Rupert Giles is the Slayer's watcher. A watcher is the person assigned to the slayer when they are called. They train, teach and become their mentor. Giles has become over the years a lot more than just Buffy's watcher. He's become like a father to her and they are very close and at times can be distant, just like father and daughters can be. He was fired from his post as watcher in season 3 because he told Buffy about a test that he was putting her through on her 18th birthday and it was supposed to be secret. The watchers council felt that he had become too emotionally attached to his slayer. He was only reinstated as watcher in season 5 when Buffy demanded it to the watchers council. Giles also owned the magic shop from seasons 5 to 6 where he and Anya ran the shop and made lots of money!! When Buffy died Giles was heart broken and decided to return to England to see what life he had left there. He made Anya the chief partner in the Magic shop and left it up to her to run it. When Giles found out Buffy had been brought back from the dead he came straight away back to America. When he was back Buffy became more dependant on him and he felt that he had to leave her despite her protestations. He finally returned at the end of season 6 in order to help defeat and save Willow from the dark magic. He then spent half of season 7 in England and around the world trying to save all the potential slayers and avoid being killed! When he returned to Sunnydale things were slightly tenser with Buffy as they disagreed on many issues, especially her relationship with Spike. In the end all things were made good between watcher and Slayer and they ended up as close as ever before.
There is however another side to Giles, that of his youth. His nickname was Ripper and we glimpse this side of him in a few episodes when his old friend and enemy Ethan Rayne comes to sunnydale to seek him out. He was a rebel in his youth which is hard to see when he's so prim and proper these days. I love this side of Giles; it shows that he's not just some prim English man and that he is a force to be reckoned with! Giles has always been there for Buffy, usually supporting her in the choices she makes or pointing out when she's wrong. The bond between slayer and watcher is a tough one to break and they remain as close to father and daughter as possible.
Giles Quotes:
Season 1
"Because you are the Slayer. Into each generation a Slayer is born, one girl in all the world, a Chosen One, one born
with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires... "
"But that's the thrill of living on the Hellmouth! There's a veritable cornucopia of, of fiends and devils and, and ghouls to engage. Pardon me for finding the glass half full!"
Season 2
"I suggest that, uh, the explanation for her behavior may be something more, more mundane. She may simply have what you
Americans refer to as issues. "
Season 3
"Unbelievable. 'Do you like my mask? Isn't it pretty? It raises the *dead*!' Americans!"
Season 5
Oh, yes, dozens. There's an enormous amount of research we should do before - no, I'm lying. I haven't got squat,
I just like to see Xander squirm!"
Season 6
"That's why I'm going. As long as I stay you'll always turn to me if there's something comes up that you feel that
you can't handle, and I'll step in because, because ... Because I can't bear to see you suffer. "
Season 7
"Oh. That's very sweet. Now wait a minute—you think I'm evil... if I bring a group of girls on a camping trip and
don't touch them?"
Quotes said about Giles:
Xander: "Oh, eight minutes and thirty-three seconds, pay up. I called ten minutes before you'd consult your
books about something!"
Ethan: "Who you are? The Watcher, sniveling, tweed-clad guardian of the Slayer and her kin? I think not. I know who you are, Rupert, and I know what you're capable of. But they don't, do they? They have no idea where you come from."
Quentin: "Your affection for your charge has rendered you incapable of clear and impartial judgment. You have a father's love for the child, and that is useless to the cause. It would be best if you had no further contact with the Slayer."