Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the spin-off series Angel, the brainchildren of one Joss Whedon, are surely two of the best-watched and best-loved TV shows around today. At least, they are in this researcher's book. But why? There are many reasons, too many to discuss in one entry, so here's a look at the characters. Please post any ideas you have as to why it's so great in a conversation.

Characters

Note: In this entry, all episode references are for Buffy unless otherwise stated.

Buffy Anne Summers

Played by: Sarah Michelle Gellar/ Kirstie Swan

First Seen: Welcome to the Hellmouth (SMG) (Season 1), The Movie (KS)

Into every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. - Joss Whedon.

In the movie, Buffy, then a fairly popular student in a Los Angeles high school and played by Kirstie Swan, was approached by a strange man who told her that she was a Slayer and it was her sacred birthright to defend humanity. This she did, but was expelled for blowing up the gym, which was full of vampires. Buffy and her mom, Joyce, then moved to the fictional town of Sunnydale, CA.*

Sarah Michelle Gellar, having failed to get the part of Buffy, tried twice to get the part of Cordelia. She succeeded, but after a certain sequence of events, she ended up in the part of Buffy. SMG, incidentally, isn't a natural blonde, but had to dye her hair to match that of KS. Buffy later became so famous that SMG had to be blonde in everything else she did so that people would recognise her.

Upon arriving in Sunnydale, Buffy soon made friends with Cordelia, but this (and a lot of her social life) went down the drain when she mistook Cordelia for a vampire and almost attacked her with a stake. She also illegally befriended Willow and Xander, and these friendships have lasted the series. Every time Buffy has a birthday, it is an occasion of unimaginable horror and gore. This also frequently happens on Hallowe'en.

One of the best things about Buffy is that she's realistic. She doesn't destroy Hell, just keeps the lid on it. He's not ditzy or popular, and some even argue that she's not the prettiest, though this is up for debate.

Willow Rosenberg

Played by: Alyson Hannigan

First seen: Welcome to the Hellmouth (Series1)

The redheaded Willow is Buffy's best friend, brainiac, and recent lesbian. Anya also describes her as "The most powerful witch in the Western Hemisphere." This is certainly true, as best exemplified by her insane rampage at the end of Season 6, when she gets addicted to the darkest of the dark magick, and also manages to cause the god Osiris pain just by her rage.
Willow is always n hand for comfort, information, magickal assistance, or help with study. Dated Oz before coming out, but it is doubtful the two are connected.

Xander Harris

Played by: Nicholas Brendon

First seen: Welcome to the Hellmouth (Series1)

Xander (short for Alexander) is another good friend of Buffy and Willow. He often appears as a shoulder to cry on, but occasionally gives the voice of reason. Also provides much comic relief. Xander started out as very much the bumbling idiot with a crush on the heroine, but essentially grew up as the Series progressed. He didn't get into college and had to work at a minimum wage ice cream vendor job, before getting somewhat better employment as a construction worker.* Xander's very human nature was enough to stop Willow destroying the world. He almost married Anya, but failed when a guy she cursed came along and shower him a hellish vision of life if they did marry, after which Anya became a vengeance demon again. All Xander's relatives are alcoholics.

Cordelia Chase

Played by: Charisma Carpenter (honestly)

First Seen: Welcome to the Hellmouth (Season 1)

And she thinks Buffy is a weird name...

Coredelia is the head cheerleader, most popular girl in school, etc. - basically the antithesis of Willow. Though she started out much as one would expect (everyone below her, holier than thou, etc.), Cordelia started to show some human feelings during and after an affair with Xander. She also got a taste of real life after the IRS caught up with her father for forgetting to pay his taxes. After the mayor's ascension, Cordelia left for LA to become an actress but ended up employed by Angel. After Doyle sacrificed himself and passed on his gift to Cordelia, she had to become half demon to go on existing. A while later, she discovered that she was in fact a higher being and ascended into another Dimension - just as Angel was on his way to the bottom of the sea. At the time of writing, it is not known what happened next.

Incidentally, Charisma is named after her mother's favourite perfume.

Angel (aka Angelus)

Played by: David Boreanaz

First seen: Welcome to the Hellmouth (Season 1)

"Once upon a time, there was a vampire, and he was the meanest vampire in all the land, until one day he was cursed by gypsies..." - Francis Doyle.

David was literally discovered by Joss Whedon while out walking his dog, and was promptly given the role of Angel, the vampire with a soul. Angel started out as a mysterious, dark informer for Buffy, until she discovered his true nature. After this, romance flew until they finally expressed their love physically, at which point Angel lost his soul in accordance with the gypsy curse and tried to zap the entire planet into Hell. Willow managed to restore his soul, but Buffy then had to send him to Hell to save the world. Angel came back, however, but was little more than an upright beast. However, when he caught sight of Buffy, it all came back to him. By the very natures of Angel and Buffy, though, they could never be truly together, and so Angel left for LA.

In LA he founded an unofficial (and technically illegal) detective agency called Angel Investigations, as a way of drawing lost souls, the helpless etc., in so that he could then help them and perchance redeem himself. He hired Doyle and Cordelia, then Wesley after Doyle died, and then Gunn after his sister became a vampire. After Wolfram and Hart brought Darla into the equation, Angel fired the other three to protect them (from himself?), and came back to work for them as a subordinate later. However, he and Darla ended up having a baby human boy called Connor*, but Darla died in childbirth. Angel raised Connor, only to have him snatched away by Holtz and taken to the Quor-Toth. Angel features in a lot of prophecies, but is known only as 'The Vampire With a Soul'.

Oz

Played by: Seth Green

First Seen: Season 2

Willow's former boyfriend, werewolf, and plays lead guitar in a band called Dingoes Ate My Baby. Oz is quite cool, but has a slightly restricted circle of friends.

Tara

Played by: Amber Benson

First seen: Season 5

Willow's girlfriend and fellow witch, but much more careful. When she was shot, Willow went insane.

Dawn

Played by: Michelle Trachtenberg

First Seen: Season 6

Dawn, Buffy's 14-year-old sister, turned up suddenly at the start of Season 6 and confused every single viewer. Where had she come from? Why had she never been in the show before?

It was soon discovered, however, that Dawn was, or is, The Key, which means a couple of things. 1) She had only existed for a few months, and 2) She could be used in a ritual to destroy all dimensional barriers, cause universes to bleed into one another, and allow transport between worlds, at great cost and danger. Glory almost succeeded in doing this, but Buffy stopped her by basically committing suicide. She (Buffy) was then pulled out of Heaven by Willow. After this, Dawn turned to stealing as a way of getting attention.

Anya (aka Anyanka)

Played by: Emma Caulfied

First Seen: Season 4

Anya started off as a vengeance demon, whose job was to exact revenge on the everyday tormentors of people in matters such as love, business, etc. Though Anya takes revenge on behalf of girls who have been dumped or otherwise hurt, others of her ilk take a more rounded approach. After Cordelia wished that Buffy had never come to Sunnydale and the town as plunged into chaos and dominion by vampires, Giles undid her spell by breaking her amulet and making her a mere mortal. She then went steady with Xander for a while and they almost got married but, after the already mentioned incident which stopped the marriage, Anya became a demon again. However, she still has feelings for Xander.

Joyce Summers

Played by: Kristine Suherland

First Seen: Season 1

Buffy's typical mom. Divorced. When she died of a brain tumour, Buffy became Dawn's legal guardian.

Francis Doyle

Played by: Glenn Quinn

First seen: City Of (Angel, Season1)

Doyle is a messenger, sent by the mysterious 'Powers That Be'. He is half Bracken Demon, and is blessed or cursed, depending on how you look at it, with visions of people in trouble. These allow Angel and co. to help victims, but Doyle is constantly afflicted with migraines. Towards the end of Season 1, Doyle sacrifices himself to save a group of half Lister Demons, passing his gift/curse onto Cordelia, which then proceeds to kill her. The makers of Angel promised Glenn that he would be brought back, but then they rather nastily broke their promise. Doyle is a very amicable character with a brutal (but realistic) Irish accent.

Rupert Giles

Played by: Anthony Stewart Head

First Seen: Welcome to the Hellmouth (Season 1)

Buffy's very English 'Watcher'. It is the job of the watcher to train and educate the slayer in the ways of the, , slayer. Giles has a father's love for Buffy, but this is improper for a watcher, and so he was exiled from the Watchers' council, but continued to watch over Buffy. He recently returned to England, but returned and was instrumental in Willow's defeat at the end of Season 7. Plans are underway to make a new series called Watcher, focusing on Giles before Buffy was entrusted to him.

Charles Gunn

Played by: J. August Richards

First Seen: Season 2 (Angel)

Gunn began leading a dangerous street gang who were fond of killing vampires. He helped Angel out on a couple of occasions, eventually leaving his gang for them. A part of him died when his sister became a vampire, but he was reintroduced to the joys of humanity by his romance with Fred.

Winnifred 'Fred' Barker

Played by: Amy Acker

First Seen: Season 2 (Angel)

When Fred accidentally activated a portal to the Host's dimension, Pylaeia, it caused Cordelia to have a vision. When Angel and co. entered Pylaeia (where incidentally, Angel could walk in the sun and had a reflection but became a demon when he did the face thing), they rescued the rather nice and very intelligent Fred* and she was later romanced by Gunn, much to Wesly's dissappointment.

The Host

Played by: Connor Farrell (I think).

First Seen: Season 2 (Angel)

The Host is a green skinned, orange haired demon with two little red horns. Host has a great love of music, but it is dangerous to the rest of his species, which is part of the reason he was exiled to this dimension. He runs a karaoke bar for both humans and demons. The bar is blessed with a magick that makes violence impossible while inside it. However, it is still possible to shoot someone inside from outside. His real name is Krevlorne Swath of the Death Wal clan, or Lorne for short

Grooselog the Undefeated

Played by: I don't know

First Seen: Season 2 (Angel)

While in Pylaeia, Cordelia was made queen so that she would mate with the Grooselog and pass her visions onto him. Grooselog himself is a human born to demon parents, and so was shunned for most of his life. He roamed the countryside, defeating all ho opposed him, and in the end there was no choice but to name him Grooselog. When Angel and co. left Pylaeia, Groo was put in charge by Cordelia, but was eventually thrown down. He came to this dimension in search of his princess Cordelia, but left arter she was given feelings for Angel.

Connor Angel (aka Stephen Holtz)

Played by: I don't know

First Seen: Season 3 (Angel)

Connor was the son born to Angel and Darla, but was stolen by Holtz and taken to the Quor-Toth. He escaped, however, and persecuted Angel*. Holtz followed, but eventually forgave Angel. Justine, however, was not so forgiving, and helped Connor seal Angel in a huge iron coffin and send him to the bottom of the Pacific. Connor's destiny is to kill a demon called Saijon, but it doesn't look like that'll be happening to awfully soon.

Riley Finn

Played by: Marc Blucas

First Seen: Season 5

Riley is the chief commando of a government-sanctioned military group called the initiative, whose aim is the capture and study of demons - or, as they call them, hostile subterrestrials. Riley became Buffy's new boyfriend around the middle of Season 5. Like all Initiative soldiers, Riley is biologically enhanced due to drugs in his food. After getting addicted to vampire bites*, Riley left with a splinter group from the now-dead Initiative. He got married during this time.

Darla

Played by: Julie Benz

First Seen: The Harvest (Season 1)

Darla is Angel's old girlfriend and the one who made him a vampire. When she was pregnant with Connor, she had a soul

Spike (aka William the Bloody)

Played by: James Marsters

First Seen: Season 2

Spike is an old friend of Angel's, but became his arch-nemesis after Angel regained his soul. The Initiative put a chip in his head so he cannot hurt humans, but can kill demons. He had extremely lustful feling for Buffy throughout Seasons 5 - 7, and recently regained his soul, which is likely to screw up the Angel prophecies. Has killed two slayers in his time. Known as William the Bloody because he enjoys jamming railway spikes through peoples heads, but orginally because his poetry was so bloody awful!

Drusilla

Played by: Juliet Landau

First Seen: Season 2

Drusilla is insane and gets visions, though not of the same type as Cordelia. She was sucked by Angel and went on to suck Spike.

Holtz

Played by: I don't know

First Seen: Season 3 (Angel)

Holtz is an old* enemy of Angel and very resouceful. He tries to persecute Angel in the most painful way possible, after Angel and Darla killed his family. He also teamed up with a slayer called Justine and some civilians to aid him in his search.

Kendra

Played by: I don't know.

First seen: Season 3

Kendra is the slayer that comes after Buffy. Like her watcher, she is very strict. Gets killed by Drusilla.

Faith

Played by: Eliza Dushku

First Seen: Season 4

The slayer that comes after Kendra. Gets pleasure fom slaying. After killing a man, she worked for the mayor* as an assassin and warrior, until Buffy put her into a coma.

When Faith woke up, she switched minds with Buffy but Willow and Tara found a way to reverse the effect. Faith then headed to LA where she found employment as an assassin for Angel's enemies, the law firm Wolfram and Hart. However, she broke down and ended up voluntarily going to prison to atone for her sins.

Kate Lockley

Played by: Her name momentarily escapes me.

First seen: Season 1 (Angel)

Kate is a friend of Angel's and former cop. Strangely, Angel was able to enter her apartement without being invited in.

Wesley Wyndham-Price

Played by: Alexis Denisof

First seen: Season 3

Wesley was Faith's official watcher, but was exiled from the Watchers council after they discovered that Faith had become evil. He then lived for a while as a rogue demon hunter, before being employed by Angel. He was froced to leave this, too, however, after he misguidedly helped Holtz abduct Connor.