10 Best TV Redemption Arcs Of All Time

In a show titled Buffy The Vampire Slayer, it probably comes as a surprise to non-watchers that a powerful vamp would become a hero. That's the case for this evil character who got his nickname from impaling people with railroad spikes.

However, there was something behind this villain, as he evolved from being one of season two's baddies to an anti-hero on the side of good.

At first, his allegiance switch resulted from a microchip that stopped him from harming humans. But it soon became apparent that Spike had a great capacity for love, as his relationship with Buffy became a major factor in his development.

A vampire falling in love with a human isn't something you see every day, and it ended up enforcing a drastic change not only in his allegiance but his character.

This even retrospectively altered him, as you learn that his name didn't come from torture, but rather his poor poetry, which was "so bad you could stick a railroad spike through your head".

Massive spoiler incoming. In the end, he sacrificed himself for the greater good, and there's nothing more a person can give than their own life. It wouldn't stick, but it was still a great way to display his redemption. Afterwards, he became an incorporeal in the spin-off Angel, and continued his decent ways.