Tara Maclay
Tara Maclay is a female television character who features in Buffy-Angel.
Contents |
Biography
Tara Maclay
Tara grew up in a patriarchal family in which her father and her older brother asserted their belief that the women of their family were part demon. (Episode: Family)
While a member of UC Sunnydale's Wicca group Daughters of Gaea, she met Willow, herself a practicing witch. Since the Wicca group did not consist of real witches, Tara took notice of Willow when she spoke out about actually performing spells. Tara attempted to speak out in support of the idea, only to be silenced by another group member's taunting. When the demons known as the Gentlemen stole the voices of everyone in Sunnydale, Tara took it upon herself to meet Willow, thinking they could try to restore everyone's speech, as she had a book of spells about sound and vocalizations. However, when making her way over to Willow's dorm at Stevenson Hall, Tara was chased by the Gentlemen and their footmen. Willow then joined her when she stepped out of her dorm in response to Tara knocking on doors for help. Together, the two witches used their combined powers of telekinesis to fling a vending machine across the room to block a door. (Episode: Hush)
After this, Willow and Tara began regularly seeing each other, meeting up at Tara's dorm room to practice spells together. Through this, Willow got over her grief after her boyfriend Oz had left her. Willow nonetheless kept her meetings with Tara secret, claiming she enjoyed the idea of having something that was just hers, to which Tara responded that she was happy to be Willow's. During one of these visits, Tara secretly sabotaged a spell used to detect demonic activity through contacting the goddess Thespia, in order to hide her supposed demon heritage from Willow. (Episode: Goodbye Iowa)
In many ways, the shy and quiet Tara was reminiscent of the way Willow was in years past. As Willow's romantic relationship with Oz had caused her to begin to bloom, it was through Tara that Willow became a more powerful witch, and through Willow that Tara's confidence grew. Willow and Tara started to grow affectionate to each other, and Willow then felt safe to introduce Tara to her friend Buffy Summers, the Slayer. However, as Tara soon discovered, it was actually Faith, another Slayer, in Buffy's body. Tara was able to determine this because she sensed something wrong with Buffy's aura. Faith, in Buffy's body, made comments to the two which suggested she knew they were attracted to each other. Once Tara expressed her concern to Willow that Buffy was not herself, the two performed a spell to confirm this. Tara and Willow then conjured a Draconian Katra to reverse what Faith had done, putting the real Buffy back into her body. (Episode: Who Are You?)
Overview
Personality and attributes
In appearance, Tara Maclay was a young Caucasian woman with long, wavy blonde hair, blue eyes, and a tall, softly built frame. She typically wore layered clothing—long skirts, earth-toned tops, and sweaters—creating a modest and somewhat bohemian aesthetic. (Episode: Hush)
Tara was depicted as shy, soft-spoken, and self-conscious during her early appearances, often avoiding eye contact and speaking in hushed tones. At the time Tara first met Willow, she was quiet and shy, rarely speaking up, and stuttering when she did speak. She also wore baggy, ill-fitting clothing that hid her body. (Episode: Hush)
She demonstrated gentleness, loyalty, and empathy, especially in her interactions with Willow and later with Buffy and the Scooby Gang. Over time, Tara became more confident, openly voicing her opinions, standing against Glory, and asserting herself in her relationships. Her defining traits were compassion, patience, and quiet inner strength. (Episode: New Moon Rising)
She was quite playful and not above winding her friends up on occasion, like tricking Dawn into seeing a book with a funnily-endowed demon. (Episode: Flooded)
Powers and abilities
In physiology and abilities, Tara was a human witch who inherited strong magical aptitude. Initially, her powers manifested in ritual magic—spells requiring chanting, components, and preparation. However, when joining forces with Willow, her magic was amplified, enabling significant feats such as telekinesis (moving large objects), creating protective wards, and casting illusions. She later demonstrated proficiency in divination, communication with spirits, and protective enchantments. Despite her belief in her youth that she might possess demonic traits, Tara was fully human, and her strength came solely from her magical training and talent. (Episode: Family)
At UC Sunnydale, she was a member of an amateur witch group of students who were called the Daughters of Gaea. (Episode: Hush)
Notes
- Tara Maclay was created by Joss Whedon with her being portrayed by actress Amber Benson where she featured in the setting of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Appearances
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer:
External Links
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