Cordelia Chase: From Boss To Crusader

By Dannyblue

According to Heroes and Heroines: Sixteen Master Archetypes by Tami D. Cowden, Caro La-Fever, Sue Viders, there are thirty-two character archetypes: 8 hero, 8 heroine, 8 villain, and 8 villainess. If you can figure out which archetype fits a character best, you can better understand, and write about, that character.

Over the years, we have seen many different sides of Cordelia’s character. She has changed and grown a lot since her introduction. And, just when it seems she will settle into one archetype category, she moves over to another.

When we first met Cordy back in Sunnydale, she was the BOSS. She was on top of the social heap, and wasn’t about to get knocked off. Everyone might not have liked her, but she got respect. Girls wanted to be her, guys wanted to go out with her. Her image was the only thing that mattered to her. And she felt free to say anything to anyone because, really, what could they do about it.

Then, she started dating Xander Harris. That “mistake” made her place at the top of the pyramid a little shaky. And when they broke up, it knocked her completely off. (After all, if a loser like Xander Harris can cheat on her, she can’t be all that, can she.)

This is when Cordy became the SPUNKY KID, a survivor who keeps her chin up, even when others are trying to put her down. She kept helping the Scoobies, even after what Xander and Willow did to her. When her parents lost their money, she didn’t whine about it. She went out and got a job.

Cordy remained the SPUNKY KID even after moving to Los Angeles. Determined to succeed as an actress, she was able to hide how bad things really were for her. In public, she exuded such confidence, you’d never know she was living in a roach infested hell hole, and starving because she didn’t have enough money for food. When Angel offered to help her, she grabbed on with both hands and made the best of it. She was the one who came up with the idea for Angel Investigations, and was pushing for the business to be a success…even while pursuing her own dreams of stardom.

As we moved in to season two of Angel, another side of Cordelia appeared. The NURTURER. Really, her family was made up of indivuals who had no one else to care for them. Not parents, not siblings, not lovers. So, Cordy took on the job of caring for them all herself. For looking out for their welfare, and treating their injuries. She did it in kind of a bossy way, but that’s our Cordy. She became Angel’s confidant, Wes’s bratty little sister, Gunn’s protective big sister, Fred’s friend, Lorne’s girl pal, and she took care of Baby!Connor. Angel was the boss, but Cordy was the glue that held them all together.

When she returned from the higher plane with no memory, Cordy became a WAIF. Yeah, Cordy had been in danger before. But season 4 of Angel was the first time she truly seemed like a damsel in distress. Still, she never lost her strength. She kept searching for her lost memories, and trying to reclaim her old life.

Finally, at the end of the day, Cordy became the CRUSADER. First, she was a reluctant fighter, both when she started with the Scoobs back in high school, and when she inherited the visions from Doyle. But she became a woman dedicated to the mission, even at the expense of her own well-being. When others lost sight of the big picture, Cordy tried to remind them what was important, what mattered. Even when the Powers That Be failed her, when it seems she should have lost faith, she still cared about the mission. And her final act, in “Your Welcome”, was getting Angel back on track, before moving on to whatever the after life had in store for her.

Yes, it’s been quite a journey from the BOSS to the CRUSADER. All the facets of Cordy's character that have been revealed over the years are what make writing her such a pleasure.