10 Most Badass Buffy The Vampire Slayer Baddies
8. Angelus
As a series about a teenage girl who's obliged to fight the forces of evil, witnessing death and misery on a daily basis, Buffy always had a darkness. But it wasn't until the appearance of Angelus, season 2's Big Bad, that the darkness was truly embraced.
The "true form" of Buffy's besouled vampire beau Angel, Angelus is unleashed after the brooding demon allows himself a moment of "true happiness" (wink wink) with the slayer. And from then on, Buffy's sophomore season is nothing but misery (in a good way).
An infamous vampire with a lust for cruelty exceptional even in the demon world, the vampire is quick to make his mark. Furious with his ex for turning him soft, Angelus vows to destroy everything Buffy holds dear, and he does a pretty solid job accompanying that goal. Major characters are killed off; mind games are played; limits are pushed.
Indeed it's safe to say Buffy never really gets over her run in with Angelus, and though of course her foe is ultimately vanquished, the season's denouement is one of the show's most emotionally effective. Angelus shows his face a few more times over the series' run, but the shock of the initial arc is never surpassed.