Ranking The Major Buffy The Vampire Slayer Villains From Worst To Best
2. Angelus
Of all the foes that Buffy have stood in Buffy's way, none are as emotionally significant or emphatically cruel as Angelus. The result of Angel achieving a state of pure happiness whilst doing the horizontal monster-mash with Buffy, the arrival of Angelus completely changed the tone and direction of the series when he was first unleashed.
In an instant, Buffy’s world was torn apart and the one person she truly loved and could depend on was trying to kill her. The sheer joy he felt in inflicting pain, suffering, and torture was genuinely sadistic and he took extreme delight in breaking Buffy's heart over and over again. Although for many, the murder and subsequent displaying of Jenny Calendar's body is the real peak of his cruelty and had fans the world over baying for blood.
He's also a capable fighter, and his sword duel with Buffy during season two's finale is one of the show's most memorable and intense showdowns. Capped off perfectly by Buffy having to kill the now re-ensouled Angel in order to save the world, an event that not only changed Buffy for good, but completely blew the hinges off the show as a whole.