Buffy possesses numerous superior physical qualities. She is extremely strong, which is shown when she is working at Xander’s construction site and she easily lifts a two ton steel beam. She also has the ability to heal more quickly than a normal human being and she is less prone to injury. This is evident because she is often able to fight demons and vampires without getting hurt, and when she has a cut for example, it heals within a day. Sometimes she has prophetic dreams, which help her know what adversaries are to come. For example, Buffy has a dream that a vampire named Drusilla is still alive and later she finds this to be true. Buffy is agile, fast, and an exemplary fighter. These characteristics enable her to fight the forces of evil and save the world from impending doom.

Intellectual prowess is another important quality of an epic hero. It is evident that Buffy is smart when she takes the SATs and scores 1430. Her intelligence is also shown when she is facing the Cruciamentum, a ritual test administered by the Watchers Council when a slayer turns eighteen. The slayer’s powers are diminished without her knowledge and she is set against a captive vampire caught by the council. Buffy is able to defeat the vampire with cunning rather than strength. She is also very resourceful. This is shown many times when she is fighting. She has often used things in her environment to defeat an adversary, such as a broken chair leg or cue stick meant to be a makeshift stake, a cymbal to decapitate a vampire, or a veil to choke a demon. Buffy can make strategic battle plans to defeat the enemies she knows are coming, and she is able to think on her feet so she can defeat a new enemy even when she has not had time to prepare. She is also witty. All these things add to her intellectual prowess and make her a very intelligent person.

Buffy still retains human qualities and weaknesses, even though she is an epic hero. She ages, like other human beings, meaning she gets older each year. She can also get hurt or die. She has died twice. The first time she was revived with CPR and the second time Willow used magic to bring her back to life. She has been hurt many times before while fighting. For example, once while she was fighting a vampire something went wrong and he was able to stake her in the stomach, giving her a fatal wound. Buffy can make mistakes, like other humans as well. Buffy’s weaknesses make her ventures all the more heroic.

An epic hero epitomizes the ideals and values of the society of which they were created. Buffy is brave and tough because she fights monsters that an average human would cower in fear from and she is able to deal with lots of pain. She is very protective of the people she loves. This is evident when she says, “You can attack me, you can send assassins after me, that’s fine. But nobody messes with my boyfriend. ”Buffy is also confident, sociable, and kind. Not to mention strong-willed, trustworthy, and fair. These are characteristics many people admire and society finds ideal.

Buffy possesses the qualities needed to be an epic hero. She is intelligent and has superior physical prowess. She uses her skills to help others and save the world from common apocalypses. Buffy also portrays many of the ideals of our society. Giles describes her perfectly in the episode, “The Gift”, “She’s a hero, you see. She’s not like us. ”