Do vengeance demons have souls?

[ElmoHasAGun]

Do vengeance demons have souls? Has it ever been mentioned during the series if Vengeance Demons lose their conscience when D'hoffryn turns them into a demon (however that works) and get them back if they are turned human again? Or do the souls remain intact? Has it ever been mentioned and I just missed it? Or have we been left to make up our mind about it?

 

[Natasha1988]

Ive wondered this to....they definatly lose all tact LOL

 

[zobothehobo]

They have their conscience and souls. That's proved to us when Anya goes back to being a vengeance demon after Xander leaves her at the alter.

 

[caitaintdead]

They have their conscience and souls. That's proved to us when Anya goes back to being a vengeance demon after Xander leaves her at the alter.

Is it? I don't recall that.

She seemed to feel pretty guilt ridden and soulful in Selfless after she has killed the frat boys.

 

[zobothehobo]

Is it? I don't recall that.

She seemed to feel pretty guilt ridden and soulful in Selfless after she has killed the frat boys.

That and Halfreck said she'd gone soft... she didn't want to do all the things she used to... and she felt for the Scoobies and helped save the world.

 

[sk]

Well, some kind of more human feelings returned when she become human again.

From "The Prom".
- When I lost my powers I got stuck in this persona, and now I have all these feelings. I don't understand it. I don't like it. All I know is I really want to go to this dance and I want someone to go with me.

Not sure what that means in terms of souls and conscience though...
Perhaps it's just something that comes back after spending time with humans again.

/SK

 

[TaylorSwift]

I think they have feelings and a conscience and a soul but when they're demons all these things are like..stuck,frozen. It's there but it's not powerful, it doesn't rule them like emotions and guilt do with humans. When Anya became human she started to love Xander, to be compassionate and started to love the world and humans so when she turns back I guess something struck a chord in her, all she went through with the scoobies hit her and as we can see in Selfless she just can't go back to all those "frozen" feelings, she can't be the way she was before. That's my lame theory. LOL

 

[xaphania]

The only thing I can think of that's canonical to prove vengeance demons have souls is this quote from 'Selfless'.

D'HOFFRYN
Hmm. You want to take it back. Must be twelve bodies in there. Such a thing"”not easily done. But not impossible. You're a big girl, Anyanka. You understand how this works. The proverbial scales must balance. In order to restore the lives of the victims, the fates require a sacrifice. The life and soul of a vengeance demon.

But this doesn't necessarily mean that what they have is the same as a human soul.

 

[AndrewCrossett]

I think Anya clearly had hers when she became human. I would think they do keep their souls, since Anya still had a conscience after she got re-demonized by D'Hoffryn.

 

[Primal Slayer]

It seems as if they do. But also remember usually when they become Vengence Demons they are already in a state of rage so that might just consume them for hte most part when they become Vegnece Demons, thus Anya not having any remorse until she became human again. She also didnt allow herself to develop any feelings for anyone because she would do her job and move on.

 

[Lindsey McDonald]

It seems as if they do. But also remember usually when they become Vengence Demons they are already in a state of rage so that might just consume them for hte most part when they become Vegnece Demons, thus Anya not having any remorse until she became human again. She also didnt allow herself to develop any feelings for anyone because she would do her job and move on.

I agree with this. I think Selfless proved that they still have the capability to feel remorse, but the natural state of a Vengeance Demon would be a cold, tempered rage. When they are changed, they are broken people. They've suffered so much wrong that their need for vengeance overwhelms them. Anya was different because she was forced to stop. It's so easy to get carried away with your hate and revenge (see, for instance Dark Willow) but when you have no choice but to stop and reflect its never going to be the same again. You can't just pick up where you left off.

So, yes. I think Vengeance Demons do keep their souls. They just get so swept away by power and revenge that they don't get much use! Either that, or they become like other grey-area demons. Lorne, for example, is a demon, but he clearly doesn't fall within the Sunnydale dichotomy. By Selfless I think they were trying to import some of that greyness from Angel into Buffy.

 

[fly on the wall]

This is how I've always rationalized it: Yes, they have souls/consciences, but they're also chock-full of unadulterated vengeance. When they act on behalf of someone, they FEEL the vengeance coursing through their veins. Just like how Willow killed Warren. She had a soul, but she was so hurt and angry and malicious and out for blood, she could do terrible things.

 

[white avenger]

It would seem quite logical to assume that vengeance (or justice) demons do in fact still have their souls, because they are living human beings when recruited, as opposed to vampires, whose human souls have already left their bodies before the demon takes residence.