Xena first appeared in the first Season of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. Is was just going to be a 3 story arc but Lucy Lawless was so impressive as the Warrior Princess that USA Studios/Universal gave the green light for her own show which went on to eclipse Hercules in the ratings and the Warrior Princess finally beat son of Zeus! This is the start of Xena's Journey from Evil Warlord to Warrior seeking redemption for her past sins. The first episode aired on 13 Marc 1995 in the US and on 04 September 1995, Xena: The Warrior Princess show was aired on US TV and went on to create magic for Six Seasons.
These episodes are the birth of the legendary Xena Warrior Princess and my favourite Hercules episodes.
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys Season 1 Episode 9: Warrior Princess
After Hercules helped him forge a swell knife, Iolaus finds out his village sweetheart Syreene just married another. On the rebound he falls for Xena; Hercules' distrust at first sight is waved by his mother Almene. Xena tells Iolaus she was preparing with some men to chase war lord Petrakis, who terrorizes her native Arcadian fields, to get him to come help; meanwhile she pushes her actual lover Theodorus to go kill Hercules, but he falls to his death in the duel, saying he regrets failing Xena. As Alcmene predicted, Iolaus won't believe his friend over his lover, so Hercules refuses to help the countrymen shed the warrior princess's oppression, till he meets Petrakis, actually an old farmer whose son died another victim of Xena's seduction... Written by KGF Vissers
Iolaus falls in love with a woman called Xena, but she is not the generous warrior she pretends to be. She is an evil warrior princess who wants to break Iolaus and Hercules' friendship in order to eliminate the son of Zeus as an enemy in her way to conquer Greece. When Hercules discovers Xena's true identity, he tries to separate his friend from Xena, but her influence over Iolaus has already grown too strong.
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys Season 1 Episode 12: The Gauntlet
The evil Xena and her mercenaries return; after destroying six villages on a single peninsula, she's heading for Parthis. Begging for his life as a cross-dresser, salesman Salmoneus is spared for her amusement. Hercules sets out when his help is enlisted by his adolescent cousin Roran, whose mother lives in Parthis. When Xena learns her lieutenant Darphus chose which village to attack and ordered women and children slaughtered, she resists and saves a baby, for which Salmoneus finds a shepherdess. The men choose Darphus's side, so Xena is exiled and must run the gauntlet by clobbering, which she survives. Spiros, whose family was killed while he was away trying to get help, attacks Hercules's party and wounds the boy with an arrow, thinking they did the killing. Her scout Deros, who was captured and released by Hercules, warns Xena of his approach. Salmoneus has fled and finds Hercules. Xena captures but releases Spiros, hopes to get her men back by bringing Hercules' head in a duel, but looses and runs. Hercules' quartet faces Darphus' band alone; Xena seizes the opportunity to vanquish Darphus in a duel, but Ares has him resurrected and gives him a monster to destroy Hercules. The baby is Spiros's son. Written by KGF Vissers
Xena's back and Hercules decides to face her. However, Xena has got her own problems: she disagrees with her lieutenant, Darphus, who doesn't mind killing women and children, and she decides to save a baby from death. This disagreement makes Darphus overthrow Xena and put her trough the usually fatal gauntlet, yet she refuses to team up with Hercules, who was asked for help by his cousin Roran and brave villager Spiris.
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys Season 1 Episode 13: The Unchained Heart
Darphus, revived by Ares, is pillaging everything in sight to feed a monster called Graegus. Hercules and Xena (now turned to good) are determined to stop him. Iolaus joins Hercules but has trouble believing she is really reformed
Xena is set on the road to redemption and on the road to Amphipolis via Potadeia where she is destined to meet the woman that would change her life forever.