Connor (Buffyverse)
| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Connor also known as Connor Angel, Steven Franklin Thomas Holtz, The Destroyer, and Connor Reilly |
| Occupation: | |
| Relationships: | Angel (father), Darla (mother) |
| Fandom: | Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel the Series |
| Other: | baby!Connor is played by the Tupen triplets; teen!Connor is played by Vincent Kartheiser |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Connor is the son of the vampires Angel and Darla and a member of Angel Investigations.
Canon
Abducted into a Hell dimension as a baby, he is raised under the name Stephen by Angel's enemy Daniel Holtz (whom he came to think of as his father), though only a few weeks pass on Earth during his absence. He comes back as a teenager and reluctantly comes to accept his lineage. Though much of the progress in accepting his life as Angel's son was undone by a memory wipe and subsequent false memory implantation, Connor eventually came to understand once all of his memories were returned, and fought side by side with him when Angel and company sought to take down the Circle of the Black Thorn.
Fandom
Connor is not a popular character in fandom. On AO3 he appears in approximately 6% of Angel stories and less than 1% of Buffy stories. He is most often shipped with Spike and Dawn Summers although he never met the latter in canon. His canonical relationship with Cordelia Chase is remarkably unpopular, possibly because it is considered "squicky." He is sometimes used in action-orientated crossovers due to his enhanced strength and other abilities.
Common Tropes & Storylines
- Adapting to life in the modern world is a common trope, and often includes flashbacks to his childhood in a hell dimension.
- In the Season 3 finale, Connor imprisoned his father at the bottom of the ocean, and many Connor-centric fics were written before season 4 aired. In some of these works, Connor left LA behind and traveled to Sunnydale. In others, he stayed in LA and continued to hunt demons.
- Early in canon, Connor went by the name Stephen, and in fanfiction, his decision to take the name Connor is often a sign of reconciliation with Angel or other members of the Angel Investigations family.
- Connor regaining his memory was a common trope following season 4. Sometimes his memory returned on its own, and in others he regained his memory as a result of a spell. In some works he is able to build healthier relationships with other characters, while in others, regaining his memories leds him to mistrust characters who had hidden his past from him. In fanfic, Connor often distances himself from his adoptive family after his memories return.
Example Fanworks
| Examples Wanted: Editors are encouraged to add more examples or a wider variety of examples. |
Fanfiction
- On the Education of a Young Man by Yahtzee. One of the earliest Connor character studies.(2002)
- Parallel Lives by Roseveare, So your dad's a vampire, your foster-mum's in a different dimension, and you're living in a world where somebody did a Sam Beckett on the timeline. It's tough being a Teenage Champion of the Light.. Connor & Wesley. (2003)
- Fitter Happier More Productive (archived link) by Zara Hemla. Five Things vignette. (2004 or earlier)
- Ouroboros by Selena, The Furies catch up with Connor.. Crossover with The Sandman (2004)
- Second Hand by Kita. Connor/Spike. (?)
- These Reasonable Taboos, "It's a summer day,/and I want to be wanted more than anything else in the world." by Glossolalia. Connor/Wesley. (?)
- Five Families Connor Was Not Magically Squeezed Into After His Real Vampire Dad Slit His Throat by Annakovsky, Title pretty much says it all. (2005)
Fanvids
- Passive by littleheaven70, a Connor character study (2004)
Meta
- Some With the Hands of Gold a Wesley/Connor Shipper's Manifesto essay by laufeyette (2004)
- The Fascination Of What's Difficult an Idol Reflection essay by selenak (2006)
- Do you like Connor?, Tumblr response to Anon, by sulietsexual (2015)
Archives & Fannish Links
- works tagged Connor (AtS) at AO3
- works tagged Connor at FanFiction.Net
- Loved: A Connor Rec Site, run by Kita