Anya Christina Emmanuelle Jenkins (also known as Anyanka, also known as Anya Emerson, also known as Aud) is a fictional character in the television show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, played by Emma Caulfield.

Anya, a thousand-year-old vengeance demon, first appeared in the third season episode "The Wish", in which Cordelia Chase wishes that Buffy Summers had never come to Sunnydale. The conclusion of the episode leaves Anya without her demonic powers: a mere mortal. Later in the same season, her attempts to regain her powers, with the help of Willow's magic, provide the premise for the episode "Doppelgängland".

Although references are made throughout the series to Anya's thousand-year career, it was not until season 7 that her backstory was explained in detail. Anya began her life in ninth century Scandinavia as Aud, the put-upon lover of a boorish Viking named Olaf. Using magic, Aud punished Olaf for his infidelity by turning him into a troll. A demon, D'Hoffryn, was impressed with her skills and transformed Aud into Anyanka, an immortal vengeance demon who spent the next thousand years wreaking grisly revenge on the behalf of betrayed women across the world. Incidentally, as Aud she raised rabbits and seemed very fond of them - a millenium later as Anya, she was known to despise and fear rabbits.

After her first appearance in the series, Anya made periodic appearances throughout season 3, eventually going to the prom with Xander Harris. Following this, the impending graduation (and apocalypse) prompted Anya to leave town, after unsuccessfully attempting to persuade Xander to come with her.

Anya eventually returned to Sunnydale. She became more intimately involved with Xander and also became a member of the Scooby Gang, often helping out in slaying activities. She had a permanently awkward relationship with the rest of the gang, owing to her tendency to speak her mind directly. While playing The Game of Life with Xander and Dawn, Anya discovered that she loved money and capitalism. Her budding retail skills encouraged Giles to make her his assistant at his shop, The Magic Box, and, when he left Sunnydale, Anya became the manager and owner.

Xander and Anya were engaged to be married, and the plans went well until Xander's doubts - inflamed by one of Anya's previous victims - caused him to jilt her at the altar. Hurt and angry, Anya was encouraged to resume her vengeance demon lifestyle by D'Hoffryn. In addition, at the end of Season 6, Dark Willow destroyed the Magic Box, leaving Anya jobless.

Despite wreaking bloody vengeance on several men, Anya's heart was not in it. After a particularly gruesome attack on some frat boys, she came to regret the destruction she was causing with her demon spells and decided to quit. In retribution, her boss D'Hoffryn killed her best friend Halfrek but allowed Anya to become human again. Anya decided that she had spent her entire life being dependent on others and resolved to find her own independent purpose in life. In practice, however, she returned to occasional intimacy with Xander and rejoined the Scooby Gang, helping them fight The First Evil.

In the final battle against The First, Anya was cut in half by one of its minions in a sudden and unexpected manner. Her body was then destroyed along with all of Sunnydale. To comfort Xander, Andrew told him that Anya had died saving his life. To which, Xander replied, "That's my girl: always doing the stupid thing."

Footnotes

1. "Scandinavia" is meant here in the loosest sense of "a Nordic country", as the specific location is not identified in the relevant episode, "Selfless ". The intended country is presumably Norway, as the characters are speaking Norwegian, although in the 9th century, they would probably have been speaking Old Norse.