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- "I use my rite to challenge! [Gabrielle suddenly grabs the royal scepter from Varia, and snaps it in half.] You are not queen, Varia, until you defeat me!"
- — Gabrielle challenges Varia to a royal duel
The Amazon Royal Challenge or simply royal challenge was the ancient tradition of a fight to the death between the Amazon Queen and the challenger. The challenge can only be issued by a fellow Amazon of a royal bloodline. The Amazon who issued the challenge is able to choose the weapons or her "champion" (in other words, someone else to fight for them, Amazon or otherwise).
The challenge is also a compulsory punishment for those who have committed a second offence against an Amazon.
Description[]
Amazon High Queen Varia and Telaquire Amazon Queen Gabrielle in a hand-to-hand royal combat
Once issued, the challenge becomes binding, and it could take the form of a physical fight or duel to the death with the usage of certain weapons or hand-to-hand combat, and the victor was considered a new rightful leader of their respective tribe or the high queen of the re-unified Nation itself and entitled to decide the fate of the losing party by killing them in what was considered fair and square combat or having them accept their defeat in order to survive and be pardoned. The challenge generally takes place on a training ground immediately after it was issued, and fellow Amazons are permitted to witness the duel. The challenge cannot be interrupted by the third party without endangering themself and the guilty party, and the challenge being considered a void. The challenge was officially concluded by the victory proclamation by the tribunal and a ritualistic-like coronation ceremony of a new queen that followed the event.
Despite their victory in a royal challenge and being considered a new rightful leader of their respective tribe, it could still be rendered void by the revelation of the last surviving heir presumptive to the throne of the previous Amazon queen in a line of succession. In addition to it, despite their failure in a royal duel, the potentially surviving losing party could retain their respective royal title and rights in a bloodline, such as that of a princess or queen mother, and could become entitled and able to re-issue a challenge and even inherit their Rite of Caste as the new rightful leader of the tribe upon the death or abdication of the previous queen.
History[]
- "Help me, and I'll make you the Destroyer of Nations."
- — Alti to Xena
Alti and Xena in the Amazon Land of the Dead, in "Adventures in the Sin Trade"
Following their brief alliance, Alti and Xena begin to compose a plan to gain the trust of the Amazons, namely their leader, Cyane. Xena sneaks into the Amazon camp and finds the Queen's hut, where Cyane is receiving a massage. Xena spies on the Amazon Queen from the secrecy of the roof of the hut, when the roof suddenly gives way and almost falls on Cyane. Cyane's high ability of reflexes help her realize that the roof is about to fall and moves out of the way in time. A naked Cyane uses her skill and quick hands to remove Xena's clothing and applying it to herself. Xena hastily wraps a cloth around herself and escapes from the hut. Despite still being partially crippled from Ceasar crucifying her, she moves quickly through the forest, evading the highly-skilled Queen. While Xena hobbles through the forest, Cyane glides through the trees like a primate. She eventually catches Xena and attempts to kill her, before being stopped by Borias. When he tells her that Xena is with him, she questions his motives: she was convinced that he was there to a form an alliance. She tells him that her instincts are telling her not to trust him and Xena, but he convinces her that he would never betray her trust. Once she lets Xena go, Borias tells her that it was stupid to try and assassinate Cyane, as it almost destroyed the shots at defeating the Amazons successfully. Xena reveals that she wants to gain her trust, as she wants to learn some of her moves and skills.
Xena stays with Cyane for a while. The two form a friendship, but not anything strong. She tells Xena that she should leave Borias, as he is trying to change. She warns her that if she stays with him, she will end up killing him. Cyane offers Xena into the Amazon tribe, but she denies acceptance, claiming that it is not the sort of life for her. Cyane then confirms that she and the Amazons had in fact, by that time, allied with Xena and Borias. Not long after that, Borias gave his orphan girl, Otere, to the Amazons to raise. When Alti learnt that Xena had been offered into the Amazons, she was defiant towards Xena not joining, trying to convince her that she is more matched with her than with the Amazons. She tried to convince Xena to side with her as opposed to the Amazons by explaining that she can give her great spiritual power to lead a fearsome army, strong enough to defeat Julius Caesar and even take Rome and Greece. She told her that she must first destroy the Amazons, but before Xena has a chance to decide, Cyane interrupts and takes part in a spiritual duel with Alti. Cyane wins and cripples Alti, as she explains to Xena (who is in awe of her) that if she were to join the Amazons, she would find life, yet acting with Alti would lead to death. The thought of power and was seemingly irresistible to Xena, as she sides with Alti and kills the entire Amazon tribe - including Cyane - once again causing Borias another lost chance at making an ally. As Alti collects Cyane's blood for her rituals, Xena is told by her that her day will come and she will become the "Destroyer of Nations."
Occasions[]
| Challenger | Amazon Queen | Date | Place | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telaquire Princess Velasca | Telaquire Queen Melosa | Pre-Year 1 | Telaquire Amazon village, Greece | Velasca offered the royal challenge to Melosa but was defeated and left the tribe to become a rogue warrior in the meantime. |
| Year 2 | Velasca offered the royal challenge to Melosa who accepted. Velasca won and Melosa was killed in what was considered a fair combat. | |||
| Gabrielle | Telaquire Queen Melosa | Year 1 | Telaquire Amazon village, Greece | Gabrielle offered the royal challenge to Melosa by the virtue of her Rite of Caste and named Xena as her champion, who chose for them to use a pair of chobos as her weapon. Xena won the fight, but refused to kill Melosa. Following their departure from the tribe, Melosa resumed her reign as the rightful leader of the Telaquire Amazons. |
| High Queen Varia | Unknown, 472 B.C. | Greek Amazon valley, Hyperus, Greece | Gabrielle offered the royal challenge to Varia who accepted due to the virtue of her Rite of Caste, however, she was nearly killed by Varia and lost the duel. | |
| Joxer | Northern Queen Gabrielle | Year 5 | Northern Amazon village, Siberia | After Joxer was caught spying on the Amazons while bathing and was later caught kissing Rhea (an Amazon), he was forced to participate in the Royal Challenge with Gabrielle. Gabrielle once again chose Xena as her champion and she made it seem as if Joxer was dead, but in fact it was all an act to get Joxer off the hook. |
Trivia[]
- In the XWP Season 1 episode "Hooves and Harlots", it was revealed that only a fellow Amazon of royal blood was entitled and able to challenge for the leadership of their respective tribe as its rightful queen. In addition to it, it was later revealed in the XWP Season 6 premiere episode "Coming Home" that a fellow Amazon queen of a different tribe was still entitled and able to challenge for the leadership of a certain tribe and even potentially unite the two tribes under a single leadership.
- Unlike most fight scenes between two actors, there were no stunt doubles used in the fight between Renée O'Connor (Gabrielle) and Tsianina Joelson (Varia). Most actors coming onto the show aren't capable of doing a fight scene safely, so they put them with a stuntie whenever possible.
- After Xena suggests that she be the one to fight Varia in Gabrielle's place, Gabrielle tells her "It doesn't work that way..." This statement has been known to be false, as twice before Gabrielle has chosen Xena to fight for her. In Season Five's "Kindred Spirits" to fight Joxer, and in Season One's "Hooves and Harlots" when she challenged Queen Melosa. However, both events occured in two different tribes before they all merged in to one and the rules may have changed.