12 Small Details You Only Notice Rewatching Buffy The Vampire Slayer

After the vanquishing of season one big bad The Master, the position of chief antagonist was to be occupied by The Anointed One. A small boy chosen to lead the vampire race, Whedon and co set up this kid as a terrible threat to the gang. Then, a few episodes into season two, he was hurled into the sunlight by Spike and quickly killed.

It was a shocking moment and set up Spike and Drusilla as the true villains (though they were in turn usurped by Angelus), but in retrospect, The Anointed One was never going to be a long term fixture for the simple fact that he was a young boy, and young boys, by their nature, grow. That, when you’re playing an immortal demon child, is something of a deal breaker.

The pomp with which The Anointed One is introduced suggests that they did intend on him playing a larger role, but the basics of human biology, coupled with the more dynamic characters they later introduced led to the plot being kiboshed.

Ultimately it’s no great shame the character didn’t work out, as Buffy’s battle against her erstwhile lover turned bloodthirsty killer is one of the strongest emotional arcs in the series. It’s a rare example of a lack of foresight on a Joss Whedon production.