Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a show stacked with great characters. From Buffy to Willow to Anya, there’s a character for any type of viewer, whether you’re looking for comic relief, a worthy on-screen crush, or a great transformation explored over multiple seasons. Spike (James Marsters) stands in a league of his own, though. Beloved as both a villain and a love interest, throughout the series he also becomes one of its most complicated characters, playing a key part in some of Buffy’s most enduring storylines.
In a show full of clever one-liners, Buffy‘s writers saved some of the best for Marsters — who can forget the timeless “Out. For. A. Walk. Bitch.”? — but Spike’s best quote is from the series finale, “Chosen.” It marks the natural endpoint for a character who’s been tugged between heroism and selfishness throughout his entire run. It’s also the definitive Buffy and Spike moment, with Spike rejecting Buffy’s offer of comfort for the truth.
As Buffy and her allies fight the demons pouring out of the Hellmouth, the cavern begins to collapse. Her allies start to run, hoping to escape Sunnydale before it’s swallowed by the earth. Spike decides to stay behind, preventing the demons from escaping with the help of a magical amulet. He ignores Buffy’s request to leave with her, embracing his sacrifice. Buffy reaches out to hold his hand. “I love you,” she says.
It’s a moment Spike has been waiting for the past two seasons, maybe even before that. Still, he knows better. “No, you don’t. But thanks for saying it,” he replies. Spike’s subsequent sacrifice closes the Hellmouth definitively and saves the world. It’s the series finale’s most emotional and consequential beat in an episode full of them.
It’s also the redeeming moment Spike had been working toward all along. He was introduced in the second season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a fun villain, with a punk attitude and a doomed romance with his fellow vampire Drusilla, before becoming a series regular and one of Buffy’s reluctant allies. Despite how familiar he becomes to viewers and Buffy herself, Spike always retains an edge of unpredictability. For most of the series, he doesn’t have a soul (unlike Buffy’s other vampire boyfriend, Angel). It’s one of the reasons why he remains so interesting and unlike other romantic heroes within the vampire genre. He’s not tortured – he’s mostly just having a good time.
Spike’s redemption arc begins in season 7. After hitting an all-time low in season 6 when he tries to assault Buffy, desperate to have her in any way he can, he takes their relationship to an almost irretrievable place. That rock bottom pushes him to leave Sunnydale in the hopes of getting his soul back, which he achieves off-screen. When he returns, Buffy is the only member of the Scoobies to offer him protection. She chooses to trust him even though he doesn’t deserve it. Watching Spike evolve from a soulless vampire into a hero with complex layers remains one of the show’s most rewarding arcs. The fact that the writers saved that final redeeming beat for his last scene makes it even better. We leave Spike in his best moment, immortalized, before his story could morph into something else. (Technically, he shows up later as a ghost in the spinoff series Angel, but nobody is forcing you to watch that if you don’t want to.)
Spike’s reply to Buffy is a reflection of how much he’s changed. An older version of him would have taken any form of affection Buffy offered, having already manipulated and coerced his way into her life. This version of Spike gets Buffy’s love and sees it for what it is.
Despite all the pain and turmoil that Spike caused, he dies with Buffy’s recognition and respect. His ending becomes one of the great character send-offs on TV, and the moment when their relationship is finally aligned. Spike chooses the real version of their dynamic instead of the fantasy.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is streaming on Hulu.