Every Major Buffy The Vampire Slayer Villain Ranked

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is legendary for its mix of comedy and drama, foolish rubber monster fits, and ’90s dance sequences. Nevertheless it’s maybe most well-known of all for its villains. That is not simply because they’re tremendous memorable (not all are, however we’ll get there), but in addition due to how the usage of seasonal villains on “Buffy” fully modified the best way most serialized TV was written. That format will certainly proceed in the recently reported “Buffy” sequel series at Hulu.

The idea of the “Huge Dangerous” of a season overshadowing all of the smaller “monster of the week” episodes and tying collectively a cohesive story with a climactic finale yearly mainly got here from “Buffy.” That narrative mannequin, which had labored in numerous types within the comedian e-book medium for years, gave the present a particular really feel on TV within the late ’90s and early 2000s. It additionally grew to become massively influential for the entire medium of dramatic tv. The villains mattered not simply due to nice performances or evil plots, but in addition due to how they had been constructed up and used repeatedly all through a season. However which “Buffy” Huge Dangerous is the most effective of the most effective? That is what we’re right here to determine.

For the needs of this extraordinarily scientific rating, we’re solely going to be contemplating the Huge Dangerous of every of the seven seasons of “Buffy.” No short-term villains just like the Choose (although he is nice), nobody from the “Angel” spin-off sequence, and nobody from the “Buffy” sequel comics. We additionally will not be rating antiheroes or primary characters briefly turned dangerous, though Religion (Eliza Dushku) and Darkish Willow (Alyson Hannigan) actually get honorable mentions. With all that out of the best way, let’s get to the listing.

The First Evil is the primary and worst villain on our listing however the remaining Huge Dangerous of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” What makes Buffy and co’s series-ending foe such a disappointment? Nicely, a few issues. For one, Season 7 as a complete is broadly seen as one of the weaker seasons of “Buffy.” Whereas I would not name it the worst of the bunch, it struggles with the tough activity of bringing a climactic conclusion to the entire sequence. Which may not sound so arduous when you’ve as a lot materials to work with as “Buffy” did on the time, however whenever you bear in mind how climactic the top of Season 5 is and the way uneven the following Season 6 is, you begin to perceive how Season 7 grew to become so mediocre.

The core idea of the season is that the entire “potential” slayers around the globe have gained the powers of the lively slayer. Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) then brings them collectively right into a form of teenage lady superhero workforce to combat the First Evil, which is strictly what it appears like. From the Hellmouth beneath her house of Sunnydale, this primordial pressure wages struggle towards the slayers, primarily by the physique of sadistic priest Caleb (Nathan Fillion) but in addition through numerous different vessels, together with the types of earlier “Buffy” villains.

It is an attention-grabbing thought in idea, but it surely comes out feeling like these mimic characters from preventing video video games — boring and with no actual persona of its personal. The premise of getting Buffy face the sum of all her previous enemies had potential, however in comparison with the opposite Huge Bads of the sequence, the First is simply underwhelming.

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” Season 4 is the dictionary definition of a blended bag. You get among the finest comedic materials in the whole sequence from a neutered Spike (James Marsters), however you additionally get a completely inert romance arc between Buffy and her new faculty boyfriend Riley (Marc Blucas). You equally get an unbelievable three-episode run with “Pangs,” “One thing Blue,” and “Hush,” which many consider the creepiest “Buffy” episode, in addition to maybe probably the most embarrassing comedian e-book day Huge Dangerous arc in the entire present.

Season 4’s The Initiative is mainly the CIA for preventing demons. Possibly “The Matrix” and the “Star Wars” prequels made the “Buffy” writers room imagine that sci-fi was the long run. Or possibly they simply needed to see how far they might stretch their sensible results price range earlier than it ripped down the center like a badly crafted rubber swimsuit. Regardless, the consequence is identical — a middle-grade journey novel plot a few secret (and secretly evil) monster-fighting group that employs buff faculty children from Iowa. Transfer over, Caitlin Clark, Riley is the actual patron saint of the Hawkeye State.

The plot of Season 4 itself is so uninteresting that by the point we get the double-whammy villain of evil lecture corridor queen Maggie Walsh (Lindsay Crouse) and her Spirit Halloween Frankenstein Adam (George Hertzberg), we already do not care. There’s loads to like about “Buffy” Season 4, however none of it has to do with the Huge Dangerous(s). They solely rank greater than the First as a result of they no less than have some persona.

Warren Mears (Adam Busch) is a curious case. On one hand, he is the primary “good” villain we have hit on this listing. However, he is the worst. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” Season 6 is a thick sludge of melancholy poured proper down your gullet, lightened briefly by That One Episode The place Everybody Sings and That Different Episode The place Giles Comes Again. It flips the script on the present by making Buffy’s actual battle a psychological well being battle. It additionally reverses the sequence’ earlier mannequin of larger-than-life supernatural villains and replaces them with a trio of infuriatingly cringe-inducing basement incels.

Because the chief of that group, Warren Mears is all the things incorrect with humanity, which makes him an attention-grabbing antagonist regardless of how a lot I hate seeing him each time he is on the display. He is grotesque, deeply sexist, entitled, filled with unjustified rage, and an entire loser. He additionally turns into the catalyst for one of many present’s most controversial moments when he reveals up in Buffy’s yard with a handgun, tries to shoot her, and accidentally kills Tara (Amber Benson) instead. This kicks off the Darkish Willow arc for the final couple episodes of the season, and it additionally made lots of followers very, very offended.

Warren will get flayed alive for his crimes, which is barely proper. Is he villain? That is up for debate, however he sucks in all of the ways in which dudes like him suck in actual life, and that makes him attention-grabbing on the very least.

Let’s not mince phrases right here: “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” Season 1 is kind of a mess. The consequences and combat choreography are hilarious, the writing is not practically on the stage it reaches in a while, and Xander (Nicholas Brendon) is the worst, although that half by no means actually will get higher. When buddies of mine watch “Buffy” for the first time, I inform them that if Season 1 is simply too robust to get by, they’ll simply watch the primary couple episodes, “Angel,” and the finale, then skip to Season 2. Regardless of all that, the present’s first Huge Dangerous is a reasonably good one.

The Grasp (Mark Metcalf) is the epitome of ’90s TV prosthetics, with a everlasting vampire face that offers him a form of basic horror film look. As low-budget as it’s, it additionally works, and Mark Metcalf’s mustache-twirling efficiency does loads to raise the character. Whereas the Grasp’s grand plan is fairly commonplace fare and he would not have the layers that the present’s finest villains get, he is a powerful anchor for the sequence’ first season when a lot else continues to be getting found out.

In different phrases, he belongs proper right here within the useless heart of this listing.

Now we’re attending to the actually good villains. The Mayor (Harry Groener) is a genius Huge Dangerous for “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” Season 3, answering the query that no person requested: “What if the dad from ‘Depart it to Beaver’ was an immortal demon?” His villain/reluctant henchman dynamic with Religion is implausible, and in a season the place just about each character and storyline is working at peak efficiency, he stays abreast, overseeing one of many present’s biggest stretches as an ideal Huge Dangerous.

There are three factors in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” that act like correct endings, they usually come on the finish of Season 3, Season 5, and Season 7. The mix of the battle towards the mayor and the Scooby gang’s highschool commencement is among the pinnacles of the entire sequence, and just about each beat constructing as much as it hits simply as nicely. The one factor holding the Mayor again right here is that whereas he is nice, he would not have the gravitas that the highest villains on this listing possess. Season 3 excels for a lot of causes that don’t have anything to do with its Huge Dangerous, however a bronze medal is nothing to sneeze at.

The primary time I watched “Buffy” Season 5, I did not get it. I used to be in highschool, I liked the campy, ridiculous vibe of the sooner seasons, and I used to be fully unprepared for the tone change. The second time I watched “Buffy” Season 5, nonetheless, I noticed it for what it’s: absolutely the peak of the present and one of many biggest seasons of style TV ever made. Glory (Clare Kramer) is not the one cause for that, and even the most important one, however she is a large a part of it.

It is actually arduous to create an excellent villain. It is even more durable to nail the archetype of “this particular person is mainly invincible, and there’s no conceivable means for us to defeat them.” These sorts of dangerous guys are likely to get stale because the heroes lose time and again in the identical means and the viewers begins checking their watch to see when, inevitably, the villain’s secret weak point will likely be revealed. Glory works as a result of she’s not simply an omnipotent hell god — she’s the factor that Buffy lastly cannot beat. She’s nice as a result of Buffy’s Season 5 arc is so robust. By introducing Glory (and Daybreak, to be truthful), the sequence elevates its protagonist far past her earlier highs, and fortunately, Kramer and Gellar each rise to the problem and hit each single mark. It takes all the things, fairly actually, for Buffy to defeat Glory, and we even get an all-timer Giles second out of that victory.

However Glory would not fairly earn the highest spot right here. That honor belongs to a trio of villains who really outline their season.

The Mayor and Glory are each nice, however their seasons excel in lots of ways in which don’t have anything to do with them. “Buffy” Season 2 is totally different. It is one of many present’s very best explicitly as a result of of its Huge Bads.

The glow-up from “Buffy” Season 1 to Season 2 has acquired to be one of many biggest sophomore surges in tv historical past. Spike and Drusilla (Juliet Landau) step onto the scene at the beginning of Season 2 and instantly make a splash by killing the Anointed One (Andrew J. Ferchland), the supposed primary villain after the Grasp’s loss of life. Landau and Marsters are simply a lot enjoyable on display collectively, they make you nearly begin rooting for the villains from the beginning simply as a way to see extra of them. “What if Billy Idol was a vampire?” is a implausible query to ask, and the truth that Spike is motivated fully by love makes him an immediately compelling character.

However issues take one other full step up after Angel (David Boreanaz) experiences a “second of true happiness” with Buffy, as the children name it, and loses his soul to an historical Romani curse. The setup is perhaps a bit questionable, however the result’s probably the most villainous Huge Dangerous in the entire present. Boreanaz ascends to new heights because the evil “Angelus” and torments Buffy in myriad methods earlier than falling within the heartbreaking season finale. His love triangle dynamic with Drusilla and Spike solely provides to the drama, making this Season 3 triumvirate a straightforward winner of the “Buffy” Huge Dangerous crown.

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is legendary for its mix of comedy and drama, foolish rubber monster fits, and ’90s dance sequences. Nevertheless it’s maybe most well-known of all for its villains. That is not simply because they’re tremendous memorable (not all are, however we’ll get there), but in addition due to how the usage of seasonal villains on “Buffy” fully modified the best way most serialized TV was written. That format will certainly proceed in the recently reported “Buffy” sequel series at Hulu.

The idea of the “Huge Dangerous” of a season overshadowing all of the smaller “monster of the week” episodes and tying collectively a cohesive story with a climactic finale yearly mainly got here from “Buffy.” That narrative mannequin, which had labored in numerous types within the comedian e-book medium for years, gave the present a particular really feel on TV within the late ’90s and early 2000s. It additionally grew to become massively influential for the entire medium of dramatic tv. The villains mattered not simply due to nice performances or evil plots, but in addition due to how they had been constructed up and used repeatedly all through a season. However which “Buffy” Huge Dangerous is the most effective of the most effective? That is what we’re right here to determine.

For the needs of this extraordinarily scientific rating, we’re solely going to be contemplating the Huge Dangerous of every of the seven seasons of “Buffy.” No short-term villains just like the Choose (although he is nice), nobody from the “Angel” spin-off sequence, and nobody from the “Buffy” sequel comics. We additionally will not be rating antiheroes or primary characters briefly turned dangerous, though Religion (Eliza Dushku) and Darkish Willow (Alyson Hannigan) actually get honorable mentions. With all that out of the best way, let’s get to the listing.

The First Evil is the primary and worst villain on our listing however the remaining Huge Dangerous of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” What makes Buffy and co’s series-ending foe such a disappointment? Nicely, a few issues. For one, Season 7 as a complete is broadly seen as one of the weaker seasons of “Buffy.” Whereas I would not name it the worst of the bunch, it struggles with the tough activity of bringing a climactic conclusion to the entire sequence. Which may not sound so arduous when you’ve as a lot materials to work with as “Buffy” did on the time, however whenever you bear in mind how climactic the top of Season 5 is and the way uneven the following Season 6 is, you begin to perceive how Season 7 grew to become so mediocre.

The core idea of the season is that the entire “potential” slayers around the globe have gained the powers of the lively slayer. Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) then brings them collectively right into a form of teenage lady superhero workforce to combat the First Evil, which is strictly what it appears like. From the Hellmouth beneath her house of Sunnydale, this primordial pressure wages struggle towards the slayers, primarily by the physique of sadistic priest Caleb (Nathan Fillion) but in addition through numerous different vessels, together with the types of earlier “Buffy” villains.

It is an attention-grabbing thought in idea, but it surely comes out feeling like these mimic characters from preventing video video games — boring and with no actual persona of its personal. The premise of getting Buffy face the sum of all her previous enemies had potential, however in comparison with the opposite Huge Bads of the sequence, the First is simply underwhelming.

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” Season 4 is the dictionary definition of a blended bag. You get among the finest comedic materials in the whole sequence from a neutered Spike (James Marsters), however you additionally get a completely inert romance arc between Buffy and her new faculty boyfriend Riley (Marc Blucas). You equally get an unbelievable three-episode run with “Pangs,” “One thing Blue,” and “Hush,” which many consider the creepiest “Buffy” episode, in addition to maybe probably the most embarrassing comedian e-book day Huge Dangerous arc in the entire present.

Season 4’s The Initiative is mainly the CIA for preventing demons. Possibly “The Matrix” and the “Star Wars” prequels made the “Buffy” writers room imagine that sci-fi was the long run. Or possibly they simply needed to see how far they might stretch their sensible results price range earlier than it ripped down the center like a badly crafted rubber swimsuit. Regardless, the consequence is identical — a middle-grade journey novel plot a few secret (and secretly evil) monster-fighting group that employs buff faculty children from Iowa. Transfer over, Caitlin Clark, Riley is the actual patron saint of the Hawkeye State.

The plot of Season 4 itself is so uninteresting that by the point we get the double-whammy villain of evil lecture corridor queen Maggie Walsh (Lindsay Crouse) and her Spirit Halloween Frankenstein Adam (George Hertzberg), we already do not care. There’s loads to like about “Buffy” Season 4, however none of it has to do with the Huge Dangerous(s). They solely rank greater than the First as a result of they no less than have some persona.

Warren Mears (Adam Busch) is a curious case. On one hand, he is the primary “good” villain we have hit on this listing. However, he is the worst. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” Season 6 is a thick sludge of melancholy poured proper down your gullet, lightened briefly by That One Episode The place Everybody Sings and That Different Episode The place Giles Comes Again. It flips the script on the present by making Buffy’s actual battle a psychological well being battle. It additionally reverses the sequence’ earlier mannequin of larger-than-life supernatural villains and replaces them with a trio of infuriatingly cringe-inducing basement incels.

Because the chief of that group, Warren Mears is all the things incorrect with humanity, which makes him an attention-grabbing antagonist regardless of how a lot I hate seeing him each time he is on the display. He is grotesque, deeply sexist, entitled, filled with unjustified rage, and an entire loser. He additionally turns into the catalyst for one of many present’s most controversial moments when he reveals up in Buffy’s yard with a handgun, tries to shoot her, and accidentally kills Tara (Amber Benson) instead. This kicks off the Darkish Willow arc for the final couple episodes of the season, and it additionally made lots of followers very, very offended.

Warren will get flayed alive for his crimes, which is barely proper. Is he villain? That is up for debate, however he sucks in all of the ways in which dudes like him suck in actual life, and that makes him attention-grabbing on the very least.

Let’s not mince phrases right here: “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” Season 1 is kind of a mess. The consequences and combat choreography are hilarious, the writing is not practically on the stage it reaches in a while, and Xander (Nicholas Brendon) is the worst, although that half by no means actually will get higher. When buddies of mine watch “Buffy” for the first time, I inform them that if Season 1 is simply too robust to get by, they’ll simply watch the primary couple episodes, “Angel,” and the finale, then skip to Season 2. Regardless of all that, the present’s first Huge Dangerous is a reasonably good one.

The Grasp (Mark Metcalf) is the epitome of ’90s TV prosthetics, with a everlasting vampire face that offers him a form of basic horror film look. As low-budget as it’s, it additionally works, and Mark Metcalf’s mustache-twirling efficiency does loads to raise the character. Whereas the Grasp’s grand plan is fairly commonplace fare and he would not have the layers that the present’s finest villains get, he is a powerful anchor for the sequence’ first season when a lot else continues to be getting found out.

In different phrases, he belongs proper right here within the useless heart of this listing.

Now we’re attending to the actually good villains. The Mayor (Harry Groener) is a genius Huge Dangerous for “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” Season 3, answering the query that no person requested: “What if the dad from ‘Depart it to Beaver’ was an immortal demon?” His villain/reluctant henchman dynamic with Religion is implausible, and in a season the place just about each character and storyline is working at peak efficiency, he stays abreast, overseeing one of many present’s biggest stretches as an ideal Huge Dangerous.

There are three factors in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” that act like correct endings, they usually come on the finish of Season 3, Season 5, and Season 7. The mix of the battle towards the mayor and the Scooby gang’s highschool commencement is among the pinnacles of the entire sequence, and just about each beat constructing as much as it hits simply as nicely. The one factor holding the Mayor again right here is that whereas he is nice, he would not have the gravitas that the highest villains on this listing possess. Season 3 excels for a lot of causes that don’t have anything to do with its Huge Dangerous, however a bronze medal is nothing to sneeze at.

The primary time I watched “Buffy” Season 5, I did not get it. I used to be in highschool, I liked the campy, ridiculous vibe of the sooner seasons, and I used to be fully unprepared for the tone change. The second time I watched “Buffy” Season 5, nonetheless, I noticed it for what it’s: absolutely the peak of the present and one of many biggest seasons of style TV ever made. Glory (Clare Kramer) is not the one cause for that, and even the most important one, however she is a large a part of it.

It is actually arduous to create an excellent villain. It is even more durable to nail the archetype of “this particular person is mainly invincible, and there’s no conceivable means for us to defeat them.” These sorts of dangerous guys are likely to get stale because the heroes lose time and again in the identical means and the viewers begins checking their watch to see when, inevitably, the villain’s secret weak point will likely be revealed. Glory works as a result of she’s not simply an omnipotent hell god — she’s the factor that Buffy lastly cannot beat. She’s nice as a result of Buffy’s Season 5 arc is so robust. By introducing Glory (and Daybreak, to be truthful), the sequence elevates its protagonist far past her earlier highs, and fortunately, Kramer and Gellar each rise to the problem and hit each single mark. It takes all the things, fairly actually, for Buffy to defeat Glory, and we even get an all-timer Giles second out of that victory.

However Glory would not fairly earn the highest spot right here. That honor belongs to a trio of villains who really outline their season.

The Mayor and Glory are each nice, however their seasons excel in lots of ways in which don’t have anything to do with them. “Buffy” Season 2 is totally different. It is one of many present’s very best explicitly as a result of of its Huge Bads.

The glow-up from “Buffy” Season 1 to Season 2 has acquired to be one of many biggest sophomore surges in tv historical past. Spike and Drusilla (Juliet Landau) step onto the scene at the beginning of Season 2 and instantly make a splash by killing the Anointed One (Andrew J. Ferchland), the supposed primary villain after the Grasp’s loss of life. Landau and Marsters are simply a lot enjoyable on display collectively, they make you nearly begin rooting for the villains from the beginning simply as a way to see extra of them. “What if Billy Idol was a vampire?” is a implausible query to ask, and the truth that Spike is motivated fully by love makes him an immediately compelling character.

However issues take one other full step up after Angel (David Boreanaz) experiences a “second of true happiness” with Buffy, as the children name it, and loses his soul to an historical Romani curse. The setup is perhaps a bit questionable, however the result’s probably the most villainous Huge Dangerous in the entire present. Boreanaz ascends to new heights because the evil “Angelus” and torments Buffy in myriad methods earlier than falling within the heartbreaking season finale. His love triangle dynamic with Drusilla and Spike solely provides to the drama, making this Season 3 triumvirate a straightforward winner of the “Buffy” Huge Dangerous crown.