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From SCIFIPEDIA
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Mythology and Origins
Callisto was the nemesis of Xena on the show Xena: Warrior Princess. Her character name comes from the nymph who was raped by Jupiter when he disguised himself as the goddess Diana. The mythic Callisto was turned into a bear and became the constellation Ursa Major (the "Big Dipper"). In the television series, however, she is a psychotic warlord bent on destroying Xena emotionally and physically. She stood out from the rest of Xena's foes from the beginning due to her more complex motives and as a painful constant reminder to Xena for the pain she caused others in her past.
Callisto was the daughter of a peasant family in the village of Cirra. When Callisto was a young girl Xena's army attacked the area and a fire broke out, killing almost the entire population - including Callisto's parents. Because of this, Callisto vowed to exact revenge on Xena - but first she wanted her to experience pain akin to the pain she experienced from the loss of her parents.
Crusades Against Xena
Spoiler Warning: Plot details and/or information about the ending follow. If you wish to enjoy the work first, stop reading here and return at another time.
In season one, while Xena was busy dealing with the warlord Talmadeus, Callisto managed to temporarily poison her with a dart - taking her out of commission while she revived Xena's reputation as a "killer of women and children" by massacring villagers in Xena's name. She then captured Xena's companion, Gabrielle, and planned to kill her. However, Xena was able to rescue her in time and had Callisto incarcerated.
Callisto escaped in season two and, while trying to kill Gabrielle again, found herself killing Gabrielle's day-old husband, Perdicus, instead ("That'll do!"). This sent Gabrielle into a blood-thirsty rage, but Xena stopped Callisto, letting her sink to her death in a puddle of quicksand, sparing Gabrielle from losing her blood-innocence. Callisto, however, managed to escape Tartarus twice - once with the help of Ares, god of war, and again with the help of Hera, queen of the gods. In her second escape she got her hands on one of the Golden Apples of the Hesperides - making her immortal. She then was able to eat some Ambrosia, turning her into a goddess.
In season three she teamed up with Hope, Gabrielle's demonic daughter, and by this union she was finally able to enact her revenge upon Xena by helping Hope to kill Xena's son, Solan. She quickly realized that her life then ceased to have meaning, though, and she sought oblivion, which Xena granted her by stabbing her with a dagger soaked in Golden Hind's blood at the end of the season.
Hell and Redemption
Spoiler Warning: Plot details and/or information about the ending follow. If you wish to enjoy the work first, stop reading here and return at another time.
In season four it was revealed that Callisto had been relegated to the torments of Hell rather than the oblivion she sought. Mephistopheles (Satan) tasked her with ensuring the ascendance of Gaius Julius Caesar in return for which he will finally grant her oblivion, but she failed.
Season five is the last season Callisto appeared in. When Xena and Gabrielle were crucified they were for some reason sent to Heaven. Callisto and a group of fellow demons managed to intercede in their ascendance to Paradise, and after Callisto negated what she claimed in season three by saying she would forever rage against Xena, Xena gave up her place in Heaven to purify Callisto's soul. Callisto became an innocent angel as she would have had Xena's army never caused the death of her parents, and when Xena and Gabrielle were revived, Callisto impregnated Xena with her reincarnation. The baby ultimately grew up to be Livia, who killed Xena and Gabrielle's friend, Joxer. Callisto joyously rejoined her mother and father in Heaven after her good deed.
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