Who is your favorite female vampire?
FaithLehane16
"Tact is not saying true stuff. I'll pass."
telperion66
Potential
Congratulations on what is an interesting thread. Interesting, to see Darla way out in front in terms of popularity (I also voted for her as my favourite female vampire).
She was in the very first episode of BTVS, right up until she stakes herself so selflessly with the soulfulness that came from having Connor inside of her during Angel season 3. A massive part of Angel's existence.
I was fascinated with her relationship with Lindsey also. I thought they were great together, two great actors with great chemistry and writing.
She was in the very first episode of BTVS, right up until she stakes herself so selflessly with the soulfulness that came from having Connor inside of her during Angel season 3. A massive part of Angel's existence.
I was fascinated with her relationship with Lindsey also. I thought they were great together, two great actors with great chemistry and writing.
W
WillowFromBuffy
Guest
Darla is the obvious choice, and I love her, but Drusilla is the one who truly has my heart. She never got her time in the spotlight, but she does so much with so little. Eyeballs to entrails, there's no-one better. Tragic, beautiful, enigmatic, totally bad-ass and so quotable.
Name the Stars
You can't see the stars, love. That's the ceiling.
Dru all the way! Drusilla is a character with depth, a backstory, and a disturbing yet endearing personality. She's strange, yet charming, and you love her, but still feel bad for her. She's a vampire in the victorian gothic sense, and is played brilliantly by Juliet.
Joan the Vampire Slayer
Carpe Spuffy!
BaskingINBangel
Agent of Nothing
While I think Dru and Sunday are great, for me, they don't come close to Darla. Darla has a lot of depth, and she just has this fragility to her, that makes me absolutely love her character.
white avenger
white avenger
Of those in the Buffyverse, I would have to say Vamp Willow, but she doesn't hold a candle to the greatest female vampire of all time...
Vampirella (Sorry, folks, I won't be posting a picture here, because there are minors present.)
Vampirella (Sorry, folks, I won't be posting a picture here, because there are minors present.)
gwenogjones
Scooby
Drusilla - creepy and hilarious, fully gothic and tragic as well. She is everything a vampire should be.
I like Darla well enough but it frustrates me that she becomes yet another mystical pregnancy on Angel (Angel has way too many mystical pregnancies and they need to stop going to that well). It's treated as part of her character arc and her redemption ... but it isn't at all. It's not anything to do with her. She is possessed by the soul of the baby inside of her, just like Cordelia in season 4. She is no more herself when she stakes herself than Cordelia is throughout season 4. If she had survived the birth she would have reverted back to evil Darla, just as Cordy reverts back to herself in 'You're Welcome'. It's the exact same story line - but moving the characters in opposite directions on the good-evil spectrum. And if Cordelia's mystical pregnancy doesn't represent a fall from grace and and into evil for which she must atone, because she was possessed by the baby so it wasn't her fault, then Darla's possession by Connor's soul does not count as redemption. It's just another (another! they do this so often on Angel) violation of a female body by an unwanted parasite that forces her to act in a way contrary to her own character, her own wants and her own needs. But then it's wrapped up with overtones of the redemptive quality of motherly love ... it's actually very troubling.
And once you remove her 'redemption' arc ... she's OK, but she doesn't really stand out to me. Her main motivation for doing anything throughout season 1 of Buffy and season 2 of Angel does seem to be ... well, Angel.
Harmony - on the other hand - is hilarious and I love her. But she is a terrible vampire. Drusilla FTW.
I like Darla well enough but it frustrates me that she becomes yet another mystical pregnancy on Angel (Angel has way too many mystical pregnancies and they need to stop going to that well). It's treated as part of her character arc and her redemption ... but it isn't at all. It's not anything to do with her. She is possessed by the soul of the baby inside of her, just like Cordelia in season 4. She is no more herself when she stakes herself than Cordelia is throughout season 4. If she had survived the birth she would have reverted back to evil Darla, just as Cordy reverts back to herself in 'You're Welcome'. It's the exact same story line - but moving the characters in opposite directions on the good-evil spectrum. And if Cordelia's mystical pregnancy doesn't represent a fall from grace and and into evil for which she must atone, because she was possessed by the baby so it wasn't her fault, then Darla's possession by Connor's soul does not count as redemption. It's just another (another! they do this so often on Angel) violation of a female body by an unwanted parasite that forces her to act in a way contrary to her own character, her own wants and her own needs. But then it's wrapped up with overtones of the redemptive quality of motherly love ... it's actually very troubling.
And once you remove her 'redemption' arc ... she's OK, but she doesn't really stand out to me. Her main motivation for doing anything throughout season 1 of Buffy and season 2 of Angel does seem to be ... well, Angel.
Harmony - on the other hand - is hilarious and I love her. But she is a terrible vampire. Drusilla FTW.
DeadlyDuo
Even if Darla went back to being evil, I think she would still be protective of Connor in the way that bears are protective of their young.
AlphaFoxtrot
Scooby
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Sandy. 1. She was sired by Mirror Willow, which may make her a grandchild of the Master, which is cool. 2. She shows an alternate way of life for Vampires, which Buffy really restricts to snarling puddies. 3. They remembered! Bringing back an extra from the Bronze with one line is great world building! 4. She was Joss's type, because we have a million dollar question to answer, and it better not be Amy Acker.
gwenogjones
Scooby
Even if Darla went back to being evil, I think she would still be protective of Connor in the way that bears are protective of their young.
She didn't believe that was true though. She said she wouldn't love him and she wouldn't even remember that she had loved him. She begs Angel to not let her hurt Connor. It would be heartbreaking ... except it's not Darla talking - it's Connor (or at least his soul).
She didn't believe that was true though. She said she wouldn't love him and she wouldn't even remember that she had loved him. She begs Angel to not let her hurt Connor. It would be heartbreaking ... except it's not Darla talking - it's Connor (or at least his soul).
It is Darla talking. Connor's not possessing her or talking through her, she's merely being influenced by the presence of his soul. But it's still her, so it's definitely still heartbreaking and allows us to see this different side to Darla, someone who can love and who is willing to sacrifice herself for that love.
gwenogjones
what is possession if not an outside force getting inside of you, influencing you and making you act differently? Connor's soul alters her behaviour - This is not her choice. Once that has gone she is back to who she always was. Same as S4 Cordy.
DeadlyDuo
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The thing is though that Darla being pregnant was an anomaly that's not supposed to happen ever so it's really unchartered territory. The whole "vampires can't love without a soul" gets chucked around but both Spike and Dru disagree with that, as would James and Elizabeth. Darla acknowledges that what she and Angelus had wasn't love but that doesn't mean they're completely incapable of it. They keep Dru around which suggests they have a fondness for her and they probably tolerate Spike because of Dru because he makes her happy. With Darla under the influence of Connor's soul, the rhetoric that vampires aren't able to love does probably worry her because she thinks it might be true but that doesn't actually make it so, she just doesn't want to take any chances.
If it had been Dru or Elizabeth in that situation with Spike and James as the father respectively, then their outlook might be a little different because they believe that vampires can love without a soul as do their respective partners which acts as reassurance. Angel wasn't really reassuring Darla that everything was going to be okay once the baby was born and that she'd make an amazing mother.
celinedion
Townie
Harmony is amazing! She doesn't really seem like a vampire which I really like. Especially how she acts with Spike, really makes it for me.
Ethan Reigns
Scooby
Sunday was my vote because it was the answer to the question, "What did we not see enough of?" Her end was classically badass - no fear, just realization.
thrasherpix
Scooby
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With the notable exception of Spike (save maybe Gunn's sister, though there could've been a brutal psychological tactic involved that was completely self-serving, and also not counting Buffy's nightmare--she wasn't actually dead so had a soul of some sort), all vampires treat their family (and friends) from before they were a vampire as prey rather than loved ones. Even Angelus kills his little sister. This is why I say on here I wouldn't want to be a vampire in the Buffyverse, because I would not be me, and the last thing many of my loved ones would see would be a monster wearing my face.
The point being that Darla's fear seems entirely likely.
Though what a story if Connor was born and Darla did lose her soul but retained maternal feelings...perhaps even took Connor to hurt Angel (not out of love for Connor). So far anyway I'm still preferring the story we got instead.
The point being that Darla's fear seems entirely likely.
Though what a story if Connor was born and Darla did lose her soul but retained maternal feelings...perhaps even took Connor to hurt Angel (not out of love for Connor). So far anyway I'm still preferring the story we got instead.
Myheadsgonenumb what is possession if not an outside force getting inside of you, influencing you and making you act differently? Connor's soul alters her behaviour - This is not her choice. Once that has gone she is back to who she always was. Same as S4 Cordy.
Jasmine was in complete control of Cordelia, which is what possession is. It's not merely an influence, it's an outside force taking over you completely. Darla was still her, she was still in control of herself, of her body and mind. All that was different is that she was feeling the effects of Connor's soul. Not really comparable to Jasmine completely taking over Cordelia's body and mind.
Jasmine was in complete control of Cordelia, which is what possession is. It's not merely an influence, it's an outside force taking over you completely. Darla was still her, she was still in control of herself, of her body and mind. All that was different is that she was feeling the effects of Connor's soul. Not really comparable to Jasmine completely taking over Cordelia's body and mind.
WillowFromBuffy
To be or not to evil.
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The mere fact that pregnant Darla is able to speak English proves that she is herself and not a baby. And I don't think her suicide is a triumph. Her final words to Angel are really moving. Her entire existence has been awful. Her only hope is that the child she carries will do some good in the world.
That being said, she is not a very empowering character. She moves between different female archetypes: The femme fatale, the damsel in distress, the monstrous mother and the kind mother. But she never gets to decide for herself who she wants to be. Her story is tragic and deeply moving, but she has absolutely no agency.
That being said, she is not a very empowering character. She moves between different female archetypes: The femme fatale, the damsel in distress, the monstrous mother and the kind mother. But she never gets to decide for herself who she wants to be. Her story is tragic and deeply moving, but she has absolutely no agency.