130 Fun Facts About Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Who created the television series?

He first conceived the idea as 'Rhonda the Immortal Waitress' - a seemingly insignificant woman who turns out to be extraordinary.

Who plays Buffy Summers in the series?

She had already won a Daytime Emmy at 18 for a soap-opera role before landing the part.

What job does Buffy's Watcher hold at Sunnydale High?

The library sits directly above the Hellmouth, which is convenient for a Watcher who needs to keep an eye on things.

Which actor plays Willow Rosenberg?

An unaired half-hour pilot was filmed with a different actress, Riff Regan, as Willow before the network asked for a recast.

The spin-off series Angel is set in which city?

The city's name is literally the first thing said in the premiere, and its skyline is the first image in the opening credits.

Which actor plays the bleached-blond vampire Spike?

He is American, and got informal coaching on his north London accent from British co-star Anthony Head.

What creature does Willow's boyfriend Oz turn into?

He was bitten on the finger by his young cousin Jordy, and transforms on the three nights around a full moon.

Former vengeance demon Anya has a running fear of which animals?

She belts out a whole number about them in the musical episode, and they feature in her worst nightmares.

What is the informal nickname of Buffy's circle of friends?

Cordelia, who initially resented the group, ends up joining it and dating Xander.

The show moved to which network for its final two seasons?

The move followed a negotiation dispute with The WB, which had aired the first five seasons and billed the season five finale as its own 'series finale'.

Who played Buffy in the original 1992 film?

The film cast her as a Valley Girl cheerleader; it received mixed reviews and grossed $16.6 million on a $7 million budget.

What is the name of Angel's soulless, sadistic alter ego?

Born Liam in 18th-century Ireland, he became infamous as the most sadistic vampire in European history after being sired.

What is the title of the season-six musical episode?

The network promoted it with billboards showing the star's face with music notes over her eyes, and Channel 4 later included it among the 100 Greatest Musicals.

Which evil law firm is Angel's arch-nemesis on his spin-off?

The firm is a front for demonic forces; in the final season Angel's team controversially takes over the firm's own offices.

In the season-three finale, the Mayor 'ascends' into what kind of demon?

Buffy, Angel and the entire graduating class blow up the high school to kill him.

What does the Initiative implant in Spike's head in season four?

It punishes him with debilitating pain whenever he tries to hurt a human, and his inability to bite is comically compared to impotence.

Buffy's mother Joyce dies suddenly of what?

The episode 'The Body' was shot with no musical score at all, and the writer-director's own mother had died the same way.

What are the silent, smiling, heart-stealing villains of the near-dialogue-free season-four episode?

About 27 of the episode's 44 minutes have no dialogue at all, in tribute to silent films; only a live human scream can kill them.

Buffy's sister Dawn is revealed to be what?

Monks turned the energy into a girl and gave everyone lifelong false memories of her, so the Slayer would instinctively protect it.

How does Buffy die at the end of season five?

Her friends later resurrect her with a spell, believing they are rescuing her from a hell dimension.

What does Xander do to revive Buffy after the Master drowns her in the season-one finale?

Angel cannot do it because, as a vampire, he has no breath.

What weapon does Buffy use to destroy the supposedly invincible demon the Judge?

Xander and Cordelia stole it from an army base; her one-liner is 'That was then, this is now.'

Which body part does Xander lose to the preacher Caleb in season seven?

The character was originally slated to die; instead he spends the final episodes in an eyepatch.

Which rock band plays the show's opening theme?

The creator picked their track at the urging of the actress who plays Willow; the band's name comes from a Han Solo insult in The Empire Strikes Back.

On Angel, what does Cordelia inherit from the dying half-demon Doyle via a kiss?

She initially treats them as a curse until a demon overwhelms her with the pain of everyone in need worldwide.

What is the name of the 'miracle' child born to the vampires Angel and Darla?

Kidnapped to a hell dimension as a baby, he returns weeks later as a teenager because time runs faster there.

What is Buffy's degrading fast-food job in season six?

Its arrival marks her deep depression after being pulled out of heaven; the writers had her sink lower than at any other point in the show.

Which company published the canonical Season Eight comic continuation from 2007?

The run was planned at about 25 issues but grew to 40, followed by a Season Nine in 2011.

Buffy's brief death in the season-one finale activated which new Slayer?

She is later hypnotized and killed by Drusilla, which in turn calls Faith.

Which former Slayer, killed by Spike in 1977 New York, was the mother of the season-seven principal?

Spike took his trademark leather duster from her after the fight, one of two Slayers he had killed.

Faith's slide toward evil begins when she accidentally kills whom?

She mistakes him for a vampire during a night of reckless slaying, then allies with the Mayor himself.

Which future two-time Oscar winner made her film debut as one of Buffy's friends in the 1992 movie?

Ricki Lake and Seth Green also appear uncredited; filming wrapped in five weeks to fit Luke Perry's 90210 schedule.

The show's lead actress had already won a Daytime Emmy for which soap opera?

She played Kendall Hart, the long-lost daughter of Susan Lucci's Erica Kane.

Which co-star did the actress who plays Willow marry in 2003?

He played Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, the stuffy replacement Watcher who later became a core member of Angel Investigations.

What is the very last line of the Angel series finale?

The team then charges an army of monsters in an alley behind the Hyperion Hotel, and the screen cuts to black.

What is the name of Oz's band, which plays regularly at the Bronze?

The name references the Azaria Chamberlain case in Australia; the songs were actually performed by Four Star Mary.

The season-three finale was delayed on US television because of which real-world event?

The tragedy happened four weeks before Part One aired; Canada showed the episode on schedule, so bootlegs spread online.

Which member of the Trio fires the stray shot that kills Tara?

The bullets were meant for Buffy; a grieving Willow tracks him down and flays him alive with magic.

Glory, the season-five hell god, shares a body with which human?

Magic makes people forget the connection instantly, a running joke as Spike keeps trying to explain it.

The bleached vampire William got the nickname 'the Bloody' because of what?

Giles assumes it referred to torturing people with railroad spikes; the truth was revealed three years after the nickname was first mentioned.

How was David Boreanaz reportedly discovered for the role of Angel?

The neighbor passed the tip to one of the producers; he later spent 12 seasons as Seeley Booth on Bones.

Which episode earned the show's only Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series?

Only about 17 of its 44 minutes contain dialogue; it was also nominated for cinematography.

On Angel, from which demon dimension is the physicist Fred Burkle rescued?

Lorne, the karaoke-bar owner, is from the same world; Fred had been trapped there for five years.

Which veteran character actor played the Master under heavy prosthetics?

He is better known as the ROTC bully Neidermeyer in National Lampoon's Animal House.

The season-four Big Bad Adam, a patchwork of human, demon and machine, is powered by what?

Buffy defeats him only after merging with Willow, Xander and Giles into a single magical composite.

Which Frank Lloyd Wright building was the exterior of the season-two vampire trio's Crawford Street mansion?

Wright designed it in the 1920s in his textile-block style; the high school exteriors were shot at Torrance High, the same campus used for Beverly Hills, 90210.

Why did the musical episode fail to earn a 2002 Emmy nomination despite its acclaim?

The show did win an Emmy for makeup for the two-part 'Surprise'/'Innocence' story, one of only a handful it ever received.

Who took over as showrunner for the controversial sixth season?

The creator stepped back to write the musical and then a new pilot for Fox called Firefly; she later admitted parts of the season 'went too far'.

Before Buffy, Anthony Head was famous in Britain as the man in ads for which product?

The 'Gold Blend couple' commercials ran from 1987 to 1993 and were remade for North America as Taster's Choice.

On what date did The WB announce that Angel would not get a sixth season?

Fan outrage focused on the WB's head of entertainment, Jordan Levin; it was the network's second-highest-rated show ever cancelled.

Where is Buffy and Xander's Slayer headquarters in the Season Eight comics?

The season's masked Big Bad, Twilight, sees the newly expanded army of Slayers as a threat to humanity itself.

The 1992 film script was sold to a production company owned by which singer?

The company was Sandollar; annoyed at losing creative control, he made the TV series himself five years later.

According to its writer-director, what does the Cheese Man in the dream episode 'Restless' symbolize?

Every other element of the four dreams carries meaning; he was included precisely because dreams always contain one thing that does not.

For how many days had Buffy been dead when her friends resurrected her at the start of season six?

The number is spoken aloud by Spike, who had been counting every single one.

The show's creator is a third-generation TV writer; his father wrote for which 1980s sitcom?

Grandfather John Whedon wrote for The Donna Reed Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show.

Before becoming the vengeance demon Anyanka, Anya was a human woman with what name?

She turned her cheating lover into a troll, which so impressed the demon D'Hoffryn that he recruited her.

Marc Blucas, who played Riley Finn, previously played college basketball for which team?

He shared the court with a young Tim Duncan before graduating in 1994.

Besides the musical, which is the only episode whose title appears on screen?

The season-seven episode plays out in real time and had four separate writers, each handling one storyline.

What is the street address of the Summers home in Sunnydale?

The season-seven map of 'Sunnydale County' on the principal's wall is really a map of Santa Barbara County.

The composer Christophe Beck won a Primetime Emmy for scoring which episode?

He later scored Frozen and several Marvel films, including Ant-Man and WandaVision.

Which name did the creator give the Master in the pilot script, though it is never spoken on screen?

The character leads the Order of Aurelius and is described as roughly 600 years old.

On what date did the first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer air on The WB?

The network promoted the premiere with History of the Slayer clips.

How many episodes did Buffy the Vampire Slayer run for in total?

Only Buffy and Willow appear in every one; Xander appears in 143.

Sunnydale High's exteriors in the first three seasons were filmed in which California city?

The same school was used for Beverly Hills, 90210; UC Sunnydale exteriors used UCLA.

What did the series win in 2003 from the Television Critics Association?

It was nominated five times for TCA awards and for the AFI Award for Drama Series of the Year.

Sarah Michelle Gellar described the show as 'the ultimate metaphor' for what?

Monsters stand in for the real fears of growing up.

Who directed the 1992 Buffy the Vampire Slayer film?

Whedon wrote it; the movie grossed $16.6 million on a $7 million budget.

Which actor played Buffy's Watcher, Merrick, in the 1992 film?

Rutger Hauer played vampire king Lothos and Luke Perry played fellow outcast Pike.

Buffy was expelled from Hemery High School in Los Angeles for doing what?

Her parents' divorce followed and she moved to Sunnydale.

Cordelia Chase's last television appearance came in Angel's episode of which number, in 2004?

Charisma Carpenter was a Buffy regular for three seasons and an Angel regular for four.

Nicholas Brendon's twin brother, who played Xander in two episodes, is named what?

In the Season Eight comics Xander becomes tactical leader of a global army of Slayers.

As a young man, Giles dropped out of which university to dabble in dark magic and rock music?

Whedon planned a BBC spin-off called Ripper; those ideas fed the Angel & Faith comics.

Why was a planned Faith spin-off series never made?

Faith later co-starred in the 25-issue comic Angel & Faith, set mostly in London.

Willow and Tara's relationship was the first recurring depiction of what on US prime-time network TV?

Amber Benson played Tara; the pairing initially met resistance from some fans.

Anya was originally written to appear in how many episodes?

Emma Caulfield's role expanded to recurring guest and then series regular for seasons five to seven.

How old is the vengeance demon Anyanka when revealed in 'The Wish'?

Giles destroys her power-holding necklace, leaving her a mortal teenager.

Riley Finn is a native of which Iowa town?

He was a UC Sunnydale teaching assistant and secretly a member of the Initiative.

Drusilla was a young psychic in which city before Angelus drove her insane?

In 1860 Darla presented the young Catholic woman to Angelus as a victim to torment.

Julie Benz, who played Darla, originally auditioned for which role?

Gellar had first won the part of Cordelia before being cast as Buffy.

Jenny Calendar's true identity is Janna of which Romani group?

Her clan cursed Angel; she was sent to Sunnydale to keep an eye on him.

Wesley Wyndam-Pryce first appears in which season-three episode?

He was the new Watcher for Buffy and Faith before moving to Angel for all five seasons.

Which actress played Harmony Kendall?

Harmony first appeared in the unaired pilot as one of Cordelia's 'Cordettes'.

Andrew Wells is the younger brother of Tucker, who did what in season three?

Jonathan and Warren remember the incident fondly but have no idea who Andrew is.

Whedon described Caleb as which kind of misogynist, in the mould of Warren?

A defrocked priest and serial killer, he gave the non-corporeal First something physical to push against.

The First Evil made its debut in which season-three episode?

It returned as the main villain of season seven, sending Bringers to kill Potential Slayers.

Which quirk does the genial Mayor Richard Wilkins III have?

Harry Groener played him; he also promotes family values and dislikes swearing.

Mark Metcalf, who played the Master, is also known for which role in Animal House?

Whedon placed Sunnydale High on a Hellmouth to symbolise high school as hell.

Which actress played Professor Maggie Walsh, head of the Initiative?

George Hertzberg played her creation Adam, defeated in the episode 'Primeval'.

Glorificus was banished from a hell dimension ruled by how many hell gods?

The other two feared she would seize total control; Charlie Weber played her human prison, Ben.

Which actor played the chaos-worshipping sorcerer Ethan Rayne?

He appeared in seasons two to four before the Initiative took him away.

In how many of the 144 episodes does Joyce Summers appear?

Kristine Sutherland played her; Joyce's natural death forces Buffy to face adulthood.

Who transformed the Key into human form and sent it to Buffy as her sister Dawn?

Michelle Trachtenberg played Dawn, who has real memories of a fictional childhood.

How many churches does Sunnydale have during the first three seasons?

A town of 38,500 with a zoo, a museum, one main street and a Hellmouth beneath the school.

Sunnydale is located in the former homeland of which Native American people?

'Pangs' places it northwest of Los Angeles around Santa Barbara County.

The Cruciamentum test is imposed on a Slayer at what age?

Giles was dismissed by the Watchers' Council for interfering in Buffy's test.

Which agent of the First destroys the Watchers' Council headquarters?

The attack came before the Council's information could be acted on.

'Innocence' drew 8.2 million viewers as the show moved from Monday to which night?

It aired January 20, 1998, and sees Angel lose his soul after sleeping with Buffy.

Which demon do Angelus, Spike and Drusilla try to awaken in the two-part 'Becoming'?

Only someone worthy can pull the sword from the stone demon to open the door to Hell.

In 'The Zeppo', Xander tags along with which student who raises his dead friends?

Buffy had asked him to stay 'fray-adjacent' while the gang stopped an apocalypse.

'Doppelgangland' revisits the alternate reality first shown in which episode?

Anya's spell to retrieve her amulet accidentally summons vampire Willow.

'Graduation Day, Part 2' finally aired on which date after being postponed?

It was the last episode with David Boreanaz and Charisma Carpenter as regulars.

Roughly how many minutes of dialogue does the 44-minute episode 'Hush' contain?

Whedon wrote it after critics praised the show's dialogue as its best feature.

Which figure hunts the four main characters through their dreams in 'Restless'?

Buffy confronts and disempowers her in the final dream sequence.

'The Body', in which Buffy finds her mother dead, first aired on what date?

Whedon wrote and directed the episode about Joyce's natural death.

'The Gift', the season-five finale, was which milestone episode of the series?

It aired May 22, 2001, and served as the show's WB finale before the move to UPN.

In 'Bargaining', where did Anya find the last artifact Willow needs to resurrect Buffy?

The gang used the Buffybot to hide Buffy's death from enemies and social workers.

In 'Tabula Rasa', what shark-headed demon confronts Spike over a debt?

A memory spell later leaves the gang with no idea who they are.

'Once More, with Feeling' first aired on UPN on which date?

It was Whedon's first attempt at writing music, spanning styles from sitcom themes to rock opera.

'Seeing Red' was the only episode to air at an alternate time on which Canadian network?

Its content, including Tara's death and an assault scene, was considered too controversial.

After 'Chosen', the Buffy story was not continued until which 2007 comic?

The saga concluded with the Season Twelve series in late 2018.

In 'Storyteller', Andrew films his documentary while hiding in which room?

He imagines himself in an old library with a roaring fire, smoking jacket and pipe.

Whedon's company Mutant Enemy takes its name from a song by which band?

The lyric is from 'And You and I'; Whedon also called his typewriter 'mutant enemy'.

Which Pixar film did Joss Whedon co-write in 1995?

He also wrote Alien Resurrection (1997) and later directed The Avengers.

Whedon co-created the spin-off Angel with which writer-producer?

Angel ran on The WB from October 1999 to May 2004, for 110 episodes.

Buffy Season Eight was planned at about 25 issues but expanded to how many?

Its masked Big Bad, Twilight, wants to end all magic on Earth.

Sarah Michelle Gellar co-founded which e-commerce baking company in 2015?

It ran until 2022, and she published the cookbook Stirring Up Fun with Food in 2017.

Alyson Hannigan babysat as a teenager for which future co-star?

They later worked together on How I Met Your Mother, where she played Lily Aldrin.

Nicholas Brendon later played Kevin Lynch on which crime series?

He appeared in the role from 2007 to 2014.

Anthony Head played which role in the BBC series Merlin?

He was also the prime minister in Little Britain and Rupert Mannion in Ted Lasso.

David Boreanaz was born in which city, where his father was a TV weather presenter?

The family moved to the Philadelphia area when he was seven; he later starred in Bones and SEAL Team.

James Marsters played the alien supervillain Brainiac on which series?

He also played Captain John Hart on Torchwood and grew up in Modesto, California.

Charisma Carpenter was born in which city?

She later played Kendall Casablancas on Veronica Mars and Lacy in The Expendables films.

Seth Green voices which character on Family Guy?

He also played Scott Evil in the Austin Powers films and Oz on Buffy.

Eliza Dushku, who played Faith, was born in Boston and raised in which Massachusetts town?

She later starred in Tru Calling and Dollhouse and now works as a therapist.

Emma Caulfield played Susan Keats, girlfriend of which character, on Beverly Hills, 90210?

She later played Sarah Proctor in WandaVision and Agatha All Along.

Michelle Trachtenberg made her feature film debut in the title role of which 1996 film?

She left The Adventures of Pete & Pete mid-season to make it, and later played Georgina Sparks on Gossip Girl.

Julie Benz won a 2009 Saturn Award for playing Rita Bennett on which series?

Her older siblings were 1987 US junior ice dancing champions.

Drusilla's actress is the daughter of which two actors?

She also co-starred as Loretta King in Tim Burton's Ed Wood.

Danny Strong, who played Jonathan, co-created which Fox music-industry drama?

He also wrote Recount, Game Change and both Mockingjay films, and created Dopesick.

Nathan Fillion, who played Caleb, began playing Officer John Nolan in 2018 on which show?

He also played Mal Reynolds in Firefly and Richard Castle in Castle.