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The Initiative

Prof. Walsh

Professor Maggie Walsh

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"It's only our methods that differ."

Played By: Lindsay Crouse

"I'm Professor Walsh. Those of you who fall into my good graces will come to know me as Maggie. Those of you who don't will come to know me by the nickname my T.A.s use and think I don't know about: the Evil Bitch-Monster of Death."

Professor Maggie Walsh was a UC Sunnydale professor, teaching Introduction to Psychology, and Director of The Initiative. She was also the mentor of Riley Finn, who served as her Teaching Assistant, and the creator of Adam.

Big Bad: Subverted; she's set up to become this for the fourth season once she declares war on Buffy and activates Adam, only for Adam to immediately kill her.
Control Freak: Her Fatal Flaw as her motivation for killing Buffy was partially because of her independence.
Death by Irony: She's talking about taking down Buffy when she least expects it...and is suddenly killed in the way she least expects.
Deadpan Snarker: Walsh has a dry sense of humor that Buffy doesn't always get simply due to her deadpan she is.
Disc-One Final Boss: Walsh recurs pretty heavily for the first half of Season 4; she's presented as the Director of the Initiative, she's shown to have sinister goals and becomes an increasingly potent threat. However, just as she seems to solidify her status as Big Bad by declaring war on Buffy, she's killed by Adam.
Evil Is Not a Toy: She created Adam as a prototype for an entire race of cybernetically-enhanced human/demon Frankenstein Super Soldiers. Within minutes of activation, Adam kills Walsh and seizes control of her plans. The US government themselves come to this conclusion by "Primeval."
Mr. Ward: Maggie Walsh's vision was brilliant, but ultimately insupportable. The demons cannot be harnessed, cannot be controlled.
Evil Mentor: To Riley Finn. She was carefully manipulating him into becoming her right-hand man, considering him her favorite.
For the Greater Good: Her claimed motivation for ordering Buffy's death, but it's due to jealousy of her relationship with Riley more than anything.
Hoist by His Own Petard: Murdered by Adam, her favorite creation.
It's All About Me: Despite the fact that Buffy clearly showed her skills and experience at hunting demons, Walsh tried to have Buffy killed just because she recognized that Buffy wouldn't do things her way.
Killed Mid-Sentence: In the middle of a rant about how she'll take down Buffy, Adam skewers her from behind for no reason.
"All right, fine. If she wants a fight, we'll give her one. Won't we, Adam? I've worked too long, too long to let some little bitch threaten this project. Threaten me. She has no idea who she's dealing with. Once she's gone, Riley will come around. He'll understand. It's for the greater good. He'll see that. And if he doesn't...Well, first things first. Remove the complication, and when she least expects it—"
Mad Scientist: Somehow, she came to the conclusion that creating a virtually unstoppable Mix-and-Match Man composed of human, demon and machine parts was a good idea.
Motherly Scientist: Head scientist of the Initiative and creator of Adam, who certainly considers her a mother.
Our Zombies Are Different: Adam brought her back as little more than one, to help with his Evil Plan.
Parental Substitute: She acts as a surrogate mother to Riley and Adam; the latter even refers to her as "mother."
Red Baron: The Evil Bitch Monster of Death!
Sinister Surveillance: She jealously watches Riley and Buffy have sex on multiple screens.
Stern Teacher: She makes this very clear in her first scene.
"I'm Professor Walsh. Those of you who fall under my good graces will come to know me as Maggie. Those of you who don't will come to know me by the name my TA's use and think I don't know about, 'The Evil Bitch Monster of Death.'"
Underestimating Badassery: Prior to meeting Buffy, the Initiative thought that the Slayer was a myth. As a result, Walsh thinks that sending Buffy off against a demon with a defective weapon will be enough to kill her. Instead, Buffy defeats the demon and calls Walsh back to taunt her over a public broadcast just as Walsh was informing Riley of Buffy's "death".
"Professor Walsh. That simple little recon you sent me on wasn't a raccoon. Turns out it was me trapped in the sewers with a faulty weapon and two of your pet demons. If you think that's enough to kill me, you really don't know what a Slayer is. Trust me when I say you're gonna find out."

Forrest

Forrest Gates

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/76ce1fa321bd9510565332259587c979.jpg

"We take care of our own."

Played By: Leonard Roberts

"This is the burden we bear, brother. We have a gig that would inevitably cause any girl living to think we are cool upon cool. Yet, we must Clark Kent our way through the dating scene, never to use our unfair advantage. Thank God we're pretty."

A friend of Riley Finn and member of the Initiative. Like his teammates Riley and Graham, Forrest leads a double life, balancing his military service with his cover as a student at UC Sunnydale. He is the quintessential rule-following soldier, and while initially he likes Buffy and encourages Riley to pursue a relationship with her, her effect on Riley makes him angry and suspicious of her motives.

Attack Backfire: He tasers Adam, only for the Demonoid to absorb the energy with a polite 'thank you'.
Back from the Dead: Forrest is killed by Adam, but he's resurrected with additional demon parts and placed under Adam's control.
Bald of Evil: After being transformed.
Came Back Strong: Forrest was tough before, but with Adam's upgrades he becomes exceptionally powerful.
Came Back Wrong: The resurrected Forrest is not the same Forrest as before; the human Forrest would have hated the idea of working for Adam or being augmented with demon parts, and wouldn't have turned on Riley. Adam's control is a terrible thing.

Death by Looking Up: He sees too late that Riley threw him a tank of flammable gas.
Degraded Boss: His cyborg self is reduced to a type of mook in the game Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds.
The Dragon: To Adam in the Season 4 finale.
Evil Counterpart: To Riley; they were both good soldiers who were well-respected within the Initiative, but Riley grew to see that Just Following Orders led to dark places. Forrest remained loyal to the bitter end, and his blind obedience cost him dearly.
Eye Scream: Spike put out one of Forrest's eyes with a cigarette.
Face–Heel Turn: He was more Knight Templar when he was still a "good guy."
Fantastic Racism: It doesn't much matter to Forrest whether a demon is good or evil, he'll kill it just for being inhuman. As he puts it:
Forrest: I see a demon, it dies. End of story.
Forgotten Fallen Friend: Despite being a good friend of Riley and Graham, neither seem to mourn him Forrest after he had been turned into a cyborg and had to be killed by Riley.
He Who Fights Monsters: After Maggie's death, he becomes increasingly violent and angry, becoming every bit as bad as the supposedly evil demons he fights. Adam eventually turns him into a literal monster, and in a subtle twist he can't question orders...not that he ever did when he was human.
Hot-Blooded: As seen by his Tantrum Throwing.
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Adam impales him on his Polgara skewer.
Insane Troll Logic: Forrest blatantly ignores or excuses all of the Initiative and Maggie Walsh's horrible acts, such as trying to kill Buffy, secretly drugging their troops and creating Adam, while blaming Buffy for everything they did wrong.
Knight Templar: Forrest is a fervent believer in the Initiative and Maggie Walsh in particular. He never questions orders and easily excuses even the most morally questionable aspects of the Initiative.
Mix-and-Match Man: What Adam turns him into.
Playing with Syringes: Adam turns him into a duplicate of himself.
Reforged into a Minion: After he's killed, Adam augments his body with demon parts to turn him into a last-minute dragon.
Scary Black Man: He shows some slight hints of this, but becomes this fully after Adam turns him into a Mix-and-Match Man. Of course, it can be debated whether or not he's still a man after this.
Super Serum: Like the other Initiative soldiers, he's routinely drugged with 'vitamins' that increase his physical prowess.
Super-Soldier: Due to the Super Serum the Initiative was drugging him with.
Super-Strength: Pre- and post-transformation.
Tantrum Throwing: When he and Graham don't find the Polgara, he shows his blatant hatred of demons and smashes Spike's TV out of pure rage.
Those Two Guys: Initially with Riley, but as they grow apart he becomes this with Graham.
Took a Level in Jerkass: Forrest was fun, snarky and a loyal friend to Riley but after Walsh's death he becomes increasingly angry.

Graham

Graham Miller

"Maybe she's Canadian."

Played By: Bailey Chase

A friend of Riley Finn and member of the Initiative. Like his teammates Riley and Forrest, Graham leads a double life, balancing his military service with his cover as a student at UC Sunnydale. Whereas Forrest is a rather brash person, Graham is more calm and collected.

Token Good Teammate: He lacks the conflict of Riley or the Hot-Blooded ruthlessness of Forrest, managing to be a good example of a professional soldier.
The Stoic: Graham is generally straight-faced and laid back at all times.

McNamara

Colonel McNamara

"I know everything that goes on around here. A tick on a mouse couldn't get in without my knowing it. And if Adam wants to try, we're ready for him."

Played By: Conor O'Farrell

The United States Army officer appointed by Mr. Ward and the Pentagon to oversee The Initiative.

Asshole Victim: He ends up as chow for the demons Adam unleashed.
Colonel Badass: Major dick though he may be, McNamara didn't hesitate to pick up a weapon and fight alongside his men.
Jerkass: Bull-headed, sexist, irritable, grumpy, trigger-happy. That's Colonel McNamara.
Too Dumb to Live: If he'd listened to the Scoobies and worked with them to take Adam down, he might have survived the battle in the Initiative compound. Instead, he stubbornly refuses to concede that the US military might be out of its league here (which the Pentagon openly admits after the fact), and he ends up dying for his stubbornness.
Tyrant Takes the Helm: After the deaths of Walsh and Angleman, McNamara arrives to take control. Of course, Walsh and Angleman were worse tyrants than him, so this is subverted. McNamara might be a jerk of titanic proportions, but he doesn't try to kill his own people.

Angleman

Dr. Francis Angleman

"Adam. Maggie would want you to stand down."

Played By: Jack Stehlin

A scientist at The Initiative and one of the few, perhaps the only one besides Maggie Walsh, aware of the 314 Project.

Back from the Dead: Adam resurrects him as a largely brainless henchman.
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: By Adam, with his trademark skewer.
Mad Scientist: When you think it's a good idea to piece together a monster from human, demon and machine parts it's likely you aren't playing with a full deck.
Meaningful Name: Angleman is just about the Pig Latin of Mengele, the Nazi "scientist" who experimented on the victims of concentration camps.

The Knights of Byzantium

Gregor

General Gregor

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"You've no idea what you've gotten yourself into."

Played By: Wade Williams

"Dissension in the ranks. Seldom a harbinger of glad tidings."

The leader of the Knights of Byzantium.

The Corrupter: Gregor tries to convince Ben to kill Dawn, and although he fails, he does give a convincing argument.
" Unimaginable legions will perish, including everyone here. You can stop this. You can save all their lives by ending one. The little girl. The Key. Destroy it, and the will of the Beast will be broken, she will fade. A distant memory...and all of this madness will end."
Facial Markings: Like many of the other Knights, he has intricate tattoos marking his face.
A Father to His Men: Gregor truly does care for his men; when Orlando's sanity is sucked out by Glory, he has him rescued and returned to the fold. He treats Orlando warmly with some sadness at his mental illness, instructing his men to make sure he's comfortable while swearing revenge.
Gregor: Welcome home, Orlando. I swear by my sword your sacrifice will not go unavenged.
Orlando: [playing with Gregor's medallion] Shiny.
Gregor: [beat] Yes, I suppose it is.
The Fundamentalist: Like the rest of the Knights, he's a religious fanatic who claims to perform the will of God.
Four-Star Badass: He's the general of the Knights of Byzantium, and is a more than competent fighter. Of course, being human, he's no match for Buffy or Glory.
Good Scars, Evil Scars: He has a very foreboding, deep scar down the side of his face.
Knight Templar: Gregor is a devout believer in his cause. He refuses to let anyone get in the way of his righteous crusade.
Mr. Exposition: While held hostage by the Scoobies, he helpfully fills in the blanks about Glory, where she came from, what she's trying to do, what the key does and what will happen if Glory is successful.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: He's perfectly willing to murder innocents, but only to prevent Glory from opening the portal to her home dimension and thus dooming reality itself.

Orlando

"Shall we test your faith now?"

Played By: Justin Gorence

A member of the Knights of Byzantium.

Fate Worse than Death: He was prepared to die...but he wasn't prepared for Glory to destroy the person he was by sucking out his sanity.

Knight Templar: Orlando is entirely willing to kill or die to stop Glory.
Mercy Kill: He's killed by Dante so that he will not become another slave to Glory. Considering he had dedicated his life to stopping Glory and more than once expressed his willingness to die for his cause, it's likely what he would have wanted.

Dante

Dante Chavalier

Played By: Karim Prince

A member of the Knights of Byzantium.

Mercy Kill: He tearfully kills Orlando to prevent him from becoming another one of Glory's slaves.
"There's nothing to fear, my brother. The Beast may have taken your mind, but I swear to you, she will never know the taste of your heart."

Other Characters

Pike

Oliver Pike

"Buffy, you're the guy. You're the Chosen guy."

Played By: Luke Perry

A troublemaker at Buffy's old school in Los Angeles, and a former lover.

All There in the Manual: His first name was revealed in the comics.
Cock Fight: In the novel Sins of the Father, there's some brief tension between him and Angel over Buffy.
Cool Bike: His motorcycle is fast and stylish.
Hunter of Monsters: He becomes one following his breakup with Buffy.
It's Not You, It's My Enemies: In "Viva Las Buffy", he breaks up with Buffy, feeling he's holding her back.
It's Personal: He joins Buffy on her mission to kill vampires after his best friend Benny Jacks got turned into one.
Last-Name Basis
Love Interest: In the movie.
Sequel Non-Entity: He never appears in the TV series, nor was he ever mentioned. Though he appears in the Dark Horse Comics "Notes from the Underground" Story Arc which takes place post-Season 6, and Sins of the Father.
Starting a New Life: In the novel Sins of the Father, Pike has long since given up hunting vampires and tries to live a peaceful life as a surfer, although occasional The Call Knows Where You Live moments make him temporarily pick his stake back up.

Caleb

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"I work in mysterious ways. Also some fairly straight-forward ones."

Played By: Nathan Fillion

"You girls are just burning with righteousness, aren't you? Problem is, you think they're blazing like suns, when really you're matchsticks in the face of the darkness."

Caleb was a misogynistic defrocked preacher and serial killer who served the First Evil as its leading enforcer during its crusade in 2002-2003 to end the Slayerline.

Ax-Crazy: Is a violent sadist that happily partakes in wanton torture and murder with nothing but fondness.
Badass Preacher: Despite his choice of clothing, Caleb is no longer a priest. However, he is a spiritual leader among the Bringers due to his chosen status as the First's vessel and his talent at public speaking.
Black Eyes of Evil: A temporary side effect of merging with the First. His eyes also become pitch black when he's badly wounded.
Blood Knight: When he fights, he's usually laughing in glee and smiling wide.
Christianity is Catholic: He dresses like a Catholic priest, though there are a few protesant denominations (and Caleb's southern accent leans that direction) that share that garb.
Curb-Stomp Battle: Caleb faces off with the entire Scooby Gang, all the Potentials and Faith. He demolishes them all with minimal effort and a smile on his face.
The Dragon: He didn't emerge until the second half of Season 7, but it became clear he was the First's right-hand man for a long time. The First can't touch anyone or really do much of anything besides a good verbal Mind Rape. As a result, Caleb does the heavy lifting and much of what takes place in Season 7 is due to him working behind the scenes until his first physical appearance. He organized the Harbingers into systematically eliminating the Potential Slayers around the world, he was responsible for the destruction of the Council in England and he arranged for an inmate to target Faith while she was in prison.
Establishing Character Moment: He rescues a Potential from the Bringers, posing as a good Samaritan, then slowly reveals his true colors, stabs the girl in the stomach, and leaves her on the side of the road to bleed. When talking about this to Buffy later on, Caleb complains that the girl's blood ruined his floor mats.
Expy: Of Reverend Harry Powell, minus the greed.
Family-Unfriendly Death: Buffy cuts him in half. From the groin upwards.
Faux Affably Evil: Caleb presents himself with a polite, disarming demeanor but his folksy mannerisms and downhome accent are fooling nobody. He's more of a monster than most monsters.
Fusion Dance: He does one with The First to gain a small portion of it's power, hence his incredible strength.
A Glass of Chianti: Heck, his evil lair is a wine cellar!
Groin Attack: He gets the mother of all Groin Attacks.
Half the Man He Used to Be: Buffy bisects him from the crotch up. Ouch.
Angel: All right, where is he?
Buffy: [indicates Caleb's severed halves] He had to split.
Hate Sink: Caleb manages to be even more horrifying and detestable than his boss, which is entirely intentional, and given his boss is the incarnation of all evil it's quite an accomplishment.
He-Man Woman Hater: Caleb is a raging misogynist who sees all women as corrupt whores, frequently voicing his hatred of and disgust for women. He considers Buffy and the other Slayers to be a blasphemy because they are girls with Super-Strength.
Hero Killer: In his debut episode, he kills the Potentials Diane and Molly, breaks Rona's arm, tosses Buffy, Faith, and Spike around like they're nothing, and blinds Xander in one eye by jamming his finger into it. Earlier in the same episode, it's established that he was the one who blew up the Watchers Council at the end of "Never Leave Me".
Holier Than Thou: Caleb considers women to be lower than dirt, and himself to be above them as a matter of fact. The existence of Slayers, women with great power, is especially galling for him.
Humans Are the Real Monsters: Even before joining up with the First, he was a He-Man Woman Hater and Serial Killer responsible for the deaths of at least two girls. The fact that he, a human, serves as Dragon to the Big Bad of the Buffyverse speaks volumes for just how monstrous Caleb really is.
Humanoid Abomination: After merging with the first.
Implacable Man: After Glory, he's the most physically powerful villain the gang faces. It takes a combined effort from a Scythe-wielding Buffy and Angel to kill him, and even then they're frequently put on the ropes.
Karmic Death: Caleb is split in half by Buffy, neutering him in the process. It's fitting for such a misogynist.
Killed Mid-Sentence:
Caleb: You'll never stop me! You don't have the b-! [Buffy slams the Scythe into his crotch]
Buffy: Who does nowadays?
Large Ham: Due to his background as a preacher, Caleb tends towards long sermons and quasi-Biblical quotes. He loves the sound of his own voice.
Neck Snap: He seems to enjoy killing people this way, doing it both to a Potential and to the Hellmouth's Guardian.
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Buffy might have never gained the scythe that she eventually killed Caleb with if he hadn't dug it up in the first place, for the purpose of keeping it from her. Really, all he did was help her out.
Nothing Personal: A really horrific version of the trope. He's so deeply misogynist that he hates all women impersonally. They're all filthy sluts that need to be "cleansed". The vampire big bads kill everything because of Horror Hunger. The Mayor didn't really want to kill at all, only had to because he was on a quest for personal power. Adam was programmed to create an army and didn't really have a choice. Glory didn't care, she just wanted to get back to her hell dimension. The nerds didn't even really want to kill. Caleb wants to kill women. Young women.
Offhand Backhand: A Potential swings a sword at him from behind, only for him to block it without looking and subsequently kill her.
Oh, Crap!: He begins taunting Buffy, daring her to try to pull the scythe from its pedestal. Once she does without any trouble, he immediately shuts up and visibly freaks out.
Caleb: You don't know what you got there.
Buffy: I know you're backing away.
Politically Incorrect Villain: Women stir his rage and terrify him at the same time.
"Now, I know what you're thinking. Crazy preacher man spoutin' off at the mouth about the whore of Babylon or some-such. That ain't me. I'm not here to lecture you. I mean, what's the point? My words just curdle in your ears. Wouldn't take in a thing. Head's filled with so much filth that ain't no room for words of truth. Well, you know what you are, Shannon? Dirty...Now, now, now. There's no blame here. You were born dirty, born without a soul. Born with that gaping maw wants to open up, suck out a man's marrow. Makes me puke to think too hard on it."
Psycho Supporter: Of the First, whom he basically sees as bigger than God.
Reminiscing About Your Victims: As is fitting for such a deeply creepy man, Caleb spends his spare time roleplaying his past murders with the First.
Rousing Speech: He's very good at giving evil sermons.
"Now, it's a simple story. Stop me if you've heard it. I have found and truly believe that there is nothing so bad it cannot be made better with a story. And this one's got a happy ending. There once was a woman, and she was foul, like all women, for Adam's rib was dirty, just like Adam himself for what was he, but human? But this woman, she was filled with darkness, despair, and why? Because she did not know. She could not see. She didn't know the good news, the glory that was coming. That'd be you. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. You show up, they'll get in line. 'Cause they followed her. And all they have to do is take one more step, and I'll kill them all. See? I told you it had a happy ending."
"You're everywhere. You're in the hearts of little children. You're in the souls of the rich. You're the fire that makes people kill and hate. The fire that will cure the world of weakness. They're just sinners. You are sin."
Sadist: Caleb takes genuine pleasure in the suffering of others, especially women.
Serial Killer: Prior to becoming the right-hand man of the First Evil, he was responsible for the deaths of at least two girls, whom he lured with his stirring sermons and masculine charm. One of these was Betty; the second girl was apparently a choir girl in Knoxville. However, the First referred as well to "all these girls" who followed him, implying many more were killed.
Sex Is Evil, and I Am Horny: Everything he hates about women, young women, is sexual. Particularly "the nothing" they got that devours a man.
Sexy Priest: His good looks and natural charisma are how he lured his victims in originally.
Sinister Minister: A psychotic misogynist and serial killer who used his sermons to lure impressionable young women to him and then brutally murder them. This was before he became The Dragon for the First Evil, who granted him super-strength and an army, then tasked him with massacring the Slayer Potentials and the Watchers. He took to his mission with sadistic glee, reciting twisted prayers and Biblical references as he casually broke arms, snapped necks, and put out eyes. Caleb was, bar none, the single vilest villain in the canon, even surpassing Angelus in depravity and pure hatred.
- Joss Whedon defended himself from backlash by pointing out that the Church had kicked Caleb out.
- And for those who would doubt the above statement about Caleb being worse than Angelus, bear in mind that Angelus is a vampire. He has no soul whereas Caleb has no such excuse for his evil. Angelus killed for the kill, for the cruelty and artistry of it; Angel is unaffected by a Hate Plague because there was never any hate in either Liam or Angelus. Caleb kills because because he hates women.
Smug Super: Caleb is shamelessly confident in his superiority over his enemies, and he has the power to back it up.
The Sociopath: One of the most blatant examples in the series. Caleb is sadistic, cruel, self-important, superficially charming, and, although he hides it pretty well, he has a very short fuse.
Super-Strength: He's able to shatter solid concrete with his bare hands, snap people's necks with ease and send an opponent flying dozens of feet with a single blow.
Super-Toughness: His empowerment also allowed him with superhuman durability which borders on near invulnerability. It allows him to survive lethal injuries, as demonstrated when he revived after being severely wounded with the Scythe. Because of how powerful he was, it took cutting him in half to kill him completely.
This Is for Emphasis, Bitch!: Buffy guts him with the scythe. He gets back up, eyes streaming black ichor, growling "That all you got, bitch?"... then Buffy gives him the julienne.
Unskilled, but Strong: He doesn't display any of the acrobatics that the Slayers and the Scoobies face. For as strong he is, he really doesn't need to. He bodies attacks from Buffy, Spike, and Faith, and is only killed when Buffy gets her hands on the Slayer Scythe and has an assist from Angel - and even then, he still easily overpowers both of them in a straight fight.
Villainous Breakdown: When Buffy gets the scythe, he shows fear and is later outraged by his own failure. After being mortally wounded by Buffy, he practically starts frothing at the mouth in disbelief and anger. He also had an off-screen breakdown at a Monastery; after not finding what he wanted, he became upset and killed everyone there.
Priest: He was going on about this ancient inscription. [...] He read it and he didn't like what it said. His temper...He was the purest evil I've ever seen. He burned his mark upon me. And then I ran and I hid and I listened to the others die.
The Worf Effect: In his first appearance he kills two Potentials and seriously injures another, breaks Rona's arm, takes out Xander's eye, and effortlessly defeats Buffy, Spike, and Faith in combat. Hell of an introduction.

Ethan

Ethan Rayne

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/8014968e2c6a6caed2dda210684fdadb.jpg

"I've got to learn to just do the damage and leave town. It's the stay-'n-gloat gets me every time."

Played By: Robin Sachs

Ethan Rayne was a very skilled chaos-worshipping wizard from Rupert Giles' troubled past, an enemy of the Scooby Gang, and a magical subcontractor who performed odd jobs for demons and humans alike either for money or his own pleasure.

Affably Evil: He might be a bastard, but Ethan is also charming, witty and a tad self-deprecating. He's upfront about his evil and is generally pretty honest about his intentions.
Big Bad Duumvirate: With The First Evil in Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds; an odd example, as the Scoobies are technically working with him, as he chose them to be his competitors in a contest he challenged The First Evil to.
The Barnum: A trickster by nature, Ethan tends to sell people their tricks.
Ethan: Meet the hidden princess. I think we've found a match, don't you?
Buffy: Oh, uh I'm sorry. There's no way I could ever afford this.
Ethan: Oh, nonsense. I feel quite moved to make you a deal you can't refuse.
Chaos Is Evil: He worships chaos, and enjoys causing trouble for the sake of it.
Ethan: Chaos. I remain, as ever, thy faithful, degenerate son.
Deadpan Snarker: Part of why he's so loved by fans is his wonderfully dark sense of humor.
"Now, this may sting a little, just at first. But, don't worry, that'll go away once the searing pain kicks in."
Buffy: You sold me that dress for Halloween and nearly got us all killed.
Ethan: But you looked great.
Dirty Coward: Ethan is not a man of great courage. He runs when things don't go his way, is perfectly willing to let others die so he can live, isn't above begging for his life or selling out allies and at one point he literally hides behind Buffy.
Buffy: [pulling Ethan out of his hiding place] Look. A box full of farm-fresh chicken.
Dirty Old Man: While having a drunken night out with Giles, he gives his number to a much younger (and disinterested) waitress.
Dropped a Bridge on Him: In Season 8, when he's killed by General Voll and then ceases to be acknowledged in any significant way.
Enemy Mine: With Buffy in Season 8, when he wants to help her succeed against their common enemy.
Evil Brit: Due to being an Evil Counterpart of Giles.
Evil Counterpart: To Giles. Both were troubled youths who got deeply involved with dark magics; whereas Giles went on to make something of himself and tried to put his past behind him, Ethan sank even deeper and began to worship chaos.
Evil Former Friend: For Giles, although Ethan was still pretty evil when he and Giles were close. It's just that Giles cleaned up his act, while Ethan went in the opposite direction.
Evil Gloating: Ethan loves to lord his successes over others, inevitably meaning those successes are fleeting. He does realize this, but can't help himself.
"I've really got to learn to just do the damage and get out of town. It's the "stay and gloat" - gets me every time."
Evil Sorcerer: Ethan is an experienced sorceror, and his power comes from his magical ability.
For the Evulz: He's a worshipper of chaos, and freely admits that he just likes to turn up and do damage for the sheer entertainment value.
Go-Karting with Bowser: Ethan and Giles get drunk together when he turns up back in town.
Grave Robbing: A possessed, zombified Ethan steals Giles' body from his grave so Eyghon can make a puppet of him too.
Heroic Sacrifice: He knew he was going to die when he helped Buffy.
Laughably Evil: When Ethan shows up, complete chaos ensues. Wacky, hilarious chaos. Even Spike can't help but be impressed by his antics.
My Nayme Is: Ethan Rayne.
Our Zombies Are Different: Gets a cameo in Angel & Faith as a zombie puppet of Eyghon, who stole both his and Giles' souls after they died. Other than the bullet hole in his forehead he looks completely normal. Turns out Eyghon possessed Ethan's body immediately after he died, put a hat on to hide the bullet hole and strolled out to freedom all normal-like. Once Eyghon is killed, Ethan returns to being a corpse (although one presumes his soul is now free to move on).
Put on a Bus: He's eventually arrested by the Initiative to be rehabilitated.
Redemption Equals Death: His final act in life is helping Buffy.
Shut Up, Kirk!: In his interactions with Giles.
Giles: It's sick, brutal, and it harms the innocent.
Ethan: And we all know you are the champion of innocence and all things pure and good, Rupert. It's quite a little act you've got here.
Giles: It's no act. It's who I am.
Ethan: Who you are? The Watcher? Snivelling, tweed-clad guardian of the Slayer and her kin? I think not. I know who you are, Rupert, and I know what you're capable of. But they don't, do they? They have no idea where you come from.
Squishy Wizard: Ethan is a powerful sorcerer, but his abilities lie in ritual spells. He can't (or doesn't) use magic offensively and he's otherwise an inept fighter who relies on sneak attacks. Both Buffy and Giles beat him up with ease.
Villain Ball: By his own admission, he just can't stop himself from hanging around and indulging in Evil Gloating whenever he pulls off one of his schemes, which always gives Buffy and co. enough time to track him down and put a stop to it.
Ethan: I've gotta learn to just do the damage and leave town. It's the stay and gloat that gets me every time.
We Used to Be Friends: With Giles.
Ethan: We used to be friends, Ripper. When did all that fall apart?
Giles: About the same time you started to worship chaos.
Ethan: Oh, religious intolerance. Sad, that. I mean, just look at the Irish Troubles.

Hank

Hank Summers

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fd31fcf23c9fa6f937f6404d274bbf8d.png

"At least when she was burning stuff down, I knew what to say."

Played By: Dean Butler

Hank Summers was the father of Buffy and Dawn Summers and the ex-husband of Joyce Summers.

Amicable Exes: We're never given an opportunity to see him and Joyce as anything but this. The only fight that we see between the two is during a flashback from when they were still married, and the two are extremely cordial in Hank's few appearances in the show. And while Season 3 begins the trend of underlining some of Hank's less than virtuous features, Joyce still speaks fondly of him as late as Season 4's "Fear Itself", even reassuring Buffy that her father loved her very much. It's only really after Joyce's death that his status as a deadbeat is fully implemented. Even in the alternate hallucinatory scenario presented in "Normal Again" (which takes place late in Season 6), it's implied that this version of Joyce and Hank remained together or at the very least were unified in trying to help Buffy with her mental health, and they're shown consoling each other after Buffy leaves them and returns to her own reality (thereby killing the version of her in their world).
Characterization Marches On: Outside of Buffy's bad dream turned reality in "Nightmares", he seemed like a decent enough guy before turning into a zero responsibility zone offscreen. Granted, his actual screentime was minimal.
Disappeared Dad: The start of a trend in the series.
Everyone Has Standards: Season 6 confirms that if he knew Dawn had no guardian then he would return to Sunnydale to pick her up and bring her into his new life. Dawn doesn't want that, however, because he left in the first place.
Foreshadowing: Became the person in Buffy's nightmare in "Nightmares".
The Ghost: After Season 2, the exceptions being "The Weight of the World" (in a flashback) and "Normal Again" (in the Cuckoo Nest). He finally returns in the comics for a brief reunion.
Jerkass: Hank gradually cuts his daughters out of his life, not bothering to even pick up the phone after Joyce dies and essentially disappears. He finally comes to see them in the comics...to let them know he's getting remarried and Buffy is not invited to the wedding since his fiance sees her as a danger magnet. To Dawn and Buffy's faces.
Sexy Secretary: Apparently ran off with one.
Visit by Divorced Dad: "Nightmares", although it isn't actually him.

Enyos

Enyos of the Kalderash

"This is not justice that we serve. It is Vengeance."

Played By: Vincent Schiavelli

A member of the Clan Kalderash, the romani clan that cursed Angel with his soul and the uncle of Jenny Calendar.

Asshole Victim: He's a dick, no doubt about it. Still, the way Angelus kills him is very gruesome.
Best Served Cold: Enyos holds a grudge against Angel for his crimes committed generations ago, long before Enyos himself was born.
"To the modern man, vengeance is a verb, an idea. Payback. One thing for another. Like commerce. Not with us. Vengeance is a living thing. It passes through generations. It commands. It kills."
Jerkass: He's a blunt, harsh man who blatantly doesn't care if Angel is making a difference in the fight against evil, expressly wanting Angel to suffer and keep on suffering for his century-old crime against the Kalderash. When Angel loses his soul, Enyos is quite pleased by the idea that this will likely force Buffy to kill him, showing no regard for Buffy's feelings or for the people Angelus would doubtlessly torture and kill in the meantime.
Karmic Death: When Angelus returned, Enyos was quite happy because it would mean that Buffy would be forced to kill him. He didn't care about all the people that Angelus would butcher his way through in the meantime...it's somewhat fitting that he would become one of the first victims.
Knight Templar: Nothing will cause him to stray from his chosen path, not even the deaths of innocents. He's fiercely dedicated to his own cause and is a staunch traditionalist.
Poor Communication Kills: He told Jenny to keep Buffy and Angel apart, but didn't tell her why: namely, that a single moment of perfect happiness would break the curse and revert Angel into the evil Angelus. Fitting the trope name, not sharing this does end up killing several people, one of whom is Enyos himself.
Revenge Before Reason: Considering all that Angel has done, and the fact that the creature that killed the gypsy girl isn't the same thing, Enyos' passion for continuing revenge makes little sense.

Ellis

Major Ellis

"It's not the Initiative, Finn. We don't do experiments. None of us gives a damn what makes monsters tick. We just stop 'em.”

Played By: Nick Chinlund

A U.S. Army officer.

Brutal Honesty: He doesn't mince words when he recruits Riley.
Riley: What do you need me for?
Ellis: I think you can handle yourself. And I always need bodies. I'm not gonna lie to you. It's the real deal. High risk, low pay, and seriously messy.
Good Counterpart: He comes across as one to Colonel McNamara; they're both high-ranking military men with a tough attitude but Ellis is much more reasonable, honest and capable. He also actually listens to his men when they give good suggestions, such as Graham's suggestion that they recruit Riley.
Punny Name: Major Ellis is the man sent by the government to respond to the alien. Ellis Island was a famous receiving station for immigrants, e.g. aliens.
Trespassing to Talk: He and his men break into Riley's apartment to talk to him.

Sid

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/buffy_sid.png

"Don't get sniffly on me, sis. I've lived a lot longer than most demon hunters. Or Slayers, for that matter."

Played By: Tom Wyner

Sid was a demon hunter who was imprisoned in the body of a ventriloquist's dummy.

Amazon Chaser: As is fitting for a demon slayer, he's very much into powerful women. He's turned on by Buffy and had a prior relationship with a slayer in the 1930's.
"Look at you — you're strong, athletic, limber...nubile..."
Death Seeker: Sid actually looks forward to the end of his existence; being a ventriloquist dummy isn't any kind of enviable fate, so he's cool with the idea of dying once his curse is broken.
Demonic Dummy: Averted; he's a demon hunter who was cursed into the body of a dummy.
Face Death with Dignity: His original body rotted away long ago, so breaking his curse will result in his death. However, he tells Buffy that he's accepted this fate, having already lived far longer than most other demon hunters.
Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Sid is a lech, but he's not a bad person.
Who Wants to Live Forever?: He isn't having great fun as a dummy; he wants to finish what he started and move on.

Gib Cain

"You're a Girl!"

Played By: Jack Conley

A human werewolf hunter. Cain hunted werewolves during the nights of full moon, skinned them, and sold their pelts in the black market, particularly Sri Lanka.

Battle Trophy: Cain wears a necklace of werewolf teeth he's ripped from his kills.
Evil Poacher: Of werewolves, although he makes reference to a past hunting elephants for ivory.
Jerkass: From the very start, Cain marks himself as a deeply unpleasant human being. He's perverse, sexist, arrogant, superior, condescending...and practically a Serial Killer to boot.
Name of Cain: As is standard for a villain.
Politically Incorrect Villain: Cain is deeply sexist; he believes in the superiority of men and is condescending to Buffy.
"This is what happens when a woman tries to do a man's job."
Silver Bullet: As per usual for hunting werewolves. He's seen casting his own.
Van Helsing Hate Crimes: He's fully aware that the werewolf is seperate from the person, but just doesn't care. If they're furry, they're fair game.
Buffy: It doesn't bother you that a werewolf is a person 28 days out of the month?
Cain: That's why I only hunt 'em the other three.
What the Hell, Hero?: Tries to give one to Buffy, but it rings hollow considering the type of person he is and the type of person Buffy is.
Cain: You know, sis, if that thing harms anyone, it's going to be on your pretty little head. I hope you can live with that.
Buffy: I live with that every day.

Samantha Finn

"I gotta tell you, Buffy, I'm a little bit intimidated. I mean, patrolling with the real live Slayer, you're like... Santa Claus, or Buddha, or something."

Played By: Ivana Miličević

A former member of the Peace Corps and the wife of Riley Finn.

Action Girl: She is a demon hunter and a U.S. Military specialist.
Battle Couple: With Riley, her husband and partner in demon fighting.
Friendly Sniper: The worst thing she says is to tell Faith she needs to apologize to her husband, not her, over the Bed Trick, and this was after she takes out an army of Zompires with a battle rifle.
Gender-Blender Name: In this case, "Sam" is short for "Samantha".
Happily Married: She and Riley were married off-screen and have a very happy marriage of equals. This contrasts with Riley's relationship with Buffy that fell apart because they're fundamentally imbalanced in terms of power and ability and Riley couldn't take that.
Nice Girl: Samantha charms pretty much everyone by being genuinely nice and considerate. Of course, this makes Buffy more insecure since Sam is not only perfect but she's so kind that Buffy can't even be mad at her. She commends Willow on quitting magic, she helps Anya and Xander with their wedding planning, she thinks Dawn is mature enough to be involved with the Scoobies and she even calls Buffy (her husband's ex-girlfriend) that she's legendary. She's very hard to dislike.
Pregnant Badass: In the (seemingly Alternate Universe) novel, Seven of Crows, Sam spends the book investigating murders and fighting vampires alongside the main cast and is revealed to be pregnant near the end of that adventure.
Spy Catsuit: As seen in her first appearance.

Jennifer, Kimberly and Nicole/Nicki

Jennifer, Kimberly and Nicki

Played By: Michelle Abrams, Hilary Swank and Paris Vaughan (film), unidentified extras (TV series)

Classmates and friends of Buffy before she was a slayer, as mainly depicted in the original film.

Adaptation Dye-Job: In the movie, Kimberly is brown-haired, Nicki has black hair, and Jennifer is a strawberry blonde. In the comic,Nicki has brown hair and, Depending on the Artist, Kimberly is either a blonde or a redhead, and Jennifer is either a brunette or a has dark red hair. In their TV cameo, two of the trio are blonde, and the only one with dialogue (who acts more like Jennifer than either of the other two) has brown hair.
Adaptational Jerkass: Jennifer has moments of insecurity and kindness in the film, but is a full-blown mean girl in the comic.
Badass Adorable: Nicki manages to stake one vampire during the final battle (albeit while his back is turned) and punches another a couple of times, all the while looking out of place in her prom dress and uttering a girly exclamation of "Ew," after her most notable contribution to the fight.
Beta Bitch: Kimberly is nastier about being popular than Buffy despite initially being her sidekick and later tries to take both leadership of the group.
Buffy Speak: Kimberly may be even more prone to silly slang than Buffy herself, telling her to "get out of my facial" during an argument.
Cruel Cheerleader: Nicki and Jennifer are both cheerleaders who don't hesitate to slack off or find amusement in insulting people, although their passion for cheerleading is one of their more positive traits, and their non-cheerleader friend Kimberly is significantly meaner than either of them.
Demoted to Extra:
- Nicki is absent from the Girl Posse in the comic adaptation of the movie, but an unnamed girl gets some of the role and dialogue that she had during the final battle in the original screenplay and novelization (albeit not in the final film) while also having a Race Lift and being less of a Badass Adorable.
- Three uncredited girls with their roles appear for about twenty seconds in one flashback of the series, talking to Buffy in a Girl Posse manner about an upcoming dance right before she becomes a Slayer.
Dirty Coward: Kimberly never lifts a finger to help anyone in the final battle, most of which she spends screaming and/or openly hoping that the vampires will attack people besides her. This even continues well after all the vampires are seemingly killed.
Fair-Weather Friend: They ditch Buffy (albeit with some possible regret in Jennifer and Nicki's cases) as she begins to get sucked into the Slayer life, with Jennifer even taking her boyfriend.
Flowers of Femininity:
- Nicki and Kimberly are both Girl Posse members who wear a lot of clothing with floral patterns in the fabric, with Nicki also having a flower brooch and a sunflower hat and some of Kimberly’s earrings being shaped after flowers.
- One of the three girls who is presumably them in the show also has a floral-patterned skirt, while the other two have notebooks with flower paintings or stickers on them.
Girl Posse: They are popular, shopping-obsessed teens who hung out Buffy, before she learns she is a Slayer.
Gossipy Hens: They pump Buffy for information about anyone new she is seeing and, in the comic, Kimberly and Jennifer cattily gossip about what she has been up to since leaving L.A.
Grew a Spine: In a partially negative sense, Jennifer is quieter than her friends and can seem like an Extreme Doormat who always takes cues from them, but she is the one to immediately take Buffy’s boyfriend after her fall from grace (although to be fair, some Poor Communication Kills dialogue did make her think Buffy was cheating on him).
Hidden Depths: The one way Kimberly is willing to go against the Girl Posse grain is by keeping certain clothes she likes after they have gone out of style, which she justifies as being retro.
Leg Focus: Nicki tends to wear outfits that bare her legs, most notably in the cheerleading scene during the opening credits, where she's the only cheerleader wearing a leotard, while Buffy and the others are all wearing unitards with leggings.
Ms. Fanservice: Nicki often wears more low-cut tops than Kimberly or Jennifer and also wears skirts and short shorts that show off her legs in several scenes.
My God, What Have I Done?: Jennifer is shown crying over having sex with Jeffrey while vampires were attacking their friends (or maybe just over having sex with him, period) in her last scene.
Popular Is Dumb: They enjoy being a prominent Girl Posse and it's doubtful that the three of them put together would be able to match Buffy, or even Cordelia, in brainpower.
Race Lift: Nicki is black in the film and novel but white in the series and comic.
Rich Bitch: All three seem to be as affluent as they are shallow, particularly Kimberly, who tells Buffy to stop acting like "The thing from another tax bracket."
Shrinking Violet: Jennifer is the most quiet and nervous of the group, wears slightly less flashy clothing than her friends, and seems to care a lot about her friends’ approval, even after her temporary Grew a Spine moments.
Token Black Friend: Nicki is the only prominent black character in the movie and seems to get along with Buffy better than Jennifer and Kimberly.

Gary Murray

Garry Murray

Played By: Stephen Root

The counselor at Buffy's old school, in the movie.

All Therapists Are Muggles: Has no clue about magic and thinks Buffy's behavior is related to drugs.
Former Teen Rebel: Claims to have been a drug-using New-Age Retro Hippie when he was a kid.
Unfazed Everyman: Takes the attack of the vampires fairly well and tosses detention ships down on the bodies of the slain ones.

The Cheese Man

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/download_068.jpeg

"I wear the cheese. It does not wear me."

Played By: David Wells

A mysterious figure only appearing in 'Restless', who is obsessed with cheese.

Non Sequitur. Every last one of his lines.
Real Dreams are Weirder: Intended to be so by Joss Whedon. Just the random part of dreams that make no sense.
Running Gag: Appears in the dreams of Willow, Xander, Giles, and Buffy (in that order.) For all of them except Buffy he makes a brief Non Sequitur about Cheese.
The Spook: Apart from his love of cheese and the fact he appears in four people's different dreams, nothing is known about him. Justified, as he was never intended to be significant, and is merely the embodiment of the weirder parts of dreaming. Thus, he technically didn't require an explanation.

Kenny

Killian/Kenny/K

A musician ex-boyfriend of Faith's who is mentioned in the show and appears in the prequel novel Go Ask Malice.

Drowning My Sorrows: He drinks heavily to try and suppress the unwanted parts of his Reality Warper powers.
Reality Warper: He can make things he imagines real, such as manifestations of his old girlfriend, who a vampire killed.

Novel Exclusive Characters

Roland

The son of the Erl King, the leader of the Wild Hunt, a group of (mostly elven) hunters from another dimension. The hunters ride through wherever they want, killing regular game animals and vampires, while also causing a lot of death and grief among human communities due to their Blue-and-Orange Morality and the side effects of their powers. Roland runs away from the Wild Hunt but is captrued by dark warlocks, prompting a feud between the two factions that kicks off the novel Child of the Hunt.

Artificial Human: He was born out of a pile of dirt through the combined magic of his father and a Slayer sacrificing her soul to become a ghost after death.
Like Father, Unlike Son: His father is an Egomaniac Hunter who hates weakness, while Roland just wants to be left in peace, even if it means being constantly mistreated by the only people willing to cross the Wild Hunt.
Living MacGuffin: He can enhance the magic of people around him, causing him to be sought after by multiple characters in Child of the Hunt.
Redeeming Replacement: After his father dies and he becomes king of the Wild Hunt, he promises to try and change their behavior and prevent their more destructive actions "a little at a time." However, he also tells Buffy that the magical nature of the Wild Hunt can't be completely changed and no matter what he wants, runaways and homeless people will still be drawn to join the Hunt whether they truly want to or not.
Recurring Character: He appears in two Nancy Holder novels, being a major character in Child of the Hunt and making a cameo appearances in Out of the Madhouse.

The Regnier Family

Richard, Giuliana, Henri, Antoinette, Jean-Marc, Kathleen, and Jacques Regnier

A family of magicians spanning four generations, with enormous powers and long lifespans. They are in charge of maintaining the Gatehouse, a dimensional barrier that either keeps the worst monsters out there from assessing Earth or acts as a prison for those that make it across. The family plays a major role in The Gatekeeper trilogy, which is set during season 2. Only Jean-Marc and Jacques are alive during the main story, but the others appear as ghosts or in flashbacks, and the family is mentioned in other tie-in novels.

Court Mage: Richard is a magician and advisor to Queen Catherine in the fourteenth century French Royal Court, although his jealous rival Il Maestro engineers Richard's downfall to gain influence.
Gate Guardian: The Regniers are required to be Gatekeepers (although it turns out that in an emergency, non-family members can temporarily take the job) and each family member spends centuries fighting off ghostly and demonic invaders from other dimensions to protect Darth from destruction and evil. This includes Hell itself, and demons are hopeful that erasing the Gatekeeper line will let them conquer Earth and make all of its people damned slaves of Hell. Naturally, the Scooby Gang sets out to stop the worst demon's servants and help the Regniers, although Jean-Marc Regnier gets quite a lot done on his own throughout the books.
Happily Married: Henri and Antoinette have a long, trusting, affectionate and supportive marriage and long to be together in the afterlife once Antoinette's duties as a ghost cease.
Living MacGuffin: Young Jacques is held hostage by vampires for most of the first two books in The Gatekeeper Trilogy, and getting him back to the Gatehouse safely in time for him to become the Gatekeeper is a major concern throughout the series.
Long-Lived: Gatekeepers are able to temporarily restore their youth with an alchemical cauldron and live long lives. There have only been four generations of the family since Richard became the first Gatekeeper around 1560 and Jacques takes the job in 1999.
Mama Bear: Antoinette Regnier magically bound her spirit to the Gatehouse to watch over her son Jean-Marc and keep him safe for as long as possible after seeing how miserable and unprepared he was when he first became the Gatekeeper.
Missing Mom: Jacques's mother Kathleen found the Gatehouse to be an oppressive setting and killed herself rather than stay there when Jacques was very young.
Nice Guy: All of them (except the long dead Kathleen, a depressed drug addict) are brave, considerate, and affable toward their friends and allies.
One-Man Army: Besides having to fight and contain monsters that constantly come out of thousands of doorways in the Gatehouse, the Gatekeeper can also face external threats. Jean-Marc is mortally wounded while defeating seventeen cultists, who are the last remnants of a much bigger force he has already decimated across several fights over a week or so.
Single Line of Descent: There has only ever been one heir to the family job at a time since Richard became the Gatekeeper, making Jacques the only Regneir left to continue the line. Although Richard's wife was murdered soon after the birth of their son and Jean-Marc's wife went insane and committed suicide, it can seem odd that Henri and Antoinette only ever had one child.
Spare a Messenger: The first time two Sons of Entropy cultists infiltrate the Gatehouse to kill Jean-Marc, one is killed and the other is told to tell his friends that Jean-Marc will kill any of their number who try to enter the mansion. Plenty still do, and Jean-Marc makes good on his threat.
Your Days Are Numbered: Jean-Marc, the current Gatekeeper, is dying of old age throughout the events of the trilogy and needs to get his son and heir Jacques back to the Gatehouse in time for Jacques to take over from Jean-Marc once the latter dies and prevent their mission from failing. Jean-Marc is wounded while fighting Il Maestro's cultists, which further shortens his lifespan.
You Killed My Father: One of the few times Jean-Marc leaves the Gatehouse is to help destory the Flying Dutchman to avenge how the ghost crew tortured and killed his father for refusing to join them.

Justine

Justine Camille

A sinister artist who visits Sunnydale in the novel Doomsday Deck as part of an agenda to help a God of Evil return from the underworld.

All for Nothing: She commits murders and performs dangerous magic on behalf of Kali for the sake of her art career, but as Buffy puts it, "Everything you could have been is gone. Kali owns you. She never intended to keep her part of the bargain."
Comically Small Demand: She is willing to help Kali take over the universe (with Kali secretly planning to just destroy everything) and risk her soul in exchange for the power to make an art gallery give her a one-woman show.
Dragged Off to Hell: The climax ends with her being dragged through the Hellmouth while struggling desperately after an evil goddess who she'd bound herself to is vanquished.
Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: She has malignant intentions and supernatural powers, and her dark hair and pale skin nearly get her mistaken for a vampire a few times.
Ignored Epiphany: When Kali makes Justine her champion, it destroys her "flimsy blockade of self-denial" and makes her see her true self and realize that she refused to work for her own success rather than rely on Kali and is "seeking vengeance on the innocent for her own shortcomings." This revelation horrifies her, but when Kali gives her a Join or Die ultimatum, Justine decides to choose survival and quickly justifies that to herself.
Starving Artist: She is a passionate painter who has to do generic seaside paintings that she doesn't like to pay bills while people scoff at the pictures of fantasy scenes she puts her heart into. This makes her deeply bitter.
Tarot Troubles: She has a deck of tarot cards that can make very accurate revelations about people's pasts. Touching that deck also lets her exert magical control over the people who attend her readings, slowly killing them and making them sacrifices for the eponymous doomsday deck of tarot cards that can resurrect the Hindu goddess Kali.

The Druid Brothers

Ian, Tom, and Dave

Three monster-hunting Druid brothers who become tenuous allies of the Scooby Gang in the book Return to Chaos.

Dark Is Not Evil: They wear dark shirts and jeans, but are noble monster hunters.
Guy of the Week: Ian is a single installment love interest to Buffy. They share a single kiss before the brothers leave town.
Nephewism: Their uncle is their guardian after the death of their father.
Sibling Team: They are brothers often go into battle against evil forces together.

Bulat

Bulat the Brave

An immortal Russian folk hero who appears in the novel The Deathless as a mysterious potential ally.

Blood Knight: He enjoys fighting, especially since his immortality lets him recover from wounds.
Fallen Hero: Bulat once fought to rescue a kidnapped maiden and vanquish the evil and immortal sorcerer Koschei. However, his Who Wants to Live Forever? feelings cause him to eventually try to resurrect Koschei to transfer his own unwanted immortality back to the villain he took it from, even though Koschei will endanger the world and the resurrection ceremony will require a mass sacrifice. He is still a Noble Demon, though, being unhappy about what he is doing and working to incapacitate Buffy and her friends rather than kill them.
Fire-Forged Friends: Defied. After saving Buffy and Faith from some vampires, he expects to become close and immediate allies with them but is rather perturbed that they don't trust him right away. They are right not to.
I Owe You My Life: After Prince Ivan saved Bulat from being executed over an unpaid debt by paying it himself, Bulat became a trusted champion and friend of Ivan for the rest of the prince's life.
Mr. Fanservice: Buffy admires Bulat’s muscles, teeth, and skin throughout their first meeting.
Unreliable Expositor: Bulat tells a story about himself and several other characters in the book that is perfectly true as far as it goes, but ends before covering several incidents that would have cast him in a different light.
Who Wants to Live Forever?: Watching the love of his life grow old and wrinkled before dying has soured Bulat on living forever, and seeing the society and landscape of his beloved feudal Russia transform over time also makes him feel empty and purposeless. He becomes a Death Seeker who tries several methods of suicide and enlists in many armies that will face heavy combat, but none of it kills him. His misery over being immortal increases once all of his body except his head is destroyed, and the new caretaker of his head intends to keep him prisoner, unable to move, for a long time, if not forever, even though she has the ability to kill him. Buffy tries to save him from this fate, but fails.
Bulat: It comes of living forever when everyone around you dies. You either become vain or go mad. Or both.

Shing

A mysterious Chinese swordswoman who comes to Sunnydale to fight the Big Bad of the novel Revenant and develops sparks with Xander after saving his life.

Action Girl: She has formidable fighting skills that rival Buffy's and kills many demons.
But Now I Must Go: At the end of the book, she has to leave Xander due to being a centuries-old spirit who isn't actually alive.
Defrosting the Ice Queen: She stays focused on her mission and admits she hasn't laughed in years. However, being around Xander softens her.
Statuesque Stunner: Xander describes her as being almost six feet fall, with a curvy figure and loose clothing.

Rosanna

Rosanna Jergens

A field leader for The Order of Sages, which appears in the novel The Wisdom of War. Her group performs similar work to the Watchers' Council but seeks to establish peaceful understandings with supernatural races and avoid fighting them.

Cowboy Cop: Rosanna is willing to bend the rules of the Order of Sages to use force against demons when it is absolutely necessary to do so in order to save human lives, although Buffy and her friends don't witness this.
Identical Stranger: Giles thinks she strongly resembles Jenny Calender.
My Master, Right or Wrong: She may not like all of her bosses' orders but follows them due to feeling it is part of a greater plan that will take generations to fulfill.
Nice to the Waiter: She generously tips a waiter who is flustered after witnessing a fight between the Order and a demon.
Straw Civilian: Subverted. Buffy and Giles feel that her insistence on avoiding conflict allows genuinely dangerous and genocidal monsters to gain frightening advantages. However, she does have several Strawman Has a Point moments about specific races being benevolent and the Council being disproportionately brutal toward those species and is secretly more gung-ho than her superiors.

The Renegade Champions

Malik, Tai, Simone, and Bors

Former champions of the Powers That Be who appear in the post-season 7 novel Dark Congress. They seek to disrupt a peace conference between supernatural creatures that could redefine human-monster relationships.

Bigotry Exception: They loathe non-humans on principle but show respect and mercy toward Oz, a werewolf, because he fights alongside Buffy, who they view as a peer and potential ally.
Burn the Witch!: Bors gleefully traps a witch inside her house and burns it down as his Establishing Character Moment.
Dance Battler: Simone moves like a ballerina while beating up main characters.
Defiant to the End: Malik and Bors spend some of their last moments glaring at a powerful god who is about to kill them for murdering his lover.
Depraved Dwarf: Bors is four feet tall and is the most sadistic of the group when it comes to killing non-humans.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: They are proud practitioners of Van Helsing Hate Crimes, but there is a bond between them that leaves Malik horrified and remorseful when the others are injured.
Even Evil Has Standards:
- Tai is bigoted against werewolves and remorselessly kills any he takes prisoner throughout the month. However, he only kills them after watching them transform to avoid any chance of killing a human by mistake.
- During his Establishing Character Moment, the fanatical Malik is outraged by how one of his targets murdered a child.
Head-Turning Beauty: Simone is proud about how people keep glancing up to admire her beauty without any supernatural enchantments like the Succubi she hunts.
Really 700 Years Old: Malik and Simone both look young, but the Powers That Be have slowed down their aging. Malik claims to be eight hundred years old and Simone looks like a "crone" after being made to age normally.
Rogue Agent: They refuse to show any restraint against non-malicious or potentially repentant demons and feel that letting any survive is dangerous to humanity. The Powers That Be have revoked their status as champions and are trying to find them to take back their immortality and invulnerability.
Tongue Trauma: Tai is missing his tongue after a childhood incident, although he recalls that he never spoke even when he had a tongue.
Van Helsing Hate Crimes: They believe that any peaceful co-existence between humans and any kind of supernatural creature is impossible and kill non-humans at every opportunity. Some of their targets are Asshole Victims, but others are sympathetic figures. Malik does briefly wonder if his actions are Dirty Business in his first scene but decides that he did what he had to do.

Characters / Buffyverse: Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Other Characters

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