Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Urban fantasyMagic hidden inside the modern world.This show: 9/10SupernaturalGhosts, demons and powers beyond nature in our own world.This show: 9/10Strong female leadA complex woman drives the story.This show: 9/10Monster horrorCreatures and slashers, fear made physical.This show: 8/10Found familyUnrelated people slowly becoming each other's family.This show: 8/10Witty banterRapid-fire verbal sparring.This show: 8/10Coming of ageGrowing up as the central arc.This show: 8/10FriendshipA friend group's dynamics carry the show.This show: 7/10
Rate this series
Starring
Sarah Michelle GellarNicholas BrendonAlyson HanniganAnthony HeadJames MarstersEmma Caulfield Ford
Written by
Joss Whedon
Starring
Sarah Michelle GellarNicholas BrendonAlyson HanniganAnthony HeadJames MarstersEmma Caulfield Ford
Written by
Joss Whedon
Ratings per Episode
Votes per Episode
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episode Ratings Heatmap
| Avg | E1 | E2 | E3 | E4 | E5 | E6 | E7 | E8 | E9 | E10 | E11 | E12 | E13 | E14 | E15 | E16 | E17 | E18 | E19 | E20 | E21 | E22 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | 7.6 | 7.9 | 7.7 | 7.5 | 6.7 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 8.3 | 6.6 | 7.5 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 8.7 | |||||||||||
| S2 | 8.1 | 8.0 | 6.8 | 8.6 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 8.8 | 8.2 | 7.6 | 8.1 | 8.4 | 7.4 | 6.6 | 8.5 | 9.1 | 7.9 | 8.6 | 9.3 | 7.3 | 8.3 | 6.7 | 9.0 | 9.5 | |
| S3 | 8.4 | 7.8 | 7.3 | 8.1 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 8.6 | 8.0 | 8.8 | 9.1 | 8.2 | 7.2 | 8.3 | 8.6 | 8.2 | 8.1 | 9.2 | 8.6 | 8.7 | 8.1 | 8.7 | 8.9 | 9.1 | |
| S4 | 8.0 | 7.6 | 7.4 | 7.9 | 8.4 | 6.3 | 7.8 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 8.9 | 9.7 | 7.5 | 8.2 | 7.4 | 7.0 | 8.3 | 8.9 | 7.2 | 6.3 | 8.1 | 7.9 | 8.2 | 8.6 | |
| S5 | 8.2 | 7.6 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 9.1 | 7.3 | 7.0 | 7.3 | 7.5 | 8.3 | 8.2 | 8.4 | 7.4 | 9.7 | 8.0 | 8.6 | 8.1 | 8.2 | 7.9 | 9.5 | |
| S6 | 8.2 | 8.1 | 8.2 | 7.8 | 7.2 | 7.7 | 7.1 | 9.7 | 9.1 | 7.8 | 7.6 | 7.7 | 6.7 | 7.4 | 7.6 | 6.7 | 7.5 | 8.4 | 7.8 | 8.5 | 8.8 | 8.7 | 8.9 | |
| S7 | 8.1 | 7.6 | 7.8 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 8.6 | 7.1 | 8.9 | 7.7 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 8.0 | 7.6 | 7.2 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 8.2 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 7.5 | 8.3 | 8.5 | 9.3 |
Download Infographic
About
"High school horror that grew a real soul"
A teenage girl juggles high school homework with her destiny as the chosen slayer of vampires, demons, and other things that go bump in the night, aided by a small circle of friends and a watchful mentor. What starts as a monster-of-the-week horror comedy deepens into a sharp, emotionally rich saga about growing up, loss, and identity, using its supernatural metaphors to hit surprisingly real feelings. The tone swings from witty banter to genuine heartbreak, and the show ages from goofy 90s camp into some of the most inventive, devastating television of its era.
Watch it for
the way genre monster stories quietly become one of TV's most honest coming-of-age dramas.
Maybe skip if
you can't tolerate dated effects and slow, cheesy early seasons before the show finds itself.
Written by our AI editor to help you decide, spoiler-free by design.
All Seasons
▶
Season 11997
7.663K128h 54m
After moving to Sunnydale, California, Buffy Anne Summers just wants to be a normal teenager. Back in Los Angeles, her first Watcher had died; she inadvertently burned down the gymnasium at her old high school; and her parents got a divorce. The move to Sunnydale is supposed to give both her and her mother, Joyce, a clean slate. But then she meets the school librarian, Rupert Giles, and quickly learns there is no escaping her destiny. With Giles as her new Watcher, she reluctantly steps back into her role as the Slayer. But this time she is not fighting alone. She now has an inner circle of special friends-- Willow, Xander, Cordelia, and a mysterious young man named Angel-- ready to join the fight and drive in a stake or two if need be.
▶
Season 21997
8.1105K2219h 24m
New vampires Spike and Drusilla come to town along with the new slayer, Kendra Young, who was activated as a result of Buffy's brief death in the season one finale. Xander becomes involved with Cordelia, while Willow becomes involved with witchcraft and Daniel "Oz" Osbourne becomes a werewolf after being bitten by a young cousin who just happens to be a werewolf. Buffy and the vampire Angel develop a relationship over the course of the season, but Angel's dark past as the evil and sadistic Angelus threatens to destroy Buffy and the world.
▶
Season 31998
8.498K2220h 42m
Buffy returns from the big city to find her friends have been battling the forces of evil without her. As she struggles to regain her mother's and her friends' trust, a new slayer named Faith arrives in town, quickly winning over all of Buffy's friends. But Faith's arrival is just the beginning of new forces Buffy must face. For a few nights later she encounters Angel, who has somehow returned, feral and violent from the hellish demon dimension where Buffy had sent him. But the real demon Buffy must ultimately face is already on this side of the portal, preparing a special graduation day surprise for Sunnydale High.
▶
Season 41999
8.094K2220h
Buffy begins college feeling completely overwhelmed...but once the monsters show up, it's just like old times. Then she starts dating Riley, a handsome commando battling the same monsters. He's part of a secret organization called The Initiative, and Buffy is all too happy to join the team. But she soon suspects The Initiative may be more dangerous than the monsters they are supposed to be battling...
▶
Season 52000
8.284K2220h 52m
After an unsettling encounter with the Dracula, Buffy asks Giles to once again be her Watcher. Luckily he agrees, for Buffy is about to face mortal problems far more threatening than the undead.
▶
Season 62001
8.281K2219h 7m
Elated with having Buffy back from the dead, her friends never wonder if she may have been in a better place.
▶
Season 72002
8.168K2215h 15m
As Buffy accompanies Dawn on her first day at the new Sunnydale High, Giles continues Willow's magic education in England. But while Buffy is surprised to be offered a guidance counselor job, Willow is shocked to experience a horrific future vision of the Hellmouth.
Full Cast & Crew
Cast
Sarah Michelle Gellar Buffy Summers
Nicholas Brendon Xander Harris
Alyson Hannigan Willow Rosenberg
Anthony Head Rupert Giles
James Marsters Spike
Emma Caulfield Ford Anya
Michelle Trachtenberg Dawn Summers
Kristine Sutherland Joyce Summers
David Boreanaz Angel
Charisma Carpenter Cordelia Chase
Crew
Joss Whedon
Similar Series
Popular picks Shows that people who know this one usually know too. From our AI taste analysis.
Our recommendations Specific picks with the reason, including shows you may not have heard of. From our AI taste analysis.
Veronica Mars
84K 72 2004–2019
witty teen sleuth with genre-blending snark and Whedonverse alum
Being Human
28K 37 2008–2013
UK supernatural roommates balancing horror and humor
Wonderfalls
14K 14 2004–2004
quirky supernatural whimsy with sharp dialogue
Ultraviolet
3K 6 1998–1998
British vampire mythology with moody tone
Ultraviolet
2K 22 2017–present
British vampire mythology with moody tone
Dark Angel
36K 42 2000–2002
tough female lead battling shadowy conspiracies
Reaper
26K 31 2007–2009
comedic demon-hunting with found-family banter
The Secret Circle
50K 22 2011–2012
teen witches navigating supernatural high school stakes
Close in taste Nearest neighbors in our taste profile comparison: shared tone, themes and style.