The continuity of vampire personalities

[Robb Stark]

I was thinking about some of the explanations posed in a few of the Spike threads we have going around at the moment, and a few, on both sides of whatever the discussion is, have mentioned how Spike is different or unique from other vampires. That got me thinking by extension about vampire personalities when they're sired, and how they're similar or dissimilar to their personalities when they're humans, or have souls.

And when I thought about it, I was a little surprised. Spike isn't the unique one. Angelus is.

Think about it. From the vampires we see throughout both series', the ones we gain an insight into either before they were sired or when they become ensouled, a lot of the vampires actually have similar personalities to their prior selves, before becoming vampires. I'm not talking about being inherently evil, I'm speaking more to how they talk and relate to others, how they plan and the way they think and act in ways beyond evil.

Spike in S7 (and especially S5 of Angel) still talks, jokes and acts relatively the same as he does from S4 of BTVS onwards. His humor remains largely unchanged. He's just very clearly "good" at that stage. Harmony is almost identical to her S3 self, only now she feeds off humans. Holden Webster appears largely unchanged. Darla doesn't act radically different when she gets her soul. Her relationship with Angel in particular is similar. Drusilla is just as nuts without a soul as she is with one. The vampire Kralik from S3's "Helpless" is mentioned as being a serial killer prior to being sired. Gunn in ATF talks and thinks very much like his previous self. Basically all of the vampires we meet and grow to know over the series retain major elements of their personalities from when they weren't vampires.

Except Angelus. He's the only truly unique case.

He and Angel, contrary to just about every other vampire, is radically, completely and undeniably different than Angel. Is there a reason for that? I mean, they're so separate from one another that both of them discuss the other like they're completely different people, and no other vampire does that. I mean hell, they even have memory sets unique from one another.

I know the writers played some of the vampires, like Harmony, Spike at times and Holden Webster, as very human to enhance the humor elements of the show, but continuity wise, is there a reason why Angel/Angelus is so unique from everyone else?

 

[EffyStonem]

Except Angelus. He's the only truly unique case.

He and Angel, contrary to just about every other vampire, is radically, completely and undeniably different than Angel. Is there a reason for that? I mean, they're so separate from one another that both of them discuss the other like they're completely different people, and no other vampire does that.

It has taken many rewatches of the show and a deeper understanding of Angel's character for me to realise (and now firmly believe) that Angel and Angelus actually aren't that different. Let me explain.

The way I have come to understand it, is when you get sired the demon/vampire that you become takes your original personality, your original impulses and traits and amplifies them and/or twists them towards evil (due to a lack of conscience). Take for example Vampire Willow, who initially seems vastly different from her human counterpart. However, when you look more closely, you realise that she's actually not. Willow as a human likes instant gratification, control of others and elevation of status and power. Vampire Willow has all these impulses, amped up to eleven. Wanting instant gratification becomes hunger for blood and lack of control of her bloodlust, control of others is clearly shown when she arrives in "normal" Sunnydale and instantly tries to take over The Bronze, and as for elevation and power, she is one of the Master's most trusted and highly regarded vampires.

If we take this line of thinking and apply it to Angel you can start to see the similarities between Angel and Angelus. Angel has true darkness in him - a darkness he probably had as Liam (although, given how little we see of Liam I can't state this definitively). This darkness has nothing to do with Angelus. It's more along the lines of the darkness that Faith struggles with. Angel is also able to - if it pleases him - cut himself off emotionally from those closest to him (as we see him do in Season 2 of AtS). He appreciates beauty and finesse and is very intelligent and intellectual. When he is Angelus all of this is amplified and twisted for evil. The darkness becomes the driving force behind Angelus, the disconnect from people becomes a complete inability to love and the intelligence and intellect is warped and twisted to allow Angelus to psychologically torture his victims in ways he couldn't if he were less refined.

 

[Blaze]

This is kinda debatable on both sides I find. I think a lot of what you're saying is right, but also don't forget that if you compare Angel way back when he was liam, he was a drunken ladie's man that resembled a lot of the qualities Angelus had. Of course way later Angel is completely different but that can be attributed to centuries of you know eating humans.

All in all, I do believe the vamp's personality feeds on who the person use to be a bit. Just look at vamp Willow and dark Willow, they weren't too far apart personality wise in some instance. But I do think the rule applies to angel as well even if it's only very loosely.

 

[Robb Stark]

If we take this line of thinking and apply it to Angel you can start to see the similarities between Angel and Angelus. Angel has true darkness in him - a darkness he probably had as Liam (although, given how little we see of Liam I can't state this definitively). This darkness has nothing to do with Angelus. It's more along the lines of the darkness that Faith struggles with. Angel is also able to - if it pleases him - cut himself off emotionally from those closest to him (as we see him do in Season 2 of AtS). He appreciates beauty and finesse and is very intelligent and intellectual. When he is Angelus all of this is amplified and twisted for evil. The darkness becomes the driving force behind Angelus, the disconnect from people becomes a complete inability to love and the intelligence and intellect is warped and twisted to allow Angelus to psychologically torture his victims in ways he couldn't if he were less refined.

I hadn't thought of it that way before, and it's a really interesting perspective. It makes me wonder if the writers/producers of the show and the character intended it that way. Because outlined as you presented it, it makes sense. But to understand vampire-Willow and Angelus in that light, it takes a lot more thought than what we see with say Harmony or Spike.

I mean, there are underlying similarities and traits that I hadn't considered before between Angelus and Angel, but everything else is radically different. If you look at Spike in S4 of Buffy and line him up with his AtS S5 counterpart, they're essentially the same character.