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Xena Fact of the Month:
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Melinda Clarke and Roma Downey were originally offered the role of Xena before it went to actress Vanessa Angel. Vanessa Angel got sick before shooting began on "The Warrior Princess" and had to back out. Lucy Lawless was a last minute replacement.
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1. Ides Of March
2. Fallen Angel
3. Sacrifice Part II
4. One Against An Army
5. Sin Trade I
1. Fallen Angel
2. Ides of March
3. One Against an Army
4. Debt I
5. Sin Trade I
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So many Xenites have written me asking me certain historical questions about the show. Where is Xena from? When did she have Solon? Who are her parents? I intend to answer all your questions here...with as much accuracy as humanly possible (if not actual historical accuracy). Hold on to your hats folks, we are enter the dark side and about to see how it all got started.
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The roots of Xena's existance lay in Amphipolis, a village bordering on Thrace and Macedonia. Born to Cyrene and Atrius, Xena lead a relatively simple life with her younger and older brother, Lyceus and Toris. Her father was a warrior dedicated to serving Ares, the God of War, and although he left the family when Xena was very young, she could still remember a tune he used to hum and the way he would ride across a field on his horse and sweep her up into his arms. (There is still debate as to whether Atrius is Xena's biological father or if she was actually fathered by Ares taking on Atrius' form, but, of course, nothing can be too conclusive in the Xenaverse.) With three young children to support, Cyrene opened a tavern in Amphipolis. One night when Xena was six or seven years old, her father came home drunk and in a rage from the Temple of Ares. With murder on his mind and as young Xena as his target, Cyrene stopped him with an axe. It was a secret that would later come back to haunt the Warrior Princess.
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While still a teenager, Xena's village was attacked by a warlord named Cortese whose soldiers were metal masks (an image that would haunt Xena for any years to come). Toris tried to persuade the villagers to run and hide in the hills, but Xena and Lyceus convinced some to follow their lead and defend their home valley against the raiders. Although successful in their campaign to run Cortese off, Lyceus lost his life. Xena immediately avenged his death, but the damage to the still young Xena was already done. It was the loss of her beloved younger brother that sent Xena down a path of power, darkness and evil it would take her years to find her way back from. Her mind immediately began to formulate a plan to prevent Cortese from ever returning to hurt her village again. She formed her first army and began a conquering campaign along her home valley to create a buffer zone to insure further attacks against any other warlords. Xena had gotten her first taste of power and it was sweet.
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A still young and relatively naive Xena fell under the charms of another young warlord named Petracles who was interested in her as a conquest. Soon after agreeing to marry him, Petracles lost interest in her as a lover just as he lost interest in the spoils after the victory. Xena learned her first lesson about love, betrayal and conquest. It was a lesson is would soon learn again with much more disasterous results.
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Perhaps tired of the life on land, Xena took her show out on the open ocean. With a loyal band of sailors, Xena set sail raiding villages for pilage up and down the coasts of Greece, but again, she was establishing a warning to any village who allied itself with the enemies of Amphipolis. And those who did not heed her warning, paid a terrible price. Xena found herself drawn to a Roman nobleman captured by her men, and it was a meeting that would change her life forever. The Roman nobleman was Julius Caesar. While awaiting the payment of a ransom demand, she entered into a relationship with Caesar. At the same time, another important person entered Xena's life. A Gaelic slave girl named M'Lila who possessed the knowledge of pressure points. It was a skill Xena picked up on. A bond was formed as M'Lila taught Xena some of her fighting techniques. Meanwhile, Xena's relationship with Caesar continued. Xena believed she could use her powers of seduction to secure her hold on Caesar as an ally, but she was soon proved wrong as she was betrayed by him.
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After securing the spoils of Xena's looting as his own, Caesar took her men prisoner and crucified Xena, breaking her legs in the process. M'Lila rescued her friend taking her to Mount Nestos where a healer named, Nicklio, resided. But before she could heal properly, Roman soliders attacted the healer's hut. M'Lila sacrificed her own life to save Xena's stepping in front of an arrow meant for her. Dying in her arms, Xena snapped. Killing the soliders one by one, Xena made a vow for that night a new Xena was born with one purpose in life...DEATH. |
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Let's let Xena narrator this part of her life shall we:
"...As you know Caesar left his mark on me. With shattered legs and crippled soul I headed East to loss myself in vengence, not against Caesar, but against the entire human race."
She formed a new army with another warlord named Borias and earned a reputation as a heartless butcher killing and carving her way to the Kingdom of Ch'in (in modern day China) where Borias intended to fleece to flock by pitting two dynasties, the Kingdoms of Lao and Ch'in, against one another. Xena, now lost in a haze of power, lust, greed and blood, demanded the simple and direct approach to getting the spoils they were after, but Borias intended on using diplomacy to get what he wanted. Too cocky and head-strong for her own good, Xena kidnapped the heir to the throne, Ming Tien, and randomed him to his father Ming Tzu. |
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With Borias' aid, Ming Tzu was able to capture Xena and intended to kill her for taking his soon. Xena was helped by the wife of the Emperor of Lao, Lao Ma. Lao Ma was a spiritual person with incredible powers and the ability to see inside the souls of others. She saw something good in Xena even if Xena didn't see it herself. As a trust was formed between the two women, Lao Ma began to teach Xena her spiritual philosophy and the ability to tap into power through the suppression of will and desire, but Xena could not suppress her will to avenge what Ming Tzu had put her through. She killed him while his young son, Ming Tien, watched. Seeing that she could not yet change her Warrior Princess, Lao Ma apparently drove Xena and Borias out of her kingdom. It would not be for another ten years that Xena would fully understand all the lessons Lao Ma tried to instill in her. |
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Xena and Borias moved further north to the Steppes (modern day Sibera) continuing their conquering ways, but they had reached an impass as Xena wondered where would they go from here. It was during this time that Xena became pregnant with Borias' child, and when Borias started to change and turn away from his old ways (perhaps the knowledge he was about to become a father pushed this change further along). It was during this time that Xena encountered a power shamaness named Alti and her apprentice Anokin. Xena formed a friendship with both women and formed a particular strong bond with Anokin, mourning for her when she died and visiting the Amazon Land of the Dead. Alti was interested in the dark side of life, the "sheer naked will that drives us all." Alti wanted to become "the face of death itself." And with Alti's help, Xena would become Destroyer of Nations. Still destroying villages, Borias rescued a young girl named Orete. Alti foresaw that one day Orete would take Xena's power away from her. Xena also encountered a group of Amazons lead by a fearless, spiritual and compassionate woman Queen Cyane. Cyane believed Xena could make a good Amazon and asked her to join their tribe. Xena, however, with promises of greatness, instead followed Alti. Slaughtering all the leaders of the Amazons, including killing their Queen, Xena was rewarded Alti. |
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Xena, The Warrior Princess and Destroyer of Nations, headed back west toward Greece with Borias still by her side and carrying his child. They probably cut back on all the killing, slaughtering and looting the closer Xena got to giving birth. Xena, however, did hear about the Ixion Stone, a stone harnessing the wicked essence of the Centaurs and anyone who possessed had the potentional to become the ultimate evil Centaur. Xena, obssessed with power, wanted the stone as her own, even despite her "delicate" condition. Fighting an army of Centaurs and humans led by Kaliepus, Xena would have stopped at nothing, but she soon gave birth to Borias' son and as Alti predicated he had his mother's eyes (and would soon have his father's mouth). Borias, himself, switched sides and allied himself with Kaliepus and the Centaurs realizing what Xena was about to do was pure madness. Xena ordered Borias captured unharmed, but one of Xena's lieutenants killed him by stabbing him in the back. Deciding that her child would best be raised by someone else, Xena agreed to pull back her army if Kaliepus would take her son and keep him out of harm's way. Xena's son, Solon, cursed by Alti would never know the love of either of his parents and would grow up believing Xena murdered his father and his mother was dead. |
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With Borias dead, Xena continued raiding and looting alone, but now she was beginning to form a code. Xena demanded unwavering loyality from her men and did not allow the killing of women and children. With a bit of softening to her edges, Xena continued to make friends and enemies throughout Greece. Sometime during her first year without Borias, Xena made the fatal mistake of raiding a town called Cirra. This time, Xena's army was responsible for the death of women and children through a deadly fire. A young girl named Callisto witnessed the destruction first hand. Callisto's family, her mother and sister, were among the casualities. |
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Now, here's where Xena's exploits as the Warrior Princess get a little bit hard to follow. There are about ten years between Cirra and the events of Sins of the Past. And during this time, she obviously kept herself busy.
She became friends with the giant Goliath in Palestine. Goliath saved Xena's life at the cost of losing his family by the hands of Gareth (a crime later avenged by Xena in "A Day in the Life"). At another point Xena was cared for by a group of villagers after being badly wounded during a battle. She later helped these people retrieve the Ark of the Convent containing the Ten Commandments in the episode "A Royal Couple of Thieves." But even the kindness of strangers did little to turn Xena completely away from her evil ways. She still was full of vengance, lust, desire and violence. |
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And if there was little doubt about her title as Destroyer of Nations, Xena travelled to Gaul where she befriended the legendary Celtic Princess Boadicea, but it is evident that "friendship" had little meaning to Xena unless it served a selfish purpose. At this point, it seemed Xena did not have an army and had to resort to stealing Boadicea's army from under her. She ordered Boadicea captured and killed, but Boadicea married a king from Britain, Prasutagas. His army travelled to Gaul to challenge Xena and her army, but they were defeated. |
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Xena eventually found her way back to Greece with her new army in tow. Upon returning, she tried to take control of the Greek city of Corinth, but it was bravely and effectively defended by the Centaurs lead by Tyldus. Xena lost her half her army however, but still managed to fight Tyldus to a standstill. Perhaps it was also around this time that Xena become involved in a war with Bacchus, the god of wine, and his army. Xena apparently became friends with Eurydice, the wife of Orpheus. It seemed that her feelings of friendship were true in this case and offered her no advantage. Eurydice, however, was killed when she became caught between the warring armies. Orpheus blamed Xena for his wife's death and it was a blame he carried with him for many years. |
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After several more years of warring, Xena had her greatest battle in Torentz in which her army killed more than 10,000 men. As seen in "The Warrior Princess" and "Armaggedon Now Part 2," Xena was constantly recruiting men and women, training them up as warriors. Walism, Glaphyra and Darnelle, featured in "The Dirty Half Dozen" are a testiment to how many lives Xena touched and changed (in a completely negative way) during her journeys in and around Greece. |
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Xena was forever scarred by the experience she had during her travels west. Half of her army was trapped in a ravine and subsequently attacked by the savage, cannibalistic, axe-wielding barbarians known as the Horde. "The howling of the Horde and the screaming of my men." By the time Xena reached the ravine, her men were stripped of their skin and only piles of bones. |
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Xena continued marching onward as she continued to destroy the lives of thousands of families. During this time, she encounted warlords like Draco, who wanted to ride with her, and Marcus, who just wanted to love her. But it seems she started to grow tired of the Warrior Life. So, now we are up to around the time of the Hercules episode "The Warrior Princess." Xena was hardened, tough, but with a strict code in place about the loyality of her men. She knew how to manipulate men with her sexuality, but she did not hestiate to kill without mercy. |
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Xena has a set chain of command with her right hand man Darphus at her side, she continues to kill and destroy, but she has begun to realize how empty the life has become. Darphus, perhaps seeing her softening and seeing an opportunity, raids a village and kills women and children under his own authority. Horrified by Darphus' act of defiance, she saves the only survivor of the village, a baby boy. And so, Xena's road to redemption begins with a child (perhaps seeing her own son, Solon, reflected in this child). Just as Xena stole Boadicea's army, Darphus takes control of her army and forces her to run the Gaunlet. This ultimate act of violence awakens something long dead in Xena and just a new Xena was born through death, another Xena takes shape after surviving it. As she struggles to find a center (stripped of pride, her armor and her army), she joins Hercules to bring down Darphus. |
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And with one smile, Xena is reborn. After defeating Darphus, she must now struggle to make up for the Sins of the Past and go home again to face the people she abandoned, the mother she shamed, and the horrific legacy she left behind. Before setting out on this new journey, she hides a supply of weapons in an armory in Thessaly just in case this new path brings her back to violence. As she sets out on the road to Amphipolis, she happens upon Draco's men assaulting a group of women. A small blonde girl tries to talk her way out of the situation and then...ah, I think you probably know the rest of the story.
And so the beginning of a beautiful friendship...(for me, Xena finds her soulmate). |
The Mentors || The Villians
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Quick Xena Quiz
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In the Hercules episode, "The Warrior Princess," how does Hercules know the man send to kill him is Xena's assassin?
Stay Tuned for the Answer!
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Xena Opinion Poll
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Who is the better mother, Xena or Gabrielle?
(hey, we know its a sick poll!)
Cast your vote Here
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