Buffy The Vampire Slayer
All of theseBuffy the Vampire Slayercharacters almost died much sooner . The innovative serial , which run for seven season from 1997 - 2003 , became known for killing off rooter - favorite characters . This start with Jenny Calendar , whose grievous season 2 death was permanent , evidence that , despite its supernatural assumption , the show took death very seriously . Buffy the Vampire Slayerwas full of grotesque post , yet the writer always kept the serial grounded in veridical emotions . There were actual stakes demand and even in the rare cases in which a character was resurrected , there were always major event that rippled across the show .
Although creator Joss Whedon was known for function out time of year well ahead of time , television display are constantly evolving . Buffy the Vampire Slayerfeatures a enceinte flock of foreshadowing , in everything from Buffy ’s end toWillow ’s gender . Regardless of the great brushstrokes of the plan for any give season though , a whole portion of blanks are fill in along the way to paint the full image . In many cases , the overall narration was vary in guild to keep certain characters involved due to their popularity among audiences , as well as cast and work party . Some were n’t mean to die , but still played a much larger part in the serial than anticipated , such as Buffy ’s mom , Joyce ( Kristine Sutherland ) , and season 3 Big Bad , Mayor Richard Wilkins ( Harry Groener ) . However , many fan favorites almost met a tragical fate much sooner .
witness be intimate to bemoan Whedon ’s preference for tormenting his creation and rarely allowing them any semblance of felicity , but the truth is , in many cases , disaster was meant to mint far earlier on . Most of the following characters were so integral to the Buffyverse that it ’s virtually insufferable to imagine what shapeBuffy the Vampire Slayerand its twirl - off , Angel , would ’ve taken had they fulfil their respective end as originally intend . Thankfully , the writers saw primed to grant several stays of execution over the years . Otherwise , eventswould’ve played out quite differently .
Angel
It ’s difficult to trust , butAngel ’s role in the Buffyversewas meant to be significantly minuscule . After Buffy and Angel log Z’s together and the vampire lose his individual , the killer wound up end him in the season 2 finale . It was one ofBuffy the Vampire Slayer ’s most catgut - wrenching moment , as Buffy was forced to shoot down the love of her life right away after his soul had been rejuvenate . What many fan do n’t know , is that this end was mean to be permanent . However , after the WB approached Whedon with the desire for a spin - off , he resurrected the lamia for time of year 3 . Angel ’s arc over the course of that season set him up to leave Sunnydale ( and his true love ) behind and fall upon out on his own in LA the undermentioned year . Angelwould continue on for five season before being unceremoniously canceled in 2004 .
Spike
It ’s as hard to imagine is the Buffyverse without Spike , but William the Bloody ’s dying was survive to be much to begin with . The vampire almost drop off his life during the two - part sequence of season 2 , episodes 9 and 10 , “ What ’s My lineage ? ” ; that was the original program . Spike would die , leaving Drusilla and Angelus to make for havoc on Sunnydale . However , not only did Spike cursorily become a fan favorite onBuffy the Vampire Slayer , but both cast and crew loved working with actorJames Marsters . So , Spike was spare from certain decease . This would n’t be the last meter the vampire survived past his expiration date . He was entail to appear just once more , in time of year 3 , sequence 8 , “ Lover ’s paseo ” , but instead became a series regular in season 4 . Spike was not only a staple for the residuum of the show ’s run , but was even revive onAngelafter his heroic sacrifice inBuffy ’s series finis .
Faith
Buffy may have taken her calling seriously , but Faith wasBuffy the Vampire Slayer ’s warning narration about how quickly power can corrupt . Initially , that ’s all she was mean to do . Eliza Dushku stole every vista she was in , expertly playing the dark contemplation of Buffy herself . The actress made such a firm impression on Whedon that he abandoned his initial programme for the character , adding more cloth for Faith as the season continued . Although Faith would go on to see buyback onAngel , an arc brought full circle when she returned to Sunnydale forBuffy ’s final season , her original fate was much darker . In the former leg , the case was going to commit suicide after accidentally killing the lieutenant mayor . This would ’ve propelled time of year 3 - widely affect as the show ’s best - into much glowering soil , and drastically changed the course of the series .
Anya
Anya ’s character onBuffy the Vampire Slayerreally dilate beyond Whedon ’s original vision . Emma Caulfieldwas cast for season 3 , episode 9 , “ The Wish ” , and was meant to appear just once more in time of year 3 , episode 16 , “ Doppelgangland ” . Whedon was so impressed by Caulfield that Anya was allow a considerable amount of blind time after that . The former vengeance demon had quite an unbelievable arc over the course of the show ’s run , and audiences were crushed by her sharp death in the serial publication finale . However , by that point , she had already been grant a stay of death penalty . Anya was also reckon to die in the season 5 finale , “ The Gift ” . Whedon has joke that he kept Anya around because Caulfield would n’t block move when Xander was carrying her at the end of the episode , but it ’s potential he recognise that her demise , on top of Buffy ’s sacrifice , would have been too much .
Wesley
According to Alexis Denisof , Wesley Wyndam - Pryce was n’t meant to exist for very long . His whole fibre arc was to show up , annoy Buffy and Giles , and then exit . gratefully for buff of the fibre , the writers loved Denisof ’s depiction , so Wesley survived for years to follow . Whedon struggle to calculate out a way for the former Watcher to equip in onBuffy the Vampire Slayer , but instead twist up finding him a unexampled home onAngel . This ended up being the best decision for Wesley , who had far more room to grow on the spin - off series . Though never a main graphic symbol onBuffy , he remained onAngelfor the duration of its five - time of year run , evolving from one of the Buffyverse ’s more disliked characters into one of its most dear .
Oz
The decease of Jenny Calendar ( Robia LaMorte ) was a turning point forBuffy the Vampire Slayer , proving not only that Angelus was unequivocally evil , but also that no one was dependable . Interestingly , this pivotal moment initially had nothing to do with Jenny at all . Angelus was really going to killOz . When Seth Green ’s character was initially introduced , fan hoping to see Willow and Xander wind up together were not proud of . However , audiences fell in love with Oz in season 2 , episode 13 , “ Innocence ” , around the same time Willow did . take into account the chemistry between Alyson Hannigan and Green , as well as the human relationship ’s obvious potentiality , Whedon or else opted to down off the womanhood Giles know instead . Oz would remain on the show until season 4 , at which point Green opt to give .
Darla
Darla may not have been a main character , but she was one of the first human face viewers regard inBuffy the Vampire Slayer ’s buffer and would go on to appear in some mannikin in every season ofAngel . Angel ’s sirehad a very minor role inBuffy , one that would n’t be extend upon until her bow onAngel . Angel killed her in the middle of season 1 , but she was actually meant to die even rather . Though Darla met her end in season 1 , sequence 7 , “ Angel ” , it was initially supposed to materialise in season 1 , episode 2 , “ The Harvest ” . However , Whedon feel that save her around would add to Angel ’s story and loan more complexness to his romance with the killer . Ultimately , Julie Benz ’s reference would go on to appear in several flashback on bothBuffythe Vampire SlayerandAngel , as well as having a major present - day arc on the latter in time of year 2 and 3 .
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