Plot summary
A warrior named Callisto destroys villages while claiming to be Xena. Among the victims is the young son of Melas, who initially seeks revenge against the real Xena. Investigating the attacks, Xena discovers an opponent skilled enough to catch her chakram and learns that Callisto also fired the poisoned dart that nearly killed her.
Callisto's family died when Xena's army attacked Cirra years earlier. She intends to make Xena suffer by restoring her reputation as a murderer and killing the people she loves. Xena accepts responsibility for the destruction but cannot persuade Callisto to abandon revenge.
Callisto plans to murder the Oracle of Delphi using the stolen chakram. Xena prevents the assassination and captures her. Meanwhile the inept would-be warrior Joxer tries to impress both women and repeatedly fails to capture Gabrielle for Callisto.
Melas, now aware of the imposture, organizes a lynch mob. Xena refuses to surrender her prisoner, insisting on a fair trial. The mob sets fire to the jail, giving Callisto the chance to escape and abduct Gabrielle. Melas realizes that his own rage has helped create another danger.
At Callisto's stronghold, Gabrielle is suspended above a fire. Joxer refuses an order to kill her and is taken prisoner too. Xena arrives and fights Callisto across a precarious arrangement of ladders while the rope holding Gabrielle burns.
Xena catches Gabrielle when the rope breaks, then also saves Callisto from falling into the flames. Callisto hates her for denying her that death, but Xena will not become the monster her enemy wants her to be. Melas agrees that Callisto should face a lawful trial. As she is led away in chains, her hostility remains undiminished.
Credits
Adapted from Legendary Journeys Wiki contributors, Callisto (episode). Complete episode narrative, rewritten and condensed for clarity; causal developments and the episode's ending retained. Illustrations, dialogue quotations and non-story metadata omitted.