Rupert Giles

Grew up… with constant pressure to follow his family’s legacy and work for the Watchers Council, as the previous three generations have. As a child he dreamed of being either "a fighter pilot or perhaps a green-grocer." But during his adolescence, Giles rebelled by dropping out of Oxford to dabble in dark magic and to explore the rock music scene. As someone once joked about him, "Giles at sixteen? Less 'Together Guy', more 'Bad-Magic-Hates-the-World-Ticking-Time-Bomb Guy.'"

Living... in Sunnydale, California, on the Council’s orders. Sunnydale is home to high concentrations of demonic energy – not surprising since it was built on a direct opening to hell. It is also Buffy Summer’s new home.

Profession... officially the school librarian. But that’s just his cover. He’s really Buffy’s new Watcher, charged with training and guiding her. Giles is perfect for the role, given that he can relate to her teenage struggles.

Interests... demonology, tweed, slayer combat (in a theoretical sense), magic spells, mystical artifacts, and the black arts. He is fluent in a number of languages and has extensive knowledge of history, philosophy, and science. And on top of all of that, Giles is also a talented singer and guitarist. He’s quite a renaissance man.

Relationship Status… single. He just moved to Sunnydale, so give him time. But he seems to find the computer science teacher attractive.

Challenge...  assuring Buffy’s safety. As a paternal bond grows between Buffy and him, Giles’ devotion and loyalty to her comes before any other priority – even if it defies the Council’s strict rules. Ironically, though he likes the computer science teacher, Giles also struggles with technology. He even states, “Things involving the computer fill me with a childlike terror. Now, if it were a nice ogre or some such, I'd be more in my element.”

Personality...  prim, proper, bookish, and sensible. His compassion and loyalty to his charges makes him a leader and a Watcher like no other. He also has a dry sense of humor, and a tendency to poke fun at the foibles of the younger generation.