Kendra the Vampire Slayer

[shadowscast]

Having just recently re-watched "What's My Line?" parts 1 and 2 ... I've been thinking about Kendra.

I think Kendra may seriously be the least popular re-occurring character in the whole Buffyverse. Not that I've ever met anyone who has a big hate on for her—it's just that most people (including me) don't think about her much at all. I've never seen a fic in which she occurred even as a minor character. I have to keep pinching myself to remember that there was another Slayer in the line between Buffy and Faith.

Okay, sure, she was only in a few episodes—but Ethan Rayne, for instance, appeared just as seldom and yet made a much bigger impression on us all. He sure shows up in fic.

Kendra was important. She was a frikkin' Vampire Slayer! Just like Buffy and Faith! And it's funny to watch how Buffy's conflicts with Faith are kind of foreshadowed with Kendra; as the ultimate by-the-book girl, Kendra is totally the opposite of Faith, and yet like Faith she fights with Buffy over Angel (okay, for a different reason) and raises the 'but I'm supposed to be the only one!' Slayer-envy issues.

I feel like the ME writers failed Kendra. She's interesting in theory, but they failed to make her interesting in practice. Her character comes out strangely cardboard. And where the hell is she supposed to be from?

So what I'm wondering now is, has anyone adopted Kendra and written fanfic about her and made it good, and made her into a real person I can care about?

Comments

[vureoelt.livejournal.com]

I think one problem with Kendra is that she has no strong attachments to any character. The closest we come is through this Jamaican watcher, which we don't even see or here, which goes through Giles. A very flimsy string indeed. Add the next to impossible to duplicate accent, which happens to be her most distinguishing feature and you've got a dud. I notice some people think she might be vain, but I suspect that line was just a gag since it was her only shirt. Therefore, making it her favourite by default. Har, har. Moving on... Aside from that, I would not be convinced of a characterization along those lines. The only one that really seems solid is her by-the-book rigid attitude and belief in the sacredness of her calling.

[shadowscast.livejournal.com]

Hey, when all you've got is crumbs...

Seriously, I think you've got a good point about her lack of strong connection to any one character. Thinking of the other minor characters I mentioned above, who get brought into fanfic more than Kendra does: Ethan has the connection with Giles, and Devon has the connection with Oz, and Holden was sired by Spike.

Plus, the dialect. I wouldn't know where to start.

[vureoelt.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but there are bigger crumbs out there. :) Like her shyness around boys, too, forgot that one.

Maybe connection isn't the best word... all of these characters also have (admittedly offstage) history together as well. Kendra? Drops in out of the blue, and vanishes just about as quickly. Not sure what made Faith different, but clearly there was something there. We shall have to see.

Yeah, the dialect. You can't really do Kendra without it, and I'm sure it's an obstacle for many. Which relagates Kendra to the backburner, because it's so tough to do it right.