lives Xena will live throughout the ages. Her next incarnation will be as the revered peacekeeper Arminestra. In many of those lives, she will walk a path together with her soulmate Gabrielle furthering the cause of good against evil. Soulmate (or soul mate) is a term sometimes used to designate someone with whom one has a feeling of deep and natural affinity Friendship, Love, Intimacy

Influence

Main article: Xena: Warrior Princess in popular culture

Xena: Warrior Princess has been referred to as a pop cultural phenomenon and feminist icon. Xena Warrior Princess has been referred to as a pop cultural phenomenon and Feminist icon Popular culture (or pop culture) is the Culture — patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance — Feminism is a discourse that involves various movements theories, and Philosophies which are concerned with the issue of Gender difference, advocate ^[26][27][28] The television series, which employed pop culture references as a frequent humorous device, has itself become a frequent pop culture reference in video games, comics and television shows, and has been frequently parodied and spoofed.

Xena: Warrior Princess has been credited by many, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon, with blazing the trail for a new generation of female action heroes such as Buffy, Max of Dark Angel, Sydney Bristow of Alias, and the Bride in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill. Fictional narratives (and works of art exist beyond their completion e Joseph Hill " Joss " Whedon ( born June 23, 1964 in New York City is an Academy Award -nominated and Hugo Award Dark Angel is an American Biopunk / Cyberpunk Science fiction Television program created by James Cameron Alias is an American " Spy-fi " television series created by J Quentin Jerome Tarantino (born March 27, 1963) is an Academy Award - BAFTA Award - and Palme d'Or -winning Emmy - and Kill Bill is the fourth film by Writer - director Quentin Tarantino. ^[29]

Xena has enjoyed a particular cult status in the lesbian community. A lesbian is a Woman who is romantically or sexually attracted only to other women Some of the lesbian fan base sees Xena and Gabrielle as a couple and has embraced them as role models and lesbian icons. Fans in Little Italyjpg|thumb|right|Fans in Little Italy Manhattan celebrating the victory of the Italian association football team after the 2006 FIFA World Cup]][[Image Wm-oly-de-cr ^[30]

Industry achievments and awards

Xena's character reached #100 on Bravo's 100 Greatest TV Characters behind Monk and Steve Urkel. Bravo is a Cable television network owned by NBC Universal. It is currently seen in more than 80 million homes and was the first service dedicated to film drama Monk is an American Dramedy series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the title character Steven Quincy Urkel (born July 25, 1976) better known as Steve Urkel (portrayed by Jaleel White) is a fictional character on the sitcom ^[31]

References

External links

• Xena: Warrior Princess at the Internet Movie Database
• Xena: Warrior Princess at TV.com

TVcom is a website owned by CNET Networks. The service was launched on June 1 2005 and replaced the popular TV Tome website

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