Editing Xena: Warrior Princess

{{short description|American fantasy television series (1995–2001)}}
{{About|the series|the title character|Xena|the eponymous video game based on the series|Xena: Warrior Princess (video game)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox television
| image              = Xena Logo.jpg
| caption            = Opening sequence title card
| genre              = {{plain list|
* [[Action television|Action]]
* [[Adventure film|Adventure]]
* [[Supernatural fiction|Supernatural]]
* [[Fantasy]]
}}
| creator            = {{Plainlist|
* John Schulian
* [[Robert Tapert]]
}}
| developer          = {{Plainlist|
* R.J. Stewart
* [[Sam Raimi]]
}}
| starring           = {{Plainlist|
* [[Lucy Lawless]]
* [[Renee O'Connor]]
}}
| composer           = [[Joseph LoDuca]]
| country            = United States
| location           = New Zealand
| language           = English
| num_seasons        = 6
| num_episodes       = 134
| list_episodes      = List of Xena: Warrior Princess episodes
| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|
* Robert Tapert
* Sam Raimi
}}
| runtime            = 45–48 minutes
| company            = Renaissance Pictures<br>[[Universal Television]]
| network            = [[Broadcast syndication|Syndication]]
| first_aired        = {{Start date|1995|9|4}}
| last_aired         = {{End date|2001|6|18}}
| related            = {{Plainlist|
* ''[[Hercules and Xena – The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus]]''
* ''[[Hercules: The Legendary Journeys]]''
* ''[[Young Hercules]]''
}}
}}

'''''Xena: Warrior Princess''''' is an American [[fantasy]] television series filmed in [[New Zealand]], which aired in first-run [[Broadcast syndication|syndication]] from September 4, 1995, to June 18, 2001.<ref name="air">{{cite web |url=http://epguides.com/XenaWarriorPrincess/ |title=Xena: Warrior Princess (a Titles & Air Dates Guide) |website= EpGuides.com |access-date= October 17, 2009}}</ref> 

Writer-director-producer [[Robert Tapert]] created the series in 1995 under his production tag, Renaissance Pictures, with executive producers R. J. Stewart (who developed the series along with Tapert) and [[Sam Raimi]]. The series narrative follows [[Xena]] (played by [[Lucy Lawless]]), an infamous warrior looking to be redeemed for her past sins against the innocent by using her formidable fighting skills to aid those who are defenseless. Her companion [[Gabrielle (Xena: Warrior Princess)|Gabrielle]] (played by [[Renee O'Connor]]) grows from a simple farm girl into an [[Amazons|Amazon warrior]] and Xena's soulmate and comrade-in-arms during the series; her initial naïveté helps to balance Xena and assists her in recognizing and pursuing the greater good. In 2012, star Lawless asserted that her character, Xena, was from "ancient [[Bulgaria]], [[Thrace]]",<ref>{{cite tweet |user= reallucylawless |number= 206485195661131776 |title= Xena was from ancient Bulgaria, Thrace... |date= May 26, 2012}}</ref> when the character is stated in the series to come from the [[Ancient Greece|ancient Greek]] [[polis|city]] of [[Amphipolis]],<ref name="sins">{{cite episode |title=Sins of the Past |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=September 4, 1995}}</ref> which is located in the nearby [[Regions of Greece|region]] of [[Central Macedonia]]<ref>{{cite web | title=Dimos Amfipolis | website=Dimos Amfipolis | url=https://dimos-amfipolis.gr/%CE%B4%CE%B7%CE%BC%CE%BF%CF%83/ | language=el | access-date=2022-11-01}}</ref> in [[Greece|modern Greece]]. However, at the time, Amphipolis was, in fact, a Thracian city which was inhabited by Greeks, so it is likely that she was Thracian by birth, and Greek by culture.

The show is a [[Spin-off (media)|spin-off]] of the television series ''[[Hercules: The Legendary Journeys]]'';<ref name="spin">{{cite web |url= http://www.universal-playback.com/xena-warrior-princess/ |title= Xena: Warrior Princess |website= Universal-Playback.com |access-date= October 17, 2009 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110126105203/http://www.universal-playback.com/xena-warrior-princess |archive-date= January 26, 2011 |url-status= dead }}</ref> the saga began with three episodes in ''Hercules'' in which Xena was a recurring character originally scheduled to die in her third appearance. Aware of the character's sudden popularity among the public, the producers of the series decided to launch a spin-off series based on her adventures. ''Xena'' became a successful show which has aired in more than 108 countries around the world since 1998. In 2004<ref>{{cite news |title=25 Top Cult Shows Ever!|work=TV Guide |date=May 30, 2004}}</ref> and 2007, it ranked #9 and #10 on [[TV Guide|''TV Guide''{{'}}s]] Top Cult Shows Ever<ref name="guide">{{cite web |url= http://www.tvguide.com/news/top-cult-shows-40239.aspx |title= TV Guide Names the Top Cult Shows Ever |date= June 29, 2007 |website= TV Guide |access-date= October 17, 2009}}</ref> and the title character ranked #100 on [[Bravo (American TV network)|Bravo's]] 100 Greatest TV Characters.<ref name="bravo">{{cite web |url= http://www.bravotv.com/The_100_Greatest_TV_Characters//index.shtml |title= The 100 Greatest TV Characters |website= Bravo TV |access-date= October 17, 2009 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090110010619/http://www.bravotv.com/The_100_Greatest_TV_Characters/index.shtml |archive-date= January 10, 2009}}</ref> ''Xena''{{'}}s success has led to hundreds of tie-in products, including [[Xena: Warrior Princess (comics)|comics]], [[#Literature|books]], [[#Video games|video games]] and [[Fan convention|conventions]], realized annually since 1998 in [[Pasadena, California|Pasadena]], California and in [[London]].<ref name="con">{{cite web |url= http://www.pondalee.com/xena.htm |title= Xena Convention Page |website= Pondalee.com |access-date= October 17, 2009 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110715103021/http://www.pondalee.com/xena.htm |archive-date= July 15, 2011 |url-status= dead }}</ref>

The series overtook its predecessor in ratings and in popularity.<ref>{{cite web |first= Jenny |last= Hontz |url= https://variety.com/1997/scene/vpage/xena-powers-to-record-rating-1117435720/ |title= 'Xena' powers to record rating |work= Variety |date= February 26, 1997 |access-date= November 1, 2013}}</ref> In its second season, it became the top-rated syndicated drama series on American television. For all six years, ''Xena'' remained in the top five.<ref>{{cite book |last1= Hayes |first1= K. Stoddard |title= Xena Warrior Princess: The Complete Illustrated Guide |date= March 2003 |publisher= Titan Books |location= London |isbn= 1840236221 |page= 236 |edition= 1st |url= http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/846534.Xena_Warrior_Princess |ref= kstoddardhayes}}</ref> Cancellation of the series was announced in October 2000, and the series finale aired in the summer of 2001.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=114424 |title =Xena Canceled |date= October 17, 2000 |website= ABC News}}</ref> On August 13, 2015 [[NBC Entertainment]] chairman [[Bob Greenblatt]] said a ''Xena'' reboot was in development, with Raimi and Tapert returning as executive producers, with the show's debut sometime in 2016.<ref name="Lovett">{{cite web |url= http://comicbook.com/2015/08/13/xena-reboot-confirmed-to-be-in-development/ |title= Xena Reboot Confirmed To Be In Development |website= Comicbook.com |last= Lovett |first= Jamie |date= August 13, 2015 |access-date= August 13, 2015}}</ref> [[Javier Grillo-Marxuach]] was hired as writer and producer for the reboot,<ref name="Hibberd">{{cite magazine |url= http://www.ew.com/article/2015/12/14/xena-reboot |title= Xena reboot gets closer, hires Lost writer |magazine= [[Entertainment Weekly]] |last= Hibberd |first= James |date= December 14, 2015}}</ref> but left the project in April 2017 because of creative differences. In August 2017, NBC announced that it had cancelled its plans for the reboot for the foreseeable future.<ref>
{{cite web|title= NBC's 'Xena: Warrior Princess' Reboot Is Dead|url= http://collider.com/xena-reboot-cancelled|website= Collider |access-date= November 20, 2018|date= August 21, 2017}}</ref>

{{TOC limit|3}}

== Shooting locations ==
{{Main|List of Xena: Warrior Princess episodes}}
{{Quote_box|width=45%|align=Centre|"In a time of ancient gods, warlords and kings, a land in turmoil cried out for a hero. She was Xena, a mighty princess forged in the heat of battle. The power, the passion, the danger. Her courage will change the world!"| - opening narration, read by [[Don LaFontaine]].}}
''Xena: Warrior Princess'' is set primarily in a fantasy version of [[ancient Greece]] (sometimes alluding to [[Roman Greece]]) and was filmed in New Zealand. Some filming locations are confidential{{what|date=April 2024}}, but many scenes were recorded in places such as the [[Waitākere Ranges Regional Park]], part of the [[Auckland]] Regional parks often credited at the end of the episodes.<ref name="location">{{cite web |url=http://www.vidiot.com/Contrib/Xena/locations.html |title=Xena: Warrior Princess: The Locations |website=Vidiot.com |access-date=June 8, 2010}}</ref>

The Ancient Greece depicted in the show is largely derived from historical locations and customs, modifying known places and events – battles, trading routes, towns, and so on – to generate an attractive fictional world. The settlements are presented as a mixture of walled villages and rural hamlets set in a lush green, mountainous landscape. They are often seen under attack from warlords, and travelling between them involves frequent encounters with small bands of outlaws. All of the main towns are named after historic towns of Ancient Greece, and exhibit some of their essential characteristics – [[Amphipolis]] (birthplace of [[Xena]]<ref name="sins" />), [[Potidaea]] (birthplace of [[Gabrielle (Xena: Warrior Princess)|Gabrielle]]<ref name="affair">{{cite episode |title=A Family Affair  |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=December 10, 1998}}</ref>), [[Athens]] (birthplace of [[Joxer]]<ref name="lyre">{{cite episode |title=Lyre, Lyre, Hearts on Fire  |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=January 17, 1999}}</ref>), [[Ancient Corinth|Corinth]], [[Delphi]], and [[Kirra, Phocis|Cirra]] (birthplace of [[Callisto (Xena)|Callisto]]<ref name="callisto">{{cite episode |title=Callisto  |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=May 13, 1996}}</ref>) which was burnt to the ground by Xena's army.

As the show progressed, however, events took place throughout more modern times and places, from [[Cleopatra]]'s [[Alexandria]] to [[Julius Caesar]]'s [[Rome]]. The mythology of the show transitioned from that of the [[Olympian Gods]] to include [[Judeo-Christian]] elements. Eastern religions were touched on as well, disregarding concerns about the accuracy of the setting. One episode, "The Way", which loosely interpreted elements of [[Hinduism]] as major plot points, generated controversy, requiring the producers to add a disclaimer at the head of the episode and a tag explaining the episode's intentions at its end.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hinduismtoday.com/magazine/june-1999/1999-06-krishna-meet-xena/ |title=Krishna, Meet Xena |date=June 1, 1999 |work=Hinduism Today |access-date=September 29, 2014}}</ref>

Mythological and supernatural locations are presented as equally real, physical places, often accessed through physical portals hidden in the landscape such as lakes and caves. They include the [[Elysium|Elysian Fields]], [[Tartarus]], the [[Styx|River Styx]], [[Valhalla]], [[Heaven]] and [[Hell]]. The inhabitants of such places – gods, mythological beings and forces – are for the most part manifested as human characters who can move at will between their domains and the real world. [[Ares (Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess)|Ares]], the Greek God of War, for instance, is an egotistical man who wears studded black leather, and [[Aphrodite (Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess)|Aphrodite]], Goddess of Love, is a [[California]] [[Valley girl]] who uses typical Valley girl slang and dresses in flowing, translucent pink gowns.

==Production==

===Series format===
[[File:Lucy Lawless by Gage Skidmore.jpg|thumb|right|180px|[[Lucy Lawless]] at the July 2010 [[San Diego Comic-Con]]]]
''Xena'' is a [[historical fantasy]] set primarily in [[ancient Greece]], although the setting is flexible in both time and location and occasionally features [[Ancient Egypt|Egyptian]],<ref name="Antony&Cleopatra">{{cite episode |title=Antony and Cleopatra |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=April 24, 2000}}</ref> [[India]]n, [[China|Chinese]], [[Central Asia]]n,<ref name="Purity">{{cite episode |title=Purity  |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=November 8, 1999}}</ref>  and [[Middle Ages|Medieval European]]<ref name="TheRheingold">{{cite episode |title=[[The Rheingold]]  |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=November 13, 2000}}</ref> elements. The flexible fantasy framework of the show accommodates a considerable range of theatrical styles, from high [[melodrama]] to [[slapstick]] comedy, from whimsical and musical<ref name="BitterSuite">{{cite episode |title=[[The Bitter Suite]]  |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=February 2, 1998}}</ref> to all-out [[Action television|action]] and [[Adventure film|adventure]]. While the show is typically set in ancient times, its themes are essentially modern and it investigates the ideas of taking responsibility for past misdeeds, the value of human life, personal liberty and sacrifice, and friendship. The show often addresses ethical dilemmas, such as the morality of [[pacifism]]; however, the storylines rarely seek to provide unequivocal solutions.{{fact|date=May 2025}}

''Xena'' freely borrows names and themes from various [[mythology|mythologies]] around the world, primarily the [[Greek mythology|Greek]], [[Anachronism|anachronistically]] adapting them to suit the demands of the storyline. Historical figures and events from a number of different historical eras and myths make numerous appearances, and the main characters are often credited with resolving important historical situations. These include an encounter with [[Homer]] before he was famous, in which Gabrielle encourages his storytelling aspirations;<ref name="AthensCityAcademyPerformingBards">{{cite episode |title=Athens City Academy of the Performing Bards  |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=January 2, 1996}}</ref> [[Trojan War|the fall of Troy]];<ref name="BewareGreeksBearingGifts">{{cite episode |title=Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts  |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=January 15, 1996}}</ref> and the capture of [[Caesar (Xena)|Caesar]] by pirates, with Xena cast as the pirate leader.

Competing religions are treated as compatible and co-existent in a [[Henotheism|henotheistic]] world, allowing the [[Religion in ancient Greece|Greek Pantheon]] to live side by side with the [[Norse paganism|Norse Gods]], [[Religion in India|Indian Deities]], the "God of Love" and others. Each god, or set of gods, controls a different part of the world, and (in the show) survives only while people believe in it. In seasons four and five, the Greek people gradually transfer their faith from the Greek Gods to the "God of Love" over an approximate 25-year period, and as their power fades, the Greek Gods are almost all killed off in a climactic battle.

This quirky mix of timelines and the amalgamation of historical and mythological elements fueled the rise of the show to cult status during the 1990s and early 2000s. It was one of the first shows to tap into its [[Internet]] following, allowing fans from all over the world to discuss and suggest things related to the show. The ''Xena'' fandom is still an active community today.

===Casting===
[[File:Renee O'Connor Xena Con 2007.jpg|thumb|left|180px|[[Renee O'Connor]] at the 2007 ''Xena'' Convention.]]
''Xena: Warrior Princess'' starred [[Lucy Lawless]] as Xena and [[Renee O'Connor]] as [[Gabrielle (Xena: Warrior Princess)|Gabrielle]]. The first choice for Xena was the British actress [[Vanessa Angel (English actress)|Vanessa Angel]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Xena Gets the Axe |website=BBC News |date=October 17, 2000 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/976257.stm |access-date=November 2, 2007}}</ref> but an illness prevented her from travelling, and the role was offered to four other actresses before the relatively unknown Lawless. [[Sunny Doench]] was cast as Gabrielle, but she did not want to leave her boyfriend in the United States, so O'Connor, who had appeared in ''Hercules'' in another role, was chosen.

The show features a wide assortment of recurring characters, many of them portrayed by New Zealand actors. [[Ted Raimi]] became a core member of the cast from the second season as [[Joxer]]. Actor [[Kevin Tod Smith]] played popular character [[Ares (Hercules and Xena)|Ares]], God of War, and [[Alexandra Tydings]] played his counterpart [[Aphrodite (Xena and Hercules)|Aphrodite]], Goddess of Love. [[Marton Csokas]] portrayed both [[Borias]] and Krafstar. Other notables included [[Karl Urban]] in a variety of roles such as [[Cupid]] and [[Caesar (Xena)|Caesar]], [[Hudson Leick]] as Xena's nemesis [[Callisto (Xena)|Callisto]] (Leick also played a body-switched [[Xena]] in the episode "Intimate Stranger"<ref name="stranger">{{cite episode |title=Intimate Stranger  |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=November 11, 1996}}</ref>), [[Claire Stansfield]] as the evil [[shaman]]ess [[Alti]], and a number of trusted friends – [[Jennifer Sky]] as feisty sidekick [[Amarice]], [[Danielle Cormack]] as Amazon regent [[Ephiny]], [[Bruce Campbell]] as [[Autolycus]] King of Thieves, [[Robert Trebor]] as dodgy entrepreneur [[Salmoneus]], [[William Gregory Lee]] as the warrior-poet [[Virgil (Xena)|Virgil]] and [[Tim Omundson]] as the [[spiritual healer]] [[Eli (Xena)|Eli]].
{{Clear}}

===Theme music===
Composer [[Joseph LoDuca]] wrote the [[theme music]] and [[incidental music]], and co-wrote the lyrics for the songs in "[[The Bitter Suite]]." The theme music was developed from the traditional [[Bulgaria]]n folk song ''"[[Kaval sviri]],"'' sung by the [[Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir]]. The original "Kaval sviri" can be heard where Xena races into battle in the ''[[Hercules: The Legendary Journeys|Hercules]]'' episode "[[Unchained Heart]]."

The musical score of ''Xena: Warrior Princess'' was critically well received and garnered seven [[Emmy]] nominations for [[Joseph LoDuca|LoDuca]], who won the Emmy award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) for the Season 5 episode ''[[Xena: Warrior Princess (season 5)#ep1|Fallen Angel]]'' in 2000. Most of the series' music was made available on six soundtrack albums. Two of these albums contain the soundtracks from the musical episodes "[[The Bitter Suite]]" (Season 3) and "[[Lyre, Lyre, Hearts on Fire]]" (Season 5).

===Cancellation===
Low ratings in the US market have led to the winding down of its production in Auckland in October 2000, with filming scheduled to end in April 2001. Between 150 to 200 crew and actors were facing a lack of jobs and income from local businesses, including the catering and timber industries, would collapse. The series lasted longer than most productions shot in New Zealand (mostly for local audiences) and that its crew could easily find other job sources elsewhere. Production of the final season was scheduled to finish in November 2000. In New Zealand, both rights holders (over-the-air channel [[Three (TV channel)|TV3]] airing season 3 and subscription channel [[Sky 5|Sky 1]] airing season 4 at the time of the decision) were keen on buying the last remaining seasons of the show.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/xena-ready-to-harness-lightnings-last-flash/ZCDMNZ65AF2O7CR5UOJI6PJRC4/ |title=Xena ready to harness lightning's last flash |website=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |access-date=May 5, 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250505145023/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/xena-ready-to-harness-lightnings-last-flash/ZCDMNZ65AF2O7CR5UOJI6PJRC4/ |archive-date=May 5, 2025}}</ref>

==Characters==

<!-- NOTE; READ THIS NOTE: Per Wikipedia:WikiProject Television/Style guidelines#Cast information, "The cast should be organized according to the series original broadcast credits, with new cast members being added to the end of the list. Please keep in mind that 'main' cast status is determined by the series producers, not by popularity or screen time. Furthermore, articles should reflect the entire history of a series, and as such actors remain on the list even after their departure from the series." NOTE; READ THE ABOVE NOTE. -->
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Main cast of ''Xena: Warrior Princess''
|-
! rowspan="2" width="8%" scope="col" | Character
! rowspan="2" width="8%" scope="col" | Actor
! colspan="6" | Seasons
|-
! width="4%" scope="col"| 1
! width="4%" scope="col"| 2
! width="4%" scope="col"| 3
! width="4%" scope="col"| 4
! width="4%" scope="col"| 5
! width="4%" scope="col"| 6
|-
| [[Xena]]
| [[Lucy Lawless]]
| colspan="6" {{cMain}}
|-
| [[Gabrielle (Xena: Warrior Princess)|Gabrielle]]
| [[Renee O'Connor]]
| colspan="6" {{cMain|Main}}
|-
| [[List of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess characters#Mortals|Joxer]]
| [[Ted Raimi]]
| {{cGuest}}
| colspan="4" {{cRecurring}}
| {{cGuest|Guest}}
|-
| [[Ares (Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess)|Ares]]
| [[Kevin Tod Smith|Kevin Smith]]
| colspan="3" {{cRecurring|Recurring}}
| {{cGuest|Guest}}
| colspan="2" {{cRecurring|Recurring}}
|-
| [[List of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess characters#Other Gods|Callisto]]
| [[Hudson Leick]]
| {{cGuest|Guest}}
| colspan="2" {{cRecurring|Recurring}}
| colspan="2" {{cGuest|Guest}}
| {{cEmpty}}
|-
| [[List of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess characters#Mortals|Julius Caesar]]
| [[Karl Urban]]
| {{cEmpty}}
| {{cGuest|Guest}}
| colspan="2" {{cRecurring|Recurring}}
| {{cEmpty}} 
| colspan="2" {{cGuest|Guest}}
|-
| [[Eve (Xena: Warrior Princess)|Eve]]
| [[Adrienne Wilkinson]]
| colspan="4" {{cEmpty}}
| colspan="2" {{cRecurring|Recurring}}

|-
| [[Aphrodite (Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess)|Aphrodite]]
| [[Alexandra Tydings]]
| {{cEmpty}}
| {{cGuest|Guest}}
| {{cRecurring|Recurring}}
| {{cGuest|Guest}}
| colspan="2" {{cRecurring|Recurring}}
|-
| [[List of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess characters#Mortals|Borias]]
| [[Marton Csokas]]
| colspan="2" {{cEmpty}}
| colspan="2" {{cRecurring|Recurring}}
| {{cEmpty}}
| {{cGuest|Guest}}
|-
| [[List of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess characters#The Amazons|Ephiny]]
| [[Danielle Cormack]]
| colspan="3" {{cRecurring|Recurring}}
| {{cGuest|Guest}}
| {{cEmpty}}
| {{cGuest|Guest}}
|-
| [[List of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess characters#Mortals|Autolycus]]
| [[Bruce Campbell]]
| {{cGuest|Guest}}
| colspan="3" {{cRecurring|Recurring}}
| colspan="2" {{cEmpty}}
|-
| [[Eli (Xena: Warrior Princess)|Eli]]
| [[Timothy Omundson]]
| colspan="3" {{cEmpty}}
| colspan="2" {{cRecurring|Recurring}}
| {{cEmpty}}
|-
| [[List of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess characters#Mortals|Alti]]
| [[Claire Stansfield]]
| colspan="3" {{cEmpty}}
| colspan="3" {{cRecurring|Recurring}}
|-
| [[List of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess characters#The Amazons|Amarice]]
| [[Jennifer Sky]]
| colspan="3" {{cEmpty}}
| colspan="2" {{cRecurring|Recurring}}
| {{cEmpty}}
|-
| [[List of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess characters#Mortals|Virgil]]
| [[William Gregory Lee]]
| colspan="4" {{cEmpty}}
| colspan="2" {{cRecurring|Recurring}}
|-
| [[List of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess characters#The Amazons|Varia]]
| [[Tsianina Joelson]]
| colspan="5" {{cEmpty}}
| {{cRecurring|Recurring}}
|-
| [[List of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess characters#Olympians|Athena]]
| Paris Jefferson
| colspan="4" {{cEmpty}}
| {{cRecurring|Recurring}}
| {{cEmpty}}
|}

===Main===
{{Main|List of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess characters}}
The series follows Xena and her traveling companion Gabrielle. Xena is on a quest to redeem herself for her dark past by using her formidable fighting skills to help people. In ''Hercules'', during her two first episodes, Xena was a villain and a powerful warlord, but in her third appearance she joins [[Hercules]] to defeat the warlord Darphus, who had taken her army. During her own series, Xena spends almost every episode on a different mission, always trying to do the right thing, fighting for what she refers to as the "greater good".<ref name="legacy">{{cite episode |title=Legacy |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=October 30, 2000}}</ref> Xena's trademark weapon is a [[chakram]], and she also uses a [[sword]].<ref name="need">{{cite episode |title=A Friend in Need |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=June 18, 2001}}</ref> Xena also has to fight her own past; she has never forgiven herself for her crimes, and often has to resist the temptation to return to her evil ways, but she always resists with the help of Gabrielle. Gabrielle is Xena's best friend, soulmate and greatest ally. She is introduced in the first episode, first as a big fan of Xena and her history,<ref name="sins" /> but soon becomes a notable character in her own right. As the show progresses she undergoes significant changes in costume and style, evolving from a simple farm girl to a talented [[bard]], and eventually to a formidable warrior. She is initiated into a tribe of [[Amazons]],<ref name="hooves">{{cite episode |title=Hooves and Harlots |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=November 20, 1995}}</ref> learns to fight with a [[Quarterstaff|staff]], and is trained by Xena. In the first season, Xena and Gabrielle meet [[Joxer]],<ref name="callisto"/> a comic man who styles himself "Joxer the Magnificent", and later "Joxer the Mighty."<ref name="bells">{{cite episode |title=For Him the Bell Tolls |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=February 24, 1997}}</ref> Joxer's goal is to fight for justice, but unfortunately with no physical know-how of his own, he remains the show's main [[comic relief]]. Eventually he becomes a close friend to Xena and Gabrielle.

===Others===
{{Main|List of minor characters in Xena: Warrior Princess}}
In the first season, Xena and Gabrielle meet two of their greatest enemies: [[Callisto (Xena)|Callisto]] ([[Hudson Leick]]),<ref name="callisto" /> a vengeful warrior woman, and [[Ares (Hercules and Xena)|Ares]] (Kevin Tod Smith), the Greek God of War.<ref name="reckoning">{{cite episode |title=The Reckoning |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=October 16, 1995}}</ref> Callisto is Xena's arch-enemy and a major antagonist over the course of the series. When Callisto was a child, her home village of Cirra was burned nearly to the ground by Xena, killing her family.<ref name="callisto" /> She was left [[Psychological trauma|traumatized]] by the attack and eventually went [[insane]], becoming obsessed with exacting [[revenge]] on Xena. She displays a bizarre brand of [[Sadism and Masochism|sadistic]], gleeful, shrieking cruelty towards Xena and her associates. Hercules himself reappears alongside Iolaus - who becomes interested in Gabrielle - when Xena seeks to free [[Prometheus]] from [[Hera]].

Ares - suave, charming, witty, yet ruthless and amoral - often represents, especially in the early seasons, the seductive power of war and the dark side. He repeatedly attempts to lure [[Xena]] away from her quest for redemption, and tries to win her over as his Warrior Queen.<ref name="reckoning" /> He offers her huge armies and historic victories, great wealth and great power, and in later seasons his love,<ref name="Soul">{{cite episode |title=Soul Possession |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=June 4, 2001}}</ref> offers which she consistently rejects despite sometimes being tempted. Much of his relationship with Xena remains [[Wikt:ambiguous|ambiguous]], including whether he is at least partly redeemed by his love for Xena, and to what extent Xena reciprocates his feelings. He says several times that he "has a thing" for Xena, and he pursues her sexually and romantically. This seems to prevent him killing her, even when pitted against her in deadly combat.<ref name="furies">{{cite episode |title=The Furies |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=September 29, 1997}}</ref><ref name="ties">{{cite episode |title=Ties That Bind |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=April 29, 1996}}</ref> Likewise, it is suggested that Xena has strong feelings for Ares, but throughout the series she is never seen to act on them.

Other major antagonists of the show include [[Caesar (Xena)|Caesar]] and [[Alti]], a Roman official and shamaness respectively. Caesar's first appearance was in the second-season episode "Destiny." He is introduced as a young Roman [[Patrician (ancient Rome)|patrician]]<ref name="book">{{cite book |last=Stoddard Hayes |first=K. |title=Xena: Warrior Princess: The Complete Illustrated Companion |date=March 2003 |type=Paperback |publisher=Titan Books |isbn=1-84023-622-1 |pages=180–183 |chapter=Characters – Caesar}}</ref> brimming with arrogance - so much so, that when he is captured by [[Xena]] and her pirates he is not afraid. When threatened by Xena he tells her ''"''I know what I'm fated to do with my life.''"''<ref name="destiny">{{cite episode |title=Destiny |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=January 27, 1997}}</ref> He pretends to let Xena seduce him, when in reality she is the one being seduced. This ultimately leads to her capture and [[crucifixion]] at his hands,<ref name="destiny"/> and he orders his men to break her legs - an extremely painful memory that is often revisited during the series. Caesar's betrayal fills her with rage, and is the catalyst for her transition from pirate to warlord.

Alti is an evil [[shaman]]ess from the Northern [[Amazons|Amazon]] tribes of [[Siberia]], who had been driven out of her tribe because of her hunger for power. She is one of the most influential people encountered by Xena in her dark days, and possesses a wealth of spiritual powers, including travelling to the spiritual realm. Alti is probably best known for her trademark ''stare'', which brings up pain and suffering from the target's life and unleashes the torment once again (in the form of both pain and physical symptoms). When she ''stares'' at Xena, Xena often feels the pain of her legs being broken,<ref name="destiny" /> her back being snapped,<ref name="Ides of March">{{cite episode |title=The Ides of March |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=May 10, 1999}}</ref> and a crippling barrage of attacks from her worst enemies. As Alti grows in power during the series, she can also conjure up pain and suffering from a person's future, and from their future lives. This power backfires early in Season 4, when she shows Xena a vision from her future, of her and Gabrielle being [[Crucifixion|crucified]] on Mount Amarro.<ref name="trade 2">{{cite episode |title=Adventures in the Sin Trade |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=May 10, 1998}}</ref> Xena realizes that Gabrielle must still be alive, and this gives her the strength to defeat Alti.

Over the course of the series, viewers were also introduced to family members of both Xena and Gabrielle, but most notably featured their children. Xena gave her first child, a son named Solan, to a group of [[centaur]]s after the death of his father, [[Borias]], who was killed in combat against a warrior in Xena's employ. Solan never knew that Xena was his mother, despite knowing Xena for a long time. While aiding Xena and [[Boudica]] to defend [[Britannia]] against [[Caesar (Xena)|Caesar]], [[Gabrielle (Xena: Warrior Princess)|Gabrielle]] comes into contact with an evil [[cult]] that tricks her into killing one of its priestesses, Meridian.<ref name="deliverer">{{cite episode |title=The Deliverer |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=October 20, 1997}}</ref> Using her, the dark god [[List of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess characters#Other Gods|Dahak]] impregnates Gabrielle just as [[Xena]] rescues her.<ref name="deliverer"/> Over the next few days the child grows inside Gabrielle, and she eventually (and quite dramatically) gives birth to a girl, naming her Hope.<ref name="hope">{{cite episode |title=Gabrielle's Hope |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=October 27, 1997}}</ref> Even though she is the seed of an evil deity, Gabrielle tells Xena that she is also a part of her and that there must be some good in her as well. Being the daughter of Dahak, she quickly developed supernatural powers, and kills within hours of being born, proving to Xena that there was no chance of saving her. Hope aged amazingly fast, and, mere months after being drifted down a river by her mother, she appeared to be about 9 years old. Despite Gabrielle's hopes that she would "be good", Hope killed Xena's son Solan before being poisoned by Gabrielle herself.<ref name="Maternal">{{cite episode |title=Maternal Instincts |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=January 26, 1998}}</ref>

During the episode "[[Xena: Warrior Princess (season 4)#Episodes|The Ides of March]]", at the end of season 4, Xena and Gabrielle were crucified by the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]], as Caesar is betrayed and killed by [[Brutus]]. They are later revived by a mystic named [[Eli (Xena)|Eli]] with the spiritual aid of Callisto, who by that time had become an angel;<ref name="fallen angel">{{cite episode |title=Fallen Angel |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=September 27, 1999}}</ref> Callisto also engineers a plan to have Xena conceive a daughter after the resurrection, and this child is prophesied to bring about the Twilight of the Olympian gods; this girl was named [[Eve (Xena)|Eve]].<ref name="god fearing">{{cite episode |title=God Fearing Child |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=January 31, 2000}}</ref> To escape the gods' persecution, Xena and Gabrielle fake their deaths, but their plan goes awry when Ares buries them in an ice cave where they sleep for 25 years;<ref name="death in the eye">{{cite episode |title=Looking Death in the Eye |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=April 24, 2000}}</ref> during that time, Eve is adopted by the Roman nobleman [[Augustus|Octavius]] and grows up to become Livia, the Champion of Rome, and a ruthless persecutor of Eli's followers.<ref name="Livia">{{cite episode |title=Livia |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=May 1, 2000}}</ref> After her return, Xena is able to turn Livia to repentance, and Livia takes back the name Eve and becomes the Messenger of Eli. After Eve's cleansing by [[baptism]], Xena is granted the power to kill gods as long as her daughter lives. In a final confrontation, the Twilight comes to pass when Xena kills most of the gods on Olympus to save her daughter, and is herself saved by Ares when he gives up his immortality to heal the badly injured and dying Eve and Gabrielle.<ref name="Motherhood">{{cite episode |title=Motherhood |series=Xena: Warrior Princess |airdate=May 15, 2000}}</ref>

==Geography==
{{unreferenced section|date=October 2015}}
The vast majority of locations in the series are fictional. However, a few locations in the plot are centered on real Ancient Greek towns, including:

===Amphipolis===
{{further|Amphipolis|Stagira (ancient city)}}

[[Xena]] &ndash; the main character of the show &ndash; was born in the city of Amphipolis in northern Greece. Xena and her best friend, Gabrielle, frequently visited there over the course of the series and it was referenced often. Xena described Amphipolis as "full of life", although several times it was full of death: for instance, the city became a breeding ground for demons after Xena and Gabrielle returned from their twenty-five-year sleep. [[Mephistopheles]], the King of Hell, had captured the soul of Xena's mother [[Cyrene (Xena)|Cyrene]] and imprisoned her in [[Hell]].

In the backstory of the show, ten years ago Xena had set out to become a warrior to protect Amphipolis from attacks by a warlord called Cortese.
This was the journey that turned her into a fierce fighter with an evil reputation. When she was inspired to fight for good, she returned to Amphipolis, seeking a reunion with her mother. Along the way, she met Gabrielle in Potidaea.

In a fictionalized conversation between Julius Caesar and Xena in the "Destiny" episode in [[Xena: Warrior Princess (season 2)|Season 2]], Xena tells him [[Stagira (ancient city)|Stageira]] "is the ancient enemy of my homeland, Amphipolis."

===Potidaea===
{{further|Potidaea}}
[[Gabrielle (Xena: Warrior Princess)|Gabrielle]] was born in [[Potidaea]] in [[Chalkidiki]], Greece, which features many times as a rural village, which should have been portrayed as a fishing village. Many pivotal episodes are based here, including the series premiere, "Sins of The Past", and "A Family Affair".

===Athens===
{{further|Athens}}
[[Joxer]] was brought up in the city of [[Athens]], capital of Greece, and it is often mentioned in passing. Xena and Gabrielle rarely pass through it, but it was the main setting for the [[clip show]] "Athens City Academy of the Performing Bards", and was nearly visited in "One Against an Army" and "Blind Faith".

===Cirra===
{{further|Kirra, Phocis}}
[[Callisto (Xena)|Callisto]] is from [[Kirra, Phocis|Cirra]] in [[Phocis]], central Greece. Xena's army torched the village when Callisto was a child, killing most of her family. Xena and Gabrielle only visit Cirra once, although it is mentioned often.

===Countries===
In addition to Greece, Xena and Gabrielle visit many countries during their travels, including [[Italy]] (usually referred to by its capital, Rome), [[China]], (called Chin), [[Japan]] (known as Jappa, only seen in the finale, and mentioned in passing in "Who's Gurkhan"), [[Great Britain]] (known as Brittania), [[India]], [[Siberia]], [[Egypt]] (called 'The Land of the Pharaohs'), [[Sahara]], [[Mauretania|Morocco]] (in "Who's Gurkhan" and "Legacy") and several [[Scandinavia]]n countries (called 'Norseland').

To remain in keeping with the ancient world, and to avoid using modern names, the script often removed the last letter of a country's name, changing China to Chin, and Japan to Jappa.

==''Hercules''–''Xena'' Universe franchise media==
There have been numerous ''Xena'' spin-offs into various media, including films, books, comics and video games.

===Movies===
''[[Hercules and Xena – The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus]]'', a [[direct-to-video]] animated movie, was released in January 1998. The film features the voices of actors from both ''[[Hercules: The Legendary Journeys]]'' and ''Xena: Warrior Princess'' – including Lucy Lawless, Kevin Sorbo, Michael Hurst and Renee O'Connor. The plot involves Hercules' mother being kidnapped by Zeus and the release of the [[Titan (mythology)|Titan]]s. Xena and Gabrielle have supporting roles in the movie.

Since the end of the series, rumors have circulated that a feature-length movie was in the works. In 2003, screenwriter [[Katherine Fugate]] was approached for the project, and was quoted saying that she expected the start of production to be three to five years away, which suggested a release sometime between 2006 and 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hp&cf=prev&id=1808501489 |title=Xena: Warrior Princess (2006) |website=Yahoo! Movies |access-date=October 31, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060224215551/http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hp&cf=prev&id=1808501489 |archive-date=February 24, 2006}}</ref> Actress [[Lucy Lawless]] was quoted in several interviews saying she would be interested in participating in a ''Xena'' film as well.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ausxip.com/xena-movie/xenamovie-articles.php |title=The Xena Movie |website=The Xena Movie News & Multimedia Site |access-date=October 31, 2006}}{{unreliable source?|date=February 2012}}</ref>

In April 2009, Robert Tapert stated there was no intention of a live-action ''Xena'' feature film. "It's something that just won't happen....In twenty years or ten years, in some amount of years, like ''MacGyver'', like ''[[Charlie's Angels]]'', it [could] happen like that [with other actresses]."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thetorchonline.com/2009/04/21/exclusive-xena-movie-just-wont-happen-says-creator-rob-tapert/ |title=Xena Movie 'Just Won't Happen', Says Creator Rob Tapert |first=Brent |last=Hartinger |website=TheTorchOnline.com |access-date=April 21, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090425053104/http://thetorchonline.com/2009/04/21/exclusive-xena-movie-just-wont-happen-says-creator-rob-tapert/ |archive-date=April 25, 2009}}</ref>

Following the continued online popularity of the show, a global campaign to directly bombard [[Universal Pictures]] with requests for a ''Xena'' movie was launched in April 2013. Over a few days, hundreds of thousands of messages were sent showing support for the production of a ''Xena'' film starring the original cast. After receiving acknowledgement from Universal Studios' offices in [[Australia]], [[Finland]], and [[Spain]], campaign efforts were rewarded in May 2013 when [[Lucy Lawless]] stated on her [[Twitter]] account that she had been contacted by a "chap who wants to re-invigorate the #Xena brand", while warning fans that "there's a lot of red tape around #XWP so don't get your knickers in a twist. It may come back in a different form".<ref>{{cite tweet |user=RealLucyLawless |number=337440039661338624 |title=Had an interesting call from a chap who wants to re-invigorate the #Xena brand... |date=May 22, 2013 |access-date=November 1, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite tweet |user=RealLucyLawless |number=337442555950149632 |title=...But there's a lot of red tape... |date=May 22, 2013 |access-date=November 1, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://moviepilot.com/stories/973456-xena-the-warrior-princess-might-be-coming-back-to-slay-your-favorites?stamp=45552 |title=Xena: The Warrior Princess might be coming back to slay your favorites |website=Moviepilot |date=May 23, 2013 |access-date=November 1, 2013 }}{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Since then, Lucy Lawless has appeared on multiple televised interviews showing her support of a potential revival of the ''Xena'' franchise, stating that talks are currently underway to resolve legal issues impeding the progress of a potential ''Xena'' movie project.

===Literature===
Many books have been released as [[tie-in]]s, including ''The Official Guide to the Xenaverse'' by Robert Weisbrot.<ref>{{Cite book |first=Rob |last=Weisbrot |isbn=978-0-38549-136-5 |title=Xena: Warrior Princess Official Guide To the Xenaverse |year=1998 |publisher=Doubleday |via=Amazon.com}}</ref> This includes a detailed episode guide for the first two seasons, a look behind the scenes, the story of the origin of the show, biographies of [[Cast member|cast]] and crew, and trivia about the show. After the sixth and final season, ''Xena Warrior Princess: Complete Illustrated Companion''<ref>{{cite book |title=Xena Warrior Princess: Complete Illustrated Companion |first=K. Stoddard |last=Hayes |year=2003 |publisher=Titan Books |isbn=1-84023-622-1}}</ref> was published.

In 1998, ''XENA: All I Need to Know I Learned From the Warrior Princess'',<ref>{{Cite book |title=XENA: All I Need to Know I Learned From the Warrior Princess |last=Sherman |first=Josepha |author-link=Josepha Sherman |location=New York |publisher=Pocket Books |date=1998 |isbn=0-671-02389-6}}</ref> was published, allegedly written by Gabrielle, Bard of Potidaea and "translated" by [[Josepha Sherman]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.whoosh.org/faq/faq27.html |title=Xena Books, Magazines, Software, and Music |website=Whoosh.org}}</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=February 2012}} In it, Gabrielle writes enthusiastically about many of the lessons that she learned. For example, in a chapter entitled "Anything can be a weapon- Anything!", she instructs the reader on fighting with unconventional weapons; in another, "Nobody Likes a Winer", she bemoans the perils of alcohol.

There have been a number of [[novelization]]s by authors such as [[Martin H. Greenberg]], and fiction such as ''The Empty Throne'', ''The Huntress and The Sphinx'', ''The Thief of Hermes'',  and ''Prophecy of Darkness.'' The series has also figured in many doctoral theses, including a thesis by French/American scholar, Dr. Anne Sweet, ''Girl Power Interrogated in Xena Warrior Princess and [[Charmed]], Social and Economic Issues at Play in the Politics of Gender''.<ref>{{Cite thesis|url=http://www.theses.fr/2014PA030159|title=Girl Power Interrogated in Xena Warrior Princess and Charmed, Social and Economic Issues at Play in the Politics of Gender|last=Sweet|first=Anne|website=theses.fr|date=December 10, 2014|type=These de doctorat}}</ref>

===Comics===
There have been a number of [[Xena: Warrior Princess (comics)|comic adaptations]]. The earliest ones were released by [[Topps Comics]] and [[Dark Horse Comics]] (written by [[Ian Edginton]] and [[John Wagner]]). More recently the license has moved to [[Dynamite Entertainment]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dynamiteentertainment.com/htmlfiles/c-Xena.html |title=More Xena... |website=Dynamite Entertainment.com |date=2009 |access-date=November 1, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090516231600/http://www.dynamiteentertainment.com/htmlfiles/c-Xena.html |archive-date=May 16, 2009 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

===Role-playing game===
[[West End Games]] published the ''[[Hercules & Xena Roleplaying Game]]'' in 1998.

===Collectible card game===
[[Wizards of the Coast]] published the [[Xena: Warrior Princess (card game)|''Xena: Warrior Princess'' collectible card game]] in May 1998.

===Video games===
* [[Simutronics|Simutronics Corporation]] created an [[MMORPG]] under license called ''Hercules & Xena: Alliance of Heroes'', based on both ''Xena: Warrior Princess'' and ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys''. In subsequent years—after the two series left first run—Simutronics relinquished the license, removed trademarked material and rebranded the game as ''Alliance of Heroes.'' With a dwindling player base, the game was closed down on November 2, 2015.
* [[Electronic Arts]] published [[Xena: Warrior Princess (video game)|''Xena: Warrior Princess'']] video game for the [[PlayStation (console)|PS1]] in 1999. Played from a third-person perspective, the game play involves slashing, jumping, and kicking through a variety of primitive 3D environments. Xena can also find and use power-ups and her trademark chakram. Once thrown, the chakram becomes a first-person weapon to guide toward enemies.
* [[Saffire (company)|Saffire]] published ''[[Xena: Warrior Princess: The Talisman of Fate]]'' for the [[Nintendo 64]] console in 1999.
* ''Xena: Warrior Princess'' for the [[Game Boy Color]] was developed and released by [[Titus Software]] in 2000.
* ''Xena: Warrior Princess: Death in Chains'', a multi-path video game for the [[IBM PC compatible|PC]] adapted from and expanding upon the television episode of the same name, although none of the original actors provide their voices.
* ''Xena: Warrior Princess: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun'', another multi-path video game for the PC, again adapted from and expanding upon the television episode of the same name, again without the original voice actors.
* ''Xena: Warrior Princess'' for the [[PlayStation 2|PS2]] only released in Europe.
* On May 16, 2024, [[Zen Studios]] released a digital pinball table inspired by the series as part of the Universal Pinball: TV Classics downloadable content for ''[[Pinball FX (2023 video game)|Pinball FX]]''.  The other 2 tables in the pack were based on other well-known nostalgic hit NBCUniversal TV shows, [[Knight Rider (1982 TV series)|''Knight Rider'']] and ''[[Battlestar Galactica]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-04 |title=The Universal Pinball: TV Classics pack is coming to Pinball FX! |url=https://zenstudios.com/news/the-universal-pinball-tv-classics-pack-is-coming-to-pinball-fx/ |access-date=2024-06-18 |website=Zen Studios Ltd. |language=en-US}}</ref>

===VHS releases===
[[Universal Pictures|Universal]] released seasons 1–6 on VHS in 1999–2001.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Xena-Warrior-Princess-Season-Video/dp/B000063J6H/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1409162173&sr=8-5&keywords=xena+vhs |title=Xena Warrior Princess - Season One Video Set [VHS]|website=Amazon.com |date=January 6, 1999|access-date=September 29, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Xena-Warrior-Princess-Season-Video/dp/B000063J8P/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1409162173&sr=8-4&keywords=xena+vhs |title=Xena Warrior Princess - Season Two Video Set [VHS] |website=Amazon.com |date=January 8, 1999 |access-date=September 29, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Xena-Warrior-Princess-Season-Three/dp/B000063J8Q/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1409162173&sr=8-7&keywords=xena+vhs |title=Xena Warrior Princess - Season Three Video Set [VHS] |website=Amazon.com |date=January 10, 1999 |access-date=September 29, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Xena-Warrior-Princess-Season-Video/dp/B000063J8R/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1409162173&sr=8-9&keywords=xena+vhs |title=Xena Warrior Princess - Season Four Video Set [VHS] |website=Amazon.com |date=January 6, 2000 |access-date=September 29, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Xena-Warrior-Princess-Season-Video/dp/B000063J8S/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1409162173&sr=8-11&keywords=xena+vhs |title=Xena Warrior Princess - Season Five Video Set [VHS] |website=Amazon.com |date=January 8, 2000 |access-date=September 29, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Xena-Warrior-Princess-Season-Video/dp/B000063J8T/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1409162173&sr=8-3&keywords=xena+vhs |title=Xena Warrior Princess - Season Six Video Set [VHS] |website=Amazon.com |date=January 4, 2001 |access-date=September 29, 2014}}</ref>

===DVD releases===
[[Anchor Bay Entertainment]] released all 6 seasons of ''Xena: Warrior Princess'' on DVD in Region 1 between 2003 and 2005, with a wide range of extras. As of 2010, these releases have been discontinued.

On January 12, 2010, [[Universal Pictures Home Entertainment|Universal Studios Home Entertainment]] announced plans to re-release ''Xena: Warrior Princess'' on DVD. They have subsequently re-released all six seasons. A complete series set was released on May 17, 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Xena-Warrior-Princess-Season-6-and-Complete-Series/22024 |title=Xena: Warrior Princess DVD news: Announcement for Season 6 and for The Complete Series |website=TVShowsOnDVD.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160225073021/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Xena-Warrior-Princess-Season-6-and-Complete-Series/22024 |archive-date=February 25, 2016 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In Region 2 & 4, [[Universal Pictures]] released the entire series on DVD. In addition, a complete series collection was released on DVD in Region 2 on October 8, 2007.

Region 4 DVD:

* Season 1: Part 1 and Season 1: Part 2 on 4 February 2002 (Slipbox with 3 Amaray Cases)
* Season 2: Part 1 and Season 2: Part 2 on 3 October 2002 (Slipbox with 3 Amaray Cases)
* Season 3 on 27 June 2003 (Slipbox with 25mm Amaray Case)
* Season 4, Season 5 and Season 6 on 27 July 2004 (Slipbox with 25mm Amaray Case)
* On 10 October 2005, each season were reissued into Parts 1 & 2 in standard DVD cases
* Seasons 1-6 (Limited Edition Collector's Bag on 14 November 2006.
* The Ultimate Collection on 11 October 2018

==Reception==
{{See also|Xena: Warrior Princess in popular culture}}

===Critical response===
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the first season has a rating of 89%, based on 9 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Lucy Lawless exudes steely charisma in ''Xena: Warrior Princess'', a swashbuckling actioner that transcends its origin as a spinoff and becomes a fully realized saga in its own right."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Xena: Warrior Princess: Season 1|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/xena_warrior_princess/s01|access-date=January 29, 2021|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref> [[Ken Tucker]] of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', giving the season a B+: "Xena is [[Wonder Woman]] on steroids, and Lawless — with her dark bangs, moon face, light blue eyes, and small, grim smiles — plays the warrior princess with barely concealed delight."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/1995/11/24/xena-warrior-princess/|title=Xena: Warrior Princess|last=Tucker|first=Ken|author-link=Ken Tucker|date=November 24, 1995|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=February 23, 2022}}</ref>

===Awards===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! width="5%" | Year
! width="25%"| Association
! width="35%"| Category
! width="25%"| Nominated artist/work
! width="10%"| Result
|-
|rowspan=3|1997
|[[ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards]]
|Most Performed Underscore
|[[Joseph LoDuca]]
| {{won}}
|-
|[[Primetime Emmy Award]]s<ref name=XEmmys>{{cite web |url=http://www.emmys.com/site-search?search_api_views_fulltext=xena&items_per_page=10 |title=Site Search |website=Emmys.com |access-date=November 17, 2018}}</ref>
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series|Outstanding Music Composition for a Series]]
|[[Joseph LoDuca]] ("Destiny")
| {{nom}}
|-
|[[23rd Saturn Awards|Saturn Awards]]
|Best Genre TV Actress
|[[Lucy Lawless]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=4|1998
|ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards
|Most Performed Underscore
|[[Joseph LoDuca]]
| {{won}}
|-
|New Zealand Film and TV Awards
|Best Contribution to Design
|[[Ngila Dickson]] (costume designer)
|{{won}}
|-
|rowspan=2|[[Primetime Emmy Award]]s<ref name=XEmmys />
|rowspan=2|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics|Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics]]
|"The Love of Your Love" – [[Joseph LoDuca]] (composer/lyricist)
| {{nom}}
|-
|"Hearts Are Hurting" – [[Joseph LoDuca]] (composer), Dennis Spiegel (lyricist)
| {{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=2|1999
|ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards
|Most Performed Underscore
|[[Joseph LoDuca]]
| {{won}}
|-
|[[Primetime Emmy Award]]s<ref name=XEmmys />
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series|Outstanding Music Composition for a Series]]
|[[Joseph LoDuca]] ("Devi")
| {{nom}}
|-
|rowspan=2|2000
|ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards
|Most Performed Underscore
|[[Joseph LoDuca]]
| {{won}}
|-
|[[Primetime Emmy Award]]s<ref name=XEmmys />
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series|Outstanding Music Composition for a Series]]
|[[Joseph LoDuca]] ("Fallen Angel")
| {{won}}
|-
|rowspan=2|2001
|ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards
|Most Performed Underscore
|[[Joseph LoDuca]]
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[Primetime Emmy Award]]s<ref name=XEmmys />
| rowspan="2" |[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series|Outstanding Music Composition for a Series]]
|[[Joseph LoDuca]] ("The Rheingold")
| {{nom}}
|-
|2002
|[[Joseph LoDuca]] ("A Friend in Need, Part II")
| {{nom}}
|}

===U.S. ratings===
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2"|Season !!Highest U.S. ratings !!Network !!Rank
|-
| 1 || 1995–1996     ||6.1 million  ||[[Broadcast syndication|Syndication]] ||#12
|-
| 2 || 1996–1997     ||7.8 million  ||Syndication  ||#7
|-
| 3 || 1997–1998     ||6.6 million  ||Syndication  ||#9
|-
| 4 || 1998–1999     ||4.9 million  ||Syndication  ||#13
|-
| 5 || 1999–2000     ||4.1 million  ||Syndication  ||#2
|-
| 6 || 2000–2001     ||3.9 million  ||Syndication  ||#2<ref name="XenaRatings">{{cite web |url=http://www.whoosh.org/epguide/misc/ratings-xwp-episode.html |title=Xena Episodes Ratings |website=Whoosh.org |access-date=November 1, 2013}}{{unreliable source?|date=February 2012}}</ref>
|}

===Influence on the lesbian community===
[[File:Xena and Gabrielle kiss.jpg|alt=On the left is a tall black haired woman, dressed in leather. She is bending down to kiss a young, slightly shorter, blonde haired woman.|thumb|220px|right|[[Xena]] kissing [[Gabrielle (Xena: Warrior Princess)|Gabrielle]] in the [[Xena: Warrior Princess (season 2)#Episodes|Season 2]] episode "The Quest".]]
''Xena'' has enjoyed a particular cult status in the [[lesbian community]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hanmer |first=Rosalind |date=2014-07-04 |title="Xenasubtexttalk": The impact on the lesbian fan community through its online reading and writing of lesbian fan fiction in relation to the television series Xena: Warrior Princess |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14680777.2012.754778 |journal=Feminist Media Studies |language=en |volume=14 |issue=4 |pages=608–622 |doi=10.1080/14680777.2012.754778 |issn=1468-0777}}</ref> Some of the lesbian [[fan (aficionado)|fan]] base see Xena and Gabrielle as a couple and have embraced them as role models and lesbian icons.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afterellen.com/TV/xena.html |title=Xena and Gabrielle: Lesbian Icons |website=AfterEllen.com |access-date=October 31, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061019015939/http://www.afterellen.com/TV/xena.html |archive-date=October 19, 2006}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.girlmuseum.org/project/warrior-princess/|title=Girl Power Revisited: Xena, The Warrior Princesses' Heroic Legacy|last=Sweet|first=Anne|website=Girl Museum}}</ref> Xena's popularity was successfully utilized by [[Subaru]] when trying to establish a healthy base of lesbian customers: one ad had a car with the license plate "XENA LVR" (Xena lover).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/06/how-subarus-came-to-be-seen-as-cars-for-lesbians/488042/ |last1=Mayyasi |first1=Alex |title=How Subarus Came to Be Seen as Cars for Lesbians |date=June 22, 2016 |magazine=[[The Atlantic]] |access-date=March 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20180304123732/https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/06/how-subarus-came-to-be-seen-as-cars-for-lesbians/488042/ |archive-date=March 4, 2018 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

A subject of much interest and debate among viewers is the question of whether Xena and Gabrielle are lovers.<ref name="xena">{{cite web |last= Young |first= Cathy |url= http://www.cathyyoung.net/features/whatweowexena.html |title=What We Owe Xena |website=Cathy Young |date=September 15, 2005 |access-date=September 29, 2009}}</ref><ref name="leonard">{{cite web |url=http://archive.salon.com/july97/21st/xena970703.html |title=Who Owns Xena? |last=Leonard |first=Andrew |date=July 3, 1997 |work=Salon Magazine |access-date=January 2, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060719053422/http://archive.salon.com/july97/21st/xena970703.html |archive-date=July 19, 2006}}</ref> The issue is left deliberately ambiguous by the writers. Jokes, innuendo, and other subtle evidence of a romantic relationship between Xena and Gabrielle is referred to as "lesbian subtext" or simply "[[subtext]]" by fans.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="leonard"/><ref>{{Citation |last=RANDELL-MOON |first=HOLLY EVA KATHERINE |title=QUEERYING SUBTEXT AND FANDOM IN XENA |date=2019-12-01 |work=Queerbaiting and Fandom |pages=112–117 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvrs8xtj.14 |access-date=2024-11-03 |publisher=University of Iowa Press|doi=10.2307/j.ctvrs8xtj.14 }}</ref> The issue of the true nature of the Xena/Gabrielle relationship caused intense "[[Shipping (fandom)|shipping]]" debates in ''Xena'' fandom, which turned especially impassioned due to spillover from real-life debates about [[same-sex sexuality]] and [[gay rights]].<ref name=xena/>

Many fans felt that the sexual nature of Xena and Gabrielle's relationship was cemented by an interview given by [[Lucy Lawless]] to ''Lesbian News'' magazine in 2003. Lawless stated that after the series finale, where Gabrielle revives Xena with a mouth-to-mouth water transfer filmed to look like a full kiss, she had come to believe that Xena and Gabrielle's relationship was "definitely gay". "There was always a, 'Well, she might be or she might not be' but when there was that drip of water passing between their lips in the very final scene, that cemented it for me. Now it wasn't just that Xena was [[Bisexuality|bisexual]] and kinda liked her gal pal and they kind of fooled around sometimes, it was 'Nope, they're married, man'."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lucylawless.info/articles/lesnews03/index.html |title=Lucy Lawless |work=Lesbian News |date=January 2003 |volume=28 |number=6 |access-date=October 31, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030627055431/http://lucylawless.info/articles/lesnews03/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 27, 2003 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

The ''Xena'' fandom also popularized the term [[wikt:altfic|altfic]] (from "alternative fiction") to refer to same-sex romantic [[fan fiction]].<ref name="Lo">{{Cite web |last=Lo |first=Malinda |date=January 4, 2006 |url=http://www.afterellen.com/Print/2006/1/fanfiction.html |title=Fan Fiction Comes Out of the Closet |website=[[AfterEllen.com]] |access-date=July 19, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080117044113/http://www.afterellen.com/Print/2006/1/fanfiction.html |archive-date=January 17, 2008}}</ref>

===Costume donation===
[[File:Otakon 100 1973 (15974418643).jpg|thumb|Xena cosplayer in an outfit similar to the one in the series]]
In 2006, Lucy Lawless donated her personal Xena costume to the [[National Museum of American History]].<ref name="smithsonianmag">{{cite magazine |first=Katy |last=June-Friesen |date=November 2006 |title=Q&A: Lucy Lawless |url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/qampa-lucy-lawless-136997575/?no-ist |magazine=[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian]] |publisher=Smithsonian Institution |location=Washington, D.C. |page=44 |quote=Lucy Lawless, star of 'Xena: Warrior Princess', which aired from 1995–2001, has given her signature costume to the Museum of American History.}}</ref> In an interview the same year with ''[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian]]'' magazine, she was asked the question "Was the Warrior Princess outfit comfortable?" and responded:

{{blockquote|Not at first, because they would put boning in the [[corset]]. It would cover up those little floating ribs that are so important for breathing, so I'd feel like I was having panic attacks. But it just became a second skin after a while. It was very functional, once I got over the modesty factor. I admit to being a little bit embarrassed the first couple weeks because I'd never worn anything so short.<ref name="smithsonianmag"/>}}

===Uber and Uberfic===
[[Uberfic]] is a variety of [[fan fiction]] in which the characters live in an [[Alternative universe (fan fiction)|alternate universe]]. The characters and events are true to the original [[Canon (fiction)|canon]], but usually in a different time period, often as the [[ancestor]]s, [[Kinship|descendant]]s, or [[reincarnation]]s of canon characters. The term originated in ''Xena'' fandom. [[Uberfic|Uber]] was employed several times in the series, beginning with the second-season episode "The Xena Scrolls", in which the descendants of Xena, Gabrielle and Joxer meet up at an archeological dig in 1940 and unwittingly release Ares from his tomb.<ref name="lunacy">{{cite web |url=http://lunacyreviews.com/terms.shtm#Uber-Xena |title=Definitions |date=February 26, 2006 |work=Lunacy Reviews |access-date=February 4, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070127090906/http://www.lunacyreviews.com/terms.shtm#Uber-Xena |archive-date=January 27, 2007}}</ref>

==Cancelled reboot==
On July 20, 2015, it was reported that [[NBC]] was developing a ''Xena'' reboot series, with Raimi and Tapert returning as executive producers, with the show's debut sometime in 2016. Insiders also requested that Lawless return to the series as Xena, as well as take up a role in the show's production.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/xena-warrior-princess-reboot-nbc-809355 |title='Xena: Warrior Princess' Reboot in the Works at NBC |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |last=Goldberg |first=Lesley |date=July 20, 2015}}</ref> A day later, Lawless tweeted that the reboot was a rumor.<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=RealLucyLawless |number=623257522980286464 |title=Sorry, friends! news of a #Xena reboot is just a rumor... |date=July 20, 2015 |access-date=July 21, 2015}}</ref> On August 13, 2015, [[NBC Entertainment]] chairman [[Bob Greenblatt]] confirmed the reboot was in development.<ref name="Lovett"/> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' announced that [[Javier Grillo-Marxuach]] would serve as writer and producer for the reboot.<ref name="Hibberd"/>

In a post on [[Tumblr]], Grillo-Marxuach stated that they would be "fully exploring a relationship that could only be shown subtextually in first-run syndication in the 1990s,"<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://okbjgm.tumblr.com/post/140591060316/do-you-think-the-fans-reaction-to-lexas-death |title=Do you think the fans reaction to Lexa's death will ... have effect on your writing for future projects like Xena? |last=Grillo-Marxuach |first=Javier |date=March 6, 2016 |website=Grillo-Marxuach Design Bureau |publisher=Tumblr |access-date=March 25, 2016}}</ref> which several websites such as ''[[The Guardian]]''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2016/mar/15/xena-lesbian-warrior-princess-have-the-rules-of-tv-just-been-rewritten |title=Xena: Lesbian Warrior Princess – have the rules of TV just been rewritten? |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=March 15, 2016 |access-date=March 15, 2016}}</ref> and ''[[Newsweek]]''<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |url=http://www.newsweek.com/xena-will-be-out-and-proud-lesbian-tv-reboot-hints-writer-436483 |title=Xena Will be Out and Proud Lesbian in Reboot, Hints Writer |last=Tufayel |first=Ahmad |date=March 14, 2016 |website=[[Newsweek]] |access-date=March 15, 2016}}</ref> took to mean "Xena will be an out and proud lesbian."<ref name=":0" /> These articles resulted in frustration from fans regarding the [[bisexual erasure|erasure]] of Xena's apparent bisexuality; Grillo-Marxuach said "it feels like - from a few sentences - everyone has already made up their mind about what it is I am doing. I would prefer people be surprised by the story."<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://okbjgm.tumblr.com/post/141384938616/do-you-think-any-network-is-really-brave-enough-to |title=Do you think any network is really brave enough to green light a show with a queer lead from the get-go? |last=Grillo-Marxuach |first=Javier |date=March 20, 2016 |website=Tumblr }}</ref> In April 2017, Grillo-Marxuach announced that he had left the project because of "insurmountable creative differences."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Arrant |first1=Chris |title=NBC's Xena: Warrior Princess Reboot Loses Showrunner |url=http://www.newsarama.com/33896-nbc-s-xena-warrior-princess-reboot-loses-showrunner.html |access-date=May 30, 2017 |work=[[Newsarama]] |date=April 5, 2017}}</ref>

On August 21, 2017, [[NBC]] announced that it had cancelled its plans for the reboot. NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke said, "I'd never say never on that one because it's such a beloved title but the current incarnation of it is dead."<ref>{{cite magazine |last=King |first=Eric |title=NBC scraps Xena: Warrior Princess reboot |url=http://ew.com/tv/2017/08/21/nbc-scraps-xena-warrior-princess-reboot/ |access-date=August 22, 2017 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=August 21, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Goldberg |first=Lesley |title='Xena: Warrior Princess' Reboot Dead at NBC |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/xena-warrior-princess-reboot-dead-at-nbc-1031380 |access-date=August 22, 2017 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=August 21, 2017}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{commons}}
* {{IMDb title|0112230}}

{{Portal bar|Fantasy|Television|1990s|2000s}}
{{xenaverse|state=expanded}}
{{Authority control}}

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