Buffy the Vampire Slayerfollows Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar), the chosen Slayer, as she battlesvampires, demons and other forces of darkness. Alongside her friends, referred to as the Scooby Gang, Buffy navigates high school and adulthood, facing not just external threats but also deep personal losses. A show of this nature certainly features many notable character exits. Whether through death or simple departure, some of these exits are especially gut-wrenching.
Some exits result from supernatural violence, while others stem from all-too-human tragedies. The show explores howdeath can be sudden and senseless, or a culmination of a long journey toward redemption. Some characters die heroically, while others meet cruel or unresolved fates,leaving a lasting impacton those left behind. These are the saddest character exits inBuffy the Vampire Slayer, ranked by not just how heartbreaking each departure was, but also whether it provided closure, how it affected the remaining characters and the emotional weight it carried inBuffy’s larger story and legacy.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Played by David Boreanaz
Angel (David Boreanaz) and Buffy’s relationship culminated in a lot of destruction—his love for her caused him to lose his soul and wreak havoc on Buffy and her friends, and Buffy even had to send him to hell. However, when Angel returns from the hell dimension, he and Buffy attempt to maintain a relationship. However, right before prom, Angel proclaimed that he would be leaving town for Buffy’s own good after her graduation. Angel departed the series in the Season 3 finale.
Angel himself leaving was not necessarily sad—he would be the mainfocus of the spin-off seriesAngel—and he and Buffy would reconnect occasionally throughout the rest of the series. What was most upsetting about Angel’s exit was Buffy’s heartbreak. Though she understood his reasons for leaving, he would always be her first love and they both seemed to hold on to their affection for each other throughout both shows. Viewers got to witnessAngel and Buffy’s wordless goodbyeas she saw him off from a distance.
9Jonathan Levinson
Played by Danny Strong
Jonathan (Danny Strong) was a lonely character who desperately wanted friends. He found that with the Trio, consisting of him, Andrew (Tom Lenk) and Warren (Adam Busch). They plotted to take over Sunnydale—only possible by eliminating Buffy. Chaos ensued for the Scoobies, and before Jonathan could redeem himself for the Trio’s cruelty, Andrew betrayed him. Andrew sacrifices Jonathan in an attempt to open the Hellmouth portal.
Jonathan was a complicated character who did some awful things in the series. It’s not a coincidence that Jonathan was at his worst when he was a part of the Trio. Jonathan had struggled to find friends and fit in, and the Trio finally gave him a chance to find his place, but that meantsuccumbing to group mentalitydespite his hesitance to do evil. He had been a familiar face throughout the series, and to see him not quite make it to the finale was tragic.
8Cassie Newton
Played by Azura Skye
While Buffy was working at Sunnydale High School as a counselor, she encountered a student, Cassie (Azura Skye), who had a premonition of her own death. Buffy enlisted her friends’ help to investigate and prevent Cassie’s death, but Cassie insisted that Buffy could do nothing to change her fate. When Cassie was nearly sacrificed by some high school boys attempting to summon a demon, Buffy saved her, but she soon after collapsed, dying of a pre-existing heart defect.
Unlike the other subjects of the saddest character departures, Cassie only appears in one episode—in the final season. Still, she manages to significantly impact the Scooby Gang in a similar way to Buffy’s mother’s death: they both resulted fromnatural forces beyond the Scoobies’ control. Despite Buffy’s determination to prevent Cassie’s death, she ultimately had to cope with being unable to change fate and Cassie’s inevitable death while reflecting on Cassie’s tragic, short life.
7Daniel “Oz” Osbourne
Played by Seth Green
Oz (Seth Green) was introduced in Season 2 as a student at Sunnydale, during which he began dating Willow (Alyson Hannigan). He joins the Scoobies and adjusts to his new identity as a werewolf. After encountering a female werewolf (Paige Moss) in Season 4, Oz decides to leave Sunnydale, setting out to learn more about his lycanthropic lifestyle and how to control his wolf side. He returned later in the season before leaving for good when he realized Willow loved Tara (Amber Benson).
Oz was a wonderful character who was written off quite abruptly. It was disappointing to miss out on a deeper exploration of his werewolf abilities and techniques to control his aggression. Oz was a great asset to the Scooby Gang personality-wise with his laid-back demeanor and funny quips. His relationship with Willow was one of the show’s most heartfelt romances.His departure left a noticeable gap, and while his brief return in Season 4 provided some closure, it also highlighted how much potential was left untapped.
Played by Bianca Lawson
When Buffy temporarily dies before being revived by Xander (Nicholas Brendon), a new Slayer was activated: Kendra (Bianca Lawson). She was a die-hard, textbook Slayer who helped Buffy and the Scooby Gang in Season 2. While putting up a good fight against Drusilla (Juliet Landau) and her group of fellow vampires, Drusilla gets the upper hand, killing Kendra and leaving her body for Buffy to find.
Kendra was viewed as a tragic character who dedicated her life to Slayer training from a very young age, raised in conditions that lacked genuine human connection. As a young Slayer bonding with Buffy, who had a very different slaying style, it seemed that if Kendra had been given more time,shecould have been an amazing character. Still, her death symbolized thedangerous life of a Slayer—Buffy was always just as close to death as Kendra. Buffy honored Kendra by holding onto Kendra’s stake, Mr. Pointy.
Played by James Marsters
Spike (James Marsters) was a complicated character right from his first appearance in the series. He and Buffy begin as enemies but soon ally, and later become romantically involved, though the relationship proves destructive and toxic. Between cruel killings and occasional breakthrough moments that proved he was capable of feeling emotions, Spike became a fan favorite. So, when Spike sacrificed himself to close the Sunnydale Hellmouth and defeated the First Evil in the finale, it was a bittersweet moment.
Spike’s sacrifice demonstratedhow much he grew over the show, with his last act being a heroic and selfless one as he helped defeat the First Evil. Even through their worst moments,Buffy and Spike had a true connection—Buffy is hesitant to let him go in their final moments together. Fans of theBuffyspin-off seriesAngeldidn’t have to mourn Spike for long, as the series revived Spike in ghost form and later in physical form.
4Jenny Calendar
Played by Robia LaMorte
Jenny (Robia LaMorte) was a teacher at Sunnydale who became involved with the Scooby Gang, offering help with her occult knowledge, and became Giles’ (Anthony Head) romantic interest. Her relationship with the group is fractured when they find out she was sent by those who cursed Angel to ensure he suffers. When Angel loses his soul, he reverts to his old ways, bringing danger to the Scoobies and those responsible for cursing Angel. In his rampage, Angel brutally kills Jenny, leaving Giles to find her body.
Although Jenny kept her true identity a secret until Angel lost his soul, she did everything she could to fix the situation. Sadly, most of the gang was unforgiving up to her death, but they eventually found Jenny’s research and were able to return Angel’s soul, soJenny’s death was not in vain. Angel killed Jenny in such a jarringly sadistic way, turning Giles’ date night with Jenny into utter horror and devastation.
3Anya Jenkins
Played by Emma Caulfield
Anya (Emma Caulfield) was killed in the series finale during the final battle against the First Evil. Fighting alongside a helpless Andrew, Anya swiftly took on the role of his defender, leaving her more vulnerable to the Bringers attacking them. Anya ultimately saved Andrew but was mortally wounded by a Bringer’s sword. Since her death was acknowledged so late in the episode, viewers did not get to see the Scooby Gang mourn Anya.
Despite Anya’s importance to the gang, her death was abrupt and lacked meaningful reflection before the series concluded. This was disappointing because Anya had a phenomenal character arc. She struggled to adjust to mortal life, reclaimed her role as a vengeance demon for a bit and finallyredeemed herself for her wrongdoingsby selflessly fighting against the First Evil. On the other hand, Anya’s death was justified by the nature of war—it spares no one, and the intensity of it perhaps kept the Scoobies from fully realizing their loss.
2Tara Maclay
Played by Amber Benson
Tara was the unintended victim of Warren’s stray bullet when he conspired to kill Buffy in the nineteenth episode of the sixth season. Tara’s life and her recently reconciled relationship with Willow abruptly ends, shocking and devastating viewers. Furious and craving vengeance, Willow’s power grew as she tracks down and tries to kill those responsible for Tara’s death, culminating in her attempt to destroy the world.
When Tara died,Buffylost such a sweet and genuine character. Her death was especially tragic for being at the hands of a human rather than of supernatural origins. It was awful to watch Willow be robbed of happiness with Tara just astheir relationship was beginning to mend, sending her spiraling as she struggled to cope with the loss of her girlfriend. Though attention quickly turned to halting Willow’s rampage, Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) is devastated to find Tara’s body, left alone to mourn and sit with her fallen mother figure.
1Joyce Summers
Played by Kristine Sutherland
Buffy’s mother, Joyce (Kristine Sutherland), died of a brain aneurysm in Season 5, Episode 16. Buffy discovers Joyce’s body in the previous episode’s cliffhanger. Earlier in the season, Joyce had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and underwent surgery, which had improved her health, so her death was particularly shocking to the characters and viewers. For all the supernatural chaos in Buffy and her friends’ lives, Joyce was a stable, motherly presence. Her death shook up the Scoobies, becoming a major turning point for Buffy.
Of all the supernatural-related dangers and deaths thatBuffyhas explored,Joyce’s death was particularly jarringbecause it was natural. Even Buffy did not stand a chance against Joyce’s cause of death, forcing the Scooby Gang to confront the nature of mortality. Anya’s struggle to understand death is especially heartbreaking to watch. Joyce’s death forced Buffy to mature and protect Dawn at any cost, changing Buffy for good.
Keep Reading:The 10 Most Heartbreaking ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ Episodes, Ranked
