After Rewatching Buffy, I Can’t Believe I Didn’t See This Character’s Villain Downfall Coming
The first time most of us watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Willow Rosenberg’s descent into villainy was a huge twist, but looking back on the series, we should have seen it coming. While Buffy is the aspirational badass heroine, Willow is the relatable shy wallflower who’s a lot more powerful than she lets on, and much of the fandom (including myself) identified with her most.
That’s why it was such a thrill watching Willow come into her own as the Buffy the Vampire Slayer seasons went by. She quickly became an invaluable member of the Scooby Gang with her computer skills and formidable witch powers, and Willow also put herself out there romantically, first with Oz, then Tara — two of the show’s most healthy relationships.
That’s why it was a such a twist that Willow became the Big Bad of season 6. As a whole, Buffy season 6 was the darkest overall, and Willow’s addiction to magic was a huge part of that. Following Tara’s death, her transformation into Dark Willow may not have been all that shocking, but Buffy had laid the groundwork for Willow’s villainy long before season 6.
Willow Began Using Dark Magic Back In Buffy Season 2
Like Many Villains, Willow’s Intentions Were Initially Good
Dark Willow was teased as early as Buffy season 2, after Angel lost his soul. Initially, when Willow found the late Jenny Calendar’s translation for the Ritual of Restoration and wanted to perform the spell, this was seen as incredibly heroic. Yes, it was dangerous, but restoring Angel’s soul seemed to be the only way to prevent the end of the world.
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Indeed, without the success of Willow’s spell, Buffy may not have been able to defeat Angel at the last second. But that doesn’t change the fact that the Ritual of Restoration is dark magic.
Ultimately, it’s a curse, as the intent isn’t to do good by restoring a vampire’s soul, but rather to punish them by forcing them to live with the guilt of all the atrocities they’ve committed as a creature of darkness.
Almost every hero commits what they believe is necessary evil in order to save the day, and Willow is no different. But it’s her takeaway from the spell that hints at her future villainy. Remember, for months, Willow didn’t think the ritual worked, yet she still kept dabbling in magic beyond her capabilities despite Giles’s repeated warnings that doing so was dangerous.
Willow had virtually no power, and the Ritual of Restoration was her first taste — one that proved irresistible enough to forgo consequences.
Willow is an intellectual through and through, so it makes sense that she’d have a thirst for magic knowledge. But coupled with that is a newfound desire for power. Up until now, Willow had virtually no power, and the Ritual of Restoration was her first taste — one that proved irresistible enough to forgo consequences.
Powerlessness Motivated Willow’s Dangerous Magic Choices
Willow Risked Her Friends’ Lives More Than Once
As Willow continued her magic learning throughout seasons 3 and 4, her primary motivation was still noble. But while Willow’s powers became an increasing force in Buffy’s fight against the forces of darkness, a few instances of misuse stand out as red flags.
One is in Buffy season 3’s “Doppelgängland,” in which former vengeance demon Anya enlists Willow’s help to retrieve her necklace that would reinstate her powers. Though Willow was unaware of Anya’s backstory and simply thought of her as a new student, it was incredibly irresponsible for her to jump into an unfamiliar spell with a stranger on a Hellmouth.
On a good day, Willow might have been more clearheaded. However, she was experiencing a personal low, tired of being dismissed by her friends and boyfriend as “old reliable,” and essentially forced to tutor a bullying jock. Having had a taste of power with other spells, Willow couldn’t abide being treated this way, and risked many lives for a quick hit of feeling powerful again.
Then, in season 4’s “Something Blue,” Willow casts a “my will be done” spell that backfires horribly. Anything she says literally comes true, resulting in Giles losing his sight, Buffy and Spike getting engaged, and Xander attracting every demon Sunnydale has to offer.
Similar to her season 3 error in judgment, the entire reason for this spell was Willow’s feeling powerless. Still heartbroken over her breakup with Oz, Willow felt like her friends were pulling away from her (despite weeks of them supporting her through constant moping).
It was easy to miss these warning signs because of how much empathy we felt for Willow at the time.
In retrospect, it was easy to miss these warning signs because of how much empathy we felt for Willow at the time. We can all relate to being taken advantage of and devastating breakups. The only difference is that most of us don’t resort to the black arts (or real-world equivalent) to make ourselves feel better, and this signalled the great darkness Willow was capable of.
When It Came To Tara, Willow Showed She’d Go Full Villain Mode In Season 5
Willow Recklessly Went After Glory
As if we couldn’t love Willow even more, her and Tara’s romance became the best relationship in all of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was loving, sexy, and literally magical; it lacked the toxicity of Buffy’s relationship, and the Xanderness of Xander’s.
That’s why it was such a devastating blow when Glory “brain-sucked” Tara in Buffy season 5. It was a conflicting moment when Willow armed herself to the teeth with all the magic she could get her hands on, and stormed Glory’s apartment, ready to take the hell goddess on.
Prior to Tara’s attack, she and Willow had their first fight prompted by Tara’s admitting that Willow’s powers “frightened” her.
It was a stupid thing to do, and nearly got her killed. But while we all knew Willow was being reckless, this was yet another instance of our empathy blinding us to the villainy Willow proved capable of. In this case, her target was a demon with no redeeming qualities, but things would be a lot greyer in season 6.
Many of us didn’t feel an ounce of sympathy for Warren when Willow brutally murdered him after he accidentally killed Tara. But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s a human, nor that Dark Willow had no concern for potential casulaties in her warpath — even if they were her friends.
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Ultimately, Willow’s desire for power, reliance on dark magic when the chips are down, and bloodthirst for revenge against those who harm loved ones, were the ingredients for the perfect storm needed to unleash a true villain. And the groundwork was laid all the way back in Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 2.
