Buffy Season 8: Bringing Back [Spoiler] Made the Show’s Darkest Moment So Much Worse

One of the most notorious villains from Buffy the Vampire Slayer was resurrected with an outward appearance almost as horrifying as his personality. The Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight comics continued the show’s continuity, and unleashed storylines that shocked and satisfied fans. One of the biggest surprises is a group of Big Bads that the Scooby Gang finds themselves up against, including the reveal that one of their greatest foes is still alive.

Warren Mears is a major villain of season six of the show, driving Willow to the edge when he shoots her girlfriend, Tara. In retribution, Willow tortures then flays him, seemingly killing him. However, when he later appears in Season Eight #3 by Joss Whedon and Georges Jenty, it isn’t just his skinless smile that gives readers a fright.

This wouldn’t be the only surprising villain reveal of Season Eight, but it does lay the groundwork for what is possible in the world of the Dark Horse Comics continuation of the show.

The Show’s Darkest Moment Goes Even Darker

Warren seems like a joke of a villain in his first appearances on the show. As part of the Trio, three powerless human guys in Sunnydale, Warren usually represents misogyny gone supernatural, as he leads the charge in trying to make himself and his friends comic book supervillains. This sometimes works out humorously, as their incompetent plotting is no match for the Scoobies. However, tensions rise as they became more desperate, and Buffy won’t kill them like she has past villains, because they are still only human. After Warren accidentally kills Tara while trying to kill Buffy, Tara’s witchy girlfriend Willow unleashes her full power while taking revenge on Warren. Killing Warren is a turning point for Willow, making her reckon with her magical powers and how to righteously use them for good.

Willow Killing Warren Is Just The Beginning

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight reveals that former friend and current witch Amy magically resurrects Warren after his death by Willow, keeping him alive with magic “skin.” He and Amy are aligned with a U.S. military team going after the Slayers, with his vendetta being personal. When Warren gets Willow in his clutches, he uses the tools in his lab to torture and try to lobotomize her. While Willow is saved and uses her magic to restore herself, that’s not the hardest part of the experience to live through. She has spent the past few years in-universe coming to terms with her murder and making sure she keeps control of her powers so she doesn’t kill again. Finding out that it has all been for nothing and that she never really killed Warren throws her for a loop, especially because he has become even more horrifying in his resurrection.

There are many other surprise reveals throughout the Buffy the Vampire Slayer canon series, most famously the identity of Twilight, the Big Bad of Season Eight. Bringing back Warren, however, is a narrative gut punch to many fans who had real animosity for the Trio. He does eventually get his comeuppance as the Slayers destroyed the Seed and remove all magic from the world. But Warren’s appearance was a sign that no one was guaranteed to stay dead in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics.