Anya Jenkins
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Anya Christina Emmanuella Jenkins, Anyanka, Aud |
| Occupation: | Vengeance Demon, Highschool student, Cashier |
| Relationships: | Xander (ex-fiance) |
| Fandom: | Buffy the Vampire Slayer |
| Other: | |
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Anya is introduced in season 3 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She is a more than one thousand years old vengeance demon and used to go by the name of Anyanka, but was born as Aud in the ninth century. Anya first poses as student at Sunnydale High and tries to get Cordelia to wish for something bad to happen to Xander for cheating on her. Cordelia wishes that Buffy had never existed, causing an alternate reality in which Willow destroys Anya's powers.
Anya returns to Sunnydale as a student and begins a relationship with Xander in season 4 and becomes a regular character on the series in season 5. She begins working as a cashier for Giles and later takes over his shop when he goes back to England. Xander proposes to her in season 5, but breaks off the engagement in season 6, on the day they were supposed to be married. Hurt by this, Anya becomes a vengeance demon again. However, after a particularly bloody 'job', she begs to become human again and gets her wish granted, killing one of her old friends in the process.
In the final episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Anya is killed fighting vampires.
Anya in Fandom
This article or section needs expansion. |
Anya is often found as a supporting character in fics, or in an established relationship with Xander. Anya/Xander fanfiction includes a lot of domestic fics given their canon relationship, as well as future fics and kid fics despite their break up in season 6. A number of Post-Chosen fics are AUs where Everybody Lives, allowing Anya to survive the apocalypse and rekindle her romance with Xander.
She is also regularly paired with Giles, her employer, or Spike, her one time lover, in het. She's a popular partner in femslash, with Buffy being a common partner.
There are also a few gen fics focusing on Anya. These often focus on her life as a vengeance demon pre-canon or Anya adjusting to her new human life as a student, and later as a businesswoman. Anya's canon fear of bunnies also appears in fanworks.
Meta sometimes explores why she is not taken to task in canon for the crimes of her vengeance demon history, often by comparison with Spike.
Death
Before the end of season 7, many fans believed that Anya could be one of the main characters to die in the finale. Fan theories were informed a lot by the fact that Emma Caulfield was the only actor not to sign on for a possible season 8.[1] Other fans believed Anya's death could serve a narrative process, ending the arc she began in season 4.
Anya's a likely candidate for death too. Her whole storyline has been about becoming human, and the ultimate pinnacle of that would be to sacrifice herself in order to save someone else - Xander perhaps?[2]
Post-Chosen, many fans were unhappy with Anya's death in the finale. They believed her quick death had little emotional weight and wasn't the death scene a main character deserved.[3]
Example Works
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Fanfiction
- Chiaroscuro, by Violet. Perhaps the most widely recommended Anya story. "I'm telling you to stay alive, Anyanka." The canvas in his hand, the papers in hers. More than a fair trade. "You're good for the arts."(~2003)
- A Few Things Anya Knows by nwhepcat, It's always been a sad old world. Anya discovers a very human expression of hope. Anya/Xander (~2004)
- Summer of Discontent by willa, Spike/Anya, set pre-"The Gift" with a mention of the game of Clue. Pre-canon Spike/Anya (~2004)
- The Ending and Beginning by julia here. Anya reminisces.(2005)
- Dazed and Confused by Head Rush, Post-Grave, Pre-Lessons. G/A friendship. Giles takes Willow to the coven, and Anya goes along for the ride. (Pre-2006)
- In the Business, by KindKit. Anya/Fred(2010)
Fanvids
- Anya and Giles - Accidentally in Love (2006)
- (B)uffy - Anya - New Soul (2009)
- Anya // Broken (2010)
- Anya & Xander - The One (2011)
- anya jenkins; I'm faded (2017)
Meta
- Anyanka Christina Emmanuella Jenkins (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) an Idol Reflections essay by julianatheorize, 2004.
- Character Study: Anya, life and death of an essay by Avrelia, 2006.
Archives
- Anya Jenkins works on Ao3
- Anya J. works on FFN.
- The Game Of Life (Xander/Anya)
- Moving On (Spike/Anya)
- GilesZone (Giles/Anya)
Mailing Lists
References
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/buffy/news/archive/02072202.shtml Anya's final vengeance] on BBC Buffy news, July 2002, access on 13/03/2018
- ^ "End of season love interests and who will survive".
- ^ "Anya's Death".