In S3 Faith was a very good character development,as we saw her go through all the emotions.
In S4 Tara was introduced and it's been interesting to watch her progress from shy student to fully fledged member of the scoobie gang.

I'd have to disagree with Spike because I find his new character so annoying and the change was enforced by the chip.

Personally, I'd say Wesley's transformation across Buffy and Angel has been an extremely convincing one and Cordelia comes a close second for her gradual discovery of a social conscience!

I'd have to go with Spike also. He has become so much more, chip or no chip. Buffy wouldn't be anywhere near the same without him anymore.

I agree with the Spike vote. But I also think an honourable mention should go to Willow. Her character has changed so much since S1 but also stayed the same, if you see what I mean? She's still the same insecure person from S1 but she has become so much more with Buffy's influence and since becoming a Wicca.

(Edited by Whistler 11/03/2002 19:42)

I have to say, i think Spike's development sucks majorly. Although he's changed alot, it hasn't been for the better.

I always wanted Spike to be a major badass, but by the end of season 5, he's the slayer's whiny pet dog.

I'd say Willow's development has been the best.

Yep, I'd put in another vote for Willow.

And I also think that a mention should go to Anya. The reason being that she hasn't changed very much, like a lot of people in real life.

I go with Spike here. He's cool

This thread was just moved from Buffy & Angel (id: 108)

Yup, Spike has been a good character development.

But what about Cordy?
From when she was supreme bee-yatch in Season 1 Buffy to end of Season 1 of Angel (not gonna go any further cause of spoilers) I think havingthe visions has also helped her character develop about caring for others and not just for herself.

I was originally going to point out that maybe Buffy's own character changes would be a good candidate for the best character development, but actually I really think it is Willow.

Reason being she starts off as a computer person who happily taps away at the keyboard all day with her good friend Xander, and then whole heartedly accepts a world full of demons and helps Buffy. from this she develops amazing skills on the computer and then also attempts to have relationships (something she never thought she would do), and she begins to wisen to the world, she then develops into a witch, learning small spells, and also accepts that she is dating not only a member of a band, but a werewolf. She becomes more bold and headstrong as the years go by, and continues to help buffy. When off to Uni, her relationship with Oz fails, but she then trys something new and again, the new charcter change seems her move into the realms of a relationship with Tara as well as delving deeper into her wiccan ways! And through all this she is more self-confident, stronger, bolder and is truely happy. A complete change from the computery person who was scared of the world... thats quite a change...

Well... thats my opinion!

Would have to go with Willow too! Such a range of emotion and power!!

And Cordelia as well - from self-loving bitch to sensitive caring bitch lol

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by Mr Bob
Myself, I would go for Spike. Mainly because the progression has been amazing, especially in the area of relationships. Initially, bessotted with Dru, but no real love,

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I'm sorry. But which Season 2 were you watching?

No real love? He risks _everything_ for her; to restore her, to not lose her. She's the only thing in his entire existence.

Everything he does, throughout the entire season, is for Drusilla; from coming to Sunnydale in the first place, to sparing Buffy and the wannbes in the cellar, to risking everything going after Angel, to raising the Judge to betraying Angelus.

Maybe his relationship with Dru might not be characterised as healthy, but it was love, in all love's twisted, painful, bright-white, fiery complexity.

The area of relationships is the one place where Spike has never changed. He's always been in love, with somebody, and the fact that he can transfer his affection from Dru to Buffy does not mean that he never loved Dru in the first place.

Where he appears to change is that he tries to be the lover his love desires. So when Buffy rejected him, he tried very hard to be what she wanted: a noble creature. Maybe not good, but with some manner of higher purpose. When she accepted him though, it ended up being very much on his terms, so again he became what he thought she wanted: this dark tempter.

Musing on Spike's fate at the end of S6 omitted because that's probably a spoiler.

Best development...

I agree with most of what's been said, although I'd add that an important part of Willow's 'growth' has been regression. In Season 6 especially she loses much of her responsibility, using her power as an alternative to growing up and dealing with the world, in the same way that a small child uses its parents.

I'm going to put in a vote for Xander though, because I think he's often overlooked. Despite a few momentary lapses, Xander has been the character who has grown up the most. He's the one who's dealing with adulthood - sometimes badly, but that's life - and the only one in Season 6 who dispays much understanding of consequence. He's also the emotional core of the group, and as such has had to grow fro the clown into the one who listens.

In Season 3, Buffy and Willow turned to each other for the girl-talk. By Season 5, and especially Season 6, they're both going to Xander for affirmation.

I think Cordy's development has definately been the best, its hard to recognise in her now the Cordy in seasons 1 and 2, but for such a dramatic change it has been done very convincingly and very gradually, so one day you just wake up and realise how much she has changed, yet when you think about it, it just seems like a natural progression.

Although I loved the old shallow bitch Cordy, now she has got so much depth and dimension to her making her character more interesting and more able to contribute to the show,
She's great

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by MaryLou
She's great

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And... she's a Hottie