Not only featuring a great and complex heroine in Buffy, Angel, like Angel and Cordelia. And then there are other characters that fans loved who left the show too soon like Oz.
Oz was a fan-favorite. He was a sensitive, smart, and a deep-thinker. More so, he was a wonderful boyfriend to Willow, treating her in a way that she deserved. In truth, it's hard to find fault with Oz. However, there are times that fans felt bad for him, and other times fans hated him. Here are ten of those moments, ranked.
FELT BAD FOR HIM: When He Turned Into a Werewolf
Oz finds out that his cousin is a werewolf so when his cousin bit him, he was turned. He handles this news with his normal-Oz-demeanor, meaning that he is calm. However, when he's the werewolf, he turns completely animal.
He doesn't recognize his girlfriend or friends. This makes him feel out of control, and he doesn't want to harm anyone. His dual nature is something that he tries to understand and fight against. Although he gets better, it's always a struggle.
HATED HIM: When He Ran Away From Willow
In the episode, "Fear, Itself," in Season 4, all of Buffy and her friends are forced to encounter their fears. Since each of the characters deals in a pretty fearful reality, their fears are intense.
For Oz, it's not being able to control his nature and hurting Willow. So, when he starts to feel himself turn, he runs away from Willow. Of course, for Willow, one of her main fears is losing Oz, so he hurts her when he runs away.
FELT BAD FOR HIM: When He Was Hunted
In his werewolf state, Oz is hunted twice. Once, it's by a werewolf hunter, and then it's by the Initiative when he returns to Sunnydale. Luckily, he has Buffy and the Scoobies to help him out. However, those who don't know Oz assume the worst about him due to his werewolf nature, putting him in a more vulnerable state when he turns.
He's one of the few important characters who has to worry about hurting someone as well as being killed (or experimented on) by those who don't understand him. His life is one of constant threat.
HATED HIM: When He Slept With Veruca
Oz meets another werewolf and feels pulled to her. However, Veruca isn't like Oz. She embraces her werewolf nature to the extreme, and she doesn't worry or feel upset about killing people. In her mind, it's just natural. Oz wants to convince her otherwise, but she ends up convincing him that he can't ignore the wolf.
While Oz has been faithful in his human self, he and Veruca have sex when they turn together. Adding more salt in the wound, Willow finds them naked together.
FELT BAD FOR HIM: When He Was Cheated On
Earlier in the series, Willow had a big crush on Xander. In that early time, fans would have liked the two together. That changes when Willow is paired with Oz, and Xander is paired with Cordelia. The two couples worked. While Xander and Cordelia had an interesting tension, Oz and Willow seemed to have a deep affection and love for each other.
So when Xander and Willow start to act on their feelings while they were in these other relationships, it wasn't met with praise. Eventually, Oz and Willow get back together, but it took a while for Oz to trust Willow again.
HATED HIM: When He Left Willow
When Oz realizes that he needs to work on his wolf-side, he decides that he needs to leave Willow in order to do so. For some reason, he has to do it solo without her or anyone's help.
It's a painful break-up with Willow tearfully asking, "Don't you love me?" To which, Oz answers, "My whole life, I've never loved anything else." Still, Oz leaves, not willing to see that Willow could have helped him or at least he could have maintained with her.
FELT BAD FOR HIM: When He Was Worried About Hurting Willow
Oz's fear is that he will hurt Willow in his wolf state. As much as he loves her, he doesn't think that he can control the animal. So, he leaves in order to work on himself. So while fans hate that he left Willow, they also recognize that his intent was to get better and come back.
His constant worry plagued him though, and in the end--his wolf-side--will always keep him separate from Willow, in addition to other things. It seems a lonely life.
HATED HIM: When He Blamed Willow for His Wolf-State & Lack of Control
When Oz does come back for Willow, he's more Zen. He's worked on himself to the point where he can control the animal. Even if the animal comes out, he can recognize people and push the animal back down. He thinks (and hopes) that Willow has waited for him. She tells him that in a way, a part of her is always waiting for him. That said, she's now moved on to dating Tara. His jealousy over her involvement with Tara brings out the wolf.
Before he leaves again, he tells Willow, "It turns out the one thing that brings it (the wolf) out of me is you." Willow apologizes, saying she upset him. While fans love Oz and Willow, this scene doesn't age well. Is Willow really to blame or it is Oz's emotions (jealousy)? Shouldn't he take responsibility for that?
FELT BAD FOR HIM: When He Returned to Find That Willow Moved On
Still, Oz came back to Sunnydale with high hopes. He had worked on his werewolf side and felt that finally, he could be with Willow again. No doubt, that thought and hope helped get him through the distance and the struggle for control. Tara had Willow's smell on her, which showed him that Willow had moved on. Meanwhile, Oz hadn't.
He still wanted to be a couple with Willow. Truthfully, Willow had two great loves here. Fans both wanted her to reunite with Oz and to stay with Tara. Either option was good, and either option meant the loss of the other one.
HATED HIM: He Didn't Keep In Touch
On one hand, Oz didn't keep in touch with his great love, Willow. When he arrives back, she tells him that she had written him many letters but he never gave her an address to which to send them. On top of this, Oz had friends in Buffy, Xander, and Giles. He also didn't keep in touch with them.
When he left, he left everyone and everything behind. As much time as he spent with Buffy and the Scooby Gang, he should have kept in with them. After all, they did save his life.