Summary

  • Spike's redemption arc, as it began on the Buffy TV series, now feels complete, as he transitions from villain to stepfather in the Last Vampire Slayer comic series, solidifying his status as a fully redeemed hero.
  • Spike's journey from slayer-killer to slayer-stepdad is contextualized by a small moment where the slayer he's training, Willow and Tara's daughter Thessaly, refers to him as her stepdad.
  • Spike's arc comes full circle as he settles into domestic life, retiring from fighting and focusing on preserving Slayerhood, an institution he used to revile.

Warning: Spoilers for Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer (2023) #5!

Spike's redemption arc, originating on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series, is now complete, with the vampire earning "stepfather" status. As early as Buffy Season Four, Spike was on course to redeem himself for his villain era. He save the world in Season Seven, then moved on to Angel, helping the title character protect Los Angeles, but there was still more of his story to be told for the complex antihero.

Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer (2023) #5 – by Casey Gilly, Oriol Roig, Nicola Izzo, Gloria Martinelli, and Ed Dukeshire – officially solidifies Spike as a fully redeemed hero. Taking place years after the events of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in a post-apocalyptic future, Spike has been raising the future of Slayerhood as a Giles-esque Watcher.

The Last Vampire Slayer #5, Spike listens to a podcast while Buffy the Vampire Slayer and co. slay

Spike's role gets a whole new layer when the Slayer that he's training refers to Spike as her stepdad. This a small moment contextualizes Spike's journey since the start of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, especially as a former villain who used to take pride in killing two Slayers.

Spike Completes His Journey From Slayer-Killer To Slayer-Stepdad

The Last Vampire Slayer #5 Buffy the Vampire Slayer's protege and Willow's daughter Thessaly calls Spike her stepdad

Last year's Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer miniseries focused on a post-apocalyptic world where Buffy's powers are waning as she ages, with her as the only Slayer remaining on the planet. At least, so she thinks, until Buffy and Spike getting their happy ending, the two transition into a quieter, domestic background life with Thessaly being the new Slayer in charge.

At the same time, with Willow dead and Tara elsewhere, Buffy and Spike effectively adopt Thessaly. In The Last Vampire Slayer #5, if it wasn't immediately evident that Spike's life of fighting was behind him, it becomes clear as settles on staying in the car listening to podcasts while Buffy and Thessaly make a rare team-up to take down the latest monster of the week. Once everything is said and done, Thessaly asks her girlfriend if she wants to meet her stepdad, referring to Spike. She could have easily called him her Watcher instead, or even a trainer, but she opted for the role that resonated most with her.

The Last Vampire Slayer Brings Spike's Arc Full Circle

Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer (2023) #5, Spike warns Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Willow's daughter not to mess with his car buttons

Spike's biggest claim to fame as a Big Bad was being one of the few vampires to kill not one, but two Slayers. A lot has changed since his bad boy days, so much so that he's fully settled in domestic life with no ambitions to throw a punch at a monster like the good ole days. He's officially retired as both a bringer of chaos and as a fighter in favor of fathering (both literally and figuratively) the next generation of Slayer. In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Spike was all about causing chaos, but now he's all about preserving Slayerhood.

Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer (2023) #5 is on sale now from BOOM! Studios.