Rank the ATS opening cast members

PaulParmar1

PaulParmar1

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Rank the cast members who are in the opening credits at some point in Angel (S1 - S5) based on likeability for you. (try to base characters only on Angel events)
Mine would be

1. Cordelia - I love Cordelia Chase she's the heart and soul of this show imo! She's a great and strong female character who only gets stronger & smarter & kinder throughout! She's nothing compared to who she was in Buffy Season 1 and I love watching her storylines and growth + the Cangel romance was fun to ship for me as well.

2. Harmony - I adore Harmony and she's always been a favourite of mine. Harmony's funny, bright and brought a much needed feminine aspect to the show especially when S5 felt so much like it was just revolved around men . Harmony is treated badly but is still an optimist and Harm's Way is one of my fav episodes of S5! I just love her

3. Fred/Illyria - Fred is a fantastic character. She goes from the girl who was completely shy& timid to a complete badass and a strong woman and I love her growth and Free centric episodes are always a joy to watch and she created two amazing relationships with Wesley & Gunn and while she died on the show (but she's alive again in the comics yay Fred) she's fantastic. Illyria is great too however but we needed more time with her.

4. Spike - I adore Spike a lot more in BTVS it's true but Spike is amazing still in ATS and constantly is himself and creates some of the funniest moments of S5 and I love seeing him work together on the same side of Angel! It's great to watch.

5. Angel - while I do enjoy Angel a lot on BTVS he eventually got repetitive to me but Angel is completely renewed in ATS and he's constantly interesting, we explore new sides to the character & I enjoy him so much more. I adore Cangel so I gotta root for him and he's all in all a great character.

6. Wesley - I'm gonna be honest I wasn't a huge fan of Wesley going into ATS especially cause I found him incredibly irritating on BTVS but I actually did enjoy him but he was never one of my favs till the end of the 3rd season and the 4th season where he was sexy, dark, badass and everything! *drools* he's amazing haha.

7. Connor - While many may not agree with me. I love Connor. He has a troubled past and it makes him an interesting character. Would I change some things about him? Yes but I see where he's coming from a lot of the time.

8. Lorne - Lorne is fantastic especially in the 2nd season where he's mysterious but a helpful character and through Season 2 - Season 4 he evolves a lot and I love watching him more & more. He's low on my ranking because in S5 I felt he was useless and I did not like him killing Lindsay either. But overall Lorne's great

9. Doyle - I needed to see more Doyle. I love him & he'll forever be a hero. 🙁

10. Gunn- I never ever related to Gunn. He just was boring & bland to me for a large part of his run.
The only thing I liked was his relationship with Fred. Besides that Gunn who?
 
1. Wesley - Overall he's just my favorite character (counting both shows) so that was an easy pick for me. Every nuance and shade he's given us, I've loved, from bumbling Wesley in BtVS, to slightly more confident but still funny Wes in AtS S2/S3 to bad-ass Wes in S4, and then finally an amalgamation of all of that in S5.

2. Cordelia - Oh how I love her, let me count the ways 🙂 Some of my favorite moments of the first 3 seasons of AtS belong to her, same with funny lines; no amount of destroying her character in S4 could take those moments away from me. Though it admittedly helped to have her be back to her old self for her final farewell in S5.

3. Angel - I truly adore this manpire! He's such a dork, he has such an amazing heart, he's compassionate and protective of both those he loves and complete strangers. I even find his 'brooding' sweet 😉

4. Doyle - In 9 episodes he made me fall in love with him and then mourn his loss for the rest of the show. Despite Amy Acker's brilliant acting in S5, Doyle's death is the one that hits me the most on AtS 🙁

5. Fred/Illyria - As previously mentioned, Amy is amazing with these two very different roles; she makes you fall in love with Fred and wins us over playing the creature that killed Fred. Seriously. 😵

6. Gunn - There's just something about this street-wise, yet very clever and intelligent, man that I adore; from his love of the ballet, to his excitement at getting to kick some evil booty, to the heart that he tries so hard to hide behind swagger.

7. Lorne - Isn't he just the best? He'd be higher on this list if he had been utilized more, especially in the early stages of S5.

8. Spike - Love the guy, but I couldn't put him higher than the folks that had been around AtS longer, I consider that sacrilege!

9. Harmony - Hey, she's funny, right?

10. Connor - Ugh, just... no 🙁
 
1. Angel
2. Wesley
-. Darla
3. Fred/Illyria
-. Lilah
-. Lindsey
-. Drusilla
4. Connor
-. Holtz
-. Faith
5. Lorne
-. Holland
6. Spike
7. Doyle
8. Cordy
9. Gunn
10. Harmony
 
I dont even know who all were in the opening credits. Do you mean actually IN the credits are their name appearing in the credits?
 
Cordelia - the heart of this show and I like to think of her as the lead
Connor - I pity him, everyone he ever met used him
Angel - the dark hero
Lorne - why would you not love Lorne, even though he got lost in the later season
Harmony - this became such a male show, she was needed
Fred/Illyria - the Willow/Dark!Willow of AtS
Gunn - underused, mainly to forward Fred/Wes story
Spike - I loved the Spangel of it all, delving into the psyche of souled vamps, but this wasn't really his place
Wesley - paranoid and flawed, but not in a good way
Doyle - not here long enough for me to care about, and Nope to him and Cordy
 
1. Angel
2. Wesley
3. Connor
4. Gunn
5. Cordelia (she would be higher on the list if not for s3)
6. Doyle
7. Lorne
8. Fred/Illyria (would be higher on the list if it were only Illyria)
9. Harmony
10. Spike
 
Puppet said:
1. Wesley - Overall he's just my favorite character (counting both shows) so that was an easy pick for me. Every nuance and shade he's given us, I've loved, from bumbling Wesley in BtVS, to slightly more confident but still funny Wes in AtS S2/S3 to bad-ass Wes in S4, and then finally an amalgamation of all of that in S5.

2. Cordelia - Oh how I love her, let me count the ways 🙂 Some of my favorite moments of the first 3 seasons of AtS belong to her, same with funny lines; no amount of destroying her character in S4 could take those moments away from me. Though it admittedly helped to have her be back to her old self for her final farewell in S5.

3. Angel - I truly adore this manpire! He's such a dork, he has such an amazing heart, he's compassionate and protective of both those he loves and complete strangers. I even find his 'brooding' sweet 😉

4. Doyle - In 9 episodes he made me fall in love with him and then mourn his loss for the rest of the show. Despite Amy Acker's brilliant acting in S5, Doyle's death is the one that hits me the most on AtS 🙁

5. Fred/Illyria - As previously mentioned, Amy is amazing with these two very different roles; she makes you fall in love with Fred and wins us over playing the creature that killed Fred. Seriously. 😵

6. Gunn - There's just something about this street-wise, yet very clever and intelligent, man that I adore; from his love of the ballet, to his excitement at getting to kick some evil booty, to the heart that he tries so hard to hide behind swagger.

7. Lorne - Isn't he just the best? He'd be higher on this list if he had been utilized more, especially in the early stages of S5.

8. Spike - Love the guy, but I couldn't put him higher than the folks that had been around AtS longer, I consider that sacrilege!

9. Harmony - Hey, she's funny, right?

10. Connor - Ugh, just... no 🙁
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I'm surprise Doyle is so high on your ranking but that totally is a testament to the impact he had on the show🙂
 
Priceless said:
Cordelia - the heart of this show and I like to think of her as the lead
Connor - I pity him, everyone he ever met used him
Angel - the dark hero
Lorne - why would you not love Lorne, even though he got lost in the later season
Harmony - this became such a male show, she was needed
Fred/Illyria - the Willow/Dark!Willow of AtS
Gunn - underused, mainly to forward Fred/Wes story
Spike - I loved the Spangel of it all, delving into the psyche of souled vamps, but this wasn't really his place
Wesley - paranoid and flawed, but not in a good way
Doyle - not here long enough for me to care about, and Nope to him and Cordy
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Great ranking & shocked to see Connor so high but he deserves the love for sure.
 
11. Connor: Problem is I only like him when he's not in the theme song (as a baby and season five). He's tenure as a member of the main cast is just bad.
10. Harmony: I love her, but she's got some tough competition here considering she's only in 17 episodes and always a side character. She is always fun though and never ooc.
9. Lorne: I adore his voice but I'm also tone def and have been told it's overrated. Still, he was very wise and had a sly humor. He just gets ignored in season 5 when he shouldn't have been.
8. Gunn: I don't dislike him, he was just kinda there as the muscle for a long time while Angel was stronger than him anyway. He was often forgotten about and never focused on. Really big improvement in season 5 though imo.
7. Illyria: In her short run, Illyria really proved to be not only complex and interesting but actually very useful. It would have been very easy to screw up with her, but the writers and Amy nailed it.
6. Doyle: I thought his arc was perfect. His sacrifice is so tragic. He had real feelings for Cordy, and he gave her a gift that may have been a burden but was also the ultimate sign of trust.
5. Spike: I love Spike, but Angel season 5 isn't his strongest season. He is funnier, but he's also toying with the attitude of evil in a hero's body, which kinda makes sense some times but doesn't always.
4. Cordelia: During the first 2 seasons, she was the heart of the show. She made it as good as it was. Afterward, she starts on a decline, but she still shows signs of why we love her throughout, and especially in her finale episode.
3. Wesley: His overall transformation is in very close competition with Spike and Willow. I think his turn to the dark side was fascinating, and his devotion to Fred was admirable. I've been told other people have very different opinions on both though lol.
2. Angel: It's his show, so he should shine. And he doesn't disappoint. He not only builds a far greater personality than on BTVS, he also proves just how heroic he is in his own right. He needs friends, even if he comes off as a loner, and he makes great friendships on the show as well.
1. Fred: I can't help but giggle every time she goes on a science rant, tear up every time she gets sad, marvel at her beauty, smile when she smiles, and feel proud when she gets to prove her worthiness as a hero. She saves season 3 from making it dullfest 2002, stays sane in season 4 when everyone else is crazy, and has all the best scenes in season 5.
 
1.) Wesley - by far one of the greatest character evolutions television has ever seen. It is also the most realistic portrayal of the pure empty depression that comes with losing your soul mate that I have ever seen. I empathise and understand his insecurities, deep sadness and desire to become someone that matters.
2.) Cordelia - If we ignore anything that happens in Season 4 (which is extremely difficult), she is a brilliant woman. She is strong and independent and driven by pure drive.
3.) Fred - She is simply adorable. So intelligent and cute but with a badass side. I wish Willow had been written more like this. There really isn't a bad bone in her body. I also appreciated seeing a functional family. As someone that comes from a loving family it connected with me far more than most of the parent/child relationships.
4.) Lorne - He's fun and camp and doesn't take himself too seriously. If there was anyone in the Buffyverse I would want a night out with it's this guy.
5.) Angel - I enjoy Angel more on each rewatch but I wish we had a little more depth to his character outside of 'brood'. I think more quirky traits like the Barry Manilow passion could have added some enjoyment to his character. A lot of the time I couldn't root for him and felt like he didn't deserve to shanshu. That really belonged to...
6.) Spike - In one season he managed to become a complex, interesting character. He was far more capable of carrying a series than Angel and the only he rates lower is because we only had one season of him. The Spike/Angel chemistry in season 5 was absolutely perfect.
7.) Harmony - she bought a lot of fun and spark to season 5 with her brilliant outfits and dancefloor moves. Harm's Way is an understated classic.
8.) Doyle - His exit episode is just about the only episode I felt anything for him. I'm eternally thankful that Wesley replaced him.
9.) Gunn - So much could have been done with his character. I thought it was completely amiss to not address his homelessness and how he got there. He went from living on the streets to being a big time lawyer but he was relegated to 'token black guy'. A real waste of what could have been a powerful story.
10.) Connor - I hated everything about this kid aside from post-mind wipe.
 
caitaintdead said:
1.) Wesley - by far one of the greatest character evolutions television has ever seen. It is also the most realistic portrayal of the pure empty depression that comes with losing your soul mate that I have ever seen. I empathise and understand his insecurities, deep sadness and desire to become someone that matters.
2.) Cordelia - If we ignore anything that happens in Season 4 (which is extremely difficult), she is a brilliant woman. She is strong and independent and driven by pure drive.
3.) Fred - She is simply adorable. So intelligent and cute but with a badass side. I wish Willow had been written more like this. There really isn't a bad bone in her body. I also appreciated seeing a functional family. As someone that comes from a loving family it connected with me far more than most of the parent/child relationships.
4.) Lorne - He's fun and camp and doesn't take himself too seriously. If there was anyone in the Buffyverse I would want a night out with it's this guy.
5.) Angel - I enjoy Angel more on each rewatch but I wish we had a little more depth to his character outside of 'brood'. I think more quirky traits like the Barry Manilow passion could have added some enjoyment to his character. A lot of the time I couldn't root for him and felt like he didn't deserve to shanshu. That really belonged to...
6.) Spike - In one season he managed to become a complex, interesting character. He was far more capable of carrying a series than Angel and the only he rates lower is because we only had one season of him. The Spike/Angel chemistry in season 5 was absolutely perfect.
7.) Harmony - she bought a lot of fun and spark to season 5 with her brilliant outfits and dancefloor moves. Harm's Way is an understated classic.
8.) Doyle - His exit episode is just about the only episode I felt anything for him. I'm eternally thankful that Wesley replaced him.
9.) Gunn - So much could have been done with his character. I thought it was completely amiss to not address his homelessness and how he got there. He went from living on the streets to being a big time lawyer but he was relegated to 'token black guy'. A real waste of what could have been a powerful story.
10.) Connor - I hated everything about this kid aside from post-mind wipe.
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Great ranking! & I completely agree with u on Gunn! So much wasted character potential
 
1)Angel - One of the best characters in the Buffyverse, Angel really came into his own in season 2. The titular character always has a lot on their shoulders, but the character really epitomized what was great about Whedon's tales. Contradictions, convictions, despair, anger, revenge, pathos... and of course.... brooding.

2)Wesley - The character with the best arc bar none. It's been covered by everyone pretty well. He's great.

3)Fred/Illryia - Even though she started as damsel in distress, Fred's character got better every season, and while it was a shame to lose her to Illryia, the actress brought the chops to a totally different route, and still killed it.

4)Gunn - I'm saying this as a black guy, but to everyone else who saw Gunn as the token, to me he was the first character of color in the Buffyverse that wasn't a cameo, or a bit player, or guest star. Representation is a big deal, and in Gunn I found a character to identify with, and therefore it's honestly difficult to be objective about it. True, he wasn't given enough to do, but his portrayal of the every man trying to keep up with the supernatural was inspiring. He brought a different and fresh perspective, and never gave a lackluster performance. He was the only character without super abilities (until season 6) and yet was counted as one of Angel's go to sidekicks when things were going south. He was a rock when needed, and formed the heart and core of Angel's team throughout the shows run.

5)Cordelia/Doyle -Love them both, and only wish thier characters were given more time to develop, and better send offs. Doyle wasn't around long enough to be higher on the list. Cordelia was never given a good solid arc, and while I love the actor, her character was given only a few chances to shine.

To be continued.
 
CharlieGunn1 said:
4)Gunn - I'm saying this as a black guy, but to everyone else who saw Gunn as the token, to me he was the first character of color in the Buffyverse that wasn't a cameo, or a bit player, or guest star. Representation is a big deal, and in Gunn I found a character to identify with, and therefore it's honestly difficult to be objective about it. True, he wasn't given enough to do, but his portrayal of the every man trying to keep up with the supernatural was inspiring. He brought a different and fresh perspective, and never gave a lackluster performance. He was the only character without super abilities (until season 6) and yet was counted as one of Angel's go to sidekicks when things were going south. He was a rock when needed, and formed the heart and core of Angel's team throughout the shows run.
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Well said. Great to get some Gunn love on the boards. He was under utilized but what little he was given to do he made it look good. Gunn was everything Xander wasn’t IMO. He managed to a badass without any super powers. I loved that Angel has such a great respect for him as a fighter.
 
I guess I should answer the OP too...

1) Angel - Should be no surprise Angel is, most days, my favorite character in the ‘verse (other days its Buffy). He is a relatable hero. As he learns, so do we. I find his determination to fight for what’s right at all cost, regardless of the personal sacrifice, incredibly inspiring even today.

2) Wesley - Wes’ character growth was organic and admirable. His journey was very relatable. He was hilarious in early seasons and tragic in the later seasons. Although he faltered at times, he tried to be a good friend. I think Wes was the best friend Angel ever had.

3) Fred - I just have such a huge soft spot for Fred. Her arc wasn’t perfection I know but I liked her a lot. I liked her friendship with Angel a great deal and found it very understated and selfless. I loved her interactions with Connor and I wish there was a better recognition that she was like a surrogate mother to him as well. Her death is the most heartbreaking for me.

4) Gunn - See above. I love Gunn’s early story. I love his love of the fight. He is heroic without any supernatural reason to be heroic. Right to the very end as he is dying he is still standing prepared to go down swinging. I would expect nothing more.

5) Lorne - I just enjoy Lorne. He makes me smile and he makes me crave pastries.

6) Cordelia - Early Cordy cracked me up. I thought she was absolutely necessary to making this show a success. She provided that comedic relief without which the show would have gone too dark. If not for the Season 3 weirdness she would be slightly higher.

7) Connor - I think I love Connor because Angel does. I did take a while to warm up to him (they made it hard to like him). But I understood that he had an unimaginable childhood and I can see how he would end up where he did in Season 4. I liked him in Season 5 and liked him even more in A/F S9 (so maybe that’s cheating?)

8) Doyle - I liked Doyle and Angel’s interactions a great deal but I was never so much a fan of Doyle on his own. I cared for him only because Angel did. I found some of his Season 1 comments towards Cordy inappropriate and slightly misogynistic. But i guess that was part of his character? Rough around the edges. I liked Doyle best right before he died.

9) Spike - I enjoy the Angel/Spike stuff but there was too much. A little bit of the competition and the pettiness is fine but a half a year was too much. Spike felt wedged into the show for the most part. I would have liked to see him as a guest star instead of a regular.

10) Illyria - She was interesting but I guess I never really bought in the way Joss did. A lot of her dilemmas regarding humanity and love were a bit on the nose for me. Amy Acker though - slow clap.

11) Harm - Funny. But you know eh.

Honorable mention to my spirit Lawyer Lilah. I never thought I could love someone so evil.
 
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