As tragic as it was to lose Angel fan-favorite Fred (Amy Acker) in season five, there was some consolation to be found in Illyria, her demonic replacement. Illyria is an Old One, overthrown eons ago and prophesied to return, which she did by way of killing Fred. Illyria took some getting used to, but by the end of the season, fans wanted to know about her. Then came the series’ cancellation.

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Fortunately, Angel continued on in comic book format. The limitlessness of its new medium allowed writers to fully explore and expand on Illyria’s past and present. Here are 10 things Angel fans can learn about Illyria from the comics.

10 JOINED TEAM BUFFY

Buffy Comic Season 12 Finale Group

After the Fall of L.A., Illyria went on her own journey, going off the grid. Surprising, she reappeared in Buffy Season Nine issue #16, “Welcome to the Team.” During her time away, Illyria had become part of a Mystical Council, and now they needed Buffy’s help. While Illyria never becomes an official Scooby Gang member, she did work alongside the Slayer and her team while battling the forces of evil, specifically The Siphon. The experience changed Illyria, who began to demonstrate compassion, which, as Willow noted, was very surprising.

9 SHE SACRIFICED HERSELF TO SAVE THE SCOOBIES

Willow’s observation about Illyria’s compassion came just before Illyria did something almost entirely out of character: she sacrificed herself to save others. After The Siphon absorbed all of Illyria’s power, leaving her completely human, he attempted to use the Deeper Well’s residual magic to create a temporal fold, changing the past.

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When he was unable to contain the power, Illyria convinced him to use it to power Willow’s new Seed of Wonder and restore magic. Illyria stayed behind to calm The Siphon and see the process through while the Scoobies escaped, leaving her to be vaporized by the magical blast.

8 REUNITED WITH WESLEY

Does anyone ever really stay dead and gone in the Buffyverse? It seems not, and Wesley is no exception. After meeting his end in the Angel series finale, he returned (albeit as a ghost) in Angel: After the Fall. His return was the result of the perpetuity clause in his Wolfram & Hart contract, not unlike what he tried to save Lilah from in “Home.” Illyria had taken Wes’ death hard, even keeping his body for months. To her shock, she eventually encountered ghost Wesley and the two were reunited until the Senior Partners reversed time and he returned to the dead.

7 RETURNED TO HER PRIMORDIAL FORM

Illyria didn’t respond well to the Senior Partners’ post-“Not Fade Away” banishment of L.A. to hell. Grieving over Wesley’s death and uncontrollably fluctuating between Fred’s form and her own, Illyria became erratic.

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When Gunn injured her in her Fred-state, Illyria transformed into her primordial body and began destroying L.A. Many, including the Groosalugg, died battling her. Angel tried to stop her by implanting Spike and Wesley’s memories of Fred in her. The Senior Partners then struck her down before immediately reversing time to pre-Hell L.A. The dying Illyria reverted to her human body, restored.

6 SHE TRIED TO SEDUCE CONNOR AND DATED ANGEL

If Illyria were to be romantically involved with anyone, most would bet on Wesley. With him gone, the comics took her love life in new, strange directions. The first oddity comes when Illyria sought to seduce Connor in the IDW series. This harkens back to season five’s “Origin,” when the two first met and Illyria noted Connor was lusting after her. In the comics, Connor declines, but Illyria bounces back in Buffy Season Twelve. Here, it is revealed she is dating Angel, which is truly mind-blowing. Honestly, the former God-King of the Primordium seems a bit above romance.

5 THE ICONS OF ILLYRIA

In a crossover with IDW’s Fallen Angel, more about Illyria’s life as an Old One is revealed, including details about her assassination. When she was overthrown and trapped in her sarcophagus in the Deeper Well, her killers transferred some of her power into her three icons. These included the two scythes and the helmet often seen in depictions of her in primordial form.

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These items were hidden across dimensions, each with a guardian. Resurrected in Fred’s body and joined by Fallen Angel’s Liandra, Illyria went to find the icons and restore her full power and primordial body.

4 HER ORIGINAL QWA’HA XHAN

When it comes to Qwa'ha Xhans, Illyria doesn’t have great luck. Before Knox took up the role and resurrected Illyria, the demon Catari was her high priest at Vahla ha'nesh. When Illyria was overthrown, Catari begged the Old Ones leading the coup to spare him. In return for his life, Catari was sent to the North Pole to guard one of Illyria’s icons, a scythe. During her later search for her icons in Fallen Angel, Illyria faced her former Qwa'ha Xhan, who refused to obey her at the expense of his life. During a brief battle, Illyria killed Catari.

3 SHE REGAINED HER POWER LOST IN ‘TIME BOMB’

In the wake of the events of Angel: After the Fall, Illyria began having dreams of Fred and the life she could have had if she had lived. This led to the start of an existential crisis, which eventually brought Illyria back to the Deeper Well in search of answers.

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When visiting the former site of her sarcophagus, she discovers a crystal in the wall. After touching it, Illyria regained the powers that Wesley’s Mutari generator drained from her in the season five episode “Time Bomb.”

Illyria in Comics

During her journey to the Deeper Well in Illyria: Haunted, Illyria met the new Keeper of the Well and Drogyn’s replacement. When she tried to enter the Well, the guardian attempted to attack her with Yastigilian hounds. It turns out that these demons, which appear reminiscent of Illyria’s true demon form and respond to her native tongue, are genetically related to her. Illyria easily controlled them and noted that they are kindred to her, yet inferior. The two Yastigilian hounds became loyal companions of Illyria’s, with one even giving its life for her. She became surprisingly emotionally connected to them.

1 FRED RETURNED AND SHARED HER BODY WITH ILLYRIA

Had Angel returned for a sixth season, it would have explored the Fred-Illyria dynamic more fully. Creator Joss Whedon planned on bringing Fred back, with Amy Acker playing both her and Illyria. While it never happened on screen, the events of the Buffy Season Nine comic resulted in Fred’s return in Angel & Faith Season Ten. After magic was restored, Angel was shocked to discover Fred returned with it. Fred not only had all of Illyria’s memories but also shared her body with the demon. At times, Illyria took over Fred’s body completely when her host was stressed or tired.

Next: Buffy and Angel Cross Over in Buffyverse's Hellmouth Event