What if Xander was a main character on Angel?

[The Scourge]

I'm not the biggest Xander fan in the world, but this thought came to me earlier. What if, for whatever reason, Xander became a main character on Angel?

I think being in LA would have really toughened him up. Xander has always been the normal goofball of the Scoobies and it would be interesting to see him mature as a character, possibly becoming more darker and badass the way Wesley''s character developed.

 

[NY State of Mind]

I just don't ever see Xander and Angel as a good team

 

[nightshade]

I've thought about this before, but I don't think it would work with him as a regular. I thought about him going there for a couple of episodes after Hell's Bells as maybe a tester to see how he would fit in with the group

 

[Deus Ex Machina]

I think it would've worked out. He would've become tougher and would have gotten away from his super abusive family. He would be relied upon for more than just fixing Buffy's furniture and cracking a joke. He'd be the "seer" and probably have powers or at least be trained to fight better. Wesley could've trained him to be a bad ass Watcher.

PLUS, Cordelia and Xander would've matured together and it would've been interesting to see them try again but as different people.

 

[nightshade]

He'd be the "seer" and probably have powers or at least be trained to fight better.

Isn't that Cordelia's role? Doesn't she keep the group together, and see what the others need. She also had training to fight better

 

[Goby]

In Season 3 BtVS, I wanted Wesley to die. I didn't care how... I just wanted him out of my life!! Of course Joss changed Wesley, and I grew to love him.

I bet Xander would have been a different character on Angel, too.

 

[Kean]

I think being a character on Angel would have really opened up Xander's development, possibly a lot more than it did on Buffy. It would have put Xander in an environment where pretty much everything he believed would be challenged, from his perspective an Angel and Cordy, to what role he could play in the fight. To be honest, I think putting anyone on Angel's show would have allowed for a massive character growth simply because that show created an atmosphere in which characters found themselves. Even though they were a unit there was much more of an emphasis on their individual strengths.

 

[Willow My Love]

I think it might have been to awkward. The way Cordy left, how they broke up, the fact that Xander never liked Angel... I don't think it would have worked.

 

[The Scourge]

He would definitely me more included and involved with the [strold thsn he'd be on Buffy. On Buffy, he is basically the only normal guy on the show and its obvious that Buffy tries to keep him out of harm's way by not fully including him in most fights.

On Angel, there are many normal humans: Wesley, Gunn, and Fred don't have any superpowers or special abilities and they are just as involved in fights as Angel. Even Cordelia (her "power" is just visions) was just as involved.

Xander's self-esteem would be a lot higher if he was rolling with the Fang Gang.

 

[BuffyElevated]

Seeing how Xander hated Angel so much, I don't see how he ever would have fit in on "Angel". Of course, I never thought Wes would have fit in with that world, either, and now I can't imagine and don't want to imagine the show without him. However, I don't think Xander would have made a good addition to the Angel Investigations team; he belongs at Buffy's right hand.

 

[Deus Ex Machina]

Isn't that Cordelia's role? Doesn't she keep the group together, and see what the others need. She also had training to fight better

I don't know. I've never seen Angel so I'm not sure what Cordelia's role is on the show.

But I would still love to see Cordelia and Xander work something out when they grew up.

 

[sosa lola]

I just don't ever see Xander and Angel as a good team

I disagree. They were a wonderful team in Prophecy Girl and School Hard, I wish we've seen more of them teaming up.

I think it might have been to awkward. The way Cordy left, how they broke up, the fact that Xander never liked Angel... I don't think it would have worked.

I actually believe that would have been the most awesome thing to see. Awkward is interesting. I really wish Xander at least guest starred once on Angel.

 

[Hale Caesar]

I liked Xander in the first 4 seasons of BtVS, and I hated him in the last 3 because he had no story, he was a glorified cheerleader who as there for comedic relief (which I didn't think was funny) and insulting Spike. I would have loved to have seen him on Angel because maybe it could have saved his character

 

[sosa lola]

Willow My Love agrees: But Xander himself has said he doesn't like Angel. It wouldn't make sense for him to go work for him. They had to work together sometimes, but that doesn't mean they wanted to.

So? If we stick with the "doesn't like character X therefore should never interact with them" angle for all characters, then Buffy and Spike wouldn't have become lovers and then friends, Spike wouldn't have gone to AtS, and so many developments wouldn't have happened. Cordelia didn't go to LA to work for Angel, circumstances forced her to, same can happen to Xander.

 

[The Scourge]

Yeah, Xander disliking Angel wouldn't really be a reason for him not to be on the show. It would have been cool to see them fight side by side and have Xander's hate of Angel slowly fade over the seasons and become respect, and later friendship.

I think he would fit right in alongside Wesley, Cordelia, Gunn, and Fred. Well, as long as he didn't act like too much of an idiot.

I just feel that there is so much more that could have been done with Xander, and Angel would have been the best place to do it. In my opinion, Angel had much better character development than BtVS.

 

[Whirlwind]

Considering the great job Angel did with Wesley's development, I think Xander would have probably become a better fighter and more hardened on Angel, as pretty much all the characters on that show did. It would have been interesting to see him develop a friendship with Angel and show more of his relationship with Cordelia (whether it was just a friendship or continuation of their romance). But I think he works better on Buffy, as he is a pretty unique character on the show and without him it would just be the special people. I do wish he had crossed over on Angel though, at least to make an appearance in Season 5.

 

[Wesley Junior]

Let me think about it....

If Xander was a main character on the show from the beginning, that would mean that it would be after the events of Graduation Day. At that point in his life, Xander didn't see college in his life, lacked direction and purpose, and went on a road trip. I can see something happening during Xander's road trip that brings him to LA. Maybe he tries to rescue an innocent from a monster Angel, Doyle, and Cordelia are fighting aganist. Xander teams up with them and enjoys the feeling of fighting aganist evil like he did with Buffy, Willow, and Giles.

Xander has doubts about going back to Sunnydale so he decides to stay in LA for the meantime. He ends up becoming roommates with Cordelia which becomes an Odd Couple situation. Learning of Xander and Cordelia's romantic history, Doyle would be jealous of Xander and see him as a rival for Cordelia's affections. Xander tries looking for a job to get paid and he goes from lame job to another while helping Angel, Doyle, and Cordelia on the side. Eventually, he decides to join Angel Investigations no matter how much he may hate its boss. Xander learns to rely on himself more now that he doesn't have Buffy's superhuman skills or Willow and Giles's bookish smarts to back him up. He looks after Cordelia when Doyle dies and butt heads with Wesley when he joins the team. I do him developing more of a respect for Wesley and Angel by the end of the first season.

The more I think about it, the more I become interested.

 

[Hale Caesar]

I've gotta disagree there. I think he had a good story with the whole Anya bit, and the s6 finale with Willow.

I saw that whole thing as Anya keeping Xander relevant. Anya was a lot funnier than Xander (IMO), and her character at least had some development to do (getting used to human life). While Xander stood in the background and occasionally came out to insult Spike. And the season 6 finale was random, the guy doesn't do anything for all of seasons 5 and 6, and then he suddenly steps into the spotlight and saves the day, I felt it was a very unsatisfying ending to an overall very good season. It's like having all these characters with these interesting story arcs, and everything builds-up to the guy in the back saving the day.

Xander on Angel? Great idea.

 

[Taake]

I saw that whole thing as Anya keeping Xander relevant. Anya was a lot funnier than Xander (IMO), and her character at least had some development to do (getting used to human life). While Xander stood in the background and occasionally came out to insult Spike. And the season 6 finale was random, the guy doesn't do anything for all of seasons 5 and 6, and then he suddenly steps into the spotlight and saves the day, I felt it was a very unsatisfying ending to an overall very good season. It's like having all these characters with these interesting story arcs, and everything builds-up to the guy in the back saving the day,

I think that was one of Joss' greatest mistakes. He just kind of forgot/stopped caring about Xander as a character and allowed him to fall into the background. And this was one of the core four! I think Xander had a lot of unused potential on Buffy that sadly pushed to the side for favor of the development of e.g Anya (whom if anyone should have been a background character. Sure she had some funny lines but honestly, she wasn't that funny (yeah yeah newly human, socially awkward... it got tired) and with the exception of Selfless her development was far less interesting to me than Xander's could have been, if only because he had been around longer and I cared more for him.)

As the only mere human on the show it would have interesting to see him develop into anything, not just being passed over for some kind of purse-holder position while the rest got to grow.


As for Xander on Angel I can't really see it work. Angel and Xander just don't have a working chemistry to me. They were so fundamentally different and not really respectful/interested in each other's perspective. For a guest episode or so it could have been cool but as a regular I just can't see it working.

 

[Deus Ex Machina]

I think that was one of Joss' greatest mistakes. He just kind of forgot/stopped caring about Xander as a character and allowed him to fall into the background. And this was one of the core four! I think Xander had a lot of unused potential on Buffy that sadly pushed to the side for favor of the development of e.g Anya (whom if anyone should have been a background character. Sure she had some funny lines but honestly, she wasn't that funny (yeah yeah newly human, socially awkward... it got tired) and with the exception of Selfless her development was far less interesting to me than Xander's could have been, if only because he had been around longer and I cared more for him.)

As the only mere human on the show it would have interesting to see him develop into anything, not just being passed over for some kind of purse-holder position while the rest got to grow.


As for Xander on Angel I can't really see it work. Angel and Xander just don't have a working chemistry to me. They were so fundamentally different and not really respectful/interested in each other's perspective. For a guest episode or so it could have been cool but as a regular I just can't see it working.

Yeah, I don't even remember what Xander did in season 5 except propose to Anya and get upset about Joyce.

As for your last point, I think that's why it could've been great! Xander would eventually have to reconcile with Angel's presence and I think once he got to work along side Angel (who would undoubtedly save Xander's butt once in a blue moon), he'd grow to at least be neutral towards Angel. Plus, he'd then be trained into being the great person we all know Xander can be (and who for some reason, out of the blue, became that way in season 8 slightly). Then I think Angel and Xander would have a respectful relationship if Angel saw Xander work hard and actually contribute to something and Xander saw that Angel relied on him and didn't just want him to be on the back burner like Buffy did.

Heck, that could've happened the summer Xander went on his trip to find himself. But no, Joss decided to sabotage that.