Buffy the Vampire SlayerVampires, demons, and other evilfolk - the theme of Redemption in

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Vampires in traditional lore• How to become a vampire…

– Suicide victim (unforgiveable sin)– Unbaptised (original sin)– Cursed by witch (heresy = sin)– Born with a caul (unclean, mark of sin)– No last rites (died without forgiveness of sins)– Improper burial ritual (violation of power of liturgy)– Being bitten by vampire (contagion)

• Most causes related to religious beliefs - need forrituals to transfer soul from body to heaven; tocleanse soul of sin.

• Historical Christian beliefs about resurrectionincluded bodily resurrection - body and soulreunited - vampire = body resurrected without souldue to sin, spiritual uncleanliness.

• Vampires = evil opposite of Christ (died,resurrected after 3 days, rise bodily from the grave

• Vampires as totally evil - unredeemable - no soul,no salvation.

Vampires in traditional lore

• Characteristics of traditional Vampires:– Donʼt breathe– Are pale, cool, to touch (no heartbeat)– Can transform into wolves or bats or

smoke– Cast no shadow, cannot be filmed– Cannot enter a house unless invited.– Sleep during the day, cannot abide

sunlight.– Must sleep on their native soil.– Are hurt/killed by garlic, and all things

sacred (e.g., holy water , a crucifix , arosary, or sacred objects from otherfaiths ).

– Can be killed by a wooden stakethrough the heart, or decapitation .

Vampires in Buffy• Vampires in Buffy are very

“traditional” - killed by stake,decapitation; cool, pale, can’t abidesunlight, etc.

• Need for native soil, ability totransform into wolves, etc. areelements NOT carried over into Buffy(with one exception - Buffy vsDracula, Season 5)

• Causes of Vampirism reduced to one:sharing blood with a Vampire

• No religious causes - sin not a factor• Redemption is possible - major

religious theme in Buffy• - a soul is necessary - redemption is

religious in essence in Buffy

Redemption- Angel

• Love interest of Buffy.• Vampire cursed with a soul by

Gypsies.• Loses soul after “one moment of

complete happiness” - sex withBuffy.

• Evil again until re-cursed with asoul by Willow.

• Fights for good, to redeem selffrom centuries of evil.

• Gets own spin-off show, tocontinue search for redemption!

• Themes: Redemptive power oflove; need for “soul;” redemptionthrough sacrifice?

Redemption -Spike

• First enemy, then reluctant ally ofBuffy, later love interest.

• Poet, mamma’s boy in life,“William the bloody” in death.

• Love interest of Drusilla.• Becomes ally of Buffy when “the

Initiative” places computer chipin his brain that prevents himfrom harming humans.

• Later, goes in search of a soul,because he loves Buffy.

• Gives his life to destroy evil inthe finale of Buffy.

• Themes: Redemption throughindividual choice. Redemptivepower of love. Buffy as arbiter ofredemption?

Demons - Christian mythos• War in heaven, rebellion against God,

subdued by Michael; cast into Hell;Lucifer (Satan) ruler of Hell; allowedby God to tempt human beings intosin.

• Demon = fallen angel, one whochooses not to follow God.

• Can possess human beings; can be castout by exorcism rituals

• Unredeemable - servants of Satan, evilin essence, no salvation (unlesspossibly at the end of time)

Demons in Buffy• Incorporeal creature from

another dimension; canpossess dead human bodythat has tasted vampireblood.

• Corporeal creatures fromother dimensions - usuallyevil - desire to suck ourworld into theirs, make ourworld “hell”

• First occupants of our world,gradually left/were forcedout of our world, makingway for humans.

Demons in BuffyII

• Corporeal creatures from otherdimensions, not particularly goodor evil - demons as “just folk.”

• No theological implications tobeing a demon from Helldimension- not a place ofseparation from God, just anotherplace.

• No association with God,rebellion in Heaven, temptingsouls into sin, punishment byGod, etc.

Redemption - Anya

• Human turned vengeancedemon, turned human againsther will by Buffy.

• Episode “The Wish.”• Xander’s love interest.• Turns to evil again when

Xander leaves her at the altar.• Remorse, willingness to give

life, returns her to human.• Sacrifices life in fight against

evil in the finale.• Themes: evil = selfishness,

redemption = sacrifice

Human beings and free will• Human beings free to choose

evil or good.• Evil choices not permanent -

evil can be redeemed.• “The Trio” - only “big bad”

in Buffy that is human.• Warren = unrepentant, evil -

rapist, murderer -death aspunishment.

• Jonathan - repentant forcomplicity in murder ofwoman, slain by Andrew.

From left to right: Warren, Jonathan, Andrew

Redemption - Andrew• One of “The Trio” - geeky humans,

super villains.• Gay character, in love with Warren -

manipulated by The First through love.• Betrays, murders best friend Jonathan,

when The First Evil (as Warren) tellshim to - the Devil made me do it?

• Redeems himself in finale storyline,tears of remorse, fighting on side ofgood.

• Themes: Despite supernatural influence,personal responsibility for evil cannot bedenied. Outward expression ofrepentance necessary?

• Fights supernatural evil, findsredemption on own merits.

Redemption -Faith

• Second Slayer, indirectly calledwhen Buffy dies at end of seasonone.

• Lonely, traumatized, rebel, free-spirit, lots of attitude.

• Kills human accidentally, turns toevil, joins “the Mayor”.

• Buffy wounds, tries to kill her.• Redemption largely worked out

on spin-off series “Angel.”• Returns for finale of Buffy, fights

against evil for good.

Redemption - Willow

• Best friend to Buffy, kind,gentle… turned to evil on murderof her lover Tara by Warren.

• Murders Warren• Attempts to destroy the world to

‘end the suffering.’• Redeemed by Xander’s love.

Christian allusions here? Xanderas Christ? “The carpenter”?

• Themes: Love redeems - love offriends, family - this-worldlyemphasis.

• Pays penance - confronts ownfears of evil power in finaleepisode.

Series Finale

• Series finale highlights stories of redemption.• Except for Angel (who works out own redemption on his

spin-off series), most major ‘in-need-of-redemption’characters are “redeemed” here - Spike, Faith, Willow,Anya, Andrew

• Buffy as “Christ” - savior, redeemer - also highlightedhere (we will discuss this next time)