Jonathan Levinson

Jonathan Levinson is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the cult television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The character is portrayed by Danny Strong.

Biography

Character history

Jonathan was born in 1981 and raised in Sunnydale, California. He attended Sunnydale High School where he was often bullied, ridiculed, and ignored by his more popular peers, thereby developing low self-esteem.

Season 2

In 1997, while attending the World Culture Dance, Jonathan is singled out by Ampata Gutierrez (who was, in fact, a resurrected Incan princess), who wants to kiss him and transfer his life-force to her own. Not knowing her true nature, he does not resist, believing his luck in love has changed; he is only saved when Xander Harris shows up and, feeling weirded out by Xander's attitude towards Ampata, Jonathan leaves them alone. A week later, Jonathan is picked by Cordelia Chase to accompany her to The Bronze after she has a bad dating experience with Crestwood College student Richard Anderson who tries to sacrifice her to the demon Machida. The relationship does not last though, and Cordelia soon moves on to Xander. Soon after this he is used momentarily as a hostage by a member of the Order of Taraka, but is quickly let go.

The following year, like so many others in the school, Jonathan becomes possessed by a Bezoar that has been given to the class by Mr. Whitmore. As soon as Buffy Summers kills the mother Bezoar, he is freed from the Bezoar's control, believing himself to have been caught in a gas leak. Jonathan's self-esteem is dealt another crushing blow later that year when he tries out for the school's swim team and does not make it only to be picked on by Dodd McAlvy, who repeatedly dunks his head in a bucket of ice cold water to see how long he is able to hold his breath. Buffy saves him, further bashing his esteem and he goes on to urinate in the swimming pool, which he later confesses to Willow Rosenberg under duress.

Season 3

The following academic year, Jonathan becomes a senior and he is invited to a "welcome back" party for Buffy at her house. Zombies raised by Ovu Mobani crash the party and Jonathan is one of the few guests who make it out alive. Prior to the Homecoming Dance, both Cordelia and Buffy are campaigning to become Homecoming Queen, allowing Jonathan to show his mercenary side by trying to get as much out of both of them as he can in exchange for his vote. Towards the end of that year, while minding his own business, he is singled out by socialite Harmony Kendall and the Cordettes as a possible boyfriend for Cordelia, who had just broke up with Xander. The incident is humiliating for Jonathan and is yet another incident that contributes to his ever-decreasing confidence.

Having had enough, Jonathan takes steps the following year to commit suicide atop a bell tower at the high school, leaving a suicide note for Freddy Iverson to publish in the Sunnydale High Sentinel, the school newspaper. Buffy soon tracks Jonathan down, mistakenly believing that he plans to kill other students with his rifle, and talks Jonathan out of suicide, informing him that everyone in the school is dealing with just as much pain as he is. For bringing a gun into the school, Jonathan is suspended for a couple of weeks and ordered to attend counseling.

Upon returning to the school, Jonathan's confidence has marginally increased and at the senior prom, he has a date with a girl much taller than he is. At the prom, he also finds the confidence to present Buffy with a Class Protector award. Come graduation day, Jonathan joins the rest of the Class of 1999 in fighting against Mayor Richard Wilkins III who has completed his Ascension to become the demon Olvikan. During the battle, he aggressively pounces on many vampires and survives to see the school be blown up and catch a jumpy Cordelia in his arms.

Season 4

After trying to kill himself, Jonathan enters into counseling where he meets another suicidal person who introduces him to an augmentation spell, which Jonathan casts. The spell creates a monster (metaphorically and literally) as though to contrast with the ideal image that Jonathan has created for himself. As a result of the spell, Jonathan becomes everyone’s ideal and has several pieces of merchandising created in his honor, such as posters and an autobiography Oh, Jonathan (in which he claims to have created the Internet). He is also believed to have starred in The Matrix despite never having left Sunnydale, which is one of a few things that tips off Buffy, whom he has supposedly led in fighting vampires, to discover the spell he has cast. Jonathan reluctantly assists Buffy in killing the monster and thus breaking the illusion; he apologizes to Buffy the following day after the Swedish twins Ilsa and Inga leave him at his mansion and he loses his job as tactical consultant at the Initiative.

Season 6

Over a year later, Jonathan, in a moment of boredom, joins Warren Mears and Andrew Wells, and they agree to take over Sunnydale, with Jonathan using his expertise in magic to help them. A month later, Andrew summons a M'Fashnik Demon to cause a distraction in the Sunnydale Securities Bank while they rob it. Buffy interferes and almost ruins the plan. Over Jonathan's objections, Warren steers the demon into a fight with Buffy, who kills it. Soon afterward, the Trio spend some time harassing Buffy with mystical and technological tests of her abilities, making it a competition among themselves for ingenuity; Jonathan uses a magic bone to put Buffy in a time loop which can only be broken if she performs a seemingly impossible task for a customer at the Magic Box. On escaping the loop, Buffy suspects that she was being tested and nearly succeeds in tracking down the Trio; to shake her, Jonathan uses magic to impersonate a horned demon. It doesn't give Jonathan any increased abilities and he is forced to take a blow from the Slayer, a difficult thing to do.

A few weeks later, Jonathan aids the other two in stealing a large diamond from a local museum. A security guard is hit with their freeze ray during the incident. The three are later confronted by Spike, who wants Warren to examine his defective behavior modification chip that forbids him from harming humans. Warren agrees only after Spike threatens to break their Boba Fett action figure.

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In 2002, after accidentally making Buffy invisible with another of Warren's gadgets, Jonathan agrees with Andrew that they should return her to normal before she disintegrates. A confrontation between the two sides leads to the Trio's identities being discovered. With the Scooby Gang now knowing who the Trio are and where they are based, the Trio flee Warren's booby-trapped basement.

Jonathan suggests turning themselves in to the police when Warren accidentally kills his ex-girlfriend Katrina Silber. Warren decides to frame Buffy for the murder. Although Warren's plan fails, Katrina's death is ruled as a suicide. As neither Warren nor Andrew show remorse, Jonathan feels increasingly alienated from them, and soon finds that they are keeping some of Warren's plans from him. He finally betrays Warren by telling Buffy how to defeat an altered, magically enhanced Warren. Ultimately, Warren escapes, betraying the other two.

In jail, Jonathan makes sure that Andrew knows Warren will not be coming to save them, insisting they will be forced to spend time in prison. To make matters worse, while the pair have been in jail, Warren has killed Tara Maclay in an attempt to kill Buffy, causing Willow to go on a homicidal rampage. With Warren dead, Jonathan and Andrew are her next targets. Anya teleports to warn them and Buffy helps them escape, driving them to the Magic Box for protection. Willow eventually tracks them down and the pair accompany Xander and Dawn to safety as Buffy fights Willow. Andrew becomes nervous though and threatens Xander with a sword. Jonathan draws a sword on Andrew, telling him that after Willow is defeated, they will be going back to jail.

On the way to another hiding spot, an attack by Willow leaves the two able to flee. They find a car and head for Mexico.

Season 7

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Jonathan's body over the Seal of Danzalthar

While in Mexico, both Jonathan and Andrew begin having dreams that lead them back to Sunnydale where they know a great power is rising. This is the First Evil. The two return on November 12, with Jonathan having the intention of finding the Seal of Danzalthar and alerting Buffy to it so she can stop the coming evil and allow Jonathan to join the Scooby Gang. As they make their way into the newly rebuilt high school basement to uncover the seal, it is revealed that Andrew is being guided by an ethereal image of Warren. While digging, the two engage in a conversation and Jonathan reveals that he has reached a redemption of sorts: all the pain and hurt associated with his high school years, the pain that shaped his life, has faded away. He wishes the people he spent six years with well, even if they don't care about him (echoing back to "Earshot"). Andrew is not impressed and with a glance at Warren, stabs Jonathan, letting his blood flow on the seal. Jonathan dies, but his blood isn't sufficient to open the seal due to anemia. Robin Wood, the principal of the new Sunnydale High, discovers and subsequently buries Jonathan. In later episodes, Jonathan's form occasionally appears as an avatar of the First Evil.

Writing and acting

Strong described the early development of his character in an interview with the U.K. Buffy the Vampire Slayer magazine. He described his character as the "Kenny of Buffy. Except that he never dies." Strong had initially auditioned for the role of Xander, but lost out to Nicholas Brendon. He first appeared in the Unaired Buffy the Vampire Slayer pilot in a bit part simply named "Student", and subsequently appeared in a number of episodes. He said that often he appeared in scenes that could have been done by other characters but that "They'll have Jonathan do it, to keep the continuity of the world".

Explaining the potential appeal of the character, he said, "I think everyone is sort of like Jonathan. Either they're like Jonathan or they're trying to cover up their Jonathan qualities. Either they're awkward and shy, or they're doing everything they can not to appear awkward and shy. I'm not really very shy, but I certainly can be awkward at times."

Powers and abilities

Over the course of the series Jonathan becomes an accomplished sorcerer, capable of performing reality alterations (cf. "Superstar"), time loops and glamours (cf. "Life Serial").

Romantic interests

• Ampata
• Cordelia Chase favored him with her presence — even though he forgot the extra foam on her cappuccino — after narrowly escaping sacrifice by some frat boys (cf. "Reptile Boy").
• Ilsa and Inga — Swedish twin sisters who live with Jonathan during the episode "Superstar," in which he casts a spell on the town to make everyone believe he is a paragon.

Appearances

Canonical appearances

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Jonathan appeared as a guest in 28 episodes:

Season 2 (1997, 1998) - "Inca Mummy Girl"; "Reptile Boy"; "What's My Line, Part Two"; "Bad Eggs"; "Passion"; "Go Fish"

Season 3 (1998, 1999) - "Dead Man's Party"; "Homecoming"; "The Wish"; "Earshot"; "The Prom"; "Graduation Day, Part Two"

Season 4 (1999, 2000) - "Superstar"

Season 6 (2001, 2002) - "Flooded"; "Life Serial"; "Smashed"; "Gone"; "Dead Things"; "Normal Again"; "Entropy"; "Seeing Red"; "Villains"; "Two to Go"; "Grave"

Season 7 (2002, 2003) - "Conversations with Dead People"; "Never Leave Me" (as the First Evil); "First Date" (as the First Evil); "Storyteller" (flashbacks and dreams)

Non-Canonical Appearances

Season 1 (1997) - "Unaired Pilot"

Jonathan also appears in Buffy expanded universe. He appears notably in the Buffy comic: Jonathan.