Darla (Bio)

ANGEL reading from a book: “Darla: Anglo-Saxon derivation, meaning ‘dear one’.” Didn’t come into common usage until more than 100 years after she was born. He must have given it to her. I didn’t even know her real name.
Darla (S2,Ep) on AtS

"Darla - An alternate form of "Darlene." The source of Darlene is an English expression, meaning "darling." (Source)

In 1727 in Galway, Ireland she sired Liam who became Angelus. For a while they had a small family including James and Elizabeth until their death and seperation. Later on Angelus sired Drusilla who in tern sired William/Spike.

Other then the above information we know nothing about Darla and her life before being turned. We don't know what kind of a person she was. All we know about her is about the time she spent as a vampire on a killing spree across Europe with her children.

In 1997 ("Angel" - S1, Ep7) Angel staked Darla and her vampire form 'dies' for the first time. On AtS Angel's arch rivals, the law firm Wolfram & Hart, resurrect Darla in 2000 and she becomes a human again. Unfortunately, she still has syphilis and will die a natural death unless something is done. Angel stopped her from getting vamped and chose to go through some grueling trials to try and give her a second chance at life.This human form of Darla, who has her original soul, is gentler then the un-souled vamp version and wants to live one way or another. Because she was brought back through magical means and so has her' second chance', however short, Angels request is denied and she is destined to die shortly.

One of the lawyers of Wolfram & Hart, Lindsey, falls in love with the human Darla and doesn't want her to die and leave his life. He goes so far as to get Drusilla to sire Darla. Originally Drusilla was Darla's grand-childe (Angelus' childe) and now she is Drusilla's childe. This is an odd and unusual occurrence which Drusilla finds funny.

Drusilla and Darla go on a killing spree and Angel lets them massacre many of the top lawyers at Wolfram & Hart. At this point Angel is rather angry at W&H and lets his demon side surface a bit for what they did to him by lettign the killing spee go on.

Angel and Darla have a last night of passion together and much to both of their surprise she ends up pregnant, something that is impossible to say the least. Darla travels the world in search for a 'cure' and a cause, but ends up empty handed. She returns to Los Angelus and visits Angel, the proud father.

They soon find out that the life inside of her is human and has a soul. Darla 'shares' this soul with Connor and becomes good and loving for a little while. Her demon, blood sucking side wars with the proud mother side of her.

There is a prophecy in the Nyazian scrolls that involves Connor, the child of two vampires. This cause some misadventures that involve many demons, groups and individuals that want the prophesied child of two vampires for a number of different reasons she ends up in an ally one dark, rainy night.

Since Darla isn't alive she can't give birth and so she feels the life slipping and dying inside of herself. Knowing that this is the only good thing she has ever done after hundreds of years of killing and mayhem she chooses to sacrifice her unlife for Connor's life and so she stakes herself (see the clip below "Lullaby" -S3,Ep9).

During Cordelia's birthing of Connor's child, Jasmine, Darla appears to him to try and sway him away from sacrificing an innocent girl for the early birth of his child. Her please fall on deaf ears and Connor allows the sacrifice to take place. His mind was poisoned and manipulated by Evil Cordelia, as well as Holtz who raised him to hate both Angel and Darla.

DARLA: Because we shared a soul. I feel the pain, the anger, the hurt, like it were my own. But most of all, I feel the good in you and no matter how much you’re beaten or twisted or lied to, it’s still there, in your heart. I know it and deep down, you know it, too.
CONNOR: Why’d you leave me? Did you hate me that much?
Terrified, Anna watches Connor talking to the wall and starts sobbing again.
DARLA: Baby, no. I wanted to be with you more than anything.
CONNOR: You killed yourself. I wasn’t even born yet and you—
DARLA:— did what I had to. My life for yours. I did so many terrible things, Connor. So much destruction. So much pain. You were the one good thing I ever did. The only good thing. I’d die every day for the rest of eternity for you… and this is how you repay me?
" Inside Out" (S4,Ep17)

Darla did one good deed by sacrificing herself for her child's life, an unselfish act. She returns to try and lead Connor back onto the path of good by saving the innocent girl and not sacrificing her. Unfortunately, Connor is poisoned by the Evil Cordelia's words and cannot be saved. In a way she has tried to be redeemed herself and so is a 'fallen angel'.

The tricky thing with any of the vampires on BtVS and AtS (Angel, Spike, Darla and Drusilla) is that they all have done a hundred plus years of murder and nothing can ever really redeem them. Even if their 'good' actions are done selflessly and if they saved millions of lives, how can you ever make it up to the thousands that they hunted, tortured and killed? They can be 'fallen angels' and try to redeem themselves, but they do so with the knowledge that nothing could make up for their past.

DARLA: No? It’s really not, is it? We did so many terrible things together. So much destruction, so much pain. We can’t make up for any of it. You know that, don’t you?
ANGEL: Yes.
"Lullaby" (S3,Ep9)

1760, London.
Master: Angelus - the Latinate for Angel. (Laughs) It's marvelous.
DARLA: His name would already be legend in his home village - had he left anyone alive there to tell the tale.
Master: Ah, you had a nice trip. I'm so glad.
DARLA: On the way back we cut a bloody swath through South Wales and northern England. He was magnificent.
Angelus: Hmm, Yorkshire men - tough as leather. So, Darla here tells me you're some sort of Master.
DARLA: *The* Master. He commands out order.
Master: The order of Aurelius. We are the select - the elite.
Angelus: And you live in the sewers, do you?
Master: We live below, giving tribute to the old ones. Awaiting that promised day when we will arise -Arise! - and lay *waste* to the world above us.
Angelus: Why'd you want to do that?
Master: Huh?
Angelus: Well, I mean, have you *been* above lately? It's quite nice. Me - I could never live in a rat infested stink hole - like this, if you'll pardon me for saying so. I got to have meself a proper bed or I'm a terror. (To Darla) Isn't that right love?
Darla: (nervously to the Master) He's young.
Angelus: And this one, down in the goose feathers, and the finest silks and linens and a view. she's always got to have the view (leans in close to her) don't you, my lamb?.
Darla: We fed very recently. The blood is still hot in his veins.
ANGEL: (seductively) You noticed that, did you?
Master: We stalk the surface to feed and grow our ranks. We do not live amongst the human pestilence!
Angelus: I'll be honest, you really couldn't with that face, now could you?
Darla: Angelus!
Angelus: It's not stuck like that now is it?
DARLA: The Master has grown past the curse of human features.
Angelus: I'm not gonna get a bat-nose like that, huh? Am I?
Master: Very few vampires are cunning enough to have lived as long as I have - which you've now demonstrated. (tosses him)
Angelus: Naples, you and me Darla. What do you say?
The Master knocks him down again.
DARLA: Angelus...
ANGELUS: This is no place for you - bound to the likes of him.
Master: You should show (Master hits him again) the proper respect.
Angelus: You belong by my side - out in the world - feeding as we like - taking what we need. I'll give you that view you crave, darling. I'll give you everything. (Master knocks him down again) Tell the truth - whose face do you want to look at for eternity? His - or mine?
Master: You idiot. I *made* her.
Darla smiles at Angelus and he smiles back at her. The Master's smile fades and he turns to look at Darla.
Master: You're leaving with the stallion, aren't you?
They start to go, a minion tries to stop them
Master: No. Let them go. He won't last. I give it a century - tops.

Darla (S2,Ep) on AtS

Darla (S2,Ep) on AtS

Darla: Do you know what the saddest thing in the world is?
BUFFY: Bad hair on top of that outfit?
Darla: To love someone who used to love you.
BUFFY: You guys were involved?
Darla: For *several* generations.
BUFFY: Well, you been around since Columbus, you are bound to pile up a few ex's. You're older than him, right? Just between us girls, you are looking a little worn around the eyes.
Darla: I made him. There was a time when we shared everything, wasn't there Angelus? You had a chance to come home, to rule with me in the Master's court for a thousand years, but you threw that away because of her. You love someone who hates us. You're sick. And you'll always be sick. And you'll always remember what it was like to watch her die. You don't think I came alone, do you?
BUFFY: I know I didn't. (aims crossbow at Darla.)
Darla: Hmm, scary. (pulling out 2 pistols) Scarier! (shoots Angel) Oh, don't worry. Bullets can't kill vampires. Can hurt them like hell, but... (giggles)
(...)
Darla: So many body parts, so few bullets. Let's begin with the kneecaps. No fun dancing without them. (Buffy shoots her)Close, but no heart.
Xander, Willow & Giles arrive
XANDER: We need to distract her, fast!
WILLOW: (calls out) Buffy, it wasn't Angel who attacked your mom, it was Darla!
fighting
Darla: C'mon, Buffy. Take it like a man!
Angel stakes her.
Darla: Angel?

"Angel" (S1, Ep7)

Darla stands atop an office tower, looking down over the cityscape below, her hands cradling her pregnant belly. Angel appears behind her.
ANGEL:You always did love a view.
DARLA:Look at it. Listen to it. Can you smell it? This world. This horrible world. Why would anyone want to bring a baby into it?
ANGEL:To make it better, maybe?
DARLA:Or to destroy it finally.
ANGEL:Why is it everyone insists on planning my son’s future before he’s even born?
DARLA:All right, then. How’s this? It doesn’t have a future. Not with me.
ANGEL:Darla…
DARLA:Angel, I can’t have this baby.
ANGEL:What?
DARLA:I can’t let it out. I can’t.
ANGEL:Okay, not sure you have a lot of choice in the matter…
DARLA:Look, I know. It wants to come out. I can feel it. It’s ready. It’s just… I can’t let it. I can’t let because… because…
ANGEL:You love it.
DARLA:Completely. I love it completely. I don’t think I’ve ever loved anything as much as this life that’s inside of me.
ANGEL:Well, you’ve never loved anything, Darla.
DARLA:That’s true. Four hundred years and I never did… until now. I don’t know what to do.
ANGEL:Well, you’ll do the only thing that you can do. You’ll have it. You’ll have it and then…
DARLA:What? We’ll raise it?
ANGEL:Why not?
DARLA:It’s impossible.
ANGEL:This whole thing is impossible, Darla, but it’s happening.
DARLA:What do I have to offer a child— a human child— besides ugly death?
ANGEL:Darla…
DARLA:You know it’s true.
ANGEL:No. What I do know is that you love this baby, our baby. You’ve bonded with it. You’ve spent nine months carrying it, nourishing it.
DARLA:No. No, I haven’t been nourishing it. I haven’t given this baby a thing. I’m dead. It’s been nourishing me. These feelings that I’m having, they’re not mine. They’re coming from it.
ANGEL:You don’t know that.
DARLA:Of course I do! We both do. Angel, I don’t have a soul. It does. And right now that soul is inside of me but soon it won’t be and then…
ANGEL:Darla…
DARLA:I won’t be able to love it. I won’t even be able to remember that I loved it. (sobs) I want to remember.
Angel wraps her up in a hug.
ANGEL:Shh…
Darla looks up at Angel desperately.
DARLA:You won’t let me hurt it, will you? You’ll protect it, right? From me, I mean.
(...)
ANGEL:(to Darla) You’re going to be okay.
DARLA:No. No, I don’t think so. Once he’s gone, I won’t be okay. I won’t be okay at all. I don’t know what I’ll be. Angel… our baby is going to die right here in this alley. You died in an alley, remember?
ANGEL:I remember.
DARLA:I want to say I’m sorry. I want to say it and mean it… but I can’t. (beat) Aren’t you going to tell me it’s okay?
ANGEL:No.
DARLA:No? It’s really not, is it? We did so many terrible things together. So much destruction, so much pain. We can’t make up for any of it. You know that, don’t you?
ANGEL:Yes.
DARLA:This child, Angel, it’s the one good thing we ever did together.
Angel lifts Darla’s hand and presses it against his lips.
DARLA:The only good thing.
Angel buries his face in his hands and takes a sobbing breath.
DARLA:You make sure to tell him that.
Darla picks up one of the wood splinters from the shattered wall and plunges it into her own chest with a gasp. Angel lifts his head and stares in shock as Darla disintegrates into dust with a fading scream. In Darla’s place, a human baby lies on the rain-soaked pavement, crying.

"Lullaby" (S3,Ep9)

Anna’s (who is going to be sacrified to quicken the birth of the ancient power that has taken over Cordelia) eyes suddenly snap open and she gasps when she sees Connor kneeling over her in the meat packing plant.
CONNOR: It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.
ANNA: Please…
CONNOR: Brought you some water.
He holds out a bottle for her.
ANNA: I gotta get home. My mom’s gonna be so mad.
CONNOR: I’m sorry.
ANNA: I won’t tell anyone, I promise! Please, just let me go.
She starts to sob quietly and Connor watches awkwardly, not sure what to say.
DARLA: (o.s.) Listen…
Connor looks around at the sound of her voice, faint as if coming from a great distance. He doesn’t see anyone else in the empty room.
CONNOR: Somebody there?
DARLA: (o.s.) I’ve always been there, close to your heart. After all… He looks over toward the dark corner of the room as DARLA: materializes out of thin air in front of him.
DARLA:… isn’t that where a mother belongs?
Connor stares in shock at Darla, trying to come to grips with the sudden appearance of the vampire mother he knows died giving birth to him.
DARLA: The Powers have sent me to give you a message.
CONNOR: You can’t be my mother.
DARLA: I have her memories, her feelings. Isn’t that what makes a person who they are?
ANNA: Let me go… please.
Darla looks over at Anna huddled in the corner, then walks over and knees next to her. Anna remains oblivious to Darla. Only Connor can see her.
DARLA: I know that sound. The look in her eyes, the smell of fear. I’ve nurtured it a thousand times in all the people that I’ve murdered.
CONNOR: My mother’s dead.
DARLA: But I will always be a part of you. You shared your soul with me once, when you were growing inside of me… when I’d lost my own. You brought light to my shadow, filled my heart with joy and love. I’d never felt so close to any living thing as I did to my beautiful boy.
CONNOR: Why’d you leave me? Did you hate me that much?
Terrified, Anna watches Connor talking to the wall and starts sobbing again.
DARLA: Baby, no. I wanted to be with you more than anything.
CONNOR: You killed yourself. I wasn’t even born yet and you—
DARLA:— did what I had to. My life for yours. I did so many terrible things, Connor. So much destruction. So much pain. You were the one good thing I ever did. The only good thing. I’d die every day for the rest of eternity for you… and this is how you repay me?
She looks over at the helpless young girl.
CONNOR: You don’t understand. We need her for our baby. To keep it safe.
He says the words but he acts like even he doesn’t believe them.
DARLA: By anointing it in the blood of an innocent? You really think that safety can be plucked from the arms of an evil deed?
CONNOR: Good, evil… they’re just words.
DARLA: Don’t let this happen, Connor. Don’t let my death mean nothing.
Darla kneels next to the sobbing girl as Connor tries to convince her he’s right.
CONNOR: They hate us because we’re special.
ANNA: I don’t hate you. Please…
DARLA: They’re scared because of what you’ve done, not because of what you are.
CONNOR: They wanted to kill me when I was still inside of you!
DARLA: But that changed when they saw you, held you in their arms, felt the warmth of your skin, the goodness in your heart.
CONNOR: And it’ll happen again when they hold my child. (re: Anna) It’s the only way.
DARLA: You have a choice, Connor. That is something more precious than you’ll ever know.
CONNOR: What choice? They’re hunting is like animals!
DARLA: Because you’re acting like one. As a vampire, I killed without mercy or remorse because I didn’t have a soul. What’s your excuse?
CONNOR: You think I want to do this?
DARLA: Then don’t.
CONNOR: I have to.
DARLA: Why? Because she told you? There are things happening, Connor, things that I can’t… (beat) It has to be your choice. You can stop this.
CONNOR: (whispers) Her blood for our baby’s… that’s fair, isn’t it?
ANNA: Please… I want to go home.
CONNOR: Shut up!
DARLA: This isn’t you, Connor.
CONNOR: You’ve been gone a long time, mom. How would you know?
DARLA: Because we shared a soul. I feel the pain, the anger, the hurt, like it were my own. But most of all, I feel the good in you and no matter how much you’re beaten or twisted or lied to, it’s still there, in your heart. I know it and deep down, you know it, too.
Connor leans down and reaches for Anna. She pulls back, terrified.
CONNOR: Shh… it’s okay.
He starts to undo the ropes around her wrist.
DARLA: You’re all right now. Everything’s going to be all right.
CORDELIA: (o.s.) What are you doing?
Connor turns around to find Cordelia standing the doorway holding a meat cleaver. He stands up, nervous.
CONNOR: Nothing. I…
CORDELIA: It’s time. Take her in the other room. Connor hesitates.
DARLA: Listen to your heart.
CONNOR: (to Cordelia) She didn’t do anything. We should let her go.
CORDELIA: No, we shouldn’t. We need her, Connor. Our baby—
CONNOR: Shouldn’t be anointed with innocent blood.
CORDELIA: Anointed? Who’s been filling your head with big confusing words?
CONNOR: Just been thinking about it.
CORDELIA: Or maybe… a little birdy’s been pecking at you behind my back.
DARLA: (to Connor) She’ll lie to you.
CORDELIA: You know how much they love to use the magick, Connor. A spell for this, a spell for that…
DARLA: Close her out, baby.
CORDELIA: Whatever you’re hearing, whatever you think you’re seeing, it’s a trick.
DARLA: Don’t let her in.
CORDELIA: It’s Angel.
Darla sees Connor is wavering again, coming over to Cordelia’s side.
DARLA: No.
CORDELIA: Trying to turn you against me with a cheap vision of… Darla.
She smiles and looks over at Darla for the first time. Connor looks at Cordelia, amazed.
CONNOR: You can see her?
Darla and Cordelia both vie for Connor’s allegiance.
CORDELIA: I see the lies.
DARLA: Connor, listen to me.
CORDELIA:It’s not her.
DARLA: You have to let her go.
CORDELIA: It’s your father. This is how much he hates you.
DARLA: I love you. Please…
CORDELIA: Torturing you with this sad imitation of your dead mother!
DARLA: Don’t let her do this.
CORDELIA: Are you going to let them do this to us? Are you going to let them kill our baby?
DARLA: Connor, listen to me!
Connor is near tears, torn between the two sides. He finally shakes his head, gives up and rounds on Darla.
CONNOR: You are not my mother!
He bends down and yanks Anna up by the ropes around her hands and drags her out into the next room. Cordelia follows with the meat cleaver, a satisfied smile on her face.
He drops Anna next to Cordelia’s magick circle. As Cordelia raises the cleaver to strike, the girl looks up at Connor but it’s not the girl any more— it’s Darla. She looks at Connor, her eyes pleading.
DARLA: Please… don’t do this, Connor. Don’t—
Cordelia brings the cleaver down and buries it in Anna’s neck, killing her instantly. A bright spray of blood shoots up and hits Connor in the face.
Horrified, he looks over at Cordelia, who is also covered in blood. She merely smiles at him.
CORDELIA: There. That wasn’t so hard, was it?

"Inside Out" (S4,Ep17)