Who loved Buffy more?

[tashalindsey]

As I am working my way through the series, this question popped up. Of the three who do you think loved Buffy more? Angel, Riley, or Spike?

I think that I would go with Spike. I know that this is debatable, but I think that since he didn't have a soul and still, obviously, loved her made him, maybe not love her more, but work harder to love her.

 

[Blondie Bear]

I think Spike loved her in a scary, obsessive, I-must-posess-her way, until he got his soul. Then it was true, deep, heartbreaking love.

Angel . . . I don't know. The more I think about Buffy/Angel, the creepier it seems somehow. Maybe because she was so young.

Riley never really understood her. They both broke the relationship because they were both just too self-centered. And the whole relationship just felt too contrived, anyway.

MHO.

 

[white avenger]

I'm not sure that Riley ever really loved Buffy as much as he saw her as someone with whom he could share his "secret identity" (and I'm almost certain that that is precisely how he thought of himself: a superhero defending the world from the "hostile subterraneans," while everyone thought he was just a mild mannered student adviser. I don't think it's any sort of coincidence that Xander, a comic book/action hero fan, would idolize him.) Much to his shock and dismay, Lois Lane was really Wonder Woman, and Riley just couldn't stand being only the love interest.

If anyone was obsessed with Buffy, it had to be Angel. From the moment Whistler recruited him, it was as though the Slayer would be completely helpless without his help and guidance. His, "I know what's best for you," attitude began about that time and only grew as the series progressed and grew even more rapidly once he got his own show. He never missed an opportunity to act in what he conceived as his friends' "best interests," whether his help was wanted or not. Angel wanted to take the helpless little Slayer under his wing and protect her from all of the nasties in the world.

Spike was unique in his feelings for Buffy in that he never wanted to protect her an never for a single moment doubted that she was completely capable of taking care of herself. I think Spike actually reveled in Buffy's skill and power, first as a worthy opponent, then later as someone who he could really love without holding back. Accept the fact: vampires are powerful, dangerous creatures, and Spike was exceptionally powerful, even for a vampire. He could share his passion with Drusilla, but her mental state left her more than a little deficient in the intellectual stimulation department. With Buffy, he found a physical match, someone with whom he never had to hold back either his strength or his passion, because she matched, or even surpassed him in both departments. Both the Slayer and the vampire met their perfect match, each in the other, a match that neither had ever known before, and probably never would again. Each has seen "the best and the worst" in the other, and regardless of what may come afterward, I doubt that we will ever see as perfect a match again.

 

[TabulaRasa]

I think Spike did cause he was able to love her without a soul. He even loved her before the chip.
Spike: "hello cutie" Gosh that gets me everytime.
So Spike def.

 

[anyatara]

I'd say Angel. Angel was the only one who really understood her, and the only one where they both had the same feelings for each other.
Riley never got her, and he felt like she didn't love her, so they would never have worked - no matter how cute a couple Ruffy might be 😛
Spike was...well...what can I say about him? I don't think he was really in love with her until season seven, and then she still didn't seem to want to return the feelings...until right before he was dusted.

 

[slayerpower]

Riley-He didn't love Buffy in the 4th season, just near the end of their relationship
Angel-Loved Buffy a lot, maybe more than Spike
Spike-He didn't love Buffy in the 5th and 6th season, he just lusted after her, in the 7th season, he did love her

 

[Tranquillity]

White Avenger sums up my feelings pretty well but here's my two cents anyway:

Riley: I think he did love buffy, enough to try and ignore the fact that she didn't love him. but i do think there was this element of 'trophy-ism' there too - it was like 'look at my super girlfriend, isn't she great.' but he never really understood her, their realtionship was quite compedative, sexually and proffessionally and he spent so much time trying to 'keep up' that it got exhausting

Angel: well of course Angel loved Buffy - no question. But he never understood her or what she was and he had no idea how to be part of her life. From the minute he saw Buffy outside the highschool in LA it was about protection; protecting the little slayer from all the big horribles in the world. Even as he got to know her he didn't 'get it'. he tried to keep 'girl' and 'slayer' as seperate and distinct. I also think there were 'salvation issues' there too - he looked on this girl as his saviour and so came to idolise her accordingly. i think this only increases with his move to LA. He thinks he's still in love with her but he's not really.

Spike: I do think Spike loves her the most. He loves her against his nature, his love for her makes him capable of things that a demon shouldn't be capable of. Spike and Buffy mirror eachother. he understands her job - knows that slayer and girl are inseperable, that one can't be without the other. They work at and redefine their relationship over and over and make it work whatever the situation demands. And hell - He gets a soul for her!!! Season seven shows pretty clear how much Spike loves Buffy (and visa versa in my opinion, though that's not what this post is about). He dies for her. that's love.

 

[alexa]

I don't know why I'm replying to this thread, actually yes I do, I'm a bit bored and a sucker for Bangel Spuffy stuff. 😉

Personally I don't see as Angel's, Spike or Riley's love being worth anymore or less than the other. I never have actually. Different people love in different ways. I felt like Angel needed a defender so 😛 Angel wanted Buffy to have more then what he could offer, and I suppose he also felt a responsibility to the world after all of his sins as Angelus... which is kinda a character flaw, cause damn Angel stop beating yourself up dude, but yeah that's who he is. And I think they really got to explore that on his own show, and with that episode 'Soul Purpose' (He watches as Spike gets to be human, the music of I Will Remember You plays, and he walks away from everything he was hoping for such as, doing good; becoming human; being with Buffy). Angel needs Dr Phil, lol, he needs to forgive himself first.
Anyways, sidebar, I do also believe that Spike loved Buffy before the soul.. although what was with Angelus' obsession with Buffy? In Passion and later in Angel season 4, he calls her up, and is dissapointed to hear she's not in LA. I'm not wanting to take anything away from the scape of the Spike story, but the seeds with Angelus are there.

 

[SpikedBuffy]

I think Spike did cause he was able to love her without a soul. He even loved her before the chip.
Spike: "hello cutie" Gosh that gets me everytime.
So Spike def.

OMG! I've never thought of this before!

Spike loved Buffy without a soul! Angel didn't (he only wanted to mame and torture her, that's some people's twisted version of love).

This is an awakening! 🙂

So, I say Spike.

(Although I feel that Riley really did love her...to the point that he felt an almost physical pain)