Bangel

Bangel
GENERAL
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Angel
Character	Buffy Summers
Character	Angel
Canonical?	Canon
Status of Relationship	Exes/Partners/Allies
IN FANDOM
Type (?)	Het
Tropes	• All Girls Want Bad Boys • Anguished Declaration of Love — The first time they say 'I love you'. 2x13 • Battle Couple • The Big Damn Kiss — Many, notably in 2x22 when Angel gets his soul back, they kiss, and Buffy runs Angel through with a sword and sends him to hell. • Brooding Boy, Gentle Girl • Can't Have Sex, Ever — Or he'll lose his soul and become a monster... again • Caught in the Rain — While escaping the Judge. It leads to their first time. • Confession Triggers Consummation — 2x13 • Cryptic Conversation — Angel plays their early encounters this way. • Enter Stage Window — The way Angel visits Buffy. • First Love • Held Gaze • Longing Look • Love at First Sight — Angel, with Buffy, before they met. He tells her he could see her heart and that's what he fell in love with • Love Theme — "Close Your Eyes" • Meet Cute • Monster/Slayer Romance — “A vampire in love with a Slayer. It's rather poetic” • Mysterious Watcher — In a non-creepy way as Angel does it to watch out for and aide the Slayer • Romantic Vampire Boy — With the crucial catch that Angel isn't a demon as he has a soul. • Ship Tease — S1 • So Happy Together — Their first time leads to Angelus • Star-Crossed Lovers • Their First Time — 2x13 • Voluntary Vampire Victim — In the season 3 finale, to save Angel’s life as he has been poisoned and the only cure is Slayer blood (before Buffy can volunteer Faith, Faith scarpers). • Will They or Won't They? • You Must Be Cold — Angel states to Buffy, ‘You’re cold’ while they banter at the Bronze, takes off his leather jacket and puts it on her.

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Bangel is the het ship between Buffy and Angel from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel fandoms.

Canon

Guided by Whistler, Angel is introduced to the new slayer, Buffy, and seemingly falls in love with her at first sight. He follows her to Sunnydale and keeps in the shadows, aiming to protect and aide her however he can. Buffy soon realizes he's following her and they meet for the first time. Buffy is instantly taken with Angel's mystique, but moreso his fighting abilities and willingness to help her do what's right. She develops a crush on Angel, but when he returns her feelings, their relationship grows intense and Buffy discovers Angel's true identity and past. Though shocked, Buffy decides that she can trust Angel to help her with Slaying and that she can trust him, as Angel is ensouled. Angel is torn by his feelings for Buffy, mostly when he sees what his competition for her affections, Xander, is able to give her that he can't: A 'normal' life, growing old together and his breath, when Xander revives a Buffy murdered at the hands of The Master.

Following her death, Buffy is traumatized and acts out, with Angel trying to reach her. As they fight a group of vampires trying to resurrect The Master, Buffy finally releases her anguish and Angel is there to comfort her. They start dating and fight together to protect Sunnydale from its Hellmouth proximity. Buffy becomes insecure about Angel's long 'life' and experience over centuries, and tries to broach the subject but quickly regrets doing so. For Halloween, she decides to dress up as one of the noblewomen Angel would've encountered in his original time period, as she imagines they are who he wants Buffy to be. Unfortunately, the costumes bear spells that turn the wearers into their costume, rendering Buffy a scared, helpless damsel in distress for an evening. Following their reversal of the spells, Angel is puzzled by why Buffy chose that specific costume and she reveals her fears. Angel assures her that he found those women only boring and incapable — that he prefers someone like Buffy, who is strong and independent.

They become a fighting duo as Angel helps Buffy in her work to rid Sunnydale of vampires, and grow closer. Following a near death experience with Spike and Drusilla, Buffy and Angel escape and, soaked by the rain, hide out in Angel's apartment. Overcome, they can't keep their feelings at bay any longer and they make love for the first time. Later, Angel wakes up seemingly in agony and runs out into the street in the pouring rain, falls to his knees in anguish and cries out for Buffy. His one true moment of happiness with Buffy activated the curse and Angel loses his soul. Angelus proceeds to emotionally abuse and torture Buffy who realises that Angel is gone and she is heartbroken.

Quotes

Angel – “You still my girl?”

Buffy – “Always”

Songs

i'll remember you | SOPHIE ZELMANI

buffy and angel kiss

it doesn't matter | ALISON KRAUSS & UNION STATION

angel visits buffy, but she's dismissive and he leaves again

she | LOUIE SAYS

angel asks buffy out

close your eyes (buffy/angel love theme) | CHRISTOPHE BECK

they say 'i love you'

Fanon

Bangel was the most popular het ship in the fandom and at its heights throughout the first three seasons, before Angel leaves for LA. To this day, Bangel is synonymous with Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, and the template for the tragic human/vampire star crossed lovers romance. Specifically the Romeo/Juliet element of the ship is something that drew viewers in and propelled their love story to another level. Viewers also enjoy that Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers) prefers Bangel over the unplanned, other vampire-with-a-soul ship, Spuffy. Bangel's biggest rivals are Spuffy and Cangel.

Fandom

FAN FICTION

Buffy/Angel tag on AO3

Buffy/Angel tag on FanFiction.net

TUMBLR

tumblr@bangelgifs

bangel posts on Tumblr

buffy x angel posts on Tumblr

bangeledit posts on Tumblr

tumblr@iwillrememberyoumarathon

tumblr@bangelalways 2016

tumblr@bangel-lovers 2015

WIKIS

Buffy/Angel on Fanlore

Trivia

• Sarah Michelle Gellar, the actress who portrays Buffy, is Team Angel.

Gallery

Main article: Bangel/Gallery