Everyone knows Buffy the Vampire Slayer as the cult ’90s show about a group of teenagers fighting vampires, demons, and the forces of hormones. The show has been lauded by critics and fans alike for its mastery in correlating battles with monsters of the week to struggles of everyday teen life.
For all its poignancy, Buffy was also a blast to watch. It had thrilling, edge-of-your-seat action sequences, zippy dialogue - known as “Buffy-Speak” - and enough sudsy relationships to fill an entire shelf at a romance bookstore.
Fans agree, the Slayer had some epicly bad taste in men… as did her friends. However, not every boyfriend in the Buffyverse turned out to be a frog. Buffy and the Slayerettes encountered a few Prince Charmings too. Here are 10 Boyfriends On Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Ranked Worst To Best (spoilers ahead):
10. Parker Abrams
It’s cringeworthy to even put this buffoon on the list. Parker Abrams was never Buffy’s boyfriend, though he certainly led her on to believe that’s where their relationship was going. Buffy was new to college, and eager to heal old relationship wounds, so she was easy pickings for the rakish Parker. He waxed philosophical hooey about “living for the moment”, threw in a dead dad sob story, and seduced the Slayer.
Alas, Buffy’s morning-after glow was short-lived. Parker gave her the brush-off, making it clear he had already moved on to his next target.
Parker doubled down on his odious behavior by putting the moves on Willow too. She had the good sense to reject him. Treating a romantic partner badly, no matter how casual your relationship, is unacceptable. Trying to sleep with her best friend makes you a world-class creep, but the worst Parker moment was when he compared Buffy - and all freshmen girls - to a toilet. This earned him a clock in the face from Riley, which Parker wholeheartedly deserved… every bit as much as he deserves his spot on this list.
9. Xander Harris
At first blush, it may seem odd to place Xander Harris, right-hand man in the Scoobie Gang, at #9. He’s so goofy and lovable! While Xander may have his sweetheart moments, he objectifies almost every woman he encounters under the veil of “humor”. Xander’s jokes may have seemed harmless twenty years ago, but by today’s standards he comes across as a major chauvinist. He also happens to be a terrible boyfriend.
Xander and Cordelia’s relationship started as a covert kiss-fest, but soon blossomed into a full-fledged romance. Cordelia even sacrificed her social status as queen bee, choosing Xander over her friends. Xander repaid the gesture by repeatedly making out with Willow behind Cordy’s back. The worst part is that when she caught them in the act, Cordelia ran off, fell through a basement step and was impaled. All. Xander’s. Fault.
As the show progressed, it seemed like Xander had matured. He got a good job, moved into a swanky apartment, and found love with former vengeance-demon Anya. Xander proposed to her, and things appeared to be coming up roses for the happy couple, though Xander had a slight case of cold feet. When the day itself arrived, Xander decided he couldn’t go through with it and left a weeping Anya at the altar, forcing her to pick up the pieces, both of the canceled wedding and her broken heart. Not cool, Xander.
8. Owen Thurman
Like Parker, Owen Thurman barely counts as a boyfriend. He was Buffy’s first crush at Sunnydale High and to her, Owen was the whole package: boyish good looks, a sensitive soul, and complete obliviousness to the Hellmouth. All Buffy wanted was a normal life, and Owen was her path to get there.
This all sounds like a dream, but in reality, Owen was horrible. He was a pseudo-intellectual who carried around Emily Dickinson poetry, which he referred to as his “safety blanket”. Gross. If that’s not nauseating enough, Owen was judgmental and pompous, looking down his nose at “frivolous girls” like Cordelia. Like Buffy, Cordelia carried a major torch for Owen, and it was painful to watch these two tear each other down, with tripping and body shaming, in attempts to win his affection.
Fortunately, Owen took himself out of the equation by almost getting himself killed after following Buffy on a patrol. It became obvious that there was no place in a Slayer’s life for an ignoramus boyfriend. Buffy, you’re better off with the vampires.
7. Scott Hope
Remember when Buffy dated Scott Hope for five minutes back in Season 3? No? You’re forgiven. Even though Buffy wasn’t ready to dive back into dating after killing Angel, Scott pursued her like a dog with a bone. Finally, Buffy relented and agreed to accompany him to a Buster Keaton film festival.
The two had zero chemistry, though Scott did seem to make Buffy happy as she eased back into normal Sunnydale life… until he unceremoniously dumped her right before the Homecoming dance. That was the end of Scott.
Later on, Buffy heard that he claimed she was a lesbian and had cited this as the reason for their breakup, but in actuality, Scott himself was gay. Scott should love whom he wants to love, but lying about someone else’s sexual identity is uncool. Luckily, Scott is but a footnote in the Buffyverse history.
6. Riley Finn
Riley Finn has a horrible reputation with fans, but the soldier boy was a good boyfriend to Buffy… for a while. He treated her with respect and chivalry. Lesser men would be intimidated to date a Slayer, but Riley was captivated by Buffy’s calling, loving her all the more. When Buffy exposed the sick practices of the Initiative, Riley chose to leave them behind.
While this may have been the right choice, it certainly messed with Riley’s head. Being a soldier was his whole identity, and without it he was lost. Riley grew to resent Buffy, both for her strength and for not spending enough time with him - her mother was in the hospital, being treated for cancer. He began acting out, going to “vampire brothels”, paying female vampires to feed on him. This is the Hellmouth-equivalent of cheating.
With Buffy’s and Riley’s relationship on the rocks, he accepted a job offer on a secret mission, far from Sunnydale. Instead of maturely breaking things off with Buffy, Riley blamed the entirety of their problems on her. Buffy decided to give things another shot, after Riley gave her an ultimatum, but it was too late. Riley had already left. Good riddance.
5. Angel
Logically, Buffy and Angel should never have been together. He’s a vampire, she’s the Slayer. At the beginning, Angel tried to keep his distance… even if he was a bit of a jerk about it. But true love conquers all, as Buffy and Angel became one of the most famous, polarizing couples of TV history.
Angel’s broodiness may be super-annoying, but he was a loving, thoughtful boyfriend. Even though their relationship had obvious roadblocks - like sunlight - Angel made an effort to integrate himself into Buffy’s normal life. He even took her ice-skating! Fans will also remember Angel gave Buffy a Claddagh ring, an Irish ring symbolizing friendship, loyalty, and of course, love.
However, bright love burns fast. When Angel and Buffy consummated their relationship, they unknowingly broke the curse that gave him his soul. Angel was gone, replaced by his evil alter-ego Angelus. Any sadistic behavior on Angelus’ part was no fault of Angel’s, though it did leave a lasting mark on Buffy and her friends.
When Angel returned from hell - Buffy sent him there to save the world - he and Buffy resumed their relationship. Though they still deeply loved each other, they weren’t built to go the distance. Angel, as someone over two hundred years old, should have known this. He may have been love-struck, but it would have been better to break things off early as opposed to stringing Buffy along, only to dump her right before the prom. His heart may be in the right place, but Angel should read some relationship advice from this millennium.
4. Robin Wood
When Robin Wood, new principal to the rebuilt Sunnydale High, met Buffy, he quickly offered her a job as a guidance counselor. He later revealed he only hired her because he knew she was the Slayer, not for her comical ineptitude at the job. Dating for Buffy had been hard enough, so this revelation definitely fell in the plus column. Furthermore, Buffy and Robin had palpable chemistry.
However, when Robin asked Buffy on a date, he didn’t have romance on his mind, but revenge. He wanted to infiltrate Buffy’s inner circle in an effort to kill Spike. Vengeance, however sympathetically motivated, is never the answer. Nor is pretending to be attracted to someone you’re not. Come on, Robin! The Slayer has been through enough man troubles.
Robin did redeem himself when he put the good of saving the world above his own bloodthirsty desires. He joined the mission to fight evil, and wound up connecting with Faith. Their banter was out of this world on the chemistry scale, and the two shared an intimate night of lovemaking. Faith let herself be vulnerable with Robin because he genuinely made her feel safe. He’s definitely a keeper.
3. Giles
As a bookish Watcher, Giles may seem like a bit of a fuddy-duddy, but behind his polished glasses and disapproving stare lies a romantic heart. Initially, he may have clashed with techno-pagan Jenny Calendar, but their constant analog vs. digital debates were rife with sexual tension.
Giles was an adorable ball of nerves at the prospect of asking Jenny out. He even practiced on a chair! Luckily, Jenny took the lead and Giles was happy to follow. But their relationship would be a rocky road, full of secrets and betrayals. When the two eventually reconciled and finally planned to be intimate, Angelus killed Jenny. Her death was one of the most tragic of the show.
After Jenny, Giles didn’t have much luck in the love department, other than a few inexplicable encounters with a random woman named Olivia, and a crazy night with Joyce, Buffy’s mom. The latter was the result of enchanted candy bars, causing adults to revert back to their teenage selves. Apparently, for Giles and Joyce, this meant hooking up atop a cop car. When the magic wore off, Giles and Joyce didn’t pursue a relationship. However, when she died, Giles mourned her by playing to a record they once listened to together. Such a romantic.
2. Spike
Let me be clear. Spike is not #2 on this list because of his relationship with Buffy. This may upset the Spuffy shippers, but while I do concede Buffy and Spike shared some tender moments - and some steamy ones too - their relationship was also fraught with destruction and abuse. There are definitely a few unsavory Spuffy scenes fans would rather forget.
Spike is the runner-up on this list for his relationship with Drusilla. We may think of Spike as a leather-clad, punk rocker of a vampire, and he definitely is, but he is also the biggest romantic of the show. When he and Dru were together, everything he did was for her. Though he pined to kill the Slayer, he always let his ambitions play second fiddle to pursuing a cure for his weakened paramour. Later, Angelus came back into the picture, threatening Spike and Dru’s happy relationship. Spike joined forces with Buffy, his sworn enemy, in an effort to win back the love of his life.
This didn’t turn out as planned, but in the fight of love, Spike will always get back up and keep swinging. He proudly stated, “I may be love’s b*tch, but at least I’m man enough to admit it.” Man enough you are, Spike, and that’s why you’re #2 on this list.
1. Oz
This musician/werewolf could write the book on how to be the perfect boyfriend. From the moment he saw Willow, Oz was hooked, whispering to himself, “who is that girl?” Not in a creepy, male gaze way, but in a way that shows how Oz sees Willow for exactly who she is and loves her for it.
To list every example of Oz’s awesomeness would require its own article, but here are a couple: he showered Willow with thoughtful gifts like a witch PEZ dispenser, and he forgave her for her tryst with Xander. When Willow wanted to prove her commitment to Oz by offering him her virginity, he declined. Oz could have had easy sex, but he wasn’t ready because he wanted the moment between them to be completely, unequivocally, all about them and their love for each other.
Sadly, Oz discovered his werewolf side was out of control, and was forced to break up with Willow. He later returned, and it was apparent the door was still open for them to get back together. However, Oz knew he couldn’t control his werewolf side around Willow, and she had already started a relationship with Tara, so he let her go. Oz, you are #1 on this list, and #1 in our hearts.
