Question re: the Buffy Vamps

[switch842]

What exactly is the mythos surrounding the vampires in the Buffy universe? From what I've seen so far of the series, there seems to be mention that there's actually a demon that possesses a person when they get turned? Is that right? If so, do we learn more about how that "works"? Like, is it a Goa'uld type thing where they become trapped in their own body? Or do they die and then the demon inhabits the corpse? I'm just a little confused as to how it all works...

Comments

[gatewhale.livejournal.com]

it's been a long time when I watched that but the vampire's become soft and caring if they have there souls back , until then they are demons

[littleheaven70.livejournal.com]

Basically, when a person is turned, they die and their soul leaves their body. What is left is a demon with all the mannerisms, memories, and personality traits of the person. They're not possessed by a pre-existing demon - they become a demon in their own right. It's not a parasite that takes up residence, like a Goa'uld. The demon is a result of a soulless entity.

Angel is good because he has his soul back, which therefore gives him a conscience, and that prevents him from acting on his demon instincts. He's still a demon, though, because he is still a vampire - he hasn't been brought back to life as a human. There is a constant internal struggle between his soul and his demon side - it's briefly touched on in the first ep of Angel where he is clearly avoiding humans as much as possible because he can't trust himself not to slip up. It's covered again in Season 2's "Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been," and also rather famously in Season 4's "Orpheus."

What's interesting is that to be the vampire he was as Angelus, he had to have harboured those traits as a human. Darla says to Angel, "what we once were informs all that we have become." That's what I like about him - he has areas of grey. You can never quite trust him, there's always an element of danger lurking below the surface. I suspect that Liam, the human that Angel was before he was turned, was a complete b*stard.

Edited to add that once you've seen the first half of Angel, Season 1, you should read this: http://www.goldenmaze.com/crave.htm which is a good look at Angel losing control of his vampire side.

[switch842.livejournal.com]

Ah, okay. That makes sense. Interesting, too, about what traits you have as human, inform your vampire personality. So, if someone is a complete goody-two-shoes as a human, they'll be the nicest vampire ever and apologize for killing you? LOL

[littleheaven70.livejournal.com]

LOL, funny you should say that. Wait until you see Spike pre-vamp. *g* A vamp is evil and vicious whatever they were like previously, but it's more they way that they are evil that is affected. Angelus liked to torture his victims. He drove Druscilla completely mad before he turned her. Most vamps would have just bitten her, but he gained a perverse pleasure in watching her lose her mind first. To him, killing was an art form. And Dru is a particularly scary vamp because she's crazy, just as she was as a human. And she retains the psychic powers she had when alive.

[switch842.livejournal.com]

Ahhh. Wicked little tease... :-P