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

For some fans, Spike was the petulant punk rocker who took overBuffy the Vampire Slayer,steeringit awayfrom its roots as a story about high school misfits ridding California of vampires. For others, he was the best thing about the series, his swaggering snark cutting through its many contrivances and cliches to the heart of what made it so popular; everyone had demons to face.

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Appearing in the second season, he stayed right up until its seventh and final because fans couldn't get enough of his diamond-cutting cheekbones and glib delivery. Despite being introduced as a villain, Spike became one of Buffy's most valiant enforcers and passionate lovers. That the character was so beloved despite straddling the line between hero and villain was a testament to Joss Whedon's creativity. That fans could find things both toempathizeand hate about him was due to James Marsters' compelling performance.

Before he came to be known as Spike, William the Bloody was ridiculed for his "bloody awful poetry" and shunned by much of his peer group, seeking solace in the arms of his motherand then later Drusilla.

Buffy only exasperated whatever feelings of inferiority Spike retained as a vampire, especially when she reinforced the belief that all he would ever be was a murderer, and pathetic excuse for a lover. In the Season 6 episode "Dead Things", she beat him bloody for saying he loved her.

Spike's feelings of inadequacy usurped his romantic feelings for Buffy, so armed with the knowledge she'd never return his affections, hehad The Trio build him a Buffybot early in Season 5.

Not only did the presence of the Buffybot lead to a series of unexpected problems for the real Buffy and the Scooby Gang in their fight against Glory, it also exposed Spikefor what he was;a selfish Lethario too consumed by his carnal urges to contemplate the ramifications of putting them into action.

Though some viewers would argue Spike brought his problems with Glory on himself by creating the Buffybot, there's no denying the beating he took at the hands of her and her goons rendered some deserved sympathy.

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Despite their torturing him, he never revealed the location of The Key, and vowed he would die before he ever told them. The real Buffy acknowledged his sacrifice and made her own vow to never forget his kindness.

In Season 7, Spike felt that the only way to get the Slayer to ever truly love him was to undergo a brutal trial to grant him the return of his soul. He traveled to Africa to perform the necessary ritual, but he was a changed vampire when he returned to Sunnydale.

Not only was the trial agonizing for his body, the end result caused a near total collapse of his mind. Spike wasn't the same character after the transformation, and fans had to watch as a pitiful Spike wandered around the old school, a shadow of his former self, with two inches of roots showing.

Vampire sires aren't known for their compassion, and their tough love approach often ensures that their children will be callous killing machines. Drusilla demonstrated this by turning William the Bloody, and then quickly losing interest in him in favor of embarking on a relationship with her own sire Angelus.

To make matters worse, even after she returned to Spike's embrace and admitted her wrongdoing, she left him once again for a chaos demon.He couldn't take her back after that because her disrespect for his feelings was worse than a stake through the heart.

In the episode "Conversations with Dead People", Spike was seen enticing young female victims at The Bronze before luring them off site and vamping out. He drained their blood and left them for dead despite the fact that he had gotten his soul returned to him.

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Watching Spike return to being an unreformed killer caused fans to take a dim view of his redemption arc, especially since he was supposed to be proving that he was worthy of Buffy's love.

In Season 5, Episode 25 entitled "The Gift", Spike displayed an extreme level of emotionthen unparalleled on the series. Believing Buffy to have died preventing Glory from using The Key to unleash Hell on Earth, he demonstrated loss like fans had never seen.

Spike had always been absolutely devoted to the strong women in his life, from hismother to Drusilla. That sense of commitment when combined with his unbridled passion, meant that the loss of Buffy was devastating.

At the end of Season 6, after Buffy broke off her torrid relationship with Spike, he couldn't handle her revoking her feelings. He became determined to force their bond, and he did so in a way that was repugnant and reprehensible.

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He sexually assaulted Buffy in her own home and attempted to take her affections by force, but she was able to fight him off. It was a truly despicable action for Spike to take and dismantled all of the growth he'd done as a character. For some fans, the heinous act was unforgivable.

No fan could have predicted that it would be Spike, the loud-mouthed misfit who would selflessly give his life to save Buffy, the Scoobies, the and the citizens of Sunnydale.

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With the Potentials numbers dwindling, several of the Scoobies out of commission, and Buffy mistrustful of his few attempts at heroism, he felt the gesture would not only save the world, but give his unlife meaning.

During a particularly low period in both Spike and Anya's lives, they decided to seek solace in each other's company. Both knew what it was like to be on the outside looking in as the ancillary members of the Scooby Gang, and both felt apart from their connection because of their supernatural identities.

Spike sleeping with Anya, while perhaps not as terrible in the eyes of some viewers as Anya betraying Xander, still felt somehow wrong. His willingness to do it, despite the fallout he knew he'd receive from Buffy and Xander for his participation, was equally disturbing.

NEXT:Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The 10 Most Shameless Things Spike Has Ever Done

Next The Vampire Diaries: 10 Unanswered Questions We Still Have About Elena

Kayleena has been raised on Star Wars and Indiana Jones from the crib. A film buff, she has a Western collection of 250+ titles and counting that she's particularly proud of. When she isn't writing for ScreenRant, CBR, or The Gamer, she's working on her fiction novel, lifting weights, going to synthwave concerts, or cosplaying. With degrees in anthropology and archaeology, she plans to continue pretending to be Lara Croft as long as she can.

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