Nothing in a story or tv show beats a good villain and as I’m in the middle of my epic Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel rewatch I think it’s only right that I dedicate this post to the MANY amazing Buffy-verse villains. There are so many to choose from and I really did try to do a top five but it was impossible. I know I’ve left out some good ones but the ones I added really fit the hardcore definition of a villain.

I’m only as far as season 4 of Buffy and 1 of Angel right now so some of the villains are being pulled up from memory. It will be interesting to see how they rate once my rewatch is complete.

Glory played by Clare Kramer:

Glory, a powerful hell-god who has been banished into an earthly dimension, proves to be one of Buffy’s toughest adversaries. She arrives early in season 5 and stays with us until the finale. Season 5 brings with it the arrival of ‘The Key’. This was something I really did not love at the start. I was VERY annoyed with the beginning of season 5 to be honest but as things played out, and Glory showed up, it became a favourite and a lot of that had to do with her. Watching her slowly become ever more unhinged was a delight. She had the best temper tantrums.

Mayor Richard Wilkins III played by Harry Groener:

The charismatic Mayor of Sunnydale is revealed to be a centuries-old demon with plans to ascend to pure demonic form. The Mayor is delightfully evil but the reason I have him high up on the villain charts is the mayhem he caused with Faith and his ruining graduation.

Faith doesn’t make my villain list, she is undoubtedly a bad person with a very dodgy (nonexistent) moral compass but her desire to fit in somewhere makes me think of her more as an instrument and Mayor Wilkins is the beginning of that. I wonder who she would have been without his paternal influence?

That influence is what makes him such a good villain, I can see why he got away with being the big bad for so long. He was very charming, when he wasn’t eating disgusting bugs that is.

Jasmine played by Gina Torres

My memory of this particular villain is is admittedly a little hazy but hazy or not Jasmine was the WORST. She was the worst for lots of reasons but Cordelia is number 1. I love, love, love Cordelia Chase. I will never forgive Jasmine for her role in her demise.

Mostly I will never forgive Joss Whedon though, especially given what we know now. Maybe Jasmine is the embodiment of Joss Whedon. Everyone thought he was the benevolent artist who had an almost cult like like devotion (myself included) and he turned out to be a problematic rotting vessel who used his faux feminism to be a misogynistic fuckwit. Well done Joss, you’re the villain now.

Darla played by Julie Benz:

Angel’s sire and former lover, Darla is a deadly vampire who revels in causing pain and chaos. I think she also holds the title of most resurrected character in the Buffy-verse?

I love Darla most in her flashbacks, yes she is awful but she is like an anti-hero in her early days. Like all the characters in Angel the show, she was much more complex when she sowed up. I really did enjoy her story arc.

Spike played by James Marsters:

Initially introduced as an enemy, Spike evolves from a ruthless and unpredictable vampire to a complex and sympathetic character. Despite his romantic involvement with Buffy, Spike remains a formidable antagonist, switching allegiances throughout the series.

He is also one of the funniest characters in the whole Buffy-verse.

There is a particular thing that happens after Buffy and Spike breakup that I still hate and I feel did not ring true for either character.

Spike is a Manchester United fan which is a strike against him. 😀

Drusilla played by the fabulous Juliet Landau:

The twisted and enigmatic Drusilla who was tortured and sired by Angelus, is Spike’s sire and sometimes lover of both Angelus and Spike. Her clairvoyant and psychopathic traits make her such an interesting villain, capable of invoking chaos and terror wherever she goes.

I love her so much. Like it’s Cordelia levels of love! She is chaotic and cruel while also being calm and childlike. She was also decades ahead of her time with her French tip manicures. 😀

Angelus played by David Boreanaz:

Once Angel loses his soul, he becomes the huge asshole Angelus. Angelus is my favourite Buffy-verse villain because he is beyond soulless, he is epic levels of sadistic. Dude wouldn’t just kill people, he’d go after their entire family first. Hence the very well deserved curse.

Angel/Angelus really made me appreciate David Boreanaz as an actor, he plays them both so well that I can tell who he is playing just by his facial expressions. It’s amazing!

Honorable mentions:

The Master

The Master, an ancient and powerful vampire in the show’s first season. With his hypnotic charisma and the ability to manipulate others, he seeks to open the Hellmouth and bring about the end of the world. He also has some amazing one-liners. His awful mouth made him hard to look at.

Wolfram & Hart

A powerful and sinister law firm, Wolfram & Hart represents evil in all its forms. Its employees and clients pose a constant threat to Angel and his allies. Lawyers = evil. An old trope but still works.