THE BOXER REBELLION. BtVS Intertext/Allusion.
An uprising in China in 1900 led by members of a secret society called the Fists of Righteous Harmony. Foreigners called them “Boxers” because they practiced martial arts. Due to increasing foreign influence and power in China, the Boxers aimed to eradicate or expel foreigners. The rebellion spread from the countryside to the cities. Many people were killed. Eventually international troops arrived and put the rebellion down.
In “Fool for Love” Spike, Drusilla, Angel, and Darla are in China during the Boxer rebellion. Their presence in part reflects the exploitative element of what the Boxers described as the “foreign devils.” Moreover, the rebellion presents perfect conditions for vampires. Stimulated by the carnage and anarchy, Spike is in his element as he fights the Chinese Slayer. An explosion disturbs her, giving him the advantage, and he kills her. Exhilarated, he and Drusilla join Angel and Darla in the street. Drusilla describes the fear she smells as “intoxicating.” In contrast, Angel says, “The whole place reeks of it.”
In “Darla,” the Angel crossover episode with “Fool for Love,” Angel seeks another chance with Darla, and finds her in the midst of the rebellion. Now ensouled, he does not harm a missionary family he finds hiding. Subsequently, Darla challenges him to feed on the family’s baby. “I can’t” he says. Choosing compassion over aggression, he leaves with the baby. The Boxers hated the missionaries, so missionary families were particularly vulnerable to attack, and many went into hiding during the rebellion.