Fans of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” were sad when her love interest and fan favorite Angel announced his departure at the end of the third season. But the character of Angel, played by David Boreanaz, got his own spin-off show that took him away from Sunnydale and to the big city of Los Angeles. “Angel” debuted on October 5, 1999 and immediately split fans on which was the “better” show. Read on for more about the “Angel” 25th anniversary.

The character of Angel was born an Irishman named Liam, who was turned into a vampire by Darla (Julie Benz) over two centuries before, and became the sadistic and feared Angelus, who caused years of death and destruction across Europe. But he wreaked havoc on the wrong people when he angered the Romani clan, who cursed him with his human soul filled with memories of the pain he has caused. His guilt and...