Angel of Death

"I'm not about 'why' or 'how', Piper. I'm simply 'when'."

- The Angel of Death to Piper.

The Angel of Death, often just called Death, is an ancient, powerful being that is neither good nor evil, simply neutral.

He claims the souls of those who died and takes them to the afterlife. It is useless to fight him as he can't be destroyed for there is always death, there is only life because of death. The Angel of Death cannot be stopped and never gives up a claim. The only way to change the fate of one destined to die is to make a plea to the Angel of Destiny. He has come into contact with the Charmed Ones on numerous occasions, typically by trying to claim the souls of the sisters or their friends.

Foreshadowing


A witch can see a black shadow following the person who is next on the Angel of Death's list to be taken to their proper place in the afterlife. That shadow is the Angel of Death following it, however when Prue takes a picture of the shadow following a lady it doesn't show up. However, this may just be Prue as she was infact on The Angel Of Death's list.

Death Takes a Halliwell
In the season 3 episode Death Takes a Halliwell, the Angel of Death is introduced, though he only meets Prue. He was sent down for two reasons--to teach Prue that she wasn't meant to save every innocent she protected, and to come for her if she couldn't learn to properly grieve for her mother's death 23 years earlier.

The Courtship of Wyatt's Father
In the season 6 episode The Courtship of Wyatt's Father, a different Angel of Death, moonlighting as a janitor with a given name of Clarence, appeared to Chris Halliwell. Although he didn't quite know for a time whether he was actually supposed to take Chris, he wanted to warn him that he had to enjoy more of his life just in case.


 * Technically, only one Angel of Death exists; however, this slightly altered version of Death, complete with a different actor (Lou Beatty Jr.) playing the part, had to come about because Simon Templeman was unable to reprise the role at the time due to scheduling conflicts. This could be explained in storyline as Death taking on a new form specifically for dealing with Chris because he came from the future.

Styx Feet Under
In the season 7 episode Styx Feet Under, the Angel of Death appears. This is the first time that any of the sisters or Leo saw him. He came to the sisters because he had a problem; a person on his list should be dead but isn't. Paige explains that it's because of her protection spell that she had cast over that person.

He recruits Piper to help him claim the souls of those who died. After Kevin's demon half was vanquished, he returned Piper to life and claimed Kevin's soul.


 * Note: This episode marks the first time Death agrees to barter with the Charmed Ones and take a different soul than the one on his list - Sirk's instead of Paige's. The second is in Vaya Con Leos when he explains to Piper that she should talk to those who know more about the Grand Design than he does - an Elder and an Avatar - in order to avert him from taking Leo from her.

Vaya Con Leos
In the season 8 episode Vaya Con Leos, the Angel of Death appears to Piper. After all the times he "worked" with the sisters, Death came to sympathize for the sisters, something which had never happened to him before. He came to warn Piper that he would be taking Leo soon and offered her some time to say goodbye. Piper didn't understand why Leo had to be taken, after everything they had already been through and therefore cast a spell which made every man on the world look like Leo to confuse the Angel of Death. Though the spell worked, Leo gave himself away by waiting at Wyatt and Chris' school. Death found him and a car crashed into the cab Leo was sitting in.

Piper, still confused, asks an Elder and Avatar for help, but they can only say that this decision was not by them but by a being higher than them; an Angel of Destiny. Piper, Phoebe and Paige contacted an Angel of Destiny and could make a deal: Leo would not die but would be frozen until the Ultimate battle was won.


 * Note: In this episode, for the first time, Death appears somewhat sympathetic about an individual's death - while in the car when Leo describes how his previous life ended prematurely, compassion and sympathy can be seen in his eyes and body language.

The List


Though first mentioned in the season 3 episode Death Takes a Halliwell, Death's list containing the order of deaths was only actually shown in the season 7 episode Styx Feet Under. There are two columns on the list; Dead and To Die. The ones under Dead are people who are dying, the ones under To Die aren't yet, but will soon. However, the names keep changing, removing themselves, changing places, as destinies are changed continually. Once someone on the list has passed away, the name will disappear.