Robin Wood
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Robin Wood was the principal of the rebuilt Sunnydale High. He was also a closeted vampire hunter, seeking revenge on the vampire that had killed his mother, the Slayer Nikki Wood.
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Biography
Robin is the first principal of the newly rebuilt Sunnydale High School when Dawn Summers begins her sophomore year. At first, Buffy wonders if he may be evil, but nevertheless accepts a job offer from him. For much of the season, hints are dropped that Robin is aware of the mystical situation in Sunnydale - he finds and buries Jonathan Levinson's body, for example - but the viewer is left without any indication as to which side he fights for.
In the episode "First Date," it is revealed that Robin's mother, Nikki Wood, had been a Slayer in New York, and that he is a "freelance" demon fighter. On a date with Buffy, Robin explains that his mother was killed by a vampire; he later learns, from the First Evil, that this vampire is Spike. He was raised and trained by Nikki's Watcher, not in New York but in Beverly Hills (seen in the episode "Help").
As retribution for his mother's murder, Robin conspires with Giles to distract Buffy and kill Spike. However, the plan fails; while Spike spares his life on account of the fact that he had killed his mother, he assures Buffy that he would kill Robin if he so much as looked at him wrong again, and Buffy assures him (Robin) that she would allow Spike to kill him if he did so, having enough to deal with in the war with the First without having to deal with personal vendettas, temporarily alienating him from the group. After Faith's return, Robin returns to the fold and becomes interested in Faith; the two become physically intimate in the episode "Touched," though it appears to be a one-night stand. Prior to the final battle in the episode "Chosen," Robin expresses concern that Faith views men as mere sex objects, and pledges to surprise her if they survive. Though badly wounded in the battle against the First Evil, Robin surprises Faith by surviving.
Post-Sunnydale
Robin appears in the second arc, entitled "No Future for You" of the canonical Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight. Like Andrew, Robin is in charge of a squad of slayers. In his one-panel appearance he calls Faith to tell her of a family that was recently attacked by vamps. Faith refers to him as "the ex" which means the couple has ended their relationship since "Chosen".
Trivia
In a way, Robin resembles Daniel Holtz from Angel Season Three. Both have had family members who have been murdered by notorious vampires (ironically, the vampires in question -Angel and Spike- are, in a way, related), and both seek revenge for the killings. Like Holtz, Robin found no solace in Spike's remorse or his ensoulment, only caring about getting his revenge. The major difference between the two is that Wood became an ally of the Scooby Gang, while Holtz's hatred led to his fall.
Joss Whedon has not mentioned anything about Robin Wood's name which seems to indicate Robin Hood. He mentions only in the commentary that he was not sure whether the character would be a girl or a boy so they gave the character a gender ambiguous name.
Appearances
Buffy Season 7
Buffy Season 8 |
