For reasons unknown, even to himself, Angel stole the Scrolls of Aberjian whilst in Wolfram & Hart and gave it to Wesley to translate. Wesley discovered in 1.22 To Shanshu In L.A. that the scrolls contained a prophecy about a vampire with a soul who would be restored to a human, after fulfilling his destiny.
The Shanshu prophecy tells that the vampires will play a major role in the Apocalypse. Wesley realises that “Shanshu” means both to live and to die - so the vampire will become human and, as all mortals, eventually die. The trials the vampire would have to endure are unclear, but they would clearly be hard and numerous. No indication of time was given to the prophecy, but it filled Angel with a new hope that he would be redeemed.
Wesley: “Ah, the vampire with a soul, once he fulfills his destiny, will Shanshu. Become human. - It’s his reward.”
Cordy: “Wow. Angel a human.”
Angel: “That’ll be nice.”
This hope remained with Angel until the fifth season, when he began to doubt himself. Having taken over the L.A. branch of Wolfram & Hart, another vampire with a soul suddenly comes on the scene - his old nemesis, Spike. Spike had fought to regain his soul and had died saving the world, making Angel jealous on a basic level, and deeper, feeling the prophecy may in fact regard Spike. Spike was first told about the prophecy in 5.04 Hell Bound. Angel acted disinterested in the prophecy, but it was revealed that it would be the vampire who drinks from the Cup of Perpetual Torment that will become human. After a race to the cup, and a huge fight, Angel was defeated by Spike, who drank from the cup, only to discover that the story was a hoax.
Angel began to lose his way, but was finally put back on track by Cordelia, seemingly ressurected, who gave him a final vision, showing him the Circle of the Black Thorn, agents of the Senior Partners. Deciding to perform what would most likely be a suicide mission, Angel and his team assassinated each member of the Circle, thereby delaying the Apocalypse for an untold amount of time. In order to learn of the identities of the Circle members however, Angel had to infiltrate the group. To prove his loyalty, Angel was forced to sign his name, with his own blood, on the Shanshu Prophecy, thereby revoking his part in it.
Spike: “What do you think all this means for that Shanshu boogaboo? If we make it through this, does one of us get to be a real boy?”
Angel “Who are you kiddin’. We’re not gonna make it through.”
Related episodes: 1.22 To Shanshu in L.A., 5.04 Hell Bound, 5.08 Destiny, 5.22 Not Fade Away
Comments on this trivia
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Longlostscooby on July 19th, 2006 at 8:46 pm
I just had a thought. Shanshu means both to live and die. Well in this very episode they bring a dead vampire back to life, as a human. Darla. So it can be done. So if someone killed vampire Angel you could theorize that you could bring him back as human, using the same ritual that was performed to bring back Darla. And Angel would have died and then lived, to Shanshu.
Abby M. on July 21st, 2006 at 7:51 am
Hmm…maybe it means that Spike will be the one to Shanshu. He is the only vampire with a soul who is still eligible! :) Maybe we’ll find out if Joss decides to do a Spike spin-off…
TwoToGo-Grave on July 26th, 2006 at 5:46 pm
I can’t believe that just signing that piece of paper has any meaning. It doesn’t seem reasonable for this to be the case, but it would make sense that the Circle would want Angel to prove himself, and at least him thinking that he has signed this away would offer such proof.
Of course, if Joss Whedon decided to have Angel sign away this hope, then that’s what happened. I’d love to see anything for an answer (I don’t care about the answer; I just want to see anything of the show, but I won’t get my hopes up).
IllyriaBlue on September 30th, 2006 at 7:19 am
I don’t think what he signed was legal. His human birthname is Liam so how can he sign his chance at humanity away with his vampire name. Also Angelus was the vampire name given to him by his vampire mother/sire Darla, Angel he took up himself
Mel on October 2nd, 2006 at 3:38 am
Angel was his vampire name, and the Shanshu prophecy makes a vampire human, so it would stand to reason that if he was signing away the Shanshu then he would do it in his vampire name…..Angel.
At the end, it showed that Angel cared more about doing what was right (stopping the Senior Partners) than becoming human.
TwoToGo-Grave on October 7th, 2006 at 3:49 pm
Also, we should have heard of this ‘loophole’ before, if indeed there is one. It very well may have been nothing more than a test of Angel’s loyalty, which he passed regardless of whether or not he would ever get to be human again. IllyriaBlue makes a good obsvervation about the name as well. Signing the document with a name that is not really his is unlikely to be held as legal (even in demon law, I would imagine). I did think that this was a slightly missed opportunity to add some extra continuity here by not having him sign it ‘Liam’. Of course, the episode is perfect as it is, so…
kanga on February 1st, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Yep I don’t see why we would believe everything an evil society says.
HarFang on April 15th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
Angel has always signed everything with his vampiric name (as we see when Wesley finds the contract concerning Connor’s “removal”), so that shouldn’t be an issue.
By the way, I think nobody ever mentions the fact that everybody at Angel Inc. has already mortgaged their souls when they got hired by Wolfram and Hart. Remember what happens to the W&H employees when they die ? So technically, Spike and Illyria are the only ones who can still hope for a brighter after-unlife.
Wow. Now I’m depressed.
We Are Gods on April 16th, 2008 at 4:08 am
It’s discussed within the comic.