24 years ago, most viewers came out ofXena: Warrior Princess’series finale hating it. In fact, the final episode ofXenawas immensely controversial, perhaps one of the most despised swan songs of any television show in TV history. Thankfully, little do fans know, the franchise continued in a different medium after its 2001 finale.
Xena: Warrior Princess - Dark Xena, written by John Layman with art by Noah Salonga, is a 2007 four-part sequel taking place after the TV finale that not only seeks to rectify the controversy, but revive Xena for future storylines. This underseen gem would springboard several story arc follow-ups that would emerge in the comics in later years, including those thatofficially canonize Gabrielle and Xena’s romance.
The stage for Xena’s return both as a character and as a franchise was set when Gabrielle brought Xena to life, albeit with unforseen consequences.
Dark Xena Revives the Warrior Princess as a Villain Again
Xena: Warrior Princess - Dark Xena #1-4 by John Layman, Noah Salonga, Chris Garcia, and Simon Bowland
When the original TV finale, “A Friend in Need Part I and II,” aired in 2001, Xena had died to save 40,000 souls fallen in Higuichi, urging Gabrielle not to revive her, knowing her resurrection would undo the deed.Dark Xenapicks up some time later, and Gabrielle is too overcome by grief to care. She travels to the god C’thulon, practically begging for him to bring Xena back to life. The monstrous tentacle creature urges Gabrielle to think about her favor long and hard, as her wish may not be fulfilled in the way she expects it to.
Gabrielle doesn’t falter, and in a flash, time is rewritten.In this revamped universe, Xena is alive, but without having ever met Gabrielle, she’s the evil war overlord of old.Gabrielle tries effortlessly to get Xena to come to her senses, even trying to join Xena, posing as her own evil twin, Evvielle. Her efforts get Gabrielle killed, saving Xena from a sai thrown by Xia, Xena’s right-hand woman jealous of Evvielle. C’thulon is so moved by Gabrielle’s attempts to change Xena that he restores the world to its former glory, this time with Xena and Gabrielle alive.
Xena’s Resurrection was Essential to the Future of Xena Comics
Dark Xena Allowed Dynamite to Properly Follow Up The Show with Real Sequels
WhenDark Xenafirst hit the shelves, it was the secondWarrior Princesscomic series released by Dynamite Entertainment. The first arrived the year before, 2006, for John Layman and Fabiano Neves' four-part miniseries,Xena: Warrior Princess. It’s never clear exactly when this Xena comic series takes place, but considering that characters like Joxer and Callisto are still alive, it can be inferred that the series takes place earlier in the show and long before the finale. Fans at the time longed for an actual follow-up to the series with new adventures featuring the duo of Gabrielle and Xena.
The lastXenacomic released by Dynamite Entertainment was the fifth volume, the six-partXena: Warrior Princess, released in 2019.
The notion seemed impossible given the nature of Xena’s seemingly permanent death in the TV finale. Those hopes seemed to be dashed.Then,Dark Xenacame out and changed the trajectory of the franchise forever. With Xena back to life, this set her and Gabrielle forth on all-new adventures that take place after the finale, including a trilogy ofArmy of Darknesscrossovers. Throughout numerousXenacomics, the franchise has been allowed to expand its world and ideas that the show couldn’t touch on, like Xena and Gabrielle’s love affair.
The Positive Fallout of Dark Xena Makes It Worth Undoing The TV Series Finale
Most Fans Are Happy the Xena Finale is Rendered Redundant Now
Dark Xenaand the numerous comics that followed effectively undo the series finale ofXena: Warrior Princess,which goes out of its way to highlight why the title character could not be resurrected. Her resurrection would condemn 40,000 innocent souls back to the afterlife.None of this is mentioned inDark Xena, but it’s not something that fans are likely to notice or care about when so many vehemently detest that ending. For any other ending, fans would complain thatXenacontradicts its own story by reviving the character in spite of the consequences, and without acknowledging those same consequences.
Fans are more relieved to seeXena’sending undone than discouraged.
However, history has shown that there were moredownsides to killing off Xenathan upsides. Beyond constraining any sort of sequel potential, fans were unhappy to see the story forever separate Xena from Gabrielle. The Higuichi plot felt sudden, and therefore, the ramifications that came from it felt as unfulfilling as much as the episode was depressing. Fans are more relieved to seeXena’sending undone than discouraged. By undoing the last episode ofXena: Warrior Princess, Dark Xenamanages to gift fans new story material in the form of comics and getting fans closer to a real happy ending.
Xena: Warrior Princess - Dark Xenais available now from Dynamite Entertainment.
