In honor of the 20th anniversary of our favorite vampire slayer, here is the first half of a list of 20 top moments in the franchise. Enjoy!
Buffy Stops The Harvest – The Harvest
Buffy effectively stops The Master from arising through The Harvest. Luke has got nothing on Buffy; she fools him into thinking it’s sunrise. “It’s in about 9 hours, moron.” Killing Luke ends the first of many apocalypses to come.
First Kiss with Angel – Angel
In season 1 episode 7, we see Buffy’s first kiss with our favorite vampire with a soul. During this moment, Angel shows his vampire nature, freaking out Buffy. Good thing they were able to get past it and have many kisses in the future.
Buffy Dies – Prophecy Girl
Buffy: Giles, I’m sixteen years old. I don’t wanna die.
The season 1 finale saw Buffy’s death at the hands of The Master. Xander was able to revive Buffy through CPR and, in the end, she kicked The Master’s ass, ending another apocalypse.
Spike and Drusilla – School Hard
We see the introduction of one of our favorite vampire couples: Spike and Drusilla. Fun fact: Spike was only to be a recurring character but James Marsters made such an impact on the audience that Spike became a season regular.
Demon Meets 20th Century – Innocence
Angel and Drusilla bring the demon The Judge to kill everyone in Sunnydale. This demon is said to not be killable. However, no one knew about a rocket launcher.
A Ghostly Reenactment – I Only Have Eyes for You
Sunnydale High becomes a ground of spiritual havoc when the Sadie Hawkins dance takes place. A ghostly couple have possessed the students, forcing them to relive their last moments. This episode puts Buffy into the male perspective and Angel in the female perspective. Since Angel can’t be killed by a gunshot, the spirit possessing him is able to give retribution to her lover thus setting them free.
Buffy Kills Angel – Becoming Part 2
In the season 2 finale, Buffy has to kill Angel to keep the world from ending. As she fights Angelus, Willow is able to perform the spell to return his soul. However, it is too late and the portal to Hell is open, leaving Buffy one option.
Angelus: No weapons… no friends… no hope. Take all that away and what’s left?
Buffy: Me.
Giles and Joyce get Frisky – Band Candy
Buffy: Hey, the way things were going, be glad this is the worst thing that happened. At least I got to you two before you, you know, actually did anything.
The band candy that Sunnydale High sells turns the adults into immature teenagers. Buffy’s mom, Joyce, eats some of the band candy along with Giles. We get to see teenage Joyce and Giles act like teens again… and they may or may not have had sex.
Vampire Willow – The Wish
Vampire Willow: Bored now.
In this episode, Cordelia wishes that Buffy never came to Sunnydale. Now reality is altered, the vampires run the city and Xander and Willow are still together but as vampires. Vampire Willow is a mild version of Drusilla. She was well received and appeared in another Buffy episode, The Dopplegangland.
A Buffy Thanksgiving – Pangs
Buffy: It’s a sham, but it’s a sham with yams. A yam sham.
A vengeful Native American spirit tries to ruin Buffy’s normal Thanksgiving. We having Willow and Giles fighting over how to resolve the issue while Buffy keeps worrying about the meal. There is also a surprise visit from Angel.
That’s the first half of PopHorror’s Top 20 Buffy moments. Did you favorite make the list? Make sure you check back soon for #11-20 of Top 20 Buffy moments. Buffy the Vampire Slayer can currently be streamed on Hulu and Netflix.