“Smell that. Slayer blood. Nothing quite like it in the world, is there?“

First Appearance: Relationship Status: Complicated (Part 1)

Archaeus was an ancient Demon Lord whose essence birthed a distinct vampire bloodline — one that would eventually produce the Master, Darla, Angel, Drusilla, and Spike. Every vampire descended from him carried a fragment of his power, allowing Archaeus to whisper into their minds, stir their darker impulses, and bend them toward his will. Cunning, strategic, and patient, he was less a brute force than a calculating architect of corruption.

When magic was restored to the world, Archaeus emerged in San Francisco, his presence triggering violent dreams in Spike and Angel as he reached for the pieces of himself lodged within them. His attempts to open portals and reassert his influence drew the Scoobies into direct conflict, forcing old allies and old enemies to work together to stop him. Though thwarted, he did not fall — he simply shifted his battleground.

In Magic Town, Archaeus resurfaced alongside Drusilla, seeking to manipulate the newly awakened magical spirit that governed the district. He attempted to recruit Nadira, raised armies of vampires, and presented himself as a reasonable ruler while plotting domination. But when Angel’s allies stood firm and Drusilla’s forces faltered, the spirit of Magic Town recognised where true loyalty lay. Archaeus was sealed inside a stone vessel for a thousand years — a fitting prison for a demon who built his legacy on possession and control.

APPEARANCES

Buffy SEASON TEN

• Relationship Status: Complicated (Part 1)
• Relationship Status: Complicated (Part 2)
• Old Demons (Part 2)
• Old Demons (Part 3)

Angel & Faith SEASON TEN

• A Little More Than Kin (Part 2)
• A Tale of Two Families (Part 1)
• A Tale of Two Families (Part 2)
• A Tale of Two Families (Part 3)
• A Tale of Two Families (Part 4)
• A Tale of Two Families (Part 5)