It’s been 20 years since Buffy The Vampire Slayer first graced our TV screens with the original Scooby gang – Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Willow (Alyson Hannigan), Xander (Nicholas Brendon) and Giles (Anthony Head). Across its seven seasons, there were more heart-ripping scenes than staked vamps. Here, we celebrate one of the best pop cultural icons of our time by looking at the cult-classics biggest moments.
When Buffy kills Angel
Angel (David Boreanaz) and Buffy’s relationship was a rollercoaster. They were deep in love, but he’s a vampire and she’s a vampire slayer so things really couldn’t have ended well.
The first time they made love and Angel found true happiness, he lost his soul and turned into his evil alter ego, Angelus. After he teamed up with fellow bad vamp Spike and went on a killing spree, Buffy’s only choice was to kill the man she loved and send him straight to hell.
Buffy put a sword through the soul-less Angel
When Joyce dies
We’re still getting choked up thinking about this one. Buffy and her mother Joyce (Kristine Sutherland) sometimes had a rocky relationship but you can’t ever break a mother-daughter bond. That’s why Joyce’s death was so shocking – it really came out of nowhere.
Buffy came home to find her mum dead on the couch due to an aneurysm. It was one of the most heartbreaking scenes of the entire series.
This scene crushed us.
When Dawn appears
Buffy had been an only daughter for four seasons and then younger sis Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) turned up in season five as if she’d always been there. The twist completely threw fans and took them a long time to warm to the new Summers family member. Fans found her annoying at times but she became an important character in the series to come.
Fans didn’t like Dawn at first but soon came around to her
When Xander helped Willow turn good again
Xander and Willow were best friends, well before Buffy came into their lives. Their love for each other was so great that when Willow turned evil after her girlfriend Tara was murdered and tried to destroy the world with her magic, it was only Xander that could pull her back to the good side.
Plus, he says this ridiculously cute quote: “Yeah, I love you. I love crayon-breaky Willow and I love scary, veiny Willow. So if I’m goin’ out, it’s here. If you wanna kill the world, well, then start with me. I’ve earned that.”
“Yeah, I love you. I love crayon-breaky Willow and I love scary, veiny Willow.”
When Buffy sacrifices herself
Dawn may not have had Buffy’s vampire-kicking strength but she was important – she was a mystical construct known as ‘The Key’. Her blood held the power to open portals between worlds and this was being used by hell god Glory to send her back home. The only way for the portal (which was going to destroy the world) to close was for ALL of Dawn’s blood to be used. So, in a moment of clarity (and heartbreak), Buffy decided to sacrifice herself and save her sister.
She tells Dawn: “You have to take care of each other. You have to be strong. Dawn, the hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Be brave. Live. For me.”
Cue the tears.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer 20th Anniversary Box Set available on DVD September 27th
