Spoilers for Buffy the Vampire Slayer #24 ahead!
Out of all the of the Scooby Gang in the cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, no one felt more out of the shuffle than Xander Harris, and that's even more true after recently being turned into a vampire. Xander has usually been viewed as just Buffy's other friend in the trio who, story-wise, never has much going for himself beyond that. Compared to Willow or Buffy's other friends, there are long stretches during the show where Xander has close to nothing to do, to the point that sometimes, that's a part of the character.
Most of his development comes from him having an undefined role in the Scooby Gang, such as in Season 3's "The Zeppo," a filler episode all about Xander trying to prove himself as more than useless or expendable among the group. Most of his storylines see him either searching for an identity or, most controversially, when Xander is dating Buffy's sister Dawn in the canon comic continuations. It was always clear that the show had a harder time trying to write for Xander than other characters, but he seems to be brought to his full potential when he's rebranded as a vampire.
Being A Vampire Gives Xander A Purpose
This arc from BOOM! Studios finds a way to fix the consistent issue that the show had in not giving Xander much to do, while also remaining true to the main characteristics that Xander has always been about. The insecurities that lead him in front of Drusilla stick to the core structure of the character, while opening the door for something entirely new. Making him a half-human, half-vampire helps offer Xander some real challenges to learn and develop from.
Even when he becomes a Big Bad, Xander deeply desires to rekindle his friendship with Willow in spite of his villainy. Granted, one of his final plans before his death is to bind Willow to his side forever, as his minion Growly alludes to in Lambert and Bachs' Buffy the Vampire Slayer #23. Ultimately, Xander's friendship with Willow is so tightly-knit and Xander's solitude becomes so damning that he just wants to go back to the way things used to be between him and his best friend. Even when the things he's done as vampire, like kidnap Jenny Calendar, that rules redemption out of the question, seeing Xander grapple with his newly twisted sense of affection makes for a compelling read.
What made the show's lack of direction for him so disappointing is that it eventually made Xander into a one-dimensional character. However, the comics turning Xander Harris into a vampire help add dimensions and complexities to his character that weren't initially there when he was Buffy the Vampire Slayer's third wheel.
