28 Years Ago This Month, Buffy Officially Switched Genres

Credit: Courtesy Everett Collection Published Sep 6, 2026, 3:15 PM EDT El is a Junior TV Features Editor for ScreenRant, with previous experience as The Mary Sue's UK and Weekend Editor. She holds a Bachelor's in International Media and Entertainment Management, as well as an MA and Ph.D. in Creative Writing. There is little she loves more than discussing her favorite TV shows with fellow fans. One day, she hopes to publish an original fantasy novel. Sign in to your ScreenRant account 28 years ago this month, Buffy the Vampire Slayer officially switched genres. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the most iconic supernatural TV shows of all time, and with good reason. Between Sarah Michelle Gellar's powerhouse performance as the titular slayer and its ability to transition seamlessly from hilarious Scooby Gang shenanigans and experimental concepts like the musical episode to heart-wrenching stories of grief, love, and trauma, Buffy the Vampire Slayer still holds up today. The series wasn't always equally bold, however. While Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 1 cemented the show's aesthetic and its characteristic balance between humor and darkness, it began as a more straightforward, comedic high school drama with a "monster of the week" formula. Some characters, like Charisma Carpenter's popular queen bee Cordelia Chase, were reduced to stereotypes before they were given a chance to evolve, and many of the demons featured in the first season and in the earliest episodes of season 2 were shallow, easy enough for Buffy and her friends to dispose of. Even Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 1's overarching villain, the ancient vampire known as The Master, wasn't all that impressive in hindsight (even if he did briefly manage to kill the Slayer). However, that all began to change near the end of season 2, as Buffy's destiny bled into every corner of her life. Soon, it became virtually impossible for Buffy to keep her personal desires separate from her professional duties, especially when Angel was involved. Buffy was forced to grow up in Buffy the Vampire Slayer's second season, which ultimately led to the show's permanent shift in genre in season 3. Buffy The Vampire Slayer Evolved Into An Adult Drama From Season 3 Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 3, which premiered in September 1998, was a different beast from seasons 1 and 2. Though still set in high school, the show transformed from an episodic supernatural procedural series led by a gang of kids to a serialized, "new adult" paranormal gothic fantasy. This was evident from the season's opening episode, "Anne," a muted, noir-like story in which Buffy, working as a waitress in Los Angeles to support herself, investigates the disappearance of a young homeless teenager and learns she'll never outrun her fate as the Slayer. While several episodes still introduced one-off demons or supernatural disturbances, most of the show's third season explored Buffy's grief and guilt, her tumultuous relationship with fellow Slayer Faith, and the Mayor's devastating plans to transform into a "pure demon." Sunnydale · Watcher’s Council Examination Buffy the Vampire Slayer Trivia “Into every generation, a Slayer is born.” 🗡TheSlayerChosen One 🧛Vam­piresCreatures of Night 🔥Hell­mouthPortal Below 👥Scoo­biesScooby Gang ✨MagicDark Arts ENTER THE HELLMOUTH → 01 She was chosen to fight the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. Which actress plays Buffy Summers across all seven seasons of the series? ASarah Michelle Gellar BAlyson Hannigan CCharisma Carpenter DEliza Dushku ✓ Correct! Sarah Michelle Gellar brought Buffy Summers to life from 1997 to 2003, creating one of the most iconic female action heroes in television history. Her blend of vulnerability, humor, and fierce determination defined the character and the show. ✗ Staked! The answer is Sarah Michelle Gellar. Alyson Hannigan plays Willow, Charisma Carpenter plays Cordelia, and Eliza Dushku plays the rogue Slayer Faith. Only SMG is the one and only Buffy Summers. NEXT → 02 Buffy and her friends live in a fictional California town built directly on top of a mystical convergence of dark energy called the Hellmouth. What is the name of this town? AMystic Falls BSunnydale CSanta Carla DBeacon Hills ✓ Correct! Sunnydale, California sits atop the Hellmouth, a portal to demon dimensions that attracts supernatural activity like a magnet. The town’s ironic name — sunny and pleasant on the surface, literally hellish underneath — perfectly captures the show’s tone. ✗ Staked! The answer is Sunnydale. Mystic Falls is from The Vampire Diaries, Santa Carla is from The Lost Boys, and Beacon Hills is from Teen Wolf. Only Sunnydale sits on the Hellmouth. NEXT → 03 Every Slayer is assigned a Watcher — a mentor from an ancient British organization who guides and trains her. Who is Buffy’s beloved Watcher throughout most of the series? AWesley Wyndam-Pryce BQuentin Travers CRupert Giles DMerrick ✓ Correct! Rupert Giles, played by Anthony Stewart Head, serves as Buffy’s Watcher and surrogate father figure. The school librarian by day, Giles is a repository of occult knowledge with a rebellious past — his younger self was known as ‘Ripper.’ His bond with Buffy is one of the show’s emotional pillars. ✗ Staked! The answer is Rupert Giles. Wesley is the by-the-book replacement Watcher who later joins Angel’s team, Quentin Travers heads the Watchers’ Council, and Merrick was Buffy’s first Watcher (from the original film). Giles is the one who truly shaped Buffy. NEXT → 04 Buffy’s first great love is a vampire cursed with a soul, who was given his conscience back by Romani as punishment for his terrible crimes. Who is this brooding vampire? ASpike BAngel COz DRiley Finn ✓ Correct! Angel, played by David Boreanaz, is the vampire Angelus cursed with a soul by the Romani people after he murdered a girl from their clan. His tormented romance with Buffy is the emotional core of the early seasons, and he eventually got his own spinoff series, Angel. ✗ Staked! The answer is Angel (Angelus). Spike is a different vampire who gains a soul later by choice, Oz is a werewolf (Willow’s boyfriend), and Riley Finn is a human soldier from the Initiative. Angel is Buffy’s first star-crossed supernatural love. NEXT → 05 In the critically acclaimed Season 4 episode ‘Hush,’ the Gentlemen steal something from every person in Sunnydale. What do they take? ATheir dreams BTheir hearts CTheir memories DTheir voices ✓ Correct! The Gentlemen steal everyone’s voices, rendering the entire town unable to speak or scream. The episode is famous for having almost no dialogue, forcing the cast to communicate through physical acting. It earned Buffy its only Emmy nomination for writing. ✗ Staked! The answer is their voices. The Gentlemen need silence so no one can scream when they come to cut out hearts. The episode’s near-total lack of dialogue made it one of the most innovative hours in TV history and earned the show its only Emmy writing nomination. NEXT → 06 Buffy’s best friend Willow Rosenberg begins the series as a shy computer nerd but eventually becomes one of the most powerful beings in the Buffyverse. What is the source of her immense power? AWitchcraft and magic BDemonic possession CSlayer abilities DAncient technology ✓ Correct! Willow, played by Alyson Hannigan, develops into an incredibly powerful witch over the course of the series. Her magic arc goes from floating pencils to nearly destroying the world as ‘Dark Willow’ in Season 6 — one of the show’s most dramatic character transformations. ✗ Staked! The answer is witchcraft and magic. Willow’s journey from timid hacker to world-ending witch is one of Buffy’s most compelling arcs. Her addiction to dark magic in Season 6 and eventual mastery of her powers in Season 7 show the full spectrum of her character. NEXT → 07 Which bleach-blonde vampire starts as a villain who has killed two Slayers, but over the course of the series falls in love with Buffy and ultimately sacrifices himself to save the world? AAngelus BDrusilla CSpike DDarla ✓ Correct! Spike, played by James Marsters, goes from one of Buffy’s deadliest enemies to one of her most devoted allies. After seeking out a soul of his own free will — unlike Angel, who was cursed with one — Spike sacrifices himself in the series finale to close the Hellmouth and save the world. ✗ Staked! The answer is Spike. Angelus is Angel’s evil alter ego, Drusilla is Spike’s sire and former love, and Darla is Angel’s sire. Only Spike made the journey from Big Bad to self-sacrificing hero, choosing to earn his soul rather than having it forced upon him. NEXT → 08 The Season 6 episode ‘Once More, with Feeling’ is a full musical where the cast sings and dances. What supernatural force causes the townspeople to burst into song and reveal their deepest secrets? AA cursed amulet from a hell dimension BWillow’s memory spell gone wrong CThe Hellmouth’s psychic energy DA demon named Sweet ✓ Correct! Sweet, a dapper singing demon summoned accidentally by Xander, forces everyone in Sunnydale to express their hidden feelings through song — with the deadly side effect that some people literally dance themselves to death. The episode is widely considered one of the greatest TV musical episodes ever made. ✗ Staked! The answer is a demon named Sweet. Xander accidentally summoned Sweet with an amulet, unleashing musical chaos across Sunnydale. The songs revealed painful truths — Buffy’s depression, Giles’s plan to leave, Tara’s suspicion about Willow’s magic — making it both entertaining and emotionally devastating. REVEAL MY SCORE → Sunnydale · Patrol Complete Your Slayer Record 🗡 / 8 Chosen One — or just another Sunnydale civilian? ↻ SLAY AGAIN It was all connected; Faith was able to influence Buffy's behavior because Buffy was still traumatized by her history with Angel. When Buffy and the gang broke their connection, Faith's loneliness and self-loathing drove her to work for the Mayor. Suddenly, rather than simply grieving for a fellow Slayer, Buffy was forced to confront her own worst nightmares once more. History was repeating itself, only this time, Buffy faced the possibility of having to kill Faith rather than Angel. At least Angel was a vampire; Faith was a human, a Slayer, the only one in the world who could truly understand Buffy's pain and the weight on her shoulders. Grief haunted Buffy around every corner. As it turned out, Buffy didn't need to go to college to become an adult. She just needed to send the love of her life to a hellish dimension. Season 2’s Gothic Tragedy Set Up Buffy’s Genre Switch Buffy the Vampire Slayer's genre switch in season 3 wouldn't have been possible without season 2's shocking twist. The return of Angelus was a turning point in the show. The storyline between Buffy and Angel essentially acted as a bridge between two separate eras, turning their love affair from an unusual, not-so-innocent first-love YA romance into a full-fledged gothic tragedy. Between Buffy's physical and emotional role in Angel's unwitting transformation, her being forced to hunt him down, and the violent deaths of Jenny Calendar and fellow Slayer Kendra, the show had never been so dark or emotionally heavy before, and it was never afraid to do it again. Though season 1's episodes are fun to watch and do a great job of introducing Buffy, her friends' roles in the story, and this world's supernatural lore, the show needed to become something more. It wouldn't have been able to sustain itself otherwise (Buffy's best successor, Supernatural, did much the same thing; there's no way it would have lasted 15 seasons if it hadn't). Buffy the Vampire Slayer never fully forgot its roots. Still, the show's evolution was a necessary evil, as it were, one that allowed Buffy Summers and Co. to thrive for seven iconic seasons. Release Date 1997 - 2003-00-00 Network The WB Showrunner Joss Whedon