Question Who is your favorite character and why? - New Members!!

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Alright.
*takes breath*
Here I go.

Spike, as most of you know, is my favorite Buffyverse character. He always has been. I'd go so far as to say he's one of my favorite characters in all of fiction.

This is why:

I love everything about Spike. I love him in his nerdy poetry-reading days, I love him as an evil soulless vamp, going around with the Fanged Four eating everyone. I love him and Dru. I love him chasing after Buffy making "moon-eyes", I love him crying for her, "trying to save her every night". I love how he protected Dawn even though there was nothing in it for him. I love how without a soul he still had the capacity to love.

I love the endlessly fascinating complexity of Spuffy, I love how it was love for his enemy that inspired him to want to be a better man for her, to be the "kind of man she deserves". I love the real affection, mutual trust, and friendship he develops with Buffy in the end. I love the undeniable chemistry he has with almost every other character on the show. Most of all, I love him en-souled, willing to give up anything and everything to defend Buffy and her honor. Willing to fight to the end, with no concern for himself. Not so she would love him, but because she believed in him.

Spike goes out saving the world. He not only goes out in a blaze of glory willingly, but with what James Marsters called Spike's ability to "find glee in all the wrong things." Spike is brave, and funny, and gets all the best lines ("I may be loves bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it!"..."A bear? You made a bear! Undo it! Undo it!"..."I must be a noble vampire. A good guy. On a mission of redemption. I help the hopeless. I'm a vampire with a soul!") Spike is beautiful, and attractive, and James plays the part perfectly. I love all his Spikeisms; his head tilts, his eye-brow lifts, his coy smiles, all of his "bloody hells".

Spike is smart, sharp, full of keen wit that he can pull out on a dime with moments notice. I love the little things that define his character: his love for those onion flower things, his chain-smoking, his signature swaggering, his love for his duster, his stubborn pride.

I love how Spike is a paradox in the vampire world. I love how he embraces elements of humanity such as love and devotion, and even without a soul, he shows strong character in honor and loyalty, such as when he attempts to leave flowers for Joyce.

I love Spike's ability to move on with his life, except his mistakes, and learn from them.

I love his sense of humor. His snarkiness that often gets him in trouble. I love his gambling and drinking habits.

As Buffy says, "You faced the monster in you, and you fought back. You risked everything so you could be a better man. And you can be. You are. You may not see it, but I do."

Without a soul, I love his love of brawl. Of carnage and violence. His delight he gets in causing chaos. I love how excited he gets at the concept of wreaking havoc.

I love his tendency to nickname people.

I love that, in contrast to Angel, his personality remains somewhat the same with or without a soul.

Spike is my hero. He redeemed himself in a different way than Angel, but he's just as worth admiring.

There. Was that good enough? 😉

 

[InsaneMystic]

Willow, of course. 🙂 She's smart and geeky (always a bonus), a beautiful and hot red-head (even more of a bonus 😛 ) and goes through possibly the most character change throughout the verse (the only rival may be Wesley, but the first change of his was so ill-explained and out of the blue, while Willow's was very gradual and believable), so there's loads of different "incarnations" of hers - a Willow for every taste. 😀

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

I also want to make the point that in no way am I a "only Spike lover." lol

My runner's up for favorite Angel/Buffyverse characters would follow in this order:

Buffy. The heart of the show, the reason everyone is there and fighting. She is the inspiration, the catalyst. Buffy is the female pop-cultural hero of my life, a beautiful, sassy, self-reliant warrior with appealing human frailties and a habit of making mistakes. Buffy is simply a brilliant character, I can't say how interesting I find her. She always does what I never expect her to. She goes down fighting and comes up ready for more. She sacrificed everything for her mission.
Angel. Endlessly interesting as well. So full of self-hate, and an almost obsessive desire to do good. Funny and touching. Angel would sacrifice his own happiness (and has) a hundred times over to save someone else. He is absolutely selfless.
Darla. I loved her arc thoughout the show. Her and Angel's relationship was always really interesting to me. She's a beautiful girl who's unspeakably evil inside, luring and seducing men into her darkness. Darla rules.
Wesley. Fascinating character whom, I'd agree with the others; goes through perhaps one of the most massive changes of all in the two shows. One of the 'verses longest-running characters and for good reason.
Cordelia. Beautiful, sassy, and brave. (And, big surprise, you all know I'm a big Cangel supporter)
Doyle. A great character with a lot of potential killed off way too soon. Enough said.
Giles: Cool guy with an interesting past I wish they'd explored more.
Dawn: Another character I feel has a lot of potential but hasn't really been given her time to shine yet. I love her interaction with Spike and how much Buffy loves her and is willing to die for her.

 

[Kean]

I picked Angel. Not a popular choice but I have always tended to see the show(s) through his eyes. I was going to pick Buffy but I thought Angel wouldn't be getting much love (and I wasn't wrong) so I wanted help the poor fella out. lol

I find Angel the most layered character on the show, just when you think you know who he is and have him pegged, he will turn the tables on you. In alot of ways I find Angel the most human character in the verse. He is fallible, openly so, yet he keeps trying to do better. Ya gotta love that will. Yeah, he brooded for a century but who doesn't get depressed now and again? lol I think it's Angel's ability to be utterly shattered by life, by the things he has done and choices he's made and still finds the fight in him to push on. That kind of character is something to admire if you ask me. While others view Angel as a dark cloud I find him an incredibly hopeful character. Better than anyone he knows the depths people and the world can go to and he still believes in a better future. The man gets mucho respect from me.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

I picked Angel. Not a popular choice but I have always tended to see the show(s) through his eyes. I was going to pick Buffy but I thought Angel wouldn't be getting much love (and I wasn't wrong) so I wanted help the poor fella out. lol

I find Angel the most layered character on the show, just when you think you know who he is and have him pegged, he will turn the tables on you. In alot of ways I find Angel the most human character in the verse. He is fallible, openly so, yet he keeps trying to do better. Ya gotta love that will. Yeah, he brooded for a century but who doesn't get depressed now and again? lol I think it's Angel's ability to be utterly shattered by life, by the things he has done and choices he's made and still finds the fight in him to push on. That kind of character is something to admire if you ask me. While others view Angel as a dark cloud I find him an incredibly hopeful character. Better than anyone he knows the depths people and the world can go to and he still believes in a better future. The man gets mucho respect from me.

Great post, Kean. I agree with everything you said.

Also, Angel has to have one of the cutest lines in the entire 'verse:

They talk about me in the chatty rooms? (*smiles)

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

It looks like Willow has the most votes so far. She is pretty adorable...

 

[Miss Universe]

Come on Wesley lovers! Vote!

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

I'd vote for Wes as def in my top 5.

 

[sosa lola]

I voted for Xander. He's so layered and so simple at the same time. He's a very nice and flawed person as well. It also makes him more interesting that while he's a flawed person, he's not evil. He's a good guy, one of the very good guys who never went bad, except when possessed, and yet he can be selfish and jealous. I love characters like that, who are a mixture of good/bad qualities. It makes their struggle against their bad qualities to do the right thing more rewarding and endearing.

 

[caitaintdead]

I'm not overly new but hey, thought I'd vote anyway!

I love Giles, for so many reasons. He's funny when he chooses to be - I love his dry sarcasm.
I love that he has a crazy history.
I love that he looks after the scooby gang when their parents clearly won't.
I love that he will suggest and do what no one else can.
I love that he sings so well and plays guitar.
I love him for his brain.

There are a million more reasons. But I will not list them all!

 

[MonkeyPants]

I don't know if there's much I can say about Willow that hasn't already been said. One of the things I love most about her is her innocence, which she holds on to, even right to the end, without being naive. She truly cares for everyone. She goes through so much change and growth, yet remains the same at her core.

A close second was Xander - without him the rest of the characters would have fallen apart. Plus, the world would have ended.

 

[anyalover17]

Anya.
She never fails to make me laugh or smile. She started out as evil and man-hating, but she grew so much throughout the show. She always said what was on her mind, even it was rude or innapropriate, and I love that about her. Plus, she's absolutely smokin' hot. 😉

 

[fly on the wall]

Anya.
She's adorable. She's sweet. She tries. She's honest and hilarious. She has incredible insight on what it means to be human, even though she hadn't been one for so long. She loves, despite her fear of love, despite what she has seen it to do people for a thousand years. She's innocent yet very wise. She represents the best and worst in all of us, I think. Her progression on the show - from vengeance demon, to high school girl, to lover, to friend, to vengeance demon again and back - is one of my very favorites. "Selfless" is one of my favorite episodes. I just love her. 🙂

A close second, though, would be Fred. I have not seen all the seasons of Angel, but I LOVE this girl. She's funny, she's so damn sweet I think I get diabetes just watching her, she's someone I would like to be best friends with in real life.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Buffy. Because she has mad skills! She's funny, smart, brave and real.

Piper, I think that is probably sums up Buffy pretty well. 🙂

 

[JungleTelegraph]

Willow, definitely. She was my favourite character as soon as I saw Welcome To The Hellmouth, and she has been ever since.
I love everything about the character. Except Dark Willow. I could of done without that.

 

[Flannen]

Giles. I just love the guy!

I've said this on various parts of the boards before but his and Buffy's relationship is one of my favourite things about the whole show. It just really touches me. He is so caring and will do whatever it takes for her. He always has her best interests at heart, even if he knows he's going to say something she doesn't want to here.

There isn't a side to him that I don't like. I love him when he's being geeky and book-loving, he's hilarious when he's drunk and has some of the best one liners and Ripper is such a loveable rogue.

 

[Willow-Tree]

I am honestly surprised that my favorite chatacter is winning!

Willow Rosenberg. What really is there to say that hasn't already been said?

She's intelligent, humerous, sarcastic, innocent, kind, loving, strict, and pretty much possesses all good qualities imaginable.

 

[TarahLyn]

My favorite character changes every time I watch the series. For a long time it was Spike, simple because he was a badass and yummy! Then for a bit it was Willow. She really is VERY funny. I loved her humor as well as her sweetness. At the moment though, I adore Giles! Not only have I realized just how funny he is but I really had a chance to notice how strong and courageous he is. He makes me smile in every scene. I like that!

 

[caitaintdead]

Giles is the third favourite at the moment. This is brilliant!

 

[BillyidolwannaB]

^yeah. And Angel and Buffy only have a couple votes each! ?