The 15 Essential BTVS Episodes 

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Photos: Everett Collection, Art: Jaclyn Kessel

It’s been over a decade since we last saw our favorite spunky blonde vampire slayer, but few shows have rivaled Joss Whedon’s seven season tour de force

when it comes to layered metaphorical messages, not to mention overall Girl Power. From apocalypses and demons to hormones and bad haircuts, our fierce-hearted heroine faced it all – all the while surrounded by the most endearing mentor, perfect sidekicks, and psychotic series of (mostly undead) boyfriends that TV had ever seen. Forget 

and everything else you think you know about vampires – here are the 15 best episodes of 

As far as series premieres go, this one is certainly a game changer. Series creator Joss Whedon wastes no time in turning the “vulnerable blonde girl” trope on its head – within the first few minutes, the assumed helpless girl turns out to be the threat. With silly/clever dialogue, the literal take on high school being Hell, the Scooby Gang’s first meeting, and our introduction to the ever-brooding Angel, this episode ends with the series’ first (and certainly not last) cliffhanger.

Where It Slays: The first time we hear: “Into every generation, a slayer is born…” (Also, the HAIR.)

Whedon’s first double duty as both director and writer of the series really pays off, and he makes the bold move of killing off our plucky protagonist in the first season finale (though with the help of some friend-zoned Xander CPR, the slayer is brought back to life). With compliments on her white dress from even the most villainous of characters, Buffy’s first Spring Fling in Sunnydale proves to be eventful to say the least.

Where It Slays: “We saved the world. I say we party.”

After Buffy loses her virginity to Angel in “Surprise”, she is faced with the fact that Angel’s had his soul ripped from him after experiencing a moment of true happiness. This episode is all-around perfect; from the metaphorical look at the consequences of having sex, to the drama Whedon creates when the now-evil Angelus kisses Buffy in the hallway and throws her to the ground, and Willow’s agonizing discovery of Xander and Cordelia’s relationship, every single moment is significant and riveting. We also see the first of many moments in which Buffy pulls her strength from her seemingly unbearable agony. Whedon once called “Innocence” the most important episode of Buffy he ever did, and it’s not hard to see why.

Where It Slays: Giles’ speech to Buffy when they realize what turned him into Angelus (that makes us all want to cry and hug him): “If it’s guilt you’re looking for, Buffy, I’m not your man. All you will get from me is my support. And my respect.”

Narrated by our reigning Big Bad Angelus himself, “Passion” is perhaps one of the most devastating episodes in the season. As Angelus stalks the members of the Scooby Gang and terrorizes them (including the murder of poor Willow’s goldfish), Jenny comes closer to discovering how they can get Angel’s soul back. Before she can do this, however, Angelus hunts her down and breaks her neck in the library. There’s no turning back now, and no one is safe – Whedon has made very sure that we all know Angelus is truly evil.

Where It Slays: The inescapable chills (and tears) when Giles returns home and follows a trail of rose petals only to find Jenny’s body on his bed as Puccini’s

After Angelus kidnaps Giles, hurts Xander, and puts Willow into a coma, Buffy, now a fugitive suspect, becomes hell-bent on taking him down. Buffy’s mother discovers her identity as a slayer, and tells her if she leaves the house again, not to come back. After Willow awakens and uses Jenny’s spell to restore Angel’s soul, Buffy is forced to kill Angel to save the world, and she does so with a kiss as she plunges a sword through his heart. With our first look at a likable Spike and the harrowing moment that Buffy leaves home, this season finale is one for the books.

Where It Slays: When Angelus tries to break her down: “So that’s it. No weapons, no friends, no hope. Take all that away and what’s left?” And shortly before kicking his smug ass, Buffy simply responds “Me.”

Anya’s first appearance, vampy Willow and Xander, and the return of The Master?! This is an unforgettable episode, sparked when Cordelia wishes that Buffy had never come to Sunnydale. Though she makes this wish with the intent to separate Willow and Xander, she is annoyed to find that they are still together, even in this alternate universe (and they’re vampy, too!). After all is resolved, vengeance demon Anya is made human, and thus begins her quest to join the Scooby Gang.

Where It Slays: The most quotable Xander line for lazy Millennials: “I cannot stress enough how much I don’t have plans.”

After Faith shoots Angel with a poisonous arrow (with only one cure – the blood of a slayer), and Willow and Oz have sex, it seems like the Ascension is still well on its way, and the Mayor will stop at nothing to achieve his demon form. After Buffy saves Angel, he stays to help lead the student battle against the Mayor, and evidently, the Scooby Gang survives – high school, that is.

Where It Slays:  Our hokey Mayor’s last words before he’s blown up: “Well, gosh!”

Are there words for how absolutely stunning this episode is? Not many (ha, ha). With only seventeen minutes of dialogue in the whole thing, “Hush” explores communication and the importance of visuals. “The Gentlemen”, some of the scariest demons in all seven seasons, are inspired by a nightmare Whedon had as a child, and they certainly became the stuff of our nightmares, too. (This was also the only episode in the series to be nominated for a writing Emmy). If you want to get your friends hooked, this is the episode to show ‘em  – The Gentlemen still send chills down our spines over a decade later.

Where It Slays: Beside the very obvious dramatic overtones, the storyline involving Spike’s captivity in Giles’ home is too good to pass up, and offers some much needed comedy to the episode (as well as the hilarious misunderstandings that ensue due to the loss of speaking).

Before we talk about “Restless”, let’s give “Primeval” a quick shout-out – we can’t ignore its obvious similarities to

, which was a reunion for Buffy writers Whedon and Drew Goddard. (When all those demons escape from their high-tech cells and wreak insane havoc?! Come on.) Now, back to “Restless” – another episode rife with visual storytelling from Whedon, we are thrust into the dreams of our four main characters, and the amount of character development present in this single episode is simply mind-boggling. It’s mysterious and hard to understand, and doesn’t necessarily offer a climax as season finales typically do – and that’s what makes it so good.

Where It Slays: The episode is full of brilliant foreshadowing, but the moment that can’t be overlooked is when Tara tells her to “be back before Dawn”, giving us a little heads up that her ridiculously annoying little sister is approaching.

, and perhaps one of the best episodes of television of all time, “The Body” depicts very real grief and the aftermath of Joyce Summers’ death. It marks the official end of Buffy’s childhood, and it’s a brutal reminder that it doesn’t matter how many stakes or crossbows you have – sometimes, people just

. Sequences are shot in a scoreless, single, long take, and some of the best performances on the series are at work here. Any skeptics of

’s validity as intelligent drama need not be directed anywhere else but to “The Body”.

Where It Slays: The portrayal of grief all around is perfect – but Anya’s processing of Joyce’s death is one of the most heartbreaking in the entire episode: “I don’t understand how this all happens. How we go through this. I mean, I knew her, and then she’s- there’s just a body, and I don’t understand why she just can’t get back in it and not be dead anymore. It’s stupid. It’s mortal and stupid. And Xander’s crying and not talking, and I was having fruit punch, and I thought, well, Joyce will never have any more fruit punch ever, and she’ll never have eggs, or yawn or brush her hair, not ever, and no one will explain to me why.”

This Season Five finale kills off our protagonist again, and some argue that this could have served as a finale to the entire series. With Glory preparing to sacrifice Dawn and open the dimension gates, Buffy makes clear that she will do anything to save her little sister. After Buffy is told that “death is her gift”, she realizes that she must sacrifice herself to save Dawn – and the rest of the world – so she does.

Where It Slays: Buffy’s literal leap of faith, and what she tells Dawn: “The hardest thing in this world is to live in it.”

 deals heavily with consequences, and this episode faces them head on. Xander, heartbroken since Anya and Spike slept together, ostracizes himself from the group as they attempt to come up with a plan to fight Warren, Andrew, and Jonathan. Dawn, in all her angsty teenage might, confronts Spike and tells him it was wrong to sleep with both Buffy and Anya, and if he wants to prove he loves her, he needs to show her. Just when we get our hopes up for Spike and get excited that Willow and Tara are back together, Spike tries to rape Buffy, and Warren shoots Tara. Cue Spike’s quest for a soul and Willow’s vicious thirst for vengeance.

Willow, now completely overtaken by dark magic, has killed Warren, and now duels Giles, who has returned to Sunnydale to help save Willow from herself – even if she is trying to kill her best friends. What’s so great about this episode is that it’s really the Willow and Xander show – Buffy and Dawn have some great dialogue while trapped in the pit, but it’s really Xander who gets the chance to save the world here. It’s gut-wrenching to watch Willow continually hurt Xander while he tries to help her. The moment that the darkness leaves Willow and she collapses into Xander’s arms is enough to melt even the hardest of hearts – we’re back to the friendship that existed before Buffy even arrived, and we finally get the chance to see why it’s so strong.

Where It Slays: The Yellow Crayon Speech. ‘Nuff said.

“Conversations with Dead People” Season 7, Episode 7

This episode is fascinating because none of the main characters ever really interact with each other. Buffy spends her time in the graveyard talking to a former-classmate-turned-vampire, Dawn is stuck at home and haunted by an entity that convinces her that Joyce is attempting to contact her, and Willow is visited by the ghost of Cassie, a girl Buffy helped before her untimely death. This is perhaps the most eerie; Cassie tells Willow she’s been sent by Tara, and that she should just kill herself now. This tips Willow off that the “ghost” isn’t Cassie and wasn’t sent by Tara, and it reveals itself to be The First – the greatest evil ever. Between this spine-chilling interaction and Spike’s new ability to feed again, this twisty, terrifying episode is necessary viewing.

Where It Slays: Dawn drops pizza on one of Buffy’s shirts, and as a natural response, shrugs and says “She’ll think it’s blood.”

[Watch “Conversations With Dead People” on Netflix]

This series finale has often been referred to as one of the best of all time, and it’s no secret why – Whedon did what he does best. With the return of Angel and his help with killing the horrifying Caleb (he poked out one of Xander’s eyes and killed a ton of potential slayers! The worst!), the episode gets off to a pretty crazy start (even if poor Spike’s heart is broken when he watches them kiss). Don’t get it twisted, though; this episode isn’t all drama. All those little quippy lines and whiney moments we’ve come to love are very much intact here. There’s a nice throwback to “Graduation Day” when Angel walks away into the shadows, and all-around perfection in bringing things full circle. There are too many sad deaths note here (Anya! The heartache…), and Sunnydale is reduced to dust, but they win. And the multitude of emotions felt in watching them win is something only Whedon could pull off.

Where It Slays: When Dawn asks her “what are we going to do now?”, Buffy simply smiles. And it’s the first genuine smile we’ve seen from her in a long time.

BONUS: “Once More, With Feeling” (Season 6, Episode 7)

It’s. A. Musical. Episode. That’s really all you need to know. Everyone breaks into song. And dance. And it’s magic.

[Watch “Once More, With Feeling” on Netflix]

Tags Alyson Hannigan ,  Joss Whedon ,  Sarah Michelle Gellar ,  Netflix ,  Decider Essentials ,  Buffy the Vampire Slayer

@Slayerettes Once More With Feeling HAS to be on the list, and season finales are not automatically the best episodes.

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