Drusilla (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Drusilla, or Dru for short, is a fictional character on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, portrayed by Juliet Landau. Created by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt, she is introduced as a main antagonist alongside her lover Spike in the second season of Buffy. In addition to returning in subsequent seasons, the character is featured as a villain on the spin-off show Angel as well. Flashbacks in both series reveal Drusilla's past as a young psychic in Victorian London who was driven insane by Angel before he ultimately turned her into a vampire. Spike and Dru are notably more subversive compared to other "Big Bads" that have opposed Buffy Summers. The duo was conceived as a Sid and Nancy-inspired vampiric pair so Landau chose to portray Drusilla with a Cockney accent, while the character's physical appearance drew from sources such as supermodel Kate Moss and the 1990s heroin chic aesthetic.
Drusilla | |
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Angel character | |
Juliet Landau as Drusilla. | |
First appearance | "School Hard" (1997) |
Last appearance | Finale (2018) |
Created by | Joss Whedon David Greenwalt |
Portrayed by | Juliet Landau |
In-universe information | |
Affiliation | Wolfram & Hart The Whirlwind |
Classification | Vampire |
Notable powers | Supernatural strength, speed and durability Enhanced healing Immortality Psychic abilities include precognition and hypnosis |
Following the conclusion of both series, Drusilla continued to appear in Expanded Universe materials in other media. Landau went on to co-write a two-issue Drusilla story arc for IDW Publishing's Angel comic book series in 2009, which continued her character's storyline.