Despite premiering almost three decades ago, Buffy the Vampire Slayer still endures. This beloved supernatural show didn’t just lay the foundation for a strong, well-rounded female lead in Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar). Buffy also subverted established horror tropes and consistently mastered the “monster-of-the-week” format in a way few shows could in the late ’90s. Stigma and stereotypes were broken all the time. Buffy never treated femininity and world-altering strength as mutually exclusive.
A successful show that ran for seven seasons is bound to have exceptional episodes. Some are memorable because of the Big Bad featured in them, while others feature crucial character moments or exciting stakes. With these factors in mind, here are 10 best episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer of all time, according to their IMDb scores.
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10. “Graduation Day: Part 2” (Season 3, Episode 22)
IMDb Rating: 9.1/10
This two-part season 3 finale is at its strongest when considered as a unit, but “Graduation Day: Part 2” is a satisfying conclusion to some major storylines. Buffy and the Scooby Gang aren’t alone in their fight against evil, as the entire school bands together to defeat Mayor Wilkins (Harry Groener) and his evil plot to become a giant demon and murder everyone in town. This episode is also a major turning point for Angel (David Boreanaz), who leaves Sunnydale after realizing he cannot provide Buffy with the normalcy that she deserves. “Part 2” takes the show’s “high school is hell” metaphor to its limits, where Buffy’s silent efforts as protector are finally validated.
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9. “Fool for Love” (Season 5, Episode 7)
IMDb Rating: 9.1
A definite high point in the show, “Fool for Love” humanizes Spike (James Marsters), whose pre-vampire backstory as the shy, insecure poet William is revealed. We come to understand that vampirism doesn’t completely change a person, but amplifies their flaws in the most brutal ways. We’re also asked to question what we know about Slayers, as Spike posits that all Slayers have an unconscious death wish. Given the enormous responsibility that every Slayer needs to shoulder, they unwittingly embrace death after being burned out by their isolated lifestyles — at least according to the bleached-blond bloodsucker. Buffy is put under scrutiny here, but we’re also privy to some of the more vulnerable aspects of Spike, and his complicated relationship with the titular Slayer.
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8. “Doppelgängland” (Season 3, Episode 16)
IMDb Rating: 9.2
What would happen in an alternate reality where Buffy never arrived to save Sunnydale? The series explores this terrifying thought experiment in an earlier season 3 episode, “The Wish,” revealing a world where Willow and Xander aren’t just evil vampires — they’re also dating. Later that season, evil Willow gets transported into the show’s main reality in “Doppelgängland,” arriving just in time to give regular old reliable Willow an unlikely confidence boost.
Alyson Hannigan delivers an electrifying dual performance, and a particularly amusing switcheroo scenario makes for a genuinely fun episode. Aside from these comedic moments, Willow must confront the darker aspects of her personality, and accept them to an extent without losing who she truly is.
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7. “Passion” (Season 2, Episode 17)
IMDb Rating: 9.3
Despite his sincerely well-meaning actions throughout the first season, Angel has always felt like a benign threat due to his vampiric nature. In season 2, that threat becomes the primary focus after Buffy and Angel sleep together, inadvertently undoing the curse that gave the vampire a soul.
A few episodes later, Buffy raises the stakes even further in “Passion” as Angel’s soulless alter ego Angelus begins to actively go on the offensive via psychological torture and mass murder. This adds a genuinely terrifying edge to Buffy’s feelings for Angel, and how these emotions morph once Angelus starts tormenting Buffy and her loved ones. The episode also features a shocking death, pushing everyone, including the level-headed Giles, into the pits of despair. Buffy has always dabbled in mature themes, but this particular episode fully embraces the moral complexities of what it means to be a monster.
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6. “Chosen” (Season 7, Episode 22)
IMDb Rating: 9.3
Buffy‘s seventh and final season is nobody’s favorite, but the series finale episode is still an all-time classic that manages to give pretty much every character a fitting sendoff. (Except Anya, R.I.P.)
The finale’s smartest twist is a plan that turns the entire show’s premise on its head. Being a Slayer comes with an inevitable sense of isolation. “Chosen” radically changes the status quo by allowing Buffy to share the burden with every potential Slayer, whose powers get activated thanks to Willow’s spell. This Slayer activation spell is a literal game-changer, as it puts an end to unnecessary tragedy and rewrites the rules of what it means to be a protector. Buffy has effectively undergone major transformations since the show began, but she is a mature, strategic leader in “Chosen.” Spike also gets his big redemption moment and shares an extremely bittersweet moment with Buffy. Despite these setbacks, the underlying sentiment is hope for the future. Nobody has to suffer alone, as power can now be democratized instead of being sustained by one person.
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5. “The Gift” (Season 5, Episode 22)
IMDb Rating: 9.5
Buffy’s brilliant season 5 finale is particularly devastating. The fate of Dawn (a mystical key transformed into Buffy’s sister for protection) becomes the point of contention, but Buffy protectively steps in, as she refuses to view Dawn as a necessary sacrifice. Instead, Buffy sacrifices her own life and dives into a dimensional portal in Dawn’s place. There’s an emotional finality to this selfless act, as it underlines Buffy’s growth from a reluctant teenager to an adult who makes the most difficult choice to keep everyone safe. This is a bleak, tragic end to a relentlessly courageous soul — even if she managed to come back from the dead at the start of season 6.
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4. “Becoming: Part 2” (Season 2, Episode 22)
IMDb Rating: 9.5
Yet another wonderful season finale, “Becoming: Part 2” is a high point for Buffy as a character. She goes through a lot after becoming a fugitive and making an unlikely alliance with Spike, but her confrontation with Angelus takes on new meaning. This is also the episode where Buffy blocks Angelus’ swords with her bare hands. “No weapons, no friends, no hope. Take all that away, and what is left?” he taunts, to which Buffy replies, “Me.” This finale ends in heartbreak for Buffy, while Willow is able to achieve a significant milestone in her journey to becoming a powerful witch.
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3. “The Body” (Season 5, Episode 16)
IMDb Rating: 9.7
One of the best Buffy episodes of all time isn’t about a monster at all. When Buffy’s mom, Joyce, dies, it’s not because of a demon attack or a vampire bite. Instead, it’s a brain aneurysm.
Buffy returns home to find her mom lying lifeless on the couch, and becomes completely unmoored by this grief. There’s no supernatural intervention or melodrama here — everyone is forced to sit with the reality of death. Numbness grips Buffy, while Xander and Willow process it outwardly, being prone to frustrated outbursts. All of these reactions are valid, and the episode does a beautiful job of depicting the unvarnished shock of loss. Gellar, who usually relies on animated expressions to convey Buffy’s nuances, delivers an appropriately restrained performance that hits really hard.
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2. “Once More, with Feeling” (Season 6, Episode 7)
IMDb Rating: 9.7
One would think that a one-off musical episode in Buffy would be a fun, throwaway gimmick, but “Once More, with Feeling” makes excellent use of the format. Major reveals become a part of song and dance, specifically related to Buffy’s death at the end of season 5 and her return at the start of this season. The far-reaching implications are allowed to fester, as every character inadvertently learns the truth during this episode. The songs in question are also well-penned, shifting genres as per moods, such as when Xander and Anya (Emma Caulfield) perform a 1950s-style song to talk about the doubts in their relationship. It is tricky for a show like Buffy to use musicals as a vehicle to further character motivations, but this episode does so with great confidence.
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1. “Hush” (Season 4, Episode 10)
IMDb Rating: 9.7
Easily one of the most inventive episodes in television history, “Hush” relies on visual storytelling instead of the show’s characteristic witty banter. The long stretches of silence work in favor of character growth. Everyone is forced to communicate with silent cues and gestures, making it more difficult to keep their defenses up. The episode also features some chilling antagonists, who essentially steal everyone’s voices in Sunnydale to carry out their sinister schemes. Apart from some significant romantic developments that occur here, the episode is a good reminder that Buffy doesn’t always need spectacle to shine. “Hush” won two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series and Outstanding Cinematography, which speaks to its exceptional quality.