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The antagonist or rival who serves as a dark mirror to the hero is a monumentally popular trope in pop culture, and Buffy the Vampire Slayerprovided one of the most successful examples of this archetype with Faith Lehane, the dark counterpart to Buffy Summers. Faith has one of the strongest character arcs in all the Buffyverse, with her recurring and guest appearances in both BTVS and Angel painting a full picture of just how different she is from Buffy.
Even so, Faith still isn't the darkest Slayer fans encounter in the franchise. That dubious honor goes to the oft-forgotten character of Dana, whose one-off appearance in Buffy is likely why fans rarely bring her up over 20 years on. This is a shame, though, because she is a deeply troubled character whose thoroughly unheroic actions make her a fascinating counterpart to not just Buffy and Faith, but also Angel and Spike.
Dana is Easily the Buffyverse's Darkest And Most Dangerous Slayer
Dana Appeared in Angel Season 5, Episode 11, "Damage"
As it aired after Buffy Season 7, Angel Season 5 had the unique opportunity to explore the unforeseen ramifications of Buffy's explosive series finale, "Chosen," which saw new Slayers being activated across the globe. While the finale itself portrayed this as a wholly positive event, the Angel episode "Damage" dared to explore what would happen if one of those young women who suddenly gained superpowers was even more dangerous and violent.
As a child, Dana became one of Walter Kindel's targets, a serial killer who murdered her family and then kept her locked up in his basement for months before she was finally rescued. The incident understandably caused Dana deep emotional and psychological trauma, and she became prone to bouts of extreme violence and rage. When she is chosen as a Slayer and imbued with super-strength, Dana breaks out of her psychiatric ward and goes on the run, killing multiple individuals along the way.
While it's common for Slayers to receive psychic visions of past Slayers, Dana's poor mental state unfortunately caused her own memories to blur with these visions. As such, she became convinced that Spike — who had executed two previous Slayers back during his evil days — was her kidnapper. Dana overpowers Spike and ties him up in the same basement she was kept in as a child, even going so far as to chop off his hands so that "he" cannot hurt her anymore. Thankfully, Angel and friends arrive and are able to knock Dana out with a tranquilizer dart. The sedated Dana is then taken into the care of a cameo-ing Andrew Wells, who has been tasked with retrieving the troubled Slayer by Buffy. What happened next to Dana is unknown.
Dana is Unique Because She is Both a Slayer and a Monster
With only one appearance in Buffy and Angel, Dana isn't the most fleshed-out of Slayers, especially as "Damage" is mostly told from Angel and Spike's perspectives. However, she remains a thoroughly intriguing character because she flips the typical formula of the franchise on its head. In the Buffyverse, the Slayers are the heroes, and the vampires are the villains. Except, in this episode, one traumatized Slayer takes an innocent vampire hostage, requiring another vampire to save him.
Due to her horrific experiences as a child, it's easy for fans to sympathize with Dana. Still, by the end of the episode, she has wholly stepped into the role of kidnapper, torturer, and murderer, and it becomes clear that whatever good there was in her has perhaps been burned out by her trauma. The thorny nature of her character is encapsulated perfectly by the episode's final exchange between Angel and Spike, in which the pair offer differing opinions on Dana's nature. Spike believes that Dana is too far gone and is now "one of us," likely meaning a 'monster'. Angel, meanwhile, maintains that Dana is merely an innocent victim, to which Spike retorts that so were they once.
The parallel between Angel, Spike, and Dana leaves "Damage" on a fascinating and ambiguous note as fans are left to ponder what separates someone who is justifiably damaged by evil and someone who is simply evil themselves. In that way, Dana parallels Faith as well. Like Faith, Dana never experienced the love and support of family and friends in the way Buffy did, which is why both ended up using their Slayer powers in mostly selfish and destructive ways.
Dana's Story Deserved To Be Continued
Unfortunately, "Damage" is Dana's only appearance in the Buffyverse, as Angel was subsequently canceled after its fifth season and, even to this day, the franchise has never returned to screens. Surprisingly, although many plot threads and characters from Buffy and Angel have been further explored in the comic book continuations published by both Dark Horse Comics and BOOM! Studios, Dana has likewise never made any further appearances in spin-off media either.
This is a real wasted opportunity, as a return for Dana would only deepen the themes of her introductory episode, whichever way the writers decided to bring her back. On the one hand, she could have healed from her trauma somewhat and be taking the steps towards doing good. On the other, any attempts to rehabilitate her may have utterly failed, and she could remain a powerful antagonist. If the former route was taken, Dana's return would complement Faith's redemption arc and prove that being a Slayer comes with an inner strength and ability to overcome adversity, as well as an innate capacity for heroism. If the latter, it would suggest that some trauma is simply too great to cure and even a victim can become a villain, much like Drusilla's arc in Buffy.
Technically speaking, Dana may have caused less havoc than Faith due to her small amount of screen time, but her character is far darker and more violent, meaning that she is the one who should be remembered as the ultimate "bad Slayer." Dana was more than just a dark mirror to Buffy — she also forced both Angel and Spike to take a long, hard look at themselves, too.
