The 8 Buffy The Vampire Slayer Moments That Defined The Show

Buffy The Vampire Slayer ran for seven seasons, and across the different plots and story arcs, many iconic moments defined the show. Whether it was a character death, a season finale, or a pivotal change in a relationship dynamic, these were scenes that left the audience shocked and devastated. Buffy consistently pushed the boundaries of television and used innovative techniques to make it much more than a supernatural teen drama. Its great writing and amazing story moments have created a long-lasting legacy.

Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy alongside the core group of Willow (Alyson Hannigan), Xander (Nicholas Brendon), and Giles (Anthony Head), Buffy retained its central characters throughout the series. This consistency is a reason why audiences remained so enraptured by the show until the very end. Plot developments were taken seriously because the audience was so connected to the characters. Many fans want a Buffy The Vampire Slayer reboot with a recast of Buffy, but looking back at the series’ strongest scenes makes viewers question whether a remake of the show would be worth it.

8 Buffy & Angel’s First Kiss

Season 1, Episode 7, “Angel”

No matter which of Buffy’s boyfriends is the audience’s favorite, Angel (David Boreanaz) is Buffy’s first and arguably her greatest love. His identity as a vampire is hidden until the season 1 episode “Angel,” when audiences discover that this mysterious leading man is much more than meets the eye. Angel and Buffy take the term “star-crossed lovers” to a new level, as their relationship is doomed from the start. It’s after they kiss that Buffy learns he’s a vampire and then later accepts him when she finds out he has a soul.

Though there are some harsh realities about Angel’s character in Buffy, his love story with Buffy is one for the ages and influences Buffy’s approach to romance for the rest of the show. His character gets more complex and interesting as the series progresses, as he primarily serves as merely a love interest in season 1. This kiss is the first step in Buffy’s constant flirtation with darkness and the demon world, as the men she’s most attracted to embody this danger.

7 Buffy Kills Angel

Season 2, Episode 22, Becoming (Part 2)

Buffy dies to save the world more than once, but her greatest sacrifice is not of herself but of the man she loves in the season 2 finale. Angel’s change into Angelus is devastating, but it results in one of the best villains of the series. Angelus is pure evil and only desires to see the world plunged into chaos, leading him to bring about the end of the world, which Buffy must stop. Tragically, he regains his soul just before Buffy must kill him, but that doesn’t change that she has to go through with it.

It’s an extreme example of the cost of being the Slayer and sets Buffy on its tonal course for the remainder of the series. The emotional impact of Angel’s death in season 2 cannot be overstated, and the lasting effect it has on Buffy never goes away. In some ways, Buffy never recovers from this act, and it drives her to leave Sunnydale for months before she’s ready to return and face her life. Additionally, the battle sequence leading up to his death is incredible, making the sacrifice all the more poignant.

6 Faith Kills An Innocent Bystander

Season 3, Episode 14, “Bad Girls”

Faith (Eliza Dushku) is one of the most interesting characters in Buffy and is the most effective foil of Buffy throughout the series. Though the two Slayers were first at odds, they grow close, and Buffy begins to rely on Faith and believes she could have a life of her own with Faith sharing the responsibility. This closeness and both of their futures are thrown out the window when Faith accidentally kills a man, mistaking him for a vampire. Buffy insists they deal with this and face the consequences, but Faith refuses to acknowledge what she’s done.

Feeling guilty and alienated, Faith turns from Buffy and joins forces with the Mayor, leading to the inevitable showdown between the two Slayers before season 3 is over. Season 3 sees Buffy grappling with the evil of humanity and shows how the inherent “goodness” of a Slayer is not guaranteed. It also opened the door for a conversation about how the world failed Faith and demonstrated what Buffy’s life would be without her support system of friends and family. Faith joins the Mayor because she feels wanted and seen in the wake of the worst moment of her life.

5 Buffy Finds Her Mother’s Body

Season 5, Episode 15, “I Was Made To Love You”

The episode immediately following “I Was Made To Love You,” “The Body,” is one of the best and most devastating of the entire series. In the final moments of “I Was Made To Love You,” Buffy comes home to find her mother, Joyce (Kristine Sutherland), dead after struggling with her health all season. It’s particularly gutting because it seemed she was getting better, only for her to be taken from Buffy at the worst possible moment. It’s the official signal that Buffy’s childhood is over, and she will have even more responsibility from here on out.

Joyce was killed off in season 5 partly because the actress was ready to leave the series. Additionally, Joyce died because her role on the show wasn’t helpful to Buffy’s development as a character. Buffy was never afraid to deal with serious and mature themes, and the aftermath of Joyce’s death in “The Body” proves how equipped the writers were to handle such a life-changing event. As with Buffy finding her mother’s body, some of the best and most important parts of the show have nothing to do with the supernatural elements.

4 Buffy Sacrifices Herself For Dawn

Season 5, Episode 22, “The Gift”

Though Dawn’s (Michelle Trachtenberg) appearance in the premiere of season 5 was a large moment in and of itself, the season is defined by the finale. Originally meant to be the series finale before Buffy was saved and picked up by another network, “The Gift” ends with Buffy dying to save Dawn and the world. Glory (Clare Kramer) is one of the weaker villains of the series, but her actions lead to the incredible moment when Buffy proves she isn’t a tool for violence, as she thought, but a true hero.

If the show had ended here, it would have been a great ending and the inevitable conclusion for the story up until that point. The fact that Buffy died in the season 5 finale allowed her to live and get a second chance in the series finale of season 7. It’s also significant because it’s proof that even though Dawn was created by the monks for Buffy to protect, they are truly family and share the same blood, which is how Buffy stops the portal. This familial connection is vital after the loss of their mother earlier in the season.

3 Spike & Buffy’s First Kiss

Season 6, Episode 7, “Once More, With Feeling”

Technically, Spike and Buffy shared their first kiss in the season 4 episode “Something Blue,” but this doesn’t officially count because both characters were under Willow’s spell. In the final moments of “Once More, With Feeling,” Buffy gives in to the attraction she’s felt toward Spike since she came back from the grave. Though this was a monumental moment for shippers who wanted to see the enemies turn into lovers, it’s also a signal of how badly Buffy was doing and an indicator of her self-destructive actions in season 6. Their kiss marks Buffy’s descent into darkness.

Season 6 is universally considered the darkest of the series, and Buffy’s anger and self-hatred are part of the reason why. Though Spike and Buffy’s relationship becomes healthier in season 7, in season 6, it’s supposed to be viewed as a damaging and abusive relationship. Up until season 6, there were lines that Buffy would never cross, and this kiss showed the viewers that the final two seasons of Buffy would be unlike anything they’d seen so far. The Buffy-Spike relationship is crucial to this tonal shift as it’s so indicative of Buffy’s internal turmoil.

2 Tara Dies In Front Of Willow

Season 6, Episode 19, “Seeing Red”

Buffy season 6 didn’t have the same overarching Big Bad as the other seasons, as Warren (Adam Busch) ends up paling in comparison to Dark Willow. However, Warren is still the catalyst for the emergence of Willow’s despair and world-ending grief, as he shoots and kills Tara (Amber Benson) at the end of season 6 when he tries to kill Buffy. Both Warren and Willow’s evil arcs delve into the darkness inside humans, a theme that season 6 grapples with as a whole. Even Willow’s struggles with magic are a metaphor for drug addiction and remain part of the plot.

The fact that Warren kills Tara and injures Buffy with a gun demonstrates that this isn’t supposed to be a supernatural or otherworldly act of violence but one rooted inextricably in reality. Additionally, the fact that Xander is the one who ultimately pulls Willow out of her despair by appealing to her humanity speaks to the larger themes of the story arc. Tara is an enduring force of good in the show from the moment she’s introduced, and her death is a major loss and causes a shift in the dynamic of the core group until the show’s end.

(Sarah-Michelle-Gellar-as-Buffy-Summers)-from-Buffy-the-Vampire-Slayer

8 Best Buffy The Vampire Slayer Theories That Change How You See The Show

Buffy the Vampire Slayer was an incredibly well-written show, with some details that hinted at wild theories that could change the whole series.

1 Buffy Takes Spike’s Hand Before He Dies

Season 7, Episode 22, “Chosen”

Buffy and Spike’s relationship timeline is convoluted and sometimes difficult to watch, but by the end of the show, they’ve developed a mutual respect and love that comes from a place of healing instead of pain. Spike’s decision to have his soul returned to be closer to humanity was an important part of this journey. Buffy is weary of Spike throughout season 7, and for good reason. However, he proves himself to be an ally and is staunchly in her corner as she faces her biggest threat yet, The First Evil.

As Buffy and the Potentials turn the tide in the fight against The First in the series finale, it’s Spike’s sacrifice that saves the day. This act of heroism and selflessness leads to Buffy telling him she loves him and redeems him. Though Spike comes back in Angel in the Buffy The Vampire Slayer series finale, his death is fitting for the end of the show and is a beautiful end to their relationship. After the events of the battle, Buffy is now free to live as normal a life as she chooses, thanks to her friends and Spike.