Zoe Warren-Washburne

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Oh, Zoe. Firefly creator Joss Whedon is amazingly adept at creating strong, dynamic female characters, and of course one aspect of those characters is their love lives. Typically in Joss’ works, however, those love lives are a mess. You’re either having to skewer your vampire boyfriend to save the world, or you’re falling for that charming British gent just in time for your soul to be obli... read more

Zoe Warren-Washburne is the First Officer and good right arm of Captain Mal Reynolds, whom she fought with and under in the War against the Alliance. She and Mal were the only two from his outfit who came out of the bloody Battle of Serenity Valley alive. She, like Mal, is and always will be a Brown Coat, as the rebels were called. They live under Alliance Unification but don't much care for it and avoid it as much as they can. She's not even interested in visiting the best Alliance city, even if it has sunsets every hour of the day.

Zoe is point man (and she wouldn't take feminist offense to that term). She is the tactical expert. She can look at a situation and size it up with amazing accuracy. She knows the strong points and weak points of a situation, but follows Mal into battle right along his right side after he ignores her gifted and insightful counsel. She's an accurate shot. She's braver than a whole platoon of men and she's just as loco as Mal.

Zoe uses the disciplined and official military term 'Sir' when talking with Mal, out of respect for him, even though she knows he can sometimes be wrong, but she'll follow him into Hell's fires if he asks her to, although not without a verbal debate on the matter from her tactical side. She has her say; he arbitrarily ignores her and she goes right in to cover his flank.

She once counseled Mal not to hire Wash as pilot because she didn't like him. Then Mal has to order her not to marry Wash, whom she's fallen in love with, and she promptly ignores his 'illegal' orders, doing as she knows best.

She will countermand Mal's orders to the crew if she thinks he's wrong and then apologizes for doing that and promises never to do it again. Mal shrugs it off and knows she will do it again when she knows what's best (and he expects it -- no, demands it)!

She's also not shy about totally embarrassing Mal if the opportunity arises, but only in front of his closest crew members. Even under the threat of washing latrines with her face for a month.

Zoe can give you a drop dead poker face if she wants to or crack a smile if needed. She won't say a word or flinch, even if someone is slicing off the ear of someone near and dear to her, because it's not tactically sound and there are better ways to even the playing field.

Zoe is the ultimate chess player. The ultimate poker champ. And she's very good at Chinese Checkers.

The only time you see her soft side is when she's alone with hubby Wash or having fun taunting Mal, who stands there with his foot in his mouth.

If you go up against Mal, though, expect to find Zoe's hand near her sawed-off rifle (which is very much like the Winchester used by Steve McQueen in the TV series "Wanted Dead Or Alive" -- which, interestingly enough, was a Malcolm Enterprise Production, Malcolm being her Captain's first name), her favorite choice of weapon, holstered off her right hip and leg. She also sports a variety of back-up hand guns as well as a pump-action shotgun.

After the ill-fated Battle of Serenity, Mal lost all his faith and belief, but Zoe never stopped believing in Mal (although she will question why he paid money for the 'Gozah' Firefly junk heap he brought her into as First Officer: "You paid money for this, Sir? On purpose!?") and as a believer she is hard to contend with in a fight.

She is to Mal what Doc Holiday was to Wyatt Earp.