Dawn Summers
Encyclopedia
Dawn Summers is a fictional character
created by Joss Whedon
and introduced by Marti Noxon
and David Fury
on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, portrayed by Michelle Trachtenberg
. She made her debut in the premiere episode of the show's fifth season, and subsequently appeared in every episode of its remaining three seasons. Within the series, Dawn is the little sister of main character Buffy Summers
(Sarah Michelle Gellar
), a girl chosen by fate to be a vampire Slayer. Whedon introduced Dawn to the series because he wanted to introduce a character with whom Buffy could have an intensely emotional non-romantic relationship.
After years of foreshadowing by Whedon, Dawn was introduced at the start of the fifth season as part of a large retcon—characters accepted Dawn's presence as if she had always been there, and as if Buffy always had a sister. As the series went on, the significance of Dawn's arrival is revealed to the series' other characters and they come to understand that she has not always been Buffy's sister, or indeed a sentient being—Dawn had originally been the mystical 'key' to unlocking dimensions, and was made into Buffy's sister so the Slayer would protect her. Dawn is, however, a real girl, Buffy's biological sister, and has real memories of her childhood. She struggles in a very real human way when she discovers the truth about her origins, and later endures problems with self-harm
and kleptomania
. The show's sixth and seventh seasons, as well as its canonical
comic book continuation, follow Dawn's journey towards adulthood.
) little sister at the end of Buffy season five premiere "Buffy vs. Dracula", despite Buffy having been previously established as an only child. Initially, the mystery of Dawn's sudden existence is not acknowledged in the series, with the other characters accepting her as a part of the status quo
. Four episodes later Buffy discovers Dawn is in fact a mystical object known as The Key; a group of monks transformed The Key into human form and sent it to the Slayer for protection from the villainous Glory (Clare Kramer
). The memories of Buffy and her associates were altered, along with relevant records, so that they believed her to have always existed as Buffy's sister. She is shown to look up greatly to Willow and Tara and have a crush on Xander. She also has a close relationship with Spike, who appears keen to protect her. When Dawn learns of her origin, she resorts to self-harm
and runs away from home, until Buffy assures her they are real sisters no matter what, securing it with a blood oath. Her relationship with Buffy, having been portrayed with a typical sister dynamic in the first half of the season, changes when she discovers what she is. The two become closer as Dawn becomes Buffy's sole focus once she drops out from college to protect her, going as far as to warn her friends she is prepared to kill anyone who attempts to go near Dawn in the finale. Dawn suffers more pain when her mother
(Kristine Sutherland
) dies unexpectedly from a brain aneurysm, which leads to Dawn resorting to black magic
to try to bring her back from the grave, an action she immediately reverses upon realizing the consequences of her actions. It is eventually revealed Dawn's purpose as The Key is to open portals to alternate dimensions, a power the hell-god Glory wishes to exploit to return home. When Glory successfully uses Dawn's blood to break down the dimensional barriers, Buffy sacrifices her own life, realizing that their blood is now the same, to end the apocalypse and save Dawn.
The following season opening sees Dawn struggle with abandonment issues, as well as her escalating kleptomania
. Having been devastated by her sister's death, Dawn is overjoyed when Willow
(Alyson Hannigan
) casts a spell to bring her back to life. However, with Buffy spiralling into a deep depression, Dawn feels highly neglected and is often seen alone and seeking attention from her sister as well as other members of the group. She later experiences her first kiss with a vampire named Justin, whom she is reluctantly forced to stake (her first vampire kill) when he tries to turn her. Dawn's isolation from the other characters reaches its apex when she inadvertently makes a wish to the vengeance demon Halfrek
(Kali Rocha
) which results in them becoming temporarily trapped inside the Summers house. Everyone is eventually freed when Halfrek reverses the spell, and Dawn's kleptomania and feelings of neglect by her friends and family are exposed. Buffy vows to mend their relationsip and starts spending more time with her sister whilst still trying to shield her from her life as a slayer much to Dawn's disappointment as she is eager to help Buffy in her duties. While helping Buffy battle demons in the season finale, Dawn proves herself to be capable in a fight, finally earning her sister's respect and a promise to train her.
In the final season, Dawn becomes more grown-up and a full-fledged member of the "Scooby Gang" as witnessed in the first few episodes as she aids Buffy and Xander during Willow's absence and is trained by Buffy in combat. Falling victim to a love spell in the episode "Him", she displays dangerous behavior such as attacking people and trying to commit suicide
to prove her "love" for classmate RJ Brooks. While home alone one night, Dawn is forced to perform a solo exorcism
to protect what she believes to be her mother from a demon, though it is revealed to be The First Evil
attempting to cause Dawn to doubt her bond with Buffy, which she does for several episodes following this. Dawn's feelings of neglect begin to resurface as Buffy spends time training the potentials now living in their home. After wrongly believing herself to be a Potential Slayer, Xander
(Nicholas Brendon
) explains to Dawn that being normal is perhaps the hardest burden of all, as nobody understands the pain of being overlooked–as he has been in Dawn's shoes. Dawn then falls into a watcher-esque role offering the group answers from research, such as ways to communicate with The Bringers and translating texts given to Buffy in a 'slayer keepsake'. When Buffy tricks her into leaving town before the impending apocalypse, Dawn adamantly returns to fight against the First, during which she battles alongside Xander and once again proves her worth by killing several Ubervamps
and survives. Dawn was intended to appear in the Angel
episode "The Girl in Question", but Michelle Trachtenberg
was unavailable for filming, so Andrew Wells
(played by Tom Lenk) replaced her.
In the canonical
comic book
continuation to the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight
(2007–present), it is revealed that Buffy and Dawn's relationship has been strained and conflicted since the events of "Chosen." Sometime before the series begins, Dawn becomes a giant
, which Buffy believes is the result of losing her virginity to a "thricewise demon" named Kenny. Later in the series however, Dawn confides in Xander she in fact slept with Kenny's roommate and her becoming a giant was due to a spell cast by Kenny. As a giant, Dawn's personal issues are forced to take a back seat while she finds interaction between friends and family more strained. In battles however, her gigantism shows some utility; she is able to assist fighting Amy
in "The Long Way Home
", and rampages through Tokyo
to distract their enemies in "Wolves at the Gate
".
In "Time of Your Life, Part One
" she shrinks to normal size again, but then turns into a centaur
. Xander surmises she will likely experience a third such transformation before she can return to normal. In "Living Doll
", the twenty-fifth issue of the series, Dawn undergoes her final transformation into a living doll and is kidnapped by a disturbed dollmaker for her 'protection'. Buffy, Willow, Andrew and the Slayers manage to locate Kenny and confront him about the curse, but he flees, only to show up later alongside Buffy to rescue Dawn. After she apologizes to Kenny, the spell is instantly broken and she becomes regular size again. The two have a heart-to-heart talk before parting ways again, where she explains she wasn't ready for sex with Kenny because of how intensely she liked him. At the end of the story, Dawn and Buffy mend their underlying issues, particularly that Buffy is now responsible for hundreds of Slayers and cannot devote her attention to Dawn. Buffy discovers Dawn kissing Xander in "Predators and Prey
"; the pair had grown closer over the course of Season Eight. In the final issue
, Xander and Dawn have settled into an apartment together in San Francisco, where they let Buffy live until she finds her own place.
Dawn also appeared in "After These Messages... We'll Be Right Back!
", which centers on the plot of the unproduced animated series
. A variant cover shown by Georges Jeanty
features the original Season One cast (including Cordelia
and Angel), along with a pre-teen version of Dawn.
" and the Season Four episode "This Year's Girl", in which a still-comatose Faith says, while making a bed with Buffy in her bedroom, "Little sis coming, I know." Buffy replies, "So much to do before she gets here."(the first appearance of Dawn is in Buffy's room) In the season four finale, "Restless", Tara
warns Buffy to "be back before Dawn."
According to Buffy creator Joss Whedon, the introduction of Dawn in Season Five was partly so protagonist
Buffy Summers
could experience a "really important, intense emotional relationship" with someone other than a boyfriend. "She's as intense as she was in Season Two with Angelus, but it's about her sister," Whedon says. "To me that was really beautiful."
Trachtenberg says she was thrust into the role without knowing much about Dawn's personality; she describes her initial meeting with Joss Whedon as "Alright, welcome to the cast, you're a teenager, you're a Key, have fun."
suggested Trachtenberg for the role they raised her age.
Responding to fan complaints of Dawn being whiny throughout Season Six, Joss Whedon says, "I scratched my head. I was like, 'Excuse me, she's been abandoned by about six parental figures. The girl has huge issues.'" However, he acknowledges that he and the writers hit "the same note for a while... We needed to make some changes."
Whedon has expressed regret over not being able to go further with Dawn's character in season seven, but, as he says, "You get into a situation that you do like to stand alone [but] 'Dawn Goes on a Date' is not something that people would really sit for."
Author Nikki Stafford saw the season seven episode "Potential" as an example of Dawn's growing maturity. She praises the character for taking charge and accepting the possibility she might be a Potential Slayer, and for quietly stepping back when she turns out to be wrong, without revealing how disappointed she really is. Stafford states, "Dawn has come a long way from the annoying adolescent she was in season five, and the screechy, difficult teen she was in season six ("get out, Get Out, GET OUT!"). She is a mature young woman, the same age as Buffy was in season one, but she is handling her problems with even more grace and acceptance than her older sister did."
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
created by Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
and introduced by Marti Noxon
Marti Noxon
Martha Mills "Marti" Noxon is an American television and film writer first known for writing and producing Buffy the Vampire Slayer.- Production :...
and David Fury
David Fury
David Fury is an American television Screenwriter and Producer, best known for his work on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Lost, 24, and Fringe.Fury was a Co-executive producer and Writer for the first season of Lost...
on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, portrayed by Michelle Trachtenberg
Michelle Trachtenberg
Michelle Christine Trachtenberg is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Dawn Summers in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl...
. She made her debut in the premiere episode of the show's fifth season, and subsequently appeared in every episode of its remaining three seasons. Within the series, Dawn is the little sister of main character Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name...
(Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Prinze , known professionally by her birth name of Sarah Michelle Gellar , is an American actress, singer and executive producer...
), a girl chosen by fate to be a vampire Slayer. Whedon introduced Dawn to the series because he wanted to introduce a character with whom Buffy could have an intensely emotional non-romantic relationship.
After years of foreshadowing by Whedon, Dawn was introduced at the start of the fifth season as part of a large retcon—characters accepted Dawn's presence as if she had always been there, and as if Buffy always had a sister. As the series went on, the significance of Dawn's arrival is revealed to the series' other characters and they come to understand that she has not always been Buffy's sister, or indeed a sentient being—Dawn had originally been the mystical 'key' to unlocking dimensions, and was made into Buffy's sister so the Slayer would protect her. Dawn is, however, a real girl, Buffy's biological sister, and has real memories of her childhood. She struggles in a very real human way when she discovers the truth about her origins, and later endures problems with self-harm
Self-harm
Self-harm or deliberate self-harm includes self-injury and self-poisoning and is defined as the intentional, direct injuring of body tissue most often done without suicidal intentions. These terms are used in the more recent literature in an attempt to reach a more neutral terminology...
and kleptomania
Kleptomania
Kleptomania is an irresistible urge to steal items of trivial value. People with this disorder are compelled to steal things, generally, but not limited to, objects of little or no significant value, such as pens, paper clips, paper and tape...
. The show's sixth and seventh seasons, as well as its canonical
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
comic book continuation, follow Dawn's journey towards adulthood.
Television
Dawn is first introduced as Buffy's (Sarah Michelle GellarSarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Prinze , known professionally by her birth name of Sarah Michelle Gellar , is an American actress, singer and executive producer...
) little sister at the end of Buffy season five premiere "Buffy vs. Dracula", despite Buffy having been previously established as an only child. Initially, the mystery of Dawn's sudden existence is not acknowledged in the series, with the other characters accepting her as a part of the status quo
Status quo
Statu quo, a commonly used form of the original Latin "statu quo" – literally "the state in which" – is a Latin term meaning the current or existing state of affairs. To maintain the status quo is to keep the things the way they presently are...
. Four episodes later Buffy discovers Dawn is in fact a mystical object known as The Key; a group of monks transformed The Key into human form and sent it to the Slayer for protection from the villainous Glory (Clare Kramer
Clare Kramer
Clare Elizabeth Kramer is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Glory, the main villain in Season 5 of the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.-Early life:...
). The memories of Buffy and her associates were altered, along with relevant records, so that they believed her to have always existed as Buffy's sister. She is shown to look up greatly to Willow and Tara and have a crush on Xander. She also has a close relationship with Spike, who appears keen to protect her. When Dawn learns of her origin, she resorts to self-harm
Self-harm
Self-harm or deliberate self-harm includes self-injury and self-poisoning and is defined as the intentional, direct injuring of body tissue most often done without suicidal intentions. These terms are used in the more recent literature in an attempt to reach a more neutral terminology...
and runs away from home, until Buffy assures her they are real sisters no matter what, securing it with a blood oath. Her relationship with Buffy, having been portrayed with a typical sister dynamic in the first half of the season, changes when she discovers what she is. The two become closer as Dawn becomes Buffy's sole focus once she drops out from college to protect her, going as far as to warn her friends she is prepared to kill anyone who attempts to go near Dawn in the finale. Dawn suffers more pain when her mother
Joyce Summers
Joyce Summers is a fictional character in the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . Played by Kristine Sutherland, Joyce is the mother of the main character, Buffy Summers . Joyce appears regularly from the first episode until the character's death in the fifth season episode "The...
(Kristine Sutherland
Kristine Sutherland
Kristine Sutherland is an actress best known for her role as Buffy Summers' mother Joyce Summers on the television show Buffy The Vampire Slayer.-Early life:...
) dies unexpectedly from a brain aneurysm, which leads to Dawn resorting to black magic
Black magic
Black magic is the type of magic that draws on assumed malevolent powers or is used with the intention to kill, steal, injure, cause misfortune or destruction, or for personal gain without regard to harmful consequences. As a term, "black magic" is normally used by those that do not approve of its...
to try to bring her back from the grave, an action she immediately reverses upon realizing the consequences of her actions. It is eventually revealed Dawn's purpose as The Key is to open portals to alternate dimensions, a power the hell-god Glory wishes to exploit to return home. When Glory successfully uses Dawn's blood to break down the dimensional barriers, Buffy sacrifices her own life, realizing that their blood is now the same, to end the apocalypse and save Dawn.
The following season opening sees Dawn struggle with abandonment issues, as well as her escalating kleptomania
Kleptomania
Kleptomania is an irresistible urge to steal items of trivial value. People with this disorder are compelled to steal things, generally, but not limited to, objects of little or no significant value, such as pens, paper clips, paper and tape...
. Having been devastated by her sister's death, Dawn is overjoyed when Willow
Willow Rosenberg
Willow Rosenberg is a fictional character created for the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . She was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed throughout the TV series by Alyson Hannigan...
(Alyson Hannigan
Alyson Hannigan
Alyson Lee Hannigan is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Willow Rosenberg in the cult classic television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Michelle Flaherty in three American Pie films, and Lily Aldrin on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother.-Early life:Hannigan was born in...
) casts a spell to bring her back to life. However, with Buffy spiralling into a deep depression, Dawn feels highly neglected and is often seen alone and seeking attention from her sister as well as other members of the group. She later experiences her first kiss with a vampire named Justin, whom she is reluctantly forced to stake (her first vampire kill) when he tries to turn her. Dawn's isolation from the other characters reaches its apex when she inadvertently makes a wish to the vengeance demon Halfrek
Halfrek
Halfrek or Hallie is a recurring fictional character on the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She appears as a vengeance demon in seasons 6 and 7, and has previously appeared as Cecily in season 5. She is played by actress Kali Rocha....
(Kali Rocha
Kali Rocha
-Early life:Rocha was born in Memphis, Tennessee and grew up in Providence, Rhode Island, graduating from Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in 1993.-Career:...
) which results in them becoming temporarily trapped inside the Summers house. Everyone is eventually freed when Halfrek reverses the spell, and Dawn's kleptomania and feelings of neglect by her friends and family are exposed. Buffy vows to mend their relationsip and starts spending more time with her sister whilst still trying to shield her from her life as a slayer much to Dawn's disappointment as she is eager to help Buffy in her duties. While helping Buffy battle demons in the season finale, Dawn proves herself to be capable in a fight, finally earning her sister's respect and a promise to train her.
In the final season, Dawn becomes more grown-up and a full-fledged member of the "Scooby Gang" as witnessed in the first few episodes as she aids Buffy and Xander during Willow's absence and is trained by Buffy in combat. Falling victim to a love spell in the episode "Him", she displays dangerous behavior such as attacking people and trying to commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
to prove her "love" for classmate RJ Brooks. While home alone one night, Dawn is forced to perform a solo exorcism
Exorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
to protect what she believes to be her mother from a demon, though it is revealed to be The First Evil
First Evil
The First Evil is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The First Evil first appeared in the third season episode "Amends", and became the main antagonist of the 7th and final season.A being manifested from all evil in existence, the First is an...
attempting to cause Dawn to doubt her bond with Buffy, which she does for several episodes following this. Dawn's feelings of neglect begin to resurface as Buffy spends time training the potentials now living in their home. After wrongly believing herself to be a Potential Slayer, Xander
Xander Harris
Alexander LaVelle "Xander" Harris is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as in numerous items in the series Expanded Universe, such as comic books, tie-in novels and video games...
(Nicholas Brendon
Nicholas Brendon
Nicholas Brendon , is an actor best known for his character Xander Harris in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer .-Early life:...
) explains to Dawn that being normal is perhaps the hardest burden of all, as nobody understands the pain of being overlooked–as he has been in Dawn's shoes. Dawn then falls into a watcher-esque role offering the group answers from research, such as ways to communicate with The Bringers and translating texts given to Buffy in a 'slayer keepsake'. When Buffy tricks her into leaving town before the impending apocalypse, Dawn adamantly returns to fight against the First, during which she battles alongside Xander and once again proves her worth by killing several Ubervamps
Turok-Han
The Turok-Han vampires are fictional characters from Joss Whedon's TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They appear in the 7th and final season of the series, making their first appearance in the episode "Never Leave Me", when the Seal of Danzalthar is opened under the basement of Sunnydale High,...
and survives. Dawn was intended to appear in the Angel
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
episode "The Girl in Question", but Michelle Trachtenberg
Michelle Trachtenberg
Michelle Christine Trachtenberg is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Dawn Summers in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl...
was unavailable for filming, so Andrew Wells
Andrew Wells
Andrew Wells is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, played by Tom Lenk. The character also appears in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, the canonical continuation of the series....
(played by Tom Lenk) replaced her.
Literature
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
continuation to the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight is a comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics. The series serves as a canonical continuation of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and follows the events of that show's final televised season. It is produced by Joss Whedon, who wrote the...
(2007–present), it is revealed that Buffy and Dawn's relationship has been strained and conflicted since the events of "Chosen." Sometime before the series begins, Dawn becomes a giant
Giant (mythology)
The mythology and legends of many different cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength. "Giant" is the English word commonly used for such beings, derived from one of the most famed examples: the gigantes of Greek mythology.In various Indo-European mythologies,...
, which Buffy believes is the result of losing her virginity to a "thricewise demon" named Kenny. Later in the series however, Dawn confides in Xander she in fact slept with Kenny's roommate and her becoming a giant was due to a spell cast by Kenny. As a giant, Dawn's personal issues are forced to take a back seat while she finds interaction between friends and family more strained. In battles however, her gigantism shows some utility; she is able to assist fighting Amy
Amy Madison
Amy Madison is a fictional character, a witch played by Elizabeth Anne Allen in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and by Shay Astar in the Season 8 motion comics. She made appearances in every season of Buffy except Seasons Five .Amy is a witch...
in "The Long Way Home
The Long Way Home (Buffy comic)
"The Long Way Home" is the first arc from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series of comic books, a direct continuation of the television series of the same name. It is written by creator Joss Whedon. It ran for four issues. The first issue was released on March 14, 2007, and the final...
", and rampages through Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
to distract their enemies in "Wolves at the Gate
Wolves at the Gate
"Wolves at the Gate" is the third story arc that spreads from the twelfth to the fifteenth issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series of comic books, a continuation of the television series of the same name. It is written by Drew Goddard....
".
In "Time of Your Life, Part One
Time of Your Life (Buffy comic)
"Time of Your Life" is the fourth story arc that spreads from the sixteenth to the nineteenth issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series of comic books, a continuation of the television series of the same name...
" she shrinks to normal size again, but then turns into a centaur
Centaur
In Greek mythology, a centaur or hippocentaur is a member of a composite race of creatures, part human and part horse...
. Xander surmises she will likely experience a third such transformation before she can return to normal. In "Living Doll
Predators and Prey
"Predators and Prey" is the fifth story arc that spreads from the twenty-first to the twenty-fifth issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series of comic books, a continuation of the television series of the same name. The arc is written by Jane Espenson, Steven S. DeKnight, Drew Z...
", the twenty-fifth issue of the series, Dawn undergoes her final transformation into a living doll and is kidnapped by a disturbed dollmaker for her 'protection'. Buffy, Willow, Andrew and the Slayers manage to locate Kenny and confront him about the curse, but he flees, only to show up later alongside Buffy to rescue Dawn. After she apologizes to Kenny, the spell is instantly broken and she becomes regular size again. The two have a heart-to-heart talk before parting ways again, where she explains she wasn't ready for sex with Kenny because of how intensely she liked him. At the end of the story, Dawn and Buffy mend their underlying issues, particularly that Buffy is now responsible for hundreds of Slayers and cannot devote her attention to Dawn. Buffy discovers Dawn kissing Xander in "Predators and Prey
Predators and Prey
"Predators and Prey" is the fifth story arc that spreads from the twenty-first to the twenty-fifth issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series of comic books, a continuation of the television series of the same name. The arc is written by Jane Espenson, Steven S. DeKnight, Drew Z...
"; the pair had grown closer over the course of Season Eight. In the final issue
Last Gleaming
"Last Gleaming" is the eighth and final storyarc of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series of comic books, based upon the television series of the same name, and is written by franchise creator Joss Whedon and Season Eight editor Scott Allie...
, Xander and Dawn have settled into an apartment together in San Francisco, where they let Buffy live until she finds her own place.
Dawn also appeared in "After These Messages... We'll Be Right Back!
After These Messages... We'll Be Right Back!
"After These Messages... We'll Be Right Back!" is the twentieth issue of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight series of comic books, a continuation of the television series of the same name...
", which centers on the plot of the unproduced animated series
Buffy the Animated Series
Buffy the Animated Series is an animated television series concept based on Buffy the Vampire Slayer created by Joss Whedon. Initially greenlit by 20th Century Fox in 2002, it went ultimately unproduced and unaired when no network was willing to buy the series...
. A variant cover shown by Georges Jeanty
Georges Jeanty
Georges Jeanty is an American comic book penciler best known for his work on The American Way, an eight-issue American comic book limited series produced under DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint, and the Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics.-Early...
features the original Season One cast (including Cordelia
Cordelia Chase
Cordelia Chase is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer; she also appeared on Buffy's spin-off series Angel...
and Angel), along with a pre-teen version of Dawn.
Concept and creation
The arrival of Dawn Summers is foreshadowed in cryptic dream sequences in both the Season Three finale "Graduation Day, Part TwoGraduation Day (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
"Graduation Day" is the season finale of the WB Television Network's third season of the drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, consisting of the twenty-first and twenty-second episodes. They are also the fifty-fifth and fifty-sixth episodes of the show overall...
" and the Season Four episode "This Year's Girl", in which a still-comatose Faith says, while making a bed with Buffy in her bedroom, "Little sis coming, I know." Buffy replies, "So much to do before she gets here."(the first appearance of Dawn is in Buffy's room) In the season four finale, "Restless", Tara
Tara Maclay
Tara Maclay is a fictional character created for the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . She was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed by Amber Benson from the fourth to the sixth season until the character's death. Tara is a shy young woman with magical talents who falls in love...
warns Buffy to "be back before Dawn."
According to Buffy creator Joss Whedon, the introduction of Dawn in Season Five was partly so protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name...
could experience a "really important, intense emotional relationship" with someone other than a boyfriend. "She's as intense as she was in Season Two with Angelus, but it's about her sister," Whedon says. "To me that was really beautiful."
Trachtenberg says she was thrust into the role without knowing much about Dawn's personality; she describes her initial meeting with Joss Whedon as "Alright, welcome to the cast, you're a teenager, you're a Key, have fun."
Characterization
In the beginning of season five Dawn is portrayed as younger than her age of fourteen. She is seen to be immature and klutzy, breaking objects and keeping diaries. Buffy and Joyce also appear to treat her thus as they are shown finding someone to babysit her, something they later become relaxed with as seen in the episode There's No Place Like Home. Joss Whedon stated that Dawn was originally going to be a younger character, with the writing reflecting this, but after Sarah Michelle GellarSarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Prinze , known professionally by her birth name of Sarah Michelle Gellar , is an American actress, singer and executive producer...
suggested Trachtenberg for the role they raised her age.
Responding to fan complaints of Dawn being whiny throughout Season Six, Joss Whedon says, "I scratched my head. I was like, 'Excuse me, she's been abandoned by about six parental figures. The girl has huge issues.'" However, he acknowledges that he and the writers hit "the same note for a while... We needed to make some changes."
Whedon has expressed regret over not being able to go further with Dawn's character in season seven, but, as he says, "You get into a situation that you do like to stand alone [but] 'Dawn Goes on a Date' is not something that people would really sit for."
Author Nikki Stafford saw the season seven episode "Potential" as an example of Dawn's growing maturity. She praises the character for taking charge and accepting the possibility she might be a Potential Slayer, and for quietly stepping back when she turns out to be wrong, without revealing how disappointed she really is. Stafford states, "Dawn has come a long way from the annoying adolescent she was in season five, and the screechy, difficult teen she was in season six ("get out, Get Out, GET OUT!"). She is a mature young woman, the same age as Buffy was in season one, but she is handling her problems with even more grace and acceptance than her older sister did."