“Hey! I’m not under anybody’s shadow.”

Played by Leonard Roberts

First Appearance: The Initiative

A teaching assistant by day, a Government operative by night, Forrest Gates worked extensively with Riley Finn and Maggie Walsh as part of the Initiative, the underground complex operation that sought to control the ‘subhuman’ population in ways that involved mutilation, experimentation and imprisonment. Unlike Riley, Forrest took an almost immediately dislike not only to Buffy but her very mission statement: he hated that a girl could not only pollute the mind of his best friend but could also slay demons better than he could. He considered Buffy ‘subhuman’ herself, and on many occasions butted heads with the Slayer. After clashing with Riley for months on the subject, Forrest eventually became leader of his cadre of soldiers following Riley’s departure from the operation and during an encounter with Adam, which Buffy was also present for, Forrest was skewered and left dead at Buffy’s feet. It was Forrest’s death that led Riley to Adam’s side and ultimately Forrest confronted Riley one final time when he was resurrected as a human-demon hybrid in Adam’s service. Considering himself improved and superior, Forrest failed in his task of eliminating Riley and was destroyed when Riley shot a gas tanker that Forrest was holding when it exploded.

APPEARANCES

Buffy SEASON 4

• The Initiative
• Pangs
• Hush
• Doomed
• The I in Team
• Goodbye Iowa
• This Year’s Girl
• Who Are You
• Where the Wild Things Are
• New Moon Rising
• The Yoko Factor
• Primeval