Follow TV Tropes

Following

Characters / Buffyverse: Sunnydale Residents
aka: Buffy The Vampire Slayer Sunnydale Residents

Go To

    open/close all folders 

Sunnydale Residents

    Joyce 

Joyce Summers

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/62882d859291534072afdb9197a82cd3.jpg
"You get the hell away from my daughter."

Played By: Kristine Sutherland

"You belong at-at a good old-fashioned college with keg parties and boys, not here with Hellmouths and vampires."

Buffy and Dawn's divorced single mother, who runs an art gallery. She is originally ignorant about Buffy's activities as the Slayer but learns about them in Season 2. She still worries about her daughter and is reluctantly supportive of her work. She dies of an aneurysm in Season 5, an event which greatly affects all the Scoobies.


  • Action Mom: Only in a few episodes, but when she's confronted or Buffy's in danger, she fights back.
  • Adults Are Useless: Played relatively straight in the first season, then Played With throughout - Joyce does as much as she can for Buffy, but at points it's just not realistic to help out a super-powered daughter.
  • All for Nothing: In Season 5, she gets surgery to remove a brain tumor that had been plaguing her... only to unexpectedly die from a brain aneurysm (likely a complication of the removal) a handful of episodes later.
  • All Girls Want Bad Boys: When she reverted to her teenage years under the effects of the band candy (made by Ethan Rayne), she demonstrated an attraction toward mysterious bad boys like Ripper, a trait that was also apparent in her daughters.
  • Amazingly Embarrassing Parents: She slept with Giles. On the hood of a police car. Twice.
  • Amicable Exes: Joyce seems to get on very well with her ex-husband Hank.
  • Brass Balls: Joyce has been placed in many dangerous situations, but she keeps her cool and rarely shows fear for her own safety. A good example would be when Faith captures her.
    Faith: You're thinking "You'll never get away with this!"
    Joyce: Actually I was thinking "My daughter is going to kill you soon."
    Faith: That a fact?
    Joyce: More like a bet.
    Faith: Whoa. You got a pair on you, Joyce.
  • Casual Kink: In "Band Candy" Buffy is shocked when her mother shyly produces handcuffs that she stole from a police officer earlier (turns out It Runs in the Family too, if "Dead Things" is any indication).
  • Characterization Marches On: In the original movie, she's shown as a vapid yuppie, a far cry from the caring, down-to-earth woman of the series. She's also unnamed and still married.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Her sarcasm was a prime aspect of her personality and rivaled even Buffy, bantering with her with ease. Similar to Buffy, she used sarcasm in the face of danger, such as when she held her own against Faith when the rogue Slayer held her hostage, sneering "Are you planning on slitting my throat any time soon?" in the middle of Faith's monologue.
  • Defiant Captive: While held hostage by Faith in "This Year's Girl." She shows no fear of Faith throughout the event, and even cuts off Faith's monologue:
  • Did We Just Have Tea with Cthulhu?: She forms a bizarre but genuine friendship with Spike; they drink tea and engage in small talk. Spike, for his part, adores her and is as hurt when she dies as everyone else.
  • Does Not Like Spam: While in hospital, she confessed to disliking Jell-O, as it creeps her out.
  • Dropped a Bridge on Him: Though it served to accentuate the Death Is Dramatic nature of the episode.
  • Fake Guest Star: She appears in a bulk of episodes in the first three seasons, and a fair few in the fourth and fifth, but is never listed as a main character.
  • Former Teen Rebel: As shown in "Band Candy," in which her teenager persona is unrestrained, up to and including shagging Giles on the hood of a car.
  • Good Parents: The fact that she manages to give Buffy exactly the half-loving/half-stern talk that she needs after her vampire boyfriend's gypsy curse turns him evil, despite not knowing that that was what had happened, speaks volumes.
  • Gut Punch: Her death in series 5 is listed as an example on this trope's main page and marked a shift towards a darker tone for the series in general.
  • High-School Sweethearts: Actually, college sweethearts. Joyce met Buffy's father at a school dance, while going stag.
  • It Runs in the Family: A gift for banter and sarcasm runs deep in Summers women as well as incredible beauty and something of a yen for kinkiness/bad boys.
  • Life Will Kill You: One day, she simply lies dead from an aneurysm. While the audience shouldn't be surprised by a death (in the Buffy-verse, at any rate), it was totally unexpected that she died the way she did. "I Was Made to Love You" ends with Buffy coming home, and her mother is dead on the floor. The next episode is called "The Body", and quickly reveals that it was a simple aneurysm — caused by complications from a procedure she underwent earlier in the series to remove a brain tumor.
    • Bonus points that everyone was so surprised and unsettled that it wasn't anything extraordinary. Xander, especially, is shaken, saying things like this don't just happen. Anya, who usually has a very matter-of-fact attitude towards supernaturally related death and violence, is completely at a loss and in tears.
  • Mama Bear: Threaten her family at your peril. Although she knows that Buffy can take care of herself and respects that, she doesn't hesitate to shift into protection mode. She attacks Spike with a fire axe when he gets the upper hand in a fight with Buffy during his first appearance.
    Joyce: You get the hell away from my daughter.
  • Morality Pet: She is this for Spike. Their first meeting aside (in which she brains him with the broadside of an axe), she's the one human he refuses to harm, and he's hurt terribly by her sudden death.
  • Mrs. Robinson: In "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered", Xander and Cordelia are running in the streets, and take refuge in the Summers' home. A bewildered Joyce notices their bruises and tells Cordelia to go fetch some bandages from the bathroom (uh oh), but as soon as Cordy's gone, Joyce starts to put the moves on Xander too.
    Joyce: Let me get you something to drink. Are you in the mood for cold or hot? [not waiting for Xander's response] I think it's more of a hot night, don't you?
  • Never My Fault: In "Dead Man's Party", she all but openly dismisses the fact that her ultimatum to Buffy in the second season finale was instrumental in Buffy's decision to run away. However, unlike most other examples, she admits that she reacted badly, but still states that it didn't give Buffy the excuse to run.
  • Nice Girl: A loving, caring, empathatic parent and is loved by just about all the characters. Even Spike forms a genuine friendship with her and Faith respects her, even while taking her hostage.
  • O.O.C. Is Serious Business: When Buffy tries to walk out on her, Joyce decides she's had enough. She reacts by smashing her drink on the floor and snapping, "Don't you talk to me that way!"
  • Odd Friendship: With Spike. No one really gets it, but the two definitely enjoy each others company.
  • Open-Minded Parent: She tries her absolute hardest to be one after finding out Buffy is The Slayer. She gets there in the end, but it takes her a full season! She attempts to tag along on Buffy's patrols and even brings snacks!
  • Out of Focus: She's largely absent during season four, due to Kristine Sutherland being in Italy.
  • Parental Obliviousness: Early in the series, until the Season 2 finale. Buffy even called her on it, asking her if she'd ever wondered where all the blood she'd had to wash out of Buffy's clothes came from. Oddly enough, the backstory gives a perfect reason why she wouldn't notice: Buffy was thought to be a troubled kid (she burned down her last school's gym).
  • Parents in Distress: She's been used as leverage against her daughter on several occasions. When Faith took her hostage, Joyce was unafraid, because she knew that Buffy would kick her ass.
  • Parting-Words Regret: Joyce pretty much instantly regrets her words during a heated argument with Buffy re: slaying.
  • Stacy's Mom; incredible beauty runs in the Summers' family as Xander and Giles appreciate.
  • Stepford Smiler: To an extent...
    Buffy: I think she's just so wigged at hitting on one of my friends that she's repressing. She's getting pretty good at that... I should probably start worrying...
  • Talkative Loon: In "Listening to Fear".
  • Team Mom: She provided a surrogate mother figure to Buffy's friends, happily making them Christmas dinner and showing equal concern for their problems. When Willow received the call about Jennifer Calendar's death, Joyce held her as she cried over Buffy who was less affected. Her death strongly affected the group, including Spike because she treated him affably, Tara, who was forced to step into the role of Team Mom in her stead, and Anya, who Joyce could stand without being offended by her strange honesty.
  • Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Sure, she wasn't flawless, but Joyce was a good mom and person, and the Buffyverse is left emptier after she passes away.
  • Trademark Favorite Drink: Her favorite tipples were Schnapps and Kahlua.
  • Tranquil Fury: Joyce is rarely moved to genuine anger, but when she is, she still keeps her cool.
  • Troll: Before her death, she met a publisher named Brian who took her out for dinner and a movie. They had one date that went well, leading Joyce to tease Buffy by jokingly claiming to have left her bra at his car, then further tormenting her by saying it was actually left at the restaurant and then a dessert cart.
  • Undead Barefooter: When Dawn resurrects her, the viewers is given a Discretion Shot of her grey, hobbling bare feet, implying that she Came Back Wrong as a zombie. Upon realizing this, Dawn broke the spell before it could be completed.
  • Unflappable Guardian: Once she accepts Buffy's role as the Slayer, she starts taking all the supernatural happenings in her stride.
  • Villain Over for Dinner: Her and Spike on several occasions.
    Joyce: Have we met?
    Spike: Uh, you hit me with an axe one time. Remember, uh, "Get the hell away from my daughter"?

    Jonathan 

Jonathan Levinson

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/90c3e7f1b4d2d9f28cc2a98c4935bc9b.jpg
"I don't deserve this. I wasn't even that evil."

Played By: Danny Strong

"I really miss it. Time goes by and everything drops away. All the cruelty, all the pain, all the humiliation, it all washes away. I miss my friends. I miss my enemies. I miss the people I talked to every day. I miss the people who never knew I existed. I miss 'em all. I wanna talk to them, you know? I wanna find out how they're doing. I-I wanna know what's going on in their lives."

A Sunnydale High student, part-time sorcerer and member of the Trio.


  • Ascended Extra: Originally an unnamed student, he gradually increases in importance until he becomes a recurring character and reluctant Big Bad for Season 6. By Season 7, he's become important enough for The First to include him in its plan.
  • The Atoner: Tries, but he never gets the chance. Before that, he was perfectly willing to go to jail and accept responsibility for his crimes, only running out of fear of Willow.
  • Back for the Dead: Returns in Season 7 only to be killed by Andrew in his first appearance.
  • Big Bad Duumvirate: Forms one with Warren and Andrew, though it's apparent from the start that Warren is the only real threat; by the time the Trio is disbanded in "Seeing Red", Jonathan and Andrew have been Demoted to Co-Dragons.
  • Big Bad Wannabe: While Jonathan joins up with the Trio, he isn't really evil, and is absolutely horrified with Warren's actions.
  • Breakout Character: He was always shown as a generic Sunnydale student and later fan-favourite in the earlier seasons. Season 6 has him return and turn out be a villain. But not really evil. In any case, more important than originally thought.
  • Butt-Monkey: Early on, he became the show's go-to victim for anything non-lethal. As bad as high school was for everyone else at Sunnydale, Jonathan just got screwed. Even among the Trio, Jonathan's still the loser of the group, which is at its most blatant in "Flooded", where Warren and Andrew willingly offer him as a sacrifice in exchange for their own safety.
    • Comes to a subtle peak after he is murdered as part of a ritual sacrifice to open the Seal of Danzalthar with his blood: It didn't work because he's anemic, making his death pointless even for the villains.
  • Crucified Hero Shot: He lies sprawled across the Seal of Danzalthar after Andrew kills him.
  • Death by Irony: Jonathan ends up being killed at Sunnydale High, the place he tried to commit suicide four years ago (and mere minutes after talking about how he looks back at his high school years with fondness, no less).
  • Demoted to Dragon: Becomes Warren's lackey, along with Andrew.
  • Driven to Suicide: Revealed to be his true motivation for bringing a gun to school in "Earshot." Buffy talks him out of it (thinking he was planning to go on a murder spree instead).
  • Everyone Has Standards: He is visibly shaken and horrified upon seeing just what a vile and cold-hearted piece of work Warren really is after he kills Katrina and tries to frame Buffy for it and even before that, refuses to engage in any extreme acts of villainy or try to kill Buffy, still grateful for her having saved his life.
  • Heel–Face Door-Slam: Jonathan was never that bad to begin with, and helps Buffy defeat Warren in their final confrontation, but Willow's subsequent rampage still sends him fleeing to Mexico with Andrew. However, when he begins to get prophetic dreams related to the First, he returns to Sunnydale, determined to redeem himself by helping Buffy stop it, and he has finally let go of all the hatred and depression that sprang from being isolated and picked on in high school. Andrew points out that nobody in Sunnydale cares about Jonathan, nobody has missed him while he was gone or will welcome him back, but Jonathan says he does not care, that he wants to help them anyway, even if they never know about it or accept him. Then Andrew, at the goading of the First, buries a ritual knife in his stomach.
  • Heel Realization: It first begins when Katrina explicitly refers to the Trio's attempts at making her a Sex Slave "rape". He seems startled, having clearly adhered to Double Standard: Rape, Sci-Fi. He quickly comes to realize the true meaning of being a 'villain' and ultimately turns on Warren.
  • Height Angst: He's implied to be insecure about being his height (Danny Strong is 5'2, shorter even than Sarah Michelle Gellar), mentioning bitterly how everyone sees him as a "short idiot".
  • I Just Want to Have Friends: Wonders in Season 7 if the Scoobies will let him and Andrew hang out at their house. Andrew ends up getting the chance; for all his trouble, Jonathan does not.
  • I Just Want to Be Special: Originally the poor guy feels left out to the point where he decides that committing suicide will finally get him noticed. When Buffy convinces him otherwise, he lapses out of this until "Superstar", where he alters the very fabric of reality to become special. Again, this doesn't work out, and Jonathan goes back to being a nobody until Season 6, where he allies himself with Warren and Andrew to take over Sunnydale and earn some respect.
  • Marty Stu: In-Universe in "Superstar," where Jonathan casts a reality-warping spell that makes him into a ridiculously multi-talented celebrity and hero. This episode even changes the Title Sequence, making it center on the newly Stu-ified Jonathan.
  • Mauve Shirt: Jonathan was introduced as little more than an extra in his first appearance, and there are several times throughout Seasons 2 and 3 where he could have been killed off to show how dangerous the conflict of the week was. He almost has his life-force sucked out from him in "Inca Mummy Girl", is present during the zombie attack on Buffy's home in "Dead Man's Party", almost takes his own life in "Earshot", and contributes to the battle against the Mayor's forces in "Graduation Day Part 2". Through it all, he survives and gradually gains more characterization. He ends up rising further in status when he gets his own Day in the Limelight in "Superstar" and becomes one of the central antagonists in Season 6. Unfortunately, like with several Mauve Shirt characters, it culminates in him being Killed Off for Real when he reappears in Season 7.
  • Minion with an F in Evil: Jonathan was never as evil as the other two of the Trio, he joined them because... well, because what nerd has not dreamed about becoming an Evil Overlord and being the arch-nemesis of the beautiful Slayer? He is constantly objecting to their more needlessly cruel ideas and distracts them when they begin to get sidetracked into random violence, and, since Buffy had helped him and saved his ass on more than one occasion, he is not particularly willing to kill or hurt her. When Katrina explains that brainwashing a person for sex is rape, he is visibly disturbed, and when Andrew and Warren are happy that they have managed to get away with murder, he stares blankly forward and numbly mumbles agreement. At the end of their career, when he sees what power has revealed about Warren's true character, he actually turns on the Trio and tells Buffy how to defeat Warren. In Season 7, he makes a complete turn and comes back to Sunnydale, having let go of the anger and depression that sprang from his youth, and hopes to redeem himself by helping Buffy stop the First, even if nobody cares about him or what he has become. Unfortunately, Andrew has a few things to say about that.
  • Promoted to Opening Titles: As part of "Superstar," due to being a Reality Warper that episode.
  • Redemption Equals Death: Turns on Warren and drags Andrew back to Sunnydale with him in order to finally make things right... unfortunately, The First has other plans for him, intending to use Jonathan's blood to open the Seal of Danzalthar, a task it accomplishes by tricking Andrew into thinking that Jonathan will become a god if he's killed.
  • Smoke Out: "Life Serial" and "Gone", both of which comically fail their intended dramatic effect.
  • Spear Carrier: His role in Season 2 and (most of) Season 3; the writers would often call upon Danny Strong whenever they needed a good victim, citing his good "victim face." The first episode where Jonathan is used prominently rather than for a walk-on part is in "Earshot."
  • Squishy Wizard: Of the Trio, he is the most magically adept.
  • Surprisingly Sudden Death: Jonathan is preparing to inform Buffy about the Seal of Danzalthar, when Andrew helps him to his feet. Confused, he sees Warren standing behind Andrew... who proceeds to stab Jonathan to death before he can say or do anything.
  • Those Two Guys: With Andrew, until Andrew murders him.
  • Token Good Teammate: Of the Trio, being the only one to show any initial remorse for his actions. Andrew got better; ditto for Warren.
  • Ungrateful Bastard: Averted. He's still grateful to Buffy for all she'd done for him before Season 6 and refuses to do anything that would seriously harm her and even still regards her as a friend. While he goes along with the plot to frame her, he's clearly not happy at all about it and later even tries to help her defeat the First Evil.
  • What You Are in the Dark: It does not matter that they tormented him in high school or that they have forgotten about him in the years since then, Jonathan is going to step up and be the hero for the town of Sunnydale because it is the right thing to do.
    Jonathan: I'm serious, I really miss [high school]. Time goes by and everything drops away; all the cruelty, all the pain, all the humiliation, it all washes away. I miss my friends. I miss my enemies. I miss the people I talked to every day, I miss the people who never knew I existed. I miss 'em all. I want to talk to them, y'know. I want to find out how they're doing, I want to know what's going on in their lives.
    Andrew: You know what? They don't want to talk to you. All those people you just mentioned, not one of them is sitting around going "I wonder what Jonathan's up to right now?" Not one of them cares about you.
    Jonathan: Well, I still care about them. That's why I'm here.
  • With Friends Like These...: With Warren and Andrew; as the Trio, they are always bickering, and it's apparent that the other two would leave Jonathan to take the fall in a heartbeat, which they almost accomplish in "Seeing Red."
  • Wrong Genre Savvy: Jonathan clearly wants the Trio to be supervillains closer to that of The Silver Age of Comic Books, regularly causing trouble for fun and personal gain but not seriously hurting anyone or doing any considerable damage, and even being something of a Friendly Enemy to their nemesis. Unfortunately, this is undermined by the fact that the Trio is led by a remorseless sociopath. It isn't until Warren kills Katrina that Jonathan ends up truly getting a wake-up call.

    Ben 

Ben Wilkinson

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/buffy_ben_wilkinson.jpg
"...Us?"

Played By: Charlie Weber

"I guess we're stuck with each other, huh, baby?"

A medical intern living in Sunnydale and the human prison for Glory.


  • Apologetic Attacker: Ben tells Dawn he's sorry even as he drags her off to be painfully sacrificed.
  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Seems like a polite and compassionate Nice Guy, but it becomes increasingly clear how selfish and cowardly he can be. Even before helping Glory capture Dawn, he summoned a Queller demon (does Exactly What It Says on the Tin) to kill the lunatics Glory had produced all over Sunnydale, so as to make his life easier.
  • Cessation of Existence: As Glory's human prison, her release would lead to this. One of the primary reasons he ultimately sides with her is her promise to help him escape this fate once she's restored to godhood.
  • Dating Catwoman: Averted. He asks Buffy out on a date and she says yes, but she ultimately cancels on him because she has too many other things in her life to deal with right now.
  • Face–Heel Turn: The uphill battle against Glory gets to him, and when it becomes too likely she'll win, he begrudgingly agrees to help her in exchange for her help when she becomes a Hellgod again.
  • I Just Want to Be Normal: He absolutely hates being Glory's human prison. Unsurprising, since it destroys his career, his social life, and ultimately kills him.
  • Involuntary Shapeshifting: On occasion, Glory takes control of his body and runs amok without his consent.
  • It's All About Me: He develops this Fatal Flaw when the barriers between him and Glory begin to break down, which led to his willingness to help Glory sacrifice Dawn in exchange for Glory promising to make him immortal when she returns to her demon dimension instead of letting him suffer Cessation of Existence.
  • Jekyll & Hyde: He's the Jekyll to Glory's Hyde.

    Amy 

Amy Madison

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/buffy_amy_promo.jpg
"It's crazy, all the things that've happened since I went away."

Played By: Elizabeth Anne Allen & Robin Riker

"This is not about hate. It's about power. Willow always had all the power, long before she even knew what to do with it. Just came so easy for her. The rest of us—we had to work twice as hard to be half as good. But no one cares about how hard you work. They just care about cute, sweet Willow."

A witch. Although initially starting off as Willow Rosenberg's friend and a seemingly good-natured individual, Amy gradually grew to misuse her magic, eventually ending up as an enemy to the Scooby Gang and becoming a bona fide villain during the Twilight Crisis.


  • And I Must Scream: Like mother, like daughter. Amy transforms herself into a rat to escape an angry mob, but can't change back. She stays a rat for years until Willow manages to change her back. Despite how much that sucked, she seemed to have accustomed to it...she kept the cage and enjoys cheese.
  • Animorphism: Can turn people into rats. Including herself, which probably isn't the best idea as it takes years before anyone turns her back. In Season 8, she has gotten a lot better at controlling her magic and can become a cat, as well as cast spells while in animal form.
  • Big "NO!": Combined with a rather twisted Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other, Amy lets out one of these when the Seed of Wonder is destroyed and she loses her powers, causing Warren to fall apart in front of her eyes, since he had only been held together by her magic.
  • Black Mage: Her role in the Twilight Group
  • Co-Dragons: To Twilight with Warren and the General in Season 8.
  • De-power: With the destruction of the Seed of Wonder.
  • Dr. Feelgood: The root of Willow's 'relapse' into her magic habit.
  • Emergency Transformation: To escape an angry mob, she turns herself into a rat.
  • Evil Counterpart: Mainly to Willow, but also to Tara; Tara advised Willow to slow down on the magic while Amy encouraged her addiction.
  • Evil Former Friend: To the Scoobies, and Willow in particular.
  • Evil Sorcerer: Particularly in Season 8
  • Face–Heel Turn: She goes from a nice, friendly girl to a villain after her time as a rat. In Season 1, 2 and 3 she was a close friend of the Scoobies, however after she was transformed back to her human form, she seems different. Although Amy originally remained friends with the Scoobies, especially Willow, after she introduced her to Rack, Willow and Amy began to fall out. After Willow cuts Amy out of her life, Amy holds a grudge.
  • Flight: In Season 8.
  • Forced Transformation: Was transformed back into her rat state at the end of “Lost And Found: Part Five”, this time with no way out.
  • Formerly Fat: She lost a lot of weight according to Willow, which turned out to be because her mother was inhabiting her body.
  • Grand Theft Me: Her introduction.
  • Hero of Another Story: In The Gatekeeper Trilogy of novels, Buffy and her friends are busy globe-trotting to deal with an apocalyptic threat which is causing Sunnydale to be even more dangerous and plagued by monsters than usual. Amy finds herself stepping into the Scooby Gang's role to try and protect the people of the town and does a good job at it, even though her efforts are only shown in two chapters of the Doorstopper trilogy.
  • Hot Witch: An attractive witch. She could do better than Warren.
  • I'm a Humanitarian: How she and Warren survived under the Sunnydale sinkhole, eating the bodies of those who died.
  • In-Series Nickname: According to the Sunnydale Yearbook, some of her classmates call her "Mad-woman", presumably due to her surname beginning with "Mad" and her affinity for magic that not everyone believes in.
  • In the Blood: Implied to be the source of her raw magical power.
  • Laser-Guided Karma: She turns Buffy into a rat. Guess what she spends three seasons as?
  • Magitek: Provided by the Twilight Group to try and give Amy an advantage against Willow.
  • Mommy Issues: To be fair, you'd have those issues as well if your mother tried to steal your body and life.
  • Motive Rant: She gives one to Kennedy when confronted with the hex she placed on Willow.
    "This is not about hate. It's about power. Willow always had all the power, long before she even knew what to do with it. Just came so easy for her. The rest of us...we had to work twice as hard to be half as good. But no-one cares about how hard you work. They just care about cute, sweet Willow. They don't know how weak she is. She gave in to evil...stuff worse than I can even imagine. She almost destroyed the world! And yet everyone keeps on loving her? So what's wrong with having a little fun, huh? Taking her down a peg or two?"
  • Naked on Arrival: When she's de-ratted both times, she's stark naked.
  • Necromancer: She creates an army of zombies to attack the Slayer Organization.
  • Never My Fault: Blames Willow for taking three years to figure out a way of de-ratting her, even though it was Amy's spell in the first place. Perhaps she is mad that Willow kept her in a cage, even if it was for her protection, and that she wanted to keep the cage even when she was human again.
  • Not-So-Harmless Villain: In Seasons 7 and 8.
  • The Resenter: She steadily grows to hate Willow, to whom magic comes easily.
  • Sanity Slippage: Spending years as a rat and then getting trapped under Sunnydale forced to eat human bodies has not been beneficial for her mental health.
  • Screw This, I'm Outta Here: During the Battle in Sunnydale during the Twilight crisis, she and Warren escape Spike's airship and run away. She considers going back to help and see if they can fake a Heel–Face Turn, but Warren shoots down the idea since he knew Willow would never allow them to join.
  • Teleportation: One of her abilities.
  • Toxic Friend Influence: She is basically Willow's Faith, worsening the latter's magic addiction by introducing her to Rack and later ruining her attempt to go cold turkey out of spite.
  • Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Amy was once good friends with Willow in Middle School. She also gets on well with Xander and Buffy. However, after becoming addicted with witchcraft, she is more abrasive, forceful and becomes corrupted into a villain.
  • What Does She See in Him?: It's unclear why beautiful, magical Amy would want to date skinless, insecure, bullying Warren.

    Devon 

Devon Macleish

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/buffy_devon_dingoes_ate_my_baby.jpg
"Man, we need a roadie. Other bands have roadies."

Played By: Jason Hall

"You're too picky, man. Do you know how many girls you could have? You're lead guitar, Oz. It's currency!"

The lead singer of Dingoes Ate My Baby and a student at Sunnydale High.


  • Brainless Beauty: His lack of brain cells doesn't harm his chances with the ladies, including Cordelia for a while.
  • The Ditz: He's not the sharpest stake in the weapon box.
  • Hidden Depths: Devon acts like a Brainless Beauty musician who devotes all of his time to his band, but the Sunnydale High Yearbook mentions that he is also a talented member of the Drama Club. He is praised by the yearbook staff for his performance in Oklahoma!, even though the music in that play is different than the type Devon normally sings.
  • Satellite Character: In seven TV appearances and at least seven more literary ones, he barely says or does a single noteworthy thing that isn't related to making music with Oz (or dating Cordelia during their brief relationship).
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: Stops being mentioned after Oz's departure. Justified since none of the others were well acquainted with him except Cordelia, who'd moved to L.A. at this point.

    Allan 

Deputy Mayor Allan Finch

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/buffy_deputy_allan_finch.jpg
"I'm sorry to bother you, sir."

Played By: Jack Plotnick

"Should I have Mr. Trick send a... committee to deal with this?"

The Deputy Mayor of Sunnydale under the infamous Mayor Richard Wilkins.


  • Accidental Murder: Faith kills him by mistake.
  • Minion with an F in Evil: He works for the Mayor, but is very disturbed and frightened by his employer.
  • Murder by Mistake: While on a vampire killing spree, Faith acts too quickly and stabs him in the heart with a stake. Only then does she realize he's a human.
  • Small Role, Big Impact: He doesn't have much of a character and exists mostly in the background to the Mayor and Mr. Trick, but his death is a catalyst for Faith's storylines and impacts the series forever.

    Parker 

Parker Abrams

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/buffy_parker_abrams.jpg
"Look, I'm sorry if you misunderstood something. I thought things were pretty clear."

Played By: Adam Kaufman

"Well, you know the difference between a freshman girl and a toilet seat... toilet seat doesn't follow you around after you use it —"

A UC Sunnydale student dorming in Kresge Hall.


  • Asshole Victim: Whenever something bad happens to Parker, it becomes hilarious.
  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: He's far from the sensitive boy he appears to be.
  • The Casanova: His status on-campus. He targets freshmen girls and manipulates them into sleeping with him.
  • The Charmer: In a subtle, manipulative way.
  • Hate Sink: He was designed from the start to be unlikable with the reveal that he's nothing but a callous womanizer.
  • Humiliation Conga: In rapid succession over the course of a few episodes, he first gets a vicious tongue lashing by Willow, clubbed in the head by Cave!Buffy, and finally, in his last appearance, punched in the face by Riley. He deserved every single bit of it.
  • Manipulative Bastard: Give the man credit: he plays Buffy perfectly with a combination of elegant lies and good acting.
    Spike: Did he play the sensitive lad and get you to seduce him? That's a good trick if the girl's thick enough to buy it.
  • Not Staying for Breakfast: Due to him being a professional casanova who isn't interested in women for their personalities.

    Willy 

Willy the Snitch

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/buffy_willy_the_snitch.jpg
"Here ya go. Don't ever say your friend Willy don't come through in a pinch."

Played By: Saverio Guerra

"Look, kid, my clientele ain't exactly nuns and orphans, but I... I never seen anything like these demons."

A bartender and unwilling snitch, who owned Willy's Bar, later changed to Willy's Place, a Sunnydale business that welcomed demons, vampires and humans alike, serving as a neutral place for all sorts of beings.


    Percy 

Percy West

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/buffy_percy_west_1.jpg
"No, no, no. I don't have any time at lunch. I gotta hang out."

Played By: Ethan Erickson

" Rosenberg? What are you doing, trick-or-treating? You're supposed to be at home doing my history report. I flunk that class, you're in big trouble with Snyder. Till we graduate, I own your ass."

A Sunnydale High student and star point guard on the basketball team.


  • Hidden Depths: He acts like a Dumb Jock, but the Sunnydale High Yearbook mentions that he's one of the leaders of a group called Students Against Drunk Driving (or SADD).
  • Jerk Jock: Initially; he's a moron who expects people (like Willow) to do his work for him because he's a basketball star. After a session of Scare 'Em Straight from Vampire Willow, he takes a level in kindness. And then a level in jerkass after Willow overhears him badmouthing her to his current, insecure girlfriend.
  • Scare 'Em Straight: Courtesy of Vamprie Willow, who puts the fear of Goddess in him.
  • Took a Level in Jerkass: Despite his level in kindness, he's overheard by Willow badmouthing her to his girlfriend. However, he earlier seemed genuinely pleased to see her and may have just been trying to allay his girlfriend's jealousy. It's still not a nice thing to do.
  • Took a Level in Kindness: After a Scare 'Em Straight session and Willow's tutoring, he becomes smarter and nicer.

    Rack 

Rack

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/d828dc5a8c40c67472398b06925c8a95.JPG
"I'm just gonna take a little tour."

Played By: Jeff Kober

"I could feel you coming a mile away, the power you got. And you know something, sweetness? I liked it. "

A sinister warlock from Sunnydale, one infamous for supplying a pure yet addictive kind of magic.


  • Affably Evil: He's civil, not very emotive, and will help even persona non grata (given financial incentive, anyway). That said, he possesses an undeniably sinister undercurrent and his interest in Willow is framed as that of a shady dealer whose favoured clientele is "little girls".
  • Asshole Victim: A scumbag through and through. It's hard to say he didn't have it coming when Willow drains him.
  • Chekhov's Gunman: Rack appears early in Season 6, and makes a return during "Villains" when he makes a deal with Warren. He also pops up in the comics with vengeance in mind.
  • Dead Guy on Display: Willow leaves his corpse floating in the air; it's later revealed in the comics that she merely drained him to near-death. He actually survived.
  • Didn't See That Coming: He saw Willow coming, but he didn't see that she would drain him entirely of his magic.
  • Does This Remind You of Anything?: He's a pretty thinly-veiled allegory for a drug-dealer; lurking in a bad area of town, disheveled and long-haired and having a generally creepy aura about him.
  • The Dreaded: Demons like Clem are afraid of him. Spike is aware of who he is, and is absolutely shocked to discover that Willow has been visiting his place.
  • Evil Tastes Good: He's a proponent of this.
  • Fantastic Drug: The type of magic he supplies, which has typical hallucinatory effects on Willow and Amy.
  • Fantastic Racism: Against floppy-eared demons, according to Clem.
  • Invisibility Cloak: He keeps his place hidden with one of these, although it isn't overly difficult to find if you know a regular. He himself admits that five bucks is the price his customers place on discretion.
  • Not Quite Dead: The Season 9 comics reveal that being drained of his magic by Willow didn't actually kill him; she merely depowered him and left him in a coma.
  • Pretender Diss: Rack is an experienced warlock, and the likes of Warren do not impress him.
  • Revenge: He wasn't pleased with Willow draining him.
  • Tastes Like Strawberries: So he says to Willow, word-for-word.

    Scott 

Scott Hope

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/buffy_scott_hope.jpg
"Okay. You know what, I thought about it, and I'm in. When do you want to go?"

Played By: Fab Filippo

"I've given it a lot of thought — some might say too much thought — to, to how I might be a part of your life. It begins with conversation. We all know this. Maybe over a cup of coffee, or maybe at the Buster Keaton festival playing on State Street all this weekend."

A Sunnydale High student and Buffy Summers's boyfriend after she returned from Los Angeles.


  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: While seeming generically nice, Scott is actually a pretty nasty piece of work. He starts flirting with Faith while dating Buffy, has a new girlfriend lined up immediately after dumping Buffy, and later spreads the rumor that Buffy's gay to distract from his own closeted homosexuality. According to Holden Webster, he said that about all his exes.
  • The Generic Guy: Buffy dates him because he's so utterly lacking in distinguishing traits aside from a slight over-eagerness, considering him perfect for getting over Angel and back on the horse.
  • Irony: He spread rumors that Buffy was gay after their break-up, and later came out of the closet himself in college.
  • Straight Gay: He's a little dorky, but otherwise lacks any stereotypical gay mannerisms.

    Katrina 

Katrina Silber

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/buffy_katrina_silber.jpg
"That's it. Forget it, Warren. I'm gone."

Played By: Amelinda Embry

"You bunch of little boys playing at being men? Well, this is not some fantasy! It’s not a game, you freaks! It’s rape!"

Warren Mears' ex-girlfriend.


One-shot Characters

    Catherine 

Catherine Madison

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/buffy_catherine_madison.png
"How dare you raise your hand to your mother! I gave you birth. I gave up my life, so you could drag that worthless carcass around and call it living!"

Played By: Robin Riker & Elizabeth Anne Allen

Appears In: "The Witch"

"I shall look upon my enemy. I shall look upon her and the dark place will have her soul!"

The mother of Amy Madison and a powerful witch. During her teenage years, she had attended Sunnydale High School and was captain of the cheerleading squad.


  • Abusive Parent: Catherine treats Amy like a genuine inconvenience, being emotionally and verbally abusive toward her. She goes so far as to steal her daughter's body so she can relive her glory days.
  • And I Must Scream: She has one of her spells turned back on her, and seemingly vanishes. At the end of the episode, it turns out she's been trapped in one of her old cheerleading trophies. When the school was destroyed 2 years later, the trophy was presumably destroyed as well, presumably destroying Catherine in the process.
  • Alpha Bitch: Was very popular when in High School, being the Captain of the Cheerleading Squad and Homecoming Queen.
  • Attack Backfire: While attempting a spell on Buffy, it's reflected back at her.
  • Black Eyes of Evil: When she's casting her final spell on Buffy.
  • …But He Sounds Handsome: While in her daughter's body, she can't stop telling everyone how wonderful she is.
    Catherine: [in Amy's body] She put herself through cosmetology school. Bought me everything I ever wanted. And never once gained a single pound.
  • Damn You, Muscle Memory!: She can't make her daughter's body move like her own, and so fails the tryouts.
  • Death Glare: Toward other cheerleaders.
  • Grand Theft Me: Catherine steals her daughter's body, switching places so she can relive her life as a teenager. She still makes Amy do homework, though.
  • It's All About Me: She's incredibly self-obsessed and narcissistic,
  • Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: When we first meet Amy (actually Catherine in her daughters body) at cheerleading tryouts, she seems nice enough. She is polite to Buffy and nice to Willow, even telling Buffy how nervous she gets. Her sweet nature is seemingly just a cover-up to seem more like Amy. She gladly tries to burn one cheerleader alive, blind another one and then erase the mouth off of another just to make the Squad. She’s also emotionally and verbally abusive to her daughter.
  • Laser-Guided Karma: She wanted to relive her glory days so she steals her own daughter's body. When the spell is reversed, she tries to blast Buffy with a magic spell but it gets deflected back at her and she disappears. The Scoobies don't know what happened to her but we find out that Catherine is now stuck in her old cheerleading trophy i.e "reliving her glory days".
  • Meaningful Name: Catherine Madison, AKA Catherine the Great.
  • Never My Fault: When it comes to Catherine, everything is everyone else's fault.
  • Pom-Pom Girl: Catherine was Captain of the Cheerleading Squad in her days as an actual teenager, and led the Squad to become Tri-county Champions, something that had never been succeeded before or since.
  • Skewed Priorities: Perhaps Giles said it best.
    Giles: Let me make sure I have this right. This witch is casting horrible and disfiguring spells so that she can become a cheerleader?
  • Stage Mom: Initially, she seems to be this and she likely is, but she's taken it to a whole new level. Stage parents want to live vicariously through their children; Catherine wants to live quite literally through Amy.
  • Super Loser: She might be a powerful witch, was a very popular girl in High School and her career in cosmetology after her husband left her in financial ruin gave her the money to afford an elegant home, but she's also an emotionally stunted narcissist obsessed with her High School fame, during which she peaked.
  • Vain Sorceress: She stole her own daughter's body to relive her high school glory days.
  • Wicked Witch: She may not physically resemble the classic witch archetype, but she was certainly wicked (bodyswapping with Amy to relive her youth). Later seasons proved that Amy was also leaning toward the wicked side.

    Weirick 

Dr. Weirick

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/a0752310f95da92db4d38c4cdf32126c.jpg
"...the power will be mine."

Played By: James Stephens

Appears In: "The Pack"

"Oh, hold it, hold it, are you blind, or are you just illiterate? Because hyenas are very quick to prey on the weak."

A zookeeper and the man in charge of the Hyena House Exhibit at the Sunnydale Zoo.


  • Four Eyes, Zero Soul: Weirick wears glasses and is a power-hungry bag of dicks.
  • Hoist by His Own Petard: He's eaten by the hyenas he tried to capture the spirits of.
  • Just Desserts: Weirick winds up in the hyena pen, and is subsequently eaten alive by them.
  • No Name Given: His name isn't mentioned in the actual show, just in the credits. He's referred to as "Zookeeper" throughout, which is how viewers know him.
  • Obviously Evil: No prizes for guessing that he's the main antagonist.
  • Self-Disposing Villain: Downplayed. He gets eaten by a hyena by Buffy throwing him into the hyena cage.
  • Super-Strength: After taking the power of the hyenas.
  • Would Hurt a Child: He was perfectly willing to murder a teenage Willow.

    Billy 

Billy Palmer

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/buffy_billy_palmer.jpg
"I'm sorry, I can't help it."

Played By: Jeremy Foley

Appears In: "Nightmares"

"The Ugly Man. He wants to kill me. A-and he hurt that girl."

A young teenage boy from Sunnydale.


  • Apologetic Attacker: He rather sadly apologizes for the chaos his nightmares inflict.
  • Astral Projection: He's able to manifest as an astral projection during his coma, but his 'return' causes nightmares to physically manifest wherever he goes, and soon throughout Sunnydale.
  • Convenient Coma: Conquering his inner fears automatically snaps him out of it.
  • Creepy Child: Although he's just an innocent boy, his Dissonant Serenity and nightmare powers make him a little unsettling.
  • Dissonant Serenity: He looks on impassively at his handiwork, apparently under the impression that it's only in his dream.
  • Dream Weaver: He brings the nightmares of others to vivid life, although it isn't intentional and he can't control it.
  • Institutional Apparel: Whenever he appears, he's in his hospital duds.
  • Reality Warper: His coma dreams change the nature of reality in Sunnydale, bringing everybody's nightmares to life.

Novel-Exclusive Characters

    The Crew of the Lizzie S 

Captain Dale Stagnatowski, Andy Hinchberger, and Summer Simpson

The crew of a fishing vessel who encounter the infamous Davy Jones in the novel The Gatekeeper Trilogy: Ghost Roads. Dale was also mentioned in an earlier book, Child of the Hunt, after his preteen son was turned into a vampire and staked by a regretful Buffy.
  • Alliterative Name: Summer's first and last names begin with S.
  • Bring My Brown Pants: Andy wets his pants when he sees the Flying Dutchman.
  • Death Seeker: Dale is described as a man whose gone crazy and likes to "push his luck" too much since the disappearance of his son and Sanity Slippage of his wife.
  • Join or Die: They are ordered to pledge loyalty to Davy Jones or be keelhauled or hanged by him. Only Andy chooses to submit to the monster, but he dies soon afterward when the Flying Dutchman is destroyed in a fight with the heroes.
  • Roguish Poacher: They sneak out to sea to fish even after the Coast Guard declares the bay off-limits due to monster attacks, but are fairly benevolent people who aren't overfishing the area.
  • The Teetotaler: Andy's ex-fiancee made him quit drinking anything stronger than root beer. Even after they broke up, he found that being sober and clearheaded was something he wanted to continue.
  • Unkempt Beauty: Summer has wild hair and wears old and dirty overalls, t-shirts, and sneakers that are soaked with blood from the fish she guts. She is still very pretty and Andy is infatuated with her.
  • Undercover Cop Reveal: Summer is revealed to be a Coast Guard officer who was assigned to go work for Dale and investigate (false) rumors he was smuggling drugs, although this doesn't affect the plot at all.

    Daniel 

Daniel Addison

A dino-phile museum worker at the Sunnydale Museum of Natural History in the novel Paleo. He plots to hatch dinosaur eggs for fame and glory, a goal which is being manipulated by dangerous dark forces.
  • Brilliant, but Lazy: He is very knowledgeable about dinosaurs and has some raw cunning, but an old supervisor evaluation the Scooby Gang digs up on him describes him as someone unwilling to put in the hard work needed for success, a highly accurate description.
  • The Corruptor: New Transfer Student and fellow dino-phile Kevin Sanderson becomes less rational and moral the more time he spends listening to Daniel (who assumes a mentor role to him) talk about bringing back dinosaurs with magic.
  • Glory Seeker: His goal in life is to do something that will get people to know his name and he will hatch dangerous dinosaurs and shrug off a death they cause to achieve that goal.
  • Pet the Dog: He feels some sadness and respect while reading up on an archeologist who uncovered some of the stuff he plans to use after learning the man had his paltry bank balance donated to the museum due to having no next of kin or close peers when he died.

    Art 

Art Sledge

A detective who appears in the last act of the novel Revenant.
  • Drives Like Crazy: Buffy describes being in a car he's driving as being like riding in a "runaway juggernaut".
  • Hero of Another Story: Sledge has spent years as a detective in Sunnydale, navigating dangerous situations and keeping an eye on some of the same threats Buffy and Angel (who he respects) deal with.
  • Occult Detective: Downplayed. He is a normal Hard Boiled Detective who mainly works in divorce cases, but "work{ing] out of the shadows in this town" causes him to know about the supernatural and be prepared to deal with it.
  • Perma-Stubble: He has several days worth of unshaven facial hair.
  • Small Role, Big Impact: He only appears in one scene but saves Buffy and Angel from being killed and gives them important information about the villain's Evil Plan.

    DeSola 

Del DeSola

A Mexican-born oil magnate who lives in Sunnydale and appears in The Unseen Trilogy.
  • Screw the Money, I Have Rules!: While he's probably too ruthless to be a full-blown Honest Corporate Executive, he refuses a business proposition to use his ships to smuggle drugs even though this makes him dangerous enemies.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: He is fed up with Mexican criminal organizations drawing so many of his culture's youth into a never-ending cycle of crime and violence that also draws racist paranoia toward Mexicans as a whole, and offers to bankroll The Mafiya if they will destroy the Mexican gangs (whether by killing them or getting them arrested) thoroughly enough that they can never come back. He knows that this will get many people killed and that the Russians will fill the Evil Power Vacuum those gangs will leave behind and keep running drugs and such, but is willing to make that trade if it will separate Mexicans and Mexican-Americans from the criminal specter once and for all.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: He disappears from the story after his first meeting with The Mafiya.

    Billy Bob 

Officer Billy Bob Moffitt

A Sunnydale cop, he appears in a short but memorable scene of The Unseen Trilogy.
  • Arbitrary Skepticism: He accepts that Sunnydale has supernatural things happen there but isn't sure if he believes the rumors about the town's protector Buffy, albeit mainly because he has cleaned up after crime scenes where she wasn't there to save someone.
  • Heroic BSoD: After a week of harrowing work against unkillable supernatural monsters that are flocking into town, he eventually gives up trying to do anything, just sitting on a curb in despair and contemplating moving back to his home state of Tennesse.
  • Heroic Lineage: His father and grandfather are both cops like him and he is proud of their service.

Alternative Title(s): Buffy The Vampire Slayer Sunnydale Residents

Top