Quentin Travers

Quentin Travers was a fictional character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. His character was seen in seasons three, five, and seven.

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Quentin was a Briton and senior member of the Watchers' Council, and as such, attempted to meddle in the affairs of the Slayer. He insisted that Buffy undergo a ruthless rite of passage on her 18th birthday, in which Giles was forced to inject her with powerful muscle relaxants to greatly diminish her powers. After that, she was to be placed in a room with an insane vampire. The plan backfired, Giles alerted Buffy to the situation, and she was able to overcome her temporary weakness to defeat the vampire with pure cunning. Quentin was impressed with Buffy's performance, but fired Giles for failure to obey the terms of the rite. Later in the season, a replacement Watcher Wesley Wyndham-Price was sent to assume Giles' former position. However, his tenure was short and Buffy ended up severing all ties with the Watcher's Council.

Related Topics:
Briton - Watchers' Council - Slayer - Buffy - Rite of passage - Giles - Inject - Muscle relaxants - Vampire - Wesley Wyndham-Price

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In season five, Quentin returned with a cadre of Watchers, and offered Buffy information on her new nemesis Glory if she completed another set of rigorous trials. Buffy grew tired of his antics, and gave Quentin an ultimatum—if Giles were reinstated and the Council assisted her, she would rejoin their ranks. Quentin acquiesced to her demands, and then was not seen for two seasons.

Related Topics:
Glory - Ultimatum

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During season seven, Quentin was inside the Watcher's Council building when it was destroyed by Caleb. It is assumed that he perished in the attack.

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Quentin portrays the antithesis of Giles, as he is a domineering, strict and ruthless individual whose regard for the individual soldier is lost in favor of his regard for the mission, the end truely justifies the means for him, a concept that may be the only trait he and Giles share. While he is on the side of good, his mannerisms and actions are rarely compassionate. Whereas Giles treats his ward with love (innappropriatly in Travers' opinion) he refers to the Slayer as a "tool" of the Council.

Related Topics:
Antithesis - Good

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However for all his faults he was clearly an individual of great willpower and personal strength to lead the Council, such determination being shown in the moments prior to his death.

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Quentin Travers was played by Harris Yulin.

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