Xena: Warrior Princess: Impact of a Legend

“In a time of ancient gods, warlords and kings…a land in turmoil cried out for a hero”

The hero or heroine in question this opening is talking about is Xena, Warrior Princess and she was the most iconic female hero to grace the small screen back in the 90’s.

Created by John Schulian and Robert Tapert, produced by Sam Raimi and portrayed by the charismatic Lucy Lawless, Xena was first introduced in 1995 as a reoccurring character on the hit series epic Hercules: The Legendary Journeys where her character was a reoccurring ally of the titular character Hercules portrayed by Kevin Sorbo. After being a popular guest appearance over the course of several episodes, Hercules and Xena’s creators decided it was time to give Xena a show of her own, given her fan reception.

Xena: Warrior Princess made its debut on September 5th 1995. The story follows the journey of Xena, a Thracian warrior who comes from a history of causing death and destruction from her constant warring and now she seeks a life of redemption in which she uses her warrior ways to fight against malevolent forces and maintain all that is good. As Xena’s journey begins she is joined by Gabrielle, portrayed by Renee O’ Connor, a farm girl from the village known as potidaea who meets Xena as she is passing through the village on her quest for redemption. Xena and Gabrielle form an alliance and Gabrielle becomes Xena’s life partner who accompanies her everywhere she goes.

Throughout Xena’s quest for redemption she goes from village to kingdom brandishing her sword and famous chakram which she uses to vanquish enemies while she chants her popular ululating battle cry. Xena’s go to choice for inflicting pain or interrogation is her famous “pinch” which she uses on pressure point around the neck to temporarily cut off blood flow.

Xena’s travels throughout the show take her to some interesting places where she encounters some very notable historical and mythological figures such as Thor of Norse mythology, Ares, the god of war, Poseidon of Ancient Greece and David and Goliath of the biblical book of Samuel. Perhaps the most notable character that Xena meets along the way is Joxer the mighty. Portrayed by series producer Sam Raimi’s brother Ted Raimi, Joxer is the clumsy, yet lovable aspiring warrior who becomes the closest friend to Xena and Gabrielle.

Running for six seasons and concluding in June of 2001, Xena’s is one of the most acclaimed tv shows of its time. Fans loved the historical fantasy setting of the series which was centered around such a charismatic protagonist like Xena. The tough and stern demeanor that Xena exemplified was balanced out by a reserved sense of feminine elegance, something that everyone wasn’t capable of balancing in the 90’s.

Though Xena: Warrior Princess was of course loved for its story, characters and satirical tone, Xena also made a cultural statement for its themes that promoted feminism and women empowerment. Fans and critics also loved the relationship dynamic between Xena and Gabrielle, which was very queer adjacent, so in turn Xena has become a staple on the LGBTQ side of entertainment culture.

Xena has been one of my favorite shows forever. I used to watch it all the time with my big sister growing up while she educated me on all the details of the show. For me, Xena was the perfect show with the perfect leading lady thanks to Lucy Lawless. To this day, I can’t find one flaw in this entire series. This generation has shows like Game of Thrones and House of Dragon. My generation had Xena: Warrior Princess.

“Her courage will change the world…”