Preview
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
“In every generation there is a ‘Chosen One’. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.”
Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a television series that ran for seven seasons, 1997-2003. It was a sci-fi action/adventure genre created by Joss Whedon, who wrote the screenplay for the original 1992 movie and served as the guiding force behind its move to television. For five years, Buffy slayed vampires on the WB network, then for her last two seasons she went to UPN.
Buffy has slayed tons of blood sucking vampires through the years but there are some undead dudes, who she just can’t or wouldn’t turn to dust. Since the show's first season, Buffy has graduated from high school, dropped out of college, died twice and gained a kid sister who used to be a powerful energy source called "The Key". Buffy’s sacred duty is to kill vampires and demons. In a world where much can be achieved through magic, the vampire slayer battles evil with her fists, her feet, her wits and a lot of sharp, pointy sticks.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer History
The Vampire
Slayer is a teenaged girl with extraordinary strength, durability, and
fighting skills bestowed upon her by an ancient ritual. She is Buffy Anne
Summers, The Chosen One. She was born to Hank and Joyce Summers on January 19,
1981, in Los Angeles, California. Buffy Summers knows that no
matter how hard she tries to be just a normal girl, she can not escape from her
destiny. She is able to hunt down vampires and with the help of her close
friends, Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris, and her Watcher/mentor Rupert Giles,
she balances slaying, family, friendships, and relationships. She is also aided
by a young man named Angel, someone who simply appears to pass on some helpful
advice and then vanishes into the night. His motives are unknown, at least to
start with.
At fifteen, Buffy began having bizarre, violent dreams about women from different periods in history slaying monsters. One day, she was approached by a mysterious man who revealed her destiny as a vampire Slayer. This man, Merrick, became her first Watcher. With slight training, Buffy defeated her first major enemy, but not before the death of Merrick.
In the battle with her first major enemy, a large group of vampires appeared at her school. The situation made a bad reputation of her at Hemery, her old school in Los Angeles because she had burned the gym down and was consequently expelled. After this encounter, Buffy told her parents about what really happened and her destiny as the Slayer. Worried that she was losing her mind, Buffy's parents sent her to a mental hospital. While there, she realized that attempts to persuade others of the existence of demonic forces would be pointless. She kept quiet and was released after a couple of weeks. Buffy and her parents never spoke of it again.
Buffy and her mom just want a fresh start in their new suburban California home, from what happened with Buffy and from the divorced her parents had. After moving with the hopes of leaving her born slayer duties behind, Buffy inevitably comes into contact with her new Watcher, the librarian Rupert Giles, and the two friends who would fight demons alongside her. They soon realize that Sunnydale High is located on a Hellmouth, a portal to demon dimensions, which attracts supernatural phenomena to the area.
Buffy was forced by her mystic destiny to slay vampires and vanquish demons and she initially viewed her superpowers as a trouble. However, she had embraced her role as a tough general in a never-ending war against the forces of darkness and joined by an ever-changing array of allies known collectively as the "Scooby gang”. As the show's tangled mythology grew, Buffy's friends began to acquire magical abilities of their own.
Buffy's creator, Joss Whedon, has said that Buffy's slayer life was meant to mirror the anxieties and trials that a typical teen would face in high school and, later, college. So, as Buffy faces pressure from her mother and Giles to act more adult and take responsibility for herself, she also battles a warlock whose manufactured candy that causes all the adults in Sunnydale to act like children, including Giles and her mother.
Science fiction and horror fans loved the show for its tight continuity and sustained world-building. As numerous fans and critics have pointed out, however, the supernatural trappings functioned on a deeper, metaphorical level: they mirrored the complexities of growing up, going out into the world, and accepting one's destiny.
Buffy's Deaths
Another central theme of the show is Buffy's death and rebirth,
which has happened a number of times. Buffy's first death was a clinical death
(in "Prophecy Girl"), in which the heart stops beating, but there is
still brain activity. People who experience clinical death have often been
revived. While normal laymen usage of the word "death" does not refer
to reversible conditions, it seems clinical death is all that's required for a
second Slayer to be called.
Buffy's second real death happened at the climax of the episode "The Gift" where she sacrificed herself to save her sister Dawn and the world by hurling herself off a tower and using her own body to close a mystical portal. Her body rested for three months until Willow, Xander, Tara, and Anya resurrected her in "Bargaining". Buffy also "died" in a magical nightmare ("Nightmares") and in an alternate reality ("The Wish").
Alter-Ego of the Vampire Slayer
For security, the slayer must keep her identity a secret, and
typically only her Watcher accompanies and guides her on nightly battles.
Buffy Anne Summers is her real name. She’s “The Chosen One”, aka Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the one girl in our generation with the strength and skill to hunt vampires.
Powers and Abilities of Buffy
· Super strength and
fighting skills: Buffy can open a crate with her bare hand, she can easily break
the nose of steroid-laden Cameron when he puts some unwanted moves on her, and
she can lift a cage door that other teens cannot lift.
· Super-durability: Buffy takes punches from vampires, demons, and humans. She can survive even being hit by a truck without a scratch.
· The ability to jump high: Buffy leaps high and she can leap past the other vampires.
· Slayers healing powers: After Buffy is revived from drowning, she is fit and healthy to vanquish the Master. She also recovers quickly from being nearly sucked dry by Angel. After a transfusion and some rest, she's ready to battle the Mayor.
· Slayer physiology: grants her the common powers of Slayers, which she had attuned through training.
· Predatory instincts: Buffy can be a fierce foe to the forces of evil.
· Psychic powers and Proto-slayer powers: A gift given to Buffy to fight and slay vampires and other evil creatures. She is endowed temporarily with uncontrollable mind reading powers.
· The ability to be perfect on the presence of a vampire: This is a skill Buffy is developing with age. She typically identified vampires by noticing their retro fashion sense. Buffy also uses conventional methods to pick out other bad guys as well.
Weapons Used by Buffy
Stake
A stake is a piece of wood, sharpened at one end to form a point. A stake, used by slayers to kill vampires, is one of the many characteristics that have remained with the folklore of vampires throughout the years. The stake is struck into the heart of a vampire in order to kill it. The stake cannot be made of any other material besides wood in order to be effective in slaying. If ever in a bind, and you don't have a stake on you, it can be substituted with any pointed wood objects, such as a pencil, tree branch, or broken piece of wood furniture.
Crossbow
A missile weapon of the middle ages used for it's distance range and ability to pierce armor. The crossbow can hit a target as far away as 150 ft. Buffy put it to good use against Angel and the Master in the first season.
Cross
When the cross comes in contact with a vampire, they are burned. The downside to this weapon is that it can be knocked easily away and then you're defenseless against the demon. But, it's still a must have when you're out slaying late at night.
Holy Water
Holy Water is another vampire weapon which burns vampires when it comes in contact with them like the cross. It can be a very useful weapon when needed. However, it can't kill unless it's used in a large amount. Holy water can be any water that has been blessed by a priest.
Quarterstaff
The staff is usually six feet in length and made of wood. It's a light, two-handed weapon which Buffy uses for training with Giles. The quarterstaff has been seen armed with arrows or ax blades for more brutal killings.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Cast
· Buffy the
Vampire Slayer as Sarah Michelle Gellar
· Angel as David Boreanaz
· Cordelia
Chase
as Charisma Carpenter
· Darla as Julie Benz
· Drusilla as Juliet Landau
· Faith as Eliza Dushku
· Joyce
Summers
as Kristine Sutherland
· Rupert
Giles
as Anthony Stewart Head
· Riley Finn as Marc Blucas
· Spike James Marsters
· Tara Maclay as Amber Benson
· Willow Rosenberg as Alyson Hannigan
· Xander Harris as Nicholas Brendon
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode list
Season One: 12 Episodes
Welcome to the Hellmouth (Air date: 3/10/1997)
The Harvest (Air date: 3/10/1997)
The Witch (Air date: 3/17/1997)
Teacher's Pet (Air date: 3/25/1997)
Never Kill a Boy on the First Date (Air date: 3/31/1997)
The Pack (Air date: 4/7/1997)
Angel (Air date: 4/14/1997)
I, Robot... You, Jane (Air date: 4/28/1997)
The Puppet Show (Air date: 5/5/1997)
Nightmares (Air date: 5/12/1997)
Out of Mind, Out of Sight (Air date: 5/19/1997)
Prophecy Girl (Air date: 6/2/1997)
Season Two: 22 Episodes
When She Was Bad (Air date: 9/15/1997)
Some Assembly Required (Air date: 9/22/1997)
School Hard (Air date: 9/29/1997)
Inca Mummy Girl (Air date: 10/6/1997)
Reptile Boy (Air date: 10/13/1997)
Halloween (Air date: 10/27/1997)
Lie to Me (Air date: 11/3/1997)
The Dark Age (Air date: 11/10/1997)
What's My Line, Part One (Air date: 11/17/1997)
What's My Line, Part Two (Air date: 11/24/1997)
Ted (Air date: 12/8/1997)
Bad Eggs (Air date: 1/12/1998)
Surprise (Air date: 1/19/1998)
Innocence (Air date: 1/20/1998)
Phases (Air date: 1/27/1998)
Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered (Air date: 2/10/1998)
Passion (Air date: 2/24/1998)
Killed by Death (Air date: 3/3/1998)
I Only Have Eyes For You (Air date: 4/28/1998)
Go Fish (Air date: 5/5/1998)
Becoming, Part One (Air date: 5/12/1998)
Becoming, Part Two (Air date: 5/19/1998)
Season Three: 22 Episodes
Anne (Air date: 9/29/1998)
Dead Man's Party (Air date: 10/6/1998)
Faith, Hope & Trick (Air date: 10/13/1998)
Beauty and the Beasts (Air date: 10/20/1998)
Homecoming (Air date: 11/3/1998)
Band Candy (Air date: 11/10/1998)
Revelations (Air date: 11/17/1998)
Lovers Walk (Air date: 11/24/1998)
The Wish (Air date: 12/8/1998)
Amends (Air date: 12/15/1998)
Gingerbread (Air date: 1/12/1999)
Helpless (Air date: 1/19/1999)
The Zeppo (Air date: 1/26/1999)
Bad Girls (Air date: 2/9/1999)
Consequences (Air date: 2/16/1999)
Doppelgängland (Air date: 2/23/1999)
Enemies (Air date: 3/16/1999)
Earshot (Air date: 4/21/1999)
Choices (Air date: 5/4/1999)
The Prom (Air date: 5/11/1999)
Graduation Day, Part One (Air date: 5/18/1999)
Graduation Day, Part Two (Air date: 7/13/1999)
Season Four: 22 Episodes
The Freshman (Air date: 10/5/1999)
Living Conditions (Air date: 10/12/1999)
The Harsh Light of Day (Air date: 10/19/1999)
Fear, Itself (Air date: 10/26/1999)
Beer Bad (Air date: 11/2/1999)
Wild at Heart (Air date: 11/9/1999)
The Initiative (Air date: 11/16/1999)
Pangs (Air date: 11/23/1999)
Something Blue (Air date: 11/30/1999)
Hush (Air date: 12/14/1999)
Doomed (Air date: 1/18/2000)
A New Man (Air date: 1/25/2000)
The I in Team (Air date: 2/8/2000)
Goodbye Iowa (Air date: 2/15/2000)
This Year's Girl, Part One (Air date: 2/22/2000)
Who Are You, Part Two (Air date: 2/29/2000)
Superstar (Air date: 4/4/2000)
Where the Wild Things Are (Air date: 4/25/2000)
New Moon Rising (Air date: 5/2/2000)
The Yoko Factor, Part One (Air date: 5/9/2000)
Primeval, Part Two (Air date: 5/16/2000)
Restless (Air date: 5/23/2000)
Season Five: 22 Episodes
Buffy vs. Dracula (Air date: 9/26/2000)
Real Me (Air date: 10/3/2000)
The Replacement (Air date: 10/10/2000)
Out of My Mind (Air date: 10/17/2000)
No Place Like Home (Air date: 10/24/2000)
Family (Air date: 11/7/2000)
Fool for Love (Air date: 11/14/2000)
Shadow (Air date: 11/21/2000)
Listening to Fear (Air date: 11/28/2000)
Into the Woods (Air date: 12/19/2000)
Triangle (Air date: 1/9/2001)
Checkpoint (Air date: 1/23/2001)
Blood Ties (Air date: 2/6/2001)
Crush (Air date: 2/13/2001)
I Was Made to Love You (Air date: 2/20/2001)
The Body (Air date: 2/27/2001)
Forever (Air date: 4/17/2001)
Intervention (Air date: 4/24/2001)
Tough Love (Air date: 5/1/2001)
Spiral (Air date: 5/8/2001)
The Weight of the World (Air date: 5/15/2001)
The Gift, 100th Episode (Air date: 5/22/2001)
Season Six: 22 Episodes
Bargaining, Part One (Air date: 10/2/2001)
Bargaining, Part Two (Air date: 10/2/2001)
After Life (Air date: 10/9/2001)
Flooded (Air date: 10/16/20010)
Life Serial (Air date: 10/23/2001)
All the Way (Air date: 10/30/2001)
Once More, With Feeling (Air date: 11/6/2001)
Tabula Rasa (Air date: 11/13/2001)
Smashed (Air date: 11/20/2001)
Wrecked (Air date: 11/27/2001)
Gone (Air date: 1/8/2002)
Doublemeat Palace (Air date: 1/29/2002)
Dead Things (Air date: 2/5/2002)
Older and Far Away (Air date: 2/12/2002)
As You Were (Air date: 2/26/2002)
Hell's Bells (Air date: 3/5/2002)
Normal Again (Air date: 3/12/2002)
Entropy (Air date: 4/30/2002)
Seeing Red (Air date: 5/7/2002)
Villains (Air date: 5/14/2002)
Two to Go, Season
Finale, Part 1 (Air date: 5/21/2002)
Grave, Season
Finale, Part 2 (Air date: 5/21/2002)
Season Seven: 22 Episodes
Lessons (Air date: 9/24/2002)
Beneath You (Air date: 10/1/2002)
Same Time, Same Place (Air date: 10/8/2002)
Help (Air date: 10/15/2002)
Selfless (Air date: 10/22/2002)
Him (Air date: 11/5/2002)
Conversations with Dead People (Air
date: 11/12/2002)
Sleeper (Air date: 11/19/2002)
Never Leave Me (Air date: 11/26/2002)
Bring On the Night (Air
date: 12/17/2002)
Showtime (Air date: 1/7/2003)
Potential (Air date: 1/21/2003)
The Killer in Me (Air
date: 2/4/2003)
First Date (Air date: 2/11/2003)
Get It Done (Air date: 2/18/2003)
Storyteller (Air date: 2/25/2003)
Lies My Parents Told Me (Air
date: 3/25/2003)
Dirty Girls (Air date: 4/15/2003)
Empty Places (Air date: 4/29/2003)
Touched (Air date: 5/6/2003)
End of Days (Air date: 5/13/2003)
Chosen, Series Finale (Air
date: 5/20/2003)
Other Appearances
· The character was portrayed in the film
by Kristy Swanson, later in video games and unproduced animated series by Giselle
Loren.
· Buffy Young Adult Paperback Series
· Buffy Paperback Series
· Buffy Comic Books Series
Other Related Buffy Books:
· Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Essential Angel (a poster book) Full color photos, quotes and character information for Angel.
· Sarah Michelle Gellar: Scene
A large amount of information and pictures on Sarah including some never before
seen.
· Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Pop Quiz
Filled with tons of Buffy trivia to test your IQ. Several pages of pictures as
well.
Comic Appearance
Photoshoot Appearance
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