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There are some excellent episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I’m taking a look at my five all-time favorite episodes.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer may have been off the air for some time now, but I have the seven-season box set. More than that, my husband and I still watch it on a regular basis. It is and will likely remain one of my favorite TV shows.

It was always more than just a fantasy show to me. It was about family and growing up, and there are lessons that anyone can learn from them.

With that in mind, I want to share my top 5 Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes after rewatching it for the 100^th (or more) time.

Some of these have changed since the last time I did this a couple of years ago because I’ve seen more with the last few times that I’ve watched it.

#5 Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode: Restless

This was an episode that just seemed like a lot of nonsense in a bad dream. In fact, a lot of it was nonsense for most of it. There are even parts that I can’t watch because of the scary clowns—I’m terrified of them.

However, this episode will likely always be in my top 10, and right now it is in my top 5. That’s because of the amount of foreshadowing it did. It was the season finale of season 4, but foreshadowed events in seasons 5, 6, and 7: and seven wasn’t even planned out by this point. What was the season 7 foreshadowing? The black bag with mud in it was the one that held the story of the First Slayer, given by Principal Wood.

#4 Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode: Grave

This whole list won’t be season finales, I promise, but this is another one on my list. This was the season finale that showed someone didn’t need superpowers to save the world. It also showed that even friends could be evil, and sometimes you need to find a way to save them and not kill them.

This was the season that was all about Willow’s downward spiral. From Season 2 she showed just how powerful she was as a witch, but this season was when she turned to dark magic and let it consume her. After getting vengeance on the man who killed her girlfriend, Tara, she then went out to seek vengeance from the other two in the trio of “bad guys.” Giles tried to help by putting some other magic inside her, but it seemed to make it all worse. She decided she needed to end the world.

However, the magic helped Xander get through to her. Xander was the member of the group who was the least powerful. He was the joker, and never seemed to grow up until this point. It was a speech about yellow crayon that helped save the world.

#3 BtVS episode: The Gift

The last season finale on my list of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes, and I believe the best way the show could have ended. It was the Season 5 finale, and the 100^th episode: the one where Buffy died.

It was also an important episode because it was the last the WB would show, as the series moved onto UPN.

The episode showed that everyone had a part in an apocalypse and that even the most powerful person in the group needed her friends. It also took it back to the original view that the Slayer was just a girl but showed just how far she had come from the first season finale when she was just 16 years old and facing The Master.

Instead of running away from the danger, she faced the evil (Glory) and ended up sacrificing herself to save her sister and the world. It just so happened that she had a powerful witch friend who could bring her back in the premiere of season 6, setting up Willow’s storyline for the season.

#2 Buffy episode: Hush

I’m always torn between the next two episodes for the top spot. This one has never really changed since the season 5 ending. I have to think about the episode that still has the most impact on me, which is why Hush sits at number 2.

This was an episode that I pictured Tim Burton making. The eeriness to the episode and the style of creatures reminds me of the likes of A Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, and even Sleepy Hollow.

This episode also stands out because there is virtually no talking throughout the episode. The music tells the story, making it even creepier. All communication is done through writing and gestures, and there are certainly some amusing moments.

#1 Buffy episode: The Body

I hate putting the episode with Joyce Summer’s death in at the top spot, but it is the episode that has had the biggest impact on me. In fact, I have to skip over this episode most of the time because I’m in floods of tears each time.

Deciding to kill off Joyce was such a bold move and something very few shows had done at the time. It was also not a decision for the ratings, but because it was the best way to help other characters advance. The best thing was that it was is that it was completely natural. Buffy couldn’t do anything to stop her mother’s death, even if she was there.

Another thing that I loved about the episode is that there was no music at all. Music is used to create feelings, but all the feelings gained were from the amazing storytelling and acting on the screen.

That brings an end to my top five Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes. I hoped you enjoyed it, and would love to hear if you agree or disagree with any that made my list.

MORE: Do you need to watch Supernatural to understand The Winchesters?

Which Buffy episodes stood out the most for you? Share your list in the comments below.

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