10 TV Villains Who Stole The Show
2. Spike (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)
Intended as a glorified villain of the week, Spike was meant to serve as a medium-scale antagonist to Buffy, a thorn in her side for a couple of episodes who’d eventually be bested. In a great example of hard work paying off, though, James Marsters’ performance was so brilliant that he ended up becoming part of the main cast within a couple of years.
An iconoclastic addition to Buffy’s underworld, Spike bucks vampire trends by preferring the shiny and modern to archaic traditionalism. With his Billy Idol-esque bleached barnet and quip-heavy dialogue, he’s the show’s coolest character, and if Marsters’ English accent isn’t great, the verve he puts into it lets him get away with it. Over time Spike ditched his dastardly ways and joined the Scooby gang full time; his story of redemption is one of the most textured arcs in the series.
Spike even shows up in the final season of Angel, where he quickly becomes an integral part of the LA crew. Capable of delivering drama, action, and ever reliable for snarky comedy, Spike is among Joss Whedon’s finest ever creations.