<P> Angel 's first appearance is in `` Welcome to the Hellmouth '' , the first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 1997 . In it , he meets the protagonist Buffy Summers ( Sarah Michelle Gellar ) , a young girl destined to fight evil in the small town of Sunnydale , California . For the first half of the season , Angel is an enigmatic love interest for Buffy , showing up only to offer her cryptic messages about upcoming threats . It is n't until the episode `` Angel '' that the character is revealed to be a benevolent vampire from Galway , Ireland , who immigrated to the United States to escape his past as the sadistic Angelus after his soul is restored by a vengeful gypsy clan . Although uneasy about trusting a vampire , Buffy and the Scooby Gang eventually come to view Angel as an ally . In the second season ( 1997 -- 1998 ) , Buffy and Angel 's romantic relationship develops and the pair have sex in the episode `` Surprise '' . For experiencing a moment of pure happiness , however , the gypsy curse on Angel is revoked , unleashing his soulless alter - ego , who reunites with his old friends , vampires Spike ( James Marsters ) and Drusilla ( Juliet Landau ) , and begins terrorizing Buffy and her friends . Upon discovering gypsy descendent Jenny Calendar ( Robia LaMorte ) , who is working to translate the text of a spell to restore Angel 's soul , Angelus murders her by breaking her neck , and places her body in the bed of her boyfriend , Giles ( Anthony Head ) , for him to discover . Angelus then attempts to destroy the world by awakening the demon Acathla . In the season finale , neophyte witch Willow ( Alyson Hannigan ) manages to restore Angel 's soul at the last moment , but Buffy is forced to kill him to save the world from Acathla , and Angel is sent to hell . In season three ( 1998 -- 1999 ) , episode three , `` Faith , Hope & Trick '' , Angel is inexplicably returned from hell by an unknown party . The Scooby Gang are outraged when they discover that Buffy has been secretly caring for him since his resurrection , but grudgingly accept him after he saves Willow 's life in episode seven , `` Revelations '' . In the episode `` Amends '' , the primordial First Evil attempts to manipulate Angel to murder Buffy , but Angel chooses suicide instead by waiting for the sun to rise on Christmas morning . California 's heatwave is interrupted by a freak snowstorm , sparing Angel 's life , which he takes as a sign from above . Buffy and Angel initially attempt to be friends but eventually resume a celibate romantic relationship . However , Angel becomes more aware of their limitations as a couple and breaks up with her in the hopes that she will be happier without him , leaving Sunnydale altogether after attending Buffy 's prom and helping her in the battle against Mayor Wilkins ( Harry Groener ) . </P>
<P> Angel 's first appearance is in `` Welcome to the Hellmouth '' , the first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 1997 . In it , he meets the protagonist Buffy Summers ( Sarah Michelle Gellar ) , a young girl destined to fight evil in the small town of Sunnydale , California . For the first half of the season , Angel is an enigmatic love interest for Buffy , showing up only to offer her cryptic messages about upcoming threats . It is n't until the episode `` Angel '' that the character is revealed to be a benevolent vampire from Galway , Ireland , who immigrated to the United States to escape his past as the sadistic Angelus after his soul is restored by a vengeful gypsy clan . Although uneasy about trusting a vampire , Buffy and the Scooby Gang eventually come to view Angel as an ally . In the second season ( 1997 -- 1998 ) , Buffy and Angel 's romantic relationship develops and the pair have sex in the episode `` Surprise '' . For experiencing a moment of pure happiness , however , the gypsy curse on Angel is revoked , unleashing his soulless alter - ego , who reunites with his old friends , vampires Spike ( James Marsters ) and Drusilla ( Juliet Landau ) , and begins terrorizing Buffy and her friends . Upon discovering gypsy descendent Jenny Calendar ( Robia LaMorte ) , who is working to translate the text of a spell to restore Angel 's soul , Angelus murders her by breaking her neck , and places her body in the bed of her boyfriend , Giles ( Anthony Head ) , for him to discover . Angelus then attempts to destroy the world by awakening the demon Acathla . In the season finale , neophyte witch Willow ( Alyson Hannigan ) manages to restore Angel 's soul at the last moment , but Buffy is forced to kill him to save the world from Acathla , and Angel is sent to hell . In season three ( 1998 -- 1999 ) , episode three , `` Faith , Hope & Trick '' , Angel is inexplicably returned from hell by an unknown party . The Scooby Gang are outraged when they discover that Buffy has been secretly caring for him since his resurrection , but grudgingly accept him after he saves Willow 's life in episode seven , `` Revelations '' . In the episode `` Amends '' , the primordial First Evil attempts to manipulate Angel to murder Buffy , but Angel chooses suicide instead by waiting for the sun to rise on Christmas morning . California 's heatwave is interrupted by a freak snowstorm , sparing Angel 's life , which he takes as a sign from above . Buffy and Angel initially attempt to be friends but eventually resume a celibate romantic relationship . However , Angel becomes more aware of their limitations as a couple and breaks up with her in the hopes that she will be happier without him , leaving Sunnydale altogether after attending Buffy 's prom and helping her in the battle against Mayor Wilkins ( Harry Groener ) . </P>
when does angel leave buffy the vampire slayer
when does angel leave buffy the vampire slayer
season three ( 1998 -- 1999 ) , episode three
season three ( 1998 -- 1999 ) , episode three