By the time Lucy Lawless made her debut as Xena in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, she’d already had a few appearances in other roles. In those, bearing fiery eyes that fit the mythological adventure setting, the New Zealand actress was an unmistakable presence. But after taking on a role originally meant for another actress, that of Xena herself, few could’ve predicted that she’d not only soon get a spinoff show, but that it would eclipse the renown of the original series. Thirty years after it premiered, Lawless has become an icon, and Xena: Warrior Princess has evolved into a TV classic.
The women on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys ran the gamut from temptresses to damsels, goddesses to witches. Fw could go toe-to-toe with Hercules, who was destined to nearly always emerge on top. But Kevin Sorbo, inhabiting Hercules with jockish aplomb, met his match in the form of Lawless’ Xena. She nearly bests Hercules in combat, and she definitely overtakes him in sheer personality. Initially an unscrupulous, warmongering villain, she’d be turned into a fan-favorite hero over the course of a few episodes. So when Xena: Warrior Princess begins, she’s on a new quest to make amends.
