Fix!

Craig Oxbrow | July 23, 15:05 CET

I loved the experts, Andrew Wells and especially Renee Covington. :)

kurna | July 23, 15:07 CET

Dead link.

But I dont even need to see the link to know that both Xena and Buffy throw down their weapons and decide to wrestle instead. With some kind of oil.

alexreager | July 23, 15:12 CET

Depends. If you put them both with swords in a pit, Xena might win. But in the long run, Buffy is simply more resourceful. If she knew in advance that she had to face Xena (and have to face her alone), she would figure out a way to win.
Also: each of Buffy's sidekicks could single-handedly kick Gabrielle's arse (yes, even Xander)! That has to count for something.

Jakob Schmidt | July 23, 15:58 CET

Their argument for why Xena would win is also an argument for why Buffy was the better show. After a while, the crap they had Xena coming up with got so over the top that it became annoying.

witchlover | July 23, 16:04 CET

I'm skeptical of their argument even on the terms that they seemed to have structured it. But if we can move away from the assumed hand-to-hand combat format, remember how when Buffy had to fight an overwhelmingly superior enemy when confronted with her standard sword n' stake, she found something new - a rocket launcher? Strong as Xena might be, I doubt she's bullet-proof.

goingtowork | July 23, 16:14 CET

Link also not working for me.

Tough one because Xena also apparently has extra-normal strength, speed and stamina as well though it's difficult to tell if that's part of the hyper-reality of the show or whether, as is hinted at, Xena is half-god herself (the example that always comes to mind is the episode where Gabrielle almost drowns and is picked up by what turns out to be a cursed ship and Xena, seeing it pull away and after some fighting and other hijinks, "flicks" herself using some flexible branches over several hundred yards to land in the rigging - there're other examples no doubt but that's the one that sticks in my mind as clearly beyond even the most agile and determined standard human body. Partly cos I absolutely loved it, so silly it was cool ;).

In the theoretical infinite plain with no weapons, probably Buffy. Same plain with swords, probably Xena. Same plain with advanced preparation and foreknowledge, very tough call, they're actually pretty evenly matched IMO. With assistance from their respective "gangs", Buffy surely FTW.

Saje | July 23, 16:15 CET

Q: Who would win in a fight between Buffy and Xena?
A: Batman.

jclemens | July 23, 16:16 CET

Link works for me. And jclemens is wrong, Xena would totally win, even if you throw Batman into the mix. Buffy would win a quip contest though, hands down.

Sunfire | July 23, 16:20 CET

maybe they would stop fighting and spar instead. ;)

FunkyBeccaBecca | July 23, 16:40 CET

Also: each of Buffy's sidekicks could single-handedly kick Gabrielle's arse (yes, even Xander)!

But Gabby has her little stick! And an evil daughter. I wouldn't underestimate her.

hacksaway | July 23, 17:12 CET

Xander has an eyepatch!
And he can dismantle and reassemble a military rifle within seconds ... sometimes ....

Jakob Schmidt | July 23, 17:23 CET

Gabby was pretty tough towards the end, IIRC. She'd beat Xander (and other Buffy men like Giles and Riley), I'd wager, but few of the Buffy ladies would lose to her.

Xena vs. Wesley however... does Wesley win?

Liam Mars | July 23, 17:58 CET

Yeah, Gabrielle in the final two seasons was getting very powerful, in the end she becomes the succesor to Xena.
And Buffy vs Xena, in everyway Xena would win perhaps maybe not in a quiping match. The biggest difference goes back to who these characters are at their most basic level and Buffy never wanted to fight,kill. Xena wasn't chosen, she had the drive and ambition to became the greatest warrior and succeeded. And unlike Buffy, Xena never had a desire to be normal and lead a simple life. Also a big difference is that Buffy is too dependant on her friends, Xena can fight with her sidekick or solo, she gets the job done. Buffy without friends would have died at the end of season1.

Vergil | July 23, 18:34 CET

Which Wesley? Buffy season 3 Wesley loses, hands down. Angel season 5 Wesley... more of an interesting question.

jclemens | July 23, 20:26 CET

In a straight-up fight, Xena would completely pwn Buffy. Only way Buffy could hope to beat Xena is if she had time to plan and could bring friends and modern weaponry.

What I am wondering, though, who'd win in a Xena vs. Illyria matchup?

mangydog | July 23, 22:48 CET

As for Buffy vs Xena, Xena would win! As for Angel season 5 Wesley, he would be too busy locking lips with Xena than fight with her!:)

Little Green Kid | July 23, 22:56 CET

I agree that Xena would win-for the same reasons that Vergil pointed out.

Illyria would totally win in a Xena vs. Illyria fight.

menomegirl | July 24, 02:37 CET

While I agree that Buffy was a superior show, I think you might not be judging Xena for what it was supposed to be. I think Xena at its core was always supposed to be campy escapism. Whether that's better or not is a subjective preference. Buffy was a superior show because Buffy was always true to what it was supposed to be. Xena kept flirting with the idea with being a serious arcing drama and as a result tended to feel really uneven.

In other words, I think you could make Xena as dominant as she was AND make it the same type of show as Buffy by concentrating more on arcs and relationships, it's just never what Xena was set up to do.

azzers | July 24, 06:28 CET

Maybe it's just because I haven't seen Xena in a while but I'd think Buffy would win. Do we know for certain Xena even has super powers? Buffy's got super strength, agility and fast healing. I think our slayer would win.

vampmogs | July 24, 07:56 CET

I'm with Andrew - FIX!

Actually, having seen and enjoyed both shows, in my perfect fantasy world, Buffy and Xena would overcome time, dimensional and storyline barriers and become allies or even friends. I remember how many times Xena fought demons and monsters, I would prefer to think of her as a possible Grecian-age Slayer.

In the end of her show, Xena was killed, but remember how every slayer's spirit lives on in Buffy's dreams and gives her knowledge and strength. Even Willow chided Buffy with "Why didn't you dress like Xena?" in the episode "Halloween".

Riverine | July 26, 18:15 CET