This paper explores the ways in which the heroes of BtVS and AtS try to cope with the persistence of evil and the threat of meaninglessness and despair, focusing particularly upon the characters of Angel, Spike, and Buffy in recent seasons. Over the years, they have each wrestled, alone or together, with the question of ‘why be a champion?’ Why keep fighting to save others, if you can never totally win or earn your own redemption, and the sacrifices demanded of you just become greater and greater? When Spike asks that question in the AtS episode “Hell Bound,” Angel answers with, “What else are we gonna do?” Building on research previously presented at the “Blood, Text, and Fears” conference, I use works by theologian Paul Tillich and Object Relations theorist D. W. Winnicott, as well as recent studies of religion and popular culture (with particular reference to the essays by Wendy Love Anderson and Gregory J. Sakal in ‘BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER' AND PHILOSOPHY), to try to understand what — beyond the needs of episodic television and syndication deals — keeps these characters fighting and striving to be in this world.