Buffy the Vampire Slayer: 5 Times We Felt Bad For Angel (& 5 Times We Hated Him) – Screen Rant

Before he opened a detective agency in Los Angeles, Angel was an integral character inBuffy the Vampire Slayer.While Angel's arc mainly focused on his tumultuous relationship with Buffy, theshow eventually gave him some depth through his origin story.

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Although Angel was depicted as a selfless and heroic vampire, the viewers' opinion of him changed once they discovered his dark alter-ego, Angelus. It's safe to say that no one liked Angelus as he proved to be one of the toughest and most sadistic foes Buffy had ever faced. Luckily, Angel managed to redeem himself in the end...it just took a while.

While Drusilla became one of the more notorious villains of the show, fans couldn't help but feel sympathy for the vampire when they saw her backstory. Before Drusilla turned, the viewers saw her take refuge in the church and try to seek solace from her visions. However, she failed to realize that Angelus was already there.

As a result, Drusilla confesses her seer abilities to Angelus and begs him to help her stay good. That's why it was really disturbing to hear that Angel drove her to insanity, killed her family, and then tortured her. It was his fault that she turned out the way she did.

While no one blames the clan for bestowing the curse on Angelus in the first place, fans couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards his plight. When fans first met Angel, it was clear that he didn't believe he was a good guy. Despite saving Buffy and the Scoobies' lives plenty of times, Angel believed he wasn't worthy of redemption.

It didn't make sense until Buffy realized that Angel cannot keep his soul if he experiences a moment of true happiness. The point of the curse was to make Angel feel excruciating remorse and pain for his past transgressions. It's kind of sad that he can't feel happiness even if he had redeemed himself in the eyes of others.

While fans hoped there was some kind of redemption for the vampire, their patience was hanging by a thread when he helped to kill Kendra. In the final two episodes of season 2, Willow discovered there might have been a way to restore Angel's soul and began to perform the ritual while Buffy went to meet him.

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However, Buffy soon realizes Angel had tricked her into abandoning her friends and leaving them vulnerable to attack. As a result, Giles gets kidnapped, Willow isseverely injured, and Kendra dies. It's heartbreaking to watch Buffy mourn over her friend's body.

In season 2, Buffy and Angel reached a significant milestone in their relationship when they decided to sleep together after a near-death experience. It was also the first time that Angel admitted he loved her. However, the night was soon tainted when Angel awoke in agony and screaming in pain.

It turned out that the intimate moment he shared with Buffy had extinguished his soul, transforming him back into Angelus. What was meant to be a joyous moment soon turned into a disastrous nightmare...

In the aftermath of his transformation, fans got to experience firsthand what a ruthless and dreadful person Angelus could be. First,he attacks a woman who was trying to help him and kills her. Then, he decides to meet up with Spike and Drusilla and tell them of his plans to make Buffy suffer...

When Angelus returns to his apartment, he wastes no time in breaking Buffy's heart, demeaning their night together. He acts coldly, telling her he was just using her and listlessly promises to call her. It'sdevastating to watch.

After Angel returned from hell, theshow put Angel on a long redemptive path thatsaw him struggle with his demons. This was particularly shown in "Amends" when Angel is seen to be haunted by his past transgressions, including his involvement in Jenny's death.

Although he sought out help from Giles, Angel's pain becomes so bad that he was willing to commit suicide to stop his suffering. He probably would have if it wasn't for Buffy's intervention.

Angel was lucky that Buffy and her friends were forgiving and compassionate people because the way he tormented them was unforgivable. He tortured Giles, killed Jenny and Kendra, and attacked Willow and Xander. Let's also not forget how he relentlessly stalked Buffy and the gang to the point that where they were afraid of going outside.

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For weeks, the viewers watched asAngelus' methods became more sadistic and cruel. He even went as far as to kill Willow's goldfish to remind the Scoobies that they weren't even safe in their homes.

While Bangel fans were completely broken come theAngelepisode, "I Will Remember You," this wasn't the first time the writers decided to breaktheir hearts. As fans may recall, Angel broke up with Buffy after he told the Slayer that they couldn't have a future together. Although Buffy said she wanted a life with him, Angel crushed herby saying he didn't.

Unbeknownst to the Slayer, Angel's doubts were planted after Joyce visits him and asks him not to get in the way of her daughter's future. Even though it killed him to do so, Angel took a step back and let Buffy go. A noble but devastating act.

While fans tried to remember that Angel was capable of redemption, they couldn't help but resent the vampire for killing Jenny. Althoughshe may have started as an obstacle in Angel and Buffy's relationship,Jenny redeemed herself when fans got to watch her relationship with Giles blossom. She also got brownie points for finding a way to restore Angel's soul.

Butbefore she could tell the Scoobies, Angelus kills her. What makes it worse is that he waits outside Buffy's house and takes pleasure in her and Willow's grief. He even taunts Giles. It's such an unforgivable deed.

Buffy killing Angel has to be one of the mostsoul-shattering moments in the entire series. As fans remember, Buffy and Angelus faced off in the season 2 finale after the vampire tried to unearth Acathla. Just as Buffy was about to deliver the final blow, Angel's soul was restored and the pair shared an emotional reunion.

However, it was too late. With the Acathla vortex getting bigger, Buffy is forced toAngel him and send him to hell. What makes it even worse is that Angel doesn't remember what he had done as Angelus so he's caught off-guard whenBuffy stabs him. It's completely heartbreaking.

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A writer, reader and tv fanatic, Kayleigh enjoys reading movie news and your film reviews. She has attained an Undergraduate degree in Creative Writing and is also the creator of the film and television blog 'The Critics' Corner'.

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer: 5 Times We Felt Bad For Angel (& 5 Times We Hated Him) - Screen Rant

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