ONTD Original: Ranking 'Series Regular' Buffy the Vampire Slayer Characters

[ummnothx]

Hi, ONTD! I think we could all use a break from this long, long--wait, we're only 9 days into 2021?

Okay. I think we can all use a distraction. That's it. That's the sentence. ...only kidding.

Comments

[ljtryout]

Anya not being number 1? This list is invalid!!

jk, OP, i actually love your post!

This seems the appropriate post to reveal that i had a MASSIVE crush on Ben/Glory as a confused gay teen.

[ohjude]

This is a great list!! I love BTVS so much. My favorite character is Tara, hands down. Her and Willow helped me come to terms with being gay and I have such a soft spot for them because of that. I suppose my top three would be:

1. Tara
2. Willow
3. Dawn (I know it's an unpopular opinion but, aside from some awful choices in season 7... I love her?)

[vanouria]

i dont dislike dawn either tbh. shes insufferable to me at the start of s5 but once she finds out shes the key, i feel more bad for her than anything. also that episode in season 7 where she thinks she's going to be a slayer and she's not makes me so sad every time, and the scene where xander says shes extraordinary is sooo sweet. i just hate that dawn allows buffy to be kicked out of her own house after she literally sacrificed her own life for her

[ext_4133615]

In rewatch, she’s not as bad now for me. Season 5 she is the worst, season 6 she is tolerable and I actually enjoy her in season 7. I liked the twist and didn’t mind Buffy getting a sister, my complaint is that the writers wrote her so immature for her age, especially because she wasn’t that much younger than Buffy was when the series started. I loved her relationship with Willow & Tara and I think the writers didn’t do her character justice, otherwise I think a lot more people would like her tbh

[winter_lace]

they wrote her like she was 12 and it's jarring as hell

[stf_ugh]

ANGEL AND SPIKE ABOVE CORDELIA????

For real spike the attempted rapist who made a literal sex doll of Buffy over Cordelia?? Come on dude.

[ummnothx]

I disagree! I do think that Cordelia isn't that bad, but this is also a list based on who I like more, not so much "who is less bed overall." Lol. I agree, Spike's done some creepy, bad stuff. But I guess my internal reasoning is that he's also part demon, he's been part demon for a long time, and he's been doing whatever his gross desires put in his head.
I think, for me, watching him continue to push for growth and stuff just makes me feel like less hatred for him. And how hard he rode for Buffy in season 5/beginning of 6 and then all of season 7, just makes me like him. <3

[stf_ugh]

Well either way we are completely aligned with our hatred of Xander and Riley lmao! Riley really did suck from the beginning, at no point did I ever find him cute of endearing either he was such a chore.

[alterector]

People unfairly compare Spike and Angel.
Angel was absolutely unredeemeable without a soul, and spike did awful things without a soul, but he also did good things, AND he went and got a soul to be good for Buffy.
He went against his evil nature to be with Buffy.

[vanouria]

great post OP! I mostly agree (def with your first and last). I put Willow a lot lower because I hated that she allowed Buffy to get kicked out after shacking up in her house without ever helping financially and also for wiping Tara's memories. spike a lot lower too bc i didn't mind that he fell for buffy but he was so aggressive about pursuing her and forcing her to lean into the insidiousness of their whole arrangement - idk it was weird and not for me (and then the bathroom scene sealed it). i liked him a lot more on angel. cordy and faith are higher on my personal list - faith has one of my favorite redemption arcs of all time, and i'd throw in wesley who also has one of my fave arcs in general of all time (but i recognize this list is btvs focused

[stf_ugh]

Faiths arc is absolutely one of my faves too! When she woke up and body swapped with Buffy phew!!! This Years Girl and Who are You? are def in my top 10 eps of the entire series

[ummnothx]

I def agree. <3 Willow made some poor choices at the very end, but I feel like the betrayal to Buffy in season 7 was a temporary thing and it ended rather quickly. She also had a look throughout like she was uncomfortable with it, so I'm a little less angry at her than I am about the others. But I loved her endlessly throughout the rest of the show!
I think Anya's story was definitely a missing point. I do love that they dug into her story a "little bit" in seasons 6 and 7, and just focused on her a bit more. Showing how she became a demon, etc. But I definitely agree, it would've been nice to have a bit more background.

[pseudonygma]

I've never finished Angel because of how much rage-inducing the entire Connor arc is, but I remember loving Wesley/Lilah.

Re:Anya
I found her annoying more often than not but loved her blunt pragmatism and felt bad for her since, as you've noted, no one really treated her like she was actually part of the core group. She was always seen as an extension of Xander, and they never showed any characters bonding with her outside of slaying, except for maybe Dawn. Xander is trash, losing an eye changes nothing.

[khays]

Anya should be higher!!!