Angel and Angeleus

[Phantom Dennis]

When was it established that Angel and Angeleus were 2 different personalities? In Season 2 of Buffy, when Angel looses his soul he still refers to himself as 'Angel' but I don't think that until his own series, the difference between the 2 were clear and a souless Angel is a completely different personality calling himself 'Angeleus'. Can someone please explain this?

 

[Edmund Blackadder]

What you have with Angel and Angelus is actually the same person - one with a conscience and one without.

Ultimately, they are the same person but it is established as early as season 1 that both hate what happens to themselves when they change.

The fact they have 'different' personalities is because of how they deal with the soul/no soul thing.
Angel, or indeed Liam, was completely different to the being now, but he is the same person albeit with less experience, and he found that the drinking, sleeping around and causing havoc was a fun way to live - Angelus was pretty much that with added evil intent.

These three beings have the same personality except one is the human form that is confind by his conscience, lacking experience and a certain amount of immaturity, another is the complete extreme of this with a total lack of conscience gaining evil experience and still retaining an immaturity while the last completely surpresses all these urges because he believes they will lead him away from his redemption and down a path towards his former selves.

 

[boreanaz]

(Anegleus & Angel) I adore the two different personalities , I think , that's what kept the show more interesting , although , sometime's I ant too sure about it , lol , In fact , I think that (Angel) doesn't enjoy becoming (Angeleus) at time's , I think if he had a chocie , he'd make sure , that (Angeleus) would never come back again...

 

[Kana]

To be honest Joss is very vague on this. Basically there are two main theories with varying inconsistencies with the verse.

Theory 1

When some one is turned into a vampire their soul which is the immaterial part of the person which houses their memories, consciousness and is effectively the 'meness' of a person is gone and a demon takes over their body and gets their memories. This would mean that Angelus is the demon with Liam's memories and also wearing his face but it's not him. When Angelus was re ensoulled Liam was forced back from the ether and was cursed to remember everything his demon counterpart did as if he did them himself. This theory is supported by Jasmine and the Watcher's Council and to an extent by Angel.

Theory 2

In this model when Liam was turned his conscience was removed but his consciousness and pretty much everything else remained. His physiology was changed but effectively it was still Liam: now with rhe physiology of a demon and lacking a conscience or the ability to feel guilty for his actions if you will. When Angelus was re ensoulled then he was given his conscience back and therefore looked upon his past actions with remorse. This is supported by Living Conditions (it seems more likely that Kathy was stealing Buffy's conscience rather than her 'meness') and I've Got You Under My Skin where Ryan has intelligence, memories and consciousness but no 'soul' but he clearly has a life force with no demon residing inside (apart from the ethros who didn't cause him to commit the atrocities he did) so he simply lacks a conscience.

Seen as there is support for both theories, and considering Angel's stance is a little inconsistent, I'd say that either could be accepted.