Summary
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer features a variety of powerful and unique vampire villains, from the airheaded Harmony Kendall to the demonic Turok-Han.
- The show often draws on tropes from other genres, such as the mirror universe scenario seen in the episode "The Wish" where vampire versions of the show's heroes exist.
- Characters like Dracula, Drusilla, and Darla play significant roles in the show's mythology, with Drusilla's troubled nature making her a particularly unpredictable and fearsome opponent.
When the character of Buffy the Vampire Slayer first appeared on screens in 1992's Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie, few viewers expected her to have such a lasting impact. The movie was something of a flop, and it would take another 5 years for the formula to be perfected in the televised Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. Buffy, gifted with supernatural strength, is tasked with ridding the world of vampires—and definitely isn't supposed to date them.
Because vampires are prominent antagonists in both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series, Angel, the franchise has treated viewers to some truly horrific bloodsucking foes. From villains plucked from classic fiction to valley girls turned evil, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is home to a huge gallery of powerful vampiric threats.
8 Harmony Kendall
Some people peak in high school, but some don't even survive it. Harmony Kendall is turned into a vampire during her graduation ceremony, and the undead airhead goes on to play a significant role in the Buffy mythos. From hooking up with fellow vampire Spike and locating a powerful vampire artifact to becoming Angel's secretary, Harmony maintains a presence throughout both Buffy and its spin-off, Angel.
However, Harmony never overcomes her love for high school drama. Her frequent betrayals of her allies leave her isolated and without their trust, and her need for conflict often stands in the way of any goal she hopes to achieve.
7 The Turok-Han
The Turok-Han, referred to as "ubervamps" by the Scooby Gang, is an earlier evolutionary form of vampire. As such, this breed of vampire is far more demonic than popular culture's standard bloodsuckers. Buffy struggles to best a single Turok-Han during their initial encounter and is horrified to learn that Sunnydale contains thousands of the creatures.
Yet despite the Turok-Han's increased strength and resistance to typical vampire deterrents (crosses have no effect on them, and staking them is difficult), they have a violent reaction to sunlight and do not appear to be particularly intelligent. Therefore, the Turok-Han horde is eventually bested, although not without significant casualties.
6 Vampire Willow
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is not shy about drawing on tropes from other genre properties. As such, it was only a matter of time before the show did its own twist on Star Trek's mirror universe scenario. In "The Wish," a vengeful demon creates a reality where the town of Sunnydale is overrun with vampires, including vampiric versions of the show's heroes.
The most notable of these is the sadistic Vampire Willow, whose choices (both in terms of fashion and morals) could not be more dissimilar to her human counterpart. Although this version of Willow is soon defeated, her behavior foreshadows a latent darkness in the heroic Willow.
5 Dracula
Dracula is an enduring presence in vampire-centric media. Since being introduced in Bram Stoker's 1885 novel Dracula, the character has appeared in movies, video games (including the long-running Castlevania series) and even inspired a math-teaching Muppet. With such a legacy, it's only natural that the classic monster also appears in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Season 5's "Buffy vs. Dracula" depicts Vlad the Impaler as something of a celebrity in the vampire world. He's able to use his hypnotic powers to seduce Buffy and to turn Xander into a Renfield-esque manservant. However, his hypnotism only works up to a point, and Buffy is able to regain control of herself. Dracula, however, does not die easily; whenever he is staked, he simply reforms.
4 Drusilla
Along with fellow vampires Angel, Spike, and Darla, the gothically styled Drusilla represents one member of the Whirlwind, a powerful gang of ruthless vampires. Tortured by Angel before he turned her into a vampire, the unhinged Drusilla now experiences glimpses of the future. When she first appears in Buffy, she is in a severely weakened state, although she soon recovers.
Once restored to full health, Drusilla easily dispatches a Slayer, Kendra. While Drusilla rarely engages her enemies in direct combat, she is nonetheless a fearsome opponent, and her troubled nature means that it's difficult to guess what she's going to do next.
3 Darla
The vampiric Darla plays only a minimal role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, being dispatched by Buffy only a few episodes into the show's first season. However, as well as holding the distinction of being the first vampire to appear in the series, Darla plays a key role in the show's backstory; she is the vampire responsible for corrupting Angel.
Darla's impact on her victim's life is further explored in Angel when the character returns from the dead in human form. However, she is turned into a vampire once more. Although she is staked (again), she conceives a son with Angel, before sacrificing herself so that the child, Connor, can safely be born.
2 Spike
Spike, a name he earned by hammering railroad spikes through the heads of his victims, is one of history's most vicious vampires. He holds the rare distinction of having killed multiple Slayers. However, even he is not immune to Buffy's charms, and the two eventually begin a torrid relationship.
Although an accomplished fighter, Spike is implanted with an electronic chip that prevents him from harming humans. This shortcoming results in him becoming an uneasy member of the Scooby Gang, as demons are still fair game. Spike's greatest weakness is that he is, at heart, a hopeless romantic, albeit one with a seriously messed up approach to love.
1 Angel
The course of true love never runs smoothly, and this is certainly true for the vampire Angel, who experiences a rocky romance with Buffy. Angel, who once committed heinous acts, is cursed with a soul. This leaves him wracked with guilt and working to redeem himself one demonic punch-up at a time, although achieving redemption is easier said than done.
Following the return of his soul, Angel also displays an impressive moral strength. For example, he destroys a powerful ring in "Into the Light," reasoning that he has not yet earned the right to use it. As such, Angel has more convictions than just about every other vampire put together, as well as unquestionable physical strength.