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Buffy the Vampire Slayer was both a movie and a TV show created by Joss Whedon; however, Whedon has said he was very unhappy with how the script was changed from his vision. He created the TV series to be more like his original vision. You can watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer streaming to see Whedon’s full vision. The series ran for seven seasons, first on the WB network, and then on UPN, and 144 episodes, between 1997 and 2003. The series launched several careers including Sarah Michelle Gellar, Allyson Hannigan, and David Boreanaz. Buffy was loved by both critics and viewers alike, and was nominated for 128 awards; among its 52 wins are an Emmy, several Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Awards, and a Golden Globe nomination. The series remains a cult favorite, and has appeared on several ‘best of lists including TV Guide’s 50 Greatest Shows of All Time, at number 41, at number 38 on TV Guide’s 60 Best Series of All Time list, and at number 3 on their 2004 and 2007 Top Cult Shows list. Buffy also landed on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Shows of All Time, and on Syfy’s 25 Best Fantasy Series of the Past 25 years.
Here’s how to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer streaming online:
How to Watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer Online & Stream the Complete Series
Among all the streaming services, Hulu has exclusive rights to every episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. There are a couple different options when signing up for Hulu, but either one will get you access to the show’s complete library:
If you simply want Hulu’s extensive on-demand library, you can sign up right here. It costs $7.99 per month for the limited commercials plan or $11.99 per month for the no commercials plan.
If you want to go from watching Hulu’s on-demand library to watching MLB games or other live TV without changing the app, you can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV”. This option gives you access to Hulu’s extensive on-demand library, as well as a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels. It costs $39.99 per month for the plan that includes limited commercials with the on-demand content or $43.99 per month for the plan that includes no commercials with the on-demand content.
After signing up for either of the above options, you can watch any episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
WARNING: Spoilers ahead
How Many Buffy the Vampire Slayer Seasons Are There?
There are seven seasons and 144 episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The show premiered March 10, 1997 and the series finale aired May 20, 2003. There is a pilot episode which was not aired with the original series. For the first five seasons, the show was part of the WB network, but it transferred to the UPN network for the final two seasons. Here is a breakdown of the seasons:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 1
March 10, 1997 – June 2, 1997
Buffy moves to Sunnydale after burning down the gym of her old school, and is intent on relinquishing her role as a Slayer. She wanted a be a normal teenager, but Giles won’t give up on her. He helps her see that evil cannot be ignored. Willow and Xander help Buffy defeat The Master, who is intent on taking over Sunnydale by opening Hellmouth. Buffy “dies”.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 2
September 15, 1997 – May 19, 1998
In season two, vampires Spike and Drusilla arrive; both are weakened after a battle. They bring with them another slayer, Kendra, who is supposed to take over after Buffy “dies”. Xander and Cordelia begin dating, Willow begins practicing witchcraft and dating Oz, who discovers he is a werewolf. Angel arrives in town, complicated things for Buffy because he is a vampire, but she is attracted to him. After they make love, Angel loses his soul and becomes Angelus once again. He begins tormenting Buffy and her pals. Buffy is forced to banish him, but does so just after Willow restores his soul. This breaks Buffy and she leaves Sunnydale. Kendra is killed.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 3
September 29, 1998 – September 21, 1999
Buffy tries for a fresh start in Los Angeles, but can’t stay away from her duties in Sunnydale. Angel is released from hell, but has been driven to the edge by his time in banishment. Buffy and Angel struggle with their feelings for one another. Giles is fired from the Watcher’s Council and replaced by Wesley. Faith, the Slayer activated by Kendra’s death, arrives, and Mayor Wilkins hatches a plan to become fully demonic. Faith accidentally kills a human and begins losing her mind; she begins fighting against Buffy and her crew.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 4
October 5, 1999 – May 23, 2000
Buffy and Willow begin college on the UC-Sunnydale campus; Xander begins dating Anya, who was once a vengeance demon. Spike returns to Sunnydale, and is kidnapped by The Initiative, who puts a microchip in his brain to make him stop hurting humans. Spike and Buffy make peace and work together. Spike realizes that hurting demons doesn’t have the same effect on him that hurting humans does, and he begins to enjoy fighting against evil alongside Buffy. Willow falls for another witch. Buffy and Riley, a member of The Initiative, begin dating, and Buffy realizes the organization isn’t as altruistic as they would have her believe.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 5
September 26, 2000 – May 22, 2001
Dawn, Buffy’s sister, arrives in Sunnydale. Dawn is “the key” that Hell God Glory is after and has taken the form of a “sister” so that Buffy can protect her. Buffy’s mother dies of natural causes. The Watchers help both Buffy and Giles fight against Glory. Spike falls for Buffy, Xander proposes to Anya, and when Glory realizes Dawn is the key he’s been searching for, he goes after her. To save Dawn, Buffy sacrifices herself, and closes the portal to Hell.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 6
October 2, 2001 – May 21, 2002
Buffy has been dead for 147 days, and is resurrected by the Scooby Gang. She is depressed and they don’t understand why – it’s because she was in Heaven and is devastated to be back on Earth. Giles goes back to England because he feels Buffy relies too heavily on him. With her mother dead, Buffy has to get a job to support herself and Dawn. The Trio arrives in Sunnydale, intent on getting rid of Buffy with a mixture of techno-geekery and magic. Willow is devastated when they kill Tara and unleashes black magic on Sunnydale. Spike, wanting to be worthy of Buffy, undergoes a series of trials so that he can go back to the way he was before he was a vampire.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 7
September 24, 2002 – May 20, 2003
The First Evil is back, having gained power from Buffy’s second resurrection. He is tracking down and killing future Slayers. The Watchers Council is destroyed and the remaining few take refuge with Buffy. Faith returns to fight with Buffy against the First Evil, who is revealed to be an evil priest named Caleb. Buffy kills Caleb. Angel returns to give Buffy an amulet, which she passes on to Spike. In the final fight, in which several future Slayers and Anya are killed, Spike uses the amulet to close the Hellmouth, which kills all the vampires, including himself. Buffy and her friends escape.
What Are the Best Buffy the Vampire Slayer Episodes?
Over the course of the series Buffy and her crew, affectionately dubbed the Scooby Gang, fall in love and break up as normal teens do, and also fight the forces of evil. Here are some of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes you can’t miss:
Season 7, Episode 22 “Chosen”
Nominated for an Emmy, the series finale has Buffy and the gang closing Hellmouth, but in doing so, Spike is killed along with bad vampires. The series ends with Dawn asking Buffy what happens next, and while Buffy doesn’t know, she is happy about the possibilities.
Season 6, Episode 16 “Hell’s Bells”
Hell’s Bells was nominated for an Emmy. Xander is set to marry Anya, a demon, but “Xander from the Future” arrives to stop the wedding. Buffy is jealous of Spike’s date. Demons arrive and Xander and Buffy defeat them, but Xander and Anya decide not to get married.
Season 6, Episode 7 “Once More with Feeling”
This episode was also nominated for an Emmy; this episode is part musical and part horror story. A new demon is in town, and because of him people burst into song at strange times. Through these songs their real feelings are revealed, causing rifts in their relationships.
Season 1, Episode 10 “Hush”
The episode was nominated for two Emmy awards, one for Joss Whedon’s writing. In the episode, The Gentlemen, a group of fairytale men, arrive intent on stealing humans’ voices. Buffy and her friends must find new ways to communicate so they can stop The Gentlemen and save the world.
Season 5, Episode 16 “The Body”
Ranked #1 on Rolling Stone’s list of the Ten Best Buffy Episodes In this episode, Buffy and the Scooby Gang must deal with Buffy’s mom’s death, from natural causes.
Season 2, Episode 21 & 22 “Becoming”
Ranked #1 on TV Guides 25 Best Buffy Episodes. In the two episodes, Buffy must keep Spike, Angelus, and Drusilla from awakening the demon Acathia, who will destroy the world. Buffy is killed for the first time, bringing new Slayer Kendra to Sunnydale, and Angelus tortures Giles, and Buffy realizes she has to kill Angelus – and thus Angel – to save everyone.
Season 5, Episode 22 “The Gift”
The series 100th episodes has made it onto several “best of” lists including Rolling Stone’s and TV Guides. In the episode, Buffy sacrifices herself to save Dawn and by extension the rest of the world from Glory.
Who Are the Actors in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Cast?
The character of Buffy has been named to several best of lists, including Bravo’s list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters, Entertainment Weekly’s list of the 100 Greatest TV Characters, and AfterEllen’s Top 50 Female TV Characters.
Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers
Buffy is a cheerleader who discovered she is also a vampire slayer. Her town, Sunnydale, is built upon a portal to Hellmouth, and she must stop the demons and vampires from escaping. Sarah Michelle Gellar is best known for her work on the Buffy series; she has been nominated for 30 awards, and has won 21. In addition to the series, she is known as the original Kendall from All My Children and the I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise.
Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris
Xander is Buffy’s friend, and provides comic relief for the adventures and demonic fights that Buffy wages. He is geeky but also quite witty. In the Nicholas Brendon is best known for her work on the show. After Buffy he has appeared in the films Psycho Beach Party and Attack of the Morningside Monster.
Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg
Willow is Buffy’s best friend, and one of the leaders of Buffy’s circle of friends who fight evil in Sunnydale. Willow was shy and nerdy but becomes a confident woman, and magical witch, throughout the series. Alyson Hannigan is an award winning actress best known for her roles in the Buffy series, as well as the American Pie franchise, in which she played band geek, Michelle, and How I Met Your Mother as Lily.
Anthony Head as Rupert Giles
Giles is Buffy’s mentor and acts as a father figure for Buffy and her friends. He is officially a “Watcher”, someone who oversees the actions of Slayers. He is loyal to Buffy and her friends. Anthony Head is best known as Giles from Buffy, but he has gone on to appear in the films Imagine Me & You and Ghost Rider.
Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase
A popular cheerleader, Cordelia is sometimes at odds with Buffy, but does fight with the group. Charisma Carpenter is best known for her work on Buffy and the series spinoff Angel. She has also appeared in the Expendables franchise of films.
David Boreanaz as Angel
A vampire, Angel falls for Buffy, which complicates the lives of both he and Buffy. David Boreanaz is best known for the role of Angel on the Buffy series and its spinoff Angel. He went on to star in the series Bones and SEAL Team.
James Marsters as Spike
Spike is a villain and anit-hero on the series, but his love for Buffy complicates his life. James Marsters is best known for playing Spike on the series; he also appeared in the Angel spinoff. Following these series, he has appeared in Dragonball:Evolution and P.S. I Love You.
Michelle Trachtenberg as Dawn Summers
Buffy’s little sister, although she wasn’t always human. In the series, she was the key to unlocking various dimensions. She is made human so that Buffy can protect the key/her from evil forces. Michelle Trachtenberg was Harriet in the Harriet the Spy movie before landing the role of Dawn in the Buffy series. She has also starred in the Robot Chicken and Guidance series.
Who Are the Top Guest Stars on Buffy the Vampire Slayer?
The ensemble cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was supported by actors who have gone on to become big names in Hollywood. Actors Amy Adams, Eion Baily, and Julie Benz all made guest appearances on the series. Here are the actors remembered for their recurring or guest starring roles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer:
Emma Caulfield Ford as Anya Jenkins
Anya is a human who became a demon and spent 1000 years as a vengeance demon, before becoming human again. Anya gets confused about what are appropriate behaviors and can be quite funny. Emma Caulfield Ford is best known for her role on Buffy. Since leaving the series she has appeared in the films Darkness Falls and Hollow and has starred in the Fantasy Hospital TV series.
Kristine Sutherland as Joyce Summers
Joyce is Buffy’s mom is at first afraid of Buffy’s powers and her role as a fighter of evil, but she is always supportive of her daughter. She dies, of natural causes, in the fifth season, forcing Buffy to become an adult. Kristine Sutherland starred in the film Honey, I Shrunk the Kids before landing the role of Buffy’s mom. After leaving the series, she has starred in The Perfect Wedding, The Cat Returns and the TV series One Life To Live.
Seth Green as Oz
Oz is Willow’s boyfriend, and is a bit grumpy. He discovers he is a werewolf. Seth Green has appeared in many films and TV series, he is best known for his roles in The Italian Job and Can’t Hardly Wait as well as the Robot Chicken series.
Dean Butler as Hank Summers
Hank is Buffy’s father; he and Buffy’s mom are divorced and he is typically thought of as a deadbeat dad. Dean Butler is best known as Almonzo from the Little House on the Prairie series.
Eliza Dushku as Faith
Faith is another Slayer, who comes from a bad childhood. She is an ally to Buffy and her friends at first, but then loses her mind and becomes a villain in the series. Eliza Dushku is best known as Missy from Bring It On. She has also starred in series Tru Calling and Dollhouse.
Nathan Fillion as Caleb
Caleb is a creepy, evil priest who comes to the series near the end, to attack Faith and Xander. He is killed by Angel. Nathan Fillion is best known as Richard Castle from the Castle series; he also starred in the Joss Whedon cult hits Firefly and Serenity.
Who Are the Writers & Creators Behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer?
Buffy the Vampire Slayer was created by Joss Whedon; he wrote the screenplay for the 1992 movie, but disliked that version of his story. He created the Buffy series because he wanted to write a strong, female lead. Whedon would be the showrunning for the first five seasons, and would be an executive producer for the series for the entire run. Here are the producers and writers key to the series:
Joss Whedon: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Creator, Showrunner, Executive Producer, Writer & Director
Joss Whedon is an award winning writer, producer, and director best known for his work on the Buffy, the Vampire Slayer series; he also wrote the movie of the same name, but didn’t like the lighter tone. He was nominated for an Emmy for his writing on the series, which follows more of his vision for the characters. He has also worked on the films Parenthood, Alien: Ressurection, and was nominated for an Oscar for the original Toy Story film. He is also the creator and writer for the short-lived series Firefly.
Douglas Petrie: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Creator
Douglas Petrie is a producer and writer best known for his work on the Buffy series; he is credited with writing 55 episodes, and was nominated along with the rest of the directing staff. In addition to his work on the Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, he has been nominated for an Emmy for his work on the American Horror Story series.
Rebecca Kirshner: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Writer
Rebecca Kirshner was a writer for the Buffy series. In addition to her work on the cult hit, she is known for her writing for the series 90210 and Gilmore Girls.
Where Buffy the Vampire Slayer Ranks in the Television Pantheon
Though Buffy the Vampire Slayer stopped airing new episodes more than ten years ago, the series lives on for its fans through a series of spin-off shows, including Angel, a series of five video games, and a comic book and novel series. There are 60 novels in the Buffy franchise published so far. There remain two undeveloped project spin-offs, both animated series, called Ripper and Buffy: The Animated Series; there has been no project date for either of these projects to begin production. During it’s time on the air, the series garnered just over 150 award nominations, and won 52 awards. Critics have lauded the series, with writers for The Washington Post and The Hollywood Reporter, among others, citing the series as influential not only to its viewers but to television as a whole because of its penchant for creating story arcs that lasted for multiple episodes. As Buffy became more popular, series that included supernatural elements began popping up on television including Tru Calling, which starred Buffy alum Eliza Dushku, Dead Like Me and Veronica Mars. The Whedon Studies Association sponsors an academic conference on creator Joss Whedon’s works and influence.