Anya Jenkins

"For a thousand years I wielded the powers of the wish. I brought ruin to the heads of unfaithful men. I brought forth destruction and chaos for the pleasure of the lower beings. I was feared and worshiped across the mortal globe and now I'm stuck at Sunnydale High! Mortal. Child. And I'm flunking math."

- Anya

Anya Christina Emmanuella Jenkins was a member of the "Scooby Gang" and a former vengeance demon. Over a thousand years old, she was originally known as Aud and lived in Sweden. After cursing her unfaithful lover, Aud was approached by the demon D'Hoffryn with the offer of becoming an immortal demon and dedicating her life to vengeance. She accepted and was transformed into Anyanka, earning the title of Patron Saint Of The Women Scorned as she spent a millennium granting dark wishes to the girlfriends and wives of men.

However, Anyanka met her downfall in 1998 when she took the guise of Anya Emerson and came to grant a wish in Sunnydale. Stripped of her demonhood by an alternate version of Rupert Giles, she lost her powers and was forced to live the rest of her life as the human Anya Emerson. Then later on, she invented the name Anya Christina Emanuella Jenkins which she used from then on as a mortal human.

In an ironic twist, she even came to fall in love with Xander Harris, the man she was sent to destroy, and through him learned true happiness for the first time. Before the battle against Glory in a successful effort to save Dawn's life, Xander and Anya got engaged; but Xander told Anya that he did not want to get married straight away. In 2003, Anya was killed in the battle which destroyed the Sunnydale Hellmouth, although she returned a few years later to haunt Xander for some time.

Aud
"I don't talk to people much. I mean, I talk to them, but they don't talk to me. Except to say, "Your questions are irksome", and "Perhaps you should take your furs and your literal interpretations to the other side of the river"."

- Aud



Aud was born in Sjornjost, Sweden in 860. She grew up raising rabbits and became the outsider of her village, whose inhabitants labeled her as "odd because she speaks her mind." By the age of twenty, Aud had fallen in love with a man named Olaf, a Viking warrior who enjoyed hunting trolls and drinking at the bar. One night, Olaf drunkenly slept with a bar maid named Rannveig and a furious Aud resorted to magic to curse him with simple vengeance spells like boils on his penis. She then turned him into a troll, and he was forced to flee from his fellow villagers, who did not believe his story.

Anyanka


"Vengeance is what I do, Halfrek. I don't need anything else. Vengeance is what I am."

- Anyanka

The act of vengeance against her lover Olaf gained the attention of D'Hoffryn, a demon who offered to elevate Aud to the status of a vengeance demon. She became known as Anyanka, and earned the title of "Patron Saint Of The Women Scorned." Her power source was an amulet with the power to grant dark wishes for the amusement of the pestilent deities. However, like all vengeance demons, Anyanka's interpretation of the wish expressed would often be rather loose and considerably more destructive than the wisher intended. For example, a girl wished her husband's head would explode, another wished that her ex would cannibalize himself, another was transformed into a dog, another become attracted by other guys.



In 1199, Anyanka traveled to the Kastka valleys above the Urals to curse an unfaithful shepherd and was caught in the middle of a sorcerer's Ascension to the form of the demon Lohesh. She managed to escape, but was shocked by the death and carnage which claimed almost the entire village. In the 16th century, Anyanka came to know the French sorcerer Cloutier who, despite inventing a spell hated by demons, she though was cute.

She met the famous vampire Dracula in 1579 who left a positive impression on her by congratulating her on having made a man incredibly fat and was present at the Salem witch trials in 1692. In the 19th century, Anyanka became close friends with fellow vengeance demon Halfrek, who she shared a fierce rivalry with during The Crimean War. Despite their competition, Halfrek secretly admired Anyanka, and was impressed when a wish she granted sparked a revolution in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1905. In 1914, Anyanka went to Chicago, Illinois to exact vengeance on a philanderer called Stewart Burns, transforming him into a grotesque demon and banishing him to a hell dimension for all eternity. At a certain point, she was friend with Gnarl.

Anya Emerson


In 1998, Anyanka arrived to Sunnydale, California to punish teenager Xander Harris for cheating on his girlfriend Cordelia Chase with his best friend, Willow Rosenberg. Taking on the guise of Anya Emerson, she enrolled at Sunnydale High School and befriended Cordelia Chase in order to trick her into making a wish. Blaming the Slayer Buffy Summers for everything that was wrong in her life, Cordelia wished that Buffy had never come to Sunnydale, and was transported to a grim alternate universe where The Master had risen and both Xander and Willow were vampires. Unfortunately for Anyanka, Buffy's Watcher Rupert Giles discovered what was going on and destroyed her amulet, undoing Cordelia's wish and rendering Anya mortal again. D'Hoffryn refused to restore her powers and Anya was forced to live out her life as a human as punishment for her failure.





Determined to get her powers back, Anya tricked Willow, who was a witch, into helping her retrieve her amulet from the alternate universe. Instead, they accidentally pulled out the vampire version of Willow, who proceeded to cause mayhem in Sunnydale. When Anya realized her mistake, she allied herself with the vampire Willow, but they were both captured by Buffy and the Scooby Gang, who forced her to send the vampire Willow back to her own reality. Anya continued to live her life as a high school student and, despite her abhorrence of all men, she yearned to have a date for the prom. She asked Xander to the dance because she knew he had no other date and he reluctantly accepted for the same reason. After the prom, Anya began to develop feelings for Xander and asked him out again shortly before graduation. However, these plans were put on hold when he told her that the Mayor of Sunnydale, Richard Wilkins, was planning to ascend to true demon form on Graduation Day and eat all the students. Although she offered some advice to the Scoobies regarding the Ascension she witnessed in 1199, Anya was too afraid to help them fight the Mayor and decided to leave town. Xander refused to abandon his friends, so she left without him.

Relationship with Xander


Anya returned to Sunnydale several months later, still infatuated with Xander. She persuaded him to sleep with her in the hopes of getting him out of her system, but it didn't work and instead they began dating. Xander invited her to a Halloween party and she decided to wear a bunny suit as her scary costume, revealing her trademark fear of rabbits. When the demon Gachnar attacked the party, Anya saved Xander and his friends by going to Giles for help. Worried that Xander did not really care about her, Anya was moved when he mistakenly believed that she had been killed by Spike and proceeded to beat the vampire up. The couple began to argue over where their relationship was going, but when a party they were attending was attacked by a poltergeist, Anya risked her life and braved painful injuries to rescue Xander from being drowned. Anya's lack of social skills soon made her unpopular with the rest of the Scooby Gang, particularly Willow, who had little trust for the ex-demon. However, Anya continued to help them for Xander's sake, and was eventually accepted as an official member. Anya supported Xander during the brief period when Spike's manipulations created a rift between the Scoobies. Soon after Giles took over The Magic Box, a local occult store, Anya was hired as an employee because of her interest and talent for finances.

When Giles briefly left Sunnydale, he reluctantly left Anya in charge of the shop. During an argument, she and Willow accidentally released Olaf the troll from a crystal. It was revealed that Willow and Anya's mutual dislike stemmed from the fear of each that the other would hurt Xander. When Xander protected both women equally from Olaf, they finally came to an understanding and worked together to banish Olaf to the Land of the Trolls. As the Scoobies prepared to confront the hellgod Glorificus, Anya provided crucial advice by suggesting that they use the Dagon Sphere and Olaf's hammer in the fight. During the battle with Glory, Anya heroically saved Xander from falling rubble and was knocked unconscious, while Buffy sacrificed her life saving Dawn and the world from a dimensional rift; Anya later played a part in the spell to resurrect her.

Engagement to Xander
"I mean, mortal life being so short, we gotta cram in as much marital bliss as we can before we wither and die."

- Anya



Shortly before the battle against Glory, Xander asked Anya to marry him if they survived, and she agreed.

Anya began to feel frustrated when Xander refused to announce their engagement so soon after Buffy's death, but he finally did on Halloween.

On her wedding day, Anya's former victim Stewart Burns showed up and tried to manipulate Xander by showing him false visions of an unhappy future with Anya. Buffy defeated the demonic Burns, but Xander decided to call off the wedding anyway, as the vision Burns had shown him of the future reawakened his old fears at turning out like his parents. He left Anya heartbroken at the altar. Hurt and angry, Anya accepted D'Hoffryn's offer to become a vengeance demon again. Unable to wish vengeance on Xander herself, she attempted to get Spike drunk so that he would make the wish for her. Instead, she found comfort with Spike and the two had sex in the Magic Box, unknowing they were being recorded by the Trio. Xander sees them and is disgusted which hurts Anya. While Spike nearly does make a vengeance wish, Anya stops him herself. When Tara was murdered, Anya was able to sense Willow's thirst for vengeance but was unable to stop her from being consumed by dark magic and turning evil. During this time, Anya revealed to the other Scoobies that she was a vengeance demon again, but nevertheless aided them until Xander managed to get through to Willow and restore her humanity.

Finding Herself
"When it's something that really matters, they fight. I mean, they're lame morons for fighting but they do. They never... they never quit. So, I guess I will keep fighting too."

- Anya



As she continued being a vengeance demon, Anya discovered she no longer enjoyed her work. She spent a summer granting half-hearted wishes and soon gained a reputation as "soft serve" among her fellow demons. To gain her colleagues' respect, she turned a man whose girlfriend wished he were a worm into a Sluggoth Demon. However, Xander convinced her to reverse the wish and D'Hoffryn punished her by removing her ability to teleport. Encouraged down a darker path by Halfrek, Anya massacred a group of fraternity boys by summoning a Grimslaw Demon to rip their hearts out. She was later horrified by what she had done and, after a battle with Buffy, begged D'Hoffryn to reverse the wish. D'Hoffryn agreed, but at the cost of a vengeance demon's soul, and Anya was willing to sacrifice herself for the boys. Instead, D'Hoffryn murdered Halfrek and turned Anya human once again so she would have to live with the pain of what she had done. Realizing she had always been dependent on others in life, Anya resolved to find a purpose for herself. However, when D'Hoffryn sent assassins to kill her, she sought safety at Buffy's house and re-joined the Scooby Gang. Anya and Xander finally made peace with each other, though had several flings together. Anya admitted to Andrew Wells that she secretly admired how determined humans could be in times of crisis, and in the final battle against the First Evil, she died when she was nearly sliced in half brutally from behind by a Bringer's sword. Her death was avenged by Andrew who kills the Bringer with his own sword. The last we see of Anya is her body, blood dribbling from her mouth as Xander called for her, and she was left in the high school as the entire town of Sunnydale was consumed by the Hellmouth, therefore swallowing her up as well. Andrew comforted Xander by telling him that Anya died saving his life, to which Xander tearfully replied, "That's my girl. Always doing the stupid thing."

Haunting Xander


Soon after the new Seed was created and magic was returned to earth, Anya was revealed to have been haunting Xander, literally, although when this started is still unclear. Only Xander was able to see her, and they often bickered about their past relationship and her death. Anya was present during the Santa Rosita crisis, and spoke with Xander during his flight to visit Dracula. She gave him advice about his current relationship with Dawn, and suggested maybe her afterlife was interrupted because she was meant to prevent it from failing like their own, although Anya was only speculating. While berating Xander for not cleaning himself during a low in his life Anya and Xander discovered that their pet kittens could see Anya. Xander exclaimed that this meant she was actually real and not just a mental illness like they suspected. Later while investigating a case where a psychic was possessed by a demon said demon remarked that Anya 'wasn't invited' and attempted to attack her. Xander saved her and before she regained full consciousness the psychic remarked that Anya Jenkins' soul was at rest and the being haunting him was not the real Anya (whether she knew it or not). Xander hid this from Anya and she is eventually shown in a cavern talking to an unseen entity about a job involving Xander, remarking she has grown fond of him. When Xander 'abandoned' her to accompany Dawn when Dawn was forced to stay on the other side of a dimensional rift to close it, it was revealed that this manifestation was created by D'Hoffryn as part of his own schemes, with D'Hoffryn considering her ready to become what Anya should have been now that she has seen the 'selfish' nature of the Scoobies. However, in the final confrontation between D'Hoffryn and the Scoobies, D'hoffryn now wielding the full powers of the Magic Council after manipulating the Scoobies into granting him that power, the 'new' Anya showed her independence by appearing to disintegrate Xander and subsequently granting Buffy's vengeful wish that she had never given D'Hoffryn the opportunity to take such power. D'Hoffryn attacked her for this defiance, particularly when it was revealed that Anya had just temporarily turned Xander into a ghost-like state rather than actually killing him, and burnt her to death. Anya died content with her brief existence, having affirmed that she was her own person despite D'Hoffryn's control over her life and death. Anya's bodies was then cremated and placed inside an urn inside Xander's apartment.

Clothing
While at Sunnydale High, Anya wore outfits more suited to the approval of Cordelia Chase and other popular students in order to infiltrate them. This sense of style seemed to progress until the end of the school year. The following years, Anya showed to have a penchant for vintage outfits as well as one piece dresses and cardigans. As a ghost, she only used the same long dress and pendant.

Hair
Similar to Cordelia Chase, Anya consistently changed the color and style of her hair. For most of history, Anya's hair remained dark brown and long in length. While at Sunnydale High, Anya retained short, light brown hair while made it darker when she started dating Xander. By the end of 1999, Anya lightened her hair cut it down into a bob but let it grow out the following months. During the months Glory was around, Anya retained short, curly and blondish hair which eventually grew out the later months. After Buffy's resurrection, Anya kept long, sandy blond hair, similar to Buffy's the year before. In the months as a Vengeance Demons after Willow's attempt at destroying the world, Anya had long, dark brown hair and eventually cut it down and made it blond again before her death. As a ghost, her hair remained the same from during her death: dark blond, short, and curly.

Personality
"Anya, I have faith in you. There is no-one that you cannot piss off."

- Willow

When Anya had her arm broken defending Buffy's younger sister Dawn from a vampire, she was reminded of her own mortality and began to feel depressed about her inevitable death. She continues to have a characteristic inability to react to things like a normal human, and is frequently frustrated by her lack of powers. She also has a distinctive way of speaking, which is ironically best described by her own description of April (a robot): "She speaks with a strange evenness and selects her words a shade too precisely." She has also shown some knowledge of pop culture, possibly due to her relationship with Xander, and was described by Andrew Wells as "the perfect woman" (she responds to this with "I've often thought so"). When rejected sexually, Anya typically questions the effectiveness of her hair.

Some of Anya's defining personality traits were her lack of tact, brutal honesty and poor social skills. A few examples are when she referred to Olivia Williams as Giles' "orgasm friend"; upon discovering that Dawn was the Key, she openly remarked "You make a lovely little girl!" to Dawn's face; she repeatedly asked inappropriate questions about what the doctors were going to do with Joyce Summers' body, which deeply disgusted and upset Willow, though Anya responded by breaking down into tears, explaining that she could not understand why Joyce died or how death works, actually giving a moving and heart sore eulogy of Joyce. She repeatedly mentioned to Buffy that she had been in Hell, earning multiple reprimands from Xander and the gang; and she kept remarking right in front of the Potential Slayers that they were all going to die one way or another. . According to Olaf, Anya had the same personality prior to become Vengeance Demon.

Most notably, she also tended to treat Dawn as though she were much younger than she actually was; sometimes speaking to Dawn as if she were a five-year-old child, rather than a 15-year-old teenager. Anya did, however, show some fondness for Dawn, whom she often babysat with Xander and for whom she risked her life on various occasions.

Anya frequently reminisced about her life as a vengeance demon, describing graphic punishments and murders she had inflicted in over a millennium, most of which could be viewed as disproportionate retribution. She often appeared oddly wistful when thinking of her past deeds as a vengeance demon and even seemed to miss that stage of her life sometimes. However, when she did return as a vengeance demon, she was overwhelmed by guilt after granting a wish that left 12 frat boys dead, leading her to ultimately turn her back on vengeance.

Though Anya's lack of social tact remained one of her most prominent character traits, she experienced marked growth throughout the series. Although she sometimes mocked certain human traits as "foolish," she continued to fight alongside the Scoobies and admitted that she admired human resilience, saying that "When it's something that really matters, they fight. I mean, they're lame morons for fighting, but they do."

Anya appears to have adventurous sexual side hinting that she and Xander have indulged in costume roleplaying, bondage, spanking and using Buffy's vaulting horse in their intercourse. She also considers some of the magic spells she performs with Willow to be 'sexy'.

Ultimately, Anya proved to be strong-willed, caring and brave, willing to risk her life to help save the world. As she reflected upon several times in the face of impending doom, she had grown to believe in something worth fighting for. Despite some misgivings over her directness and priorities, the Scoobies accepted her as one of their own by the end of the series.

Phobias


Anya was known for having an irrational fear of rabbits (called Leporiphobia) which she shamelessly displayed numerous times.

Anya, or Aud, as she was then known, bred rabbits before becoming the demon Anyanka. She suggested to her lover Olaf that they should give the rabbits to people, "not for goods or services, but for goodwill and the sense of accomplishment that comes with selflessly giving of yourself to others." Aud's generosity, as well as her comfort around her rabbits, would be a marked contrast to her later persona as Anya.



For Halloween 1999, the newly human Anya dressed up as a bunny in response to Xander's advice that she wear something scary. Later, while the Scoobies and discussing a reptile worshiping cult, Xander jokes he wishes they could fight bunny worshipers ever now and again, for which Anya berates him, stating she will have nightmares. Shortly before battling Glory, Anya believed that a stuffed bunny she found was an omen that they were all going to die. When Sunnydale was turned into a living musical, Anya decided to blame bunnies for the incident, singing "Bunnies aren't just cute like everybody supposes. They got them hoppy legs and twitchy little noses, and what's with all the carrots? What do they need such good eyesight for anyway?" After losing her memory, Anya accidentally used magic to conjure dozens of bunnies, much to her terror. In the battle against the First Evil, comrade Andrew Wells advised Anya to think about happy things to ease her nerves, like "a lake. Candy canes. Bunnies." The thought of bunnies filled Anya with a grim determination, and she slaughtered several Turok-Han as a result.

It seems that Anya also has a slight fear of getting old, as it was something she never had to consider when she was a vengeance demon. Her previous demon life also left her with the impression that to die is "mortal and stupid."

Monkey Love
Although she has a phobia towards bunnies, she seems to love monkeys. She tried to convince Dawn and Xander to go and see a movie about a monkey who played ice hockey. Furthermore, Anya said that she and Xander were watching "Monkey Trouble" when they started singing.

Money
"Money! Did you hurt the money? Money Good? She endangered the Money!" "Of course, that's what she cares about: 'I like money better than people. People can so rarely be exchanged for goods and services'"

- Anya and Willow

Shortly after she became human, Anya discovered she had a love for money and capitalism, and her budding retail skills encouraged Giles to hire her as a cashier in his occult shop, the Magic Box. Additionally, Anya was very studious in the field of the mathematics. Her love of money grows to become a fixation and a defining trait: the 'Buffy Bot' lists 'loves money' as her key information, and uses this in conversation with her. Anya displays an innate flair for business. She practically runs The Magic Box and is able to triple the money she made working for Giles through online trading. Anya's love of money even transfers to fictional money; she regularly cheats at cards even when playing for pennies, and while playing 'The Game of Life' with Xander and Dawn she attempts to trade her children for more fake cash. Eventually, Dawn refused to play games with Anya because she 'always wins', and so Anya attempts to convince her to 'raise to stakes' and play 'The Game of Life' for real money. Under the charm of R.J. Brooks's jacket, this obsession was not totally erased; in order to prove her love, she commits a hold-up to the Sunnydale Securities Bank

In sharp contrast to this attitude, as Aud, Anya bred rabbits hoping to give them away as pets in exchange for the goodwill of her fellow villagers rather than money, and as a vengeance demon, she expressed sympathy with Communist ideas.

Powers and Abilities
"You wish it, I dish it. I thought we were clear on that."

- Anya

Anyanka possessed the ability to grant wishes of vengeance and had a frightening demonic form in which her face appeared to be skinless with exposed veins. She was much stronger than some demons and vampires (knocking Spike across the room while lying down) in addition to holding her own against Buffy, surviving being run through with a sword. She could teleport, use telekinesis, and heal quickly. Anyanka also had a psychic sense of a woman's desire for vengeance and could tell if a vampire has a soul.

With over a thousand years of experience as a former vengeance demon, Anya's knowledge of demonology was immense. Although Anya's native language is Old Norse, she spoke fluent, if sometimes stilted, English as well as some French and Latin.

Thanks to her countless years of experience, Anya also exhibits some basic knowledge of magic. She is seen numerous times commenting on Willow's spell-casting and interest in magic with a reasonable degree of insight, and has occasionally participated in the casting of spells herself. When she was a human, Anya's experience and practice of combat from her times as a demon allowed her to be an effective fighter, as seen in the battle of the hellmouth

Romantic

 * Olaf — The two dated when Anya was Aud. Together they shared a very affectionate relationship as Olaf appreciated Anya's tendency to speak her mind and the fact her "hips are narrow, like a Baltic woman from a slightly more arid region" while Anya claimed she couldn't live without him. After cheating on her, Anya was so enraged she performed a complex curse that turned him into a troll, and she later trapped him inside a small gem stone form which he wasn't released for hundreds of years. Her extreme actions caught the attention of D'Hoffryn and lead to her becoming a Vengeance Demon.
 * Torg — Anya once had a fling with the demon Torg during a massacre in her demon days. Despite it being only one night, they seemed to have shared somewhat of a connection especially Torg as he remembered she wore pink at the event (they were actually entrails). When trying to get Torg to open the portal to the Beljoxa's Eye as a human, Anya was willing to sleep with him for him to do it but he rejected the offer as he was put off by her human appearance.
 * Xander Harris — Anya approached Xander asking to be her date at the Sunnydale High Prom because they both had no one to go with at that point and she knew he found her attractive as she caught him looking at her breasts, despite her almost hatred of men and that they were all evil. At the prom, the date itself was not comfortable as she talked about the men she slaughtered as a demon, causing Xander to not truly be around her. They did share a awkward dance, causing to admit that it was "nice". Despite this, Anya developed feelings for him and tried to gain his interest by saying she was willing to talk about sports, though this didn't work. Afraid for his and her own life, she offered Xander the chance to leave town with her because the thought of him dying made her want to throw-up, much to her confusion and horror. After trying unsuccessfully to convince him to come, she angrily stated she hoped he died only to be disappointed when he walked away, wishing he had kissed her. Returning to Sunnydale, she continued to date him after she seduced him with the hopes off getting him out of her mind, stripping naked in his basement and explaining her plan in a tactical sense.  Over time, Xander and Anya began to seriously date when she realized that their sexual encounter did not make her get over him as she had hoped. She had tended to a sickened and partially dying Xander when he was suffering from the curse of the Shumash Indians despite becoming deeply offended when he had ignorantly retorted that all Vengeance demons should be killed. Anya soon started to become unhappy with their relationship. She had concluded that Xander only cared about sleeping with her, he did not need her or truly care for her the way she did him. However, her fear was soon put to rest when Xander had beat up Spike under the assumption that he had killed Anya, believing he really did care for her after all. Anya eventually concluded they were breaking up when Xander did not have sex with her the day before, concluding he no longer wanted her. Xander was confused by her view of things, claiming she was overreacting. Anya, however, was not swayed and started up a friendly conversation with Spike, relating to their adjustments to not using their powers and relationship troubles. When Xander showed jealousy of this, Anya argued with him and they proceeded to break up with each other. However, the break-up was short-lived, as Anya realized her assumption was wrong and Xander was still into her. Anya would also casually comment on Xander's sexual performance, saying he was "like a Viking in the sack." When Xander was brooding over his fight with her friends and his own directionless life, Anya comforted him. She told him even if they were right, he was still a good man and a good boyfriend. She would then confess to him that she was in love with him. Anya grew frustrated with Xander's basement, causing him to finally move out of it. Anya again showed how serious her feelings were, admitting to him that she wanted a car, a puppy, and a child next before she got old. Xander had sincerely alleviated her fears of growing old, telling her that aging was not nearly as bad as she believed. Upon the realization that Xander was split into two different entities (his weaker and stronger half), Anya liked this development. She bluntly told the group to hold off on reversing it for the night because she would like to have a threesome with the two Xanders. However, everyone disregarded her crude request and reversed it anyways. Anya was humorously annoyed, defending it by saying it wasn't technically cheating.  Their relationship did have constant strains due to her blunt honesty but sustained as Anya made him feel like a grown-up while he made her feel like a human, Xander admitting he was in love with her. During an argument with Willow and their conflict over Xander, Anya denied Willow's belief that she would someday wreck vengeance on him and insisted she would never hurt him. Anya's devotion towards him went so far that she was willing to die instead of Xander when Olaf had him in her clutches.  After sleeping with him, Anya stated they could have children, slightly alarming Xander who was nowhere near ready for that commitment. She agreed, but she liked the thought that they could someday, showing further depth in their relationship. Anya felt great excitement about her wedding, while Xander's self-conscious doubts caused him to leave her at the altar. This devastated Anya and led to her reverting back to working as a vengeance demon. While trying to console herself in the aftermath of the wedding, Anya slept with Spike, an act that hurt Xander deeply. When Buffy set out to slay Anya for her role in killing 12 frat boys, Xander was adamantly against it, showing that he did still care for her. When Anya offered up her powers and even her life to undo the damage she had caused, Xander consoled her and tried to help her find her own identity. Anya and Xander later managed to patch things together, talking out what had happened between them and revealing to each other that they still shared a mutual love. They had sex several times leading up to the final battle, though they never did officially get back together. In the finale, Xander showed that he still greatly cared for Anya, as he searched for her during the destruction of Sunnydale.
 * Spike — Unlike most of the Scooby Gang, Anya never showed any dislike or annoyance of Spike after being chipped. She attempted to give Spike a lamp believing it was customary, only for a thoroughly annoyed Xander to take it away from her. Anya also gave him advice over finding a area with electricity so he could have a refrigerator to keep his blood fresh. Distraught over her complications with Xander, Anya again ran into Spike. They discussed their cynical views on love and their struggles to fit in without their supernatural abilities, developing an odd sort of connection. Spike offered they should kill their lovers who hurt them (Drusilla, Xander), but both soon came to agreement their heart was just not into it. Anya decided to take him to The Initiative's party. Upon the realization of where he was, Spike was angry and confused that she had brought him to a place he could easily get caught in. An argument between Xander and Spike soon erupted. Anya briefly took Spike's side over Xander's, not fully convinced his jealousy meant enough. Anya had had also slightly mocked him when Spike realized he could not even point a fake gun towards humans, noting how humiliating it was.  After her wedding with Xander was called off, Spike and Anya drunkenly bonded over the fact they were often put outcasts to the Scooby Gang and ended up having a one-night stand while unknowingly being watched by one of the Trio's hidden cameras in the Magic Box.

Other

 * Rupert Giles — Giles was often irritated by Anya ever since she bluntly told him to go away at his own apartment when she wanted to talk to Xander alone. After seeing her effectiveness behind the counter, Giles hired her to work at the Magic Box, though they still continued to argue. After Buffy's death, Anya became impatient with Giles' reluctance to leave Sunnydale, as she wanted to take over ownership of the Magic Box, which Giles eventually gave to her. After losing their memories, they deduced that they were both engaged with each other despite their physical age difference. In that time, they argued over what book to use to recollect their memory until they undid all of the spells Anya had cast, causing them to reunite and share a kiss, which they denied after regaining their memory. When Giles returned to Sunnydale during Dark Willow's rampage, she showed a lot of affection for him, and was keen to hug him along with Buffy. Though being actually very much older than him, she looks at Giles, like Buffy and Willow, as a father figure.
 * Willow Rosenberg — Anya contacted Willow after she was trapped into her human form, hearing that she was a "pretty powerful wicca". Seeking her help, they did a spell to retrieve her necklace in the Wishverse but it backfired. This event earned Anya Willow's dislike and a view that she was "evil". Like most Willow could not stand Anya while Anya took badly to her sarcasm. Their conflict resulting in them summoning Anya's ex-boyfriend Olaf who they then worked together to send away, Willow performing the spell to do it and Anya briefly distracting him with her insults as Willow claimed there is "no-one you [Anya] can't piss off". Anya would also misinterpret Willow's dislike of her relationship with Xander as jealousy, causing her to immediately deny this and remind her she was gay. Anya also appeared to think Willow would hurt Xander with her magic, but both eventually formed a strained peace with each other when they accepted their important place in Xander's life and how they both could relate over their care for him. Anya was also concerned when Willow, becoming a dark witch after Tara's death, trying to reason her. When Willow returned to Sunnydale, Anya was the only one of the Scoobies who could see and be seen by Willow, "thanks" to the grudge they bear each other. She anyway helped Willow locate the demon Gnarl when Buffy, Xander and Dawn couldn't see her. The two once again connected over their mutual fear of losing control of their powers and hurting the ones they loved. Though being able to collaborate with each other, they shared always a rival, if not almost hostile, relationship. When Anyanka is threatened to be killed by Buffy, it is Willow who calls D'Hoffryn to find a way to save her.Ironically, Willow did offer to kill Anya to provide Spike with blood after his ensoulment.
 * D'Hoffryn — Aud met D'Hoffryn when her act of vengeance against her lover Olaf gained his attention. Both impressed and fascinated, the demon offered to elevate her to the status of a vengeance demon. After doing so, he developed a paternal affection for her as Anyanka. As established by Halfrek, Anya was the favorite of D' Hoffryn. However, when she lost her power in 1998, he refused to restore it, stating her fall was just punishment for her carelessness. Three years later, D'Hoffryn was invited to her wedding, which was abruptly cancelled at the last minute when a confused and distressed Xander had a change of heart. Immediately thereafter, a genuinely sympathetic D'Hoffryn offered to return Anya to her status as a Vengeance Demon, and in her scorned state, she accepted. But when Anya, having reacquired her conscience during her time as a human, asked him to undo the evil she'd done, D'Hoffryn was clearly dejected and sad. Despite his obvious paternal feelings (Anya refers to the necklace he gives her as a gift from 'my father'), he remained true to his nature and retaliated against her by granting her wish—at the expense of the life of her only remaining friend, Halfrek. Following her departure from the fold, D'Hoffryn sent several assassins to kill her despite his creed of "never go for the kill when you can go for the pain."
 * Halfrek — In her first years as vengeance demon, Halfrek was the best friend of Anyanka and mutually, this was her model. This friendship is ambiguous as Halfrek is jealous of Anya because she is preferred by D' Hoffryn. In 2002, they resume contact when Anya announces her wedding to Xander. Although flattered to be invited, Halfrek hides being offended by the one that she considers a model. When Anya becomes again a demon, their relationship is reversed. It is Halfrek who becomes her mentor, encouraging her to activate a vengeance on Xander by using Spike. Their friendship comes to an end when Halfrek is sacrificed by D'Hoffryn. Anya, recently human, expresses a real sorrow, showing that she was attached to Halfrek.
 * Andrew Wells — Even though at first finding Andrew annoying as with everyone else, Anya and Andrew developed a common understanding for each other due to their unique and incomparable view of life. Anya quickly took to him filming her and the rest of the Scooby Gang when he claimed his account to the fight against needed "balance" which she felt obligated and privileged to provide. Andrew helped her sort things out with Xander and both Anya and Andrew had a "wheelchair fight" while savaging for medical supplies at an abandoned hospital. They fought together at the battle at the Hellmouth, where he helped her channel her fear into fighting ferociously.
 * Tara Maclay — Anya had a friendly relationship with Tara as they were both the relative newcomers in the Scooby Gang. They occasionally spent time together apart from the original four Scooby Gang members. Anya also invited Tara to be a bridesmaid at her wedding.

Behind the Scenes

 * She was portrayed by Emma Caulfield.
 * Anya was similar to Cordelia Chase and Harmony Kendall in the series. All three of them appeared to be mean, superficial and selfish.
 * In most of the third season, Xander was never interested in Anya. Anya asked him out to the prom, even though her last vengeance was him. Xander never asked her out or pursued her. In the Ascension, when Anya asked Xander to go with her, he said no. When she said she was over him after their one night stand, he was okay with it. Anya wasn't, and so she pursued him. When they broke up around season 6, Xander thought about getting back together but felt that her sleeping with Spike crossed the line. After that, they were officially broken up for good.
 * Xander never had any closure with Anya or Cordelia before both of them died. Anya's ghost came so perhaps Xander got the closure that he always wanted.


 * Anya was introduced in the third season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a recurring character for 4 episodes. She then returned for another 15 in the fourth season before being promoted to the regular cast in seasons five, six and finally seven. Despite appearing in every episode of the fifth season, Anya was absent in 1 episode in season six ("Normal Again") and 3 episodes in season seven ("Help", "Conversations with Dead People" and "Dirty Girls").


 * Anya has appeared in 85 total episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She ranks 6th on Buffy appearances behind only Buffy, Willow (144 each), Xander (143), Giles (121), and Spike (96), and she ranks 10th on total appearances from Buffy and Angel, behind Angel (167), Willow (147), Buffy (146), Cordelia (145), Xander (143), Giles (121), Spike (120), Wesley (109), and Gunn (91).


 * The "Anya Emerson" alias comes from the Sunnydale High Yearbook, which reveals the surnames of a number of characters throughout the show's first three seasons.
 * Anyanka's appearance while in her vengeance demon form changes in seasons 6 and 7 compared to that in season 3. Her makeup becomes more like that of Halfrek. Instead of veiny and pale, Anyanka's skin is covered in exposed veins with red sores. Additionally, in season 3, Anyanka spoke in a raspy, hoarse voice which was not the case in seasons 6 and 7. In season 10 however, Anya's demon face closely resembles how it was in season 3.
 * Joss Whedon joked at the Noctural convention in 2001 that Anya was originally supposed to die during the Season 5 finale, "The Gift". However, he had to keep her alive because Emma Caulfield kept moving as Xander was carrying Anya.


 * Anya was originally in the Season 7 episode "Help", but her scenes were cut.


 * In an interview with Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel magazine #93, Emma Caulfield revealed that she was very pleased with her character's abrupt death, stating, "She didn't get a big, maudlin send-off, it was very quick and to the point - very Anya in that respect."


 * Whedon stated early on that Anya was likely to appear in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight comic book series, although not necessarily alive. Whedon also joked "it's all about Anya" and that there would be a memorable appearance of bunnies. Scott Allie later confirmed in a Letters page that Anya was not to appear.
 * This makes Anya the only main character from Buffy not to appear in Season Eight.


 * In 2005, Diamond Select Toys (DST) produced several action figures in the likeness of Emma Caulfield for their "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" line. Each figure featured a "real-scan" likeness of Emma, and episode/character specific outfit. Figures produced: "Season 5 Anya" in red top and black skirt, "Hell's Bells Anya" in wedding dress, "Once More, with Feeling Anya" in butterfly top and green skirt, "Anyanka" in demon dress, and "Bunny Suit Anya" in removable bunny suit. A repaint of "Bunny Suit Anya" was featured in the Vengeance Book boxset.
 * A bunny demon makes an appearance in the comic "Reunion" by Jane Espenson as the villain concocted for a story Anya is telling about Buffy and Angel


 * Whedon planned for Anya's return in the comics to occur in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine, but it was delayed until Season Ten.

Buffy Classic

 * Jonathan: Codename: Conrades
 * Past Lives
 * Out of the Woodwork
 * Willow & Tara: Wannablessedbe
 * False Memories
 * Night of a Thousand Vampires
 * Ugly Little Monsters
 * Lost and Found
 * The Death of Buffy
 * Reunion
 * Withdrawal
 * Note from the Underground

Buffy Season 8

 * Wolves at the Gate, Part Two 

Buffy Season 9

 * The Watcher

Buffy Season 10

 * New Rules, Part One
 * New Rules, Part Two
 * New Rules, Part Five
 * I Wish, Part Two
 * Love Dares You, Part One
 * Freaky Giles Day
 * Triggers
 * In Pieces on the Ground, Part Four
 * In Pieces on the Ground, Part Five
 * Own It, Part Four
 * Own It, Part Five