Shax (Charmed)

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Shax
Charmed character
First appearance All Hell Breaks Loose
Last appearance Chris-Crossed
Created by Brad Kern
Portrayed by Michael Bailey Smith
Information
Species Upper Level Demon

The demon Shax appeared twice in the long-running fantasy WB drama series Charmed as the demonic, personal assassin of the Source of All Evil. He appears as an evil personification of the air, supernaturally appearing and disappearing in sudden gusts of wind, and killing his targets with large blasts of wind energy summoned in his hands. Shax is best known for killing Prue and ending the original Charmed Ones.

Character history

In the series, Shax was assigned to kill a doctor who was destined to do great good and was under the Charmed Ones protection. He first attacked the Charmed Ones, Prue and Piper Halliwell whilst Phoebe was searching for the vanquish spell. He beat them, but didn't manage to kill either of them due to Phoebes' timely appearance with the spell, chanting it herself. Sadly, the spell required the Power of Three and only injured Shax. Prue and Piper follow him outside and get attacked again, but Piper blows him up. They are not sure if he is vanquished however. Unfortunately, for the Charmed Ones, the vanquishing was filmed by a local news reporter who streamed the footage live onto television screens across San Francisco. The world turns their attention to the Witches who have to deal with that and Shax, who returns to attack yet again. Fortunately this time both Prue and Piper chant the spell, and this has enough power to vanquish the demon. As a result of exposing the existence of the supernatural, the Source (using the upper-level demon Tempus) was forced to rewind time to before Shax was vanquished. Unaware of the change in timeline, Shax returned and successfully carried out his hit when he murdered Prue after blasting her through a wall in her family home.[1] He became the only demon to ever permanently kill a Charmed One, thus temporarily rendering The Power of Three powerless.[2][3] In revenge, the remaining three Charmed Ones, Prudence's three younger sisters, vanquished Shax for a second and final time; marking the very first vanquish of youngest Charmed One, Paige Matthews.[4]

Shax also appears in the Charmed novel, Charmed Again by Elizabeth Lenhard, which retells the events of Prue's murder, her subsequent burial and Shax's final vanquish by the three youngest Charmed Ones.[5]

Characterization

Shax was portrayed by Michael Bailey Smith[6] (who also played the roles of the Source, Belthazor and one of the Grimlocks) in the third season finale, "All Hell Breaks Loose", and the fourth season premiere, "Charmed Again (Part I)". He also made an appearance during a flashback in the sixth season episode "Chris-Crossed".

Furthermore, Shax came fourth in a poll of the "Top 10 Villains" in Charmed, conducted by Charmed Magazine and Living (the UK broadcaster of the series).[7] Drawing on his high ranking in demonic hierarchy, his ability to kill one of the Charmed Ones, and his frightening appearance, the poll concluded "he is one very dangerous demon". Although he seldom spoke, his "memorable quote" was of his only line on the show, "the end", uttered after killing Prue.

Powers and abilities

Description in the Book of Shadows

Shax is one of many demons who has a page dedicated to him in the Charmed One's "Book of Shadows" (a magical tome detailing the many magical beings present in the show's fictional universe). The page, however, is only ever revealed on-screen (despite being referenced to on the show) in a special features documentary on the eighth season's DVD Region 1 easter egg, and in one issue of the official Charmed Magazine. The page reads as follows:

<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />

Shax. The Source's Assassin.

Demonic hitman called out for only the top assignments by the Source.

Corporealises out of wind and air, method of attack is a ferocious blast of wind that can be lethal to its victim.

Vanquishing spell

<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />

Evil wind that blows,
That which forms below,
No longer may you dwell,
Death takes you with this spell.

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Charmed "All Hell Breaks Loose", Prue: [To Dr. Griffiths] You're a healer, you do good. Now, either you have saved too many lives or you're about to save a life that [the Demons] don't want you to save.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

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