Shanshu Prophecy
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In the television series Angel, the so-called Shanshu Prophecy, as translated by Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, foresees the restoration of a vampire with a soul into a mortal human being. The prophecy is contained in the Scrolls of Aberjian. The prophecy itself first appeared in the episode "Blind Date" and was revealed in the season finale of the show's first season, "To Shanshu in L.A.".
The Prophecy
The prophecy itself entails that a vampire with a soul will play a major role in the Apocalypse, and although its full text was not revealed, the most important part was, and it pertains to the reward the vampire with a soul will receive as he fulfills his destiny.
"The vampire with a soul, once he fulfills his destiny, will shanshu."
~ Wesley Wyndham-Price in the episode "To Shanshu in L.A."
Translated, shanshu means both to live and to die, something that Wesley had interpreted as meaning that the particular vampire (who he believes to be Angel) will at the end of his numerous trials and the Apocalypse become human once more. Which trials the vampire would have to endure was unclear, but they would be hard and numerous. Thereby, no indication of time was given to the prophecy, which could potentially be fulfilled very soon or at a much later time.
Role in the series
First appearing at the end of the first season, the Shanshu prophecy becomes an integral subplot in the series, and is Angel's ultimate goal in his quest for redemption. Originally, Angel and his friends assumed that the prophecy would come sooner than later, but ultimately acknowledged that the prophecy could not be rushed and it was not about "keeping score" but redemption.As such, the Shanshu prophecy became an integral part of the characters' motivation for the show's second, third and fourth season. At the beginning of the fifth season however, Angel's faith in the role has been shaken. Not only has he been forced to take over the L.A. branch of Wolfram and Hart (his hated enemies) to ensure a proper life for his son, but another vampire with a soul also appears, Spike, Angel's old rival and nemesis.
Spike, who fought to regain his soul and died saving the world, appears in the Wolfram & Hart building, incorporeal, like a ghost at first. When he is later corporealized in the episode "Destiny", seemingly the bonds of reality begin to tear, as the Shanshu prophecy is now in flux. Although Angel acts disinterested, it does worry him, especially when it is revealed that the vampire with the soul that will drink from the Cup of Perpetual Torment will become human. Angel's faith in his own role is once more shaken when Spike beats him to the Cup, and in the process, winning a fight against Angel for the first time.
Although the Cup of Perpetual Torment would be revealed to be a hoax and reality was returned to order, Angel remained worried, although his friends continued to believe he was destined to shanshu. Over the course of the fifth season Angel loses his way, and is finally put back on track by his old friend Cordelia Chase, seemingly resurrected. Although she turned out to be an astral projection, a gift to her by The Powers That Be, she gave him a vision, pertaining to the orchestrators of the Apocalypse, the Circle of the Black Thorn, agents of the Senior Partners.
Deciding to perform what could very well be a suicide mission, Angel enlists his allies, including Spike, to assassinate each and every member of the Circle, thereby delaying the Apocalypse for an untold amount of time. In order to learn of the identities of the Circle members however, Angel had to infiltrate the group. To prove his loyalty, Angel was forced to sign his name, with his own blood, on the Shanshu Prophecy, thereby revoking his part in it.
After the assassination of the Circle of the Black Thorn, the team regroups, where they await the fury of the Senior Partners. Standing side by side, Angel and Spike discuss the Shanshu Prophecy for the last time on the show's on-screen appearances.
"What do you think all this means for that Shanshu boogaboo? If we make it through this, does one of us get to be a real boy?"
"Who are you kiddin'. We're not gonna make it through."
~ Spike and Angel in the last episode of the series, "Not Fade Away".
Which vampire?
While it was initially believed that Angel was the vampire referred to, when Spike also received a soul the prophecy became unclear. Angel later signed away the prophecy in blood when infiltrating the Circle of the Black Thorn. Fans have speculated that a prophecy cannot simply be signed away, and have argued that in doing this, Angel only cemented his role as the true vampire hero with a soul.The fact that Angel was forced to sign this document also casts doubt on another theory, namely that Wesley's original translation in "To Shanshu in L.A." was correct, and the prophecy foretells the death of the vampire with the soul. While the series does seem to hint that Angel dies at the end, this is by no means certain. Moreover, it seems unlikely that the Circle would feel the need to have Angel sign away a prophecy predicting his own death.
Others believe that in a less literal way Angel has become human through his human son, Connor, which he had with his sire Darla. Another theory based on this idea is that Connor, while not necessarily the outcome of the prophecy, is Angel's reward. This theory still allows for Spike to become human in order to complete the prophecy.
Still another theory is that Angel has already fulfilled the prophecy by becoming human in the episode "I Will Remember You". In the episode Buffy visits and Angel gets cut in a battle with a demon. The demon's blood mixes with Angel's, and he finds he has turned human. He remained a human until he asked the Oracles, agents of The Powers to Be, to turn him back. In order to do so, they reverted the day he spent as a human so that he could successfully kill the demon and remain a vampire. This theory however is highly discredited by the fact that in the same episode he confronts the Oracles and they tell him that he is realesed but did not fufill his purpose.
Presuming that Angel did not actually sign the prophecy away and that it does refer to this apocalypse, it seems fairly clear that Angel plays a larger role in the apocalypse (leading the side of good, coming up with the plan, etc.) thus making him the vampire referred to in the prophecy. Whether or not he has received his reward is an entirely different matter.
Joss Whedon has stated that Angel is the Vampire the prophecy refers to and he always intended on having Angel shanshu and become human, but not for a very long time.
References
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