Warrior Nun: Camila and the Meaning of Faith

How Camila embodies a major Warrior Nun theme

[Warning: This essay contains spoilers for Warrior Nun seasons 1 and 2.]

At its core, Warrior Nun is a show about faith.

This faith comes in many different forms. When Ava first receives the halo and is forced to join the OCS, she doesn't share their beliefs and sees no real importance in what they are doing by defending the world from demons. Over time, she learns to trust those around her and come to terms with her new role, understanding just how important she has become to the world. Her faith, however, is not in God, but in those around her. Likewise, faith is toyed with in Father Vincent's storyline. He truly believes in God, but he also believes that Adriel is part of God's plan. When he realizes his faith is being used against him, he has a crisis, which is relieved when he decides to begin aiding Ava's group in the final episodes of Season 2.

But a character who seems to embody the idea of faith overall is Camila. Introduced as a nun in the OCS during Season 1, Camila didn't have too much to do in the show's first season. That's not to say she wasn't a useful character to the plot, though. While Camila's character felt underdeveloped to me in Season 1, she was still a key member of the OCS. It's her uploading Ava's photo into into a facial recognition software system that allows the group to find her. She's involved in helping Ava get comfortable at the OCS and also plays a role in retrieving the Shield of Faith from ArqTech. In addition, Camila recognizes the dangers of Duretti's rejected nuns like Sister Crimson, calling into question the Cardinal's decision to bring them to their church. Camila is also involved in the final stretch of episodes, from helping Ava and Mary escape the Cat's Cradle as they are attacked, to assisting in the mission to find Adriel's bones under the Vatican.

Camila serves her purpose well in Season 1 as a supporting character who is clearly faithful to the Church but is always willing to do what's right. Even if that means betraying Duretti and following Ava's group to the Vatican. Even in the first season, when she was more of a side character, Camila still displayed a sense of personal morality tied to her religious beliefs. Like many of the other heroes, when she believed Duretti posed a threat to the Church and the OCS, she joined them in trying to find and destroy Adriel's bones. For Camila, what matters is the faith she holds inside, not the version that's prescribed to her beyond herself. What she cares most about is honoring God and the Church in the way she feels is right. And while she doesn't have too big a role in Season 1, her actions still reflect this idea.

In Season 2, these character traits are even further emphasized thanks to the primary plot of the season. Taking place after a two-month timeskip from the end of Season 1, Camila is in Spain working closely with Mother Superion and the country's OCS branch. When she's not teaching the nuns how to use TikTok, Camila is hiding from Adriel's Firstborn Children alongside Superion. When the OCS is attacked worldwide by the Firstborn Children, her and Superion go to the OCS headquarters in Madrid, which they believe could hold one final hope that the organization hasn't been destroyed for good. However, upon getting there, they are only greeted by newcomer Sister Yasmine, who wants to find the Warrior Nun and give her information about how to defeat Adriel. To make matters even worse, Camila and Superion learn about Mary's probable demise, grieving over the sudden loss of their friend.

Needless to say, Camila is put through the wringer in the first episodes of Season 2. She loses the organization she's been part of for years, only having Mother Superion to rely on. When the pair go to Madrid, it confirms their fears that the OCS has been almost entirely destroyed, save for any members that might have been able to escape undetected. Members who they can't get into contact with unless they want to put themselves and others in danger. Yasmine is a newcomer that offers up hope, but she refuses to elaborate on what form of hope that is unless Ava is present. And, to top things off, Camila learns that one of her friends has died and there is nothing she can do about it. Painful experience after painful experience is laid at Camila's feet at the very start of Season 2.

But, despite all the hardship she's forced to go through right as the season begins, she soldiers on.

In Season 2, Episode 3, she is finally reunited with Ava and Beatrice. Here, the show clarifies her role as an important character this season, having her hug Ava and express active joy that her and Beatrice are still alive. Her key role in the series moving forward is further cemented during a conversation she has with Beatrice while the crew are scoping out the museum for their Crown of Thorns heist. Camila is tossing cross-shaped devices onto cameras in the museum, which the team will be able to use to deactivate the cameras remotely. Beatrice is clearly checking Camila's work, which the latter asks about. Beatrice says everything needs to be just right. Camila informs Beatrice that, while they can try to plan for everything, even Jesus didn't know everything that would happen to Him. Her final words in the conversation, "I'm not a rookie anymore," further underscore how she is growing into her own relevant character in the series.

But what intrigued me the most about Camila's conversation with Beatrice was what she said about their plan possibly failing. About how the group can't prepare for everything. Here, we see a bit more cynicism from Camila, in no small part influenced by the events she's had to deal with over the last few days. However, she doesn't shut down Beatrice's points because she thinks their plan will go awry. The whole conversation is tethered to the idea of faith. Beatrice's faith in Camila is tested by her own nervousness about the plan. Camila is clear about what she thinks, saying that even God's son couldn't predict every little event that was going to happen. Even though Camila is saying the plan could go awry, it's Beatrice whose ever-so-subtle judgement of Camila's placement of the cross devices underscore a lack of faith. Camila is being realistic, while Beatrice is hopeful yet fretting. It's an interesting dynamic that shows how faith isn't just belief that everything will go well. Sometimes it's just faith that you'll do your best, and that can be enough.

Sadly for the team, it isn't enough. Camila ends up being hunted down by a shadowy reflection of Adriel, causing her to leave her watch post. This results in a domino effect as the rest of the night turns to shambles. Ava is briefly captured by Father Vincent before he almost gets his back broken by Michael Salvius. Camila, Superion, and Yasmine are forced to get into a pastry van to escape. It takes some time, but the group does manage to get back together again. However, it's clear that something is going on with Camila. Something that could put her and the remaining scraps of the OCS in danger.

Camila begins to have headaches while the team is regrouping at Dr. Salvius' home. However, some of these headaches are accompanied by visions of Adriel. Occasionally these are just shadowy vestiges of the immortal man. But there are others where it's clear that he’s somehow communicating with Camila. After going through a scan, it's revealed that a Firstborn Child implanted a cross-shaped device in the back of Camila's neck. It doesn't take long for the group to deduce that it's a communication device allowing Adriel to speak to Camila telepathically. This device, however, doesn't operate like any normal technology does. Adriel can't just harass Camila at any given time, waxing poetic about the nature of mankind and why the devoted nun should join him. No. The device is instead powered by an important force:

Prayer.

When Camila prays, it gives her a direct line to Adriel. He is powered by her prayers, allowing him to slip into her consciousness, giving her visions of the false prophet. For Adriel, it appears this is a way for him to gather information on the team, getting it from Camila's subconsciousness. In order to keep him from doing so, Salvius designs a device for Camila to wear around her neck. That way, when she's praying, the prayer energy she exudes won't go to Adriel.

The idea of prayer as energy in Warrior Nun is a concept that hasn't been explored too much. Outside of Adriel's massive cross at ArqTech and his ability to communicate with Camila because of prayer, there haven't been any other major uses of prayer as an energy source. However, the fact that prayer does exude some kind of energy means it needs to be going somewhere when Adriel isn't stealing it. Whether that's to a yet-unseen God or not is unclear. However, the fact that prayer has energy acts as proof that Camila's faith isn't in vain. And the group figuring out why Adriel is able to communicate with her and put a stop to it shows that they aren't willing to have prayer toyed with. Since prayer itself is an act of faith, it shows that faith itself has tangible power in the Warrior Nun universe.

Camila appears to exude the most, as she's the character we see praying more than anyone. Couple that with her faithfulness to God above any organization, and Camila becomes a character who clearly embodies the idea of religious faith in Warrior Nun. But she also proves that faith itself has a tangible power in the Warrior Nun universe. Prayer is an act of faith, which means that, when Camila acts on her faith through prayer, her belief is being turned into energy. While Camila believes she's directing this prayer to God, the reality is that, in Season 2, she's directing that prayer to Adriel. Her faith has been redirected against her will toward something she doesn't truly believe in.

While subtle, I believe Camila's storyline in Season 2 is an analysis of the power that faith can hold. While prayer in Warrior Nun has tangible energy, prayer in real life very much has a power of its own. For those who believe in God, like Camila, faith in a higher power creates a sense of purpose. It gives organized meaning to life and allows someone to have something worth fighting for, even in the darkest of times. However, faith can also be manipulated. Much the same way that Adriel manipulates people into thinking he is a messiah, so too is the false prophet twisting Camila's prayer energy into something she doesn't want it to become. He is using her religious faith in God for his own ends, using the power of prayer to serve a selfish purpose. Adriel uses the energy of Camila's beliefs against her. Tormenting her while also stealing the faith she has in God and redirecting it to a cause she doesn't believe in.

I don't think I need to elaborate on how reflective of reality this metaphor can be.

However, Camila doesn't let Adriel's use of her prayer energy dispel her faith. In Season 2, Episode 6, as the group prepares for a mission to stop Adriel by using the Crown of Thorns, Camila removes the device from her neck that prevents Adriel from contacting her through prayer. She converses with him as he attempts to intimidate her. Try as he might, though, Adriel isn't able to break Camila's spirit, nor her loyalty to her friends and her faith. She tells Adriel that while he might be able to get into her head, she can get into his. And he'd best remember it for the future.

Camila stands up to Adriel because he's threatened her faith. The one thing she can always count on, even when her friends are in hiding, the OCS is destroyed, and the people she loves are hurt. Faith is still something Camila can keep close to her chest in spite of everything that happens to her and the people she cares about. The last thing she's going to do is let someone try and take advantage of it for their own ends. By standing up to Adriel, Camila is putting her faith on full display. Adriel has underestimated just how devoted to her beliefs Camila is. She recognizes his game, understanding it for the ploy it is, and decides to show him that she can use it against him if she chooses to. 

And, in the season finale—following her imprisonment and subsequent escape thanks to Yasmine's help—Camila does just that.

During Ava's final fight with Adriel, Camila uses her telepathic connection to the false prophet to destabilize him. While the group has failed to defeat him time after time, Camila never gave up the hope that, somehow, they would still come out on top. By assisting Ava in the final battle, Camila shows just how powerful faith can be. Yes, prayer in Warrior Nun may be a tangible energy. But it's her faith that the group would succeed against Adriel, even if they didn't know what was coming, that ultimately proved to be the best weapon against him. Camila may have channeled her prayer energy into something that would overpower Adriel, but it was her willingness to do that, believing they would win, that truly reflects the importance of faith within Warrior Nun.

While there are plenty of other characters and plot elements that reflect faith in Warrior Nun, Camila's story arc in Season 2 does so in a very direct manner. Even though everything looks grim from the outset, Camila never gives up hope that the group could succeed. She was realistic enough to acknowledge that things might go wrong. That they were never going to know the full extent of Adriel's plans when trying to stop them. But those more pessimistic viewpoints weren't deterrents to her faith. Instead, they acted as an influence, giving her the strength she needed to face down Adriel when he began targeting her directly. When he began targeting her faith directly.

Despite knowing things were bound to go unexpectedly awry throughout their attempts to stop Adriel, Camila never allowed her own realistic viewpoints to get in the way of her faith. Not just in God, but also in those around her and herself. She believed that her friends would be able to defeat Adriel, just as much as she believed she could have a role to play in his downfall too. By taking advantage of Adriel's connection to her in the final battle, Camila reclaims her faith as her own. Try as he might, Adriel was never able to break her spirit. And, thanks to Salvius' help with an inhibitor device coupled with her personal bravery, Camila was able to help thwart Adriel using her best weapon: Faith.

Following the final battle with Adriel, Camila can be seen training alongside a recovering branch of the OCS. While it's unclear where her story could go in Warrior Nun's future, it's likely her faith being tested once more could be a key element. However, given the strength she displayed when fighting Adriel, it doesn't seem like much would be able to pull her deeply-held beliefs away from her. Perhaps the mysteries of Reya's dimension and the future holy war alluded to by Lilith in the season 2 finale can be springboards for Camila's future development. Because, given just how important a topic faith is in Warrior Nun, it only makes sense for its most devout character to continue embodying its eternal struggle.

By making Camila an embodiment of faith, Warrior Nun is able to reflect the central theme of its story through the plotline of a single character. The meaning of faith is imbued throughout Camila's story in Season 2, highlighting just how important the concept is in the series. While themes of faith and religious beliefs are central parts of Warrior Nun, it's only in Camila that viewers get a centralized vessel for how those ideas are explored. And it's because of this that these ideas become more fleshed-out. Camila's story underscores the importance of faith in Warrior Nun while developing her character in important, memorable ways.

And I can't wait to see what her future holds as she returns to the OCS.

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