Pike: More Similar to Xander or Spike?

[Sosa lola]

Pike, for those who don't know him, is Buffy's love interest in the movie before the series.

I've always thought he was more similar to Xander, because other than the name (Spike - Pike), thin faces with prominent cheek bones, and, well, falling for Buffy, there are no other similarities between him and Spike.

Xander and Pike, on the other hand, have the same story: high school boys falling for Buffy and dealing with staking a close friend (Xander's Jesse - Pike's Benny)

Evilyn, in another forum, said, "I noticed that Pike is way more like Xander in the personality department. While he and Spike share a similar name and clothing style, Pike's corniness likens him to Xander. Plus, I never thought of Spike as rebellious. Xander was more of a rebel than Spike, Spike was just a bad guy turned good. That doesn't make him a rebel. A true rebel doesn't conform to other peoples standards. Spike was always trying to live up to something. What Dru wanted, what Buffy wanted, hell, even what Angel/Angelus wanted. I mean, he went out and got a soul, just so Buffy would love him. Come on, how rebellious is that? I guess in the sense he was turning his back on the baddies, but he'd all ready done that with the chip. Xander on the other hand never went with anyone on anything. He was an outcast in school that dated the most popular girl in school when he knew his friends would freak. He never made himself something he wasn't just to obtain Buffy's love. Sure he wanted popularity, but he didn't change himself to get it. Xander stayed Xander and that, in my opinion, makes him a true rebel."

What do you think?

[NileQT87]

neither. he's most similar to oz, imo.

in fact, his personality is closest to oz. very dry (like oz), not goofy (like xander, jesse and benny). he's a slacker, but intelligent.

the only xander similarity is the fact that the xander/jesse thing is a bit of a rip-off of pike/benny. the characters, themselves, have nothing much in common.

and the only similarity to spike is the hair at the end, being a bit of an alcoholic, the leather look and the motorcycle. he's not terribly like spike either. more oz-like.

and pike's not a high school boy. he's either a drop-out or a graduate who is slacking around and working at a car repair shop. mostly, he's just a slacker--like oz who was held back a year and was more into his guitar. xander was just a mediocre student who did attend. pike and oz were slackers, and in pike's case, not even in school (likely graduated or a drop-out).

pike left buffy because the danger of being with the slayer was too much. oz left willow because he couldn't control his wolf-side.

[kana]

Is Pike depicted the same in the canon comic book as he is in the movie? I read somewhere that the movie isn't considered canon????

[NileQT87]

he's the same in the comic books as he is in the film (like luke perry). he and his luke perry appearance is canon. and any part of the movie that isn't directly contradicted (basically what the origin comic attempted--the movie is still better) is basically canon.

[Wolfie Gilmore]

Pike has Spike's faux bad boy elements. The flask...and was there a coat of some kind, I forget? A lot of his attitude seems to be for show. But perhaps that's always the case? But I think he's more like Xander. A less neurotic Xander perhaps.

[Weredog]

I would rather say neither, but if I had to choose I would have to say that Pike resembles Spike, or at least him more than Xander. Aside from their similar names and appearances, they are both anti-authoritarian guys with street smarts. I would also say their infatuation to Buffy is similar: a young, blond woman who kills the undead. Buffy is the girl they are both supposed to hate for being the polar opposite of who they are, and yet it's what attracts them.

[nester]

I've always felt that Pike was a Xander without a Willow in his life. The safe space created by Willow's supportive nature allowed Xander to develop both his sensitive and geeky sides. Xander continues to deviate from Pike, and his initial self, as the show progresses because both of his closest friends are women.


Both Pike and early Xander are coded as losers.
Both expressed animosity toward the in crowds and the well to do.
Both acted with indignation when they felt Buffy was turning her back on her calling.
And the "dude, you're flying." comment would have worked perfectly with Xander.

I felt Buffy herself may have seen similarities between the two sidekicks. It adds a little more depth to her "I just think you could find somebody more... better" statement in BB&B

[KingofCretins]

Pike has more rough edges than Xander, but they are pretty similar. Yes to the jacket. I think he favored a sort of loose, army surplus type jacket, although he appears at the senior dance in a stylized leather jacket. And, yes, there was a flask.

Personally, for a better idea of a fully realized Pike character, I'd refer to Buffy: Origins, published by Dark Horse, as a sort of concordant adaptation of the Buffy screenplay to fit the TV show. Pike is a character right up through Viva Las Buffy, I think. Not canon, but what I call "quasi-canonical", since it A) fits with canon, B) is written with permission or based on material written by Joss, and C) serves no function but to explain and supplement the canon, not to alter it.

[Nina]

I don't remember Pike very well. But what I remembered was the fact that Pike was a nice guy. Which makes me conclude; that he is more like Xander. But I don't think Pike is like one of those two. Xander is less flashy and 'cool'. Pike's style is maybe more like Spike's style. But Spike had also a little bit the same style as Angel. Which brings me to the fact that Pike looks more like Angel as Spike I guess. But like I said, I don't remember Pike very well.

[tangent]

I actually agree with that Nina. I think he does come across very much like season 1 Angel at the least although you could make parrallels with Xander, Spike and angel to differing degrees.

He has Spikes 'bad boy but not really' thing going on is stylistically a lot like early Angel but his wit and humour seems to be more evident in Xander. I suppose you might even say that he is a proto-male for those that follow in the Buffyverse

[ThePoet's<3]

To me Pike is a weaker version of Spike - but he could be a "cross" between Xander and Spike.

[KingofCretins]

It's worth considering that Pike was part of the original Joss concept for Buffy, where none of the other characters mentioned were, originally. Since Angel quickly turned into a vampire in Joss' mind, I'd say that Xander is the closest to being drawn from the original Pike. Spike really isn't even the discussion in terms of the intent, since he was never even conceived of until second season, and that was as a minor villain. Similarities may be found, but not design.

[Weredog]

It's worth considering that Pike was part of the original Joss concept for Buffy, where none of the other characters mentioned were, originally. Since Angel quickly turned into a vampire in Joss' mind, I'd say that Xander is the closest to being drawn from the original Pike. Spike really isn't even the discussion in terms of the intent, since he was never even conceived of until second season, and that was as a minor villain. Similarities may be found, but not design.

I agree with that last sentence whole heartedly. Unless Joss confesses that Spike or Xander were indeed the reincarnation of Pike, we're all just drawing similarities between the characters and that's it. Just because a character from the movie is similar to a series character more than any other, it doesn't mean the latter was based on the former.
You can easily say that Kennedy is based on Glory for being stubborn, who was based on Cordelia for being bitchy, who was based on Buffy from the movie for being popular. But it doesn't mean that one is the "mother" (other term, anyone?) of the other.

So since we're just comparing characters, I'm still gonna say that Spike is more similar to Pike than any other character.