What would happen if Spike lost his soul?

[Black Eye Guy]

Firstly what would he be like?
Second do you think it's a story they should explore?

I think he'd be more like he was in season 2. For me, Spike was on a leash with the chip, but he was still a monster.

I think the vampire side of him would be pissed having a soul wasn't like he thought it would be.

I'm not sure if it's worth exploring though, it'd be nice to see the more interesting Spike back, and it would answer a couple of questions about the vampire/soul line divide, but I think it's already been done with Angel.

 

[Blaze]

This is a very interesting topic! I wish we would have seen this while the show was still airing. I also think that we would have probably seen a s2 type Spike. I think he would have went back to his old ways of killing. S4-6 of Spike were just him being conditioned not to kill or harm, or like you said, him being on a leash. I'm one of those that doesn't think Spike is all that special so I think he would have went back to being evil.

Now, the more interesting part would have been on how he dealt with Buffy after him losing his soul. Would he attempt to kill her, would he try to rape her again, would he simply leave? We know he has the ability to love as a vampire, but that doesn't eliminate the demon, so the demon would certainly need to find a way to deal with that. It was easy when he had the chip and we know he didn't chose to kill her then, but would he make the same decision after getting back to his instincts and after killing a few innocent people.

Or maybe he was conditioned for so long that there wouldn't be that much of a change (now here me out, I don't think he would be good, but being conditioned can have a huge effect for years).

 

[emptyvessels]

This is really a interesting topic.

I'm kind of with Blaze on this one. Spike, I think, is an interesting character. Judging by what I can tell from flashbacks and of course, Spike in the earlier seasons, I think he'd definitely resort back to his "evil" ways. I mean, he was "conditioned" for many years, as mentioned above, but so had Angel before losing his soul and becoming Angelus again. Then again, Angel was under that curse, so it could have been completely different.

Honestly, I feel like this story line could have gone in any direction, which makes it all the more interesting to me.

 

[white avenger]

Something like that happened in the last "Spike" miniseries, if memory serves me, but only for a few panels. He said something like "Keep the bloody thing. I was doing good before I got it, and I can do good without it now," but his resolve was never actually put to the test, because his soul was returned to him.

Whether a de-souled Spike would actually return to his "doing good" state, or revert to the killer that he was prior to receiving the chip is an interesting question. I tend to believe that, if he were partnered with someone who he trusted and could get along with, someone with a strong enough personality to actually make him WANT to do good, say Buffy or Faith, or someone who he, himself, decided it was his duty to help stay on the good side, like Connor or Illyria, or someone who he dedicated himself to protecting, like Dawn, then, yes, he would resist his natural vampire nature and remain a good character. In other words, if he had a valid reason to stay good, he could have done it. (And, for the record, I don't think that either Giles or Angel would or could give him that kind of support)

On the other hand, without the reinforcement of having someone who believed in, encouraged, and inspired him to not revert to his old ways, it would be very easy for him to begin to revert. Whether or not he actually did would have made a very interesting story arc.

 

[Blaze]

Now that I think about it (after what WA said), I truly think the only person that could have possibly made Spike do good after losing his soul would be Dawn. I don't know why, but for some reason she's the only one that I see Spike not wanting to kill. I even feel like he'd have no problem really with killing Buffy, but for some reason, even with him being evil I think after that promise he made to Buffy of protecting Dawn, I have a feeling he'd stay loyal enough to protect her.

 

[white avenger]

For me, Spike was on a leash with the chip, but he was still a monster.


I'm not sure if it's worth exploring though, it'd be nice to see the more interesting Spike back, and it would answer a couple of questions about the vampire/soul line divide, but I think it's already been done with Angel.

This is an interesting analogy, since some animals on a leash follow their handlers willingly, with the leash little more than a symbol, while some, usually those new to the constraint or distrusting of their handler, resist the leash with every step. To me, the question would depend on whether he had someone with a personality, someone who he cared enough about, to MAKE him want to stay on the side of good.

And Joss has said on several occasions that Spike isn't like Angel, soul or no soul. Judging Spike by the example set by Angel just doesn't work. Whether or not he would revert to his evil ways without either the chip or a soul to restrain him is anyone's guess.

 

[EVIL UU]

[MENTION=5973]Black Eye Guy[/MENTION]

Firstly what would he be like?

It depends whether he's still obsessed with Buffy or not. Spike's life and unlife follows a clear pattern. It looks like this.

1. Spike is depressed and miserable, he dulls his misery with violence, alcohol and art.

2. Spike becomes obsessed with a woman.

3. Spike does everything he can to be with the object of his obsession.

The woman is not interested, like Cecily? Go back to 1. She is? Got to 4.

4. Spike destroys the relationship.

Go back to 1

If he's really over Buffy, he'll revert to his season 3 self, maybe do some carnage, until he finds another woman to obsess over. If he is not over Buffy, he'll try to be with her again. The question is, will the memories of having a soul affect him? Yes, but in the end he is still a soulless vampire, I mean, what's the first thing he does after he realizes that the chip no longer works on Buffy? He tries to murder an innocent. His nature will win him over. He'll do something stupid and will be slain either by Buffy or one of her friends.

 

[emptyvessels]

It depends whether he's still obsessed with Buffy or not. Spike's life and unlife follows a clear pattern. It looks like this.

1. Spike is depressed and miserable, he dulls his misery with violence, alcohol and art.

2. Spike becomes obsessed with a woman.

3. Spike does everything he can to be with the object of his obsession.

The woman is not interested, like Cecily? Go back to 1. She is? Got to 4.

4. Spike destroys the relationship.

Go back to 1

If he's really over Buffy, he'll revert to his season 3 self, maybe do some carnage, until he finds another woman to obsess over. If he is not over Buffy, he'll try to be with her again. The question is, will the memories of having a soul affect him? Yes, but in the end he is still a soulless vampire, I mean, what's the first thing he does after he realizes that the chip no longer works on Buffy? He tries to murder an innocent. His nature will win him over. He'll do something stupid and will be slain either by Buffy or one of her friends.

Yeah, it seems like Spike always needs to be "obsessed" or devoted to a woman, in whatever sick, twisted way he can manage. 😛 To be fair, it may have technically only been three women throughout the span of his life (I don't count Harmony - she was more obsessed with him than the other way around), but there really isn't a time where Spike isn't involved with with a woman (or trying to be at least).

 

[Buffy Summers]

Well, we saw what he was like when Dru dumped him, so that would be how I imagine he would be. I would have liked to have seen that rather than Season 7 😉

 

[Ethan Reigns]

Don't forget that Drusilla has extrasensory perception that will let her know immediately when Spike has lost his soul and she will come back to take advantage of that and possibly take out Buffy if Buffy tries to tame him. She is not that far away in Los Angeles and could be there the next day or if she foresees the circumstances, could be there when or before it happens. A battle between Buffy and Drusilla for Spike's future could be an interesting story.