This article is about the vampire. For other uses, see Spike.





“Love isn't brains, children, it's blood — blood screaming inside you to work its will. I may be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it.” ―Spike[src]

Spike (born William Pratt)[10][11] was a famous and widely-feared vampire turned in 1880.[5] He was well-known among both humans and demons for having faced and killed two Slayers during his unlife, as well as his history of torturing his victims with railroad spikes. His reputation for evil and bloodshed was second only to that of his grandsire Angelus.[12] In his human life, William was an unsuccessful and unappreciated romantic poet known as William the Bloody, for his "bloody awful" poetry, though after he became a vampire, that moniker was re-purposed to imply he was very violent. After being sired by Drusilla, he reinvented himself and terrorized Europe alongside Drusilla, Angel and Darla throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.[5]

Spike first traveled to Sunnydale in 1997, accompanied by Drusilla.[12] He quickly established himself as one of Buffy Summers' most dangerous enemies, but was eventually forced into a series of uneasy alliances with her[13] and her team,[14] the Scooby Gang, after being captured by the Initiative and implanted with a cerebral microchip that rendered him unable to harm humans.[15] Eventually, Spike realized that he had fallen in love with Buffy[16] and officially joined the Scooby Gang,[17] later being motivated by his love for her to successfully fight to regain his soul.[18][19]

Spike sacrificed his life in battle against the First Evil, both defeating its Turok-Han army and permanently closing the Hellmouth, as well as destroying the town of Sunnydale.[6] However, bound to an ancient amulet, Spike became an incorporeal entity haunting the halls of Wolfram & Hart Los Angeles branch, then under the management of Team Angel.[7] After becoming corporeal again,[1] Spike struggled to find a place in the world, only to join Angel in his battle against the Senior Partners.[20] With Illyria by his side, he acted as the Lord of Beverly Hills during the Fall of Los Angeles.[21]

After rescuing a ship and a bug crew of his own from Wolfram & Hart,[22] Spike reunited with Buffy and the Scoobies in the battle against Twilight.[23] He went to San Francisco to continue supporting Buffy during the end of magic,[24] but left for a time in the hopes of "finding himself,"[25] before returning to San Francisco when he heard the news that Dawn was sick.[26] He then established himself in the city alongside the Scooby Gang,[27] sharing an apartment with Xander and working as a supernatural consultant for S.F.P.D.[28] With this new life, he and the Slayer gave a chance for a serious relationship,[29] staying by her side even during their break up to fight in the Reckoning as a Scooby.[11]

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Biography Edit

Early history Edit

Human life and siring Edit

“They call him 'William the Bloody' because of his bloody awful poetry.” ―unidentified maid[src]

William Pratt[10][11] was born in 1853[4] in London, England to Anne Pratt. His mother often sang him the English folk song "Early One Morning" throughout his infancy and childhood.[30] By 1880, William had grown into a sentimental gentleman who lived alone with his ill mother. He was a poet who struggled to make a place for himself in London's societ, being nicknamed "William the Bloody" because his poetry was so "bloody awful."[5] This moniker, with far deadlier connotations, followed him into his future as a vampire.[12]

After his romantic overtures were rejected by Cecily Addams, a despondent William literally collided with Angelus, Darla and Drusilla, who had been terrorizing London. Drusilla followed him into an alley, where she found him in tears. She desired a playmate — a "knight" —, whom she could make hers forever. After a brief talk with the young poet, Drusilla seduced him and turned him into a vampire.[5]

William the Bloody Edit

“I'm not talking about the cellar. The people in the cellar got off easy. I'm talking about me. Buffy, you have never met the real me.” ―Spike[src]

After Drusilla sired William, she buried him and allowed him to be reborn as a vampire; he crawled from the depths of his own make-shift grave.[31] The pair partied for several days afterward, both draining human victims and drinking alcohol, and eventually decided to go back to William's mother's residence.[30]

William's devotion for his mother remained with him even after he became a vampire. Anne Pratt suffered from tuberculosis; not wanting to see his mother die while he was gifted with eternal life, William sired her so she could join his afterlife. Although, as a vampire, William's mother was no longer the woman he had known. Without a soul, she taunted him, claiming that she had despised him all along and that William had a sexual fascination with her. In the end, he could not bear to see his mother in such a twisted light, so he staked her.[30] The entire experience remained traumatic for William, as he was haunted by the memory over a century later when the First Evil used it to trigger him.[32]

After staking his mother, William began a new existence with Drusilla. Euphoric with his new-found vampiric abilities, he abandoned the genteel hypocrisy and morals of Victorian life but still remained emotionally sensitive. He was eventually introduced to Drusilla's sire, Angelus, who initially embraced him by expressing an interest in killing with another man. At first, William idolized Angelus, but was still quick to disagree when he insulted Drusilla in his presence. He preferred to think of her as childish rather than insane, and treated her with undying loyalty.[1]

After walking in on Angelus having sex with her he was once again denied his desire for his idealized romance. Aware that Angelus had only slept with Drusilla to hurt and desensitize him after becoming aware of the extent of his infatuation with her, William declared to his grandsire that Drusilla was his "destiny." Angelus openly mocked William's romantic outlook on life and explained that, in a vampire's world, such things as "deserving" and "belonging" no longer mattered — as a vampire, William could take whatever he desired, but never truly have anything. This incident brought about the beginnings of a rivalry that would carry on through both William and Angelus' unlives.[1]

William was urged to become a rebel, adopting a working class North London accent and embracing impulsiveness and violence. He took on the nom de guerre "Spike," likely inspired by a detractor from his human days who had exclaimed he would rather "have a railroad spike driven through his head" than listen to William's poetry. It was even indicated that he was involved in criminal activities, as Spike later remarked that he spent "the better part of a century" in delinquency. In the company of Drusilla, Darla and Angelus, Spike tyrannized Europe and Asia for the better part of two decades under the banner of the Whirlwind.[5]

As time passed, he remained utterly devoted to Drusilla, and grew to despise and envy Angelus. Though Angelus did enjoy the company of another male vampire in their travels, he found Spike's eagerness for battle unnecessary. Angelus regarded killing as an art, not a sport, and brutalized for the sheer act of committing evil. He reveled in destroying his victims' minds and bodies, while Spike did it for amusement and to feel the "rush." Angelus avoided fights that he feared could result in his demise; Spike thought danger added to the thrill. Despite their vehement rivalry, they proved to be a team that bested many opponents.[33] Spike would describe Angel as his sire, likening Angelus to a mentor;[12] although Drusilla who made him a vampire, Spike recognized that it was Angelus's influence over him that had made him a monster.[1]

Spike also developed an obsession with Slayers. He reveled in dangerous battles, nothing being more exciting to him than a life-and-death struggle with his kind's greatest adversary, the Chosen One. He first learned about the Slayer from Angelus, who used the term in an attempt to frighten him. It had a very different effect on the young vampire, who, from then on, activelly sought out Slayers to battle.[5]

1890: Spike, Drusilla, Angelus, and Darla attended the ballet Giselle, performed by the Blinnikov World Ballet Corps in Saint Petersburg, Russia.[34]

1894: The four vampires were in Rome, Italy and encountered the Immortal. He locked up Angelus and Spike whilst simultaneously bedding Darla and Drusilla. This sparked a rivalry with the Immortal that made him the enemy of both Spike and Angel.[35]

October 1898: Spike and Dru were in Borsa, Romania with Angelus and Darla. Spike was oblivious that Angelus had been cursed and regained his soul, but he joined in the massacre of the Kalderash people.[36]

June 18, 1900: In Beijing, China, Spike killed the Slayer Xin Rong amid the Boxer Rebellion. During the fight, she made a cut with her sword on his left eyebrow, giving Spike a scar he would still have over a century later. Xin Rong eventually lost her grip on both her sword and a stake, which allowed Spike to bite her, killing his first Slayer. Drusilla then arrived at the temple and the two enjoyed the suposedly aphrodisiac effects of Slayer's blood. Afterward, they found Darla accompanied by Angelus, while Spike revealed on his most recent conquest.[5]

September 1943: Spike, Nostroyev, and the Prince of Lies were captured by Nazi agents at a virgin blood party in Madrid and taken aboard a submarine, which in turn was seized by Americans. However, Spike and the two other imprisoned vampires broke free and killed most of the crew. The trio was stopped from killing everybody by Angel (pretending to be souless), who arrived with instructions to deliver the submarine and the records of the Nazi's experimentation with vampires to the United States military. While the submarine was delivered thanks to the help of the newly-sired Sam Lawson, Spike, who had burned the notes from the experiments, was forced by Angel to leave the submarine and swim back to land.[37]

1953: Back in Rome with Drusilla, Spike had a Black Widower demon apparently in debt to him. Spike caught up to him when the demon just had sex with then 18-year-old half-demon Pearl and was about to eat her, while her brother Nash had been knocked out. In attempt to collect his debt, Spike beheaded the demon and inadvertently rescued Pearl. She became fascinated by the vampire, who she considered her hero.[38]

1963: Spike and Drusilla were caught in the middle of slaughtering an orphanage. Spike killed two members of the Watchers Council before Roger Wyndam-Pryce escaped with his life.[39]

At some point in a century or so of being his own boss, Spike employed a pair of Fyarl demons as muscle (and learned their language), which was unusual because vampires and demons rarely got along; he continued this diversity in friendships and relationships throughout his unlife.[40] At some point, Spike also spent time in prison for tax evasion because of the Immortal.[35]

1969: Spike attended Woodstock, where he drank blood from a flower child and spent the next several hours watching his hand move; a side effect from the psychoactive drugs in their bloodstream.[12]

1977: He fought Nikki Wood, a Slayer in New York City, at least twice. The first time he initially gave up but noted he loved her coat. The second battle was aboard a subway train, when Spike broke Nikki's neck, killing her. At the occasion, he also stole her black leather duster, which he continued to wear even decades later.[5]

At some point, he met British punk rocker Billy Idol, who was inspired by Spike's look and copied it.[32]

1997: Spike and Dru traveled to Prague, where the pair was attacked by an angry mob. Drusilla was also kidnapped and severely tortured as a warning sign for other vampires to stay away from the city.[41]

Sunnydale Big Bad Edit

Conflict with the Scoobies Edit

“Once he starts something he doesn't stop, until everything in his path is dead. Stay away.” ―Angel warns about Spike[src]

Spike first appeared in Sunnydale accompanied by his longtime lover Drusilla, who was still weakened by the attack they suffered in Prague. He was a devoted caretaker to Drusilla in her fragile condition, initially hoping the Hellmouth's powerful energy would help to restore her strength. The presence of a Slayer made the town an even more attractive retreat to Spike. He tracked Buffy Summers down at the Bronze and observed her from afar.[12]

Spike was quick to reveal that he had killed two Slayers throughout his life and hoped to make Buffy his third. His plans were thwarted with an unexpected reunion with his grandsire Angelus, whom he greeted as an old friend before realizing he was cursed with a soul and allied with the new Slayer, Buffy. Spike observed that it was very unusual for a Slayer to have family and friends so dedicated to her well-being — Buffy's way of life proved to be a direct affront to the duties of past Slayers. Still, Spike's impatience to fight Buffy had foiled the Order of Aurelius' plans for the Night of Saint Vigeous. He killed the Anointed One and took control of the then-defunct Order, planning to make things "a little less ritual and a little more fun."[12]

Eventually, Spike discovered that Drusilla could only be healed by the blood of her sire in a vampire restoration ritual; more than happy to kill Angel to restore her, Spike kidnapped him with the help of Willy the Snitch. He subsequently hired the Order of Taraka to assassinate Buffy, though he ultimately canceled the bounty when she defeated the three assassins who had been sent.[42] With the help of Kendra Young, a second Slayer activated when Buffy drowned the previous year, Buffy tracked down Spike and Drusilla to the church where they were going to perform the ritual to heal Drusilla. The ensuing fight ended when Spike was crushed under a collapsing pipe organ; he was left paralyzed from the waist down for several months. Though Angel was saved, Spike's ritual succeeded, and Drusilla was restored to perfect health.[43]

Despite being incapacitated in a wheelchair, Spike made huge preparations for Drusilla's birthday. He planned a party at the factory, arranged flowers to Drusilla's standard, and collected the pieces of the Judge's body. Meanwhile, Angel and Buffy had grown closer than ever — his curse was broken when he achieved a moment of pure happiness upon sleeping with her, reverting to his soulless self.[44] Angelus rejoined Spike and Drusilla and plotted to destroy all of humanity. Spike initially celebrated their reunion with Angelus and demonstrated affection toward his grandsire,[45] but their longtime rivalry was renewed over arguments about how to attack Buffy. Angelus, who was cruel and calculating, preferred playing mind tricks with her, while Spike feared such actions would only anger her. Angelus also taunted the temporarily helpless Spike by pursuing Drusilla as a lover, accusing Spike to be unable to fulfill her needs as a result of his paralysis.[46]

Spike continued to use his wheelchair even after he had recovered, feigning weakness to avoid suspicion while he plotted against Angelus.[46][47] When Angelus decided to use the demon Acathla to suck the entire world into hell, Spike decided to ally himself with Buffy Summers; he explained to Buffy that, in addition to wanting Drusilla back, he also wanted to "save the world." Despite Buffy opposing the idea to save Drusilla considering she had killed Kendra not hours earlier, they made an agreement when Rupert Giles' life was on the line. Spike promised Buffy that he and Drusilla would leave Sunnydale for good after the battle ended. He helped Buffy during her battle against Angelus and Drusilla, and knocked Angelus unconscious long enough for Buffy to kill his minions and rescue her Watcher. Spike briefly fought Drusilla, who resisted betraying Angelus; he managed to knock her out; ever loyal to his promises, Spike departed Sunnydale with Drusilla once more, leaving Buffy to face Angelus alone.[13]

Depression Edit

Spike and Drusilla traveled to Brazil, where she remained horrified by his alliance with the Slayer. Drusilla's abilities caused her to sense that Spike would come to develop romantic feelings for Buffy; she rejected him and cheated on him with a Chaos demon,[5] which sent the lovelorn Spike into a long drunken depression.[48]

He returned to Sunnydale, where he kidnapped the Scoobies Willow Rosenberg and Alexander "Xander" Harris and attempted to force Willow to cast a love spell on Drusilla. While in town he visited Buffy's mother, Joyce Summers, who listened sympathetically to his heartache, and he recruited Buffy and Angel to help him gather ingredients for the spell. However, Mayor Richard Wilkins, knowing that Spike's mere presence in Sunnydale posed a threat to his plans, quickly organized a "welcoming committee" consisting of Spike's own former minions to deal with him. After fighting them off, Spike cheerfully abandoned the idea of enchanting Drusilla, resolving instead to win her back by torturing her until she loved him again and told the Slayer where to find her two missing friends. He also told Buffy and Angel that no matter what happened, they would never be friends because of their eternal love for one another. Buffy later remarked to Angel: "I can fool Giles, and I can fool my friends, but I can't fool myself — or Spike, for some reason."[48] This final quote foreshadowed the pivotal role Spike would someday come to play in Buffy's group.[49][31]

The Gem of Amara Edit

The following year, Spike once again became estranged from Drusilla who this time left him for a Fungus demon, prompting him to return to Sunnydale alone to search for the Gem of Amara, a talisman that rendered vampires completely immune to all of the conventional vampiric weaknesses. He had an entire crew mine for it; when he acquired it his first action was to do battle with Buffy, now a college freshman, during the day. Buffy, however, took it from him mid-fight, causing him to flee from the sun. Buffy decided to give it to Angel.[50]

Spike later followed Scooby Daniel "Oz" Osbourne to Los Angeles to retrieve it. He faced Angel and his new team, hiring a vampiric torturer who claimed he wasn't interested in the gem and had him torture Angel for its location. After arranging a trade with Cordelia Chase and Allen Francis Doyle, he was double crossed by the vampire and driven out of the city without the ring, which Angel subsequently destroyed.[51] By then, he had become involved with Harmony Kendall, a shallow young vampire who had been a classmate of the Scoobies at Sunnydale High. Despite her beauty and affection, Spike treated her as little more than a nuisance and sexual plaything.[50]

Reluctant ally Edit

The Initiative chip Edit

“Hate to break it to you, O Impotent One, but you're not the Big Bad anymore. You're not even the Kinda Naughty! You're nothing but a waste of space. My space! And as much as I always got a big laugh watching Buffy kick your shiny, white bum, and as much as I know I can give you a little bum-kicking myself right now, I'm here to tell you something: you're not even worth it.” ―Xander to Spike[src]

Spike's existence took a pivotal turn when he was captured by the Initiative, a secret demon-fighting government organization, the members of which implanted him with a cerebral microchip that rendered him unable to willingly harm or attempt to harm humans without experiencing crippling pain.[15] This chip became Spike's surrogate soul, as it forced him to consider the moral consequences of harming others, with the literal punishment of physical pain looming over his head if he ever did so. Unable to hunt for blood, and still pursued by the Initiative, he reluctantly made the decision to turn to the Scooby Gang for help.[14]

He was initially kept in Rupert Giles's apartment, where he bartered his knowledge of the Initiative for shelter and blood.[14] During his captivity, Spike and Buffy became engaged for a day under Willow's accidental "My Will Be Done" spell, the two expressing love and attraction for each other despite their actual status as enemies.[52]

Spike was then moved to the Harris residence's basement, where Xander lived.[53] At this point, Spike sank into a depression and came close to staking himsel, feeling slightly better with the prospect of the world ending, when Xander warned him of an upcoming apocalypse. He nonetheless managed to distract himself by tearing down Willow and Xander emotionally, remarking that they were both useless to Buffy, who as a Slayer, would be better off if she didn't have to constantly watch out for both of them.[54]

Spike finally cheered himself up when, while helping the Scoobies, he discovered that his chip didn't prevent him from fighting demons, allowing him to have more independency and an outlet for his violence.[54] He moved to the Hawley mausoleum in the Restfield Cemetery,[40] which he would furnish to his liking throughout his years residing there.[55] In order to support himself, Spike took to mugging people by scaring them with his vamp face.[56] He subsequently became a reluctant ally of the Gang and provided them with assistance in exchange for cash or brawls.[40] At this point, Spike was still interested in his own selfish well-being and attempted to remind the Scoobies of this constanty.[57][56] Despite his words, Spike's actions made him an outcast among demons, considered a traitor for hunting his own kind, and he was attacked and threatened to be killed if he ever entered Willy's Place again.[58]

Spike later allied with Adam, a bio-mechanical demonoid created by the Initiative as part of their 314 Project, and helped him in his quest to destroy both the Initiative and the Scoobies once and for all. Spike's price was to have his chip removed for good so he could return to his "Big Bad" self.[59] In accordance with Adam's plan, he managed to turn the Scoobies against each other by manipulating existing tensions within the group.[49] Buffy, however, discovered the scheme and reconciled with the gang when Spike revealed too much information about his plot during an encounter in Adam's former lair.[60]

When Adam discovered that Spike had failed to split up the Scoobies, he made an attempt to kill him, but Spike managed to escape. After Buffy slew Adam, Spike saved Willow, Giles and Xander from an attacking demon in hope that they wouldn't kill him for his actions; indeed, they agreed to spare him out of fatigue and gratitude. Spike then helped the Scoobies and Riley Finn battle the rampaging demon hordes within the Initiative facilities, rescuing most of the soldiers. The Initiative was then shut down by the U.S. government, as it had proved an unsuccessful operation.[60]

Falling in love with Buffy Edit

“Oh God, no. Please, no.” ―Spike realizes his feelings for Buffy.[src]

Following the fall of the Initiative, Spike began offering more and more assistance to Buffy and the Scoobies. He told Riley about his old rivalry with Dracula,[61] and later punched Tara Maclay to prove that her father's claims about her being a demon were untrue, as his chip caused him pain when he struck her, thus confirming that she was purely human.[62]

Despite this, after a failed attempt to force a former Initiative member to remove his chip, Spike became sick of Buffy's near-constant presence in his unlife; an erotic dream sequence forced him to reconsider everything he had come to learn in his past hundred years of living. Initially, the dream featured Spike attempting to force Buffy to kill him in the hopes that he wouldn't have to exist in her world anymore; he even tore off his shirt in order to give her a clear shot with her stake. The dream concluded with them passionately kissing and led Spike to realize, much to his horror and confusion, that he had fallen in love with a Slayer.[16] Unsure how to proceed, he began keeping a nightly vigil outside her home,[63][64] occasionally breaking in to collect items[63][65] for his shrine to her beneath his crypt.[66]

Spike became a much more active participant in the Scooby Gang, jumping into several fights to give Buffy assistance regardless of whether or not she wanted it. Buffy sometimes took out her anger and frustration on Spike; he went along with it, as it allowed him to spend time with her.[64][67][68] His one-sided devotion soon culminated in Buffy confronting him about his past after being severely wounded by a vampire; the experience had caused her to become briefly obsessed with the deaths of past Slayers, and Spike, having been responsible for two of them, had the information she desired.[5]

His story revealed his fixation with Slayers to Buffy, who had him replay his battles with the two Slayers in great detail, fights he related to "dances." Buffy was disgusted by his desire to "dance" with her, and pushed him to the ground. Spike was visibly hurt when she told him that he was beneath her, as this was first said to him when he was turned down by Cecily as a human. Equipped with a shotgun, he went to her house with the goal of killing her, but upon finding her on her back porch in tears about her mother's illness, cast aside his feelings of anger and humiliation and comforted her for the first time.[5]

Before his departure, Riley rightfully assessed that Spike had fallen in love with his girlfriend after he caught him sniffing Buffy's clothes in her room. Spike took great pleasure in informing Riley about Joyce's illness, which Buffy had neglected to tell him about.[63] Spike then took Buffy to an abandoned house and exposed Riley's scandalous activities with a group of vampires who fed on humans — safely and giving them a high in the process — for cash. Riley confronted Spike soon afterwards, but Spike only taunted him about his relationship with Buffy. They drank together and discussed their separate situations regarding the Slayer. Riley asked Spike if he really thought he had any chance with Buffy and Spike responded with self-deprecation, stating that he knew he didn't but that he had to try anyway. Spike believed his situation was better than Riley's, who was close to Buffy, but never had her completely. Riley left Buffy and Sunnydale behind soon after.[64]

Later, when Dawn snuck out of the house on Buffy's birthday in order to go to the Magic Box, Spike, who was standing vigil, decided to go along in order to protect her from any possible threats. He helped her break into the store, but ended up partly responsible for Dawn discovering her identity as the Key. Upon learning of Spike's involvement, Buffy immediately confronted him in his crypt. She attacked him, but Spike turned the tables on her by informing her that he had only accompanied Dawn to keep her safe. He also remarked that they should have just told Dawn earlier because she was bound to find out sooner or later. When Dawn ran away again during her identity crisis, Spike was quick to join the search party. Buffy tearfully admitted to Spike that he had been right; Spike then made an awkward attempt to comfort her, stating that Dawn, being a "fourteen-year-old hormone bomb," would have eventually snuck out anyway. He assured Buffy that they would indeed find her little sister.[69]

Following this adventure a heavily burned Drusilla arrived in Sunnydale after she and Darla were immolated by Angel, with the aim of rebuilding her relationship with Spike and reuniting their family. She convinced Spike that despite his chip he was still a killer and let him feed on the blood of a woman she killed. Dawn, who had developed a crush on Spike, perceived his feelings for Buffy. She casually mentioned it to Buffy, who confronted Spike but was knocked out by him and Drusilla before Spike then turned against Drusilla. As Spike revealed his feelings to Buffy who was chained up in his crypt, she quickly and harshly rejected his advances, and Spike, not willing to give up without a fight, wanted her to witness him killing Drusilla, his once forever love. His plan failed, however, when a jealous Harmony intervened and a fight ensued between the three vampires and the Slayer. After Harmony and Drusilla left Spike, a furious and disgusted Buffy destroyed his shrine, had Willow revoke Spike's invitation into her house (something she had not bothered to do in the almost three years since their alliance against Angelus), and alienated him from the Scoobies.[66]

Following the sudden death of Joyce Summers, Spike attempted to pay his respects by leaving flowers at Buffy's house, as he regarded her as the only person in Buffy's life who had ever treated him decently. Xander immediately suspected he was merely attempting to take advantage of a painful situation to score points with Buffy, and couldn't be convinced otherwise until Willow discovered that Spike had left the card for Joyce completely anonymous. When Dawn attempted to resurrect Joyce, Spike helped her, but assured her that he didn't want any credit for it, as Buffy would "drive a redwood through his chest" if she found out he was involved. He was badly injured by a Ghora demon when they attempted to steal one of its eggs in order to perform the spell. Their efforts proved worthless when Dawn raised her mother as an assumed zombie, then broke the spell before the results were revealed.[70]

Still in the midst of his obsession, Spike had Warren Mears make the Buffybot, a robot created in Buffy's likeness that was programmed to love and obey Spike. He briefly used the robot as a substitute for what he couldn't have with the real Buffy, but was soon captured by Glory's minions, who had mistaken him for the Key. Though still thoroughly disgusted, Buffy lost much of her disdain for Spike after learning that he had refused to reveal the true identity of the Key to Glorificus, even under intense torture. She realized that he had laid down his life to protect Dawn, something she wouldn't have thought possible of him. She was ultimately very moved by his unexpected sacrifice, and as a reward, kissed him and told him that she would never forget what he had done for her.[71]

Buffy's trust in Spike grew immensely from there, a prime example being when she left Dawn with him in his crypt after Glory "brain-sucked" Tara. While there, Dawn tearfully blamed herself for Glory's attacks on her friends (including Spike's torture at Glory's hands) and believed herself a lightning rod for pain. Spike consoled her as best he could, telling her that as a vampire, he knew a thing or two about evil, and she wasn't it. When Buffy later joined them, believing that she had managed to talk Willow down from taking vengeance on Glory, Spike quickly pointed out that Willow, being a very powerful and angry witch, would not be so easily reasoned with regarding someone she loved being hurt, causing Buffy to immediately rush to her rescue.[72]

After Glory discovered that Dawn was the Key, Buffy allowed Spike to accompany the Scoobies when they fled from Sunnydale (much to the chagrin of Giles and Xander). Buffy knew that Spike was the only person besides herself who stood any chance at protecting Dawn against Glory.[17] In the days and hours leading up to the final showdown with Glory, Spike earned Buffy's trust and a re-invitation into her home. Spike ultimately accepted that Buffy would never love him, and settled for having her trust; he said that though he knew he was a monster, she treated him like a human being.[73]

During the final battle, he tried desperately to save Dawn from Glory's minion, Doc, who was attempting to draw Dawn's blood as part of the ritual. Spike was easily outmaneuvered and fell off a thirty foot tower, where he was unable to assist Dawn further; this would remain one of his deepest regrets after Buffy's death in the battle. Upon setting eyes on her lifeless body, he collapsed in sorrow and wept openly.[73] Ever faithful, he honored her memory by remaining loyal to her friends, and officially joined the Scooby Gang. He fought at their side and served as Dawn's protector/sitter for months, and even helped Willow and Tara raise her in Buffy's absence.[74][31] Deprived of purpose, he kept track of the number of days since her death until her resurrection.[31]

Affair with Buffy Edit

“You know what I am. You've always known. You come to me all the same.” ―Spike to Buffy[src]

Spike remained unaware of the Scoobies' plan to resurrect Buffy until after the event; he returned to the Summers' residence in search of Dawn, only to discover Buffy alive-and-well 148 days after her death.[31] He, like a few of the others, considered the possible drawbacks of such an extreme act, but expressed that, had the spell gone wrong, he wouldn't have let the others destroy the result if it had retained even the slightest part of the real Buffy. Unable to confide in her friends about being torn from Heaven due to guilt, Buffy began to go to Spike for comfort as a confident.[55][75][76]

Their physical relationship began after the demon Sweet cast a spell that caused them to share their true emotions through song. Buffy had begun to crave the ability to "feel" again, and expressed that she wanted "the fire back." Meanwhile, Spike accused her of using him in the form of a serenade, and reiterated his desire for her to let him "rest in peace," whilst simultaneously begging her to stay by his side. Their mutual desires clashed in the alleyway behind the Bronze, where they kissed.[77]

Though Buffy denied the act at first, their tension was finally consummated when Spike discovered that his chip no longer stopped him from harming the resurrected Buffy. He initially thought that it had stopped working, and attempted to feed on a woman, only to be shocked with pain. He then extorted the band of geeks known as the Trio to assess his chip, who told him that it was still completely functional; Spike came to the conclusion that it was Buffy who had changed, rather than the chip. He showed her, claiming Buffy had come back from heaven "wrong." Fighting back, she pushed Spike into an abandoned house, where they exchanged both insults and blows until they shared their first sexual encounter. Although the already dilapidated house crumbled down around them, they didn't notice, and allowed the moment to unfold.[78]

Buffy initiated their relationship partly as a way to punish herself, and partly as a means of connecting to life again. Buffy instituted much of the violence and sex between them which Spike happily took, and threatened to kill Spike if he ever told anyone about their time together. Both members remained unsatisfied with their continued sexual acts; Buffy was very ashamed of her dark desires, while Spike pitifully craved the love, trust and affection that she refused to give him. When Buffy believed she had killed a human, Katrina Silber, Spike tried to fix the problem by dumping the body into a river before Buffy could confess. When he revealed what he did and attempted to prevent her from alerting the police, a guilt-ridden Buffy took out her frustration on Spike, and beat him thoroughly.[79]

Shortly after Buffy's ex-boyfriend, Riley, returned to Sunnydale in search of a Suvolte demon egg smuggler, Spike egotistically informed him of his relationship with Buffy after Riley caught them together. Though Riley pretended not to care, he did accuse Spike of being the smuggler under the alias of "the Doctor." His accusations were somewhat confirmed when he found the Suvolte's eggs in Spike's crypt, though Spike claimed to be "holding them for a friend." Buffy ended things with Spike after Riley left, admitting that she had just been using him and that it was tearing her up inside with guilt.[3]

Spike subsequently tried to make her jealous by bringing a date to Xander and Anya Jenkins' wedding. And after Xander left Anya at the altar, Spike got drunk with the one-again vengeance demon at the Magic Box. He and Anya were able to relate easily as each had recently been abandoned by their loved ones. They sought brief solace in each others' arms where they were caught on camera and seen by the Scoobies. Xander tried to kill Spike in a jealous rage but Buffy stopped him in time and her secret relationship with Spike was revealed as a result. After witnessing Buffy's clear jealous reaction to his sexual liaison with Anya, Spike came to believe that he still had a chance to win her back.[80]

His attempts proved worthless, however. After being lectured by Dawn, he lost control of his obsession and cornered an injured Buffy in her bathroom. He made sexual advances towards her, and when she refused him, he grew desperate and tried to rape her. After Buffy fought him off, Spike was shocked at his own behavior and tried to deny he would do anything, but he was violently reminded that the demon portion of his being still existed. In tears, Buffy dared him to ask why she could never love him, but he quickly fled her house. He returned to his crypt in shame, to then left Sunnydale for the first time in nearly three years.[81]

He traveled to a remote location in Africa in seek of a legend. There, he underwent the Demon Trials, a series of brutal physical and mental tests, to prove his worth to the demon shaman in exchange for what he asked: to be what he once was, what Buffy deserved. After his completion of the trials, the demon shaman restored his soul.[82]

Becoming a champion Edit

Ensoulment Edit

“The spark. The missing… the piece… that fit. That would make me fit.” ―Spike reveals to Buffy that he has regained his soul[src]

With the returning of Spike's soul came a conscience filled with guilt, both for the sins he had committed throughout his life and his more recent attack on Buffy. He couldn't bring himself to see her for some time, and took shelter in the basement of the newly constructed Sunnydale High School. There, he was tormented by both the First Evil and his soul, and appeared to be losing his mind; he forced Buffy to leave when she discovered him, and allowed her to see that he had tried to cut out his own heart in self-contempt.[83]

During a moment of clarity, he helped Buffy to track down a Sluggoth demon created by Anya, during which time Buffy came to realize what had happened to him during his missing weeks. Buffy, touched by his efforts, asked him why he had fought for his soul. Spike replied in partly cohesive mutters: "For her. To be hers. To be the kind of man who would never… To be a kind of man. And she shall look on him with forgiveness and everybody will forgive and love and he will be loved." Spike wanted not only redemption for his past, but for Buffy to forgive him for what he had done to her.[19] After enlisting his assistance for a while,[84][85] Buffy brought him out of the basement and welcomed him back into her circle of close companions.[86]

Because Buffy insisted and because he had nowhere else to go, Spike once more became areluctant roommate with Xander.[86] Though Spike's mental and physical condition rapidly improved, the arrangement backfired when he, under the control of the First Evil, unwittingly killed humans. Spike initially had no memory of his actions; after discovering what he had done, he expected Buffy to kill him, but Buffy refused to do so, and instead took him to her house.[32] She told him that he would live on because she had seen him change. In the Summers' residence he suffered from human blood withdrawals, and remained vulnerable to the First's influence, and was willingly confined with ropes.[87] Meanwhile, Buffy guarded and cared for Spike throughout his recovery. She told him that she believed in him, a statement that would sustain him later through his imprisonment and torture at the hands of the First and its minions.[88]

After Buffy rescued him from the First, Spike helped her to train Potential Slayers by sparring with them. In the meantime, his chip began to malfunction, causing him intense pain and threatening to end his life. To the dismay of Giles and her friends, Buffy showed her lasting trusted in Spike by ordering the Initiative's operatives to remove the chip from his head for good, telling him that he had the potential to be a good man.[89]

She also took Spike's side when Robin Wood attempted to kill him in retribution for the murder of his mother, Nikki Wood, the Slayer Spike killed in New York in the late '70s. Ironically, by trying to kill Spike while he was under the influence of the First's programming, Wood freed Spike from the hypnotic trigger (the song "Early One Morning," that Spike's mother once sang to him). The song evoked Spike's traumatic memories of his mother's abusive behavior after he turned her. Finally able to address these issues, Spike realized that his mother had always loved him, knowledge that freed him from the First's control for good. Afterwards, he bit and brutally pulverized Wood, but let him live out of respect for Nikki. Spike assured Buffy that he had given Wood his last chance, and that he would kill Robin without hesitation if he so much as looked at him the wrong way again. Buffy was more than supportive, stating that she would let him do it; both she and Spike knew that they had no more time for pointless vendettas.[30]

Spike remained loyal to her when the other Scoobies and the Potentials removed her from her position as leader, and criticized them for treating Buffy with so little respect after all she had done for them. He even brawled briefly with Slayer Faith Lehane before leaving to find Buffy. He tracked her down in a house that had been left abandoned when its owner fled Sunnydale, where Spike offered emotional comfort and unconditional love, helping restore Buffy's battered confidence and will to fight.[90] Buffy had Spike hold her while they fell asleep, a night he would later declare as the best of his life. His words had also restored the depressed Buffy's self-belief, and allowed her to trust her instincts, follow her hunch about the secret weapon being at the Vineyard, and helped her win back her role as leader of the army after Faith accidentally led the Potentials into a near-fatal trap. Spike returned with her.[91]

When Angel returned to Sunnydale to help with the battle against the First, Buffy gave him a "hello" kiss; Spike witnessed this from a distance, and overheard Angel tell Buffy about the magical properties of a mystical amulet that was to be worn by a Champion during the final fight. Later, Spike was hitting a punching bag with a self-drawn picture of Angel on it. When Buffy came to see him, Spike told her what he had seen and that he wanted to wear the amulet, as it was meant for a being who possessed a soul but was more than human. Buffy explained that the amulet was meant only to worn by a true Champion, then handed it to Spike. They slept in each others' arms again during that second night.[6]

The following day, Spike, wearing the amulet, fought alongside Buffy, Faith and the newly awakened Slayers against the First Evil's Turok-Han army. In the midst of battle, the amulet suddenly activated and began emitting a channel of mystical sunlight through his body. The sunlight destroyed all of the Turok-Hans and began to collapse the cavern containing the Hellmouth.[6]

Buffy went to him and pleaded that he accompany her to the surface, telling him that he had done more than enough, but Spike decided to stay to finish the job of closing the Hellmouth. He told her that he could feel his soul. Buffy locked fingers with him and declared that she loved him. He answered: "No you don't, but thanks for saying it." He told Buffy to leave his side then, and was incinerated by the sunlight. As he burned and crumbled to dust, Spike reveled in seeing how it ended. He died closing the Hellmouth and saving the world.[6]

Los Angeles Edit

“You are, you ponce! You're my problem. You got it too good! You're king of a thirty-floor castle, with all the cars, comfort, power, and glory you could ever want. Here I save the world, throw myself onto the proverbial hand grenade for love, honor, and all the right reasons, and what do I get? Bloody well toasted and ghosted is what I get, isn't it? It's not fair!” ―Spike to Angel[src]

Spike appeared in Los Angeles 19 days after his apparent death in Sunnydale. The amulet he'd worn during the battle against the First had mysteriously been mailed to Wolfram & Hart in a parcel. When Angel opened the package, the amulet fell out and Spike materialized from a cloud of dust.[7] Confused and afraid, he immediately attempted to attack Angel, but found that he could no longer touch anything, and had become incorporeal. At first, he complained about being brought back, stating dramatically: "Can't a man die in peace without some high almighty deciding it's not his time?" He intended to leave Los Angeles and travel to Europe to reunite with Buffy, who was gathering Slayers there, but discovered that he was mystically bound to the city and was unable to leave its limits. He opted to stay at Wolfram & Hart in order to find a way to regain his body, and to haunt Angel, whom he still hated with fervency.[9]

Spike's connection to the human world was unstable and caused him to dematerialize at random, increasingly frequent intervals. As his disappearances became more regular, a terrified Spike confided in the Winifred Burkle that every time he vanished he was being transported to Hell. He feared that despite his status as a Champion, he would still be damned for all eternity for his past sins. He asked Fred to save him, and she promised to find a way to make him corporeal again.[9]

It was later discovered that Spike's disappearances were being caused by Matthias Pavayne, the ghost of a sadistic killer who toyed with the many souls trapped in Wolfram & Hart in order to delay his own journey to Hell. Although Fred successfully created a machine to corporealize Spike, when Spike was forced to choose between his body and Fred's life, he faithfully threw away his opportunity in order to save her life. Despite Angel's continued lack of confidence in Spike, Fred later told him that she believed him "worth saving." Spike then told Fred that despite still being a ghost his battle with Pavayne had allowed him to discover that he could touch objects if he concentrated, thus making him able to assist in fighting without being corporeal.[92]

Just as Spike began to grow accustomed to his ghostly nature, a mysterious package arrived for him in the mail; upon opening it, a flash of light restored his body. Chaos concurrently erupted at Wolfram & Hart. Eve soon arrived with an addition to the Shanshu Prophecy that stated that the existence of two corporeal ensouled vampires would complicate the outcome of the prophecy, and perhaps even destroy the fabric of reality. She told Angel and Spike that an extended translation of the text revealed that, in order to restore balance, the two must compete to drink from the Cup of Perpetual Torment. The winner would be bestowed with great responsibilities and pain before ultimately having his past washed clean, allowing him to live as a human again.[1]

Spike, who desperately wanted to defeat Angel, traveled to the abandoned Nevadan opera house where the Cup was said to be kept. Upon his arrival, Angel engaged him in a duel for the Cup. The two vampires fought with fists and fangs, but, in the end, the deep roots of their century-old rivalry proved far more important to the battle's outcome. In anger, Spike threw Angel against a pile of crosses and told him that, in the end, he was still a monster. Angel countered by saying that Spike was no different, but Spike denied any similarities between them, saying: "You had a soul forced on you. As a curse. Make you suffer for all the horrible things you've done. Me, I fought for my soul, went through the demon trials, almost did me in a dozen times over, but I kept fighting. Because I knew it was the right thing to do. It's my destiny."[1]

Their battle culminated with Spike revealing his resentment toward Angel for making him the monster he became; he justified that although Drusilla had been the one to turn him, it had been Angelus's influence that had truly destroyed William Pratt and had forced Spike's more savage persona to develop. In the end, Spike defeated Angel for the very first time in their long history. Angel later noted that Spike had possessed a far greater desire for the Cup, and was able to overcome Angel's superior strength. Spike succeeded in drinking from the Cup, but the prophecy turned out to be a sham. The liquid in the Cup was merely Mountain Dew.[1]

Although Spike was now a corporeal vampire again, and was no longer bound to Los Angeles, he chose not to go to Europe in search of Buffy. He revealed that he wanted her to remember him as a hero who died to save the world.[93] He would later mention to Andrew Wells that it would be foolish of him to see her again so soon. He mockingly simulated a phone call between him and Buffy, stating: "Hello, Buffy, it's Spike. I didn't burn up like you thought I did. How are things?"[94]

Angel's old enemy Lindsey McDonald subsequently chose to take advantage of Spike's desire to do good by pretending to be the late half-demon Doyle and persuading him that he was destined, like Angel before him, to "help the helpless." Alienated by Angel's corporate, bureaucratic approach to fighting evil, Spike willingly stepped into his shoes as a hero for the people.[95] While in business, he took on Dana, a psychotic Slayer who had escaped from a mental institution. As a Slayer, Dana was burdened by dreams and memories that were not her own and mistakenly believed Spike to have killed her family (she was confusing other Slayers' memories with her own). She captured and drugged Spike, and cut off his hands.[94]

The experience caused Spike to more deeply examine the nature of the evil within him; he later told Angel about Dana's misconception that he had murdered her family, and said: "And I'm supposed to do, what, complain, 'cause hers wasn't one of the hundreds of families I did kill?" Spike expressed to Angel that there was little hope for Dana, who had become a monster like them, but Angel responded that she was an innocent victim. Spike then pointed out that he and Angel were innocent victims too, "once upon a time." Spike's hands were reattached at Wolfram & Hart,[94] after which he was instructed to play video games for physical therapy, including Donkey Kong and Crash Bandicoot.[96]

Spike and the gang eventually learned that "Doyle" was actually Lindsey who was working with Eve to take down Angel and the Senior Partners, and that was was likely these two who were responsible for returning the amulet to W&H and Spike to corporeal form. Spike's relationship with Angel became even more acrimonious after the showdown with Lindsey, and Angel contemplated the possibility of Spike leaving Los Angeles after a petty argument over whether cavemen or astronauts would win in a fight.[33] Spike and Angel also made it clear that although they would always dislike each other as a result of their history and their rivalry over Buffy Summers, they proved a highly effective fighting team. Their relationship greatly improved after Spike officially joined Angel's crew.

When Fred became infected with the essence of the Old One, Illyria, and Spike worked alongside Angel and the others to find a cure. Upon their failure, he mourned Fred's death and decided to stay in L.A. because Fred would have wanted him to. He officially joins Team Angel in her honor. Spike was then put in charge of "testing" the newly-awakened Illyria's abilities, which generally involved fighting with her and recording details on a clipboard. The two develop a unique bond, though Illyria actually seemed to think of Spike as her "pet."

At some point, Spike was tricked into admitting himself to the Mosaic Wellness Center, a rehabilitation clinic where supernatural beings could be cured of their demonic nature, by the parents of one of Spike's victims; in reality, Mosaic was a maximum-security prison from which inmates were unable to leave. As it turned out, Spike had a reputation as a "boogeyman" at Mosaic, with inmates telling stories about him to scare each other. During his time in Mosaic, Spike befriended Beck, a pyrokinetic teenager, and Betta George, a Splenden beast; this friendship nearly killed Beck when the vampire Wiseau stabbed her with a stake as a message to Spike. Spike eventually rebelled against Mosaic's oppressive regime and, along with Beck and George, transformed Mosaic into an actual sanctuary for the supernatural.[97]

Spike was the first to vote for Angel's plan to wound the Senior Partners by taking out the Circle of the Black Thorn and going out in a blaze of glory. Before Angel's team entered what could very well have been their final battle, Angel gave them the day off and told them to do whatever they wanted. Spike chose to return to his mortal roots as a frustrated poet, and went to an open mic poetry slam at a bar, where he drank copious amounts of alcohol to gather "Dutch courage" before reciting the completed version of "My soul is wrapped in harsh repose," the poem he wrote before his siring. After he finished reading, Spike received tumultuous applause from the audience.[20]

The following day, he single-handedly rescued an infant and destroyed the Fell Brethren, and then joined Angel, Illyria, and a badly-wounded Charles Gunn in the alley behind the Hyperion Hotel, where the four survivors prepared to meet the apocalyptic wrath of the Senior Partners, as a way of going out in a blaze of glory.[20]

Fall of Los Angeles Edit

The Lord of Beverly Hills Edit

After the fall of Los Angeles into a hell dimension, Spike and Illyria were separated from Angel and began watching over a group of rescued humans and demons, residing at Happytime Studios amusement park. One such civilian, Jeremy Johns — despite Spike's resistance — became Spike's right-hand man and friend. In hell, Illyria soon began randomly changing back into her Fred form, which left her confused and physically vulnerable, so Spike was forced to often urge her to remain as Illyria in order to protect her.[98]

While wandering the city, Spike encountered a dragon [98] and considered killing it until it telepathically told him that he should mount it. The dragon took Spike to the ruins of Wolfram & Hart, where he found a figure suspended inside a field of energy, writing in pain. Unknown to him, this figure was Angel. Meanwhile, in Spike's absence, the civilians were kidnapped by a group of demonic warrior women. After leaving the law firm, Spike encountered one of the women and commandeered her truck in order to rescue the hostages.[99]

Together, Spike and Illyria fought with the demon women; their leader used life-draining magic on the hostages to turn them into zombies and knocked Illyria and Spike unconscious. Spike woke up in chains in a dark room, where the demon leader, Non, told him she couldn't absorb the powers of a vampire but was keeping him alive for his connections. To keep him company, Spike was left with his zombified wards fallen around him.[100] He remained enslaved for a month, tortured and forced to work by the group of demons. He was eventually approached by one of Non's lackeys, a Maria "Spider" Harley, whom he had previously met when he took her truck. While he was tied up, the two had a short-lived sexual relationship.[101]

Non attempted to bargain with Charles Gunn, then a master vampire, to return Spike to him in return for a partnership; however, Gunn beat her instead, leading her to decide to kill Spike, Illyria, and Jeremy. The following day, Non brought Illyria and Spike to be executed, but the axe shattered when she attempted to behead Illyria. Illyria broke free and started killing members of Non's army. As the battle broke out, Illyria remarked to Spike that he had slept with Spider, then forcefully kissed him, claiming to be his priority again.[101]

Non then prepared to kill Jeremy, but Angel's son, Connor, appeared suddenly and stopped her. In the midst of the fight, Spike discovered that Non's Sadecki demon, Noelle, was controlling her flock of female warriors, so he instructed Illyria to kill her. During the confrontation, she once more reverted between Fred and Illyria, but, after much encouragement from Spike, she was able to gather herself and kill the Sadecki. The women were free from the mind control, so Spike was able to attack Non. After taking a beating from Spike, she began to use the last human hostage — Jeremy — to regain some of her power. Illyria realized this and horrified Spike by killing Jeremy. Though upset, Spike took advantage of the situation to killed Non.[102]

Spike then became the Lord of Beverly Hills, alongside Illyria and several members of Non's army, Spider included. After defeating the vampire Hugh Hefner, Spike had their headquarters at his mansion. Spike partly chose to keep the girls with him in hopes that they would cause Illyria to remain on guard, thus making sure she wouldn't transform into Fred so often. He buried Jeremy's body, and told the other lords of Los Angeles to stay away from him. Later, Spike and Connor met up again and began their crusade to save the remaining humans in Los Angeles.[102]

Reuniting with Angel Edit

Spike eventually adjusted to Los Angeles' new status as a literal hell on Earth.[103] He and Illyria both served together as demon Lords of Beverly hills, during which time it appeared as though both of them had returned to their evil roots. It was eventually revealed that their position was a facade; Spike and Illyria were secretly rescuing humans and benevolent demons and evacuating them into the care of Connor, Nina Ash, Kate Lockley, and Gwen Raiden. Spike was given the opportunity to return to the side of evil again, but as always he remained loyal to the good fight, and helped Angel to bring down the other Lords' champions when he challenged them for control of LA. Spike rallied with the rest of the gang against the machinations of Charles Gunn, who had become a self-hating and deluded soulless vampire unknowingly working under visions from the Senior Partners. He also struggled to control Illyria's increasingly unstable powers in the hell dimension; she had continued to periodically revert to Fred's form and gentle personality, leaving Spike with the duty of protecting her.

During Gunn's attack on the Hyperion Hotel, Spike fought three of Gunn's enslaved Slayers, but was unable to defeat them all at once and was staked; however the fact that they were imprisoned in a time loop saved him, and he apparently managed to talk them round to fighting by his side rather than attacking him. After Gunn managed to unleash Illyria's truest form by killing Illyria's mental connections to Fred's personality, a gravely-wounded, now-human Angel, Connor and Spike were the only surviving members of the team.

After Illyria was defeated (by having her memories of Fred replaced by those of Spike and Wesley) and Connor was killed by Gunn, Angel went on a rampage and began killing everything in sight. Spike prevented the others from interfering in his grief, stating that they had to let him get it out of his system. As Angel realized what needed to be done for them to return Los Angeles to Earth, Spike was asked by Wesley (their now-ghostly connection to the Senior Partners) to watch over Illyria, who's shell still contained the essences of Fred. Angel's plan worked, forcing the Senior Partners to undo LA's trip to hell by re-setting time to before the Fall, Spike kept his distance from Illyria, but finally made peace with a re-vamped Angel after more than a century of hating him.

Back to Earth Edit

Las Vegas Edit

Spike relocated to Las Vegas with his associates, the telepathic fish Betta George and pyrokinetic Beck, where he attempted to create Team Spike.[104] While there, Spike learned about Wolfram & Hart's presence in the city, but his attempts to stop them were hampered by a confrontation with the now resurrected Jeremy Johns, who had been possessed by the liaison to the Senior Partners in Las Vegas, and a man called John. John had become sexually involved with Spike's sire and ex-lover Drusilla, and was convinced that Spike had "stolen" his soul. He was thrown from a window, and rescued by Groosalugg and his dragon,[105] subsequently contacting Willow for additional assistance, reasoning that his enemies would be expecting him to contact one of Angel's team.[106] Much to Spike's surprise, Willow was thrilled to see him and proud of his personal growth.[107]

After John took Beck and George hostage, he managed to extract Spike's soul with a ritual, but Spike remained good even without his soul due to his strength of character, and the fact that he had partly overcome his "evil" nature during his time with Buffy and the Scoobies in Sunnydale. Willow informed Spike that with the ritual John had used only he could choose who got a soul in return, and Spike chose to give it to Drusilla, saving the now free from control Jeremy who she was biting and in the hopes of redeeming her.[108]

Drusilla killed John and Spike resolved that she was too unstable: her fragile mind could never handle the weight of the evil she had committed throughout her life. He chose to take his soul back. Willow also informed Spike that Buffy knew of his continued existence, as she had apparently gone in search of information about the amulet and him to be sure about what had happened after the collapse of Sunnydale. Though Willow offered to tell Buffy about Spike's heroics, he declined, and told her that he would rather their meeting remain strictly between them. Willow then takes Drusilla to Mosaic for treatment.[109]

Returning to Hart Las Vegas branch, Spike discovered that Wolfram & Hart was about to experience an elaborate upheaval and that the Senior Partners were trying to escape this dimension. While defending from the a crew of insect-like beings that crashed on the Vegas strip, Spike was dubbed the new leader of an interdimensional ship that Wolfram & Hart had been attempting to steal for their escape. Accepting the mission of giving meaning to his new crew, Spike decided to follow the Senior Partners to figure out why they were running.[22]

Twilight crisis Edit

“You wanna put these demons down and end this 'Twilight' crap once and for all? You talk to me.” ―Spike.[src]

Upon his return to earth's dimension on his ship, Spike took to a coffee shop in London, where he got up to speed on the new anti-Slayer, pro-vampire world system that had come about as a result of Harmony Kendall revealing vampires to the world.[110] Spike quickly learned more about the rumors of "Twilight," the leader of an anti-Slayer cabal, and was quick to ascertain that Twilight was, in fact, Angel. During this time, he chased leads and pulled together a cogent theory of the prophecy involving both Angel and Buffy,[110] and later sought Buffy and her friends out. He arrived at the climax of their confrontation with Twilight, appearing to the Scooby Gang as they and Angel fought off a mass of extra-dimensional demons. He claimed that he alone could stop the current crisis as reality's "evolution" was thwarted by Buffy rejecting her role.[23]

Reunited, Buffy finally thanked Spike for destroying the Turok-Han and closing the Hellmouth and also revealed that she had known he was still alive for a time, but merely could not find the time to get in contact with him. Spike explained the nature of the prophecy she was party to, and informed her that the Seed of Wonder — the source of magic and "heart of the world" — currently resided in Sunnydale and had the power to end all of the chaos of Twilight.[110] Though Buffy revealed through thoughts that she still harbored romantic feelings for Spike, she did not give in to them. Together, they delved into the heart of the Hellmouth where they found the Seed and its protector, the Master.[111]

When Angel returned, possessed once more by the Twilight entity, he attempted to kill Spike, forcing Spike to retreat to his ship and recover from the sunlight. From there, he watched as Willow — in full connection to the Earth through the Seed — led a charge against the military and placenturian demons that had been pouring into the then expendable dimension. As the magic suddenly being cut from the world as a result of Buffy destroying the Seed, Spike witnessed demons disappearing back into the sky, and immediately gave chase to one that escaped.[112] Although successfully defeating the demon while in space, Spike spent 62 days with his crew stuck in the ship while wandering back to Earth, finding Buffy in San Francisco.[113]

End of magic Edit

San Francisco Edit

“I told you. Something's coming. Not human, and not nice. I don't know if it's 'cause of you destroying the seed.” ―Spike warns Buffy of approaching danger.[src]

Four months after Buffy shattered the Seed of Wonder in the Sunnydale crater, Spike, having headed to San Francisco with the remaining Scoobies, visited Buffy on the fire escape of Xander and Dawn's apartment. He tried to warn her that he had heard rumors about a new evil tracking her, but their conversation quickly turned to the destruction of the Seed. Spike expressed that, unlike Willow, he supported her decision, and reminded her that she had done right by her companions in the end. As he tried to cheer her up, she unexpectedly started to cry, and quickly went back inside the apartment so Spike wouldn't be witness to her growing insecurity.[24]

As the gang settled down in San Francisco, Spike chose to remain there to give Buffy whatever support he could. As always, he followed Buffy on her nightly patrols, and continued to warn her about the reports of approaching danger.[114] When she was mistakenly held responsible for a string of murders by the San Francisco Police Department, Spike found her atop a skyscraper and once more attempted to console her, and promised that he would find out who was looking for her.[115] Following a lead, he took a boat to Alcatraz island in search of the demon whom he'd been told was seeking to kill her. There, he encountered Eldre Koh, a demon who had been freed from imprisonment when the Seed was shattered. He expressed his desire to serve Buffy rather than kill her, and although Spike didn't believe him at first, Koh quickly disclosed the true threat: the mysterious "Siphon," a prophesied being with the power to drain mystical and demonic energy from anything he touches.[116]

Joined by Koh, Spike returned to the mainland to save Buffy, who was under attack by Severin, the Siphon. Koh asked him why he, a vampire, would have such a strong desire to help a Slayer, which caused Spike to relay his and Buffy's story without reluctance. When Koh deduced that he was still in love with Buffy, Spike admitted that after everything she had been through, he believed she deserved to be with someone "normal." As soon as they reached the harbor, Spike and Koh ran ashore to an abandoned warehouse surrounded by police cruisers. Inside, they found Robert Dowling, an detective for the S.F.P.D. Though Dowling initially pointed his gun at Spike and Koh, they quickly realized they were on the same team, and went to help Buffy. After the battle had subsided and Buffy was being interrogated by Dowling, Koh told Spike that Buffy would want to talk to him for risking his life for her; Spike, however, chose to keep his distance.[117]

A few nights later, Detective Dowling had Spike meet him in order to learn the basics of demon hunting. As they searched the streets for zompires, Dowling got Spike to explain his complicated relationship with Buffy in a succinct way. Spike encouraged Dowling to pursue Buffy romantically if he was interested, reiterating once more that he would like nothing more than to see her with someone normal like Dowling. The detective, however, saw through Spike's ruse and encouraged him to tell Buffy how he felt before it was too late. After giving Dowling a quick run-down, Spike received a text from Buffy asking him to meet her at her apartment. There, he found her dangling her feet in a pool, looking rather distressed. As Dowling had suggested, he announced that he had something to tell her, but she interrupted before he could confess his feelings by revealing her assumed pregnancy. She admitted that she had considered running away with him to raise the baby, but that she had since come to accept that she wasn't ready to carry such a burden. Spike was supportive of her decision to have an abortion, and agreed to accompany her to the procedure.[118]

Spike made arrangements for Buffy, and in the meantime she moved briefly into his ship. As she unpacked her things he asked her if she had meant what she'd said about running away with him and the baby. She confirmed her prior statement, but told him that it never would have worked because he epitomized a part of the world she would be trying to escape. Frustrated and disappointed, Spike stormed out of her room complaining about how she only came to him when she was in a bind. He received a call from Dowling in the midst of walking away. He agreed to help the officer, but when Buffy tried to accompany him he took on a more caring air and told her that she couldn't play Slayer in such a fragile state. He brought his ship to the park where Dowling was engaging a hoard of zompires in battle, and began fighting them off. Buffy, who had gone to save Dowling despite Spike's wishes, helped Spike to defeat the last of the zompires and then abruptly asked him if he was still in love with her. He admitted to her without hesitance that he was, but also expressed his reluctance to continue acting as her "dark place." He tried to assure her that he could give her the normal life she deserved, but just as he leaned forward (presumably to kiss her), her arm was torn off by a zompire, and she was revealed to be a robot.[119]

After moving past the initial shock of discovering Buffy was a robot, both he and Buffy went to confront Andrew, who revealed that he had swapped Buffy's mind from her real body into the body of a robot in an attempt to protect her from impending danger. He had installed food consumption in the robot, but had forgotten to add a menstrual cycle; the robot had given a false positive on the pregnancy test. Buffy, Spike and Andrew then traveled to the suburban house where Buffy's real body had been living with no memory of her identity as the Slayer, only to discover that she had been kidnapped by the rogue Slayer Simone. They tracked the robot to Simone's hideout, and together stormed its front in order to reclaim Buffy's body. While Buffy fought her misled human self, Spike confronted Simone with the help of his bugs. Though she shot him repeatedly and killed several of his insects, he was able to deter her long enough for Buffy to convince her robot-minded body to abandon Simone and her illogical plot. Simone fled during the commotion.

After the robot business had been dealt with, Spike told Buffy that he needed to take a break from San Francisco. He confessed that he didn't want to return to lurking around the edge of her life as he always had in the past. Though Buffy tried to convince him to stay and fight with her, he remained insistent in his decision. He assured her that he loved her, but didn't fail to acknowledge that he was never sure where her heart was; once more, he told her that he believed in her and that he would always have her back, and then left the city on his ship.[120]

Finding himself Edit

“I thought a soul would free a fellow. It doesn't. It ties you to a place, to people, in a way chains never could.” ―Spike[src]

Wanting to come to terms with himself, Spike left San Francisco and the Slayer residing there behind and underwent an interval of highly uncharacteristic brooding. He drowned his sorrows in alcohol and sat alone in the dark for prolonged periods of time. He even traveled to the literal "dark side" of the moon on his ship. His bugs began to worry that in such a state, he was unfit to be their master, and repeatedly tried to cheer him up. They decided that he had been spending too much time in the dark, and opted to bring him into the solarium he had built to be Buffy's "light place," where they had set up an artificial beach inspired by the pictures from a magazine. They also replaced the solarium skylights with necro-tempered glass that blocked the rays dangerous to vampires, allowing Spike to sit in the sunlight without being harmed.

In the solarium, he and his bugs reflected on the philosophies of "real" and "fake," and decided that human fell for artificial ideals because they wanted to. Just as he had recovered somewhat, the ship was suddenly attacked by a frog-like demon. He managed to cut it with a broken bottle, but was subsequently overcome and captured by a group of demons that had been left stranded on the moon after attempting to flee the Sunnydale crater on the back of a lunar demon.[25] They threatened him to transport back to the crater to search for shards of the Seed of Wonder. Spike managed to convince them that he would be a valuable asset, considering he knew the location of the Seed chamber. Once there, he led them to the place where the Seed had been situated, but upon discovering the shards were gone, declared that someone must have gotten there first. He engaged the demons in battle once more, and was aided this time by a female demon named Morgan, who explained that she had come to the crater in search of a shard to return to her home dimension. They were attacked by Angel's enemies, Pearl and Nash, who were also searching for the remaining shards of the Seed. Pearl remembers her previous encounter with Spike but reveals that her infatuation was over.[121]

A fight between Spike and the siblings briefly broke out, but Spike and Morgan managed to escape with the help of Sebastian and the other bugs. When the two began to talk, she elaborated about wanting to find her way back to her homeland and revealed that she was a succubus, better known as a higher-up courtesan demon, who helped great men achieve great things. Still, she remained evasive and suspicious; her behavior did not go unnoticed by the bugs, and to a certain extent, Spike. Despite her elusive conduct, he agreed to help her and the two continued to flirt with each other. He admitted to her that he felt like nobody's expectation of a hero, and that he wasn't as confident as he had been in the past (indirectly referring to his soulless self). Sebastian began to fear that his leader was falling for Morgan's feminine charms.[38]

Spike and Morgan traveled to her home, and unknown Hellmouth. On the way there, she started up a conversation with him, seemingly friendly and supportive, but quickly began to question him about Buffy, and attempted to comfort him while he wallowed in his lovesick sorrows. She was interrupted when they reached Easter Island, where the Hellmouth was situated. She once more attempted to make sexual advances toward him. Spike rejected her, and came to understand why Buffy had rejected his offer to come with him on his ship and he realized that leaving her had been unfair. Still, Morgan refused to give up, and in a moment of weakness, Spike kissed her; however, he pulled away quickly, and rejected her once again, claiming that like the solarium, any relationship they shared wouldn't be "real." He went on to describe his love for Buffy, with whom he shared something "genuine" though occasionally painful. Furious, Morgan slapped him and revealed her true motives; she had had the shard with her the whole time. Consequently, Spike fought with her. The bugs almost succeeded in capturing her, but she managed to escape.[122]

By the time Spike managed to catch up with Morgan, she was already beginning the ritual to open the Hellmouth. The incantations she performed awakened the moai on Easter Island, and the statues attacked Spike and his crew. However, much to his surprise, they were not controlled by Morgan, and attacked them both. The bugs attempted to fight the moai, but were knocked out of the sky. Spike and Morgan split up. In no time, the ship became consumed with fire and they were forced to abandon it. Morgan saved Spike, while Sebastian's life was taken; the other bugs managed to survive by using escape pods. The remaining members of Spike's bug crew decided to remain on Easter Island, and Morgan departed as well after claiming that her offer to Spike had been genuine, and that they could have been "this century's power couple" but acknowledging she couldn't compete with Buffy. Spike briefly mourned the loss of his ship before uncertainly wondering what he would do next. Before he could make a decision, he received an unexpected phone call from Angel, who reluctantly requested his help in London.[123]

London Edit

Spike, welcoming a distraction from his constant thoughts about Buffy, agreed to meet Angel and arrived at Alasdair Coames' place in London to discuss a strategy to defeat Eyghon the Sleepwalker and recover the body of Rupert Giles that the demon had possessed. Spike was vital to the operation because as a vampire he would be less likely to fall under the control of Eyghon. After some petty bickering with Angel, and a brief attempt to catch-up with Faith, the group which includes several London slayers are attacked by Eyghon and his zombies. Angel and Spike worked together in an attempt to capture and defeat the demon. They came very close to apprehending him, but Eyghon now more powerful in his true form overcame the demon within Spike and managed to possess him. While Eyghon failed to corrupt Angel because of the three spirits inside of him (Giles, Angelus and himself), Giles briefly dominated and managed to kill Eyghon, releasing his control over the zombies. Having regained his composure, Spike, along with Faith, noticed that Angel had become erratic with multiple beings with him. With the final piece of Giles's soul, Spike and Faith were forced to come up with a new plan, considering Angel was the only person who had any clue how to restore Giles' body.[124]

In order to restore Angel to sanity Spike, Faith and Alasdair Coames needed to remove Giles's soul from Angel. Spike suggested a magical item called the Essuary would be the best option, which Alasdair knew its exactly location. Spike and Faith headed to a London cemetery to find it, where they engaged in battle with a soul-devouring demons called Enders; Spike came close to having his soul consumed yet again, but managed to overcome the Ender responsible in the nick of time. As they trekked into the Enders' lair, he and Faith discussed their separate lack of love lives, during which time Faith rejects Spike's offer of a hook-up despite their previous chemistry, saying she's no-one's rebound and compared Spike to Angel, much to the former's chagrin. She proved her point by reminding him that both had fallen in love with Buffy and subsequently chosen to leave her despite their continuing feelings. This annoyed Spike to the extent that he made short work of the remaining Enders and he asked Faith if that was why she made those comments. She stated she meant every word. Spike revealed to her that he would be lying to himself if he said he had managed to move on from Buffy, and Faith advised him he wouldn't get laid until he got over her. They then located the Essuary.

Back at the apartment, Spike was instructed to watch over Angel in the basement while Faith and the others performed the ritual. There, he ranted to a deranged Angel about his own insecurities in regards to his difficult relationship with Buffy and wonders if perhaps Buffy didn't prefer him without a soul and acknowledges that he's never been much good on his own. In the process, he also admits that he envied Angel for being able to move on from Buffy; much to his surprise, Angel responded coherently that he hadn't moved on either. Embarrassed that he had confessed so much to Angel, Spike made an attempt to brush off his own words. In gratitude for helping him, Angel send Spike a text message with Harmony's phone number. The following day, Angel and Faith witnessed him exiting the bathroom shower with Harmony, and Faith joked about him was using her as a rebound.[125]

Spike decided to stay around in London with Angel a little while longer, even seeming to have been about to help them against foes Pearl and Nash. Though when Faith received an unexpected call from Buffy about Dawn who was currently in trouble, his decision changed drastically. He was shocked and frustrated at how neither Angel nor Faith seemed to remember her at all despite her being Buffy's sister. Not helping himself, he briefly attempted to revive their memories of her. Seeing how that failed, Spike was very vexed and confused at this development, realizing something was indeed terribly wrong. Impatient and not willing to push any further about Dawn, he immediately left them to return to San Francisco to help save her.[126]

Return to San Francisco Edit

Spike returned to San Francisco in no time, only just missing Buffy and the other's departure to the Deeper Well. He noted to himself that he could've helped them get in there, but nonchalantly shrugged it off. His main motivation was to protect and take care of Dawn, not "play puppy dog to The Slayer." Fully informed of everything that was going on from Andrew, he patiently stayed and watched over the ailing Dawn even though she had lost her memory of who he was.[26]

Spike told Dawn stories of her life and relationship with him, trying to make her trust him enough to be comfortable. Eventually, his efforts paid off as Dawn claimed she believed what he said, even if she didn't necessarily remember any of it. The two of them hugged each other. Spike continued to tell more stories about both himself and her, only for his memory to begin to fail him in some areas. Realizing he was starting to forget her, Spike immediately took out a tape recorder he had prepared so it would refresh some of his memories.[127]

Spike continued to struggle with his memories of Dawn fading away, eventually reaching the point where he was even forgetting her name. When the tape recorder failed to work to the same extent it had before, Spike got angry and blamed Andrew for giving him a faulty tape recorder. Instead of calling Buffy (as Billy had told him to deliver a message to her about Simone), he called up Xander. Going through their usual snark with each other, Spike told him that Simone had a secret agenda about creating an army of slayer-turned-zompires against Buffy, and that Dawn's condition was worse, as she was now starting to become transparent.[128] After Dawn suddenly went missing, Spike was greatly distressed and told Andrew he hoped she hadn't disappeared already.[129]

Buffy, Willow, and Xander subsequently returned, having restored magic to Earth via a new Seed of Wonder. Though their initial attempts to restore Dawn failed, an offhand remark made by Spike enabled Willow to realize that Buffy's blood was the key, and their second attempt succeeded to bring Dawn back. Both Buffy and Dawn thanked Spike for being there to watch over Dawn, which he modestly brushed off.[130]

New magic Edit

After the return of magic, Spike then established himself in San Francisco alongside the Scooby Gang. There, he shared an apartment with Xander and rescued cats, who quickly became his close friend and advisor, and worked as a supernatural consultant for San Francisco Police Department thanks to Dowling. With this new life, he and Buffy Summers gave a chance for a serious relationship.[131]

Slayers Edit

“Death is your art. You make it with your hands day after day. That final gasp, that look of peace. And part of you is desperate to know: What's it like? Where does it lead you? And now you see, that's the secret. Not the punch you didn't throw or the kicks you didn't land. She really wanted it. Every Slayer has a death Wish. Even you.” ―Spike to Buffy[src]

Spike's reputation was perhaps most unique because he had fought and killed two Slayers in his lifetime. He was once very proud of his conquests, and admitted to Buffy that he was able to overcome the Slayers because he perceived their desire to be free of their burden. He believed that all Slayers possessed an obsession with death, Buffy included. Ironically, Spike seemed to have some sort of obsession with Slayers. He did not fear them as other vampires did, but sought them out with the sole intention of fighting them to the death. He told Buffy how he first learned about the Slayer from Angelus, who spoke of her in an attempt to scare Spike. Spike, however, became haunted by the thought of fighting Slayers, and pursued them. His first victim was Xin Rong, a Slayer active in China during the Boxer Rebellion. She managed to cut him above his left eye with her sword, giving Spike his trademark scar. He overpowered her and fed on her special blood, which he revealed was an aphrodisiac to vampires. Later, in the 1970s, he tracked down Nikki Wood in New York City. They had two heated battles, the second of which resulted in her death by having her neck snapped. Spike stripped her body of her leather duster, which he wore from then on as a symbol of victory.

Before joining Buffy and her friends in Sunnydale and fighting to regain his soul, Spike attempted many times to make Buffy his third victim. His fixation with the Slayer eventually evolved into a perverse obsession with Buffy herself, and later, genuine love. His devotion to her had become a driving motivation for him and his actions. After gaining a soul, Spike's perspectives have also changed dramatically. He no longer had any desire to kill Slayers, a prime example being Dana, a Slayer he encountered during his time with Angel Investigations. Also, he had previously met the estranged son of the second Slayer he killed while preparing for the fight against the First Evil in Sunnydale. When confronted by a grownup Robin Wood, Spike did not apologize for murdering his mother, but threatened him for his pointless vendetta; the monster that killed Xin Rong and Nikki Wood ceased to exist when Spike regained his soul. Spike no longer wears Nikki Wood's coat, but an identical one he received from the Wolfram & Hart Rome branch.

Personality Edit

“What can I tell you, baby? I've always been bad.” ―Spike masking his past[src]

Lover Edit

Spike could be seen as something of a paradox amongst vampires; pre-soul he exhibited many characteristics that separate him from his soulless brethren, and he very often challenged his kinds' supposed emotional and physical limitations. He embraced certain elements of humanity, most notably love, and was exceptionally loyal. Both love and loyalty would be considered too "human" to other vampires, and would therefore be offensive. His humanity and ability to love are detected and ridiculed by the Judge when they resurrect the demon to battle Buffy.[45] While Spike could be seen as a largely selfish individual, he had a capacity for extreme acts of selflessness and loyalty to people he truly loved and cared for even while soulless. With or without one, he displayed a strong sense of honor and devotion: he doted on Drusilla for over a century, kept his promise briefly to Buffy to leave Sunnydale with Drusilla after helping her to defeat Angelus[13] (which he later broke),[48] left anonymous flowers to show his respect for Joyce Summers after her death,[70] endured intense torture at the hands of Glorificus in order to protect Dawn for Buffy's sake,[71] continued to aid the Scooby Gang even after Buffy's death to honor her memory, assisted Willow and Tara to raise Dawn due to his promise to Buffy,[74] choose to remain in Los Angeles with Angel's crew after Fred Burkle's death because he knew she would have wanted him to,[132] agreed to accompany Buffy to the abortion clinic when she believed herself pregnant,[118] and refused to leave Dawn's side when she began to fade due to the end of magic despite Buffy venturing to the Deeper Well.[26]

Spike had very romantic convictions where love was concerned. He seemed to believe strongly in monogamy, as he was devastated every time Drusilla cheated on him (whether with Angelus, the Immortal or other various demons), and sunk into states of drunken depression. Spike was a "fool for love" in every sense of the term; his actions, whether good or evil, were most often motivated by his deep affections for either Drusilla or Buffy. He even called himself "love's bitch" on several occasions, and had been states of self-consuming obsession over both women. Simply put, his loyalties lie in the same place as his passions, and unlike Angelus or Angel he did not enjoy philosophizing about "good" and "evil." He knows himself to be an ambiguous hero at best, and did not try to defend his actions as a vampire.

Fighter Edit

“But, uh, for a demon I never did think that much about the nature of evil. No. I just threw myself in. Thought it was a party. I liked the rush, I liked the crunch. Never did look back at the victims.” ―Spike[src]

One of Spike's most notable traits was his lust for violence and his love of brawling. Shortly after his siring, he became quite the thrill-seeker, but unlike Angelus, he liked to engage himself in life-and-death battles, and became obsessed with fighting Slayers as a result. He noted that he finds the act of violence to be quite therapeutic: he once responded to a lackey's incompetence by snapping the neck of a hostage that he had considered "too old to eat" and expressed that he felt better afterwards. Similarly, while pining for Drusilla, he observed that taking out his aggression by staking vampires "put things into perspective for him." After a prolonged period of time under the chip's influence, he was delighted to discover that he was able to fight demons without feeling the effects of the chip, and gladly began accompanying the Scooby Gang on patrol. This proved that he did not really care what he fought as long as he could fight.

Even when Spike was protecting Dawn after Buffy's death, he watched demons destroying the town outside and remarked that it looked like fun.[31] However, Spike claimed that, contrary to Angelus, he never enjoyed inflicting pain on others; he simply reveled in the "rush" while ignoring the countless victims left behind.[94] Spike's also characterized as being impatient and emotional, frequently screaming in rage and throwing whatever was nearest to him when things don't meet his expectations.[66][48][51][52][16][67] Under great stress and setback, he's also prone to long-winded emotional rants and then proceeds to blame the situation on others until he had calmed down. Once ensouled, Spike retained his short temper and impulsiveness but his angry overreactions have become less frequent.

Since he was never in it for the sake of being evil, Spike showed a considerable amount of flexibility unlike most vampires when it came to the opposing moralities. After he was chipped by the Initiative, he still reveled in destruction and would talk about killing people either fondly[66] or casually,[79] but had a noticeable lack of reservations when it came to doing good acts upon falling in love with Buffy. Spike still had evil and questionable intent but he would ignore that if it meant Buffy would accept him and see him as a changed person. This indicated that Spike would either do extreme evil (Drusilla) or extreme good (Buffy) if it meant the woman who was the object of his affections would find him worthy enough to give him a chance romantically.

Intellect Edit

Although Spike's love for mindless destruction might suggest otherwise, he was highly intelligent and educated. He displayed excellent skills of insight and analysis, particularly in regards to relationships, and made regular references to literary works. He also demonstrated an impressive knowledge of magic rituals and items. He was easily able to discern romantic undertones in Willow's "friendship" with Tara before her other companions, and he used his deep understanding of Riley Finn's anxieties about Buffy to undermine him.[3] Ironically, he was often delusional about his own relationship with Drusilla, and refused to acknowledge her repeated acts of infidelity.

As a human, he was a poet, and appeared to have a great knowledge of literature. When Giles quoted a line from Shakespeare's Henry V ("We few, we happy few…"), Spike was quick to respond with a parodied continuation of the couplet: "… we band of buggered." He referenced many other literary works, including Shakespeare's Othello, and due to his advanced age, he also appeared to have a rich understanding of history. When the vengeful spirit of Chumash Warriors attacked the Scoobies and Buffy proposed apologizing to them, Spike proclaimed that their pacifist tactics were annoying him, because they were preparing to express regret for something completely illogical; white settlers did steal the land of natives when they arrived, and did slaughter them. Spike wisely said to the Scoobies: "You came in and you killed them and you took their land. That's what conquering nations do. It's what Caesar did, and he's not goin' around saying 'I came, I conquered, I felt really bad about it.' The history of the world is not people making friends. You had better weapons, and you massacred them. End of story."[14]

Development Edit

Unlike Angel, Spike had an ability to differentiate between his human, soulless and ensouled selves. As a human, he was a romantic, ineffectual gentleman who was constantly mocked by his peers. He spent much of his time and energy trying to separate himself his contemporaries, whom he thought mediocre. As a vampire, he became a direct affront to his previous nature, and rebelled against European society with the Whirlwind. He refused to give up the romantic aspects of his personality, even after Angelus attempted to desensitize him emotionally by sleeping with Drusilla. William took on a new persona in order to maintain Drusilla's affections, and to anger Angelus, but remained a romantic at heart. He later told Angel that although Drusilla turned him, it was Angelus's influence over him that caused him to become a monster." Despite this, he did not seem to blame Angel for his past sins; he merely made the observation that Angelus was constantly trying to see his own "disgusting" traits in others, even if he had to bring them about himself through emotional torture and manipulation.[1]

While Spike changed throughout his years with and without Angelus, he remained as true to himself as he could without a soul. He eventually gained his swaggering posture, a love for punk and rock music and continued to live by his own unique moral compass. After winning back his soul, he was at first confused and overwhelmed under the First's influence, but eventually came to examine the natures of "good" and "evil" in an entirely new way;[87] while William Pratt and Spike are two undeniably different entities, ensouled Spike was a mixture of both: he possess William's human capacities for love, trust, friendship and loyalty, and Spike's confidence, maturity and outward persona. Unlike Angel remorse and redemption weren't the driving factors for Spike, while he felt both over the acts he committed in his 120-odd years as a vampire, his attitude was that the past was over and even if he lost his soul he'd still remain "good" due to his devotion to those he loved.

After Buffy's resurrection, Spike remained with her friends and became a full-fledged member of the Scoobies, but was still a victim to his own murderous impulses due to his lack of a soul. Buffy believed him incapable of loving her because of this, and observed that he was nothing but a "soulless thing" despite all the good he had done for her, Dawn and the Scoobies.[78] Her constant remarks prompted him to attempt to attack a passing woman with only slight hesitation when he believed his chip had stopped working. This, of course, reflects one of Spike's most detrimental personality traits: his intense sensitivity. William Pratt was sensitive as a human, and this followed him into his unlife. After Drusilla cheated on him, he became comically depressed and even joked about suicide,[48] when Buffy pushed him to the ground and told him he was "beneath her," he sobbed to himself, and even followed her to her house afterwards with a shotgun in a soon abandoned attempt to kill her.[5]

Despite Spike's outward displays of confidence and arrogance, it was indicated frequently that this was usually an effort to cover up his insecurities over both himself and his relationships. He admitted while "finding himself" that he didn't have as much confidence or direction since he was ensouled and that, at certain points, he missed that about being soulless despite his genuine desire to be a good man.[133] Given his self-proclaimed reputation over being "love's bitch" and constant rejections in both his human life and beyond, Spike had a cynical outlook on his romantic affections ever being seriously returned despite his efforts and despite his obvious appeal to women. This was made especially apparent in his interactions with Buffy. He had stated on multiple occasions Buffy would never be able to love him when he first realized his feelings[64][73] and even after the strong connection they developed once he received his soul, Spike still seemed fixed in this belief.[134][35][6] His hidden insecurities are also most apparent in his long-standing rivalry with Angel who often posed an obstacle to his goals in life, whether that be Buffy or proving himself to be a worthy champion.[125][1]

It was often Buffy's deprecation that caused him to want to be a better person. Before winning back his soul, he became obsessed with the prospects of being a monster or a man. While under Sweet's spell, he sang about Buffy: "First he'll kill her, then I'll save her," and: "No, first I'll save her, then I'll kill her."[77] His erratic sentiments about his "good" actions caused him to separate himself into two portions emotionally, the monster and the man. He said to Buffy: "I know that I'm a monster, but you treat me like a man."[73] While that seemed to be enough for him for a long time, he eventually realized that he wanted to be one or the other, not both. Following his attempted rape on Buffy, he fled her house. He reflected on his inability to be either monster or man: "What have I done? Why didn't I do it? What has she done to me?"[81] It was this final event that caused Spike to leave Sunnydale in order to find himself. In essence, it was his desire to be a "man" that caused him to want to reclaim both his soul and Buffy's trust.[19]

As the time progressed, Spike had become a genuine (albeit jaded) hero at heart rather than an evildoer trying to do good for Buffy's sake. He remains loyal to Buffy's friends and new companions such as Beck, Robert Dowling and Eldre Koh. Additionally, he respected human life to the extent that he was unwilling to sacrifice thousands just to save Fred[33] and was horrified when Illyria killed Jeremy Johns to help him defeat Non.[135] Like 