Background Information
This section is compilation of information gleaned from the television series, comic book series, and other canon information that has been released through interviews and the like. Needless to say, this page is riddled with spoilers, although I do try to keep it to a minimum.
Name: Kennedy (last name undisclosed)
Age: 19 (tv series) 20-ish (comic)
Classification: Slayer
Status: Alive
Knonw Relatives: Unamed Half-sister
First Appearance: Season 7, episode 10: "Bring on the Night"
Played by: Iyari Limon
Kennedy makes her first appearance during season seven, in the tenth episode "Bring on the Night". Kennedy is a "Potential Slayer", one of the many girls that The Watcher's Council have identified as having the potential to be awakened as a Slayer upon the current Slayer's demise. Unlike the previous badies that the Scoobies have faced, The First, the source of all evil, is not content with just attacking the current Slayer, but has instead targeted the entire Slayer line. Across the globe, Potential Slayers have been ruthlessly cut down by The First's henchmen and The Council's headquaters was destroyed while The Council was in session. In an attempt to protect and train the Potential Slayers, the girls are rounded up and brought to Buffy in Sunnydale. At the time of her introduction, Kennedy is the oldest of the Potential Slayers and one of the first to be brought to Buffy. Kennedy arrives alongside Annabelle and Molly with Giles to inform the Scoobies of what they have learned of The First and the fate of The Council.
Kennedy is a self-proclaimed brat who "always gets her way", a lesbian, and hails from a very wealthy New York family, whose home apparently has several wings while their summer house in Hamptons only has one. The only member of her family mentioned thus far is an unamed half-sister.
Kennedy is an assertative "out of the closet" lesbian. She claims to have known about her
sexuality since the age of five when she watched Gone With the Wind and wanted to
sweep Scarlet off her feet. Kennedy actively pursues a relationship with Willow from the get
go and takes any chance she can get to tease and flirt with Willow, who is initially
befuddled by the interest, then riddeled with guilt over Tara. Kennedy goes so far as to
skip a special Slayer-training session in order to get alone time with Willow. Which says a
lot about Kennedy's interest in Willow, given how excited Kennedy is to become a Slayer.
Despite being a witness to Willow's darker-side on more then one occasion (and even being
significantly drained of her life-energy by an out of control Willow) Kennedy maintains her
faith in Willow's ability to control her magic and acts as a support system for Willow. Upon
seeing Willow enfused with the benevolent-magic of the scythe at the end of season seven in
"Chosen", Kennedy calls [Willow] a goddess.
Season Eight
In Season Eight, Kennedy's first appearances in the comic series consists of a brief
mentioning of her in conversation between characters and flashbacks. Kennedy does not get a
more active role in the story until several issues in. A year after the final battle in
Sunnydale finds Kennedy and Willow still a couple. It is
mentioned in passing that they spent some time living together in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It
is also revealed in a season five episode of Angel, as well as flashbacks and
conversations between Willow and Buffy in Season Eight, that Willow traveled to the
Himalayas but it is unclear whether Kennedy went with her.
For about a year, Willow has very little contact with the Scoobies and the Slayer Organization. Kennedy, by default, was also out of contact with them as well. When Buffy and Willow catch up in Season Eight, Willow mentions that Kennedy died a month-long mystical death but was eventually brought back. Willow goes on to convey that Kennedy was freaked out by the incident and slowed down their relationship. However, it is interesting to note that later, in a flashback, Kennedy is concerned that Willow is keeping her away from everyone because she [Willow] is ashamed of her. Willow then admits to blaming herself for Tara's death by letting Tara get heavily involved with Buffy and thus in serious danger. Willow refuses to repeat this mistake with Kennedy. Given how in the dark Willow keeps Kennedy, going so far as to use Kennedy to assist her in contacting Saga Vasuki without Kennedy's knowledge.
In the fourth story arc, "Time of Your Life", approximately a year and a half after the finale of season seven, Kennedy and Willow are reunited. Kennedy and Vi are leading a group of Slayer stationed in New York. Buffy and Willow arrive in New York to follow up on a vision of Willow's. Kennedy and others are awaiting their arrival, although Kennedy admits she's more interested in protecting Willow from Buffy after hearing about Buffy and Satsu's brief lesbian tryst then the mission itself.
Kennedy later travels to Tokyo, Japan to do a performance evaluation on Satsu who has been recently promoted to squad leader there and to investigate the vagueness of Satsu's report on the Korean incident. Initially, Satsu is bratty and defensive having taken offense to Buffy sending "the other lesbian Slayer" to do her evaluation. Kennedy reveals that she was the one to have requested the assignment and expresses her desire to help Satsu get past Buffy, telling Satsu that she isn't the only idiot to have "wrinkled the sheets with a straight girl". Kennedy and Satsu become good friends and begin to develop strong bonds after working together.
