Warren Mears

“Women. You know, you’re just like the rest of ’em. Mind games.“

Played by Adam Busch

First Appearance: I Was Made to Love You

Warren Mears was a former Sunnydale High student with a brilliant but deeply unethical scientific mind. An expert in robotics, he built April, a robot girlfriend designed to adore him unconditionally. After abandoning her for Katrina Silber, Warren fled back to Sunnydale, only for April to follow and wreak havoc until Buffy intervened. Impressed by Warren’s work, Spike commissioned a Buffy Bot, a revelation that horrified Katrina and drove her away. Warren soon fell in with Jonathan Levinson and Andrew Wells, forming the Trio — a would‑be supervillain collective whose pranks escalated into genuine danger.

The turning point came when Warren brainwashed Katrina and attempted to rape her. In the ensuing struggle, he struck her with a bottle and killed her. He buried the body and manipulated Buffy into believing she was responsible. From there, Warren’s violence escalated. After a botched robbery, he shot Buffy in her own garden and accidentally killed Tara. His fate was sealed. Willow hunted him down, tortured him with visions of his crimes, and finally flayed him alive.

Yet Warren did not die. Moments after Willow’s attack, Amy Madison resurrected him with dark magic, keeping him alive despite his lack of skin. Consumed by hatred for both Willow and Buffy, Warren encouraged Amy’s vendettas and remained with her in the ruins of Sunnydale after its destruction. They survived for months in the crater until discovered by government investigators. In exchange for their cooperation, Warren demanded the chance to take revenge on Willow, even demonstrating his survival method by lobotomising a magically restrained version of her — a trap Buffy and Satsu later disrupted.

Under Twilight’s command, Warren and Amy constructed a magically enhanced missile that obliterated the Slayer Organization’s Scottish headquarters. Later, Andrew encountered a skinless Warren in Italy, claiming Amy had abandoned him. Warren feigned remorse and responsibility for past manipulations, but it was a ruse, interrupted when goat‑demons attacked. Amy dismissed the deception as doomed, reminding Andrew that Warren lacked the First Evil’s persuasive power.

After Twilight discarded them, Warren, Amy and the General briefly allied with the Scoobies during the battle for the Seed of Wonder. Warren fought alongside them in Sunnydale, only to be abandoned once more when the General fled. In Venice, Amy considered returning to help the Scoobies, but Warren vehemently refused, insisting Buffy and Willow were still the enemy.

When Buffy destroyed the Seed and magic vanished from the world, Warren’s unnatural existence finally collapsed. Without Amy’s spells to sustain him, his body disintegrated into a puddle of blood and bone — a grim end for a man who had clung to life through cruelty, manipulation and borrowed magic.

APPEARANCES

Buffy SEASON 5

Buffy SEASON 6