Buffy the Vampire Slayer Stars Pay Tribute to Nicholas Brendon, Who Has Died Aged 54

The formed of Buffy the Vampire Slayer person paid tribute to Nicholas Brendon, the histrion who played Xander connected the cult classical TV series, who has died astatine the property of 54.

Brendon's decease was announced by his household precocious connected Friday, who described him arsenic "passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create." Brendon "passed successful his slumber of earthy causes," the connection continued, pursuing respective years of wellness issues — including a bosom onslaught successful 2023 and different caller spinal surgeries.

While Brendon had assorted different acting roles, helium remains champion known for portraying Alexander "Xander" Harris successful astir each occurrence of Buffy. A loyal sidekick to Buffy herself and halfway subordinate of the Scooby pack passim each 7 seasons of the show, Xander was notable for being 1 of the fewer characters without peculiar abilities oregon powers.

Throughout the series, this deficiency of peculiar powers was shown to beryllium Xander's strength, arsenic the root of his heroism and quality to beryllium the bosom of the amusement came from him simply being human. Xander was besides portrayed arsenic a chap geek for Buffy's legion of committed fans — and 1 who helped marque being a geek cool. Speaking successful 2017 for the show's 20th anniversary, Brendon memorably recalled being greeted by galore fans astatine conventions implicit the years who would archer him: "'Man, you got maine laid a batch successful precocious school. You made it chill to beryllium a nerd and awkward and funny.'"

"My Sweet Nicky, convey you for years of laughter, emotion and Dodgers," chap Buffy prima Alyson Hannigan wrote connected Instagram, reflecting connected her galore years moving alongside him portion playing witch Willow Rosenberg. "I volition deliberation of you each clip I spot a rocking chair. I emotion you. RIP."

"I volition miss the mentation of the antheral I erstwhile knew - idiosyncratic who was truthful lukewarm and loving," wrote Charisma Carpenter, who played Cordelia Chase during Buffy's archetypal 3 seasons, successful her ain tribute via Facebook. "He was cuddly, funny, silly, self-deprecating, and supremely talented. I loved each country we had unneurotic backmost successful the day. He ever kept maine connected my toes, ne'er delivering a enactment the aforesaid mode twice, forcing maine to go a amended histrion by listening."

In the years pursuing his clip connected Buffy, Brendon faced struggles with his intelligence wellness and substance abuse, and agreed to a plea woody successful 2017 aft a complaint of felony corporal wounded to a spouse. His family's connection acknowledged the actor's "struggles successful the past," but noted that Brendon was "optimistic astir the aboriginal astatine the clip of his passing," and connected a attraction program for his aesculapian issues.

"There are radical you enactment with and past determination are radical you stock clip with. Nick was the latter,” wrote chap Buffy prima David Boreanaz via Instagram. "Some moments enactment tiny connected paper, a laughter betwixt takes, a look that says we got this, the quiescent knowing of showing up and doing the enactment together. But those are the things that last."

"'They'll ne'er cognize however pugnacious it is to beryllium the 1 who isn't chosen. To unrecorded truthful adjacent to the spotlight, and ne'er measurement successful it. But I know. I spot much than anybody realizes, due to the fact that nobody's watching me,'" concluded Buffy prima Sarah Michelle Gellar via Facebook, quoting Xander's iconic line. "I saw you Nicky. I cognize you are astatine peace, successful that large rocking seat successful the sky."

Image credit: Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social