In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Spike plays the quintessential villain audiences hate to love. He comes barging into Sunnydale early in season two, with his then “pet”, Drusilla, hoping to kill Buffy. Spike, also known as William the Bloody for the death and destruction he’s caused in his one hundred and forty-seven years being un-dead, is the character on this show with the most interesting character arc.
He goes from being one of the biggest and baddest villains the Scooby gang has to take on, to falling and pining for Buffy like a lovesick puppy dog. And through Spike’s many phases and transformations, he delivers some of the most memorable dialogue from the entire series.
“If every vampire who said he was at the crucifixion was actually there, it would have been like Woodstock.”
Spike doesn’t shy away from the truth and you can always count on him to tell it like it is. In season two, Spike walks in on a conversation between members of the Order of Aurealis and the Anointed One.
It’s the first time viewers get to meet Spike, and right off the bat, he calls out a fellow vamp for telling some tall tales. Spike has a very low threshold for is fellow demons because Spike knows that in terms of wit, knowledge, and strength, he outshines them all.
“I will know your blood, Slayer. I will make your neck my chalice, and I will drink deep.”
Before Spike falls madly in love with Buffy, he tries to kill her, multiple times. Some threats he makes are quite terrifying and Buffy and her friends worry that he might be the one to take her down, after all, Spike has managed to kill two slayers in the past.
Before Spike can get his hands on Buffy, he is captured by the initiative and a chip is placed in his head so he can no longer hurt humans. That certainly doesn’t stop him from dreaming.
“This with you, it’s wrong. I know it. I’m not a complete idiot.”
In the episode entitled “Out of my Mind”, Buffy starts to uncover Spike’s true feelings for her. At first, it’s whispers from Dawn that Spike ha feelings for Buffy, but then, the Slayer finds herself alone with Spike and starts noticing other things.
He offers her bourbon, asks her what kind of music she likes, and doesn’t seem at all bothered to be spending so much time with her. Buffy has no choice, but to confront Spike about her suspicions, and he admits that he has fallen for her.
“Anything happened to Dawn, it’d destroy her. I couldn’t live, her being in that much pain. I’d let Glory kill me first. Nearly bloody did.”
Spike’s ability to love as much as he hates is an ultimate character flaw. Spike has done some pretty heinous things in his day. He has tortured and killed a lot of innocent people, but he has a major shift in the fifth season of the series and we get to discover a whole need side of William The Bloody.
We meet William, the lover, the friend, the protector. As the fifth season comes to an end and Glory’s threats are imminent, in a tender moment, Spike resolves to do whatever it takes to protect Buffy and the people she loves most.
“Oh, poor Watcher. Did your life flash before your eyes? Cuppa tea, cuppa tea, almost got shagged, cuppa tea.”
The first episode of the sixth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, brought with it a lot of new beginnings. In an attempt to save the show, creator Joss Whedon moved the series from the WB network to UPN. This season also kicks off with Buffy being dead, so there’s a lot to figure out and a lot of tension and secrets amongst Buffy’s closest friends.
At one point, Spike unintentionally sneaks up behind Giles, who is packing to move back to London. A startled Giles scolds Spike, and Spike responds the only way he knows how, with mockery and humor.
“I may be dirt, but you’re the one who likes to roll in it, Slayer.”
As time goes on and Spike’s feelings for Buffy grown stronger, Buffy finds herself starting to feel the same way. You could argue that dying, then coming back to life has probably done a number on Buffy’s heart and brain, so falling into the arms of her once arch-nemesis is almost justified, but still, Buffy does what she can to fight the urge.
After one intimate night with Spike, Buffy confronts him to let him know it will never happen again. Spike clearly doesn’t believe a word Buffy says.
“You always hurt the ones you love, pet.”
Spike’s love for Buffy turns him into a bit of a wimp. He’ll take any blow Buffy wants to give out, whether it be emotional or physical. Buffy spends most of the sixth season fighting or giving into her attraction to Spike and once she has given in, she spends the rest of her time hating herself and him for what’s just happened.
At one point, Buffy gets so angry she ends up beating Spike up, pretty badly. Spike just stands there and takes it, partly because of the chip in his head, but also because he loves Buffy.
“No, look at me, I love you. You’re all I bloody think about. Dream about. You’re in my gut, in my throat. I’m drowning in you, Summers. I’m drowning in you.”
Before Buffy is killed fighting Glory and saving Dawn, Spike gets the chance to tell her how he really feels. Unfortunately for Spike, he doesn’t go about it in the best way. Spike captures both Buffy and his ex-girlfriend/crazy vampire, Drusilla and holds them captive.
He professes his love for Buffy and tells her that to prove it, he will kill Drusilla. As this is all happening, Harmony, Spike’s other ex, enters the picture and chaos ensues. Ultimately, Buffy rejects Spike once again and he is left with no one. “I want to stop Angel. I want to save the world.”
“From now on, we’re gonna have a little less ritual, and a little more fun around here.”
One of Spike’s first grand gestures once he arrives in Sunnydale, early in season two, is when he kills the Anointed One. The Anointed One is a child turned messiah-like vampire, and he believes in following the rules and killing the slayer.
Spike has never been one for rules and rituals, so when the Anointed One confronts Spike about his failure to kill the slayer on his first attempt, Spike decides he’s heard enough. He tosses the Anointed One into a cage and lifts him to the sunlight, where he quickly turns to dust.
“Home, sweet home.”
The first words Spike utters when he steps foot back in Sunnydale, on a mission to find and kill the Vampire Slayer. Spike and Dry return to the Hellmouth to take down Buffy and her gang. At first sight, the mission seems easy enough for two powerful and skilled vampires, but they clearly have no idea what they’re in for.
Spike comes back to Sunnydale, but little does he know, he is never going to leave and his un-dead life is going to take a drastic turn over the course of the next five seasons where Spike and his story are a main focus.
