10 Most Badass Buffy The Vampire Slayer Baddies

A major theme of Buffy's stellar third season is choices. We have many to make in this world - whether to help others or look out for number one; to whom are we loyal, and what really matters. In Faith, the writers presented to us a vision of what life could be like had our hero made a different set of choices - if she'd looked at her superhuman strength and abilities, and decided to serve herself with them.

A vampire slayer called up upon the death of Kendra, Faith is initially a wilder but still decent version of Buffy - she's free wheeling and feckless, but still dedicated to the good fight. Things go wrong, however, when she accidentally kills a human assistant to the season's primary villain.

Instead of turning herself in, she turns the other way, frustrated by her perception of Buffy's existence as a blessed one, surrounded by friends and family. Buffy was always a show about an unconventional family unit, and it's the lack of this in Faith's life that leads her to use her powers for selfish means, and later, evil. We can understand Faith's plight, can empathise with her, even as she turns further towards the dark side.

And ultimately, Faith's story is one of redemption (another common Buffy/Whedon theme). Eventually, all that misplaced anger just burns itself out, and she's ready to rejoin the good fight, under the guidance of Buffy and her makeshift family.