Gabrielle was never a true pacifist as much as she wanted to believe it in Season 4 with taking on the philosophy of ‘The Way of Love’. She still had her own rules to follow by with keeping the peace but she was never an outright “non-violence” person. She knew that if it came to fighting to put something right then she had to do it. Even if she didn’t want to or Xena didn’t want her to. To fight for what she believed in. To fight for the safety and the well-being of her loved ones or for the freedom of the innocent. That’s the choice she made in ‘Ides Of March’ when Xena was injured and left vulnerable and defenceless.. There wasn’t even a hesitation. She knew the right thing to do was to defend and protect her reguardless of the teachings of Eli. Her love for Xena is why she did it. It’s why she picked up that javelin and hauled it right at the soldier. It’s why she picked up the sword and went all out berserk on anybody within even a foot’s distance from Xena. It’s why she picked up the knife and stabbed one of them repeatedly to death Love is what motivated her to fight and kill those soldiers, so therefore her way wasn’t to do nothing at all, it was to do something. Anything she could that was in her power if it meant there was a chance she could save Xena.
So her dichotomy with peace and violence specifically in Season 6 wasn’t as contradicting as you may think. Because for Gabrielle, it was always take action and deal with the consequences later. From the very start of the show with her meeting Xena that was her way of doing everything. It’s just it never required her to use violence to do it early on as Xena always took care of it. But that begins to change and become much more necessary later on in the show when she is a skilled fighter and she’s in the heat of the battle. She always had the choice whether to knock her enemy unconscious or to kill them. And she chooses the latter when she knows it’s absolutely imperative and there is no other way to stop them. She never went against what she believed in at all. She was just struggling to find the right balance for her as a warrior and as a peacemaker. And a lot of the time it was instinctive for her. It was something that just came naturally. She was just thinking about it too much all the times when it didn’t work out for her. It wasn’t because it wasn’t the right way for her, even though that’s what she initially believed.
It was never defined what ‘The Way of Friendship’ was but it’s pretty obvious that this is what it means given her actions. It’s like an even greater level of love where you have to put the consequences aside to help another. Where you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. So Xena was wrong. Gabrielle was meant to be a warrior. It’s just it didn’t always need to be physical, unless it was the only option she had. She did it for love and friendship. She did it because she cared enough to cater to someone else despite what it may have meant for her spiritually. That was always HER way! She felt lost in Season 4 because she hadn’t come to terms with why it was she felt she needed to use violence in the moment. She never processed it because it was just something she didn’t really need to think about at the time. But it played heavily on her mind after the battle was over because she didn’t know that her true way of dealing with hardships was to fight for peace and love even though her spirit evidently did. So the question isn’t was she meant to be a warrior and ditch ‘The Way of Love’? It is was it inevitable that she would? The answer is ‘yes’. It was. Because her way wasn’t either ‘The Way of Love’ or ‘The Way of the Warrior’. It was ‘The Way of Friendship’ where it was required to fight and kill in the name of love. It seems completely nonsensical at first until you try to put yourself in her shoes. Then you come to understand her as Xena eventually did.
I tell you, I had such a hard time understanding her in Season 5 and 6. But I take back everything I said about her completely going against what she stood for in Season 1, 2, 3 and 4. It finally clicked and I’ve realized the bigger picture to it all. That it really doesn’t matter how you do something in a dire situation, as long as you make a choice to do something in the first place. I respect and admire Gabrielle for putting aside her teachings of ‘The Way of Love’ in order to do what she believed was the right thing to do in the moment. I can say with absolutely no doubt whatsoever that she is my favourite character in Xena: Warrior Princess because of this reason. I feel so guilty for thinking of her so negatively to begin with because I thought she had abandoned her own spirituality. I was wrong and I understand her now.
The bigger picture and point to this blog:
X: You know, we live our lives the way we do, because someone has to help those who can’t help themselves. But is it wrong to expose a child to that kind of violence? That blood?
G: I think so. But, Xena, sometimes, it’s our only resort, until we find a more effective way of doing it all.
X: Perhaps the greater wrong is never to fight at all, huh? You know what? I think it doesn’t matter where we take a stand, as long as we make one.
And this ladies and gentleman is the one of the strongest and most substantial reasons to watch Xena: Warrior Princess. I hope you enjoyed reading.
- Girl4Music
Credit @lucyllawless, @dagninexgf, @aflawedfashion and @ode-to-simplicity for the gifs
