Angel/Angelus = Louis/Lestat in One Person

[Nikkolas]

Not entirely positive if this goes here... If not, I apologize.

So I have been a Buffy fan ever since I watched the first episode debut all those years ago. However I only got into Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles about a year or two ago. I started by watching the excellent film adaptation of Interview with the Vampire and went on to read the original novel and am curretnly making my way through the rest of the VC.

Anyway, for better or worse, Mrs. Rice's depiction of vampires is quite influential and while I'm not sure if Whedon has ever commented on this, it seems likely he at least knew about her work.

It just seems remarkable to me that the similarities between Angel/Angelus and Lestat and Louis is a mere coincidence. Even if it is, I hope others can see the obvious parallels.

On the one hand, we have the tragic, in search of redemption character. He laments what he is and what he has done and spends a good majority of his time brooding. (though as the "Angel is so much better than Buffy" crowd will trumpet, he grew out of this a lot when he got his own show). This is Angel and Louis.

On the other, we have the sophisticated sociopath. He not only embraced his predatory nature but refines it to a cruelly elegant level. Angelus is a bit more cerebral than Lestat but they both share a flair for the dramatic and torture.

It also was even more rewarding to my idea of them being alike when I read some of The Vampire Lestat and learned about Lestat's humble origins. Much like a certain other rough commoner who went on to be a gentleman killer in death.

Well, yeah. That's just something I've been reflecting on for a while and it sprang back into my head while I'm going through Queen of the Damned. I figured if anyone could see the similarites, or point out the differences that I missed, it be Buffy fans who are also likely to be more familiar with the VC than I am.

 

[Taake]

Funnily enough I have never thought about this and Lestat and Louis (as well as Angel/Angelus) have for long been two of my favorite vampires.

I think it's simply because though there are similarities I do not the characters are particularly the same down to the core.

Angel - yes a deeply brooding by-product of a tamed Angelus. But Angel has always been far more human if you will and adaptable than Louis.
Louis was a sensitive, mild-hearted vampire who almost appears effeminate at times because of his gentleness. His brooding is more prone deep philosophical ponderings about how vampires have come to be etceter, not necessarily his own wrong-doings, not in the same way as it is for Angel at least.


And though yes, Lestat is certainly gleeful and egocentric like Angelus he is not in anyway as malicious. Lestat is mischevious and he makes no excuses for being a vampire, but he loves and he loves a lot. For example he and Louis loves each other most extraordinarily much. They even co-exsited peacefully for 60 years something Angelus and Angel even if given the opportunity could never have done because they're each other's opposite. (and hate each other for it, where L/L clash because of their differences they do appreciate it in each other)

Also lestat has a need for people, every vampire he sires has been for a rather selfish purpose, because he needs company and love. Angelus creates to further torture and entertain himself, not because he wants/needs a genuine family.

Lestat, rather soulful if you will, I would rather compare to Spike in that case (especially since they both loved their mother's enough to turn them, though Lestat was more successful of course). Lestat also never tires of life and people (well at least not if you count the first Vampire chronicles) and would never seek to end the world, again more like Spike than Angelus.

That's my two cents 🙂

 

[Nikkolas]

And very valuable two cents indeed. Thank you so much for your well-thought out reply!

Lestat has become far more humanized in the sequel books it seems. From Interview alone he seems quite monstrous. But even then he wasn't as bad as Angelus. He did have some sort of weakness in regards to his father after all. Dspite how much he apparently hated the man he went to great pains to help him.

Though this almost seemed like an act of cruelty at times.