That troll hammer...

[deird1]

I've seen a few comments recently on Buffy picking up Olaf's hammer - and how the fact that she could so easily when Spike couldn't lift it shows just how much stronger Buffy is than the average vampire.

Which I'm finding odd, because I always assumed it was because the hammer is a mystical item. So Buffy, as the Slayer, has special picking-up-hammer powers that are denied to Spike.

...am I completely alone in this assumption? Does everyone else in the whole world take it as Buffy being ridiculously strong compared to Spike?



(Yes, she's stronger than him. But not by that much...)

Comments

[angearia]

I've always thought that Slayers were stronger than vampires (and Angel outright says it), where as vampires are faster than Slayers and more aerodynamically gifted (like how Angel demonstrates his climbing abilities in "Habeas Corpus").

I think she is significantly stronger than a vampire, but not to an extreme degree. And I think there's something interesting in the idea that the object is mystical and that's why she's more suited for wielding it. There's also the idea that Buffy wanted to lift it more, she was more determined to carry it, and that factors in.

[shipperx]

I think there's something interesting in the idea that the object is mystical and that's why she's more suited for wielding it.

My only question is why would it being mystical make it prefer Slayers? Trolls are hunted by slayers (I assume since the way that Buffy got it was because of hunting Olaf) and vampires are mystical too. Since trolls think babies make delectable meals, I don't see troll hammers having some sort of moral issue causing it to disfavor vampires in favor slayers because Slayers are better people (generally speaking).

[deird1]

I don't think vampires are mystical in the same way that Slayers are. They're sort of magicky, yes, but they're also a fairly normal part of the Buffyverse. The Slayer is different.

[shipperx]

Strangely I always thought that Slayers were somewhat less mystical than vampires. Vampires are literally 'brought back to life' and actively 'live' from mystical entities of demons. Slayers only have the aspect of the demon in them and are largely human (at least until Buffy gets brought back from the dead twice which I do tend to think sets her apart somewhat).

[ms_scarletibis]

Co-signed.