Joss Whedon's long-running supernatural teen drama, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, was known for featuring a primary villain—known as the "Big Bad"—in every season; Warren Mears (Adam Busch) was arguably the worst of them all.

Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as the titular Slayer, Buffy and her friends thwarted several apocalypses and did battle with many different, supernatural foes through the show's seven seasons. Though Buffy's calling was primarily to fight and kill vampires, she also went toe to toe with demons, Gods, ancient evils, and other nefarious evildoers. Buffy the Vampire Slayer utilized a "monster of the week" format, but the overarching plot of each season dealt with a larger foe to face, and often taught Buffy and her friends a valuable lesson that helped the show serve a dual purpose as a coming of age tale, starting with the Slayer and her Scooby Gang as high school students, then leading into college and beyond.

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Warren Mears was first introduced in season 5, albeit briefly. In season 5, episode 15, "I Was Made To Love You", Buffy discovers the roboticist after encountering the robot woman he built, April—a role that was initially written for none other than Britney Spears—to be his girlfriend after a nasty break up with his human girlfriend, Katrina. While his blatant sexism was immediately apparent to audiences, Warren seemed like a villain who was meant to feature in a single episode, then never again. Despite being propositioned to build a robot Buffy for Spike to love, Warren faded into the background until season 6, when he re-emerged as part of The Trio.

Warren Represents The Human Monsters In The Buffyverse

Warren Mears on Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Season 6 was arguably the darkest season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer despite the "Big Bad" of the season being a group of three nerdy, human men. Warren, Jonathan (Danny Strong), and Andrew (Tom Lenk) aren't taken seriously at first, and their attempts to thwart Buffy are almost comical, with them using Warren's gadgets to attempt crime like bank heists and other, less violent crime that the three hope will bring them riches, power, and women. It's a far cry from the other villains the show has featured, many of whom wish to kill Buffy and her friends or end the world. However, The Trio served a purpose by teaching Buffy and her friends one of their most valuable lessons—don't underestimate the threat of a human monster.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer already proved that humans can be brave and formidable, primarily through Xander's (Nicholas Brendon) character; Xander is a mortal who lacks the knowledge of Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) or the magical prowess of Willow (Alyson Hannigan), but chooses to risk his life and fight alongside Buffy anyway. The Trio prove the opposite side of that particular coin after their antics take a dark turn. It was already established that Warren had a tumultuous relationship with his former girlfriend back in season 5, but his behavior took a turn for the worse in season 6, episode 13, "Dead Things". Warren hypnotizes Katrina into being his sex slave after the robot wasn't fully satisfying to him, and he ends up killing her in a fit of rage. This proved that the Buffyverse was exploring a new kind of monster: the dark roots of toxic masculinity.

Andrew and Jonathan were more harmless villains, and both of them suffered from Warren's bullying as well. Warren's sense of entitlement—to women, to riches, to power—was an empowering force because he truly believed the world owed him a debt. Eventually, Warren took this and his hatred of women too far and shot Buffy in her backyard, then inadvertently murdered Tara by shooting a stray bullet through her bedroom window. Warren's violence took a human form—a disgruntled gunman and abusive ex-boyfriend who no longer wanted to take 'no' for an answer.

The majority of villains on Buffy the Vampire Slayer are fictional monsters—their evil ways may be harmful and insidious, but it's their nature. Warren was born into the same human experience that all the heroes on the show were—he just chose to be evil, which makes him more wicked than any other Big Bad.

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