Here is a unique segment of GeeKritique that I thought I’d try testing out. It is called Tim’s Take. I will take a topic and elaborate in a unique way that is so very GeeKritique-esque. This week, I have taken it upon myself to share with you my top 1o favorite characters in the Buffyverse (the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, for those not familiar). I hope you like it.

ENJOY!!!

In the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, Joss Whedon really created a vast collection of characters to fill this universe. In this column, I took it upon myself to go over my favorites and also the reasons why I like them and why they’re my favorites, along with a little bit of my take on each character.

1. Spike

Spike is my top favorite character for many reasons. Chief of them I think he transitioned from one-time to big bad to season regular very nicely. He really seemed to jive well with the rest of the Buffy cast when he was given regular castmember staus. That aside, I think his character progression was really great. He started off as just another villain that was introduced in Buffy and his popularity grew so much that he nicely evolved into a hero, that died and went out that way. That would’ve been cool if that had been the end of it, but it wasn’t. Spike’s popularity had grown so much that he was moved after his triumphant death on Buffy over to Angel during its fifth season. I honestly don’t see how any main character from Buffy could transfer over to Angel as wonderfully as Spike did. He worked really well with the cast on Buffy, and did so with Angel as well. This character I just seemed to gravitate to and have not been able to let go of this wonderful character. Not to mention, James Marsters is able to play this role with such depth and such heart that he really brings something to the role that I don’t think any other actor could’ve pulled off.

2. Wesley Wyndham-Price

Wesley is my second favorite character in the Buffyverse because of his massive character evolution that he goes through from his first appearance as Buffy and Faith’s new Watcher (AKA Giles 2.0) to his death at the hands of the evil Cyrus Vail at the end of Angel. Now, when I first met Wesley, he struck me as kind of weird, as he was a big nerdy Watcher with a crush on Cordelia. But when he transfers over to Angel, you really got to know Wesley and got a sense of what he was about and he became a more sympathetic character. Then, as seasons had gone on, Wesley continued to grow his character through his leadership of Angel Investigations to being a solo Demon Hunter to being a truly BA warrior in the final seasons. I had loved seeing Wesley’s massive character progression so much throughout the series that it pained me to see him die at the end of the Angel finale. But I know through subsequent interviews with Joss and Alexis Denisof, that had the show continued past its fifth season, the character of Wesley would’ve continued on. But I think as it is, it is a fine journey for the character of Wesley-Wyndham Price. I know I enjoyed watching it.

3. Angel
I must confess that when Angel was first introduced in the first episode of Buffy, I’ll admit I wasn’t entirely impressed with his character. I had seen characters like his in other shows, and thought it was cool, but it didn’t really win me over. However, when Angel turned into Angelus, I, with millions of fans, was immediately won over. Now if it stopped there, it would’ve been awesome. But with episodes like Becoming, Amends, and Enemies, it clearly showed that David Boreanaz as Angel could really carry his own show. And so Angel: The Series was born. It was throughout the course of this show that really allowed me to like Angel a lot more. We really got to get inside of his head and that series really made him more sympathetic and oft times more heroic that he might’ve been allowed to be on Buffy when he was on. I think Angel really carried his own well as the Champion of the Powers. With Angel, we got to see the character of Angel in a whole new light and it made me like him a whole lot more.

4. Faith Lehane
The character of Faith is an interesting one. It’s one of those characters you either love or love to hate. She began as an unconventional Slayer but quickly evolved to a force to be reckoned with when she turned rogue against Buffy and the Scoobies, when she turned to be a liability. When she returned and switched bodies with Buffy, you really began to see a change in her. She really began this deep want to change when she came over to Angel and spent a lot of time in prison there. However, when she was attacked by an agent of the First Evil, she came out of prison to starting to fight all the evils around her as a force for good, instead of evil. She really began to evolve in the fourth season of Angel and in turn the seventh season of Buffy, and I really saw a potential for her to star in her own series. Eliza Dushku proved she could pull it off by jiving with the lighthearted darkness of Buffy and the deep-seeded darkness of Angel nicely. She also proved she could pull it off with her nice comedic timing and kick-butt action talent. It is a shame that Ms. Dushku wasn’t able to pursue the character of Faith in her own series, but at the same time, she is the main star of Joss’ new upcoming series, Dollhouse.

5. Illyria
Illyria is a character that not many people are fond of, due to their love of her predecessor, Winifred “Fred” Burkle. I can honestly say that I enjoyed Illyria a heck of a lot more than I enjoyed Fred. How can I say that? Fred, it really took me a while to get used to her on the show and to like her as much as everyone else did. She did grow on me, which was good. But Illyria, on the other hand, came in with a bang and kept leaving more bangs wherever she went. I really enjoyed seeing her interaction with the other characters of Angel, particularly her connection with Wesley, as she felt drawn to him, as he loved Fred, whose body Illyria stole. Had the series gone on, I would’ve loved to see more of this connection of those two characters. Even the one Illyria-centric episode, Time Bomb, that we had during the fifth season had me on the edge of my seat. I also think that Amy Acker played the role of Illyria better than she played Fred. I actually believed her performance and it gave me chills and at times forgot that it was Amy Acker playing her. A truly unforgettable and yet shortlived character.

6. Xander Harris
Xander, Xander, Xander . . . where do I begin with you? Xander Harris is one truly interesting character in the Buffyverse is he is a very consistent character. He is the rock to the Scooby Gang. He is also the everyman. He is the one character that physically never changes, and is never directly tied to any mystical plots. He is what would be like if your next-door neighbor decided he wanted to save the world with Wonder Woman. He also is the most observant of the Scooby Gang and sees a lot that goes on with each individual character, making him sort of the big brother of the Scooby Gang. He has basically sat back and watched our characters making drastic changes (Buffy dying, ) while he has stayed the same and he is not envious of their powers and responsibilities, but he supports them along their paths, which makes him a truly endearing character. Sometimes Xander can be goofy and somewhat light-hearted, but isn’t that what we love about him? Nicolas Brendon definitely plays the subtle strength of Xander beautifully. He was born to play this role, and it only adds to the beauty that is Xander.

7. Buffy Summers
This is the girl, the one, the Slayer. Buffy makes it so high in my top ten, as we have been following this character’s complex journey from day one. In the seven (now eight) seasons of Buffy, watching Buffy grow from the innocent girl who saw her first vampire to the woman who has been to the dark and back has truly been amazing. She is the hero of the Buffyverse, and is probably one of the greatest female characters ever written. This is also helped by the wonderful performance of Sarah Michelle Gellar as the title character. But as loyal Buffy fans know, she was not the only actress to play the Slayer, but SMG is the only actress to have nailed what this character is about for me. I truly enjoyed watching Buffy’s inner turmoils and her outward struggles against the darkness unfold on screen. Oh, how I miss Buffy. I hope to see her again on the big screen in a Serenity-type fashion. For now, the comics will do . . .

8. Willow Rosenberg
This is another character in the Buffyverse that have made changes by the leaps and bounds, likw with any character Joss Whedon has created. If you watch Willow in season 1 and then watch her in season 7, you will notice a deep and profound change. I think Willow’s character journey throughout this series was almost as intriguing as Buffy’s. It is no wonder why there was such a special bond between those two characters. Willow even made the very human mistake of abusing her power by turning dark side and nearly trying to destroy the world. It was touching to see that character grow and blossom before our very eyes on the small screen. Another thing that helped in this is the portrayal of Willow by Alyson Hannigan. I think Alyson Hannigan really nailed the nuances and humor of Willow down pat, and really enhanced her character. Though I’m not wild and crazy about the “gay” turn Willow took in the fourth season, her character is quite interesting.

9. Rupert Giles
Giles is a truly wonderful character. He really is a consistent part of this show and universe, and really brings something to it. Mostly in the first season, Giles was pushed to mostly being the exposition guy. But, Anthony Stewart Head really got your attention when he did those though, too. In the second season, Giles really started to grow on me and started to be a positive force in the life of Buffy and in the other Scoobies. It really saddened me (and I never understood why) why Giles left during the sixth season, but I loved it when he finally returned in the season six finale. I also particularly enjoyed the father-daughter relationship between him and Buffy. It was truly touching seeing his genuine care for her. I find it very interesting that whenever Giles is absent from an episode, you don’t really notice, but than when he makes a return, you definitely see it and the show feels different when he’s there. I think that is largely due to out-of-this-world performance that Anthony Stewart Head. He really is a top-notch actor and brings something to the role that is truly “British” and gives it the right flavor. Come on, Joss, give us Ripper!

10. Lindsey McDonald
Lindsey is a very interesting character. If Angel ever had a Big Bad, it would definitely be Lindsey. I think from the getgo, he was set up as the nemesis to Angel. I actually believed it to as Angel and Lindsey seemed to have a genuine connection, but that could be because of the real-life friendship that David Boreanaz and Christian Kane have. What strikes me about Lindsey and what sets him apart from the rest of the vast cast of characters that comprise the Buffyverse, is that Lindsey doesn’t change. He virtually stays the same character, and never seeks redemption at all in the series like most characters. Although he transitions from mere lawyer to head of projects to civilian to warrior, he really doesn’t evolve as a character, and is still essentially the same bad guy he was in the pilot. This is why Angel sees fit to have Lorne kill him at the end of Angel. It was truly a humiliating death in that character’s eyes. I also thought that Christian Kane’s portrayal of Lindsey and his complicated dark side was played off very nicely. He definitely gave Lindsey the edge that he needed.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Darla
Drusilla
Anya
Andrew Wells
Doyle