8. Professor Maggie Walsh/Adam
Don’t get me wrong, I love my female villains and government conspiracy, and I definitely believe that any government would be stupid enough to Frankenstein together a demon, but he threat wasn’t really at par with the fight. The spiritual team up between the Scooby Gang was important for their character development but honestly unnecessary when fighting Adam.
I mean the season before they stole a missile launcher, if I did that I would want to use it more than once.
6. Glory
By Season 5 the villains grew more complex, while Glory was the big baddie that the final fight was with, there were many other, less literal fights, through the season which were far more valuable. Joyce battling cancer, Buffy, Dawn, and everyone’s grief, Buffy having to deal with the council who previously tricked her into a death house with an insane vampire.
While Glory’s insanity and power make her an interesting character she is hardly the main focus of the season.
4. Angelus
I personally am a Spuffy fan, through and through. The Buffy/Angel romance always felt too high school fairytale, a good first love but not endgame. Angelus gave the character a lot more depth and backstory. And the psychological torture is always much more fascinating. The emotional turmoil of between Angelus and Buffy make it a much more compelling story, especially as Buffy has been so vulnerable to him, and he knows to go after her friends, which until now, have only been victim through circumstance.
2. Dark Willow
Dark Willow is the personification of grief, drug abuse, and all the pain that Willow has been through the past season. It shows the true, and limitless power that Willow has. While we see she she has the potential for destruction this season, in season 7 we see her change the lineage of the Slayer, using magic of great good.
7. Warren Mears/The Trio
As a comic relief, the trio were great characters, as villains, Warren was the only threat as he killed Tara and injured Buffy. While the three weren’t a threat they were a great representation of a lot of people who wish they were threatening, but at most, are an inconvenience.
The apocalyptic threat of the season ends up being Willow and her addiction to magic, which in itself shows the depth of the show, as the villain is not always what you expect, and rarely come along, neatly, at the end of the year.
5. The First Evil
While “The First Evil” was the official villain of the season. The villain was intangible, as it was represented with hallucinations and uber-vampires. The First claims it cannot be killed, often speaking as if it is the embodiment of human sin or evil, fitting well with the character’s storylines as they struggle with their own flaws and regrets.
Buffy realises the history of the slayer and how it was created, Xander having to readjust after his failed engagement and loosing his eye, Willow having been the apocalyptic threat of season 6 and now being afraid of her own mystical power.
3. Mayor Richard Wilkins III
Mayor Wilkins added more human to the series, which was needed after Buffy came out to her mother, ran away from Sunnydale, and killed Angel.
The introduction of the Mayor also gave more depth to other long lasting characters such as Faith, Anya, and Cordelia’s character development in the spin off Angel. This new apocalyptic threat, we see the entire school comes together and shares their appreciation of Buffy, “We're proud to say that the Class of '99 has the lowest mortality rate of any graduating class in Sunnydale history. And we know at least part of that is because of you.”
His fondness to Faith gave him weakness but also showed us vulnerability, making him less evil and more morally grey. He’s influence survives through later seasons as he leaves a gift for Faith for after his death, still calling Faith his “little firecracker”.
1. The Master
I just love a classic villain. The show has just begun and it has to be a villain that’s old, that’s wise, a little snarky and a bit of a father figure to the anointed one. There is an element to season 1 that is like nothing else, the 90’s aesthetic, the innocence of all the characters that have yet to see the horrors of their future. The Master reflects that, he’s a classic villain, working through minions, knowing all the prophecies and scriptures that a teenage slayer will only come and ruin. All his nice plans turned to dust.
