Robin Wood

Robin Wood was the principal of the rebuilt Sunnydale High. He was also a closeted vampire hunter, seeking revenge on the vampire that had killed his mother, the Slayer Nikki Wood.

New York and Sunnydale


Robin was the first principal of the newly rebuilt Sunnydale High School when Dawn Summers began her sophomore year. At first, Buffy Summers wondered if he may be evil, but nevertheless accepted a job offer as a counselor from him. Robin was aware of the mystical situation in Sunnydale. He found and buried Jonathan Levinson's body.

Robin's mother, Nikki Wood, had been a Slayer in New York and he was a "freelance" demon fighter. On a date with Buffy, Robin explained that his mother was killed by a vampire; he later learned, from the First Evil, that this vampire was Spike. He was raised and trained by Nikki's Watcher, not in New York but in Beverly Hills.

As retribution for his mother's murder, Robin conspired with Rupert Giles to distract Buffy and kill Spike. However, the plan failed: Spike was freed from the First Evil's influence and turned the tables on Wood. While Spike spared his life out of respect for the memory of Nikki, Buffy assured Robin that she would allow Spike to kill him if he tried anything again, having enough to deal with in the war with the First without having to deal with personal vendettas, temporarily alienating him from the group. After Faith Lehane's return, Robin returned to the fold and became interested in Faith; the two become physically intimate, though it appeared to be a one-night stand. Prior to the final battle, Robin expressed concern that Faith viewed men as mere sex objects, and pledged to surprise her if they survived. Though badly wounded in the battle against the First Evil, Robin surprised Faith by surviving.

Cleveland, Ohio
Like Andrew Wells, Robin was in charge of a squad of slayers. He called Faith to tell her of a family that was recently attacked by vamps. Faith refered to him as "the ex", indicating that the couple had ended their relationship.



Personality
Robin had an easygoing attitude and confidence. Those traits were in sharp contrast, especially when he was compared to the nervous Principal Flutie and strict disciplinarian Principal Snyder.

Behind the Scenes

 * He was portrayed by D. B. Woodside and Damani Roberts.


 * In a way, Robin resembles Daniel Holtz from Angel Season Three. Both have had family members who have been murdered by notorious vampires (the vampires in question - Angel and Spike - are related), and both seek revenge for the killings. Like Holtz, Robin found no solace in Spike's remorse or his ensoulment, only caring about getting his revenge; Robin, however, wanted to "kill the thing that killed his mother" and used the First's hypnotic trigger to turn Spike into a bloodthirsty beast. Holtz, on the other hand, went after Angelus soul and all and even stooped to kidnapping and brainwashing Angel's son Connor for his revenge.
 * Holtz's surname also means "wood". The major difference between the two is that Wood became an ally of the Scooby Gang, while Holtz's hatred led to his fall.


 * Joss Whedon has not mentioned anything about Robin Wood's name, which seems to indicate Robin Hood. He mentions only in the commentary that he was not sure whether the character would be a woman or a man, so they gave the character a gender ambiguous name.

Appearances

 * "Lessons"
 * "Beneath You"
 * "Help"
 * "Him"
 * "Never Leave Me"
 * "Bring on the Night"
 * "First Date"
 * "Get It Done"
 * "Storyteller"
 * "Lies My Parents Told Me"
 * "Dirty Girls"
 * "Empty Places"
 * "Touched"
 * "Chosen"
 * No Future for You