Date: 1998

When Angel lost his soul, Angelus emerged, and the fight became personal. He did not rush to kill the Scoobies. Instead, he stalked them, attacked their weaknesses, and made sure they understood that Angel was truly gone. His cruelty was deliberate, meant to isolate Buffy and break the group from the inside. Angelus targeted their sense of safety and family. He murdered Jenny Calendar to punish Giles and leave him emotionally shattered, mocked Buffy’s love for Angel, and toyed with the Scoobies as if they were already dead. Every move reminded them that knowledge, loyalty, and compassion could be turned against them. The conflict ended only when Buffy chose duty over love. To stop Angelus from destroying the world, she killed the man she loved, cementing one of the hardest lessons the Scoobies ever learned. Evil does not always look like a monster, and sometimes the greatest victory comes at an unbearable cost.