Willow dressed as Joan of Arc when going to a Halloween party in 4.04 Fear, Itself. Joan of Arc is the patron saint of France. From a young age she thought she heard voices which she believed to have been sent by God. They told her to free France from the English, who were occupying northern France. She was given troops to command and she led them to victory but she was captured, interrogated and tried for witchcraft. Joan was burned at the stake at only nineteen years of age. The people of Sunnydale attempted to burn Buffy and Willow at the stake in 3.11 Gingerbread when they were under a spell and thought the girls were witches.
In 6.08 Tabula Rasa, after losing her memory, Buffy decides to name herself Joan (“I feel like a Joan”). This isn’t completely random - like Buffy, Joan of Arc also died young after a violent life.
Related episodes: 3.11 Gingerbread, 4.04 Fear, Itself, 6.08 Tabula Rasa
Comments on this trivia
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myfanwy on May 4th, 2005 at 2:26 am
Also, in Tabula Rasa, Buffy chooses the name Joan for herself.
leah53 on December 10th, 2005 at 9:20 pm
The girl from “Joan of Ark” (the tv show) is Dawn’s friend in “All the Way”.
Smash on December 10th, 2005 at 10:33 pm
I think the show you’re thinking of is Joan of Arcadia, which was a lovely show that got cancelled before it’s time. It is sorely missed.
ildjarn on November 21st, 2006 at 12:50 am
“like Buffy, Joan of Arc also died young after a violent life.”
Buffy died?
ildjarn on November 21st, 2006 at 12:50 am
I meant that to say “Buffy stayed dead?” but hit ’submit’ a wee bit too early.
drewgoddardismyhero on April 4th, 2007 at 11:04 pm
Joan of Arcadia was a good show Smash :(
shahar17 on August 9th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
It’s not that “Joan of arc” is hinted, but Buffy says it quite determinedly - in the scene where they all get their memories back : ” Don’t mess with Joan of..” so.. it’s not even hinted :)
Wynter on August 9th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
Actually she says “Don’t mess with Joan the v-”, at which point she gets her memory back and a punch in the face. It’s pretty clear she was about to say “Joan the vampire slayer”.
shahar17 on August 12th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
Ok. i checked it again - and she indisputably say : ” Don’t mess with the Joan of…” i suggest you hear it again - because it’s pretty clear she says it :)
ormaybemidgets on August 12th, 2007 at 8:41 pm
Sorry, without a doubt it’s “Joan the-” as in, “Joan the Vampire Slayer.”
It’s here at the dialogue database and here from the Buffy World transcript.
Wynter on August 14th, 2007 at 11:09 pm
Thank you, ormaybemidgets.
Apart from anything else, why on Earth would Buffy assume she was “Joan of Arc”, when the latter lived so-many centuries ago and she had no memory of her doings?
I think Buffy’s line “Joan the v-” is significant because it makes the point that even with no memory, she knows who she is, i.e. a vampire slayer. That’s not a part of her that can easily be forgotten.