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Halfrek

“Sling all the little barbs at me that you want, Anyanka, it doesn't change the fact that this girl was in pain, and none of you could hear it. I could hear her crying out everywhere I went in this town. It was unbearable. And none of you knew.”
―Halfrek[src]

Halfrek, nicknamed Hallie,[1] was a vengeance demon who sought justice for neglected or abused children.[2] She also had been known as Cecily Addams in 1880.[3]

Biography

Background

Halfrek was a long-time associate and sometime friend of Anya Jenkins, who knew her from her days as a vengeance demon named Anyanka. The two had worked together in the past, notably during the Crimean War[4] and the Russian Revolution.[5]

However, Halfrek's raison d'etre was quite different from Anyanka's. Whereas Anyanka was an avenger of scorned women, Halfrek's objective was to exact vengeance for children who have been wronged by their parents or guardians, but personally calling this justice other than vengeance. Anya attributed this to "daddy issues."[2]

Cecily

In 1880, Halfrek assumed the alias of Cecily, being an object of William Pratt's affections in Victorian England. She spurned William's advances, saying he was "beneath her," which upset him greatly. This set in motion the events that lead William to accept comfort from Drusilla and become a vampire, eventually known as the notorious Spike.[3]

Sunnydale

In 2002, Halfrek was summoned by the then human Anya in Sunnydale. Halfrek appeared ready to perform a vengeance against Alexander Harris, but was interrupted by Anya, who she shares a happy reunion with. Anya then explained she was called to be invited to her upcoming wedding with Xander. Halfrek was flattered by the offer.[6]

While in town, Halfrek posed as a guidance counselor and coaxed Dawn Summers into making a wish. Feeling that no one wanted to spend time with her, Dawn wished that people would never leave; Halfrek therefore cast a spell that prevented anyone from leaving the Summers residence. The crisis ended when Halfrek herself was caught in the spell and had to break it.[2]

At the event, Halfrek recognized Spike, and called him by his human name, William. He also recognized Halfrek, but when asked to explain this, they both sheepishly denied being acquainted.[2]

Halfrek was the bridesmaid at the failed wedding of Anya and Xander.[1]

Eventually, Halfrek cast a curse on a father for his 11-year-old daughter, making it so that any paper he touched that wasn't a child support cheque would result in paper cuts.[7]

Halfrek attempted to coax Anya back into vengeance, but Anya had spent too long as a mortal; while she was initially successful in her return to demonhood, she subsequently regretted the deaths she had caused. Anya thus asked the vengeance demon lord D'Hoffryn to restore the lives of a group of men slaughtered as a result of one of her wishes. While Anya offered her own life to complete the undoing, D'Hoffryn preferred to take the life of her friend to scorn her. He destroyed Halfrek's body and soul before Anya's eyes in order to accomplish what she had requested. Her last words had been "Anya”, before she burst into flames and suffered an agonizing death.[5]

Powers and abilities

“Like I would be stopped by a sword in the chest. Flesh wound. Honestly, Anyanka, you used to know better.”
―Halfrek[src]
Hallie

Halfrek possessed the regular abilities of vengeance demons contained in a pendant she wore around her neck. These powers included enhanced strength, wish-granting, ability to shift between demonic and human appearance,[2] among others.

Durability: She was able take a sword to the chest without any signs of injury after briefly falling to the ground unconscious.[2]

Telekinesis: When Anya tried to take Halfrek's pendant while she was unconscious, Halfrek was able to push her back with a shift gesture of the hand.[2]

Empathy: Due to her specialty in neglected or abused children, Halfrek could sense Dawn's pain and heard her cry at every corner of Sunnydale which she found unbearable.[2] 

Immortality: Halfrek existed at least before the Russian Revolution and had not aged since.[5] 

Teleportation: Halfrek could teleport to any destination at any given time. However, this could not be done when she was in the Summer's residence when she cursed it, repeatedly trying before she was informed of what she got herself into and she broke it. When teleporting, she often did it in a uppish fashion, gracefully waving her hands for effect or simply by clicking her fingers when the moment was lost during Buffy's birthday.[2]

Voice manipulation: When having mistaken Xander for one of her victims, Halfrek spoke to him in a loud, deepened voice before seeing Anya where she reverted to her normal tone.[6]

Behind the scenes

  • She was portrayed by Kali Rocha.
  • Rocha has discussed about Halfrek and Cecily being the same entity: "My personal feeling is that they probably are the same person. A lot of people come up to me and they all want to know if Cecily and Halfrek are the same person. So, I always ask what they think, because I'm interested in different perceptions of that. There's some thought that maybe Cecily went to the party to reject or seek vengeance on someone else, and that Spike somehow got in there, or that I just wanted to spurn him and hurt his feelings, which I did, which made him become a vampire, basically."[8]
  • For the episode "Conversations with Dead People," it was considered a storyline in which First Evil would appear to Anya in Halfrek's form. This was scrapped due to Kali Rocha being unavailable.[9]
  • Her surname as Cecily was stated to be "Addams" in the script and credits of the episode "Fool for Love" and in the non-canon novel These Our Actors.
  • In the non-canon graphic novel Spike: Old Times, Halfrek was at the party in 1880 seeking to perform a vengeful curse against an unidentified gentleman. In this story, William says he wished they were the bloody ones, and with this Halfrek makes them all bleed from their eyes, and their blindness cause a fire. In the 21st century, she meets Spike in Los Angeles, and the two discuss the events from their first meeting.
  • In the non-canon novel These Our Actors, Cecily was a mere human, and not the same individual as Halfrek. In this story, she was killed by the recently turned vampire Spike, and her father gets to seek his revenge in 21st century Sunnydale.

Appearances

Canonical

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 5
"Buffy
vs.
Dracula"
Absent 		"Real
Me"

Absent 		"The
Replacement"

Absent 		"Out of
My Mind"

Absent 		"No Place
Like Home"

Absent 		"Family"


Absent 		"Fool
for
Love"
Flashback 		"Shadow"


Absent 		"Listening
to Fear"

Absent 		"Into
the
Woods"
Absent 		"Triangle"


Absent
"Checkpoint"


Absent 		"Blood
Ties"

Absent 		"Crush"


Absent 		"I Was
Made to
Love You"
Absent 		"The
Body"

Absent 		"Forever"


Absent 		"Intervention"


Absent 		"Tough
Love"

Absent 		"Spiral"


Absent 		"The Weight
of the
World"
Absent 		"The
Gift"

Absent
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 6
"Bargaining,
Part One"

Absent 		"Bargaining,
Part Two"

Absent 		"After
Life"

Absent 		"Flooded"


Absent 		"Life
Serial"

Absent 		"All
the
Way"
Absent 		"Once
More, with
Feeling"
Absent 		"Tabula
Rasa"

Absent 		"Smashed"


Absent 		"Wrecked"


Absent 		"Gone"


Absent
"Doublemeat
Palace"

Appears 		"Dead
Things"

Absent 		"Older
and Far
Away"
Appears 		"As
You
Were"
Absent 		"Hell's
Bells"

Appears 		"Normal
Again"

Absent 		"Entropy"


Appears 		"Seeing
Red"

Absent 		"Villains"


Absent 		"Two
to
Go"
Absent 		"Grave"


Absent
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 7
"Lessons"


Appears 		"Beneath
You"

Mention 		"Same Time,
Same Place"

Absent 		"Help"


Absent 		"Selfless"


Appears 		"Him"


Absent 		"Conversations
with Dead
People"
Absent 		"Sleeper"


Absent 		"Never
Leave
Me"
Absent 		"Bring
on the
Night"
Absent 		"Showtime"


Absent
"Potential"


Absent 		"The
Killer
in Me"
Absent 		"First
Date"

Absent 		"Get It
Done"

Absent 		"Storyteller"


Absent 		"Lies My
Parents
Told Me"
Mention 		"Dirty
Girls"

Absent 		"Empty
Places"

Absent 		"Touched"


Absent 		"End of
Days"

Absent 		"Chosen"


Absent
Angel: Season 5
"Conviction"


Absent 		"Just
Rewards"

Absent 		"Unleashed"


Absent 		"Hell
Bound"

Absent 		"Life
of the
Party"
Absent 		"The Cautionary
Tale of
Numero Cinco"
Absent 		"Lineage"


Absent 		"Destiny"


Absent 		"Harm's
Way"

Absent 		"Soul
Purpose"

Absent 		"Damage"


Absent
"You're
Welcome"

Absent 		"Why We
Fight"

Absent 		"Smile
Time"

Absent 		"A Hole
in the
World"
Absent 		"Shells"


Absent 		"Underneath"


Absent 		"Origin"


Absent 		"Time
Bomb"

Absent 		"The Girl
in
Question"
Absent 		"Power
Play"

Absent 		"Not
Fade
Away"
Mention
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 10
New Rules,
Part 1

Absent 		New Rules,
Part 2

Absent 		New Rules,
Part 3

Absent 		New Rules,
Part 4

Absent 		New Rules,
Part 5

Absent 		I Wish,
Part 1

Absent 		I Wish,
Part 2

Absent 		Return to
Sunnydale,
Part 1
Absent 		Return to
Sunnydale,
Part 2
Absent 		Day Off (or
Harmony
in My Head)
Absent
Love
Dares
You,
Part 1
Absent 		Love
Dares
You,
Part 2
Absent 		Love
Dares
You,
Part 3
Absent 		Relationship
Status:
Complicated,
Part 1
Absent 		Relationship
Status:
Complicated,
Part 2
Absent 		Old
Demons,
Part 1

Absent 		Old
Demons,
Part 2

Absent 		Old
Demons,
Part 3

Absent 		Freaky
Giles
Day

Absent 		Triggers



Absent
In Pieces
on the
Ground,
Part 1
Mention 		In Pieces
on the
Ground,
Part 2
Absent 		In Pieces
on the
Ground,
Part 3
Absent 		In Pieces
on the
Ground,
Part 4
Absent 		In Pieces
on the
Ground,
Part 5
Absent 		Own It,
Part 1


Absent 		Own It,
Part 2


Absent 		Own It,
Part 3


Absent 		Own It,
Part 4


Mention 		Own It,
Part 5


Absent
"Where Are They Now?"
Absent

Other

Novels
Comics

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Hell's Bells"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 "Older and Far Away"
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Fool for Love"
  4. ↑ "Lessons"
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Selfless"
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Doublemeat Palace"
  7. ↑ "Entropy"
  8. ↑ Natalie Clubb, "She's the Devil in Disguise?". The Slayer Collection Volume 2: Fear, Itself — Monsters and Villains. Titan Comics, 2016.
  9. ↑ Drew Goddard, The Complete Seventh Season on DVD; audio commentaries for the episode "Selfless." [DVD]. 20th Century Studios, November 2004.