Buffy the Vampire Slayer was one of the most idiosyncratic shows of my childhood and adolescence. Buffy's journey from inexperienced teenage to mature vampire ass kicking Slayer reflects changes that many experience in their lives--though others experience this change on a much smaller, vastly more mundane scale. In honor of the Vampire Slayer marathon that I have been watching, due to the release of the entire series on Netflix, I have decided to diverge from my normal medically orientated topics, to devote a post to the top antagonists of Buffy the Vampire Slayer; starting from number 5 and counting down to number 1.
#5 Angel
Angel was always my least favorite villain and character. He was brooding, emotional, and all around depressing. To me it was unfathomable how Buffy could have any interest in him, but, nevertheless, he is ranked as one of the top five villains of Buffy the Vampire Slayer because Buffy suffered immense emotional turmoil to kill him. Although I have never had the opportunity, I am sure it is difficult to thrust a sword into the heart of someone you love. Thus--despite my sincere feelings of joy, when he died---Angel is ranked number 5 on the list. He later went on to have a moderately successful spin off that was not, in any way, on par to the original Buffy series.
#4 Spike
In terms of Buffy's lovers, Spike was the best, in my opinion. He was more lively than Angel, he was less "all-American" than Riley, and he was the only vampire on the show to overtly demonstrate hostility to the Scooby Gang and not get staked. William "The Bloody" was by far one of the best villains because he was crafty with a generous helping of sarcasm. His exploits against Buffy were never successful in bringing about her destruction, but he and Buffy did eventually form a romance that was fraught with confusion, tension, and sex. Couple this fact with the bleach blond hair that was iconic and it is understandable why Spike is on the list of the top five villains of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
#3 The Mayor
In a word, the Mayor was BADASS. As one of the most cavalier villains, he was able to explicitly formulate a plan to bring about the destruction of Buffy and all her classmates, while successfully running a somewhat inconsequential city. Who can top that multitasking? Primarily, however, the Mayor is ranked number 3 on the list because his was the villain in the EPIC two part graduation season finale of season 3, which included the destruction of the entire high school. With all of Buffy's classmates joining in a concerted effort to battle his forces, that season finale is perhaps the most memorable. His transformation into a gigantic snake and killing of the shitty, arrogant Principal was just a huge plus. Also, he had that eerie sense of evil that white men in power always seem to exude, as if they are in a huge cabal to destroy the world and subjugate all others--but I think history is just making me feel that way.
#2 Faith
If the Mayor was notable for his cunning and sense of subtlety, yet firm power, Faith is ranked number 2 for her utter lack of finesse. Faith was a badass because she came out with her fists and dominated. The concept that a Slayer could turn evil turned the premise of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on its head. Slayers were supposed to embody good and work assiduously to protect the innocent, but Faith eschewed all that shit and chose to follow a path of fun. After killing the Lt. Mayor, she embarked on a journey that led to the hottest girl on girl fights imaginable. In fact, if I may be so bold, I would argue that Faith versus Buffy battles completely altered the meaning of girl on girl action.
#1 Evil Willow
Hands down there was no better villain than evil Willow. Willow’s transformation into one of the most powerful witches in the Western Hemisphere was nothing less than unexpected. Who would have guessed that mousy Willow would one day kill a man? The juxtaposition of the two characters is perhaps the reason that Willow's evil reign has been engraved in my memory, but the scene when she ripped a man's skin off was--by far--one of the best scenes in the entire run of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and her fight with Giles approached justifying the use of the word epic. Evil Willow was and is the top villain of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
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