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* DoesntLikeGuns: It's official, Buffy hates guns. The one time she allows the other Slayers to arm up when the army is [[JustForPun gunning]] for them she still refuses to use one herself.
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** Buffy is shot at with blanks during a failed bodyguard exercise. She's upset that her boss (Kennedy, who offered her the job) did that, even though Deepscan use guns as a matter of course.
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** "Daddy Issues" is also about this, with Drusilla and Faith dealing with their respective [[CaptainObvious issues with their fathers.]] Though Drusilla's issues have to do with her sire, Angel.
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* BrickJoke: In the game ChaosBleeds Faith alludes to using stakes for ADateWithRosiePalms. In the story ''Family Reunion''
Giles' aunts are staying at the home he left Faith and one of them had been through her room, before telling everyone she found earplugs where Faith keeps her vibrators.
Giles' aunts are staying at the home he left Faith and one of them had been through her room, before telling everyone she found earplugs where Faith keeps her vibrators.
to:
* BrickJoke: In the game ChaosBleeds Faith alludes to using stakes for ADateWithRosiePalms. In the story ''Family Reunion''
Reunion'', Giles' aunts are staying at the home he left Faith and one of them had been through her room, before telling everyone she found earplugs where Faith keeps her vibrators.vibrators.
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* CallBack in "Daddy Issues": Faith's accidental killing of the deputy mayor in season 3. It's because she remembers this that she is able to stop another slayer from making the same mistake. Later, her father reveals he knew about this and tries to get her to kill humans that are after him. To save Angel, she ends up cutting off one of the guys' hands and is [[DespairEventHorizon understandably horrified]].
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* CallBack in "Daddy Issues": Faith's accidental killing of the deputy mayor in season 3. It's because she remembers this that she is able to stop another slayer from making the same mistake. Later, her father reveals he knew about this and tries to get her to kill humans that are after him. [[spoiler: To save Angel, she ends up cutting off one of the guys' hands and is [[DespairEventHorizon understandably horrified]]. horrified]].]]
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** Again when they go to visit Connor:
--> '''Angel (to Faith):''' "It wasn't that long ago I had to pull you off your father before you choked him to death. So keep your parenting advice to yourself." ''Ouch.''
--> '''Angel (to Faith):''' "It wasn't that long ago I had to pull you off your father before you choked him to death. So keep your parenting advice to yourself." ''Ouch.''
to:
** Again when they Angel, Willow, and Faith go to visit Connor:
--> '''Angel (to Faith):''' "It wasn't that long ago I had to [[spoiler: pull you off your father before you choked him todeath. death.]] So keep your parenting [[spoiler: parenting]] advice to yourself." ''Ouch.''
--> '''Angel (to Faith):''' "It wasn't that long ago I had to [[spoiler: pull you off your father before you choked him to
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* DeadpanSnarker: Giles' aunts.
* DespairEventHorizon: Willlow after the magic is gone.
* DespairEventHorizon: Willlow after the magic is gone.
to:
* DeadpanSnarker: Giles' aunts.
aunts. Faith continues to be one.
* DespairEventHorizon:Willlow Willow after the magic is gone.gone. Faith after her dad shows up and she does something she regrets, which causes her to go see "Mother Superior."
* DespairEventHorizon:
Changed line(s) 759,760 (click to see context) from:
* IfIDoNotReturn / OtherStockPhrases:
-_> "Tell my wife and larvae I love them."
-_> "Tell my wife and larvae I love them."
to:
* IfIDoNotReturn / OtherStockPhrases:
-_>OtherStockPhrases in ''Spike'':
--> "Tell my wife and larvae I love them."
-_>
--> "Tell my wife and larvae I love them."
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* SelfMadeOrphan: Averted. As mentioned above (ContinuityNod) Faith is made so angry that she chokes and almost kills her father, but was stopped by Angel.
to:
* ScrewYourself in the first ''Spike'' issue:
--> '''Elizabeth''': "I have ''never'' seen his majesty like this before."
--> '''Sebastian''': "He has told us to sod odd before Elizabeth. Just last week, [[ScrewYourself he told Scotty and me to engage in an activity so anatomically impossible that-"]]
* SelfMadeOrphan: Averted. [[spoiler: As mentioned above (ContinuityNod) Faith is made so angry that she chokes and almost kills her father, but was stopped by Angel.]]
--> '''Elizabeth''': "I have ''never'' seen his majesty like this before."
--> '''Sebastian''': "He has told us to sod odd before Elizabeth. Just last week, [[ScrewYourself he told Scotty and me to engage in an activity so anatomically impossible that-"]]
* SelfMadeOrphan: Averted.
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[[folder: Season Nine (Including "Angel and Faith")]]
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[[folder: Season Nine (Including "Angel ''Angel and Faith")]]
Faith'' and ''Spike'')]]
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The other two aliens point at the one in the middle, who also happens to have a broken leg, who gets an OhCrap look and reponds with
--> "$#%&"
--> "$#%&"
to:
-->
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Changed Parallel Plot to Plot Parallel and Evil Of Free Will to Evils. Added examples from \'\'Spike\'\' comic
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* WhatTheHellHero: During the first episode of the season, When She Was Bad, Buffy's behavior in the Bronze, toward Xander in particular, is so obnoxious that Cordelia, of all people, decides to call her on it, warning her that if she doesn't cool it, she'll "lose even the loser friends you have now."
to:
* WhatTheHellHero: During the first episode of the season, When She Was Bad, Buffy's behavior in the Bronze, toward Xander in particular, is so obnoxious that Cordelia, [[AlphaBitch Cordelia]], of all people, decides to call her on it, warning her that if she doesn't cool it, she'll "lose even the loser friends you have now."
* DoesntLikeGuns: Still played straight with Buffy, averted with Simone, a [[FaceHeelTurn slayer gone bad]] who accuses Buffy of not letting other slayers use guns to keep them weak and inferior to her. Simone and her followers love guns.
* IfIDoNotReturn / OtherStockPhrases:
-_> "Tell my wife and larvae I love them."
-_> "Tell my wife and larvae I love them."
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* {{Irony}}: Drusilia shows up alive, sane, and using a demon that feeds on trauma to help those who ask for it. Angel thinks this is wrong so he kills the demon, thereby [[TheEvilOfFreeWill no longer giving those who would have wanted and needed Drusilia a choice,]] thinking what she was doing was MindRape.
to:
* {{Irony}}: Drusilia shows up alive, sane, and using a demon that feeds on trauma to help those who ask for it. Angel thinks this is wrong so he kills the demon, thereby [[TheEvilOfFreeWill [[TheEvilsOfFreeWill no longer giving those who would have wanted and needed Drusilia a choice,]] thinking what she was doing was MindRape.
* OhCrap: In the first ''Spike'' comic, Spike is knocked out and up by a group of demons who want to steal his spaceship. Said demons walk onto the ship, asking the last three remaining cockroach aliens(who have become Spike's lackeys),
--> "Okay, which one of you cockroaches is in charge of this heap?"
The other two aliens point at the one in the middle, who also happens to have a broken leg, who gets an OhCrap look and reponds with
--> "$#%&"
--> "Okay, which one of you cockroaches is in charge of this heap?"
The other two aliens point at the one in the middle, who also happens to have a broken leg, who gets an OhCrap look and reponds with
--> "$#%&"
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* ParallelPlot: Buffy destroying the seed is compared to Theo destroying Tincan.
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* ParallelPlot: PlotParallel: Buffy destroying the seed is compared to Theo destroying Tincan.
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* KillItWithFire: Renee lures a vampire before Buffy attacks it, then flicks a lighter and gives a PsychoticSmirk as Willow douses him in petroleum. After Buffy interrogates him he pleads for his life, saying he answered her questions, she has to let him go.
-->[[ManOnFire I never promised that.]]
-->[[ManOnFire I never promised that.]]
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* PsychoticSmirk: Buffy gives a particularly frightening one to a vampire as it's doused in fuel, threatening to KillItWithFire.
to:
* PsychoticSmirk: Buffy gives a [[http://postimage.org/image/vexkuux2d/ particularly frightening one one]] to a vampire as it's doused in fuel, threatening to KillItWithFire.
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* BlatantLies: "I've been over Buffy since the first time we brought down a house." Yeah Spike, sure you were.
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* ClosetGeek: Not only does Faith have {{Batman}} pajamas she makes enough StarWars references to make one think she had been hanging out with Andrew. She also makes some StarWars references.
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* ClosetGeek: Not only does Faith have {{Batman}} pajamas she makes enough StarWars references to make one think she had been hanging out with Andrew. She also makes some StarWars references.
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* ParallelPlot: Buffy destroying the seed is compared to Theo destroying Tincan.
--> '''Theo:''' "No one's going to understand why I destroyed what I worked so hard to build."
--> '''Buffy:''' "You're right. They won't. You're going to get blamed for being selfish. For doing this to save your own life. To fix the mistakes you made. You're going to lose friends. But at the end of the day, you're doing it for the right reasons."
--> '''Theo:''' "No one's going to understand why I destroyed what I worked so hard to build."
--> '''Buffy:''' "You're right. They won't. You're going to get blamed for being selfish. For doing this to save your own life. To fix the mistakes you made. You're going to lose friends. But at the end of the day, you're doing it for the right reasons."
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** Becomes ComicallyMissingThePoint when she finds out she's a robot after her arm is ripped off and goes to confront Andrew about it. Instead of explaining why she's a robot he seems to be only concerned about getting her a new arm.
to:
** Becomes ComicallyMissingThePoint when she finds out she's a robot after her arm is ripped off and goes to confront Andrew about it. Instead of explaining why she's a robot he seems to be only concerned about getting her a new arm. Later when Buffy and Spike are angry at him because what she's been through because of it, he still thinks they're referring to her having lost the arm.
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** Another CallBack has Faith worried about what will happen to Angel in Quor'toth, since the last time he was in an alternate dimension he had trouble controlling his demon side. It is revealed being in Quor'toth may [[ADarkerMe affect their behavior.]]
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* CoolCar: Since Kennedy spearheaded the idea of Slayers becoming [[BodyguardBabes bodyguards]] she cruises around in a red Audi that rivals Giles' MidlifeCrisisCar for style.
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* BrickJoke: In the game ChaosBleeds Faith alludes to using stakes for ADateWithRosiePalms. In the story ''Family Reunion'' Giles' aunts are staying at the home he left Faith and one of them had been through her room, before telling everyone she found earplugs where Faith keeps her vibrators.
to:
* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: Faith is very loyal to Angel for this reason, him being the only one who has never "used" her.
* BrickJoke: In the game ChaosBleeds Faith alludes to using stakes for ADateWithRosiePalms. In the story ''FamilyReunion'' Reunion''
Giles' aunts are staying at the home he left Faith and one of them had been through her room, before telling everyone she found earplugs where Faith keeps her vibrators.
* BrickJoke: In the game ChaosBleeds Faith alludes to using stakes for ADateWithRosiePalms. In the story ''Family
Giles' aunts are staying at the home he left Faith and one of them had been through her room, before telling everyone she found earplugs where Faith keeps her vibrators.
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* CallBack in "Daddy Issues": Faith's accidental killing of the deputy mayor in season 3. It's because she remembers this that she is able to stop another slayer from making the same mistake. Later, her father reveals he knew about this and tries to get her to kill humans that are after him. To save Angel, she ends up cutting off one of the guys' hands and is [[DespairEventHorizon understandably horrified]].
* CoattailRidingRelative: Faith assumed this was why her DisappearedDad suddenly reappeared in her life. In reality, it's because he found out he was a slayer and wanted her to kill someone for him.
* CoattailRidingRelative: Faith assumed this was why her DisappearedDad suddenly reappeared in her life. In reality, it's because he found out he was a slayer and wanted her to kill someone for him.
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** Again when they go to visit Connor:
--> '''Angel (to Faith):''' "It wasn't that long ago I had to pull you off your father before you choked him to death. So keep your parenting advice to yourself." ''Ouch.''
--> '''Angel (to Faith):''' "It wasn't that long ago I had to pull you off your father before you choked him to death. So keep your parenting advice to yourself." ''Ouch.''
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* FalseReassurance: Faith dad tells her that he is really sober this time. He doesn't tell her that he's been involved in some shady dealings and some guys are after him.
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** There's also the Zompires, which are stronger and more dangerous than regular vampires.
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* SelfMadeOrphan: Averted. As mentioned above (ContinuityNod) Faith is made so angry that she chokes and almost kills her father, but was stopped by Angel.
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* YouRemindMeOfX: Faith tries to help a slayer who reminds her of herself, particularly since she is angry, pushes people away, and feels like she can't trust anyone.
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* ActuallyPrettFunny:
to:
* ActuallyPrettFunny:ActuallyPrettyFunny:
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--> '''Willow:''' Oh, that is sexist. And funny and so very true.
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--> '''Willow:''' Oh, that is sexist. And funny and so very, very true.
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* ActuallyPrettFunny:
--> '''Angel:''' You ever try finishing a sentence when Buffy's all worked up?
--> '''Willow:''' Oh, that is sexist. And funny and so very true.
--> '''Angel:''' You ever try finishing a sentence when Buffy's all worked up?
--> '''Willow:''' Oh, that is sexist. And funny and so very true.
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* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Buffy [[spoiler: destroying the seed. Willow blames Angel.]]
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* AmazonBrigade: Kennedy sets up Deepscan, Slayers acting as bodyguards, and she gives Buffy a job.
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* AmazonBrigade: Kennedy sets up Deepscan, Slayers acting as bodyguards, and she gives Buffy a job.
* ArmorPiercingSlap: Willow does this to Angel.
* ArmorPiercingSlap: Willow does this to Angel.
* DespairEventHorizon: Willlow after the magic is gone.
* WhatTheHellHero: Angel thinks Connor would be better off without him, so he pretty much abandons him. He doesn't even answer his phone calls, which Faith calls him out on.
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* WhiteAndGreyMorality: Drusilia returns, sane, and seeming to have pulled a genuine HeelFaceTurn. So just what is she up to these days? She encountered a demon that feeds on trauma (the reason she is so well,) trained it to work only in that regard, and sets up a shelter for those who have been traumatized, willing to have the demon feed on them so the pain they feel goes away if they ask for it. Angel sees the whole thing as a abomination and MindRape, believing people must suffer for what's happened to them and that if they did not feel bad about (in his case, [[CompleteMonster Angelus]]) there's no reason not to make amends.
to:
* WhiteAndGreyMorality: Drusilia returns, sane, and seeming to have pulled a genuine HeelFaceTurn. So just what is she up to these days? She encountered a demon that feeds on trauma (the reason she is so well,) trained it to work only in that regard, and sets up a shelter for those who have been traumatized, willing to have the demon feed on them so the pain they feel goes away if they ask for it. Angel sees the whole thing as a abomination and MindRape, believing people must suffer for what's happened to them and that if they did not feel bad about (in his case, [[CompleteMonster Angelus]]) there's no reason not to make amends. Faith, on the other hand, doesn't seem to have a problem with it since the people are going willingly.
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* RetCon / ContinuityNod: Willow met Giles' aunts while she was training on his estate in Bath after the events of season 6.
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* RuleOfThree:
--> '''Faith:''' "Brooding. Bad decisions. Violence. Rinse and repeat."
--> '''Faith:''' "Brooding. Bad decisions. Violence. Rinse and repeat."
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* {{Foreshadowing}}: "Where's Willow?" on the cover of "Apart (Of Me)" part III. Later, she shows up at Giles' house.
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* DeadpanSnarker: Giles' aunts.
Changed line(s) 738 (click to see context) from:
* IronicCut: In "Women of a Certain Age" two panels juxtaposed, each panel showing one of Giles' aunts, with opposing views of how they feel about Angel [[spoiler: trying to resurrect Giles.]] One thinks he really will succeed and one of them thinks he shouldn't try because he wouldn't.
to:
* IronicCut: IronicEchoCut: In "Women of a Certain Age" two panels juxtaposed, each panel showing one of Giles' aunts, with opposing views of how they feel about Angel [[spoiler: trying to resurrect Giles.]] One thinks he really will succeed and one of them thinks he shouldn't try because he wouldn't.
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* IronicCut: In "Women of a Certain Age" two panels juxtaposed, each panel showing one of Giles' aunts, with opposing views of how they feel about Angel [[spoiler: trying to resurrect Giles.]] One thinks he really will succeed and one of them thinks he shouldn't try because he wouldn't.
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* OlderThanTheyLook: Giles' aunts use magic to prevent them from aging.
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* LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt: Angel dying in ''After The Fall''. Of course there's a ResetButton.
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** Becomes ComicallyMissingThePoint when she finds out she's a robot after her arm is ripped off and goes to confront Andrew about it. Instead of explaining why she's a robot he seems to be only concerned about getting her a new arm.
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* XanatosGambit: "Grave" Giles arrives with the powers of a coven in order to defeat Willow after she does a FaceHeelTurn. If he defeats her threat neutralized, if he loses Willow will take his power and thus giving Willow a window to her emotions, so Xander could stop her. Its mixed with BatmanGambit as he was banking on the emotional appeal.
to:
* XanatosGambit: "Grave" Giles arrives with the powers of a coven in order to defeat Willow after she does a FaceHeelTurn. If he defeats her her then threat neutralized, if he loses Willow will take his power and thus giving Willow a window to her emotions, so Xander could stop her. Its mixed with BatmanGambit as he was banking on the emotional appeal.
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* AmazonBrigade: Kennedy sets up Deepscan, Slayers acting as bodyguards, and she gives Buffy a job.
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* {{Irony}}: Drusilia shows up alive, sane, and using a demon that feeds on trauma to help those who ask for it. Angel thinks this is wrong so he kills the demon, thereby [[TheEvilOfFreeWill no longer giving those who would have wanted and needed Drusilia a choice,]] thinking what she was doing was MindRape.
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* WhiteAndGreyMorality: Drusilia returns, sane, and seeming to have pulled a genuine HeelFaceTurn. So just what is she up to these days? She encountered a demon that feeds on trauma (the reason she is so well,) trained it to work only in that regard, and sets up a shelter for those who have been traumatized, willing to have the demon feed on them so the pain they feel goes away if they ask for it. Angel sees the whole thing as a abomination and MindRape, believing people must suffer for what's happened to them and that if they did not feel bad about (in his case, [[CompleteMonster Angelus]]) there's no reason not to make amends.
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* ADateWithRosiePalms: One of Giles' aunts discovers Faith's stash of stakes and refers to them in front of everyone as vibrators. Of course Faith did state once she does use them as sex toys.
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* BrickJoke: In the game ChaosBleeds Faith alludes to using stakes for ADateWithRosiePalms. In the story ''Family Reunion'' Giles' aunts are staying at the home he left Faith and one of them had been through her room, before telling everyone she found earplugs where Faith keeps her vibrators.
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splitting main page because it\'s grown too long
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[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder: Season One]]
* AndIMustScream: Happens at the end of "The Witch".
* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking:
--> '''Principal Snyder:''' There are things I will not tolerate. Students loitering on campus after school. Horrible murders with hearts being removed. And also smoking.
* BigNo: The Master does one of these at the end of "The Harvest," when [[spoiler:Buffy kills Luke, ruining the Harvest]].
* BlankBook: Moloch's prison-book after he escapes.
* BloodBath: The {{Pilot}} episode shows [[BigBad The Master]] hanging out in a pool of blood while [[NonNudeBathing fully dressed]].
* CarFu: Cordelia plows through a horde of vampires with her car in "Prophecy Girl."
* ChekhovsClassroom: "Teacher's Pet" features a lecture from the science teacher's substitute about the cannibalism seen in female praying mantises. Guess what the MonsterOfTheWeek is?
* TheChosenZero: Giles's initial reaction to Buffy.
* CliffHanger: "Teacher's Pet". The she-mantis has left some eggs and they're starting to hatch.
* ConspicuousTrenchcoat: “I Robot, You Jane”
* DateMyAvatar: Willow once dated her nice charming chat-buddy Malcolm... who was actually a incorporeal murderous demon possessing the computer system.
* DeadStarWalking: Joss Whedon hoped to include actor Eric Balfour (Jesse) in the title credits to shock viewers when his character dies. Unfortunately, the show literally could not afford an extra set of title credits at the time.
* DemonicDummy: Subversion. It seemed like the dummy was killing students, but it turned out he was actually ''hunting'' the thing that was killing the students.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Buffy was originally very chaste in manner and dress, with "earthy" hair coloring and makeup. In Season Two, the producers decided they wanted a more vibrant look for the character. This coincided with Sarah Michelle Gellar having her hair cut shorter, and dyed blonder, for her role in ''{{Scream}} 2'', which she filmed in-between seasons one and two.
** This pilot episode is the only time when we see Xander riding a skateboard, since the scene required a lot of space and was difficult to shoot. In later episodes we can see Xander holding a skateboard a couple of times, but never again does he ride one.
** The pilot and "Harvest" are two of the few episodes that feature the upper level of the Bronze. Joss Whedon wrote the script to feature the two levels, but didn't realize how difficult it would be to shoot these scenes. Not only was it impractical in terms of filming and lighting, but it stretched their already [[NoBudget non-existent budget]].
** When a pack of vamps chase Buffy and Angel into the Summers house, one of the pursuers gets his hand through the door before Buffy slams the door on his wrist. It is later established that, barring an invitation, an invisible force field encases the doorway to keep vampires out. The henchvamp shouldn't have been able to get his arm through like that. ("Angel")
** In "Witch" (season 1, episode 3), Giles seems unfamiliar with magiks, saying "Pretty good for my first [spell-]casting, eh?" and such--which is totally at odds with his, y'know, rebellious [[JohnConstantine Hellblazer]] youth period.
** Well, Giles had been trying to keep his past a secret. Besides, it might have been the first time he had done a spell while pretending to be alot less badass then he really was (remember, the uptight tweed-wearer thing was implied to be an act).
* EliteMooks: The Three. Luke. Darla.
* EnvironmentalSymbolism: Angel’s statue of [[UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}} Kwan Yin]] – like a true Bodhisattva, Angel will delay his own enlightenment to ease the suffering of others.
* EyeScream: The Master, after making a mook apologize to him for failing, admonishes him about ''[[GoryDiscretionShot (SQUISH)]]'' something in his eye.
* FaceYourFears: Xander gets to punch a clown in "Nightmares".
* FailedAuditionPlot: In "Witch", Buffy tries out for the cheerleading team but initially doesn't make the cut. Later in the episode she does get a spot on the team... which ends up making her a target for the witch who is magically injuring other cheerleaders to earn herself a spot.
* FakingAmnesia: Xander pulls this in "The Pack", after being possessed by the spirit of a hyena. After Buffy and Willow save him, he tells them that he can't remember a thing and hopes he didn't do anything "too embarrassing". Giles, however, sees right through it.
-->'''Giles''': "I've been reading up on my animal possession and I cannot find anything anywhere about memory loss afterward."\\'''Xander''': "Did you tell ''them'' that?"\\
'''Giles''': "Your secret dies with me."\\
'''Xander''': "''Shoot me, stuff me, mount me''."
* ForgottenFallenFriend: Willow and Xander's close friend Jesse. A SacrificialLamb in the pilot, then never mentioned again. Made more {{egregious}} by Xander making a reference made to before the two met Buffy as "just you and me."
* GlasgowSmile: Marcie intends to do this to Cordelia in "Out of Mind, Out of Sight".
--> '''Marcie:''' Your smile... I think it should be ''wider''.
* GloryDays: A witch switches places with her cheerleader daughter because she misses being a cheerleader.
* GrandTheftMe: See GloryDays
* GraveClouds: In a first-season episode, it is always night in a graveyard that had been magically relocated next to Sunnydale High.
* HauntedTechnology: "I Robot, You Jane".
* HollywoodNerd: An EnforcedTrope with Willow. The pilot had Willow played by a plus-sized actress but Whedon was ordered to replace her with a thinner, more conventionally attractive actress.
* HookHand: One of the Master's vampires has blades where one of his hands used to be.
* ICommaNoun: "I Robot, You Jane".
* IfYouCanReadThis: At the end of "Out of Mind, Out of Sight", a textbook on infiltrating a cult compound to assassinate its leader is readable in DVD format, and consists of the lyrics to "Happiness is a Warm Gun" by Music/TheBeatles.
* TheLonelyPiano: The Buffy theme plays slowly on a piano over the final scene of ''Prophecy Girl''.
* MailerDaemon: Moloch the Corruptor.
* AManIsNotAVirgin: "Teacher's Pet" seems to exist to highlight and subvert the trope.
* MurderByCremation: "Never Kill a Boy on the First Date".
* OnceKilledAManWithANoodleImplement: In the first episode, Buffy mentions having once killed a vampire using only an exacto knife.
* RemoteBody: In "I Robot, You Jane", the demon Moloch creates a mechanical robot self he operates via the internet. Eventually he gets stuck in that body.
* SacrificialLamb: Jesse.
* SignsOfTheEndTimes: Mrs. Calender knows the Hellmouth is about to open based on locally occurring portents; a family's swimming pool begins to boil (with them in it), a cat gives birth to a litter of snakes and a baby is born with his eyes facing inward.
* SpontaneousHumanCombustion: In one of the earliest episodes, Giles initially attributes this as the cause for a cheerleader bursting into flames; it's later revealed to have been caused by a witch's spell.
* StabTheScorpion: Variation between the Master and a mook in "Never Kill a Boy on the First Date" where the Master (who could certainly kill the mook with his index finger) plucks a bug outo f the air next to the mook's head.
* StockScream: Shows up in "The Harvest".
* TakeFive: In "Prophecy Girl", Xander wants to get Buffy alone so he can ask her out:
-->'''Xander''': Willow, don't you have a thing?\\
'''Willow''': A thing? The thing! That I have! Which is... a thing I have to go to. See ya later.
* TheEndOrIsIt: After polishing off the She-Mantis, we see that there are still some [[{{Alien}} Ridley Scott]]-esque hatchlings in her closet. ("Teacher's Pet")
** The Master's skeleton.
* VainSorceress: Catherine Madison
* VirginPower: Subversion in "Teacher's Pet", where it just seems to increase your odds of [[OutWithABang sex with a murderous humanoid mantis]].
* YouAreWhoYouEat: The brain-eating demon that wanted to eat Giles' brain to look human.
* YourMindMakesItReal: What causes the MonsterOfTheWeek in "Out of Sight, Out of Mind"
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Season Two]]
* AbandonedWarehouse: Spike and Drusilla use one as their lair.
* AboveTheInfluence: Willow and Buffy practically strip down and jump Xander's bones in "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered", but Xander refuses to let them. After the LovePotion wears off, Buffy is proud of him for it.
* AbsurdlyIneffectiveBarricade: In the episode "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered", after a spell gone awry has caused every girl in the school aside from Cordelia to fall madly in love with Xander, he attempts to take refuge in the school library by moving the the card catalogue in front of the double doors that serve as the entrance. Since he apparently didn't realize that the doors open outwards, a coat (and not much else) wearing Buffy calmly opens the doors and walks around the catalogue while Xander's back is turned.
* AlienCatnip: Slayer blood and high people for vampires.
--> '''Spike:''' If every vampire who said he was at the Crucifixion was actually there it would've been like Woodstock. I was actually at Woodstock... that was a ''weird'' gig. I fed off a flower person and I spent six hours watching my hand move.
* AndThisIsFor: Xander in "Reptile Boy"
-->"This is for the bra! This is for the wig! This is for the makeup! And this is for the last 16 and a half years!"
* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking:
-->'''Snyder:''' Halloween must be a big night for you. Tossing eggs, keying cars, bobbing for apples...one pathetic cry for help after another.
* BecomingTheCostume: "Halloween".
* {{BFG}}: Buffy DoesNotLikeGuns. She thinks guns are never helpful. Apparently she doesn't think a AT-4 rocket launcher is a gun, [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome as she uses one to kill The Judge.]]
* BiggerBad: Acathla.
* BlackAndWhiteMorality: Sort of with the Judge, who kills based on whether a target has humanity or not. Any vampire with sufficiently human traits--like interest in books, or involvement in romance--is a fair target to him, even if they're otherwise serving evil purposes.
* BlatantLies: “Lie to Me”
* BrainwashResidue: Xander retains some of his soldier knowledge after "Halloween".
* BreakInThreat: Angelus sneaks into Buffy's bedroom while she's sleeping and draws a picture of her, which he leaves for her to find in the morning.
* ByTheEyesOfTheBlind: The child-killing demon Der Kindestod from "Killed by Death" can only be seen by young people with fevers.
* CallBack: Plenty of em. When Ethan "leaves" in Halloween Giles finds a card with "Be seeing you," on it. Be Seeing You is what Eyghon later says while leaving Giles' apartment in Jenny.
* CarnivalOfKillers - the Order of Teraka sent a superstrong cyclops, a WormThatWalks and a BadassNormal posing as a uniformed cop to kill Buffy.
* CensorshipBySpelling: Famously in "When She Was Bad".
-->'''Willow''': But why is she acting like such a B-I-T-C-H?\\
'''Giles''': Come on Willow, we're a bit old to be spelling things out.\\
'''Xander''': ...a bitca?
* ComputerEqualsMonitor: Angelus is satisfied that Jenny's electronic translation of the incantation that would restore Angel's soul is gone when he shoves her computer off her desk. The problem is, while the ''monitor'' was wrecked, the actual PC received minimal damage... Justified--not like a 200 year-old vampire would really know how a computer works. His monologue before destroying the computer even makes it explicit. Later episodes also imply that her hard drive was indeed undamaged.
* ContemplatingYourHands: Spike mentions doing this for six hours at Woodstock, after feeding off a "flower person".
* ContinuityNod: When he asks out Ampata in "Inca Mummy Girl", Xander takes care to make sure she's not a praying mantis.
* DeadlyHug: Buffy does this to Angel in the season 2 finale, although she has to let go of him first since she does it with a sword.
* DeadMansChest: In "Inca Mummy Girl" the mummy hid the body of the real Ampata in one of his trunks.
* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: One episode is named "Killed by Death". Although by "Death", we mean "''[[GrimReaper Death]]''".
* DieHardOnAnX: ''School Hard'', AKA Die Hard with vampires. The Bronze is also a popular location for hostage-takings ("The Harvest", "Doppelgangland").
* DoomedAppointment: Ms. Calendar.
* EggSitting
* EmbarrassingTattoo: The Mark of Eyghon, which Giles never gets removed (as we see it in Season 8, which leads to a conversation with Faith about how he and her are not as different as she thinks). Said conversation is even more meaningful if you know [[http://buffy.wikia.com/wiki/Mark_of_Kakistos the origins]] of her tattoo. Both of them are the mark of a demon, in her case Kakistos (the really mutated vamp that killed her Watcher). She got it from being possessed by a dead Greek Slayer.
* EmpathicEnvironment: In Angelus' first episode, the lights suddenly go out on Xander and Willow inside the school. Angelus appears in a darkened hallway, his [[SinisterSilhouettes shape]] blocking a lit EXIT sign.
* FishPeople: The [[{{Mutants}} mutated]] swim team in "Go Fish".
* ForgottenFriendNewFoe: Billy Fordham, "Lie To Me."
* GroinAttack: Buffy can't bring herself to kill Angelus in "Innocence", but settles for this.
* GroupieBrigade: "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered".
* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: In the season 2 premiere, Buffy tortures a vamp by making her swallow her silver necklace.
** If Band Candy is anything to go by, Ripper, even years before he was at his worst, was a huge fan of this.
* HaveYouTriedNotBeingAMonster: One of the trope namers. With Buffy coming out to her mother as a Slayer.
* HemoErotic / MarshmallowHell: A flashback of Angel being sired by Darla.
* HilarityEnsues: Spike says wackiness ensues in "The Becoming, part 1".
* IfICantHaveYou: An alarmingly common conclusion among the enchanted female populace in "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered".
* IJustWantToBeNormal: Ampata, a former Incan mummy from "Inca Mummy Girl" chosen as a sacrifice to protect her people, raises herself from the dead and is determined to lead a happy 16 year-old girl's life--even if she has to kill at least one person a day to keep up the facade.
* ImpossiblyMundaneExplanation: the gang is attempting to contact Buffy.
--> '''Xander:''' Well, she didn't go home. I let the phone ring a few hundred times before I remembered her mom is out of town.\\
'''Giles:''' Well, maybe Buffy unplugged the phone.\\
'''Xander:''' No, it's a statistical impossibility for a 16-year-old girl to unplug her phone.\\
'''Willow:''' *nods*.
* IndustrializedEvil: "The Wish".
* KissOfDeath: Ampata.
* LateToThePunchLine: In ''Lie To Me'', Buffy recounts listening to the Divinyls' song "I Touch Myself", in fifth grade to help her get over Ford's rejection, and then mentions that she had no idea at the time what the song was about. Thirty seconds later Willow says, "Oh! ''That's'' what that song is about?!"
* LifeDrinker: Not the vampires, actually, but rather Ampata from "Inca Mummy Girl". She was an Andean mummy who sucked living humans' life forces dry to stay alive herself.
* MagicFloppyDisk: A literal one: The spell to restore Angelus' soul is encoded on a misplaced floppy.
* MakeWayForTheNewVillains: Spike pulls this on the Anointed One in season two.
* MurderInc: The Order of Taraka.
* NightmareFuelColoringBook: In "Killed by Death", the patient Ryan draws a creepy picture of Der Kindestod. He thanks Buffy for killing the demon by drawing a not-much-less creepy picture of Buffy in the act.
* NightSwimEqualsDeath: In "Go Fish".
* NoExceptYes:
-->'''Giles:''' Let's not jump to any conclusions.
-->'''Buffy:''' I didn't ''jump''. I took a tiny step, and there conclusions were.
* ObfuscatingDisability: In the last four episodes of season 2, Spike is only pretending to still need his wheelchair.
* OneDialogueTwoConversations:
** When Willow starts discussing Buffy's secret affair with Angel, Xander immediately deflects the discussion to ''their'' sordid tryst. This proves to be consistent behavior between Willow and Xander throughout the season; the stress of being caught cheating is so overwhelming, they keep blurting out psuedo-confessions to anyone in sight.
** In "Phases", Xander confronts Larry the bully about his secret, which Xander can understand because he's been there before. Xander's talking about being a werewolf. Larry's talking about being a [[ArmoredClosetGay closeted homosexual]]. Later on in the episode, Buffy and Xander chat about the day's events, and Xander says he'll have trouble ever looking at him the same way again. Buffy's talking about the werewolf, Oz, but Xander's talking about Larry.
* APartyAlsoKnownAsAnOrgy: The college party in "Reptile Boy".
* PureIsNotGood: From "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered":
-->'''Amy:''' I don't know, Xander. Intent has to be pure with love spells.\\
'''Xander:''' Right! I intend revenge. Pure as the driven snow.
* RealDreamsAreWeirder: Buffy's dreams about Drusilla's return are mingled with dreams of opening an office-supply warehouse in Las Vegas.
* TheRemnant: The Annointed One's army
* RomanceInducingSmudge: A rare romantic moment passes between Willow and Xander in the season two episode "When She Was Bad", when Willow gets ice cream on her nose as the pair are walking past a cemetery. As Xander leans in to clean it for her, the two look like they are about to kiss... until a vampire pops up behind Willow, forcing Xander to attempt to hold it off and killing a {{Squee}}-inducing moment for Willow x Xander shippers.
** Willow later attempted to ''invoke'' this trope by putting ice cream on her own nose, but Xander, now once again distracted by Buffy, simply says ''"You got something on your nose."''
* SerialEscalation: "Hmm, [[CompleteMonster Angelus]] certainly did a good job inflicting torture and trauma. How can we top it?" They continue this trend throughout the series.
* ShakingHerHairLoose: In "Go Fish", Buffy pulls a stake out of her hair and shakes it loose as she prepares to fight a vampire.
* ShockParty: In the aptly named episode "Surprise". In something of a variation, it's actually '''Oz''' who gets the shock; seeing Buffy staking a vamp for the first time.
** Later in season 5 we have the organizing variation with Tara.
* SickEpisode: "Killed by Death".
* StabTheSalad: Happened in "School Hard". The gang is preparing an imminent attack from Spike. Willow is fidgeting with a crossbow, Xander & Cordelia are carving stakes and Buffy holds up a machete, which she uses to slice zuccini.
* StakingTheLovedOne: Several times, most notably with Angelus.
* StandardFiftiesFather: Ted seems like one of these at first, but is actually [[spoiler:a killer robot]].
* StatingTheSimpleSolution: Spike is rather miffed about Angelus deciding to [[VillainBall toy with Buffy]] instead of just killing her outright.
* StuffedIntoTheFridge: In "Passion", Angelus not only kills Jenny Calendar, but after he kills her, he takes her body and puts it in Giles' bed and leaves a trail of romantic symbols (such as rose petals) that lead Giles to Jenny's body.
* SwordFight: Becoming, Part 2. Hell yes.
* TeacherStudentRomance
* TemptingFate: "Passion":
-->'''Angelus:''' Don't worry, ''[[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain rollerboy]]'', I've got it under control.\\
''([[StormingTheCastle Giles tosses a Molotov cocktail]].)''
* TheirFirstTime: Multiple instances, but this is the most important.
* ThisExplainsSoMuch:
--> '''Xander:''' Yes, vampires are real, there are a lot of them in Sunnydale.\\
'''Willow:''' I know this must come as a shock...\\
'''Oz:''' Actually, it explains a ''lot''.
* TooDumbToLive: Billy Ford. Want to cure your cancer? [[InsaneTrollLogic All you have to do is ask some nice vampires to turn you into a vampire in exchange for giving them the Slayer.]] [[SarcasmMode Nothing wrong with this plan AT ALL.]]
** Except Ford wasn't trying to 'cure' his cancer, he was dying and had nothing to lose. [[spoiler:The plan actually worked too, except that Buffy survived (not Ford's fault) to stake Ford when he emerged from his grave.]]
* TwoGuysAndAGirl: Spike, Angelus, and Drusilla form a rather twisted example.
* UnresolvedSexualTension: Try an entire season's worth of Bangel UST climaxing in a single orgasmic KissOfTheVampire.
* [[ValentinesDayEpisodes Valentine's Day Episode]]: "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered", although most of the episode is simply the messy aftermath of a badly handled Valentine's Day between Cordelia and Xander. Angelus had some romance-themed MindRape in store for Buffy, but said aftermath was too distracting.
* WhatTheHellHero: During the first episode of the season, When She Was Bad, Buffy's behavior in the Bronze, toward Xander in particular, is so obnoxious that Cordelia, of all people, decides to call her on it, warning her that if she doesn't cool it, she'll "lose even the loser friends you have now."
* WithThisRing: Angel and Buffy's Claddagh rings.
* YouNeverDidThatForMe: While Xander and Cordelia's relationship was still a secret to the rest of the scoobies, Cordelia protested as Xander declared that he was off to help Buffy out of yet another sticky situation.
--> '''Cordelia''': "There you go, off to save the great Buffy again... I bet you'd never do that for me..."
* WhoNeedsEnemies: Spike's uneasy alliance with Buffy at the end of the second season.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Season Three]]
* AloneAmongTheCouples: Discussed at the beginning, and they set out to avert it.
* AreYouSureYouCanDriveThisThing: Buffy drives to the Bronze even thought she failed her driving test, with Willow in the passenger's seat. Willow gets increasingly anxious, despite Buffy's relaxed-ness. They make it to the Bronze [[spoiler:which they discover is full of middle-aged people acting like teenagers due to cursed candy]]; then Buffy attempts to drive to Giles' house, which results in a crash.
-->[[CrowningMomentOfFunny "Wooo Summers, you drive like a]] '''[[CrowningMomentOfFunny SPAZ!!!]]'''
* BalefulPolymorph
* BrandX: Trick orders a "medium diet soda" at a drive-thru window without actually specifying ''what'' soda in "Faith, Hope & Trick".
* BroughtDownToNormal: Buffy in "Helpless", as part of a test by the Watcher's Council.
* BuryYourGays: Larry in "Graduation Day, part two. Was confirmed later.
* CardCarryingVillain: ''Faith.'' After the aaccidental murder of the deputy mayor she throws herself so far into villainy that she becomes about as scary as [[CompleteMonster Angelus.]] [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in that she first wanted to corrupt Buffy by forcing her to kill her, then it turns out Faith genuinely did have a death wish.
* ChildrenAreInnocent: The demon from "Gingerbread" uses this to get the parents of Sunnydale to kill witches and anyone who protects them, including their own children.
* CollapsedMidSpeech: The Mayor starts his Ascension in the middle of his speech to the graduating students, which causes him strong pains. However, he knew that it would happen and his collapse last few moments before he turns into a demonic snake. He only complains that he doesn't have time left to talk about civic pride.
* ContinuityNod: "Lily" and her boyfriend attempting to buy lunch at a diner by dumping a bunch of change onto the table. David Arquette and Luke Perry did the exact same thing in the ''Buffy'' feature film.
* DaddysLittleVillain: Faith takes on this role with gusto.
* DestructoNookie: the overtly sexualized scene in the season finale when Buffy makes Angel vamp out and drink her blood. While he's lying on top of her, she grabs a metal object for support, and it just crumples. She also kicks a table through a wall. Angel leaves her with the most insane hickey in history through all of season 4.
* {{Dissimile}}: It seems Buffy has Gandhi confused with Teddy Roosevelt.
** Xander talks tacks about selling chocolate to support for the school's band, but loses focus as [[FootsieUnderTheTable Willow's foot creeps up his shin]].
-->'''Xander''': The band. Yeah. They're great. [[DistractedByTheSexy They march]].\\
'''Willow:''' Like an army. [beat] Except with music instead of bullets, and...usually no one dies.
** Wilkins explains that to Faith that her errand in question involves something crucial to his ascension. He brightly says that without it, "well, what would Tollhouse cookies be without the chocolate chips?" Faith regards her cookie as if she's actually pondering that zen question. He continues, "A pretty [[GoshDarnItToHeck darn big disappointment]], I can tell you!"
* {{Dominatrix}}: Picture this scene: You're tied up in a cage with burn marks over your body and a cute little girl in leather bondage gear enters. From the baby talk calling you puppy it's clear she is crazy, and she reacts to the silent treatment you give her with the promise that she is going to make you bark.
* DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale: Averted in Faith's attempted rape and murder of Xander. Angel first hits her on the head with a baseball bat to stop her, and when she wakes up he dubiously asks her about it.
-->"He forgot the safety word?"
* DumbAndDrummer: Faith's list of loser ex-boyfriends goes "Ronnie: deadbeat. Steve: klepto. Kenny: '''drummer'''."
* EnhanceButton: Mocked.
* FaceHeelTurn: Faith. It starts in "Bad Girls" and continues with "Consequences".
* FemmeFatale: Darla, Drusilla, and Faith.
* FinalBossPreview: The First is first seen in Season 3.
* FiveManBand:
** TheHero: Buffy.
** TheMentor: Giles
** TheLancer: Xander, Willow
** TheSmartGuy: Willow, Dawn in S7.
** TheBigGuy: Angel, Oz, Riley, and Spike, in succession. Each also counts as a SixthRanger.
** TheChick: Xander, Cordelia (seasons 2-3), Tara (seasons 4-5), Dawn (Seasons 5-6) Anya.
** TagalongKid: Dawn.
** TokenEvilTeammate: Spike, at first.
** TheLoad: Wesley
* FriendToPsychos: In "Beauty and the Beasts," Debbie tries to cover for her boyfriend Pete when he starts going through a Jekyll/Hyde situation. She's not very good at it, though.
* GoMadFromTheIsolation: Wishverse Buffy is an even more by-the-book Slayer than Kendra, perhaps second only to the First Slayer.
* TheGlomp: Willow, courtesy of, well...''everybody''. The Scoobies, having mistaken her for Wishverse Willow, are elated when she turns out to be still alive.
-->'''Willow:''' It's really nice that you guys missed me. Say, you all didn't happen to do a bunch of drugs, did ya?
** Despite being accepted into Oxford, Willow announces to Buffy that she "will be matriculating with Class of 2003" at UC Sunnydale. The mischievous smile. "...Say, isn't that where you're going?" Buffy squees and [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming tackles her to the grass]].
** And GILES gets one from Xander, Willow, and Anya when they think he was The First.
--->'''Giles''': "So you think I'm evil because I took a bunch of fifteen-year-old girls out on a camping trip... and ''didn't'' touch any of them?"
* GoodIsNotSoft: When Angel is poisoned and Buffy learns that Slayer blood is the cure, her rather scary initial plan is to force the psychotic Faith to him to feed on, dead or alive. When that doesn't work Buffy offers herself to feed on, which Angel absolutely refuses. So Buffy punches him in the face until the blows anger him enough to vamp out, then she makes him feed on her.
* GratuitousGerman: In the episode "Gingerbread", the newspaper article the gang looks up and the chant Giles is doing at the end of the episode qualifies for this.
* HandsOnApproach: Willow and Xander have this problem. Unbeknownst to them, Buffy and Angel are also struggling to keep their hand off of...things.
* HannibalHasAPoint: Spike's legendary "Love's Bitch" speech.
-->""You're not 'friends.' You'll ''never'' be friends. You'll be in love 'til it kills you both. You'll fight, and you'll shag and you'll hate each other 'til it makes you quiver, but you'll never be friends. Love isn't brains, children, it's blood. Blood screaming inside you to work its will. I may be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it."
** This is echoed by Mayor Wilkin, who doesn't foresee anything good for Angel and Buffy's relationship. He's reminded of his own wife in her last days, senile and cursing Wilkins for his eternal youth.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: "Gingerbread" begins with Buffy's mom finding two young children after [[spoiler: what looks like]] a magical rite. She responds by organizing the other parents in Sunnydale into an organization to go after witches (and Slayers.) The episode ends with them all trying to burn ''their own children'' at the stake.
* HiddenDepths: Cordelia, Oz. They score surprisingly well on standardized tests.
* HighDiveEscape: A darker variation in the lead up to the season 3 finale where a brutal fight between [[TheHero Buffy]] and [[DarkActionGirl Faith]] ends with Faith stabbed in the stomach and on the edge of a rooftop. Faith knows Buffy needs her blood to heal [[TheAtoner Angel]], so she falls backwards off of the roof onto the back of a truck, which carries her [[NotQuiteDead now comatose]] body away before Buffy can catch up to it.
* HomeFieldAdvantage: The third season finale was one huge HFA. The mayor is giving the commencement address at Buffy's graduation, which is also where his Ascension is going to occur. In response, the Scoobies organize the entire senior class to fight off the Mayor's vampires and hold the Mayor at bay until Buffy lures him into the library, which they've already filled with explosives. He dies.
* HostageForMacGuffin: Subverted: No betrayal happens.
* HuntingTheMostDangerousGame
* IThinkYouBrokeHim: "Beauty and the Beasts" has a rare version that's not played for comedy.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: Cordelia, although she survives. Also most vampires and a few other monsters.
* InsecureLoveInterest: Why Angel breaks up with Buffy.
* ItsAWonderfulPlot: In "The Wish", Cordelia unwittingly makes the demon Anyanka create a world wherein Buffy never moved to Sunnydale, which has turned into a truly hellish place where the Master and his army of vampires rules practically unopposed. The whole thing later gets a twist as Cordelia gets killed about halfway through the episode, leaving Giles to find a way to undo the wish.
* ItsPersonal: Season 3 premiere.
-->Oz: If I may suggest: "This time it's personal." I mean, there's a reason why it's a classic.
* KirkSummation: Subverted by Willow in "Choices"
* LadiesAndGerms: "Ladies, gentlemen, spiny-headed creatures..."
* LaResistance: The White Hats (Giles, Larry and Oz) in the Wishverse.
* LecherousLicking: Vampire Willow does this a lot, including to [[ScrewYourself regular Willow]], who is understandably freaked out by it.
* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: In "Consequences", Mr. Trick is staked by Faith before he can drain Buffy. His FamousLastWords?
--> '''Mr. Trick:''' ''(indignant and mildly shocked)'' Oh. No. No, this is no good at all...
* ManInWhite: The Angel who appears in Buffy's dreams.
* MaskOfPower: "Dead Man's Party" and the Nigerian zombie mask. Note a MaskOfPower that does not need to be worn.
* {{Metaphorgotten}}: "Homecoming". Willow expressing her guilt about kissing Xander.
-->'''Willow''': We were so guilty about "the fluke" that we overcompensated helping Cordelia and spun the group dynamic out of orbit. Now we're just this meteor shower headed for Earth...
* AMindIsATerribleThingToRead: In the episode "Earshot."
* NoTellMotel: Faith crashes here upon coming to Sunnydale, further emphasizing the differences between her and Buffy. The Mayor upgrades her to a condo, but advises to maintain her old place as a cover.
* TheNotSecret: Revealed in "The Prom" that everyone knows in school that Buffy protects them from bad stuff.
* OtherMeAnnoysMe: Vampire Willow to Willow, and vice versa.
* PropheticName: Scott Hope. Now, if only his first name were [[YourCheatingHeart Dash]]...
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Angel, whose SuperpoweredEvilSide CompleteMonster delights in MindRape, was particularly disgusted with...
* RecurringExtra: Should you be watching reruns of season 3 episodes, look for a shortish Asian guy carrying a skateboard. He's in many episodes and is referred to as "Asian Dan" by the cast. In the season 4 DVD, Seth Green, Joss Whedon, and Marti Noxon joke about his frequent appearances in the "Wild at Heart" audio commentary.
* RevolvingBookcase: Mayor Wilkins' shrine.
* RoomFullOfCrazy: From "Helpless". Buffy runs into a room full of pictures of her mother taken by a really crazy vampire.
* RuleOfThree: In season three, when Angel [[spoiler:has been poisoned by Faith and needs the blood of a Slayer to cure him]], Buffy punches him to get him to vamp out. Of course, she hits him once, twice, aaand the third time does it.
* SequelEpisode: "Dopplegangland" is this to "The Wish".
* {{Shadowland}}: Buffyless Sunnydale to Normal Sunnydale.
* SpearCarrier: A harried teacher exhorting his students to "be somber" about the new year. He pops up again on Graduation Day, grimly making the kids play Hangman.
-->"[[EvilLaugh Heh heh]]. They always go for the '[[SchmuckBait E]].'"
* SpoilerOpening: The 3rd season opening shows Faith before she even makes her first appearance. Averted in season 1, it doesn't hint that Angel is a vampire.
* StealthPun: Faith's a bitch
* TalkingDownTheSuicidal:
** In the episode "I Only Have Eyes For You," [[spoiler:Angel]] talks [[spoiler:Buffy]] out of killing herself, but they are both not themselves at the time - they are possessed by the ghosts of other people.
** In the episode "Earshot," Buffy talks [[spoiler:Jonathan Levinson]] out of killing himself, although she thinks that she is [[spoiler:convinving him not to commit mass murder instead]].
** Buffy also convinces [[spoiler:Angel]] not to kill himself when he is attacked by the First Evil.
* TemptingFate: In "Dead Man's Party":
-->'''Willow:''' No, let them go, Oz! Talking about it isn't helping, we might as well try some violence!\\
''(A zombie breaks in through the front window.)''\\
'''Willow:''' ''I was being sarcastic!''
* ThatWasTheLastEntry: The first info the Scoobies have about the prophesied "ascension" is a journal entry saying "Tomorrow is the ascension, may God help us." It was the last time the town was ever heard of.
* [[ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks Throwing Your Stake Always Works]]: Subverted with gusto in "Anne".
-->'''Oz:''' That really never works.
* TitleDrop: For the episode title in "Dead Man's Party".
* ATruceWhileWeGawk: In "Anne", Buffy's fight with the demons is interrupted by the head demon holding a knife to Lilly. He announces that their fight is lost and he'll kill Lilly to make an example. Lilly kills him instead. A beat later, the main fight resumes.
* UncannyFamilyResemblance: Invoked by the Mayor, who was him, his son, his grandson and his great grandson (he's immortal).
* UnspokenPlanGuarantee: "Graduation Day, Part Two".
* VerySpecialEpisode: "I Only Have Eyes For You" and "Earshot" ended with a PSA about calling the suicide hotline, [[{{Tearjerker}} which would have been useful for some fans.]]
* WalkOnTheWildSideEpisode: In "Doppelgangland", Willow gets a little fed up with her reputation as Old Reliable and flirts with danger a bit by doing a dark incantation with Anya. It doesn't end very well.
* WasntThatFun: After the Mayor has just completed a dark ritual on his way to becoming a true immortal demon.
-->'''Mayor:''' "This officially commences the Hundred Days. Nothing can harm me until the Ascension."
-->''[beat. Breaks into a fit of gleeful giggles]''
-->"Gosh, I'm feeling chipper! Who's for a root beer?!"
* WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer: Buffy's proposal for dealing with a vengeance demon in "The Wish".
-->'''Buffy:''' "Why don't I just put a stake through her heart?" \\
'''Giles:''' "She's not a vampire." \\
'''Buffy:''' "You'd be surprised how many things that'll kill."
* YearInsideHourOutside: Various hell dimensions, including the demon workhouse in the season opener and the realm where Angel is held after the events of season two.
* YouGotSpunk:
-->'''Ken''': "You've got guts. I'd like to slice you open and play with them."
* ZombieApocalypse:
** A Nigerian mask causes a minor one in "Dead Man's Party".
** The alternate timeline created in "The Wish" is a vampire variant.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Season Four]]
* AllPsychologyIsFreudian
* AllTakeAndNoGive: Spike and Harmony's relationship, with Spike as Taker and Harmony as Giver.
* AndIMustScream: The episode "Hush".
-->''Can't even shout\\
Can't even cry\\
The gentlemen are coming by\\
Lookin' in windows\\
Knockin' on doors\\
They need to take seven\\
And they might take yours\\
Can't call to mom\\
Can't say a word\\
You're gonna die screaming\\
But you won't be heard''
* ApocalypseAnarchy: The Gentlemen steal everyone's voices. Everyone freaks out, gets drunk, goes to church, resorts to violence in the streets.
* ArcNumber: [[MouthfulOfPi 314]], otherwise known as Adam.
* ArmiesAreEvil: The Initiative.
* AttackBackfire: Season four's BigBad got a rush off of the Initiative's electricity guns.
* BatmanGambit: Spike's plan in "The Yoko Factor".
* BatmanInMyBasement: Inverted, Xander keeps Spike in his basement in Season 4 for a bit and later in his closet (which is fucking huge) in Season 7.
* BigLittleMan: "Fear, Itself" has [[MonsterOfTheWeek Gachnar the Fear Demon]]... who is 4 inches tall. Buffy stomps him like a bug.
* BizarroEpisode: "Restless" certainly qualifies.
* BlackHoleSue: [[LampshadeHanging Used for humorous effect]] in ''Superstar'', when Jonathan uses a wish spell to fold reality around himself and turns himself into an invincible, charismatic hero, admired by everyone. Unfortunately he forgot to read the [[KarmicBalance fine print]]. [[color:white:In-Universe]]
* BlessedAreTheCheesemakers: The Cheese Man in "Restless".
* CaliforniaUniversity: UC-Sunnydale
* CoincidentalBroadcast: In "The Harsh Light Of Day", Giles tells them that watching TV isn't going to help them with their problem. Sure enough the news showed a clue to Spike's whereabouts.
* CollectiveGroan: In "Doomed", when the gang realized they have to prevent the end of the world ''again''.
* CombinedEnergyAttack: In the 4th season's penultimate episode.
* ComingOutStory: "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS4E19NewMoonRising New Moon Rising]]", Although there's a FantasticAesop twist in that many of the standard plot points are applied to Oz (as a werewolf) rather than Willow (as a "coming out" lesbian).
* ConflictBall: Spike deliberately passes it around in ''The Yoko Factor,'' making insinuating and subversive comments to make the Scoobies turn on each other and vent repressed feelings of anger and resentment that had been bottled up. He even lampshades the trope, pointing out that people latch onto one specific event or situation as a cause of strife, but that what really happens is that the event or situation is just an excuse to bring to the forefront issues that were there all along.
* ConspiracyRedemption: Riley and the Initiative. Riley was a loyal soldier for the organisation and attempted to recruit Buffy as well, but eventually learned that the Initiative was using {{Mad Scientist}}s (particularly Walsh), [[SuperSoldier boosting its soldiers' performances]] with [[GovernmentDrugEnforcement drugs]] and [[HollywoodCyborg cybernetic implants]], and creating a cyborg SuperSoldier using [[BiologicalMashUp demon body tissue]]. [[spoiler:After Walsh tries to kill Buffy, and the Initiative captures and experiments on Oz,]] Riley deserts and joins the Scoobies, and the following season is [[PutOnABus headhunted by a military demon-killing unit]] that's less morally ambiguous.
* ContinuityNod: Xander being called a "demon magnet."
* CreepyChildrenSinging: The Gentleman rhyme in "Hush".
* {{Crossover}}: With its spinoff ''Series/{{Angel}}'', which has crossed over with a few things.
* CutApart: In "Hush", we see Tara knocking on one of the dorm room's doors, and Willow waking up from the noise. The door opens, and one of The Gentlemen surprises Tara. This was actually hinted, since Tara had previously found Willow's room number (which isn't the number on the door).
* DrivenToSuicide: At one point, Spike tries to stake himself after getting the chip, only saved by Willow and Xander. Luckily, he finds that he can hurt demons, regaining his will to live.
* EvilIsNotAToy: Are we supposed to be ''surprised'' that Professor Walsh's [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot human-demon-cyborg]] stabs her in the back and tries to conquer the world?
* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: The result of Willow's "my will be done" spell is that her metaphorical words become literally true.
* FakeOutMakeOut: Xander tries to invoke this with Buffy while undercover at the Initiative, but Buffy rebuffs him by pointing out that "This is the Initiative. Military guys and scientists do not make out with each other."
* FantasticAesop: The reason why "Beer Bad" was denied additional funding from the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
* FictionAsCoverUp: Dracula got Stoker to write his book to pump up his street cred. Other vampires thought it was a really dick move, because it let the normal humans in on a lot of their secrets.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: "I hope it's a ''funny'' aneurism."
* ForGreatJustice: Parodied by Spike. "For the safety of... puppies, and... Christmas, right?"
* FreakyFridayFlip: Buffy and Faith in "Who Are You?"
* FunnyBackgroundEvent: In "The Harsh Light of Day" the Greek letters on the Frat house Buffy are Gamma Alpha Pi (ΓΑΠ) which, from the angle the shot is taken, look a bit like FAIL. The house in the background across the street bears the letters ΤΩA. Perhaps it's a sorority house?
* GoodFeelsGood: Faith, when she was in Buffy's body masquerading as her.
* GrandTheftMe: The spell Willow uses to help Buffy works like this, not only is she imbued with [[TrueCompanions the power of all the Scoobies]], she acts possessed.
* InhumanableAlienRights: According to the Initiative, vampires and other monsters have no rights that are worth respecting. At first, Riley Finn shared this view, until one of the werewolves the Initiative captured turned out to be Oz and he realized that some of the "monsters" he had been capturing actually had normal lives.
* IntoxicationEnsues
* JerkAss: Forrest.
* JoinTheArmyTheySaid
* LectureAsExposition: Lampshaded ''and'' subverted in "Hush", when Giles is forced to this without his ability to speak.
* LoveCannotOvercome: Giles's TemporaryLoveInterest Olivia. At the end of the episode "Hush," after Olivia learns of the existence of demons, she says, "Scary." Giles asks, "Too scary?" and Olivia responds, "I'm not sure." Since we never see her again after that, we can presume that it was indeed too scary for her.
* MagicVersusScience
* MagicalNativeAmerican: Hus in "Pangs".
* AManIsAlwaysEager: That Oz is reluctant to engage in the physical act of love strikes fear into Willow's heart as a sign of infidelity. Xander lampshades it, saying she may have encountered "the seven annual minutes he's legitimately too preoccupied" to want sex.
* TheManBehindTheCurtain: Gachnar in "Fear, Itself".
* MildlyMilitary: The Initiative.
* MineralMacguffin: The Gem of Amarra.
* TheMinnesotaFats: Subverted in "Superstar".
* MundaneMadeAwesome:
** Xander vs. Harmony. Slow motion hair pulling set to dramatic action music.
** Done to explicitly mock the show's often unrealistic fight scenes.
* NoSympathy: "Xander, try not to bleed on my couch / I just had it steam-cleaned" ♪
* NotRightInTheBed: When Faith takes over Buffy's body, she comes on to Spike, and is a lot more sexually aggressive with Riley than Buffy is.
* PerplexingPlurals: Riley comments that, after falling in with the main characters, he suddenly finds himself needing to know the plural of "apocalypse".
* ScreamingWoman: Subverted in "Hush".
* SelfDeprecation: Done in a unique way, with Faith insulting herself while in Buffy's body.
* SaltAndPepper: Riley and Forrest.
* ShoutOut: Adam, the name of FrankensteinsMonster,according to [[WordOfGod Mary Shelley.]]
** Giles puts on "Danse Macabre" during his silent presentation in "Hush". "Danse Macabre" is the theme tune of JonathanCreek. Anthony Stewart Head, who plays Giles, played magician Adam Klaus in the pilot episode of that show.
* ShowingOffTheNewBody: Practically the first thing Faith does after swapping bodies with Buffy is take a long bath.
* SlasherSmile: The Gentlemen.
* TestosteronePoisoning: Buffy actually says the tropes name when Angel and Riley fight in "The Yoko Factor".
* TakeThat: When Giles asks Buffy\Faith who's president she replies they're testing to see if it's really her, not a concussion. [[BillClinton Could easily be]] [[GeorgeWBush either of them]].
* TwoScenesOneDialogue: does an interesting take on this in one episode. Giles explains the ancient lore of this week's demon, while the Initiative is briefed on the nature of the same "HST" (Hostile Subterranean) in military jargon.
* VariableTerminalVelocity: A particularly [[TVTropesWikiDrinkingGame egregious]] example in "Doomed", where Buffy jumps into the Hellmouth after a demon and catches up to it while falling, even though she took the time to run over to Riley, grab a rope from him, and run back before jumping in.
* VerbThis: When Buffy first fought The Initiative, she fired a flare gun while saying "Contain this!"
* VideoWills: Mayor Wilkins.
* VocalDissonance: Jonathan crooning a forties pop song in "Superstar". Pro athlete, military genius, star of ''The Matrix'', and '''now''' he's Sinatra.
* VoiceOfTheLegion: Buffy speaks with the voices of the whole Scooby Gang after the enjoining spell combines them all in her body.
* WilliamTelling: In "Superstar" Jonathan alters reality to change himself from a geek into a demon-fighting James Bond-expy. One scene has him putting on a blindfold in preparation to shooting apples from the heads of several Initiative soldiers.
* WorryingForTheWrongReason: In "Pangs", Xander is in a panic because he has been cursed with a host of diseases. He's most stressed about the syphilis. Anya says comfortingly:
--> It'll make you blind and insane, but it won't kill you. The smallpox will.
* YouKeepUsingThatWord: When the Scoobie Gang and the Initiative become hostile towards the end of the fourth season the colonel in charge of the Initiative describes the Scoobies as "anarchists," and when Riley later defects he again uses the term, this time including himself with the group. However, the Scoobies have never advocated any sort of anarchist philosophy or mindset, and several episodes (Both before and after this event) have stressed their wholehearted belief in the need for people, even themselves, to submit to proper established authority when the situation calls for it.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Season Five]]
* AdoptTheDog: "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E18Intervention Intervention]]" is pretty much the definitive moment in Spike's [[HeelFaceTurn change from evil to good]]. Despite brutal torture, Spike [[DefiantToTheEnd refuses to give Dawn up to Glory]]. Later Spike's confesses to his adoring robotic replica of Buffy ([[EngineeredPublicConfession or so Spike thinks]]) that if Buffy lost Dawn, it would destroy her, and he could not live with her being in that much pain. [[spoiler:And this was ''before'' he got a soul.]]
* AnachronismStew: The Knights of Byzantium are an ancient order of {{Knight Templar}}s who use medieval arms and armour for no apparent reason than to have a cool scene involving Buffy fighting knights on top of a moving Winnebago.
* AnotherDimension: Glory's world, an HRGiger-ish dimension which we see bits of in the finale.
* AnticlimaxBoss: Played with in the premiere with [[PublicDomainCharacter Dracula]]. Though he demonstrates powers no other vampire in the series has, he's still treated like a bad joke by Spike, and easily defeated. [[spoiler: Subverted on his return in season eight.]]
* ArcWords: "Death is your gift."
* BandOfBrothers: After falling apart the previous season, the Scoobies eventually band together into an ''extremely'' powerful group of TrueCompanions -- even Spike by the end of the season. One of the times this is best seen is when Tara's family comes to take her home against her will. The ending of [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E6Family that episode]] sums it up.
* BattleDiscretionShot: We never see how Glory kills the knights trying to kill Dawn.
* BreakTheBadass: Buffy's reaction to the revelation that Glory isn't a demon like everyone thought. On the contrary, Glory is a god.
* ButtMonkey: Xander becomes the TropeNamer, yet over the next few episodes [[TookALevelInBadAss Takes A Level in]] CharacterDevelopment by getting a promotion at work, moving out of his parent's basement and stabilizing his relationship with Anya.
* ChekhovsArmoury: About ''every'' piece of {{Phlebotinum}} that shows up during the fifth season is eventually used to fight Glory.
* ChekhovsGunman: Doc, the old man who gave Dawn the spell to bring Joyce back to life. [[spoiler:Turns out he's a Glory worshipper and he is the one who opens the portal.]]
* CompletelyMissingThePoint: The [[MediaWatchdogs PTC]] decried ''The Gift'' on account of Buffy committing suicide. No!!! Don't save the world!!! Giving your life for the sake of the human race is '''EVIL!!!'''
* CourtlyLove: Spike's CharacterArc this season, with Buffy as the unobtainable princess.
* CurbStompBattle: The creepy old guy with the tail to Spike. Then Buffy to the creepy old guy with the tail.
* CosmicRetcon: [[OnlyChildSyndrome Only child]] Buffy suddenly has an annoying little sister to butt heads with. Dawn appears out of nowhere yet everyone thinks she's always been a member of the Summers family. It takes several episodes before this mystery is answered.
* DaydreamSurprise: Used brutally in "The Body", and as a LoveEpiphany for Spike.
* DeterminedDefeatist: Spike in "The Gift", as shown by his "we band of buggered" line.
* DropTheHammer: The hammer wielded by Olaf the Troll, which becomes a ChekhovsGun for the season finale.
* EvenTheGirlsWantHer: In-universe example -- Harmony refuses to have a threesome with Spike unless it's boy-girl-boy. Exceptions are made for CharlizeTheron.
* EverythingIsBetterWithMonkeys: In "Into the Woods", Anya wants to watch a movie about monkeys playing hockey because "The ice is so slippery and monkeys are all irrational".
* GeographicFlexibility: Spoofed in "Buffy vs. Dracula"
-->'''Riley''': "I've lived in Sunnydale a couple of years now. You know what I've never noticed before? This big honkin' castle."
* GhostStory: Dawn listens to scary stories told by the monster himself -- Spike in his crypt. Buffy is not amused.
* HeroicBSOD: When Glory snatches Dawn, Buffy lapses into catatonia. Willow has to both take [[YouAreInCommandNow command of the Scoobies]] and make a JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind to snap Buffy out of it.
* HeroicSuicide: Dawn attempts one in the season finale. Buffy [[spoiler: performs it in her place]].
* HonorRelatedAbuse: Tara's family is like this. They abuse her emotionally [[spoiler:and lie to her to make her hate herself, fooling her into believing that she's less than human]]. When she breaks free and makes a life of her own, they start threatening to move on to physical abuse, and would most likely have made good on their threats if it wasn't for almost the entire cast closing ranks around her and telling them that they would have to [[GoThroughMe go through them]] to get to her.
** Which also allows Spike to cement his HeelFaceTurn [[spoiler:by hitting her, purposely causing an electric shock to his brain via his chip to prove she's human.]]
* HughMann: The Scooby Gang initially get totally taken in by the Buffybot and chalk her weird behaviour up to the recent death of Buffy's mom. Since she's ''still'' all but holding up a sign reading "I Am A Robot Impersonator" the whole time, Buffy is still not very happy that her friends were completely unable to tell the difference.
* IMissMom: Buffy and Dawn
* InstantEmergencyResponse: Averted in "The Body", where it takes a reasonable length of time for the ambulance to arrive.
* ISayWhatISay: The two Xanders in "The Replacement."
* IWishedYouWereDead: The reason for Buffy's HeroicBSOD in "The Weight of the World".
* LiteralSplitPersonality: Cool Xander and Loser Xander in "The Replacement."
* LoveEpiphany: Spike has a CatapultNightmare in which he realises his FoeYay obsession with Buffy is something far, far worse! Inverted with Riley Finn who realises that Buffy doesn't love him, fueling his eventual decision to leave.
* LoveHurts: Spike is tormented by his unrequited FoeYay for the Slayer.
-->'''Spike:''' "What the bleeding hell is WRONG with you bloody women?! What the hell does it take?! Why do you bitches torture me?!
-->'''Buffy:''' [[DeadpanSnarker Which question do you want me to answer first?]]
* MindRape: The people Glory drains to stop herself going crazy [[spoiler:including Tara.]]
* MookHorrorShow: The Dracula episode, where we see a vampire running madly through a graveyard... and then we realize he's running for his (un)life. From Buffy.
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: In every episode where Buffy fights Glory until [[spoiler:TheGift]], she literally gets her ass handed to her and is typically forced to flee.
* NotInFrontOfTheKid: When we meet Dawn, everyone spends most of a season trying to keep the slaying away from her. They don't talk about it in front of her, except insofar as they can do so in code (they mostly fail).
* NotSoInvincibleAfterAll: Glory can be slowed by magical artifacts.
* OnlySaneMan: Spike has a major case of this in "The Weight of the World", when [[spoiler: he is the only one immune to the glamour that prevents mortals from remembering that Ben is Glory. See also GlamourFailure.]]
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: One comes out of the Key Portal during ''The Gift''.
* OutOfGenreExperience: "The Body" feels ''very'' different from a normal episode of the show, using MoodDissonance and a complete absence of background music to recreate the sense of dislocation we feel when someone close to us dies.
* PoisonousFriend: Giles [[spoiler:smothering Ben to death in "The Gift".]]
* ProdigalFamily: Tara's family are an example of the possessive, malevolent variety.
* PromotionToParent: Buffy has to take over this role for Dawn, despite her [[PuppyDogEyes desperate attempt]] to foist the task off onto Giles.
* PutOnABus: Harmony and Riley.
* RetroactiveWish: In "Triangle".
-->'''Willow''': I wish Buffy was here!
-->'''Buffy''': I'm here!
-->'''Willow''': I wish I had a million dollars!
* {{Robocam}}: April and Buffybot POV -- complete with Positions and Fetishes.
* RobeAndWizardHat: Giles wears them for the magic shop's grand opening. They look [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-623f3E1EU&feature=related ridiculous]].
* RummageSaleReject: 1977 Spike. DEAR GOD, 1977 Spike.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: [[spoiler:("Into the Woods") Buffy discovers her boyfriend Riley is visiting vampire prostitutes, so she burns down the building and kills every member of the gang in seconds. At first Buffy resists the temptation to kill the vamp-ho when she's at her mercy, but then [[DarkSide changes her mind]] and spears her [[InTheBack as she's running away]]. ("Tough Love") When Glory brain-sucks Tara turning her insane we see our first hint of Dark Willow as she takes on a PhysicalGod with BlackEyesOfEvil and ShockAndAwe.]]
* SexBot: April in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E15IWasMadeToLoveYou I Was Made To Love You]]", a deconstruction of the PygmalionPlot where Season 6 BigBad Warren creates the perfect girlfriend only to dump her as she's too boring. Spike then intimidates him into building a Buffybot ("[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E18Intervention Intervention]]"). HilarityEnsues.
* SmokingHotSex: Spike is in his crypt smoking then we see Buffy the bot pop up from...how should this be put, smoking him.
* ThreatBackfire: Xander (under Dracula's thrall) tells Riley he'll have to go through him to get to Dracula. He is immediately punched unconscious.
* TonightSomeoneKisses: Willow and Tara's first on screen kiss in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E16TheBody The Body]]" in a way that anyone who thinks GirlOnGirlIsHot might find cheering for this inappropriate.
* TookALevelInJerkass: Riley Finn tries to make himself DarkerAndEdgier in [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys an effort to appeal to Buffy]]. It doesn't end well.
* VampireInvitation: Buffy tolerates Spike's StalkerWithACrush behavior until she [[AnguishedDeclarationOfLove discovers he's fallen in love with her]] (and realizes he's getting too close to her family). She then gets Willow to bar Spike from the house. Then Spike shows himself willing to give his life to protect Dawn, so in the season finale Buffy invites him back into her home in a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming.
* WholeEpisodeFlashback: "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E7FoolForLove Fool For Love]]" shows Spike's past, notably how he killed two previous Slayers.
* TheWorfEffect: On their first meeting Glory inflicts a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown on Buffy, who only escapes because the building collapses.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Season Six]]
* ActionDressRip: In the The Trio's first appearance, a monster attacks a bank and Buffy initially couldn't fight because of her "stupid skirt". She does it again when fighting a demon at Xander's wedding.
* ActuallyADoombot: The Scoobies use the Buffybot to make the underworld think that the Slayer is still protecting Sunnydale. When a vampire accidentally discovers this, it provokes immediate RapePillageAndBurn by demon bikers.
** The first time Willow gets her mitts on Warren. Fizz crackle pop.
* [[AllBikersAreHellsAngels All Bikers Are Hellmouth Angels]]
* AllJustADream: "Normal Again" [[spoiler:OrWasItADream]]
* AmbiguousSituation: "Normal Again", in which Buffy is injected with a poison that make her hallucinate... Or is it the other way around? According to a psychiatrist, who may or may not be a real person, she is in fact getting better: She has been sick all along, and now she's finally waking up from years of catatonic schizophrenia. So, the whole series is either ThisIsReality or a mad AllJustADream with a dash of TheSchizophreniaConspiracy. In the end, Buffy choses her life in Sunnydale over her life in the mental institution, but the ending leaves it ambiguous whether or not the world she settled for is the real one.
* AmnesiaDanger
* AnachronismStew: The Trio combine magic with high technology to carry out their capers.
* [[spoiler:AttemptedRape: After Buffy breaks off their relationship, Spike tries to force himself upon an injured Buffy, who is barely able to fight him off. His MyGodWhatHaveIDone reaction causes Spike to go on a quest to regain his soul.]]
** [[spoiler:Regaining his soul]] was not his quest. His quest was to be made into the badass, evil son of a bitch he used to be, as opposed to the whiny, caring StalkerWithACrush he had turned into. His [[spoiler:getting his soul back]] was just because he didn't choose his words carefully enough.
*** Actually, WordOfGod states, specifically, that [[spoiler:Spike getting his soul back WAS the reason for his quest, because of his MyGodWhatHaveIDone reaction. Everything else was a RedHerring.]]
* ArmouredClosetGay: Larry.
** Scott Hope, Buffy's only normal high school boyfriend. He accused every girl who broke up with him that they're gay. He came out in season 6 apparently.
* {{Bambification}}: The first sign this season will be DarkerAndEdgier [[spoiler:is when Willow cuts a fawn's throat for its BloodMagic.]]
* BattleDiscretionShot: Buffy's first fight against the Trio, as they're all invisible.
* BitterWeddingSpeech: Xander's father gives one at Xander's wedding.
* BookEnds / RuleOfSymbolism: Buffy starts Season 6 by clawing her way out of her grave into the night, beginning a year-long HeroicBSOD. She ends the season climbing out of another grave into the light, having rediscovered the value of living.
* TheCastShowOff: The musical episode allowed for several actors to show off either musical or dancing talent (Anthony Steward Head, James Marsters, Amber Benson, Michelle Trachtenberg). Others ...got sidelined for the episode. (Alyson Hannigan asked to be given a smaller singing role and no dancing role.)
* CavemenVsAstronautsDebate: The Trio debated who was the best JamesBond in "Life Serial". It got so bad that Warren and Andrew actually came to blows.
* CuckooNest: "Normal Again", very scarily played.
* CradleOfLoneliness: Willow does this after Tara breaks up with her.
* DarkerAndEdgier: Tends to be true of the sixth season compared to the others, though there are darker episodes in the other seasons and LighterAndSofter ones in season 6 as well.
** The whole series is darker compared to the campy flick it was based on.
*** The film was supposed to be darker and edgier than it was. ExecutiveMeddling occured...
* TheDarkSide: Spoofed when Spike encourages Buffy to walk with him on the Dark Side -- which consists of Spike playing poker for kittens while Buffy gets drunk and makes snarky comments. Things become more serious later on in the season when Spike wrongly assumes (or convinces himself) that Buffy's depression and desire for rough sex means she wants to abandon her life and join him on the Dark Side. His failure to understand the complexity of her emotions has [[DestructiveRomance serious consequences for both of them]].
* DateRapeAverted: Violently.
* DeathIsCheap: People killed by magical means can potentially (though not easily) be resurrected.
* DeconstructorFleet: The blond girl doesn't die, even after having sex -- she instead turns out to be GenreSavvy and an ActionGirl and proceeds to kick vampire butt.
** Season 6 deconstructs what the show is about. The focus is on the Scoobies foray into the real world and not the whole saving the world plot and being heroes. Only the bad guys care about that.
** It also deconstructs the FoeYay trope by showing just how disfunctional such a relationship would be if ever consumated.
* DestructiveRomance: Buffy starts a secret relationship with Spike to combat her depression. Unfortunately this only ends up making things worse -- Spike is convinced Buffy wants to come over to TheDarkSide and is frustrated by her unwillingness to either return his love or abandon her friends, while their InterplayOfSexAndViolence, her [[FoeYay lust for a soulless monster who's supposed to be her enemy]] and her [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman guilt over using Spike without respecting his own feelings]] only increases Buffy's self-loathing. At one point she savagely beats an unresisting Spike, describing him in terms that are [[RageAgainstTheReflection clearly referring to herself]] ("There is nothing good or clean in you! You are ''dead'' inside! You can't feel anything real!"). The InUniverse ValuesDissonance between the two reaches a point where [[spoiler:after she ends the relationship, Spike tries to inflict the VictimFallsForRapist trope on an injured Buffy; fortunately Buffy is able to fend him off and Spike realises that, even for him, this act is crossing the MoralEventHorizon, and motivates him to go on a quest to regain his soul.]]
* DidNotDoTheResearch: In one sixth-season episode, Andrew states that he's "seen every episode of ''Series/DoctorWho''." This is impossible, because at least 100 episodes of the early Doctors are lost and unavailable for viewing by anyone. Audio recording do exist, however.
* DidYouDie: In "As You Were," Buffy and Riley promise to swap stories if they get a chance and see whose were more exiting/dangerous/crazy ext.. She asks if he died, and when he says he didn't, she says, "I'm going to win."
* DisappointedInYou: Discussed and subverted in "All The Way":
-->'''Giles''': We need to have a conversation.\\
'''Dawn''': This the part where you tell me you're "not angry, just disappointed"?\\
'''Giles''': Pretty much. Except for the bit about not being angry.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Rack, who gets Willow high on dark magic, looks more like a drug dealer than any VerySpecialEpisode, PublicServiceAnnouncement and every single person in the [[{{Underbelly}} gangland wars,]] combined.
* DontYouDarePityMe: Buffy reacts this way after telling Tara about her relationship with Spike -- it's not out of anger, but a belief that she doesn't deserve any sympathy.
* DrowningMySorrows: After failing college, Xander bing forced to fire her from construction after a demon attack and not being able to stand working at The Magic Shop, Spike pours Buffy a scotch. They then go out to a demon bar where Buffy wants to get information, takes a bottle of Khalua handed from Spike and drinks through it and snarks when Spike plays cards to get the demons talking. HilarityEnsues when Buffy becomes roaringly drunk off her ass.
* EasyAmnesia: In the episode "Tabula Rasa".
* FailedASpotCheck: Xander doesn't even notice Willow's bloody shirt after [[spoiler:Tara is killed.]]
* FantasticDrug: Magic in Season 6.
* [[FingerPokeOfDoom Finger Poke of OH MY GOD MY SKIN JUST GOT REMOVED!]]
* {{Fainting}}: The characters all faint in Tabula Rasa when they lose their memories. This seems to be an effect of magical memory loss, as it happens in the ''Series/{{Angel}}'' episode "Spin The Bottle" where the characters are all reverted to their younger selves' memories.
* FreezeRay: Warren's got one.
* FryingPanOfDoom: Not played for comedy in "Normal Again" when Buffy hits Xander with one then drags him to the basement to be killed by the MonsterOfTheWeek, or "Hells Bells" where Future!Xander attacks his estranged wife Anya.
* GilliganCut: In the 3nd Halloween episode, Dawn's friend Janice didn't want her and her friends to go into the creepy old man's house. Sure enough...
* GRatedDrug: Magic during season 6, especially during the episode "Wrecked".
* GoingCommando: Parking Ticket Lady, attempting to bribe a meter maid, sings about her lack of underwear.
* GroundhogDayLoop: In "Life Serial."
* HasTwoMommies: Dawn with Willow and Tara. Considering that they were really one of the only good relationships in the show (and by extension, in her life) and that they took care of her for a good year or so, it's no shock.
* [[HehHehYouSaidX Heh Heh You Said Magic Bone]]
* HeIsNotMyBoyfriend: Even after they start having sex, calling Buffy "luv" or "my girl" is a guaranteed way for Spike to get a sock in the jaw.
* HomeFieldAdvantage: A demon breaks into the Summers home and proceeds to trash it while attempting to kill Buffy. She slowly maneuvers it into the basement where there's less stuff to break, and also a convenient weapon (in the form of [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Full! Copper! Repipe!]]).
* IAteWhat?: Done twice by Xander in "Doublemeat Palace".
* ICantBelieveItsNotHeroin: Magic = Drugs.
* IHaveManyNames: The demon from "Once More With Feeling".
* IWantSong: "Going Through the Motions."
* ImportantHaircut: Buffy deliberately applies this trope...but ends up at the hair salon because she made a mess of things. Also subverted in that it marks no actual change in her life or behaviour -- Buffy cuts her hair after Spike compliments it (they recently resolved their {{UST}} and Buffy is regretting it) but quickly ends up in his bed for round two.
* ImpossiblyTackyClothes: Dear god, the wedding dresses at Anya's wedding. Buffy even describes their awful green as "radioactive".
* IncrediblyLongNote: They got the mustard ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut!
* InvisibleBackupBand: Played with in [[MusicalEpisode "Once More With Feeling"]].
* InvisibleJerkass: Buffy in "Gone."
* {{Irony}}: Season 6 Buffy learns the value of life at a cemetery.
* KickTheSonOfABitch: Willow's flaying of Warran is pretty much thought of as a concern not because of what she did to him, but [[KnightTemplar what sort of person she was turning into.]]
* KnockKnockJoke: "If we want her to be exactly she'll never be exactly I know the only really real Buffy is really Buffy and she's gone who?"
* LotusEaterMachine
* MakingLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces: Buffy and Spike spend much of season 6 doing this. Also, in the season 3 episode "Band Candy", Joyce and Giles have sex on the hood of a police car.
* MasterApprenticeChain: The Master > Darla > Angelus > Drusilla > Spike
* MissionImpossibleCableDrop: when Andrew drops down to steal a diamond, only to have Warren and Jonathan stroll into the museum without issue.
** Also when Buffy stole the Mayor's box containing those bugs he had to eat.
* {{Mundanger}}: "So, we meet at last, [[DrippingDisturbance Mister Drippy]]."
* MusicalEpisode: [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS6E7OnceMoreWithFeeling "Once More With Feeling"]]. For tropes specific to that episode see the recap page.
* NoMereWindmill: Buffy stopped trying to explain the very real threat of vampires after her mother had her put in a mental hospital for believing such silly delusions.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: [[spoiler:Willow brings Buffy back from the dead, thinking she's in Hell. It turns out Buffy was in Heaven and being brought back to the real world gives her a HeroicBSOD, as well as opening the way for the First One.]]
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: Warren and the Trio.
* PowerHigh: When Willow starts to OD on witchcraft it's explicitly analogized to being high on drugs.
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Sporadically used, notably with Spike and Warren. Verges into Sci-fi with Warren as it involved MindControl. Faith body-switched with Buffy technically raped Riley (sex under false pretense), but everyone on that one ended with everyone worse for it.
* RedHerring: The episode "All the Way" spends the first half building up the creep factor of an old man, watching kids menacingly through his window. When Dawn, her friend, and two guys try to pull a trick on them, he invites them inside for some "treats" and then goes into the kitchen with one of the boys, and reaches for a knife. [[spoiler: Then, it's revealed that he really is a harmless man making brownies, and the two guys are vampires]]
* SexBot: April and the Buffybot.
* ShesBack: Subverted; it takes most of the season for Buffy to recover from her depression over having been wrenched back into the real world.
* SliceOfLife: Season 6 dealt with the Scoobies day-to-day foray into grown up life.
* TeleportationSickness: Buffy and Dawn after Willow teleporting them from a cemetery to the Magic Box.
* TerribleTrio: The Trio.
* ThereAreTwoKindsOfPeopleInTheWorld:
-->'''Jonathan''': It's true, my friends. The way I see it, life is like an interstellar journey. Some people go into hypersleep and travel at sub-light speeds, only to get where they're going after years of struggle, toil and hard, hard work. ''We'', on the other hand ...
-->'''Andrew''': Blast through the space-time continuum in a wormhole?
-->'''Jonathan''': Gentlemen... [[[MoneyToBurn lights cigar with flaming bill]]] '''CRIME''' is our wormhole!
* TheTroubleWithTickets: Marti Noxon's parking ticket aria.
-->It isn't right, it isn't fair / There was no parking anywhere / I think [[ImplausibleDeniability that hydrant wasn't there]] ♫
* UnflinchingFaithInTheBrakes: Willow does this in the sixth season, when using magic to stop an oncoming bus.
* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Buffy uses Spike as a confidant because he's a "dead man", so her confessions don't count. When they start having sex, she refuses to admit there's love involved or even acknowledge (to herself or others) that he's her boyfriend; Spike calling her "my girl" or "love" often drives her to fury. Spike's soulless nature is often used by her as an excuse for this behaviour. Eventually Buffy faces up to how she is using him and breaks off the relationship.
** Buffy's killing of the guy who was cursed by Anya to be tortured in a hell dimension. He had a very legitimate grievance with Anya, and he's unconscious and helpless, and he's killed like it's nothing. Also the bank-robber demon, who hasn't really done anything worthy of summary execution, yet is executed after first being knocked unconscious. Killing humans under any circumstances is apparantly an atrocity, but demons can be killed for crimes that would only warrant jail-time for a human and it's nothing.
* WindmillCrusader: While Buffy has TheCuckoolanderWasRight as an inherent trait, the episode “Normal Again” subverts this when Buffy is drugged and hallucinates that she’s been insane all along and that Sunnydale is only in her mind. In this, Buffy was a insane WindmillCrusader before the series started, and she has been locked in a mental institution throughout the whole series.
* VolleyingInsults: Xander and Anya's duet in "Once More With Feeling."
-->'''Xander:''' She clings / She's needy / She's also really greedy / She never --\\
'''Anya''' [interrupting] [[LameComeback His eyes are beady!]]\\
'''Xander:''' This is ''my'' verse, hello!
* XanatosGambit: "Grave" Giles arrives with the powers of a coven in order to defeat Willow after she does a FaceHeelTurn. If he defeats her threat neutralized, if he loses Willow will take his power and thus giving Willow a window to her emotions, so Xander could stop her. Its mixed with BatmanGambit as he was banking on the emotional appeal.
* ZeroGSpot: At the end of Tara's love song "Under Your Spell" in "Once More With Feeling", she levitates into the air over her bed, and it's strongly implied she's doing it so an off-camera Willow can do cunnilingus on her.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Season Seven]]
* AchillesInHisTent: Buffy getting deposed by her own pupils, who install Faith as their new leader. One episode and bomb explosion later, and everyone goes crawling back to blondie.
* AndThenWhat: The final question asked to Buffy once everything's said and done.
* AnticlimaxCut: "Lessons":
-->'''Buffy:''' Vampires, demons... they're nothing compared to what's coming.\\
'''Dawn:''' I know. I just can't believe it's back.\\
'''Buffy:''' Believe me, I thought I was long past it. I guess you never are. Just a few more days til it starts, and then we'll never know what's coming next.\\
''(Cut to the opening ceremony at the new Sunnydale High School.)''
* ArcWords: "From beneath you it devours" in Season 7
* BackForTheFinale: Some of the former regulars are in season 7 in spirit. Oz got a casual mention from Xander and Cordelia appeared in a piece of footage from "Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered".
* BestServedCold: Robin Wood fights vampires in the hope of encountering the one that killed his mother (which turns out to be Spike).
* TheBigBoard
* BigOMG: "Oh my God! Oh, well, you know, not ''my'' God, because I defy him and all of his works."
* BrickJoke: In Episode 9, "Never Leave Me" we see [[spoiler: Warren (actually The First Evil)]] coaching Andrew on sacrificing a pig for its blood in the basement of Sunnydale High, at which Andrew fails miserably ([[ShoutOut "That'll do]] [[{{Babe}} pig!"]]). Later in Episode 16, "Storyteller" we find Buffy and Principal Wood in that basement trying to figure out why strange phenomena are happening... when a a squealing pig runs by.
--> '''Wood''': God, I hope that's not a student...
* CanYouHearMeNow: In the season 7 premiere.
* CatchTheConscience: The episode ''Storyteller,'' in order to make Andrew feel remorse for killing Jonathan.
* ChekhovsGunman:
** Amanda, the first student Buffy talked to in her job as councilor was a potential slayer.
** Andrew answers a call (for willow) from a guy with a girly voice called Fred. In the next episode Willow comes back with Faith.
* TheChosenMany: Buffy has Willow release the powers of all potential slayers to help fight The First.
* CelebrityStar: Aimee Mann. "I hate playing vampire towns."
* CigaretteOfAnxiety: Faith, despite smoking being a universal sign of evil. Well, the potentials acting like five year olds was a bit much for her. And Buffy still wanting her dead. And trying to reconcile with a recently evil Willow.
* CoolAunt: Where Buffy calls a suicide victim weak and stupid and basically says everybody sucks but her, Faith takes the potentials out partying when the stress gets too much and watches out for their welfare.
* DeusExMachina: The amulet and scythe that appear at the end of season 7 definitely qualify.
* TheDevilIsALoser: Caleb, right-hand man to the First Evil, refers to Satan as a "little man" (at least, compared to his boss).
* DisContinuityNod: Giles' declaration that magic is not an addiction.
* EliteMooks: The First Evil's Turok-Han army.
* EyeScream:
-->"So you're the one who sees everything. Well, let's just see what we can do about that."
** And the Bringers, the First's assassins and priests
* {{Foreshadowing}}: In "Sleeper", Aimee Mann sings a song called "Pavlov's Bell." During the next episode "Never Leave Me" the Scooby Gang discusses the possibility that Spike is being controlled by means of Pavlovian conditioning.
* ForgottenPhlebotinum: In the seventh season, the First falsely claims to have captured a potential Slayer, and nobody thinks to use the spell they used just a few weeks ago which can detect potentials.
* GhostCity: Sunnydale in the second half of the season.
* GoodSmokingEvilSmoking: Inverted with Faith, who didn't smoke when evil but does now that she's reformed.
* GrandFinale
* GroinAttack: You can tell Buffy likes this as she delivers the ultimate one to Caleb. Buffy has super strength of course. She finds a scythe that is meant to be the ultimate weapon. What does she do with it? Why ''slice the evil priest in half starting with his balls.'' [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill If a job's worth doing...]]
-->[[BondOneLiner "He had to split."]]
* {{Hammerspace}}: At least once, Buffy pulls out a cell phone when this was the only place it could have been.
* HeelFaceReturn: Faith's appearance looks like this to anyone who wasn't watching ''Series/{{Angel}}''.
* HypercompetentSidekick: Willow is this. As the most powerful Witch in the Western Hemisphere, she was ''so'' strong that [[spoiler: the writers felt the need to ''knock her out'' before major fights most of the season]].
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: Holden pronounces this of Buffy in "Conversations With Dead People."
* [[JugglingLoadedGuns Juggling Loaded Crossbows]]: "End of Days", it is implied that Willow and Tara's cat, Miss Kitty Fantastico, met her demise in a tragic crossbow accident.
-->'''Dawn:''' Xander, my crossbow is not out here. I told you, I don't leave crossbows around all willy-nilly. Not since that time with Miss Kitty Fantastico.
* TheLegionsOfHell
* LetThemDieHappy: Attempted by Buffy, shot down by Spike.
* MobileMaze: Sunnydale High's basement. Xander notes that blueprints are no good here (and ''he'' built the place!) because the walls seem to move about.
* MotionlessMakeover: Dawn is paralyzed by a demon. Anya has fun posing her. When they have to run off to save the day, leaving Dawn sitting on the couch with her arm extended, Buffy comes back momentarily to stick a remote in Dawn's hand.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Ultimately, it's the First's attempts at taunting Buffy that give her the idea that ends the fight once and for all.
* OnceMoreWithClarity: "Everyone's talking to me! [[[EurekaMoment lightbulb moment]]] Nobody's [[InvisibilityCloak talking to each other]]."
* OneHourWorkWeek: Buffy's job as a school counsellor. {{Justified| Trope}} in that she only has the job because Principal Wood wants to keep her around in case of Hellmouth-related problems, and it's explicitly stated to be part time.
* PlayingAgainstType: Nathan Fillion as the sadistic, satanic serial killer working for the Big Bad (If you take the First Evil to be Satan and that Caleb had killed people ForTheEvulz before meeting it)
* RememberTheNewGuy: {{Deconstructed}}. When a Vampire recognizes Buffy in ''Conversations With Dead People'' he explains that they went to High School together and shared a few classes. Buffy, however, does not recognize him at all, not even when names himself, and it is only after ten minutes of explaining when they met and things they had done together that she remembers who he is. To the end of the episode he never becomes a close and dear friend from her past, instead remaining a minor acquaintance that she met on rare occasions and had forgotten in the time since then because they had never been very close in the first place.
** Done with Dawn in "Real Me".
** A season 2 flashback showed Angel was there when Buffy was called meaning he was in the movie only we never saw him.
* RoguesGalleryShowcase: The First Evil turns into every BigBad from the show in Season 7, all in a row one time.
** Angelus is sorely missed right about now; his spot is taken by Drusilla.
* RuleOfCool: Joss has specifically cited this as the reason why, in the final episode, [[spoiler: all of the Ubervamps suddenly start dying easier than regular vampires seem to, even when being fought by normal humans.]]
* SickAndWrong: Xander lasciviously eyes a gyrating nymphet on the dance floor ("Daddy ''like''!"), only for her to turn around and reveal herself as Dawn. Cue {{facepalm}}.
-->'''Willow:''' Right there with ya.
* SmashCut: JossWhedon loves this trope, but particular mention goes to Selfless which cuts from Anya singing a happy song to her [[spoiler: being skewed with a sword by Buffy]]
* SurpassedTheTeacher: Played with; Spike confronts Giles with words along these lines, saying that one of the reasons that Giles turned on Buffy was that Giles was jealous that Buffy had surpassed him in her abilities.
* TechnicolorDeath: Halfrek's fiery death in the episode "Selfless" is like this.
* TookALevelInKindness: That woman you might have seen chilling in prison on [[Series/{{Angel}} another show]] before breaking out to save a CompleteMonster? Who's treated by some of the characters as so cool and nice now? Faith. Yeah, that Faith.
* TrainingThePeacefulVillagers
* TrashTheSet: Hell ''trash the whole town''. Sunnydale is reduced to nothing but a crater at the end of the series.
* UltimateEvil
* UltimateJobSecurity: Buffy had this at the Doublemeat Palace and Sunnydale High and Giles had it at the old Sunnydale high. The first time for her was due to having blackmail material and the second because the principal was the son of a Slayer (the one Spike killed and got his [[BadassLongcoat coat]] from) and kept her there because of easily guessed reasons. Giles? Here's an FYI, don't fuck with someone who's nickname is [[NamesToRunAwayFrom Ripper]].
* WhereItAllBegan: The final epic battle ends where the series began, Sunnydale High.
* WhoYouGonnaCall
-->'''Spike''': Who you gonna call? ...That phrase is ''never'' gonna be usable again, is it?
* WordSaladLyrics:
-->Anchovies! Anchovies!\\
You're so delicious.\\
I love you more than\\
all [[PainfulRhyme the other fishes]]!" ♪
* WorldOfCardboardSpeech: Buffy realizing (see NiceJobFixingItVillain) that [[spoiler: the first watchers ''invented'' the "one-Slayer" rule, and that Willow was powerful enough to [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome change that rule, giving every potential Slayer in the world their power simultaneously]]]]
* YouCantFightFate: Cassie's death.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Season Eight]]
The following examples may contain major spoilers for anyone who hasn't finished watching the television series, or who hasn't read the comics yet. Consider yourself forewarned. VERY forewarned.
* AllOfThem: After Xander kills the vampire that killed Renee Buffy goes to comfort him, ordering the other slayers to kill the members of the Japanese cult. Every last one of them.
* AlmostDeadGuy: Combining this with HeroicSacrifice and RedemptionEqualsDeath, [[spoiler:Ethan Rayne gives his life to help Buffy.]]
* ArcWelding: [[spoiler:The end of the season sets up the the background of {{Fray}}, written 10 years earlier.]]
* AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever: At one point, Dawn gets turned into a giant...and a doll...and a centaur... Comics Dawnie is [[WeirdnessMagnet all over the place]].
** [[RunningGag Centaurette]].
* BathtubBonding: Occurs between Faith and Genevieve Savidge.
* BettyAndVeronica: Willow is torn between Kennedy and Aluwyn.
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: The group manages to win the day and avert the apocolypse once more. But Giles is dead due to Buffy's hesitation. [[{{Fray}} All magic is gone with the destruction of the seed]], meaning Willow is de-powered. All slayers are viewed as terrorists thanks to much idiocy of a few rogue slayers, who squarely put the blame on Buffy. While vampires are accepted by society. On the upside, Faith takes Angel in to rehabilitate him and Buffy, despite everything thats happened, continues to fight the good fight.]]
* BlandNameProduct: Happy Cat, obviously intended to be Hello Kitty.
* BoomHeadshot: Happens to [[spoiler:Ethan Rayne]] and [[spoiler:The General]].
* BroughtDownToNormal: Aiko; a Slayer who [[{{Squee}} squees]] when Buffy personally calls her after she is impressed the Japanese girl had killed a bunch of demons, is used as a test subject by vampires who want to depower the Slayers. They easily beat her to death and ''string her up'' as a warning\threat to Buffy.
* TheBusCameBack: Actress Elisabeth Röhm (Kate Lockley) left to be on ''Series/LawAndOrder'' and was {{Brother Chuck}}ed from ''Series/{{Angel}}'' in season 2, but makes a comeback in the comics because of course, comics aren't hindered by pesky things like acting contracts.(She appears in ''Series/{{Angel}}: After The Fall'' as a new member of AI in ''Aftermath''.) Similarly Oz (Seth Green), who was PutOnABus in season 4, returns in issue 26.
* CantBelieveISaidThat: In the same story where Buffy sleeps with Satsu, one of the lead vampires is about to kill her, threatening how he bets she tastes sweet. Satsu kills him, retorts "You have no idea", then gets all guilty and ashamed over [[LesYay her words]].
* ComicBookTime: While the television show had one in-series year pass for every real year because each season took a year with an episode roughly every week, Buffy Season 8 has, of course, taken longer to unfold because of the monthly comic schedule. All the characters have been stuck at the same age for the last three real-world years. Season 8 takes place a year and a half after Season 7/half a year after ''Angel'' Season 5 (with the ''Angel'' and ''Spike'' comics in the half-year between).
* {{Crossover}}: ''{{Fray}}'' in ''Time of Your Life.'' Future Willow transports Buffy to the future.
* DetailHoggingCover: The covers are near-photorealistic renditions of the actors, and the actual comics are much less detailed and much more stylized. The resemblance of the comic art to the actors can also vary greatly depending on the panel. An example of this would be [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/DHC_8890.JPG here]]. Compare the art on the left to the art on the right, for instance.
** This is because each issue has two covers. One is the super crazy detailed(done by Jo Chen) pics like [[http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080215230043/buffy/images/thumb/a/aa/BuffyS8-01.jpg/390px-BuffyS8-01.jpg this,]] and the other being more [[http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20081217183315/buffy/images/thumb/4/4d/Btvs12b.jpg/77px-Btvs12b.jpg stylized, usually funnier or sillier.]][[http://buffy.wikia.com/wiki/Buffy_the_Vampire_Slayer_Season_Eight Compare and contrast.]]
* DistractedByTheSexy: Subverted with Angel who, after seeing two attractive woman kiss, just wants to get on with the fight.
* DoubleEntendre: One possible trope this quote could be, the other being AccidentalInnuendo. In Season 8, after Xander is forced to ride [[RunningGag Centaurette]] Dawn (causing her to get soaking wet), this exchange happens (also repeated almost word-for-word in the ''Angel'' comics):
-->'''Xander:''' How're you feeling?
-->'''Centaurette!Dawn:''' Like I was ridden hard and put away wet.
-->'''Xander:''' AGH! Dawn, that's dis -- oh. No. It's just true.
* DramaticUnmask: Subverted by Twilight in the Season Eight comics. His neck just itches.
** He later pulls this on Buffy.
* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: Them F#©%ing. It's Buffy and Angel...you work it out.
* [[spoiler: FlyingBrick]]: That one person(s). You know the one(s). They become this after getting a power-up in Season Eight, although it's PoweredByAForsakenChild: [[spoiler: the power originates from ritually slain slayers.]]
** Not really, Willow got it wrong, Buffy was powered by Twilight itself.
* GenreSavvy: Xander is absolutely GenreSavvy. In Season 2's "Passion," Buffy is considering reveal her secret life as the Slayer to Joyce in order to protect her from Angelus, Xander protests that "the more people who know your secret, the more it cheapens it for the rest of us!"
* GenderFlip: Done InUniverse in ''Series/{{Angel}}''. There was a Hollywood movie (VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory) about The Fall, which had [[http://images.wikia.com/buffy/images/5/55/SheSpike.jpg Spike as a woman.]]
* GrandTheftMe: While being tortured by Amy Willow goes on a tirade about her best friend, Buffy. She then posesses The Slayer so she can guide her to where she is imprisoned.
* GroinAttack: Buffy just can't stay away from Angel's privates can she?
* HeroicBSOD: Angel at the end of Season 8 [[spoiler: after realizing he killed Giles]].
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Ethan]].
* HorrorHunger: Dawn, when changed into a centaurette, mentions a craving for hay. Remember, she still looks human from her body up.
* HumongousMecha: Dawn fights a Mecha-Dawn--complete with a tail-- in Tokyo while still a giant.
* IncrediblyLamePun: [[spoiler:The next universe is started by Buffy and Angel having sex all over the planet and in space. Brings a new meaning to Big Bang, doesn't it? Another slayer says they really fucked things up, literally.]]
* InsistentTerminology: Centaurette, not centaur.
* ItAlwaysRainsAtFunerals: [[spoiler:Giles' funeral.]]
* KarmaHoudini: Spike points out that almost everyone has been evil at one point, and that most of them get away with it after he [[BecomingTheCostume Becomes The Costume]] in a season six Angel comic.
* TheMagicGoesAway
* MildlyMilitary: Buffy treats the Slayer army as a real one, however as she was a [[DrillSergeantNasty shockingly bad instructor]] and Xander is the only one with any military knowledge they make do as amateurs.
* TheMole: [[spoiler:Riley]].
* NoBisexuals: Similar to Willow in the TV series, but reversed: after [[spoiler: Buffy and Satsu]] hook up, several good reasons are given why they can't stay together, but apparently the main reason is that the former is "not a dyke." But could she be bi? The possibility isn't so much as alluded to. Later, we get Kennedy saying "You're not the only fool to ever wrinkle the sheets with a straight girl," which is arguably fair, but the possibility that she's bisexual still isn't mentioned. Her straightness is treated as just obvious.
** An offhand comment by Faith indicates she isn't bisexual. Really into a RomanticTwoGirlFriendship perhaps, but as she says if you want her to go down on a woman you have the wrong chosen one.
* NoExceptYes. Buffy works out that she was woken by a TrueLoveKiss from Satsu, a fellow slayer. She tells her that they can't be with each other. Then Buffy sleeps with her. Then reverting to the way she was with Spike Buffy again tries to break off the romance, then sleeps with Satsu again.
* NotDistractedByTheSexy: Andrew complains that he's bored while the Slayers are playing strip poker, and is completely nonchalant when he sees [[spoiler: Buffy and Satsu naked in bed together]].
** [[HideYourGays That's because he's really, really gay.]]
* NothingIsTheSameAnymore: Given the world-shaking events of the Season 7 finale, this is to be expected. Sunnydale is destroyed, so the series can no longer take place where it was for the past seven seasons. ''All'' the potential slayers have been activated and there are now armies of slayers as well as newly-activated ones in every corner of the globe. The Masquerade is finally broken and the world at large is made aware of the supernatural, not to mention the many deaths in the final battle against The First. Oh yeah, and [[CaptainObvious it's a comic]].
* OurCentaursAreDifferent
* OurGiantsAreBigger
* PetTheDog: Out of all the villains who could get this, the rapist misogynist who murdered Tara, Warren Meers, gets one by jumping in and saving Andrew from a bunch of demons (using a [[IronMan repulsor gauntlet shield]]). Yes, it's as awesome as it sounds (note: he's still evil though, in fact, it's Amy who starts to want to help, Warren just likes Andrew).
* PostScriptSeason
* PropheciesAreAlwaysRight: Oh so averted. Buffy and Angel really don't give a damn if the universe has been planning its death since its creation, they aren't doing it (well, they're doing ''it'', that's what got them into this problem, but they aren't ending the universe).
* PsychoticSmirk: Buffy gives a particularly frightening one to a vampire as it's doused in fuel, threatening to KillItWithFire.
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Ethan, arguably Giles.]]
* RedHerring: The "Black Hope"'s other alias, "The Madwoman," and her manner of dressing seem to openly imply that the Black Hope is Drusilla; [[spoiler: its actually Willow.]]
* RedshirtArmy: the new generation Slayers. After the first few issues, if a Slayer you haven't met turns up, or a large number of them are gathered together? They're going to be horribly killed.
* {{Retcon}}: The notion that vampires are AlwaysChaoticEvil was starting to be done away with possibly as early as season 5, but it doesn't really take off until the comics. The bonus/supplementary issue following 25, ''Tales of the Vampire'', involves the aftermath of a teenage boy being transformed into a vampire, and neither he nor his vampire friends even come close to acting like any of the soulless monsters in seasons 1-3 of the television series. He briefly considers killing his mom, but quickly decides against it when she reveals that [[PetTheDog she still loves him no matter what]]. The idea of vampires killing people for food is even thrown out the window with Harmony's in-universe television show demonstrating that they can survive on non-lethal amount of blood from people. It goes hand in hand with the increasingly BlackAndGreyMorality of the series.
* RetiredMonster: Dracula. Yes, Dracula. Because he's most likely madly in love... with Xander. Dracula.
* RunningGag: In ''[[Series/{{Angel}} Bedroom Follies]]'': "What are you doing in my room?!"
* SnakePeople: Aluwyn
* SoLastSeason: See Willow, probably ''the'' most powerful witch in the world, singlehandedly responsible for activating all the potential Slayers, a feat more impressive than the creation of the original Slayer to begin with. Then other magic users and monsters show up that can throw around equally impressive and powerful magic right back at her, including the formerly much-less talented witch, [[strike:rat]] Amy. Even Buffy's Slayer abilities become pretty obsolete in the face of a giant army of full Slayers and Willow's magic.
* SpeechBubbles: Warren speaks with irregular and somewhat-squiggly bubbles and Twilight talks in a different font.
* SummonBiggerFish: Powerless Slayers vs. US Military? Summon 3 Tibetan Goddesses.
* SurprisinglySuddenDeath: Good lord, by this point someone should have slapped Sunnydale with the label "Death Trap" with all the times this trope is invoked.
* SymbolSwearing
** Taken to the next level when one issue ends with "I think they're F#@%ing" and the next issue being called "Them F#©%ing (Plus the True History of the Universe)".
* TakeThat: The Season 8 comic series started over a year before the success of ''[[Literature/{{Twilight}} another franchise that featured a human girl in love with a vampire]]'', so no-one thought much about the BigBad of the season being named ''Twilight'', with Buffy's only interaction with the villain coming before the other series became well known. But when they come face to face for the first time since then, Buffy points out the she did the whole Human-Girl-In-Love-With-a-Vampire thing first, and her vampire was ''so'' much better than the other one.
* TimeTravel: To ''{{Fray}}''.
* TimeyWimeyBall: Future [[spoiler: Dark Willow]] exploits the time travel confusion for all it's worth to manipulate people to her advantage.
* TrueLovesKiss: With Buffy down for the count it's determined that one of these is the order of the day. At the time it was hinted that Xander gives it, but Buffy later figures out that it was fellow Slayer [[LesYay Satsu.]] Her reaction is that it was sweet, but they can't be together. Then they sleep together. Twice.
* UncleSamWantsYou: [[http://images.darkhorse.com/covers/300/14/14836b.jpg The Chain.]] Also doubles as a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming.
* TheUnmasquedWorld: The main focus of the comics, really.
* [[YouCantGoHomeAgain You Can't Go Home Again Because You Turned It Into A Huge-Ass Crater]]
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Harmony Kendall becomes a reality star and raises the public's opinion of vampires considerably. Likewise, she turns the Slayer Organization into a HeroWithBadPublicity
* WithAFriendAndAStranger: With the protagonist as stranger variation.
* ZeroGSpot: Buffy and [[spoiler: Angel]] during the "Twilight" arc in the comics.
** This is, of course, in the issue "Them F#©%ing (Plus the True History of the Universe)"
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Season Nine (Including "Angel and Faith")]]
* [[ActuallyADoombot Actually a Buffybot:]] A recent comic reveals that for some time now (possibly foreshadowed from the beginning of the season) that the Buffy we see is a robot. It has her traits enough, remembering Buffy's reaction to a robot version of her, to completely flip.
-->Spike...I'm a f*&^ing robot!
** [[spoiler: The latest issue reveals that it was an advanced Buffybot made by [[MadScientist Andrew]] and loaded with Buffy's mind to act as a decoy for a new BigBad, and the season starts with it waking up after the upload.]]
* [[UnclePennybags Aunt Pennybags]]: [[spoiler: Giles]]' latest WhatTheHellHero moment was to leave Faith everything in his will. If you know Faith you know she's [[AxCrazy usually]] fun to be around, but she's also putting that new found wealth to good use, from helping Angel and his research to paying off the Arsenal football team when a Slayer picks a fight with them.
* BroughtDownToNormal: Buffy, in particular, but it can be jarring to see everybody else being so...so normal. Simone by proxy attempts to have her depowered and slain. Especially Willow, who has no powers at all.
* ClosetGeek: Not only does Faith have {{Batman}} pajamas she makes enough StarWars references to make one think she had been hanging out with Andrew. She also makes some StarWars references.
* CombatTentacles: The Plagiarus demon.
* ContinuityNod: When the cops show up, Buffy recalls her career aptitude test results recommending that she become a police officer.
* CurbStompBattle: The half-demon twins Nash and Pearl vs a Slayer squad in a flashback. The Slayers don't win.
* DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife: Buffy looks like she's slowly turning bonkers after everything she lost.
** Andrew reveals to Buffy at the party that he's set up a disaster relief fund with some other slayers, much to her dismay as he has made something of his life and she, as yet, has not without being The Slayer.
* DistractedByTheSexy: Faith looks like she is going to pull this when a slayer picks a fight with the Arsenal football team, and she later muses how she would have done it before. It turns out Faith used beer as a viable solution to the conflict.
* {{Gorn}}: The first issue of "Angel and Faith" is very bloody.
* Angel, after his HeroicBSOD in Season 8 [[spoiler: having killed Giles.]] What brings him out of his HeroicBSOD is the hope that can [[MustMakeAmends find a way to]] [[spoiler: resurrect Giles.]]
* ItGotWorse: If you thought Buffy's life was bad before...vampires are beloved, Slayers are seen as the enemy, Buffy herself has a dead end job in a cafe, she just wants to be normal despite slaying being the only thing she feels she can do, and her friends have largely shunned her.
* JerkassHasApoint: Kennedy might be seen as TheScrappy but when she offers Buffy a job she's pretty on the ball about bodyguard work, a vampire loving world, even tapping into Buffy's fears.
* {{Jossed}}: In season seven it looks like Faith slept with Spike. When Harmony introduces herself in the comics however Faith offers these words.
-->"I love that '''I'm''' supposed to be the slutty one when [[ContinuityNod everyone]] '''but''' me has nailed Spike."
* ManipulativeBastard: Arguably Whistler.
** [[ManipulativeBastard Manipuilative Bitch]]: Simone was behind the attack on Buffy.
* MustMakeAmends: Angel wants to make up for killing [[spoiler:Giles]] by finding a way to bring [[spoiler:him]] back from the dead.
* OlderAndWiser: Believe it or not Faith. She's a CoolBigSis to other Slayers, uses her mistakes as a basis of what to do, and Angel personally picked her for her held because she would guide him or stop him if he becomes obsessed, crazy or dangerous.
* OurVampiresAreDifferent / OurZombiesAreDifferent: Without the Magic Seed allowing demons to posses a sired body. Vampires are now much more mindless and feral. The Scoobies call them Zompires (Zombie/Vampires) So as not to confuse them.
* PacManFever: Buffy's roommates are seen playing MassEffect, specifically Liara fighting Collectors, which doesn't occur in game. Doubles as a ShoutOut since Dark Horse comics are behind both adaptations.
* PlatonicLifePartners: What Angel and Faith have become.
* PuppeteerParasite: The Pagiarus demon again.
* ShoutOut: The latest (Jan\Feb 2012) Buffy comic has the cover in the style of {{Batman}}. For those who saw Faith wearing Batman pajamas in her series they should have seen it coming.
** Faith updates Angel on the latest inmates from ArkhamAsylum, while tracking a demon that feeds on trauma.
** The last issue with Simone and the Bot has someone wearing a skull t shirt. It certainly wasn't ThePunisher, but it likely refers to the last series as both were published at around the same time.
* StupidSexyFlanders: Willow engenders this reaction in Buffy's roommate Anaheed.
* TheBusCameBack: Simone; last seen executing [[TheDragon the general at war with the Slayers]], is driving around San Francisco, armed to her back teeth, promising that she won't let the world forget about the Slayers. [[OhCrap This...this can't be good]].
* TheCameo: DavidTennant appeared in "In Perfect Harmony."
* WeNeedADistraction: One of Faith's Slayers picks a fight with a soccer team. Faith looks like she is going to flash them, only to draw attention to the drinks she bought so they'd lay off.
* WhatDidIDoLastNight: ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9'' #1 opens with Buffy waking up in a trashed room thinking:
-->"God... What have I done? Also, why did I do whatever it was I've done? Also, where am I?"
* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: The basic view of the world, with Slayers being seen as terrorists persecuting vampires who are now beloved. Simone does not help, her appearance in the first issue even invoking that she is a domestic terrorist.
[[/folder]]
----
[[folder: Season One]]
* AndIMustScream: Happens at the end of "The Witch".
* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking:
--> '''Principal Snyder:''' There are things I will not tolerate. Students loitering on campus after school. Horrible murders with hearts being removed. And also smoking.
* BigNo: The Master does one of these at the end of "The Harvest," when [[spoiler:Buffy kills Luke, ruining the Harvest]].
* BlankBook: Moloch's prison-book after he escapes.
* BloodBath: The {{Pilot}} episode shows [[BigBad The Master]] hanging out in a pool of blood while [[NonNudeBathing fully dressed]].
* CarFu: Cordelia plows through a horde of vampires with her car in "Prophecy Girl."
* ChekhovsClassroom: "Teacher's Pet" features a lecture from the science teacher's substitute about the cannibalism seen in female praying mantises. Guess what the MonsterOfTheWeek is?
* TheChosenZero: Giles's initial reaction to Buffy.
* CliffHanger: "Teacher's Pet". The she-mantis has left some eggs and they're starting to hatch.
* ConspicuousTrenchcoat: “I Robot, You Jane”
* DateMyAvatar: Willow once dated her nice charming chat-buddy Malcolm... who was actually a incorporeal murderous demon possessing the computer system.
* DeadStarWalking: Joss Whedon hoped to include actor Eric Balfour (Jesse) in the title credits to shock viewers when his character dies. Unfortunately, the show literally could not afford an extra set of title credits at the time.
* DemonicDummy: Subversion. It seemed like the dummy was killing students, but it turned out he was actually ''hunting'' the thing that was killing the students.
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Buffy was originally very chaste in manner and dress, with "earthy" hair coloring and makeup. In Season Two, the producers decided they wanted a more vibrant look for the character. This coincided with Sarah Michelle Gellar having her hair cut shorter, and dyed blonder, for her role in ''{{Scream}} 2'', which she filmed in-between seasons one and two.
** This pilot episode is the only time when we see Xander riding a skateboard, since the scene required a lot of space and was difficult to shoot. In later episodes we can see Xander holding a skateboard a couple of times, but never again does he ride one.
** The pilot and "Harvest" are two of the few episodes that feature the upper level of the Bronze. Joss Whedon wrote the script to feature the two levels, but didn't realize how difficult it would be to shoot these scenes. Not only was it impractical in terms of filming and lighting, but it stretched their already [[NoBudget non-existent budget]].
** When a pack of vamps chase Buffy and Angel into the Summers house, one of the pursuers gets his hand through the door before Buffy slams the door on his wrist. It is later established that, barring an invitation, an invisible force field encases the doorway to keep vampires out. The henchvamp shouldn't have been able to get his arm through like that. ("Angel")
** In "Witch" (season 1, episode 3), Giles seems unfamiliar with magiks, saying "Pretty good for my first [spell-]casting, eh?" and such--which is totally at odds with his, y'know, rebellious [[JohnConstantine Hellblazer]] youth period.
** Well, Giles had been trying to keep his past a secret. Besides, it might have been the first time he had done a spell while pretending to be alot less badass then he really was (remember, the uptight tweed-wearer thing was implied to be an act).
* EliteMooks: The Three. Luke. Darla.
* EnvironmentalSymbolism: Angel’s statue of [[UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}} Kwan Yin]] – like a true Bodhisattva, Angel will delay his own enlightenment to ease the suffering of others.
* EyeScream: The Master, after making a mook apologize to him for failing, admonishes him about ''[[GoryDiscretionShot (SQUISH)]]'' something in his eye.
* FaceYourFears: Xander gets to punch a clown in "Nightmares".
* FailedAuditionPlot: In "Witch", Buffy tries out for the cheerleading team but initially doesn't make the cut. Later in the episode she does get a spot on the team... which ends up making her a target for the witch who is magically injuring other cheerleaders to earn herself a spot.
* FakingAmnesia: Xander pulls this in "The Pack", after being possessed by the spirit of a hyena. After Buffy and Willow save him, he tells them that he can't remember a thing and hopes he didn't do anything "too embarrassing". Giles, however, sees right through it.
-->'''Giles''': "I've been reading up on my animal possession and I cannot find anything anywhere about memory loss afterward."\\'''Xander''': "Did you tell ''them'' that?"\\
'''Giles''': "Your secret dies with me."\\
'''Xander''': "''Shoot me, stuff me, mount me''."
* ForgottenFallenFriend: Willow and Xander's close friend Jesse. A SacrificialLamb in the pilot, then never mentioned again. Made more {{egregious}} by Xander making a reference made to before the two met Buffy as "just you and me."
* GlasgowSmile: Marcie intends to do this to Cordelia in "Out of Mind, Out of Sight".
--> '''Marcie:''' Your smile... I think it should be ''wider''.
* GloryDays: A witch switches places with her cheerleader daughter because she misses being a cheerleader.
* GrandTheftMe: See GloryDays
* GraveClouds: In a first-season episode, it is always night in a graveyard that had been magically relocated next to Sunnydale High.
* HauntedTechnology: "I Robot, You Jane".
* HollywoodNerd: An EnforcedTrope with Willow. The pilot had Willow played by a plus-sized actress but Whedon was ordered to replace her with a thinner, more conventionally attractive actress.
* HookHand: One of the Master's vampires has blades where one of his hands used to be.
* ICommaNoun: "I Robot, You Jane".
* IfYouCanReadThis: At the end of "Out of Mind, Out of Sight", a textbook on infiltrating a cult compound to assassinate its leader is readable in DVD format, and consists of the lyrics to "Happiness is a Warm Gun" by Music/TheBeatles.
* TheLonelyPiano: The Buffy theme plays slowly on a piano over the final scene of ''Prophecy Girl''.
* MailerDaemon: Moloch the Corruptor.
* AManIsNotAVirgin: "Teacher's Pet" seems to exist to highlight and subvert the trope.
* MurderByCremation: "Never Kill a Boy on the First Date".
* OnceKilledAManWithANoodleImplement: In the first episode, Buffy mentions having once killed a vampire using only an exacto knife.
* RemoteBody: In "I Robot, You Jane", the demon Moloch creates a mechanical robot self he operates via the internet. Eventually he gets stuck in that body.
* SacrificialLamb: Jesse.
* SignsOfTheEndTimes: Mrs. Calender knows the Hellmouth is about to open based on locally occurring portents; a family's swimming pool begins to boil (with them in it), a cat gives birth to a litter of snakes and a baby is born with his eyes facing inward.
* SpontaneousHumanCombustion: In one of the earliest episodes, Giles initially attributes this as the cause for a cheerleader bursting into flames; it's later revealed to have been caused by a witch's spell.
* StabTheScorpion: Variation between the Master and a mook in "Never Kill a Boy on the First Date" where the Master (who could certainly kill the mook with his index finger) plucks a bug outo f the air next to the mook's head.
* StockScream: Shows up in "The Harvest".
* TakeFive: In "Prophecy Girl", Xander wants to get Buffy alone so he can ask her out:
-->'''Xander''': Willow, don't you have a thing?\\
'''Willow''': A thing? The thing! That I have! Which is... a thing I have to go to. See ya later.
* TheEndOrIsIt: After polishing off the She-Mantis, we see that there are still some [[{{Alien}} Ridley Scott]]-esque hatchlings in her closet. ("Teacher's Pet")
** The Master's skeleton.
* VainSorceress: Catherine Madison
* VirginPower: Subversion in "Teacher's Pet", where it just seems to increase your odds of [[OutWithABang sex with a murderous humanoid mantis]].
* YouAreWhoYouEat: The brain-eating demon that wanted to eat Giles' brain to look human.
* YourMindMakesItReal: What causes the MonsterOfTheWeek in "Out of Sight, Out of Mind"
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Season Two]]
* AbandonedWarehouse: Spike and Drusilla use one as their lair.
* AboveTheInfluence: Willow and Buffy practically strip down and jump Xander's bones in "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered", but Xander refuses to let them. After the LovePotion wears off, Buffy is proud of him for it.
* AbsurdlyIneffectiveBarricade: In the episode "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered", after a spell gone awry has caused every girl in the school aside from Cordelia to fall madly in love with Xander, he attempts to take refuge in the school library by moving the the card catalogue in front of the double doors that serve as the entrance. Since he apparently didn't realize that the doors open outwards, a coat (and not much else) wearing Buffy calmly opens the doors and walks around the catalogue while Xander's back is turned.
* AlienCatnip: Slayer blood and high people for vampires.
--> '''Spike:''' If every vampire who said he was at the Crucifixion was actually there it would've been like Woodstock. I was actually at Woodstock... that was a ''weird'' gig. I fed off a flower person and I spent six hours watching my hand move.
* AndThisIsFor: Xander in "Reptile Boy"
-->"This is for the bra! This is for the wig! This is for the makeup! And this is for the last 16 and a half years!"
* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking:
-->'''Snyder:''' Halloween must be a big night for you. Tossing eggs, keying cars, bobbing for apples...one pathetic cry for help after another.
* BecomingTheCostume: "Halloween".
* {{BFG}}: Buffy DoesNotLikeGuns. She thinks guns are never helpful. Apparently she doesn't think a AT-4 rocket launcher is a gun, [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome as she uses one to kill The Judge.]]
* BiggerBad: Acathla.
* BlackAndWhiteMorality: Sort of with the Judge, who kills based on whether a target has humanity or not. Any vampire with sufficiently human traits--like interest in books, or involvement in romance--is a fair target to him, even if they're otherwise serving evil purposes.
* BlatantLies: “Lie to Me”
* BrainwashResidue: Xander retains some of his soldier knowledge after "Halloween".
* BreakInThreat: Angelus sneaks into Buffy's bedroom while she's sleeping and draws a picture of her, which he leaves for her to find in the morning.
* ByTheEyesOfTheBlind: The child-killing demon Der Kindestod from "Killed by Death" can only be seen by young people with fevers.
* CallBack: Plenty of em. When Ethan "leaves" in Halloween Giles finds a card with "Be seeing you," on it. Be Seeing You is what Eyghon later says while leaving Giles' apartment in Jenny.
* CarnivalOfKillers - the Order of Teraka sent a superstrong cyclops, a WormThatWalks and a BadassNormal posing as a uniformed cop to kill Buffy.
* CensorshipBySpelling: Famously in "When She Was Bad".
-->'''Willow''': But why is she acting like such a B-I-T-C-H?\\
'''Giles''': Come on Willow, we're a bit old to be spelling things out.\\
'''Xander''': ...a bitca?
* ComputerEqualsMonitor: Angelus is satisfied that Jenny's electronic translation of the incantation that would restore Angel's soul is gone when he shoves her computer off her desk. The problem is, while the ''monitor'' was wrecked, the actual PC received minimal damage... Justified--not like a 200 year-old vampire would really know how a computer works. His monologue before destroying the computer even makes it explicit. Later episodes also imply that her hard drive was indeed undamaged.
* ContemplatingYourHands: Spike mentions doing this for six hours at Woodstock, after feeding off a "flower person".
* ContinuityNod: When he asks out Ampata in "Inca Mummy Girl", Xander takes care to make sure she's not a praying mantis.
* DeadlyHug: Buffy does this to Angel in the season 2 finale, although she has to let go of him first since she does it with a sword.
* DeadMansChest: In "Inca Mummy Girl" the mummy hid the body of the real Ampata in one of his trunks.
* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: One episode is named "Killed by Death". Although by "Death", we mean "''[[GrimReaper Death]]''".
* DieHardOnAnX: ''School Hard'', AKA Die Hard with vampires. The Bronze is also a popular location for hostage-takings ("The Harvest", "Doppelgangland").
* DoomedAppointment: Ms. Calendar.
* EggSitting
* EmbarrassingTattoo: The Mark of Eyghon, which Giles never gets removed (as we see it in Season 8, which leads to a conversation with Faith about how he and her are not as different as she thinks). Said conversation is even more meaningful if you know [[http://buffy.wikia.com/wiki/Mark_of_Kakistos the origins]] of her tattoo. Both of them are the mark of a demon, in her case Kakistos (the really mutated vamp that killed her Watcher). She got it from being possessed by a dead Greek Slayer.
* EmpathicEnvironment: In Angelus' first episode, the lights suddenly go out on Xander and Willow inside the school. Angelus appears in a darkened hallway, his [[SinisterSilhouettes shape]] blocking a lit EXIT sign.
* FishPeople: The [[{{Mutants}} mutated]] swim team in "Go Fish".
* ForgottenFriendNewFoe: Billy Fordham, "Lie To Me."
* GroinAttack: Buffy can't bring herself to kill Angelus in "Innocence", but settles for this.
* GroupieBrigade: "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered".
* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: In the season 2 premiere, Buffy tortures a vamp by making her swallow her silver necklace.
** If Band Candy is anything to go by, Ripper, even years before he was at his worst, was a huge fan of this.
* HaveYouTriedNotBeingAMonster: One of the trope namers. With Buffy coming out to her mother as a Slayer.
* HemoErotic / MarshmallowHell: A flashback of Angel being sired by Darla.
* HilarityEnsues: Spike says wackiness ensues in "The Becoming, part 1".
* IfICantHaveYou: An alarmingly common conclusion among the enchanted female populace in "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered".
* IJustWantToBeNormal: Ampata, a former Incan mummy from "Inca Mummy Girl" chosen as a sacrifice to protect her people, raises herself from the dead and is determined to lead a happy 16 year-old girl's life--even if she has to kill at least one person a day to keep up the facade.
* ImpossiblyMundaneExplanation: the gang is attempting to contact Buffy.
--> '''Xander:''' Well, she didn't go home. I let the phone ring a few hundred times before I remembered her mom is out of town.\\
'''Giles:''' Well, maybe Buffy unplugged the phone.\\
'''Xander:''' No, it's a statistical impossibility for a 16-year-old girl to unplug her phone.\\
'''Willow:''' *nods*.
* IndustrializedEvil: "The Wish".
* KissOfDeath: Ampata.
* LateToThePunchLine: In ''Lie To Me'', Buffy recounts listening to the Divinyls' song "I Touch Myself", in fifth grade to help her get over Ford's rejection, and then mentions that she had no idea at the time what the song was about. Thirty seconds later Willow says, "Oh! ''That's'' what that song is about?!"
* LifeDrinker: Not the vampires, actually, but rather Ampata from "Inca Mummy Girl". She was an Andean mummy who sucked living humans' life forces dry to stay alive herself.
* MagicFloppyDisk: A literal one: The spell to restore Angelus' soul is encoded on a misplaced floppy.
* MakeWayForTheNewVillains: Spike pulls this on the Anointed One in season two.
* MurderInc: The Order of Taraka.
* NightmareFuelColoringBook: In "Killed by Death", the patient Ryan draws a creepy picture of Der Kindestod. He thanks Buffy for killing the demon by drawing a not-much-less creepy picture of Buffy in the act.
* NightSwimEqualsDeath: In "Go Fish".
* NoExceptYes:
-->'''Giles:''' Let's not jump to any conclusions.
-->'''Buffy:''' I didn't ''jump''. I took a tiny step, and there conclusions were.
* ObfuscatingDisability: In the last four episodes of season 2, Spike is only pretending to still need his wheelchair.
* OneDialogueTwoConversations:
** When Willow starts discussing Buffy's secret affair with Angel, Xander immediately deflects the discussion to ''their'' sordid tryst. This proves to be consistent behavior between Willow and Xander throughout the season; the stress of being caught cheating is so overwhelming, they keep blurting out psuedo-confessions to anyone in sight.
** In "Phases", Xander confronts Larry the bully about his secret, which Xander can understand because he's been there before. Xander's talking about being a werewolf. Larry's talking about being a [[ArmoredClosetGay closeted homosexual]]. Later on in the episode, Buffy and Xander chat about the day's events, and Xander says he'll have trouble ever looking at him the same way again. Buffy's talking about the werewolf, Oz, but Xander's talking about Larry.
* APartyAlsoKnownAsAnOrgy: The college party in "Reptile Boy".
* PureIsNotGood: From "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered":
-->'''Amy:''' I don't know, Xander. Intent has to be pure with love spells.\\
'''Xander:''' Right! I intend revenge. Pure as the driven snow.
* RealDreamsAreWeirder: Buffy's dreams about Drusilla's return are mingled with dreams of opening an office-supply warehouse in Las Vegas.
* TheRemnant: The Annointed One's army
* RomanceInducingSmudge: A rare romantic moment passes between Willow and Xander in the season two episode "When She Was Bad", when Willow gets ice cream on her nose as the pair are walking past a cemetery. As Xander leans in to clean it for her, the two look like they are about to kiss... until a vampire pops up behind Willow, forcing Xander to attempt to hold it off and killing a {{Squee}}-inducing moment for Willow x Xander shippers.
** Willow later attempted to ''invoke'' this trope by putting ice cream on her own nose, but Xander, now once again distracted by Buffy, simply says ''"You got something on your nose."''
* SerialEscalation: "Hmm, [[CompleteMonster Angelus]] certainly did a good job inflicting torture and trauma. How can we top it?" They continue this trend throughout the series.
* ShakingHerHairLoose: In "Go Fish", Buffy pulls a stake out of her hair and shakes it loose as she prepares to fight a vampire.
* ShockParty: In the aptly named episode "Surprise". In something of a variation, it's actually '''Oz''' who gets the shock; seeing Buffy staking a vamp for the first time.
** Later in season 5 we have the organizing variation with Tara.
* SickEpisode: "Killed by Death".
* StabTheSalad: Happened in "School Hard". The gang is preparing an imminent attack from Spike. Willow is fidgeting with a crossbow, Xander & Cordelia are carving stakes and Buffy holds up a machete, which she uses to slice zuccini.
* StakingTheLovedOne: Several times, most notably with Angelus.
* StandardFiftiesFather: Ted seems like one of these at first, but is actually [[spoiler:a killer robot]].
* StatingTheSimpleSolution: Spike is rather miffed about Angelus deciding to [[VillainBall toy with Buffy]] instead of just killing her outright.
* StuffedIntoTheFridge: In "Passion", Angelus not only kills Jenny Calendar, but after he kills her, he takes her body and puts it in Giles' bed and leaves a trail of romantic symbols (such as rose petals) that lead Giles to Jenny's body.
* SwordFight: Becoming, Part 2. Hell yes.
* TeacherStudentRomance
* TemptingFate: "Passion":
-->'''Angelus:''' Don't worry, ''[[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain rollerboy]]'', I've got it under control.\\
''([[StormingTheCastle Giles tosses a Molotov cocktail]].)''
* TheirFirstTime: Multiple instances, but this is the most important.
* ThisExplainsSoMuch:
--> '''Xander:''' Yes, vampires are real, there are a lot of them in Sunnydale.\\
'''Willow:''' I know this must come as a shock...\\
'''Oz:''' Actually, it explains a ''lot''.
* TooDumbToLive: Billy Ford. Want to cure your cancer? [[InsaneTrollLogic All you have to do is ask some nice vampires to turn you into a vampire in exchange for giving them the Slayer.]] [[SarcasmMode Nothing wrong with this plan AT ALL.]]
** Except Ford wasn't trying to 'cure' his cancer, he was dying and had nothing to lose. [[spoiler:The plan actually worked too, except that Buffy survived (not Ford's fault) to stake Ford when he emerged from his grave.]]
* TwoGuysAndAGirl: Spike, Angelus, and Drusilla form a rather twisted example.
* UnresolvedSexualTension: Try an entire season's worth of Bangel UST climaxing in a single orgasmic KissOfTheVampire.
* [[ValentinesDayEpisodes Valentine's Day Episode]]: "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered", although most of the episode is simply the messy aftermath of a badly handled Valentine's Day between Cordelia and Xander. Angelus had some romance-themed MindRape in store for Buffy, but said aftermath was too distracting.
* WhatTheHellHero: During the first episode of the season, When She Was Bad, Buffy's behavior in the Bronze, toward Xander in particular, is so obnoxious that Cordelia, of all people, decides to call her on it, warning her that if she doesn't cool it, she'll "lose even the loser friends you have now."
* WithThisRing: Angel and Buffy's Claddagh rings.
* YouNeverDidThatForMe: While Xander and Cordelia's relationship was still a secret to the rest of the scoobies, Cordelia protested as Xander declared that he was off to help Buffy out of yet another sticky situation.
--> '''Cordelia''': "There you go, off to save the great Buffy again... I bet you'd never do that for me..."
* WhoNeedsEnemies: Spike's uneasy alliance with Buffy at the end of the second season.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Season Three]]
* AloneAmongTheCouples: Discussed at the beginning, and they set out to avert it.
* AreYouSureYouCanDriveThisThing: Buffy drives to the Bronze even thought she failed her driving test, with Willow in the passenger's seat. Willow gets increasingly anxious, despite Buffy's relaxed-ness. They make it to the Bronze [[spoiler:which they discover is full of middle-aged people acting like teenagers due to cursed candy]]; then Buffy attempts to drive to Giles' house, which results in a crash.
-->[[CrowningMomentOfFunny "Wooo Summers, you drive like a]] '''[[CrowningMomentOfFunny SPAZ!!!]]'''
* BalefulPolymorph
* BrandX: Trick orders a "medium diet soda" at a drive-thru window without actually specifying ''what'' soda in "Faith, Hope & Trick".
* BroughtDownToNormal: Buffy in "Helpless", as part of a test by the Watcher's Council.
* BuryYourGays: Larry in "Graduation Day, part two. Was confirmed later.
* CardCarryingVillain: ''Faith.'' After the aaccidental murder of the deputy mayor she throws herself so far into villainy that she becomes about as scary as [[CompleteMonster Angelus.]] [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in that she first wanted to corrupt Buffy by forcing her to kill her, then it turns out Faith genuinely did have a death wish.
* ChildrenAreInnocent: The demon from "Gingerbread" uses this to get the parents of Sunnydale to kill witches and anyone who protects them, including their own children.
* CollapsedMidSpeech: The Mayor starts his Ascension in the middle of his speech to the graduating students, which causes him strong pains. However, he knew that it would happen and his collapse last few moments before he turns into a demonic snake. He only complains that he doesn't have time left to talk about civic pride.
* ContinuityNod: "Lily" and her boyfriend attempting to buy lunch at a diner by dumping a bunch of change onto the table. David Arquette and Luke Perry did the exact same thing in the ''Buffy'' feature film.
* DaddysLittleVillain: Faith takes on this role with gusto.
* DestructoNookie: the overtly sexualized scene in the season finale when Buffy makes Angel vamp out and drink her blood. While he's lying on top of her, she grabs a metal object for support, and it just crumples. She also kicks a table through a wall. Angel leaves her with the most insane hickey in history through all of season 4.
* {{Dissimile}}: It seems Buffy has Gandhi confused with Teddy Roosevelt.
** Xander talks tacks about selling chocolate to support for the school's band, but loses focus as [[FootsieUnderTheTable Willow's foot creeps up his shin]].
-->'''Xander''': The band. Yeah. They're great. [[DistractedByTheSexy They march]].\\
'''Willow:''' Like an army. [beat] Except with music instead of bullets, and...usually no one dies.
** Wilkins explains that to Faith that her errand in question involves something crucial to his ascension. He brightly says that without it, "well, what would Tollhouse cookies be without the chocolate chips?" Faith regards her cookie as if she's actually pondering that zen question. He continues, "A pretty [[GoshDarnItToHeck darn big disappointment]], I can tell you!"
* {{Dominatrix}}: Picture this scene: You're tied up in a cage with burn marks over your body and a cute little girl in leather bondage gear enters. From the baby talk calling you puppy it's clear she is crazy, and she reacts to the silent treatment you give her with the promise that she is going to make you bark.
* DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale: Averted in Faith's attempted rape and murder of Xander. Angel first hits her on the head with a baseball bat to stop her, and when she wakes up he dubiously asks her about it.
-->"He forgot the safety word?"
* DumbAndDrummer: Faith's list of loser ex-boyfriends goes "Ronnie: deadbeat. Steve: klepto. Kenny: '''drummer'''."
* EnhanceButton: Mocked.
* FaceHeelTurn: Faith. It starts in "Bad Girls" and continues with "Consequences".
* FemmeFatale: Darla, Drusilla, and Faith.
* FinalBossPreview: The First is first seen in Season 3.
* FiveManBand:
** TheHero: Buffy.
** TheMentor: Giles
** TheLancer: Xander, Willow
** TheSmartGuy: Willow, Dawn in S7.
** TheBigGuy: Angel, Oz, Riley, and Spike, in succession. Each also counts as a SixthRanger.
** TheChick: Xander, Cordelia (seasons 2-3), Tara (seasons 4-5), Dawn (Seasons 5-6) Anya.
** TagalongKid: Dawn.
** TokenEvilTeammate: Spike, at first.
** TheLoad: Wesley
* FriendToPsychos: In "Beauty and the Beasts," Debbie tries to cover for her boyfriend Pete when he starts going through a Jekyll/Hyde situation. She's not very good at it, though.
* GoMadFromTheIsolation: Wishverse Buffy is an even more by-the-book Slayer than Kendra, perhaps second only to the First Slayer.
* TheGlomp: Willow, courtesy of, well...''everybody''. The Scoobies, having mistaken her for Wishverse Willow, are elated when she turns out to be still alive.
-->'''Willow:''' It's really nice that you guys missed me. Say, you all didn't happen to do a bunch of drugs, did ya?
** Despite being accepted into Oxford, Willow announces to Buffy that she "will be matriculating with Class of 2003" at UC Sunnydale. The mischievous smile. "...Say, isn't that where you're going?" Buffy squees and [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming tackles her to the grass]].
** And GILES gets one from Xander, Willow, and Anya when they think he was The First.
--->'''Giles''': "So you think I'm evil because I took a bunch of fifteen-year-old girls out on a camping trip... and ''didn't'' touch any of them?"
* GoodIsNotSoft: When Angel is poisoned and Buffy learns that Slayer blood is the cure, her rather scary initial plan is to force the psychotic Faith to him to feed on, dead or alive. When that doesn't work Buffy offers herself to feed on, which Angel absolutely refuses. So Buffy punches him in the face until the blows anger him enough to vamp out, then she makes him feed on her.
* GratuitousGerman: In the episode "Gingerbread", the newspaper article the gang looks up and the chant Giles is doing at the end of the episode qualifies for this.
* HandsOnApproach: Willow and Xander have this problem. Unbeknownst to them, Buffy and Angel are also struggling to keep their hand off of...things.
* HannibalHasAPoint: Spike's legendary "Love's Bitch" speech.
-->""You're not 'friends.' You'll ''never'' be friends. You'll be in love 'til it kills you both. You'll fight, and you'll shag and you'll hate each other 'til it makes you quiver, but you'll never be friends. Love isn't brains, children, it's blood. Blood screaming inside you to work its will. I may be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it."
** This is echoed by Mayor Wilkin, who doesn't foresee anything good for Angel and Buffy's relationship. He's reminded of his own wife in her last days, senile and cursing Wilkins for his eternal youth.
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: "Gingerbread" begins with Buffy's mom finding two young children after [[spoiler: what looks like]] a magical rite. She responds by organizing the other parents in Sunnydale into an organization to go after witches (and Slayers.) The episode ends with them all trying to burn ''their own children'' at the stake.
* HiddenDepths: Cordelia, Oz. They score surprisingly well on standardized tests.
* HighDiveEscape: A darker variation in the lead up to the season 3 finale where a brutal fight between [[TheHero Buffy]] and [[DarkActionGirl Faith]] ends with Faith stabbed in the stomach and on the edge of a rooftop. Faith knows Buffy needs her blood to heal [[TheAtoner Angel]], so she falls backwards off of the roof onto the back of a truck, which carries her [[NotQuiteDead now comatose]] body away before Buffy can catch up to it.
* HomeFieldAdvantage: The third season finale was one huge HFA. The mayor is giving the commencement address at Buffy's graduation, which is also where his Ascension is going to occur. In response, the Scoobies organize the entire senior class to fight off the Mayor's vampires and hold the Mayor at bay until Buffy lures him into the library, which they've already filled with explosives. He dies.
* HostageForMacGuffin: Subverted: No betrayal happens.
* HuntingTheMostDangerousGame
* IThinkYouBrokeHim: "Beauty and the Beasts" has a rare version that's not played for comedy.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: Cordelia, although she survives. Also most vampires and a few other monsters.
* InsecureLoveInterest: Why Angel breaks up with Buffy.
* ItsAWonderfulPlot: In "The Wish", Cordelia unwittingly makes the demon Anyanka create a world wherein Buffy never moved to Sunnydale, which has turned into a truly hellish place where the Master and his army of vampires rules practically unopposed. The whole thing later gets a twist as Cordelia gets killed about halfway through the episode, leaving Giles to find a way to undo the wish.
* ItsPersonal: Season 3 premiere.
-->Oz: If I may suggest: "This time it's personal." I mean, there's a reason why it's a classic.
* KirkSummation: Subverted by Willow in "Choices"
* LadiesAndGerms: "Ladies, gentlemen, spiny-headed creatures..."
* LaResistance: The White Hats (Giles, Larry and Oz) in the Wishverse.
* LecherousLicking: Vampire Willow does this a lot, including to [[ScrewYourself regular Willow]], who is understandably freaked out by it.
* MajorInjuryUnderreaction: In "Consequences", Mr. Trick is staked by Faith before he can drain Buffy. His FamousLastWords?
--> '''Mr. Trick:''' ''(indignant and mildly shocked)'' Oh. No. No, this is no good at all...
* ManInWhite: The Angel who appears in Buffy's dreams.
* MaskOfPower: "Dead Man's Party" and the Nigerian zombie mask. Note a MaskOfPower that does not need to be worn.
* {{Metaphorgotten}}: "Homecoming". Willow expressing her guilt about kissing Xander.
-->'''Willow''': We were so guilty about "the fluke" that we overcompensated helping Cordelia and spun the group dynamic out of orbit. Now we're just this meteor shower headed for Earth...
* AMindIsATerribleThingToRead: In the episode "Earshot."
* NoTellMotel: Faith crashes here upon coming to Sunnydale, further emphasizing the differences between her and Buffy. The Mayor upgrades her to a condo, but advises to maintain her old place as a cover.
* TheNotSecret: Revealed in "The Prom" that everyone knows in school that Buffy protects them from bad stuff.
* OtherMeAnnoysMe: Vampire Willow to Willow, and vice versa.
* PropheticName: Scott Hope. Now, if only his first name were [[YourCheatingHeart Dash]]...
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Angel, whose SuperpoweredEvilSide CompleteMonster delights in MindRape, was particularly disgusted with...
* RecurringExtra: Should you be watching reruns of season 3 episodes, look for a shortish Asian guy carrying a skateboard. He's in many episodes and is referred to as "Asian Dan" by the cast. In the season 4 DVD, Seth Green, Joss Whedon, and Marti Noxon joke about his frequent appearances in the "Wild at Heart" audio commentary.
* RevolvingBookcase: Mayor Wilkins' shrine.
* RoomFullOfCrazy: From "Helpless". Buffy runs into a room full of pictures of her mother taken by a really crazy vampire.
* RuleOfThree: In season three, when Angel [[spoiler:has been poisoned by Faith and needs the blood of a Slayer to cure him]], Buffy punches him to get him to vamp out. Of course, she hits him once, twice, aaand the third time does it.
* SequelEpisode: "Dopplegangland" is this to "The Wish".
* {{Shadowland}}: Buffyless Sunnydale to Normal Sunnydale.
* SpearCarrier: A harried teacher exhorting his students to "be somber" about the new year. He pops up again on Graduation Day, grimly making the kids play Hangman.
-->"[[EvilLaugh Heh heh]]. They always go for the '[[SchmuckBait E]].'"
* SpoilerOpening: The 3rd season opening shows Faith before she even makes her first appearance. Averted in season 1, it doesn't hint that Angel is a vampire.
* StealthPun: Faith's a bitch
* TalkingDownTheSuicidal:
** In the episode "I Only Have Eyes For You," [[spoiler:Angel]] talks [[spoiler:Buffy]] out of killing herself, but they are both not themselves at the time - they are possessed by the ghosts of other people.
** In the episode "Earshot," Buffy talks [[spoiler:Jonathan Levinson]] out of killing himself, although she thinks that she is [[spoiler:convinving him not to commit mass murder instead]].
** Buffy also convinces [[spoiler:Angel]] not to kill himself when he is attacked by the First Evil.
* TemptingFate: In "Dead Man's Party":
-->'''Willow:''' No, let them go, Oz! Talking about it isn't helping, we might as well try some violence!\\
''(A zombie breaks in through the front window.)''\\
'''Willow:''' ''I was being sarcastic!''
* ThatWasTheLastEntry: The first info the Scoobies have about the prophesied "ascension" is a journal entry saying "Tomorrow is the ascension, may God help us." It was the last time the town was ever heard of.
* [[ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks Throwing Your Stake Always Works]]: Subverted with gusto in "Anne".
-->'''Oz:''' That really never works.
* TitleDrop: For the episode title in "Dead Man's Party".
* ATruceWhileWeGawk: In "Anne", Buffy's fight with the demons is interrupted by the head demon holding a knife to Lilly. He announces that their fight is lost and he'll kill Lilly to make an example. Lilly kills him instead. A beat later, the main fight resumes.
* UncannyFamilyResemblance: Invoked by the Mayor, who was him, his son, his grandson and his great grandson (he's immortal).
* UnspokenPlanGuarantee: "Graduation Day, Part Two".
* VerySpecialEpisode: "I Only Have Eyes For You" and "Earshot" ended with a PSA about calling the suicide hotline, [[{{Tearjerker}} which would have been useful for some fans.]]
* WalkOnTheWildSideEpisode: In "Doppelgangland", Willow gets a little fed up with her reputation as Old Reliable and flirts with danger a bit by doing a dark incantation with Anya. It doesn't end very well.
* WasntThatFun: After the Mayor has just completed a dark ritual on his way to becoming a true immortal demon.
-->'''Mayor:''' "This officially commences the Hundred Days. Nothing can harm me until the Ascension."
-->''[beat. Breaks into a fit of gleeful giggles]''
-->"Gosh, I'm feeling chipper! Who's for a root beer?!"
* WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer: Buffy's proposal for dealing with a vengeance demon in "The Wish".
-->'''Buffy:''' "Why don't I just put a stake through her heart?" \\
'''Giles:''' "She's not a vampire." \\
'''Buffy:''' "You'd be surprised how many things that'll kill."
* YearInsideHourOutside: Various hell dimensions, including the demon workhouse in the season opener and the realm where Angel is held after the events of season two.
* YouGotSpunk:
-->'''Ken''': "You've got guts. I'd like to slice you open and play with them."
* ZombieApocalypse:
** A Nigerian mask causes a minor one in "Dead Man's Party".
** The alternate timeline created in "The Wish" is a vampire variant.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Season Four]]
* AllPsychologyIsFreudian
* AllTakeAndNoGive: Spike and Harmony's relationship, with Spike as Taker and Harmony as Giver.
* AndIMustScream: The episode "Hush".
-->''Can't even shout\\
Can't even cry\\
The gentlemen are coming by\\
Lookin' in windows\\
Knockin' on doors\\
They need to take seven\\
And they might take yours\\
Can't call to mom\\
Can't say a word\\
You're gonna die screaming\\
But you won't be heard''
* ApocalypseAnarchy: The Gentlemen steal everyone's voices. Everyone freaks out, gets drunk, goes to church, resorts to violence in the streets.
* ArcNumber: [[MouthfulOfPi 314]], otherwise known as Adam.
* ArmiesAreEvil: The Initiative.
* AttackBackfire: Season four's BigBad got a rush off of the Initiative's electricity guns.
* BatmanGambit: Spike's plan in "The Yoko Factor".
* BatmanInMyBasement: Inverted, Xander keeps Spike in his basement in Season 4 for a bit and later in his closet (which is fucking huge) in Season 7.
* BigLittleMan: "Fear, Itself" has [[MonsterOfTheWeek Gachnar the Fear Demon]]... who is 4 inches tall. Buffy stomps him like a bug.
* BizarroEpisode: "Restless" certainly qualifies.
* BlackHoleSue: [[LampshadeHanging Used for humorous effect]] in ''Superstar'', when Jonathan uses a wish spell to fold reality around himself and turns himself into an invincible, charismatic hero, admired by everyone. Unfortunately he forgot to read the [[KarmicBalance fine print]]. [[color:white:In-Universe]]
* BlessedAreTheCheesemakers: The Cheese Man in "Restless".
* CaliforniaUniversity: UC-Sunnydale
* CoincidentalBroadcast: In "The Harsh Light Of Day", Giles tells them that watching TV isn't going to help them with their problem. Sure enough the news showed a clue to Spike's whereabouts.
* CollectiveGroan: In "Doomed", when the gang realized they have to prevent the end of the world ''again''.
* CombinedEnergyAttack: In the 4th season's penultimate episode.
* ComingOutStory: "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS4E19NewMoonRising New Moon Rising]]", Although there's a FantasticAesop twist in that many of the standard plot points are applied to Oz (as a werewolf) rather than Willow (as a "coming out" lesbian).
* ConflictBall: Spike deliberately passes it around in ''The Yoko Factor,'' making insinuating and subversive comments to make the Scoobies turn on each other and vent repressed feelings of anger and resentment that had been bottled up. He even lampshades the trope, pointing out that people latch onto one specific event or situation as a cause of strife, but that what really happens is that the event or situation is just an excuse to bring to the forefront issues that were there all along.
* ConspiracyRedemption: Riley and the Initiative. Riley was a loyal soldier for the organisation and attempted to recruit Buffy as well, but eventually learned that the Initiative was using {{Mad Scientist}}s (particularly Walsh), [[SuperSoldier boosting its soldiers' performances]] with [[GovernmentDrugEnforcement drugs]] and [[HollywoodCyborg cybernetic implants]], and creating a cyborg SuperSoldier using [[BiologicalMashUp demon body tissue]]. [[spoiler:After Walsh tries to kill Buffy, and the Initiative captures and experiments on Oz,]] Riley deserts and joins the Scoobies, and the following season is [[PutOnABus headhunted by a military demon-killing unit]] that's less morally ambiguous.
* ContinuityNod: Xander being called a "demon magnet."
* CreepyChildrenSinging: The Gentleman rhyme in "Hush".
* {{Crossover}}: With its spinoff ''Series/{{Angel}}'', which has crossed over with a few things.
* CutApart: In "Hush", we see Tara knocking on one of the dorm room's doors, and Willow waking up from the noise. The door opens, and one of The Gentlemen surprises Tara. This was actually hinted, since Tara had previously found Willow's room number (which isn't the number on the door).
* DrivenToSuicide: At one point, Spike tries to stake himself after getting the chip, only saved by Willow and Xander. Luckily, he finds that he can hurt demons, regaining his will to live.
* EvilIsNotAToy: Are we supposed to be ''surprised'' that Professor Walsh's [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot human-demon-cyborg]] stabs her in the back and tries to conquer the world?
* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: The result of Willow's "my will be done" spell is that her metaphorical words become literally true.
* FakeOutMakeOut: Xander tries to invoke this with Buffy while undercover at the Initiative, but Buffy rebuffs him by pointing out that "This is the Initiative. Military guys and scientists do not make out with each other."
* FantasticAesop: The reason why "Beer Bad" was denied additional funding from the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
* FictionAsCoverUp: Dracula got Stoker to write his book to pump up his street cred. Other vampires thought it was a really dick move, because it let the normal humans in on a lot of their secrets.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: "I hope it's a ''funny'' aneurism."
* ForGreatJustice: Parodied by Spike. "For the safety of... puppies, and... Christmas, right?"
* FreakyFridayFlip: Buffy and Faith in "Who Are You?"
* FunnyBackgroundEvent: In "The Harsh Light of Day" the Greek letters on the Frat house Buffy are Gamma Alpha Pi (ΓΑΠ) which, from the angle the shot is taken, look a bit like FAIL. The house in the background across the street bears the letters ΤΩA. Perhaps it's a sorority house?
* GoodFeelsGood: Faith, when she was in Buffy's body masquerading as her.
* GrandTheftMe: The spell Willow uses to help Buffy works like this, not only is she imbued with [[TrueCompanions the power of all the Scoobies]], she acts possessed.
* InhumanableAlienRights: According to the Initiative, vampires and other monsters have no rights that are worth respecting. At first, Riley Finn shared this view, until one of the werewolves the Initiative captured turned out to be Oz and he realized that some of the "monsters" he had been capturing actually had normal lives.
* IntoxicationEnsues
* JerkAss: Forrest.
* JoinTheArmyTheySaid
* LectureAsExposition: Lampshaded ''and'' subverted in "Hush", when Giles is forced to this without his ability to speak.
* LoveCannotOvercome: Giles's TemporaryLoveInterest Olivia. At the end of the episode "Hush," after Olivia learns of the existence of demons, she says, "Scary." Giles asks, "Too scary?" and Olivia responds, "I'm not sure." Since we never see her again after that, we can presume that it was indeed too scary for her.
* MagicVersusScience
* MagicalNativeAmerican: Hus in "Pangs".
* AManIsAlwaysEager: That Oz is reluctant to engage in the physical act of love strikes fear into Willow's heart as a sign of infidelity. Xander lampshades it, saying she may have encountered "the seven annual minutes he's legitimately too preoccupied" to want sex.
* TheManBehindTheCurtain: Gachnar in "Fear, Itself".
* MildlyMilitary: The Initiative.
* MineralMacguffin: The Gem of Amarra.
* TheMinnesotaFats: Subverted in "Superstar".
* MundaneMadeAwesome:
** Xander vs. Harmony. Slow motion hair pulling set to dramatic action music.
** Done to explicitly mock the show's often unrealistic fight scenes.
* NoSympathy: "Xander, try not to bleed on my couch / I just had it steam-cleaned" ♪
* NotRightInTheBed: When Faith takes over Buffy's body, she comes on to Spike, and is a lot more sexually aggressive with Riley than Buffy is.
* PerplexingPlurals: Riley comments that, after falling in with the main characters, he suddenly finds himself needing to know the plural of "apocalypse".
* ScreamingWoman: Subverted in "Hush".
* SelfDeprecation: Done in a unique way, with Faith insulting herself while in Buffy's body.
* SaltAndPepper: Riley and Forrest.
* ShoutOut: Adam, the name of FrankensteinsMonster,according to [[WordOfGod Mary Shelley.]]
** Giles puts on "Danse Macabre" during his silent presentation in "Hush". "Danse Macabre" is the theme tune of JonathanCreek. Anthony Stewart Head, who plays Giles, played magician Adam Klaus in the pilot episode of that show.
* ShowingOffTheNewBody: Practically the first thing Faith does after swapping bodies with Buffy is take a long bath.
* SlasherSmile: The Gentlemen.
* TestosteronePoisoning: Buffy actually says the tropes name when Angel and Riley fight in "The Yoko Factor".
* TakeThat: When Giles asks Buffy\Faith who's president she replies they're testing to see if it's really her, not a concussion. [[BillClinton Could easily be]] [[GeorgeWBush either of them]].
* TwoScenesOneDialogue: does an interesting take on this in one episode. Giles explains the ancient lore of this week's demon, while the Initiative is briefed on the nature of the same "HST" (Hostile Subterranean) in military jargon.
* VariableTerminalVelocity: A particularly [[TVTropesWikiDrinkingGame egregious]] example in "Doomed", where Buffy jumps into the Hellmouth after a demon and catches up to it while falling, even though she took the time to run over to Riley, grab a rope from him, and run back before jumping in.
* VerbThis: When Buffy first fought The Initiative, she fired a flare gun while saying "Contain this!"
* VideoWills: Mayor Wilkins.
* VocalDissonance: Jonathan crooning a forties pop song in "Superstar". Pro athlete, military genius, star of ''The Matrix'', and '''now''' he's Sinatra.
* VoiceOfTheLegion: Buffy speaks with the voices of the whole Scooby Gang after the enjoining spell combines them all in her body.
* WilliamTelling: In "Superstar" Jonathan alters reality to change himself from a geek into a demon-fighting James Bond-expy. One scene has him putting on a blindfold in preparation to shooting apples from the heads of several Initiative soldiers.
* WorryingForTheWrongReason: In "Pangs", Xander is in a panic because he has been cursed with a host of diseases. He's most stressed about the syphilis. Anya says comfortingly:
--> It'll make you blind and insane, but it won't kill you. The smallpox will.
* YouKeepUsingThatWord: When the Scoobie Gang and the Initiative become hostile towards the end of the fourth season the colonel in charge of the Initiative describes the Scoobies as "anarchists," and when Riley later defects he again uses the term, this time including himself with the group. However, the Scoobies have never advocated any sort of anarchist philosophy or mindset, and several episodes (Both before and after this event) have stressed their wholehearted belief in the need for people, even themselves, to submit to proper established authority when the situation calls for it.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Season Five]]
* AdoptTheDog: "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E18Intervention Intervention]]" is pretty much the definitive moment in Spike's [[HeelFaceTurn change from evil to good]]. Despite brutal torture, Spike [[DefiantToTheEnd refuses to give Dawn up to Glory]]. Later Spike's confesses to his adoring robotic replica of Buffy ([[EngineeredPublicConfession or so Spike thinks]]) that if Buffy lost Dawn, it would destroy her, and he could not live with her being in that much pain. [[spoiler:And this was ''before'' he got a soul.]]
* AnachronismStew: The Knights of Byzantium are an ancient order of {{Knight Templar}}s who use medieval arms and armour for no apparent reason than to have a cool scene involving Buffy fighting knights on top of a moving Winnebago.
* AnotherDimension: Glory's world, an HRGiger-ish dimension which we see bits of in the finale.
* AnticlimaxBoss: Played with in the premiere with [[PublicDomainCharacter Dracula]]. Though he demonstrates powers no other vampire in the series has, he's still treated like a bad joke by Spike, and easily defeated. [[spoiler: Subverted on his return in season eight.]]
* ArcWords: "Death is your gift."
* BandOfBrothers: After falling apart the previous season, the Scoobies eventually band together into an ''extremely'' powerful group of TrueCompanions -- even Spike by the end of the season. One of the times this is best seen is when Tara's family comes to take her home against her will. The ending of [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E6Family that episode]] sums it up.
* BattleDiscretionShot: We never see how Glory kills the knights trying to kill Dawn.
* BreakTheBadass: Buffy's reaction to the revelation that Glory isn't a demon like everyone thought. On the contrary, Glory is a god.
* ButtMonkey: Xander becomes the TropeNamer, yet over the next few episodes [[TookALevelInBadAss Takes A Level in]] CharacterDevelopment by getting a promotion at work, moving out of his parent's basement and stabilizing his relationship with Anya.
* ChekhovsArmoury: About ''every'' piece of {{Phlebotinum}} that shows up during the fifth season is eventually used to fight Glory.
* ChekhovsGunman: Doc, the old man who gave Dawn the spell to bring Joyce back to life. [[spoiler:Turns out he's a Glory worshipper and he is the one who opens the portal.]]
* CompletelyMissingThePoint: The [[MediaWatchdogs PTC]] decried ''The Gift'' on account of Buffy committing suicide. No!!! Don't save the world!!! Giving your life for the sake of the human race is '''EVIL!!!'''
* CourtlyLove: Spike's CharacterArc this season, with Buffy as the unobtainable princess.
* CurbStompBattle: The creepy old guy with the tail to Spike. Then Buffy to the creepy old guy with the tail.
* CosmicRetcon: [[OnlyChildSyndrome Only child]] Buffy suddenly has an annoying little sister to butt heads with. Dawn appears out of nowhere yet everyone thinks she's always been a member of the Summers family. It takes several episodes before this mystery is answered.
* DaydreamSurprise: Used brutally in "The Body", and as a LoveEpiphany for Spike.
* DeterminedDefeatist: Spike in "The Gift", as shown by his "we band of buggered" line.
* DropTheHammer: The hammer wielded by Olaf the Troll, which becomes a ChekhovsGun for the season finale.
* EvenTheGirlsWantHer: In-universe example -- Harmony refuses to have a threesome with Spike unless it's boy-girl-boy. Exceptions are made for CharlizeTheron.
* EverythingIsBetterWithMonkeys: In "Into the Woods", Anya wants to watch a movie about monkeys playing hockey because "The ice is so slippery and monkeys are all irrational".
* GeographicFlexibility: Spoofed in "Buffy vs. Dracula"
-->'''Riley''': "I've lived in Sunnydale a couple of years now. You know what I've never noticed before? This big honkin' castle."
* GhostStory: Dawn listens to scary stories told by the monster himself -- Spike in his crypt. Buffy is not amused.
* HeroicBSOD: When Glory snatches Dawn, Buffy lapses into catatonia. Willow has to both take [[YouAreInCommandNow command of the Scoobies]] and make a JourneyToTheCenterOfTheMind to snap Buffy out of it.
* HeroicSuicide: Dawn attempts one in the season finale. Buffy [[spoiler: performs it in her place]].
* HonorRelatedAbuse: Tara's family is like this. They abuse her emotionally [[spoiler:and lie to her to make her hate herself, fooling her into believing that she's less than human]]. When she breaks free and makes a life of her own, they start threatening to move on to physical abuse, and would most likely have made good on their threats if it wasn't for almost the entire cast closing ranks around her and telling them that they would have to [[GoThroughMe go through them]] to get to her.
** Which also allows Spike to cement his HeelFaceTurn [[spoiler:by hitting her, purposely causing an electric shock to his brain via his chip to prove she's human.]]
* HughMann: The Scooby Gang initially get totally taken in by the Buffybot and chalk her weird behaviour up to the recent death of Buffy's mom. Since she's ''still'' all but holding up a sign reading "I Am A Robot Impersonator" the whole time, Buffy is still not very happy that her friends were completely unable to tell the difference.
* IMissMom: Buffy and Dawn
* InstantEmergencyResponse: Averted in "The Body", where it takes a reasonable length of time for the ambulance to arrive.
* ISayWhatISay: The two Xanders in "The Replacement."
* IWishedYouWereDead: The reason for Buffy's HeroicBSOD in "The Weight of the World".
* LiteralSplitPersonality: Cool Xander and Loser Xander in "The Replacement."
* LoveEpiphany: Spike has a CatapultNightmare in which he realises his FoeYay obsession with Buffy is something far, far worse! Inverted with Riley Finn who realises that Buffy doesn't love him, fueling his eventual decision to leave.
* LoveHurts: Spike is tormented by his unrequited FoeYay for the Slayer.
-->'''Spike:''' "What the bleeding hell is WRONG with you bloody women?! What the hell does it take?! Why do you bitches torture me?!
-->'''Buffy:''' [[DeadpanSnarker Which question do you want me to answer first?]]
* MindRape: The people Glory drains to stop herself going crazy [[spoiler:including Tara.]]
* MookHorrorShow: The Dracula episode, where we see a vampire running madly through a graveyard... and then we realize he's running for his (un)life. From Buffy.
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: In every episode where Buffy fights Glory until [[spoiler:TheGift]], she literally gets her ass handed to her and is typically forced to flee.
* NotInFrontOfTheKid: When we meet Dawn, everyone spends most of a season trying to keep the slaying away from her. They don't talk about it in front of her, except insofar as they can do so in code (they mostly fail).
* NotSoInvincibleAfterAll: Glory can be slowed by magical artifacts.
* OnlySaneMan: Spike has a major case of this in "The Weight of the World", when [[spoiler: he is the only one immune to the glamour that prevents mortals from remembering that Ben is Glory. See also GlamourFailure.]]
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: One comes out of the Key Portal during ''The Gift''.
* OutOfGenreExperience: "The Body" feels ''very'' different from a normal episode of the show, using MoodDissonance and a complete absence of background music to recreate the sense of dislocation we feel when someone close to us dies.
* PoisonousFriend: Giles [[spoiler:smothering Ben to death in "The Gift".]]
* ProdigalFamily: Tara's family are an example of the possessive, malevolent variety.
* PromotionToParent: Buffy has to take over this role for Dawn, despite her [[PuppyDogEyes desperate attempt]] to foist the task off onto Giles.
* PutOnABus: Harmony and Riley.
* RetroactiveWish: In "Triangle".
-->'''Willow''': I wish Buffy was here!
-->'''Buffy''': I'm here!
-->'''Willow''': I wish I had a million dollars!
* {{Robocam}}: April and Buffybot POV -- complete with Positions and Fetishes.
* RobeAndWizardHat: Giles wears them for the magic shop's grand opening. They look [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-623f3E1EU&feature=related ridiculous]].
* RummageSaleReject: 1977 Spike. DEAR GOD, 1977 Spike.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: [[spoiler:("Into the Woods") Buffy discovers her boyfriend Riley is visiting vampire prostitutes, so she burns down the building and kills every member of the gang in seconds. At first Buffy resists the temptation to kill the vamp-ho when she's at her mercy, but then [[DarkSide changes her mind]] and spears her [[InTheBack as she's running away]]. ("Tough Love") When Glory brain-sucks Tara turning her insane we see our first hint of Dark Willow as she takes on a PhysicalGod with BlackEyesOfEvil and ShockAndAwe.]]
* SexBot: April in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E15IWasMadeToLoveYou I Was Made To Love You]]", a deconstruction of the PygmalionPlot where Season 6 BigBad Warren creates the perfect girlfriend only to dump her as she's too boring. Spike then intimidates him into building a Buffybot ("[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E18Intervention Intervention]]"). HilarityEnsues.
* SmokingHotSex: Spike is in his crypt smoking then we see Buffy the bot pop up from...how should this be put, smoking him.
* ThreatBackfire: Xander (under Dracula's thrall) tells Riley he'll have to go through him to get to Dracula. He is immediately punched unconscious.
* TonightSomeoneKisses: Willow and Tara's first on screen kiss in "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E16TheBody The Body]]" in a way that anyone who thinks GirlOnGirlIsHot might find cheering for this inappropriate.
* TookALevelInJerkass: Riley Finn tries to make himself DarkerAndEdgier in [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys an effort to appeal to Buffy]]. It doesn't end well.
* VampireInvitation: Buffy tolerates Spike's StalkerWithACrush behavior until she [[AnguishedDeclarationOfLove discovers he's fallen in love with her]] (and realizes he's getting too close to her family). She then gets Willow to bar Spike from the house. Then Spike shows himself willing to give his life to protect Dawn, so in the season finale Buffy invites him back into her home in a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming.
* WholeEpisodeFlashback: "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E7FoolForLove Fool For Love]]" shows Spike's past, notably how he killed two previous Slayers.
* TheWorfEffect: On their first meeting Glory inflicts a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown on Buffy, who only escapes because the building collapses.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Season Six]]
* ActionDressRip: In the The Trio's first appearance, a monster attacks a bank and Buffy initially couldn't fight because of her "stupid skirt". She does it again when fighting a demon at Xander's wedding.
* ActuallyADoombot: The Scoobies use the Buffybot to make the underworld think that the Slayer is still protecting Sunnydale. When a vampire accidentally discovers this, it provokes immediate RapePillageAndBurn by demon bikers.
** The first time Willow gets her mitts on Warren. Fizz crackle pop.
* [[AllBikersAreHellsAngels All Bikers Are Hellmouth Angels]]
* AllJustADream: "Normal Again" [[spoiler:OrWasItADream]]
* AmbiguousSituation: "Normal Again", in which Buffy is injected with a poison that make her hallucinate... Or is it the other way around? According to a psychiatrist, who may or may not be a real person, she is in fact getting better: She has been sick all along, and now she's finally waking up from years of catatonic schizophrenia. So, the whole series is either ThisIsReality or a mad AllJustADream with a dash of TheSchizophreniaConspiracy. In the end, Buffy choses her life in Sunnydale over her life in the mental institution, but the ending leaves it ambiguous whether or not the world she settled for is the real one.
* AmnesiaDanger
* AnachronismStew: The Trio combine magic with high technology to carry out their capers.
* [[spoiler:AttemptedRape: After Buffy breaks off their relationship, Spike tries to force himself upon an injured Buffy, who is barely able to fight him off. His MyGodWhatHaveIDone reaction causes Spike to go on a quest to regain his soul.]]
** [[spoiler:Regaining his soul]] was not his quest. His quest was to be made into the badass, evil son of a bitch he used to be, as opposed to the whiny, caring StalkerWithACrush he had turned into. His [[spoiler:getting his soul back]] was just because he didn't choose his words carefully enough.
*** Actually, WordOfGod states, specifically, that [[spoiler:Spike getting his soul back WAS the reason for his quest, because of his MyGodWhatHaveIDone reaction. Everything else was a RedHerring.]]
* ArmouredClosetGay: Larry.
** Scott Hope, Buffy's only normal high school boyfriend. He accused every girl who broke up with him that they're gay. He came out in season 6 apparently.
* {{Bambification}}: The first sign this season will be DarkerAndEdgier [[spoiler:is when Willow cuts a fawn's throat for its BloodMagic.]]
* BattleDiscretionShot: Buffy's first fight against the Trio, as they're all invisible.
* BitterWeddingSpeech: Xander's father gives one at Xander's wedding.
* BookEnds / RuleOfSymbolism: Buffy starts Season 6 by clawing her way out of her grave into the night, beginning a year-long HeroicBSOD. She ends the season climbing out of another grave into the light, having rediscovered the value of living.
* TheCastShowOff: The musical episode allowed for several actors to show off either musical or dancing talent (Anthony Steward Head, James Marsters, Amber Benson, Michelle Trachtenberg). Others ...got sidelined for the episode. (Alyson Hannigan asked to be given a smaller singing role and no dancing role.)
* CavemenVsAstronautsDebate: The Trio debated who was the best JamesBond in "Life Serial". It got so bad that Warren and Andrew actually came to blows.
* CuckooNest: "Normal Again", very scarily played.
* CradleOfLoneliness: Willow does this after Tara breaks up with her.
* DarkerAndEdgier: Tends to be true of the sixth season compared to the others, though there are darker episodes in the other seasons and LighterAndSofter ones in season 6 as well.
** The whole series is darker compared to the campy flick it was based on.
*** The film was supposed to be darker and edgier than it was. ExecutiveMeddling occured...
* TheDarkSide: Spoofed when Spike encourages Buffy to walk with him on the Dark Side -- which consists of Spike playing poker for kittens while Buffy gets drunk and makes snarky comments. Things become more serious later on in the season when Spike wrongly assumes (or convinces himself) that Buffy's depression and desire for rough sex means she wants to abandon her life and join him on the Dark Side. His failure to understand the complexity of her emotions has [[DestructiveRomance serious consequences for both of them]].
* DateRapeAverted: Violently.
* DeathIsCheap: People killed by magical means can potentially (though not easily) be resurrected.
* DeconstructorFleet: The blond girl doesn't die, even after having sex -- she instead turns out to be GenreSavvy and an ActionGirl and proceeds to kick vampire butt.
** Season 6 deconstructs what the show is about. The focus is on the Scoobies foray into the real world and not the whole saving the world plot and being heroes. Only the bad guys care about that.
** It also deconstructs the FoeYay trope by showing just how disfunctional such a relationship would be if ever consumated.
* DestructiveRomance: Buffy starts a secret relationship with Spike to combat her depression. Unfortunately this only ends up making things worse -- Spike is convinced Buffy wants to come over to TheDarkSide and is frustrated by her unwillingness to either return his love or abandon her friends, while their InterplayOfSexAndViolence, her [[FoeYay lust for a soulless monster who's supposed to be her enemy]] and her [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman guilt over using Spike without respecting his own feelings]] only increases Buffy's self-loathing. At one point she savagely beats an unresisting Spike, describing him in terms that are [[RageAgainstTheReflection clearly referring to herself]] ("There is nothing good or clean in you! You are ''dead'' inside! You can't feel anything real!"). The InUniverse ValuesDissonance between the two reaches a point where [[spoiler:after she ends the relationship, Spike tries to inflict the VictimFallsForRapist trope on an injured Buffy; fortunately Buffy is able to fend him off and Spike realises that, even for him, this act is crossing the MoralEventHorizon, and motivates him to go on a quest to regain his soul.]]
* DidNotDoTheResearch: In one sixth-season episode, Andrew states that he's "seen every episode of ''Series/DoctorWho''." This is impossible, because at least 100 episodes of the early Doctors are lost and unavailable for viewing by anyone. Audio recording do exist, however.
* DidYouDie: In "As You Were," Buffy and Riley promise to swap stories if they get a chance and see whose were more exiting/dangerous/crazy ext.. She asks if he died, and when he says he didn't, she says, "I'm going to win."
* DisappointedInYou: Discussed and subverted in "All The Way":
-->'''Giles''': We need to have a conversation.\\
'''Dawn''': This the part where you tell me you're "not angry, just disappointed"?\\
'''Giles''': Pretty much. Except for the bit about not being angry.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Rack, who gets Willow high on dark magic, looks more like a drug dealer than any VerySpecialEpisode, PublicServiceAnnouncement and every single person in the [[{{Underbelly}} gangland wars,]] combined.
* DontYouDarePityMe: Buffy reacts this way after telling Tara about her relationship with Spike -- it's not out of anger, but a belief that she doesn't deserve any sympathy.
* DrowningMySorrows: After failing college, Xander bing forced to fire her from construction after a demon attack and not being able to stand working at The Magic Shop, Spike pours Buffy a scotch. They then go out to a demon bar where Buffy wants to get information, takes a bottle of Khalua handed from Spike and drinks through it and snarks when Spike plays cards to get the demons talking. HilarityEnsues when Buffy becomes roaringly drunk off her ass.
* EasyAmnesia: In the episode "Tabula Rasa".
* FailedASpotCheck: Xander doesn't even notice Willow's bloody shirt after [[spoiler:Tara is killed.]]
* FantasticDrug: Magic in Season 6.
* [[FingerPokeOfDoom Finger Poke of OH MY GOD MY SKIN JUST GOT REMOVED!]]
* {{Fainting}}: The characters all faint in Tabula Rasa when they lose their memories. This seems to be an effect of magical memory loss, as it happens in the ''Series/{{Angel}}'' episode "Spin The Bottle" where the characters are all reverted to their younger selves' memories.
* FreezeRay: Warren's got one.
* FryingPanOfDoom: Not played for comedy in "Normal Again" when Buffy hits Xander with one then drags him to the basement to be killed by the MonsterOfTheWeek, or "Hells Bells" where Future!Xander attacks his estranged wife Anya.
* GilliganCut: In the 3nd Halloween episode, Dawn's friend Janice didn't want her and her friends to go into the creepy old man's house. Sure enough...
* GRatedDrug: Magic during season 6, especially during the episode "Wrecked".
* GoingCommando: Parking Ticket Lady, attempting to bribe a meter maid, sings about her lack of underwear.
* GroundhogDayLoop: In "Life Serial."
* HasTwoMommies: Dawn with Willow and Tara. Considering that they were really one of the only good relationships in the show (and by extension, in her life) and that they took care of her for a good year or so, it's no shock.
* [[HehHehYouSaidX Heh Heh You Said Magic Bone]]
* HeIsNotMyBoyfriend: Even after they start having sex, calling Buffy "luv" or "my girl" is a guaranteed way for Spike to get a sock in the jaw.
* HomeFieldAdvantage: A demon breaks into the Summers home and proceeds to trash it while attempting to kill Buffy. She slowly maneuvers it into the basement where there's less stuff to break, and also a convenient weapon (in the form of [[PunctuatedForEmphasis Full! Copper! Repipe!]]).
* IAteWhat?: Done twice by Xander in "Doublemeat Palace".
* ICantBelieveItsNotHeroin: Magic = Drugs.
* IHaveManyNames: The demon from "Once More With Feeling".
* IWantSong: "Going Through the Motions."
* ImportantHaircut: Buffy deliberately applies this trope...but ends up at the hair salon because she made a mess of things. Also subverted in that it marks no actual change in her life or behaviour -- Buffy cuts her hair after Spike compliments it (they recently resolved their {{UST}} and Buffy is regretting it) but quickly ends up in his bed for round two.
* ImpossiblyTackyClothes: Dear god, the wedding dresses at Anya's wedding. Buffy even describes their awful green as "radioactive".
* IncrediblyLongNote: They got the mustard ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut!
* InvisibleBackupBand: Played with in [[MusicalEpisode "Once More With Feeling"]].
* InvisibleJerkass: Buffy in "Gone."
* {{Irony}}: Season 6 Buffy learns the value of life at a cemetery.
* KickTheSonOfABitch: Willow's flaying of Warran is pretty much thought of as a concern not because of what she did to him, but [[KnightTemplar what sort of person she was turning into.]]
* KnockKnockJoke: "If we want her to be exactly she'll never be exactly I know the only really real Buffy is really Buffy and she's gone who?"
* LotusEaterMachine
* MakingLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces: Buffy and Spike spend much of season 6 doing this. Also, in the season 3 episode "Band Candy", Joyce and Giles have sex on the hood of a police car.
* MasterApprenticeChain: The Master > Darla > Angelus > Drusilla > Spike
* MissionImpossibleCableDrop: when Andrew drops down to steal a diamond, only to have Warren and Jonathan stroll into the museum without issue.
** Also when Buffy stole the Mayor's box containing those bugs he had to eat.
* {{Mundanger}}: "So, we meet at last, [[DrippingDisturbance Mister Drippy]]."
* MusicalEpisode: [[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS6E7OnceMoreWithFeeling "Once More With Feeling"]]. For tropes specific to that episode see the recap page.
* NoMereWindmill: Buffy stopped trying to explain the very real threat of vampires after her mother had her put in a mental hospital for believing such silly delusions.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: [[spoiler:Willow brings Buffy back from the dead, thinking she's in Hell. It turns out Buffy was in Heaven and being brought back to the real world gives her a HeroicBSOD, as well as opening the way for the First One.]]
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: Warren and the Trio.
* PowerHigh: When Willow starts to OD on witchcraft it's explicitly analogized to being high on drugs.
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Sporadically used, notably with Spike and Warren. Verges into Sci-fi with Warren as it involved MindControl. Faith body-switched with Buffy technically raped Riley (sex under false pretense), but everyone on that one ended with everyone worse for it.
* RedHerring: The episode "All the Way" spends the first half building up the creep factor of an old man, watching kids menacingly through his window. When Dawn, her friend, and two guys try to pull a trick on them, he invites them inside for some "treats" and then goes into the kitchen with one of the boys, and reaches for a knife. [[spoiler: Then, it's revealed that he really is a harmless man making brownies, and the two guys are vampires]]
* SexBot: April and the Buffybot.
* ShesBack: Subverted; it takes most of the season for Buffy to recover from her depression over having been wrenched back into the real world.
* SliceOfLife: Season 6 dealt with the Scoobies day-to-day foray into grown up life.
* TeleportationSickness: Buffy and Dawn after Willow teleporting them from a cemetery to the Magic Box.
* TerribleTrio: The Trio.
* ThereAreTwoKindsOfPeopleInTheWorld:
-->'''Jonathan''': It's true, my friends. The way I see it, life is like an interstellar journey. Some people go into hypersleep and travel at sub-light speeds, only to get where they're going after years of struggle, toil and hard, hard work. ''We'', on the other hand ...
-->'''Andrew''': Blast through the space-time continuum in a wormhole?
-->'''Jonathan''': Gentlemen... [[[MoneyToBurn lights cigar with flaming bill]]] '''CRIME''' is our wormhole!
* TheTroubleWithTickets: Marti Noxon's parking ticket aria.
-->It isn't right, it isn't fair / There was no parking anywhere / I think [[ImplausibleDeniability that hydrant wasn't there]] ♫
* UnflinchingFaithInTheBrakes: Willow does this in the sixth season, when using magic to stop an oncoming bus.
* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Buffy uses Spike as a confidant because he's a "dead man", so her confessions don't count. When they start having sex, she refuses to admit there's love involved or even acknowledge (to herself or others) that he's her boyfriend; Spike calling her "my girl" or "love" often drives her to fury. Spike's soulless nature is often used by her as an excuse for this behaviour. Eventually Buffy faces up to how she is using him and breaks off the relationship.
** Buffy's killing of the guy who was cursed by Anya to be tortured in a hell dimension. He had a very legitimate grievance with Anya, and he's unconscious and helpless, and he's killed like it's nothing. Also the bank-robber demon, who hasn't really done anything worthy of summary execution, yet is executed after first being knocked unconscious. Killing humans under any circumstances is apparantly an atrocity, but demons can be killed for crimes that would only warrant jail-time for a human and it's nothing.
* WindmillCrusader: While Buffy has TheCuckoolanderWasRight as an inherent trait, the episode “Normal Again” subverts this when Buffy is drugged and hallucinates that she’s been insane all along and that Sunnydale is only in her mind. In this, Buffy was a insane WindmillCrusader before the series started, and she has been locked in a mental institution throughout the whole series.
* VolleyingInsults: Xander and Anya's duet in "Once More With Feeling."
-->'''Xander:''' She clings / She's needy / She's also really greedy / She never --\\
'''Anya''' [interrupting] [[LameComeback His eyes are beady!]]\\
'''Xander:''' This is ''my'' verse, hello!
* XanatosGambit: "Grave" Giles arrives with the powers of a coven in order to defeat Willow after she does a FaceHeelTurn. If he defeats her threat neutralized, if he loses Willow will take his power and thus giving Willow a window to her emotions, so Xander could stop her. Its mixed with BatmanGambit as he was banking on the emotional appeal.
* ZeroGSpot: At the end of Tara's love song "Under Your Spell" in "Once More With Feeling", she levitates into the air over her bed, and it's strongly implied she's doing it so an off-camera Willow can do cunnilingus on her.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Season Seven]]
* AchillesInHisTent: Buffy getting deposed by her own pupils, who install Faith as their new leader. One episode and bomb explosion later, and everyone goes crawling back to blondie.
* AndThenWhat: The final question asked to Buffy once everything's said and done.
* AnticlimaxCut: "Lessons":
-->'''Buffy:''' Vampires, demons... they're nothing compared to what's coming.\\
'''Dawn:''' I know. I just can't believe it's back.\\
'''Buffy:''' Believe me, I thought I was long past it. I guess you never are. Just a few more days til it starts, and then we'll never know what's coming next.\\
''(Cut to the opening ceremony at the new Sunnydale High School.)''
* ArcWords: "From beneath you it devours" in Season 7
* BackForTheFinale: Some of the former regulars are in season 7 in spirit. Oz got a casual mention from Xander and Cordelia appeared in a piece of footage from "Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered".
* BestServedCold: Robin Wood fights vampires in the hope of encountering the one that killed his mother (which turns out to be Spike).
* TheBigBoard
* BigOMG: "Oh my God! Oh, well, you know, not ''my'' God, because I defy him and all of his works."
* BrickJoke: In Episode 9, "Never Leave Me" we see [[spoiler: Warren (actually The First Evil)]] coaching Andrew on sacrificing a pig for its blood in the basement of Sunnydale High, at which Andrew fails miserably ([[ShoutOut "That'll do]] [[{{Babe}} pig!"]]). Later in Episode 16, "Storyteller" we find Buffy and Principal Wood in that basement trying to figure out why strange phenomena are happening... when a a squealing pig runs by.
--> '''Wood''': God, I hope that's not a student...
* CanYouHearMeNow: In the season 7 premiere.
* CatchTheConscience: The episode ''Storyteller,'' in order to make Andrew feel remorse for killing Jonathan.
* ChekhovsGunman:
** Amanda, the first student Buffy talked to in her job as councilor was a potential slayer.
** Andrew answers a call (for willow) from a guy with a girly voice called Fred. In the next episode Willow comes back with Faith.
* TheChosenMany: Buffy has Willow release the powers of all potential slayers to help fight The First.
* CelebrityStar: Aimee Mann. "I hate playing vampire towns."
* CigaretteOfAnxiety: Faith, despite smoking being a universal sign of evil. Well, the potentials acting like five year olds was a bit much for her. And Buffy still wanting her dead. And trying to reconcile with a recently evil Willow.
* CoolAunt: Where Buffy calls a suicide victim weak and stupid and basically says everybody sucks but her, Faith takes the potentials out partying when the stress gets too much and watches out for their welfare.
* DeusExMachina: The amulet and scythe that appear at the end of season 7 definitely qualify.
* TheDevilIsALoser: Caleb, right-hand man to the First Evil, refers to Satan as a "little man" (at least, compared to his boss).
* DisContinuityNod: Giles' declaration that magic is not an addiction.
* EliteMooks: The First Evil's Turok-Han army.
* EyeScream:
-->"So you're the one who sees everything. Well, let's just see what we can do about that."
** And the Bringers, the First's assassins and priests
* {{Foreshadowing}}: In "Sleeper", Aimee Mann sings a song called "Pavlov's Bell." During the next episode "Never Leave Me" the Scooby Gang discusses the possibility that Spike is being controlled by means of Pavlovian conditioning.
* ForgottenPhlebotinum: In the seventh season, the First falsely claims to have captured a potential Slayer, and nobody thinks to use the spell they used just a few weeks ago which can detect potentials.
* GhostCity: Sunnydale in the second half of the season.
* GoodSmokingEvilSmoking: Inverted with Faith, who didn't smoke when evil but does now that she's reformed.
* GrandFinale
* GroinAttack: You can tell Buffy likes this as she delivers the ultimate one to Caleb. Buffy has super strength of course. She finds a scythe that is meant to be the ultimate weapon. What does she do with it? Why ''slice the evil priest in half starting with his balls.'' [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill If a job's worth doing...]]
-->[[BondOneLiner "He had to split."]]
* {{Hammerspace}}: At least once, Buffy pulls out a cell phone when this was the only place it could have been.
* HeelFaceReturn: Faith's appearance looks like this to anyone who wasn't watching ''Series/{{Angel}}''.
* HypercompetentSidekick: Willow is this. As the most powerful Witch in the Western Hemisphere, she was ''so'' strong that [[spoiler: the writers felt the need to ''knock her out'' before major fights most of the season]].
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: Holden pronounces this of Buffy in "Conversations With Dead People."
* [[JugglingLoadedGuns Juggling Loaded Crossbows]]: "End of Days", it is implied that Willow and Tara's cat, Miss Kitty Fantastico, met her demise in a tragic crossbow accident.
-->'''Dawn:''' Xander, my crossbow is not out here. I told you, I don't leave crossbows around all willy-nilly. Not since that time with Miss Kitty Fantastico.
* TheLegionsOfHell
* LetThemDieHappy: Attempted by Buffy, shot down by Spike.
* MobileMaze: Sunnydale High's basement. Xander notes that blueprints are no good here (and ''he'' built the place!) because the walls seem to move about.
* MotionlessMakeover: Dawn is paralyzed by a demon. Anya has fun posing her. When they have to run off to save the day, leaving Dawn sitting on the couch with her arm extended, Buffy comes back momentarily to stick a remote in Dawn's hand.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Ultimately, it's the First's attempts at taunting Buffy that give her the idea that ends the fight once and for all.
* OnceMoreWithClarity: "Everyone's talking to me! [[[EurekaMoment lightbulb moment]]] Nobody's [[InvisibilityCloak talking to each other]]."
* OneHourWorkWeek: Buffy's job as a school counsellor. {{Justified| Trope}} in that she only has the job because Principal Wood wants to keep her around in case of Hellmouth-related problems, and it's explicitly stated to be part time.
* PlayingAgainstType: Nathan Fillion as the sadistic, satanic serial killer working for the Big Bad (If you take the First Evil to be Satan and that Caleb had killed people ForTheEvulz before meeting it)
* RememberTheNewGuy: {{Deconstructed}}. When a Vampire recognizes Buffy in ''Conversations With Dead People'' he explains that they went to High School together and shared a few classes. Buffy, however, does not recognize him at all, not even when names himself, and it is only after ten minutes of explaining when they met and things they had done together that she remembers who he is. To the end of the episode he never becomes a close and dear friend from her past, instead remaining a minor acquaintance that she met on rare occasions and had forgotten in the time since then because they had never been very close in the first place.
** Done with Dawn in "Real Me".
** A season 2 flashback showed Angel was there when Buffy was called meaning he was in the movie only we never saw him.
* RoguesGalleryShowcase: The First Evil turns into every BigBad from the show in Season 7, all in a row one time.
** Angelus is sorely missed right about now; his spot is taken by Drusilla.
* RuleOfCool: Joss has specifically cited this as the reason why, in the final episode, [[spoiler: all of the Ubervamps suddenly start dying easier than regular vampires seem to, even when being fought by normal humans.]]
* SickAndWrong: Xander lasciviously eyes a gyrating nymphet on the dance floor ("Daddy ''like''!"), only for her to turn around and reveal herself as Dawn. Cue {{facepalm}}.
-->'''Willow:''' Right there with ya.
* SmashCut: JossWhedon loves this trope, but particular mention goes to Selfless which cuts from Anya singing a happy song to her [[spoiler: being skewed with a sword by Buffy]]
* SurpassedTheTeacher: Played with; Spike confronts Giles with words along these lines, saying that one of the reasons that Giles turned on Buffy was that Giles was jealous that Buffy had surpassed him in her abilities.
* TechnicolorDeath: Halfrek's fiery death in the episode "Selfless" is like this.
* TookALevelInKindness: That woman you might have seen chilling in prison on [[Series/{{Angel}} another show]] before breaking out to save a CompleteMonster? Who's treated by some of the characters as so cool and nice now? Faith. Yeah, that Faith.
* TrainingThePeacefulVillagers
* TrashTheSet: Hell ''trash the whole town''. Sunnydale is reduced to nothing but a crater at the end of the series.
* UltimateEvil
* UltimateJobSecurity: Buffy had this at the Doublemeat Palace and Sunnydale High and Giles had it at the old Sunnydale high. The first time for her was due to having blackmail material and the second because the principal was the son of a Slayer (the one Spike killed and got his [[BadassLongcoat coat]] from) and kept her there because of easily guessed reasons. Giles? Here's an FYI, don't fuck with someone who's nickname is [[NamesToRunAwayFrom Ripper]].
* WhereItAllBegan: The final epic battle ends where the series began, Sunnydale High.
* WhoYouGonnaCall
-->'''Spike''': Who you gonna call? ...That phrase is ''never'' gonna be usable again, is it?
* WordSaladLyrics:
-->Anchovies! Anchovies!\\
You're so delicious.\\
I love you more than\\
all [[PainfulRhyme the other fishes]]!" ♪
* WorldOfCardboardSpeech: Buffy realizing (see NiceJobFixingItVillain) that [[spoiler: the first watchers ''invented'' the "one-Slayer" rule, and that Willow was powerful enough to [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome change that rule, giving every potential Slayer in the world their power simultaneously]]]]
* YouCantFightFate: Cassie's death.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Season Eight]]
The following examples may contain major spoilers for anyone who hasn't finished watching the television series, or who hasn't read the comics yet. Consider yourself forewarned. VERY forewarned.
* AllOfThem: After Xander kills the vampire that killed Renee Buffy goes to comfort him, ordering the other slayers to kill the members of the Japanese cult. Every last one of them.
* AlmostDeadGuy: Combining this with HeroicSacrifice and RedemptionEqualsDeath, [[spoiler:Ethan Rayne gives his life to help Buffy.]]
* ArcWelding: [[spoiler:The end of the season sets up the the background of {{Fray}}, written 10 years earlier.]]
* AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever: At one point, Dawn gets turned into a giant...and a doll...and a centaur... Comics Dawnie is [[WeirdnessMagnet all over the place]].
** [[RunningGag Centaurette]].
* BathtubBonding: Occurs between Faith and Genevieve Savidge.
* BettyAndVeronica: Willow is torn between Kennedy and Aluwyn.
* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: The group manages to win the day and avert the apocolypse once more. But Giles is dead due to Buffy's hesitation. [[{{Fray}} All magic is gone with the destruction of the seed]], meaning Willow is de-powered. All slayers are viewed as terrorists thanks to much idiocy of a few rogue slayers, who squarely put the blame on Buffy. While vampires are accepted by society. On the upside, Faith takes Angel in to rehabilitate him and Buffy, despite everything thats happened, continues to fight the good fight.]]
* BlandNameProduct: Happy Cat, obviously intended to be Hello Kitty.
* BoomHeadshot: Happens to [[spoiler:Ethan Rayne]] and [[spoiler:The General]].
* BroughtDownToNormal: Aiko; a Slayer who [[{{Squee}} squees]] when Buffy personally calls her after she is impressed the Japanese girl had killed a bunch of demons, is used as a test subject by vampires who want to depower the Slayers. They easily beat her to death and ''string her up'' as a warning\threat to Buffy.
* TheBusCameBack: Actress Elisabeth Röhm (Kate Lockley) left to be on ''Series/LawAndOrder'' and was {{Brother Chuck}}ed from ''Series/{{Angel}}'' in season 2, but makes a comeback in the comics because of course, comics aren't hindered by pesky things like acting contracts.(She appears in ''Series/{{Angel}}: After The Fall'' as a new member of AI in ''Aftermath''.) Similarly Oz (Seth Green), who was PutOnABus in season 4, returns in issue 26.
* CantBelieveISaidThat: In the same story where Buffy sleeps with Satsu, one of the lead vampires is about to kill her, threatening how he bets she tastes sweet. Satsu kills him, retorts "You have no idea", then gets all guilty and ashamed over [[LesYay her words]].
* ComicBookTime: While the television show had one in-series year pass for every real year because each season took a year with an episode roughly every week, Buffy Season 8 has, of course, taken longer to unfold because of the monthly comic schedule. All the characters have been stuck at the same age for the last three real-world years. Season 8 takes place a year and a half after Season 7/half a year after ''Angel'' Season 5 (with the ''Angel'' and ''Spike'' comics in the half-year between).
* {{Crossover}}: ''{{Fray}}'' in ''Time of Your Life.'' Future Willow transports Buffy to the future.
* DetailHoggingCover: The covers are near-photorealistic renditions of the actors, and the actual comics are much less detailed and much more stylized. The resemblance of the comic art to the actors can also vary greatly depending on the panel. An example of this would be [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/DHC_8890.JPG here]]. Compare the art on the left to the art on the right, for instance.
** This is because each issue has two covers. One is the super crazy detailed(done by Jo Chen) pics like [[http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080215230043/buffy/images/thumb/a/aa/BuffyS8-01.jpg/390px-BuffyS8-01.jpg this,]] and the other being more [[http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20081217183315/buffy/images/thumb/4/4d/Btvs12b.jpg/77px-Btvs12b.jpg stylized, usually funnier or sillier.]][[http://buffy.wikia.com/wiki/Buffy_the_Vampire_Slayer_Season_Eight Compare and contrast.]]
* DistractedByTheSexy: Subverted with Angel who, after seeing two attractive woman kiss, just wants to get on with the fight.
* DoubleEntendre: One possible trope this quote could be, the other being AccidentalInnuendo. In Season 8, after Xander is forced to ride [[RunningGag Centaurette]] Dawn (causing her to get soaking wet), this exchange happens (also repeated almost word-for-word in the ''Angel'' comics):
-->'''Xander:''' How're you feeling?
-->'''Centaurette!Dawn:''' Like I was ridden hard and put away wet.
-->'''Xander:''' AGH! Dawn, that's dis -- oh. No. It's just true.
* DramaticUnmask: Subverted by Twilight in the Season Eight comics. His neck just itches.
** He later pulls this on Buffy.
* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: Them F#©%ing. It's Buffy and Angel...you work it out.
* [[spoiler: FlyingBrick]]: That one person(s). You know the one(s). They become this after getting a power-up in Season Eight, although it's PoweredByAForsakenChild: [[spoiler: the power originates from ritually slain slayers.]]
** Not really, Willow got it wrong, Buffy was powered by Twilight itself.
* GenreSavvy: Xander is absolutely GenreSavvy. In Season 2's "Passion," Buffy is considering reveal her secret life as the Slayer to Joyce in order to protect her from Angelus, Xander protests that "the more people who know your secret, the more it cheapens it for the rest of us!"
* GenderFlip: Done InUniverse in ''Series/{{Angel}}''. There was a Hollywood movie (VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory) about The Fall, which had [[http://images.wikia.com/buffy/images/5/55/SheSpike.jpg Spike as a woman.]]
* GrandTheftMe: While being tortured by Amy Willow goes on a tirade about her best friend, Buffy. She then posesses The Slayer so she can guide her to where she is imprisoned.
* GroinAttack: Buffy just can't stay away from Angel's privates can she?
* HeroicBSOD: Angel at the end of Season 8 [[spoiler: after realizing he killed Giles]].
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Ethan]].
* HorrorHunger: Dawn, when changed into a centaurette, mentions a craving for hay. Remember, she still looks human from her body up.
* HumongousMecha: Dawn fights a Mecha-Dawn--complete with a tail-- in Tokyo while still a giant.
* IncrediblyLamePun: [[spoiler:The next universe is started by Buffy and Angel having sex all over the planet and in space. Brings a new meaning to Big Bang, doesn't it? Another slayer says they really fucked things up, literally.]]
* InsistentTerminology: Centaurette, not centaur.
* ItAlwaysRainsAtFunerals: [[spoiler:Giles' funeral.]]
* KarmaHoudini: Spike points out that almost everyone has been evil at one point, and that most of them get away with it after he [[BecomingTheCostume Becomes The Costume]] in a season six Angel comic.
* TheMagicGoesAway
* MildlyMilitary: Buffy treats the Slayer army as a real one, however as she was a [[DrillSergeantNasty shockingly bad instructor]] and Xander is the only one with any military knowledge they make do as amateurs.
* TheMole: [[spoiler:Riley]].
* NoBisexuals: Similar to Willow in the TV series, but reversed: after [[spoiler: Buffy and Satsu]] hook up, several good reasons are given why they can't stay together, but apparently the main reason is that the former is "not a dyke." But could she be bi? The possibility isn't so much as alluded to. Later, we get Kennedy saying "You're not the only fool to ever wrinkle the sheets with a straight girl," which is arguably fair, but the possibility that she's bisexual still isn't mentioned. Her straightness is treated as just obvious.
** An offhand comment by Faith indicates she isn't bisexual. Really into a RomanticTwoGirlFriendship perhaps, but as she says if you want her to go down on a woman you have the wrong chosen one.
* NoExceptYes. Buffy works out that she was woken by a TrueLoveKiss from Satsu, a fellow slayer. She tells her that they can't be with each other. Then Buffy sleeps with her. Then reverting to the way she was with Spike Buffy again tries to break off the romance, then sleeps with Satsu again.
* NotDistractedByTheSexy: Andrew complains that he's bored while the Slayers are playing strip poker, and is completely nonchalant when he sees [[spoiler: Buffy and Satsu naked in bed together]].
** [[HideYourGays That's because he's really, really gay.]]
* NothingIsTheSameAnymore: Given the world-shaking events of the Season 7 finale, this is to be expected. Sunnydale is destroyed, so the series can no longer take place where it was for the past seven seasons. ''All'' the potential slayers have been activated and there are now armies of slayers as well as newly-activated ones in every corner of the globe. The Masquerade is finally broken and the world at large is made aware of the supernatural, not to mention the many deaths in the final battle against The First. Oh yeah, and [[CaptainObvious it's a comic]].
* OurCentaursAreDifferent
* OurGiantsAreBigger
* PetTheDog: Out of all the villains who could get this, the rapist misogynist who murdered Tara, Warren Meers, gets one by jumping in and saving Andrew from a bunch of demons (using a [[IronMan repulsor gauntlet shield]]). Yes, it's as awesome as it sounds (note: he's still evil though, in fact, it's Amy who starts to want to help, Warren just likes Andrew).
* PostScriptSeason
* PropheciesAreAlwaysRight: Oh so averted. Buffy and Angel really don't give a damn if the universe has been planning its death since its creation, they aren't doing it (well, they're doing ''it'', that's what got them into this problem, but they aren't ending the universe).
* PsychoticSmirk: Buffy gives a particularly frightening one to a vampire as it's doused in fuel, threatening to KillItWithFire.
* RedemptionEqualsDeath: [[spoiler:Ethan, arguably Giles.]]
* RedHerring: The "Black Hope"'s other alias, "The Madwoman," and her manner of dressing seem to openly imply that the Black Hope is Drusilla; [[spoiler: its actually Willow.]]
* RedshirtArmy: the new generation Slayers. After the first few issues, if a Slayer you haven't met turns up, or a large number of them are gathered together? They're going to be horribly killed.
* {{Retcon}}: The notion that vampires are AlwaysChaoticEvil was starting to be done away with possibly as early as season 5, but it doesn't really take off until the comics. The bonus/supplementary issue following 25, ''Tales of the Vampire'', involves the aftermath of a teenage boy being transformed into a vampire, and neither he nor his vampire friends even come close to acting like any of the soulless monsters in seasons 1-3 of the television series. He briefly considers killing his mom, but quickly decides against it when she reveals that [[PetTheDog she still loves him no matter what]]. The idea of vampires killing people for food is even thrown out the window with Harmony's in-universe television show demonstrating that they can survive on non-lethal amount of blood from people. It goes hand in hand with the increasingly BlackAndGreyMorality of the series.
* RetiredMonster: Dracula. Yes, Dracula. Because he's most likely madly in love... with Xander. Dracula.
* RunningGag: In ''[[Series/{{Angel}} Bedroom Follies]]'': "What are you doing in my room?!"
* SnakePeople: Aluwyn
* SoLastSeason: See Willow, probably ''the'' most powerful witch in the world, singlehandedly responsible for activating all the potential Slayers, a feat more impressive than the creation of the original Slayer to begin with. Then other magic users and monsters show up that can throw around equally impressive and powerful magic right back at her, including the formerly much-less talented witch, [[strike:rat]] Amy. Even Buffy's Slayer abilities become pretty obsolete in the face of a giant army of full Slayers and Willow's magic.
* SpeechBubbles: Warren speaks with irregular and somewhat-squiggly bubbles and Twilight talks in a different font.
* SummonBiggerFish: Powerless Slayers vs. US Military? Summon 3 Tibetan Goddesses.
* SurprisinglySuddenDeath: Good lord, by this point someone should have slapped Sunnydale with the label "Death Trap" with all the times this trope is invoked.
* SymbolSwearing
** Taken to the next level when one issue ends with "I think they're F#@%ing" and the next issue being called "Them F#©%ing (Plus the True History of the Universe)".
* TakeThat: The Season 8 comic series started over a year before the success of ''[[Literature/{{Twilight}} another franchise that featured a human girl in love with a vampire]]'', so no-one thought much about the BigBad of the season being named ''Twilight'', with Buffy's only interaction with the villain coming before the other series became well known. But when they come face to face for the first time since then, Buffy points out the she did the whole Human-Girl-In-Love-With-a-Vampire thing first, and her vampire was ''so'' much better than the other one.
* TimeTravel: To ''{{Fray}}''.
* TimeyWimeyBall: Future [[spoiler: Dark Willow]] exploits the time travel confusion for all it's worth to manipulate people to her advantage.
* TrueLovesKiss: With Buffy down for the count it's determined that one of these is the order of the day. At the time it was hinted that Xander gives it, but Buffy later figures out that it was fellow Slayer [[LesYay Satsu.]] Her reaction is that it was sweet, but they can't be together. Then they sleep together. Twice.
* UncleSamWantsYou: [[http://images.darkhorse.com/covers/300/14/14836b.jpg The Chain.]] Also doubles as a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming.
* TheUnmasquedWorld: The main focus of the comics, really.
* [[YouCantGoHomeAgain You Can't Go Home Again Because You Turned It Into A Huge-Ass Crater]]
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: Harmony Kendall becomes a reality star and raises the public's opinion of vampires considerably. Likewise, she turns the Slayer Organization into a HeroWithBadPublicity
* WithAFriendAndAStranger: With the protagonist as stranger variation.
* ZeroGSpot: Buffy and [[spoiler: Angel]] during the "Twilight" arc in the comics.
** This is, of course, in the issue "Them F#©%ing (Plus the True History of the Universe)"
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Season Nine (Including "Angel and Faith")]]
* [[ActuallyADoombot Actually a Buffybot:]] A recent comic reveals that for some time now (possibly foreshadowed from the beginning of the season) that the Buffy we see is a robot. It has her traits enough, remembering Buffy's reaction to a robot version of her, to completely flip.
-->Spike...I'm a f*&^ing robot!
** [[spoiler: The latest issue reveals that it was an advanced Buffybot made by [[MadScientist Andrew]] and loaded with Buffy's mind to act as a decoy for a new BigBad, and the season starts with it waking up after the upload.]]
* [[UnclePennybags Aunt Pennybags]]: [[spoiler: Giles]]' latest WhatTheHellHero moment was to leave Faith everything in his will. If you know Faith you know she's [[AxCrazy usually]] fun to be around, but she's also putting that new found wealth to good use, from helping Angel and his research to paying off the Arsenal football team when a Slayer picks a fight with them.
* BroughtDownToNormal: Buffy, in particular, but it can be jarring to see everybody else being so...so normal. Simone by proxy attempts to have her depowered and slain. Especially Willow, who has no powers at all.
* ClosetGeek: Not only does Faith have {{Batman}} pajamas she makes enough StarWars references to make one think she had been hanging out with Andrew. She also makes some StarWars references.
* CombatTentacles: The Plagiarus demon.
* ContinuityNod: When the cops show up, Buffy recalls her career aptitude test results recommending that she become a police officer.
* CurbStompBattle: The half-demon twins Nash and Pearl vs a Slayer squad in a flashback. The Slayers don't win.
* DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife: Buffy looks like she's slowly turning bonkers after everything she lost.
** Andrew reveals to Buffy at the party that he's set up a disaster relief fund with some other slayers, much to her dismay as he has made something of his life and she, as yet, has not without being The Slayer.
* DistractedByTheSexy: Faith looks like she is going to pull this when a slayer picks a fight with the Arsenal football team, and she later muses how she would have done it before. It turns out Faith used beer as a viable solution to the conflict.
* {{Gorn}}: The first issue of "Angel and Faith" is very bloody.
* Angel, after his HeroicBSOD in Season 8 [[spoiler: having killed Giles.]] What brings him out of his HeroicBSOD is the hope that can [[MustMakeAmends find a way to]] [[spoiler: resurrect Giles.]]
* ItGotWorse: If you thought Buffy's life was bad before...vampires are beloved, Slayers are seen as the enemy, Buffy herself has a dead end job in a cafe, she just wants to be normal despite slaying being the only thing she feels she can do, and her friends have largely shunned her.
* JerkassHasApoint: Kennedy might be seen as TheScrappy but when she offers Buffy a job she's pretty on the ball about bodyguard work, a vampire loving world, even tapping into Buffy's fears.
* {{Jossed}}: In season seven it looks like Faith slept with Spike. When Harmony introduces herself in the comics however Faith offers these words.
-->"I love that '''I'm''' supposed to be the slutty one when [[ContinuityNod everyone]] '''but''' me has nailed Spike."
* ManipulativeBastard: Arguably Whistler.
** [[ManipulativeBastard Manipuilative Bitch]]: Simone was behind the attack on Buffy.
* MustMakeAmends: Angel wants to make up for killing [[spoiler:Giles]] by finding a way to bring [[spoiler:him]] back from the dead.
* OlderAndWiser: Believe it or not Faith. She's a CoolBigSis to other Slayers, uses her mistakes as a basis of what to do, and Angel personally picked her for her held because she would guide him or stop him if he becomes obsessed, crazy or dangerous.
* OurVampiresAreDifferent / OurZombiesAreDifferent: Without the Magic Seed allowing demons to posses a sired body. Vampires are now much more mindless and feral. The Scoobies call them Zompires (Zombie/Vampires) So as not to confuse them.
* PacManFever: Buffy's roommates are seen playing MassEffect, specifically Liara fighting Collectors, which doesn't occur in game. Doubles as a ShoutOut since Dark Horse comics are behind both adaptations.
* PlatonicLifePartners: What Angel and Faith have become.
* PuppeteerParasite: The Pagiarus demon again.
* ShoutOut: The latest (Jan\Feb 2012) Buffy comic has the cover in the style of {{Batman}}. For those who saw Faith wearing Batman pajamas in her series they should have seen it coming.
** Faith updates Angel on the latest inmates from ArkhamAsylum, while tracking a demon that feeds on trauma.
** The last issue with Simone and the Bot has someone wearing a skull t shirt. It certainly wasn't ThePunisher, but it likely refers to the last series as both were published at around the same time.
* StupidSexyFlanders: Willow engenders this reaction in Buffy's roommate Anaheed.
* TheBusCameBack: Simone; last seen executing [[TheDragon the general at war with the Slayers]], is driving around San Francisco, armed to her back teeth, promising that she won't let the world forget about the Slayers. [[OhCrap This...this can't be good]].
* TheCameo: DavidTennant appeared in "In Perfect Harmony."
* WeNeedADistraction: One of Faith's Slayers picks a fight with a soccer team. Faith looks like she is going to flash them, only to draw attention to the drinks she bought so they'd lay off.
* WhatDidIDoLastNight: ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9'' #1 opens with Buffy waking up in a trashed room thinking:
-->"God... What have I done? Also, why did I do whatever it was I've done? Also, where am I?"
* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: The basic view of the world, with Slayers being seen as terrorists persecuting vampires who are now beloved. Simone does not help, her appearance in the first issue even invoking that she is a domestic terrorist.
[[/folder]]
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