Joxer
Encyclopedia
Joxer is a fictional character
in the syndicated television series Xena: Warrior Princess
, played by American actor Ted Raimi
. He is a comical wanna-be warrior
who styles himself "Joxer the Mighty", and later "Joxer the Magnificent".
, she orders him to kidnap Xena
's companion, Gabrielle
. He fails twice, and both he and Gabrielle are captured by Callisto and later rescued by Xena.
He then decides that he wants to help people and 'do good', and travels around the villages enthusiastically offering his services. But Joxer's ideas of being a fierce, super-sexy warrior exist only in his fantasies. In reality he is foolish, klutzy and usually outclassed, but often very lucky and funny and not completely helpless. These qualities can be endearing, and his real quality is as a charmer: he can befriend almost anyone he chooses. He frequently gets himself into near-fatal situations, and in desperation, talks his way out of them; several times he tries to bring peace to warring families; on many occasions, he proves useful to Xena in winning people over.
Joxer appears again in a comedic role, when Aphrodite
casts a spell on him to turn him into a romantic, exceptionally talented swordsman with irresistible sex appeal. He is able, for one episode, to be the type of person that he always wants to be. The fourth season episode "The Convert" sees him killing, albeit accidentally, a warlord named Kryton who'd been terrorizing a local village. Though hailed as a hero by the villagers for ridding them of Kryton, and finally achieving some of the glory and acclaim he'd always wanted, he then has to deal with the consequences and grief of knowing he took a human life, even if the man he killed was evil and arguably deserved his fate. Xena sympathizes and tries to help him during his ordeal.
As time goes on, Joxer becomes a loyal and good friend to Xena and Gabrielle. It is probably his love for Gabrielle, which begins in the episode "A Comedy of Eros", that sustains Joxer in his delusions; but he keeps it secret. She is sometimes very insensitive to him, generating more sympathy from the viewer. After the season 3 cliffhanger, when Gabrielle plunges to her death in the lava pit, it is Joxer who mourns her by dropping daisies, her favourite flower, into the pit every day. After the season 4 cliffhanger, when Xena and Gabrielle are crucified by Julius Caesar
, Joxer persuades Amarice
and Eli
to return their bodies to Greece.
In season 5, when Xena and Gabrielle fake their deaths, Joxer searches in vain for their bodies for a long time. Twenty-five years later we see a much older and wearier Joxer married to the ex-harlot Meg. They run a tavern dedicated to the "Warrior Princess and the Battling Bard", where they bicker unhappily; against her wishes, we see him spending their life's savings on one of Gabrielle's scrolls. They have three children: two boys and a girl, whom he dotes on. His eldest boy is Virgil, the warrior poet.
Discovering that Xena and Gabrielle are alive, his eyes light up and he is again filled with youthful enthusiasm. Joxer and Virgil travel with them in search of Eve
, Xena's daughter. They discover that Eve is now known as "Livia, the Champion of Rome", an awesome warrior with many of Xena's skills and Ares's attention. During the fight with her, he charges at Livia to save a captive Gabrielle, blocking Xena's chakram throw. Livia turns around and stabs him through the chest. He dies moments later, surrounded by his friends, Xena and Gabrielle, and his son, Virgil. But his efforts did prevent Livia from killing Gabrielle - although ineffective (true to his character), he dies the hero he always wanted to be.
. His father, a warlord, died in a drunken chariot accident, and his mother, a musician, was then killed by his father's creditors. His two brothers, also played by Ted Raimi, are:
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...
in the syndicated television series Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess is an American–New Zealand supernatural fantasy adventure series that aired in syndication from September 4, 1995 until June 18, 2001....
, played by American actor Ted Raimi
Ted Raimi
Theodore "Ted"/"Half Ted" Raimi is an American actor, perhaps best known for his roles as Lieutenant Tim O'Neill in seaQuest DSV and Joxer the Mighty in Xena: Warrior Princess/Hercules: The Legendary Journeys...
. He is a comical wanna-be warrior
Warrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
who styles himself "Joxer the Mighty", and later "Joxer the Magnificent".
Character biography
The third son of a warlord and a musician, Joxer tries (unsuccessfully) to prove himself as a mercenary warrior. When he tries to serve the evil warlord CallistoCallisto (Xena)
Callisto is a fictional character in the fantasy TV series Xena: Warrior Princess. She features as the most frequently recurring villainess on that show. She also makes appearances on three episodes of the parent show Hercules: The Legendary Journeys...
, she orders him to kidnap Xena
Xena
Xena is a fictional character from Robert Tapert's Xena: Warrior Princess franchise. She first appeared in the 1995–1999 television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, before going on to appear in Xena: Warrior Princess TV show and subsequent comic book of the same name...
's companion, Gabrielle
Gabrielle (Xena)
Gabrielle is a fictional character played by Renée O'Connor in Xena: Warrior Princess. She is referred to by fans as the Battling Bard of Potidaea. Her trademark weapons are the Amazon fighting staff and later, the sais...
. He fails twice, and both he and Gabrielle are captured by Callisto and later rescued by Xena.
He then decides that he wants to help people and 'do good', and travels around the villages enthusiastically offering his services. But Joxer's ideas of being a fierce, super-sexy warrior exist only in his fantasies. In reality he is foolish, klutzy and usually outclassed, but often very lucky and funny and not completely helpless. These qualities can be endearing, and his real quality is as a charmer: he can befriend almost anyone he chooses. He frequently gets himself into near-fatal situations, and in desperation, talks his way out of them; several times he tries to bring peace to warring families; on many occasions, he proves useful to Xena in winning people over.
Aphrodite (Xena and Hercules)
Aphrodite is a fictional character played by Alexandra Tydings in Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.-Overview:...
casts a spell on him to turn him into a romantic, exceptionally talented swordsman with irresistible sex appeal. He is able, for one episode, to be the type of person that he always wants to be. The fourth season episode "The Convert" sees him killing, albeit accidentally, a warlord named Kryton who'd been terrorizing a local village. Though hailed as a hero by the villagers for ridding them of Kryton, and finally achieving some of the glory and acclaim he'd always wanted, he then has to deal with the consequences and grief of knowing he took a human life, even if the man he killed was evil and arguably deserved his fate. Xena sympathizes and tries to help him during his ordeal.
As time goes on, Joxer becomes a loyal and good friend to Xena and Gabrielle. It is probably his love for Gabrielle, which begins in the episode "A Comedy of Eros", that sustains Joxer in his delusions; but he keeps it secret. She is sometimes very insensitive to him, generating more sympathy from the viewer. After the season 3 cliffhanger, when Gabrielle plunges to her death in the lava pit, it is Joxer who mourns her by dropping daisies, her favourite flower, into the pit every day. After the season 4 cliffhanger, when Xena and Gabrielle are crucified by Julius Caesar
Caesar (Xena)
Caesar is a fictional character from the television series Xena: Warrior Princess loosely based on Julius Caesar. He is portrayed by New Zealand actor Karl Urban. Caesar is a recurring antagonist in seasons two and three, with a guest appearance in season six as well as being the main antagonist of...
, Joxer persuades Amarice
Amarice
Amarice is a fictional character in the popular TV series Xena: Warrior Princess. She is portrayed by the American actress Jennifer Sky.-Character history:...
and Eli
Eli (Xena)
Eli is a fictional character from the television series Xena: Warrior Princess. He is portrayed by American actor Timothy Omundson.-The Devi:...
to return their bodies to Greece.
Discovering that Xena and Gabrielle are alive, his eyes light up and he is again filled with youthful enthusiasm. Joxer and Virgil travel with them in search of Eve
Eve (Xena)
Eve | Livia is a fictional character created by Robert Tapert for the popular TV series Xena: Warrior Princess. She is portrayed by Adrienne Wilkinson...
, Xena's daughter. They discover that Eve is now known as "Livia, the Champion of Rome", an awesome warrior with many of Xena's skills and Ares's attention. During the fight with her, he charges at Livia to save a captive Gabrielle, blocking Xena's chakram throw. Livia turns around and stabs him through the chest. He dies moments later, surrounded by his friends, Xena and Gabrielle, and his son, Virgil. But his efforts did prevent Livia from killing Gabrielle - although ineffective (true to his character), he dies the hero he always wanted to be.
Joxer's family
Joxer is the youngest of identical tripletsMultiple birth
A multiple birth occurs when more than one fetus is carried to term in a single pregnancy. Different names for multiple births are used, depending on the number of offspring. Common multiples are two and three, known as twins and triplets...
. His father, a warlord, died in a drunken chariot accident, and his mother, a musician, was then killed by his father's creditors. His two brothers, also played by Ted Raimi, are:
- Jett, seen in the episodes "King of Assassins" and "It Takes One To Know One", is an uncouth, ruthless assassin who would sell his own grandmother. Jett bullies Joxer in what he thinks of as brotherly affection, but this irritates and demeans Joxer. However, Jett does seem to love Joxer, in his own bullying, hectoring way: he kills a villain who is threatening his brother - it's all right for him to pick on Joxer, as his brother, but woe betide anyone else who does it. He also tells Joxer that he "has a good thing going" (with Xena and Gabrielle) and warns him "Don't blow it," tapping him on the head to reinforce the lesson.
- Jace, an extremely campCamp (style)Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
and extravagant singer of popular music, who wears brightly coloured clothes, flared trousers and oversized codpieces and affects a (bad) Spanish accent. Joxer can't bear to be associated with him because he says his brother is "different" and "ruining his life". Ultimately, they reconcile in the episode Lyre, Lyre, Hearts on FireLyre, Lyre, Hearts on Fire"Lyre, Lyre, Hearts on Fire" is the tenth episode of the fifth season of the syndicated television series Xena: Warrior Princess. It was written by Adam Armus and Nora Kay Foster, directed by Mark Beesley, and first aired on January 17, 1999....
.