Xena is the protagonist of the story, and the series depicts her on a quest to redeem herself from her dark past by using her formidable fighting skills to help people.

[2] The original choice to play Xena was British actress Vanessa Angel, but she became ill and had to decline the role.

[3] Lawless had several mishaps playing the character due to the stunts (some of which she performed herself), such as getting cut by swords, being struck in the head, and horse-related incidents.

[4] Bruce Campbell, Rose McIver, Hudson Leick, and Ted Raimi also portrayed Xena in various episodes as a result of "body-swap" plotlines.

[6] In "The Gauntlet", her army turns against her, believing that she has become weak after she stops her lieutenant, Darphus, from killing a child in a sacked village.

Inspired by Hercules' integrity, and by the fact that he too lost family and yet chooses to fight in their honor, she decides to join him and defeat her old army.

[7] In "Unchained Heart", the two share a brief romantic relationship before Xena decides to leave and start making amends for her past.

[8] Several years prior to the series pilot, "Sins of the Past", Xena commits numerous deeds from terrorism to piracy and murder; at one point, she becomes known as the "Destroyer of Nations".

Caesar has Xena beaten and crucified (with her legs broken) on a beach to die of exposure, but she is saved by an Egyptian slave girl named M'Lila.

During her pregnancy, Xena travels with her army to China, where she hopes to build an alliance with the powerful Lao family.

Lao Ma gives Xena the metaphorical title "Warrior Princess", intending that she be a major catalyst for change in the land.

Soon after the start of her journeys with Gabrielle, Xena runs into Ares, who has known her since her warlord days and he tries to seduce her into joining him as his Warrior Queen, which she repeatedly thwarts.

[12] She also encounters a formidable warrior woman named Callisto, whose family was killed by Xena's army years ago and has since vowed her revenge.

Xena arrives too late to save her mentor and friend Lao Ma from being tortured to death by her own son, the emperor Ming T'ien and is crushed with the loss.

[17] They are later revived by a mystic named Eli, along with the spiritual aid of Callisto, who became a demon and then an angel after Xena killed her.

Before Eve is born, Callisto the angel implants her soul in Xena's unborn baby as a way to redeem herself from her past.

To stop the gods from pursuing the infant Eve, Xena and Gabrielle fake their deaths,[19] but their plan goes awry when Ares buries them in an ice cave, where they sleep for 25 years.

[23] Xena's quest for redemption ends when she sacrifices herself to kill the Japanese demon Yodoshi, who is holding the souls of the dead.

Xena decides to stay dead so the souls of the 40,000 she accidentally killed years ago can be released into a state of peace.

Another is a transcriber of ancient languages named Melinda Pappas who uncovers the tomb of Ares during WWII and is possessed by the spirit of Xena to stop the God of War.

She has remarkable skill and prowess in hand-to-hand combat, displaying numerous acrobatic tricks and the ability to disable or otherwise kill multiple opponents at once.

[26] Xena can skillfully deflect the chakram off the surfaces it strikes, allowing her to hit multiple targets in one throw.

In the video game League of Legends, the character Sivir has a skin titled "Warrior Princess" that resembles Xena.

A statue of Xena made an appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, confirmed by the film's director Sam Raimi.

However, the statue did not indicate any bigger relation to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and only served as a fun easter egg with no narrative subtext.

[38] In a 2003 interview with Lesbian News magazine, Lawless stated that after the series finale, she had come to believe that Xena and Gabrielle's relationship was "Gay.

[41] Xena: Warrior Princess has been referred to as a pop cultural phenomenon, sex symbol, and feminist and lesbian/bisexual icon.

By helping to pave the way for female action heroes in television and film, Xena also strengthened the stunt woman profession.

[45] David Eick, one of the co-developers of Xena, was the executive producer of Battlestar Galactica,[46] which also features strong female characters and Lucy Lawless in a recurring role.

I admit to being a little bit embarrassed the first couple weeks because I'd never worn anything so short.In 2004, Xena was listed at number 100 in Bravo's 100 Greatest TV Characters.