Buffy The Vampire Slayer: How Spike Had The Best Character Arc On 2000s TV

In Buffy's final season, Spike returns to town having lost his mind, tortured by memories of all the terrible things he's done. He tries to regain Buffy's trust, and in his madness is forced to admit what he's done, making Buffy realise he's changed and genuinely has the chance to be a good man.

Throughout the season, though, Spike's road to redemption hits some bumps. He's manipulated and controlled by the First Evil into killing again, and comes to blows with Robin Wood, whose mother was a Slayer killed by Spike's hand in the 70s. He also fails to regain the trust of Giles, Dawn or Xander.

But they're not the focus of Buffy's swan song - Spike and Buffy are. During the season, they begin to bond on an emotional level, with Spike becoming the Slayer's most consistently loyal confidant. When Buffy's leadership is called into question and she's kicked from her own home, Spike's the only one to stick by her side, and he gives a rousing speech to pick her back up.

In the series finale, Chosen, Spike's moment of complete redemption finally comes to him, when he's entrusted with the mysterious Amulet, an ancient artefact meant to be worn by a vampire with a soul in the battle against the First. Angel is willing to do it, but Spike makes sure the burden falls to him, despite not knowing the Amulet's purpose.

In the final battle, the Amulet uses Spike's soul as a weapon, wiping out the First's army and destroying Sunnydale and the Hellmouth. Before he dies, Buffy confesses her love for him, though he knows she's just saying it. He then sacrifices himself, giving his life to atone for his sins and become the champion he was always meant to be.

There was just one slight hiccup in his redemption: He didn't stay dead...

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