Ranking The Big Bads From Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Before he became a fan favourite and mainstay of the show, Spike found himself as the central cause of villainy in Buffy's second season along with his insane lover Drusilla. The two were noticeably different to the more fanatical and religious approach of The Master's followers, as they instead were driven by hedonistic desires.

Spike and Dru just wanted to have fun by tormenting and killing people, and that proved a change of pace to the methodical nature of The Master. Spike, who came in with a reputation of killing two vampire slayers in the past, and Dru, who would kill one of her own by the end of the season, proved to be formidable opponents.

An interesting way of giving them both time to shine, was the decision to make Spike healthy but Dru weak when they first arrive in Sunnydale, but to change those dynamics towards the end with Spike weak and Dru back to full strength. It allowed for both of them to stand independently, which stopped them from getting stale.

Angel would later take on duties as the primary Big Bad in the season, but Spike and Drusilla were a highlight throughout. Spike's hilariousness translated into a more regular role on the series, which allowed for him to become one of the most iconic characters on the show. Drusilla, however, was woefully underused in the Buffyverse from this point on - which was so disappointing.