Character Arc
Angel is a centuries-old vampire cursed with a human soul, which forces him to live with crushing guilt over the countless killings he committed as the brutal Angelus. After leaving Buffy and Sunnydale, he relocates to Los Angeles determined to help others as a way of atoning for his violent past. He founds Angel Investigations and gradually opens himself to the people who become his family.
Throughout the series Angel wrestles with the constant danger that perfect happiness could strip away his soul and unleash Angelus once more. His brooding, guarded nature slowly softens as he learns to trust his team, even as prophecies and ancient enemies test his resolve. The arrival of his son Connor and his ongoing battle with the law firm Wolfram and Hart push him into morally murky territory.
In the final seasons Angel takes the controversial step of running the Los Angeles branch of Wolfram and Hart, hoping to fight evil from within the system. This choice costs him allies and forces him to question whether compromise corrupts the very cause he serves. By the series end he chooses to strike directly at the powers behind the firm, embracing the fight itself as the point, regardless of whether victory is possible.