Shanshu Prophecy
Encyclopedia
The Shanshu Prophecy is a prophecy
that appears in the fictional universe
of the television series Angel
. Contained in the Scrolls of Aberjian, the prophecy first appears in the episode "Blind Date
" and is more fully revealed in the season finale of the show's first season, "To Shanshu in L.A.". The Shanshu Prophecy foresees the restoration of a vampire with a soul
into a mortal human
being.
will play a major role in the Apocalypse (for good or for evil) and receive a reward ("shanshu") for his efforts. The full text of the prophecy has not been revealed.
Translated, "shanshu" means both "to live" and "to die." Wesley interprets the text as meaning that the vampire with a soul will, at the end of his numerous trials, live as human once more.
As of issue 12 in the comic continuation, Angel: After the Fall, Angel's true role in the Apocalypse is (seemingly) revealed to him through a vision granted by Wesley (which he claims comes from the higher ups at Wolfram and Hart).
Angel's faith in his role wavers in the fifth season. He takes on a more corporate, bureaucratic approach to fighting evil when he takes control of the Los Angeles
branch of Wolfram & Hart
, and feels disconnected from his mission. Also, his old rival Spike (another vampire with a soul) is resurrected in L.A.
; Spike had recently died as a Champion, sacrificing himself to save the world. Two of Angel's enemies, Eve and Lindsey McDonald
, take advantage of the situation; Eve convinces Angel and Spike that the existence of two ensouled vampire Champions is interfering with the Shanshu Prophecy and tearing the bonds of reality. She presents them with a falsified translation of the prophecy, leading them to believe that they can only restore the balance of the universe by competing to drink from the Cup of Perpetual Torment; whoever drinks first will be the one to later become human. Before the hoax is revealed, Spike overpowers Angel and claims the prophesized destiny for himself, proving himself a true contender for Shanshu. Whilst arguing over who the prophecy talked about (Angel or Spike), Spike points out that Angel was cursed with his soul and had no choice in the matter, whereas he chose to regain his soul, at which point Angel points out that Spike only did it to get into a girl
's pants. Indeed, Spike's main interest in the Shanshu seems to be more of a continuation of his old vendetta against Angel rather than a specific desire to become human again.
Angel later infiltrates the most powerful demon organization in this dimension, the Circle of the Black Thorn, in an attempt to uncover the representatives of the Senior Partners' power in this dimension. They demand a sacrifice from him to prove his loyalty: he is forced to sign away his potential claim to Shanshu, in his own blood, the Circle unable to understand that Angel would do good just for the sake of it rather than for any reward. Angel, Spike, and their remaining allies later assassinate each and every member of the Circle, thereby incurring the wrath of the armies of the Senior Partners.
Earlier, as Angel and Spike watch the others leaving for their coming battles, they discuss the Prophecy:
Spike: "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?"
Angel: "Who are you kiddin'. We're not gonna make it through."
Spike: "Well as long as it's not you."
The series ends as Spike, Angel, Gunn
, and Illyria stand alone against the demons and dragons sent by the Senior Partners; the fulfillment of the prophecy remains unresolved. Although Angel is revealed to have become at least partly human during "Angel: After the Fall
", this is revealed to have been due to the Senior Partners attempting to deprive Angel of his strength when he needs it most rather than out of any benevolence on the part of the Powers, however, this could be seen as an indirect act of fate, as the prophecy was technically fulfilled.
In Angel: After the Fall #12, Wesley, now an agent for Wolfram & Hart reveals the truth behind the Shanshu Prophecy. Gunn (at that point a vampire with delusions of heroism), in an attempt to fulfill the Shanshu Prophecy for himself, attempts to kill Angel. He does this by reversing all the magic Angel has cast on himself; spells used to mimic the powers of a vampire. This includes magic that heals him after injury. All of Angel's injuries come back at once and he has a post-death experience.
At this point Wesley appears and reveals that Wolfram & Hart never had a chance to file the prophecy after Angel signed away his rights; thus, the Shanshu is still Angel's and can still be fulfilled. Wesley passes on a vision to Angel, the role he will play in the Apocalypse that earns him his Shanshu destiny indicating that Angel will be fighting for evil; the vision depicts a bloodied Angel in vampire form standing in a field of dead bodies.
Horrified by this, Angel very nearly resigns himself to death in order to prevent these events from coming to pass, but, with the assistance of Cordelia Chase
– now a higher being – and his son, Connor, he is reminded and reassured that he would never allow himself to become what he saw in that vision. Angel decides to go on and continue fighting because:
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
that appears in the fictional universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
of the television series Angel
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
. Contained in the Scrolls of Aberjian, the prophecy first appears in the episode "Blind Date
Blind Date (Angel episode)
"Blind Date" is episode 21 of season 1 in the television show Angel. Written by Jeannine Renshaw and directed by Thomas J. Wright, it was originally broadcast on May 16, 2000 on the WB network. In Blind Date, Angel reluctantly agrees to help lawyer Lindsey McDonald save a group of three blind...
" and is more fully revealed in the season finale of the show's first season, "To Shanshu in L.A.". The Shanshu Prophecy foresees the restoration of a vampire with a soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
into a mortal human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
being.
The Prophecy
The Shanshu Prophecy reveals that a vampire with a soulSoul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
will play a major role in the Apocalypse (for good or for evil) and receive a reward ("shanshu") for his efforts. The full text of the prophecy has not been revealed.
Translated, "shanshu" means both "to live" and "to die." Wesley interprets the text as meaning that the vampire with a soul will, at the end of his numerous trials, live as human once more.
As of issue 12 in the comic continuation, Angel: After the Fall, Angel's true role in the Apocalypse is (seemingly) revealed to him through a vision granted by Wesley (which he claims comes from the higher ups at Wolfram and Hart).
Role in the series
After the prophecy is introduced, its fulfillment becomes Angel's ultimate goal in his quest for redemption. Because the prophecy does not refer to any particular apocalypse, Angel determines that redemption (rather than a scorecard of good deeds) is the key to Shanshu; he must maintain a constant battle against evil, rather than just try to amass a demonic body-count.Angel's faith in his role wavers in the fifth season. He takes on a more corporate, bureaucratic approach to fighting evil when he takes control of the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
branch of Wolfram & Hart
Wolfram & Hart
Wolfram & Hart − Attorneys at Law is a fictional international, and interdimensional law firm featured in the television series Angel, as well as other extended materials in Joss Whedon's Buffyverse.-Fictional history:...
, and feels disconnected from his mission. Also, his old rival Spike (another vampire with a soul) is resurrected in L.A.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
; Spike had recently died as a Champion, sacrificing himself to save the world. Two of Angel's enemies, Eve and Lindsey McDonald
Lindsey McDonald
Lindsey McDonald is a fictional character from the television series Angel. He first appeared in the series' first episode, "City of," and featured prominently in the story arcs of seasons one, two, and five. Lindsey is the only character besides Angel himself to appear in both the first and last...
, take advantage of the situation; Eve convinces Angel and Spike that the existence of two ensouled vampire Champions is interfering with the Shanshu Prophecy and tearing the bonds of reality. She presents them with a falsified translation of the prophecy, leading them to believe that they can only restore the balance of the universe by competing to drink from the Cup of Perpetual Torment; whoever drinks first will be the one to later become human. Before the hoax is revealed, Spike overpowers Angel and claims the prophesized destiny for himself, proving himself a true contender for Shanshu. Whilst arguing over who the prophecy talked about (Angel or Spike), Spike points out that Angel was cursed with his soul and had no choice in the matter, whereas he chose to regain his soul, at which point Angel points out that Spike only did it to get into a girl
Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name...
's pants. Indeed, Spike's main interest in the Shanshu seems to be more of a continuation of his old vendetta against Angel rather than a specific desire to become human again.
Angel later infiltrates the most powerful demon organization in this dimension, the Circle of the Black Thorn, in an attempt to uncover the representatives of the Senior Partners' power in this dimension. They demand a sacrifice from him to prove his loyalty: he is forced to sign away his potential claim to Shanshu, in his own blood, the Circle unable to understand that Angel would do good just for the sake of it rather than for any reward. Angel, Spike, and their remaining allies later assassinate each and every member of the Circle, thereby incurring the wrath of the armies of the Senior Partners.
Earlier, as Angel and Spike watch the others leaving for their coming battles, they discuss the Prophecy:
Spike: "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?"
Angel: "Who are you kiddin'. We're not gonna make it through."
Spike: "Well as long as it's not you."
The series ends as Spike, Angel, Gunn
Charles Gunn
Charles Gunn is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series, Angel. The character is portrayed by J. August Richards, and was named by Whedon after filmmaker James Gunn and actor Sean Gunn, both of whom had worked with Whedon...
, and Illyria stand alone against the demons and dragons sent by the Senior Partners; the fulfillment of the prophecy remains unresolved. Although Angel is revealed to have become at least partly human during "Angel: After the Fall
Angel: After the Fall
Angel: After the Fall is a comic book published by IDW Publishing. Written by Brian Lynch and plotted with Joss Whedon, the series is a canonical continuation of the Angel television series, and follows the events of that show's final televised season...
", this is revealed to have been due to the Senior Partners attempting to deprive Angel of his strength when he needs it most rather than out of any benevolence on the part of the Powers, however, this could be seen as an indirect act of fate, as the prophecy was technically fulfilled.
In Angel: After the Fall #12, Wesley, now an agent for Wolfram & Hart reveals the truth behind the Shanshu Prophecy. Gunn (at that point a vampire with delusions of heroism), in an attempt to fulfill the Shanshu Prophecy for himself, attempts to kill Angel. He does this by reversing all the magic Angel has cast on himself; spells used to mimic the powers of a vampire. This includes magic that heals him after injury. All of Angel's injuries come back at once and he has a post-death experience.
At this point Wesley appears and reveals that Wolfram & Hart never had a chance to file the prophecy after Angel signed away his rights; thus, the Shanshu is still Angel's and can still be fulfilled. Wesley passes on a vision to Angel, the role he will play in the Apocalypse that earns him his Shanshu destiny indicating that Angel will be fighting for evil; the vision depicts a bloodied Angel in vampire form standing in a field of dead bodies.
Horrified by this, Angel very nearly resigns himself to death in order to prevent these events from coming to pass, but, with the assistance of Cordelia Chase
Cordelia Chase
Cordelia Chase is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer; she also appeared on Buffy's spin-off series Angel...
– now a higher being – and his son, Connor, he is reminded and reassured that he would never allow himself to become what he saw in that vision. Angel decides to go on and continue fighting because: