As far as pop culture and horror hits go, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is up there as one of the greatest series of all time. Despite the controversy in terms of Joss Whedon as a creator and his treatment of various people (including Charisma Carpenter), the series is still lauded for being feminist and revolutionary for how series can depict heroines.
The series follows a teenager named Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), who is part of a line of powerful women chosen to fight demons, vampires, and other beings. Throughout the series, Buffy experiences supernatural trials and tribulations as well as those of a young woman. Buffy the Vampire Slayer perfectly uses its horror as a metaphor for growing up. But what moments are captivatingly iconic and feminist? What makes them so feminist? And how do the moments hold up in our current time?
Get BWT in your inbox!
Get BWT in your inbox!
The following moments will answer all of those questions and remind fans what they should look back on. If you’re still getting into the series, buckle up because we’re going for a short ride.
1) Buffy Blowing Up The Judge
Season 2, Episode 14, “Innocence”
Season 2 is known for its emotional turbulence, more specifically for Buffy’s journey with Angel (David Boreanaz) and what happens to their relationship. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2 Episode 14, “Innocence,” follows up Season 2 Episode 13, “Surprise.” These episodes mark a turning point in the season when Angel loses his soul after he sleeps with Buffy. Prior to his, he was cursed to feel like humans do. However, his curse is removed after they are finally intimate, and to say the aftermath is rough is an understatement.
Therefore, when Buffy finds out that Spike (James Marsters) and Drusilla (Juliet Landau) have assembled The Judge (Brian Thompson), she has to pull out the big guns (literally). At the local mall, Buffy finds her enemies and pulls out a bazooka to efficiently blow up The Judge.
The reason the scene is so feminist is that Buffy is taking back power at that moment. She’s experienced so much trauma and is emotionally vulnerable after losing her virginity to someone who turned monstrous afterwards. But gathers the strength to defeat an enemy that would have been disastrous to have around. The boldness and her “That was then, this is now” line when The Judge says there’s no weapon forged that can take him down are perfect. And it sticks it to Angelus (Angel’s soulless counterpart), who otherwise thinks she’s not strong enough to face them.
2) The Fight Scene Between Buffy and Angelus
Season 2, Episode 22 “Becoming (Part 2)”
The two-parter Season 2 finale is quite the experience, and Buffy finally reaches the point where she’s ready to kill Angelus. Having to do it alone would have been a major feat for nearly anyone, but not Buffy. Instead of needing to ask for help when Angelus has her back against the wall, she catches the sword after this incredibly iconic exchange:
Angelus: No weapons…no friends…no hope. Take all that away, and what’s left?
Buffy: Me.
Having the love of your life go evil after you sleep with them and not being able to stop him from killing or terrorizing your friends is a lot. So when Buffy gets the chance to prove that she’s the slayer and reclaim what she’s always had inside her: power. It’s a fantastic scene in what is an emotional rollercoaster of an episode in a very intense season. When Buffy confirms that she doesn’t need anyone but herself to defeat Angelus, it connects back to the feminist roots of the series when Buffy reclaims her autonomy. This ends up being something that happens quite often throughout the seasons as well.
3) Cordelia Threatening Lyle Gorch at the School
Season 3, Episode 5, “Homecoming”
High-school rivalries aren’t unusual, but when Buffy and Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) were forced to work together during Slayerfest ’98, a tournament meant to take out Buffy and Faith, they made a pretty good team. When Cordelia is faced with imminent danger, her immediate response isn’t to fight because she hasn’t trained quite yet for combat. Therefore, she does what she’s good at: verbally tearing people apart.
One of the vampires looking to chase her sees his wife get staked and goes to attack Buffy and Cordelia. But instead of getting the chance, Cordelia stops him in his tracks and intimidates him. Instead of having her be meek and running away, she stands her ground without having to fight. Her telling Lyle Gorch (Jeremy Ratchford) that she’s the Queen and shouldn’t be trifled with is iconic. And it’s quite feminist for Cordelia to buck against her archetype, all without compromising the character she is.
4) The Power Speech
Season 5, Episode 12, “Checkpoint”
One of the best seasons of the entire show is Season 5, and there are quite a few reasons for that. In terms of feminist moments, the power speech is at the very top of the list. During this episode, Buffy and her crew find out the type of foe Glory (Clare Kramer) is. But not before Buffy tells the Watchers Council who she is and the power she holds. It’s a scene that’s needed after her being treated like she’s inadequate by the Council during their slayer examination. Not to mention a particular point in time when she was secretly tested by them and her Watcher/surrogate father, Giles (Anthony Stewart Head).
The speech consists of Buffy reminding everyone that she’s important and that she’s powerful. She lets the Council, who has done nothing but view her negatively, know that they aren’t the ones in charge. More importantly, she reminds them they need her more than she needs them. The act of a young woman reclaiming who she is to a group that mostly consists of old white men is incredibly feminist, not to mention powerful, and those types of feminist moments are what the show does extraordinarily well.
5) The Cookie Dough Speech
Season 7, Episode 22, “Chosen”
Most fans, when discussing feminist moments in Season 7, would likely say Buffy’s “Are you ready to be strong?” speech. Meanwhile, Buffy’s speech when Angel returns to Sunnydale to bring her a special amulet to defeat the Hellmouth is less on-the-nose feminism. There’s nothing wrong with her big speech, but Buffy speaking her mind and reminding the audience that she’s still figuring out her life is a very realistic moment.
Buffy’s relationships have always been a huge talking point in the fandom. Whether you’re a Bangel shipper or not (I certainly am), Buffy’s candid moments with Angel have always been the most refreshing. And he’s always recognized her as a powerful force that shouldn’t be bogged down by a relationship. Buffy tells Angel that she’s not fully baked (so to speak) and that she’s cookie dough, as in she’s still sorting out her life and what she wants to do with every aspect of her life. A woman not being defined by her relationships or by who wants to be with her is outwardly feminist by nature.
If you’re looking for a throwback series to get into and love horror, sci-fi, and memorable characters, then you’ll love Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The show’s feminism isn’t perfect the entire time, but that’s to be expected for a series that came out during the late ’90s-early aughts. However, some moments stand the test the time. Watch it and experience the magic for yourself.
Do you disagree with us? Do you have a recommendation that would be a perfect fit for this list? Let us know on Bluesky at @butwhytho.net.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is currently streaming on Disney+, Hulu, and VOD.
