Angel was born Liam in Galway, Ireland and sired as a vampire by Darla in 1753. He then became known as Angelus and the two terrorized humankind, murdering and torturing anyone who crossed their path. Angel was then cursed by gypsies who ensoulled him, making him suffer horrible guilt over his actions as a vampire. He fell in love with Buffy, but when they made love Angel lost his soul (2.13 Surprise). Angel joined forces with his old comrades Spike and Drusilla. Willow returned Angel’s soul too late and Buffy was forced to send Angel to Hell (2.22 Becoming (Part Two)). He later (and mysteriously) returned to Sunnydale where he began a patchy relationship with Buffy again until he decided it wasn’t fair on her and left for L.A. (3.22 Graduation Day (Part Two)).
In Los Angeles, Angel met Doyle, who persuaded him to help helpless people, guided by visions sent to Doyle by the Powers That Be. Cordelia came to work for Angel and the three formed Angel Investigations. After Doyle’s death, the team were joined by ex-Watcher Wesley Wyndham Pryce. Evil law firm Wolfram and Hart (W&H) brought Angel’s sire, Darla, back to life as a human. When Drusilla once again turned Darla into a vampire, Angel felt he had failed to save her and after firing his Angel Investigations crew embarked on a one-man vendetta against W&H. In a moment of despair, Angel attempted to get rid of his soul by sleeping with Darla but instead experienced an epiphany in which he realised his true path was still good. Angel then reconciled himself with his old Angel Investigations team, on the understanding that Wesley would be boss.
Angel realised that he was starting to see Cordelia as more than just a friend, but before he had a chance to confess his feelings to her Darla returned - inexplicably pregnant with his son, Connor. Various tragic circumstances, led to Darla’s death, and Angel lost his son to an old enemy, who abducted Connor soon after his birth, taking him to a hell dimension where time moved differently. When Connor returned, he was a young man who was raised to believe that Angel was still a soulless monster. Connor acted out his retribution by sending Angel to the bottom of the ocean in a steel coffin. At the same time, Cordelia suddenly ascended to a higher plane, the feelings shared between her and Angel still left unspoken.
Wesley rescued Angel from the bottom of the sea, and Angel attempted to help Connor, despite his son’s actions. Cordelia returned to Earth, but had amnesia. She found that Connor was the person she trusted most, despite his possible link to new big bad The Beast. Angel was forced to unleash his evil alter ego Angelus in order to defeat the Beast, and it’s mysterious boss. After a a few complications, during which Cordelia was put in a coma, Angel was inexplicably offered the LA branch of W&H as a reward for ending world peace. Angel acted against all of his instincts and made a deal with his sworn enemy, which would ensure that Connor could live a normal life, erasing his memories of Angel.
Angel’s old comrade, and nemesis, Spike materialized suddenly from an amulet, last seen by Angel in Buffy’s hands. Now both possessing souls and both still in love with Buffy, the two eventually accepted that they must work together. Cordelia “woke” from a coma and took the opportunity to set the champion back on his true path. With her final gift of a vision, Angel finally understood that he will never be able to stop evil, but he can ruin the Senior Partners hold on Earth by destroying the secret Circle of the Black Thorn. Together with Spike, Gunn, Wesley, Illyria, Lorne and Lindsey, Angel set about in the ultimate battle against evil.
Related episodes: Angel Episodes, Buffy Episodes
Comments on this trivia
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Abby M. on August 14th, 2005 at 2:19 am
He is handsome but he got really annoying after a while: I’m such a tortured soul! I want to make amends for what my demon did! Spike was right: He is just a big fluffy puppy with bad teeth. :)
Buffster on August 2nd, 2006 at 6:44 am
Angel is probably one of my favorite characters. Although sometimes he can be annoying he’s still an awesome character. He, unlike some characters, has levels. He’s not 2D; he’s more like 10D. He turns evil for gods sakes!
Angelus is the coolest vampire in the Buffy universe especially when he’s paired up with his sire Darla. Along with Drusilla and Spike.
Also Buffy and Angel is my favorite relationship on TV. Period. The Romeo and Juliet theme is spectacular! It’s just great!
Engel on November 7th, 2006 at 2:33 am
When it comes to the prophesies of Aberjian, Angel is the one. He was cursed with a soul, then he met Whistler a demon who’s mission is to set the balance between good and evil. Then Angel end up in hell after his “Suprise” with Buffy but end up returning by an unknown force who was not the First evil but The Powers That Be. He then tries to kill himself by making the sun rise upon him, but The Powers That Be let it snow to save him and give him hope. Then Angel moves to L.A. where he meets Doyle who’s sent by The Powers That Be. Then later Angel finds the Prophesies of Aberjian who he was drawn to. Then he saves the three childs who has something to do with the prophesy. Though Angel signs away his destiny to become human, doesn’t mean that he won’t. Since destiny isn’t something you just can sign away. He even sacrifies a possible love relationship with Buffy in “I Will Remember You” where the Oracles is amazed by this action..
Angel will achieve the Shanshu…
Wynter on November 7th, 2006 at 10:18 pm
You keep saying “his” destiny but the prophecy in no way names Angel as the vamped soul in question. That makes it open for the fates to decide between Angel AND Spike, in my opinion.
And since in our world Joss is the Power That Is, what he says goes.
Engel on November 7th, 2006 at 10:21 pm
I’ll admit you got some point, but whatever, Doyle got a connection to the powers that be, and Cordy too and all the hints to Angel. I don’t have anything personal against Spike, it’s just Angel have done more evil and have wish to atone for it, Spike doesn’t really care, he just wants Buffy.
Wynter on November 7th, 2006 at 11:21 pm
Wait, you’re saying that because Angel’s “done more evil”, he should get the Shanshu? That makes no sense. First off, there’s no way really of telling who was more evil and secondly, I just don’t think it’s a good basis for giving someone the Shanshu. And excuse me, Spike DOES care about the evil he’s done, and wants to atone for it. Why do you think he went insane after he got his soul back? Part of the reason the First could mess with him was because his head was so messed up. And he might have got the soul for Buffy, he may have always loved her, but at the end, he sacrificed himself to close the Hellmouth and save the entire frickin’ world, because it was something his soul led him to WANT to do. In the end it didn’t matter that he loved or Buffy, or that Buffy loved him, he did that for himself, and because it was the right thing to do. So whatever.
Engel on November 8th, 2006 at 11:54 pm
Nope, thats not it. Spike did just wear that mystical necklace just out of coincedence. First of, Cordelia faced Angel before she died to tell him to go back on the path that the powers wanted. Doyle is a messenger from the powers that be and he came to Angel, that must mean something right? And in Amends when Angel goes to kill himself and it starts snowing, it was some greater force that did that, the powers again. Joss Whedon has even confirmed this. Spike was cool before, until the soul. The Prophesies of Aberjian told Lindsey that “the vampire with a soul” would be cut of from the powers. And who has a connection to the powers? Spike did not save the world by his own wishes, the amulet did it for him. And when you have that kind of power than its not a real fight to the death anyways.. The amulet made Spike somethings his not. Doyle, Eve, Lindesy, Wolfram and Hart, Cordelia and so on is always saying something about a vampire with a soul with connections with the powers. Angel has that connection, and Spike don’t. Angel goes to the oracles to turn back time and they call him a higher being and always answer things about the powers when Angel asks them. Angel is the warrior of the powers, thus the vampire with a soul that will shanshu. I’m not good at writing english since I’m norwigian and there are many things I would like to add but I can’t find the right words and so on.. But I believe Angel deserves it more than Spike, and Angel is the one that’ll achieve it. Not Spike.. Btw, Angel was the meanest vampire to ever live, Spike was secound to Angel, I belive they mention it in Buffy season 2, but I can’t remember which episode. “So Whatever?”
Engel on December 10th, 2006 at 10:14 pm
I also believe Angel is the only one in the whole Buffy universe who has a episode with his name.
NotFadeAway on December 16th, 2006 at 1:45 pm
Episode seven of Season Two of Angel (the crossover episode that followed the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode “Fool for Love”) was entitled “Darla.”
Engel on December 17th, 2006 at 7:08 am
That’s right, just got Angel season 2 on dvd and notice that. But in the Buffy series Angel is the only one, though there are “Anne” and “Buffy vs Dracula”, but those aren’t about the past and background of the characters like in Btv season 1 episode 7 : Angel.
Faithistheway on January 31st, 2007 at 1:12 am
To Wynter, I’ve gotta agree with Engel on the Shanshu prophesy. I believe the same, I’ve read so much about it on atpobtvs which has several texts and forums which debates about many things, including this prophesy. How come Angel returned from a place where you don’t return? And the snow in Amends? Which Joss said was a sign from “the good guys”. There’s so much, I don’t know where to start. And if Spike is the one, how come the black thorn wanted Angel to sign, and not Spike? What about the Powers? Wolfram and Hart must have known about Spike’s ensoulment for a long time. Spike is just in for the ride, he doesnt really care about anything except Buffy, while Angel is in for it to save people. Angel is a shadow, a faceless champion of the hapless human race. Angel wants to do amends and atone for his crimes. Spike wants Buffy. That’s really all to it. That’s what I believe. I also think that Angel deserves it so much more than Spike, in so many ways. But we will never know:P
HarFang on April 13th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Just to be clear, I love Angel but I positively adore Spike.
That being settled, I don’t think that Spike is all that keen on being the prophesied vampire. He himself admits that he mostly wants the prophesy to spite Angel. Besides, he never seems to want to go back to being a human. He is quite happy as a vampire, since he always finds ways to get around vampiric weaknesses (sunlight, for example, or crosses).
So to this day, I remain convinced that Angel is the vampire mentioned in the Shanshu prophesy. Like Engel, I would like to think that his signing it away will actually prove that he deserves it, but I am not sure that this would be in tune with the rest of the series. In Angel, a deal is a deal, and the Power that Be were not that generous with Cordelia.