Empath

Empath
Species information
Related species	Mortals and Witches
Distinctions	As mortals they could feel what other people felt, however, it is only when they are reborn as Empaths can they fully receive the full power of empathy
Active powers	Empathy
Loyalty	Good
First appearance	Primrose Empath
Last appearance	The Reason

An Empath is a reincarnated mortal being, reborn with the ability to feel others' emotions; the power of Empathy. When mortals are reincarnated as Empaths, they often enter fields enabling them to heal and guide others; usually become priests, counselors, teachers, psychiatrists, columnists, etc. Their power allows them to help others, such as healing someone's emotional pain. While Empaths are a separate race of magical beings, other beings can also receive the power of empathy and are sometimes referred to as empaths, too, regardless of their species.

To find one's strength as an Empath, one must embrace the emotions and not fight against them. This is why only few beings are chosen to become Empaths, which makes the gift very rare.

Demons and Empathy

Vinceres: "Just wondering what you're feeling right now."

Deputy: "Yeah, why's that?"

Vinceres: "Because I can't feel a thing."

— Vinceres after losing the power of Empathy.

Demons are the only beings who cannot handle the power of Empathy, due to the fact that they can not handle human emotions, and the power will drive them insane, eventually destroying them.

Father Thomas

"They use their sensitivity to guide mortals, ease their pain, even heal them."

—Leo to The Charmed Ones.

In late 2000, Prue Halliwell met a young man named Vince. He at first seemed like a man cursed with the power of Empathy, unable to handle all the emotions he felt. Trying to help an innocent, Prue cast a spell that released his power.

Prue and her sisters soon found out that Vince was actually a demon named Vinceres. He was cursed by Father Thomas, an Empath, who had given his Empathy power to the demon. Father Thomas knew the power would make the demon insane and unable to set one foot outside and thus not being able to kill. However, after losing his ability, Father Thomas felt he had no reason to be. He had a nervous breakdown and was eventually committed to a psychiatric hospital.

Since Vinceres had touched Prue's hand while she was casting the spell, the power had gone into her, making Prue an Empath. However, since Prue was not destined to be one, she was unable to handle it. With the help of Father Thomas, Prue learned to channel all the emotions she felt into her own powers and vanquished Vinceres, losing the empathic power in the process by projecting everything she felt into him. Father Thomas thus didn't regain his ability, however, he realized that he did not need magic to help people, and returned to his church.

Father Thomas

An insane Vince

Prue going insane

Vinceres is vanquished

Phoebe Halliwell

Phoebe using empathy to read Mordaunt's emotions.

"I am an empath. That's my new power. Or at least an advancement of my premonition power, I don't know."

—Phoebe to Piper after discovering her new power.

Phoebe Halliwell is the only known witch of the Warren line of witches to have this power. Although she was not reborn as an Empath, she received the gift in late 2003, as she was destined to have it. Phoebe, as a columnist, uses her gift to help the people who write to her. The power is also connected to her Premonition power, a power which allows her to feel the emotions of the people in her visions.

Powers and Abilities

Active Powers

• Empathy: The ability to sense and read the emotions of another being. Empaths can use their ability to help people to deal with their issues and heal emotional pain.
  • Channeling: The ability to tap into and channel the powers of other beings once and only when they are activated. Phoebe Halliwell is the only known empath to be able to channel powers.
  • Power Replication: The ability to tap into and replicate the powers of other beings. Phoebe Halliwell is the only known empath to be able to replicate powers.
  • Power Granting: The ability to grant powers to another being. As a reincarnated empath, Father Thomas was able to pass his empathic gift on to the demon Vinceres to stop his evil.
  • Psychic Reflection: The ability to reflect and channel emotions and memories back onto another person or being. Phoebe Halliwell is the only known empath to be able to access this power.

Other Powers

• Immortality: The ability to possess an infinite lifespan and an arrested aging process. As a reincarnated empath, Father Thomas was mentioned to be immortal.
• High Resistance: The ability to possess a heightened resistance to the powers of other beings. Phoebe Halliwell was able to withstand being thrown by Telekinesis due to channeling the emotion behind it.

Notes and Trivia

• Angelic beings such as Whitelighters have a limited empathic connection with their charges, which allows them to sense them in danger.
• Cupids are referred to as empathic beings.