D'Hoffryn

"Behold D'Hoffryn! Lord of Arashmaharr, he that turns the air to blood and rains death upon -- Miss Rosenberg! How lovely to see you again."

- D'Hoffryn

D'Hoffryn was one of the Lower Beings, a group of particularly powerful demons, the employer/master of Vengeance demons, and the ruler of the hell dimension of Arashmaharr. He was particularly fond of Anyanka and was responsible for her transformation into a Vengeance Demon.

Biography
It is unknown how long D'Hoffryn had been responsible for the creation of vengeance demons, but in ancient Greece, when the Slayer Artemia was tortured and killed by the vampire known as Kakistos, and his servants, D'Hoffryn subsequently facilitated the transformation of her maddened daughter Alexandra into the vengeance demon Malice, to enable her to destroy Kakistos' maenads. A later battle waged on Arashmaharr stripped Malice of her powers.

D'Hoffryn was in Sweden in medieval times where he met a young woman named Aud, who had recently used magic to turn her cheating boyfriend into a troll. He offered Aud a position as vengeance demon, and she became Anyanka, the Patron Saint of Scorned Women. When Anyanka, under the guise of Anya, was robbed of her powers by an alternate version of Rupert Giles while attempting to exact vengeance on behalf of Cordelia Chase, D'Hoffryn refused to help her, leaving Anya stuck in a teenage body.

D'Hoffryn attempted to convince Willow Rosenberg to become a vengeance demon after Oz left her following her accidental use of a 'Will Be Done' spell that rendered Giles blind, Xander attracting multiple random demons, and Spike and Buffy engaged. Willow declined the offer- although she did request D'Hoffryn's help in ending the spell-, but D'Hoffryn left his Talisman (a tool to summon him) in case she changes her mind. Two years later, D'Hoffryn was a guest at the failed wedding of Anya and Xander Harris. While acting almost father-like during the wedding, after Xander leaves Anya at the altar, D'Hoffryn convinces her to become a vengeance demon once again.

Anya's second stint as a vengeance demon was short-lived, her time as a human having left her feeling uncomfortable about unleashing vengeance like she had before, and during a confrontation between Anya and Buffy Summers, Willow summoned D'Hoffryn to help put a stop to the fighting. D'Hoffryn asks Anya what she wants, and she says that she wants to reverse the vengeance she had exacted, which had caused a massacre. D'Hoffryn granted her wish, telling her that it would require the sacrifice of a vengeance demon's body and soul. Believing she was about to die, Anya was resigned to her fate only to watch helplessly as D'Hoffryn summoned her friend Halfrek and immolates her. D'Hoffryn then left, disgusted with Anya, though not before rendering her human again and leaving the oft-repeated ominous warning of "From beneath you, it devours". Despite his philosophy of "Never go for the kill when you can go for the pain," D'Hoffryn sent at least two demon assassins to kill Anya, but they were both defeated by Buffy and Spike, respectively.

Personality and traits
"Haven't I taught you anything, Anya? Never go for the kill when you can go for the pain."

- D'Hoffryn

At first glance, D'Hoffryn seemed gentle and kind, particularly towards the women he sought to recruit as Vengeance demons, to which he presented himself in a fatherly manner in order to gain their trust. He showed a charismatic and charming personality and took pride in his demon's actions as a parent would with their kids. Nonetheless, beneath his friendly demeanor, D'Hoffryn remained a somewhat sadistic, cold demon who obtained satisfaction by witnessing the suffering of others. He also had little tolerance for rejection, as demonstrated by the assassins he sent to eliminate Anya after she renounced being a Vengeance demon.

Behind the Scenes

 * He was portrayed by Andy Umberger.

Appearances

 * "Doppelgängland"
 * "Something Blue"
 * "Hell's Bells"
 * "Lessons"
 * "Selfless"
 * "Him"
 * "Get It Done"
 * Go Ask Malice