Eulogy for a Fallen Watcher

Once again, we gather to bury a fallen member of the Watcher’s Council.

Once again, we gather to bury a fallen friend in the never-ending fight against evil.

Rupert Giles was an extraordinary man, but he would not want to be remembered as such. He would not want us to remember the feats that he accomplished, the lives he saved, or how many times he played a vital role in saving our world. Instead, he would want us to remember what a dangerous life all watchers, slayers, and other soldiers in the good fight lead, and how he felt lucky to have the wealth of time that he did.

Giles always believed in sacrifice for the greater good. He was the one who was always called upon to make the hard decisions when no one was willing or able. Time and again, he sacrificed for the world and, more importantly, for his friends and loved ones. He would say that it was his duty, that he had sworn to protect this sorry world, and, sometimes, that meant saying and doing what other people couldn’t. What they shouldn’t have to do. Giles bore the weight of the world on his shoulders for us all, and this will not be forgotten.

Rupert Giles taught us many things, and it is through these lessons that he will live on:

He taught us to make jokes during torture.

In moments of extreme pain and stress, humor can get you through the unimaginably bleak. Tutu jokes work well.

He taught us to compromise with the forces of darkness, when necessary, for the greater good.

Sometimes, you need to bite the bullet and use a spell, a demon, or a vampire (souled or unsouled) to turn the tide. As Giles wisely told us, a demon attached to this world does not want an apocalypse any more than you or I.

He taught us that librarians kick ass.

When research and education do not get the job done, Giles was fond of using a flaming baseball bat to solve the problem.

He taught us that to forgive is an act of compassion, not because people deserve it, but because they need it.

Always a mentor, Giles saw us through many foolish and horrible mistakes, but never did he turn his back on us. Not after Buffy quit the Council, not after Willow went dark. As a troubled youth himself, perhaps, he understood us all far too well.

He taught us to keep fighting.

Giles was not one to give up. He saw it through to the end. It was what he was always there to do. And it is what we must do to honor him. Fight the good fight. Never give up.

Rupert Giles once stated that he had buried far too many during his time as a Watcher. It is now, with a heavy, yet hopeful, heart, that we send him to join his friends on the other side.

I am sure that Jenny is waiting for you, old man.

RUPERT GILES

1955-2010

HE SWORE TO PROTECT THIS SORRY WORLD

…AND HE DID.