Buffy The Vampire Slayer's Top 3 Highest-Rated Episodes All Have One Thing In Common
El is a Junior TV Features Editor for ScreenRant, with previous experience as The Mary Sue's UK and Weekend Editor. She holds a Bachelor's in International Media and Entertainment Management, as well as an MA and Ph.D. in Creative Writing. There is little she loves more than discussing her favorite TV shows with fellow fans. One day, she hopes to publish an original fantasy novel.
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer's top three highest-rated episodes all share one important thing in common. Buffy the Vampire Slayer has a surprisingly high number of acclaimed episodes. The episode where Angel loses his soul in season 2, the titular slayer's sacrifice in season 5, and season 3's two-part graduation-themed finale all showcase the best of what Buffy has to offer in characterization, serialized storytelling, and witty, meaningful dialogue. Buffy has withstood the test of time for a reason, inspiring new generations of fans and artists more than 20 years after its series finale.
And yet, the show's three highest-rated episodes, as decided by fans on IMDb, are a cut above the rest, straying from Buffy the Vampire Slayer's regularly scheduled programming to offer something entirely new and unexpected. With a shared, impressively high three-way tied score of 9.7 out of 10, viewers have — with good reason — voted that Buffy's best three episodes are as follows: with 12,000 votes, season 6, episode 7, "Once More, With Feeling"; with 10,000 votes, season 4, episode 10, "Hush"; and with 9.4k votes, season 5, episode 16, "The Body."
Buffy's Best Episodes Are All Experimental
These three Buffy episodes are all experimental. "Once More, With Feeling" is a full musical episode and still one of the most influential, as Sunnydale falls under the flammable spell of a devious demon known as Sweet. Rather than having the cast, who sang everything themselves, sing covers of songs that fit the general themes of a scene (think Grey's Anatomy's bonkers musical episode, "Song Beneath the Song"), every track was an original, effortlessly switching between genres and moods and forcing the characters into increasingly uncomfortable situations.
"Hush" introduces one of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's creepiest and most effective monsters, as viewers watch the skeletal, levitating Gentlemen float through the Hellmouth, stealing people's voices and beating hearts. The 40-minute episode features roughly 15 minutes of dialogue, a massive change for a show that heavily relies on clever jokes, quips, and references. It was a gamble, but one that undeniably paid off.
Sunnydale · Watcher’s Council Examination Buffy the Vampire Slayer Trivia “Into every generation, a Slayer is born.”
🗡The
SlayerChosen One
🧛VampiresCreatures of Night
🔥HellmouthPortal Below
👥ScoobiesScooby Gang
✨MagicDark Arts
01
She was chosen to fight the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. Which actress plays Buffy Summers across all seven seasons of the series?
✓ Correct! Sarah Michelle Gellar brought Buffy Summers to life from 1997 to 2003, creating one of the most iconic female action heroes in television history. Her blend of vulnerability, humor, and fierce determination defined the character and the show.
✗ Staked! The answer is Sarah Michelle Gellar. Alyson Hannigan plays Willow, Charisma Carpenter plays Cordelia, and Eliza Dushku plays the rogue Slayer Faith. Only SMG is the one and only Buffy Summers.
02
Buffy and her friends live in a fictional California town built directly on top of a mystical convergence of dark energy called the Hellmouth. What is the name of this town?
✓ Correct! Sunnydale, California sits atop the Hellmouth, a portal to demon dimensions that attracts supernatural activity like a magnet. The town’s ironic name — sunny and pleasant on the surface, literally hellish underneath — perfectly captures the show’s tone.
✗ Staked! The answer is Sunnydale. Mystic Falls is from The Vampire Diaries, Santa Carla is from The Lost Boys, and Beacon Hills is from Teen Wolf. Only Sunnydale sits on the Hellmouth.
03
Every Slayer is assigned a Watcher — a mentor from an ancient British organization who guides and trains her. Who is Buffy’s beloved Watcher throughout most of the series?
✓ Correct! Rupert Giles, played by Anthony Stewart Head, serves as Buffy’s Watcher and surrogate father figure. The school librarian by day, Giles is a repository of occult knowledge with a rebellious past — his younger self was known as ‘Ripper.’ His bond with Buffy is one of the show’s emotional pillars.
✗ Staked! The answer is Rupert Giles. Wesley is the by-the-book replacement Watcher who later joins Angel’s team, Quentin Travers heads the Watchers’ Council, and Merrick was Buffy’s first Watcher (from the original film). Giles is the one who truly shaped Buffy.
04
Buffy’s first great love is a vampire cursed with a soul, who was given his conscience back by Romani as punishment for his terrible crimes. Who is this brooding vampire?
✓ Correct! Angel, played by David Boreanaz, is the vampire Angelus cursed with a soul by the Romani people after he murdered a girl from their clan. His tormented romance with Buffy is the emotional core of the early seasons, and he eventually got his own spinoff series, Angel.
✗ Staked! The answer is Angel (Angelus). Spike is a different vampire who gains a soul later by choice, Oz is a werewolf (Willow’s boyfriend), and Riley Finn is a human soldier from the Initiative. Angel is Buffy’s first star-crossed supernatural love.
05
In the critically acclaimed Season 4 episode ‘Hush,’ the Gentlemen steal something from every person in Sunnydale. What do they take?
✓ Correct! The Gentlemen steal everyone’s voices, rendering the entire town unable to speak or scream. The episode is famous for having almost no dialogue, forcing the cast to communicate through physical acting. It earned Buffy its only Emmy nomination for writing.
✗ Staked! The answer is their voices. The Gentlemen need silence so no one can scream when they come to cut out hearts. The episode’s near-total lack of dialogue made it one of the most innovative hours in TV history and earned the show its only Emmy writing nomination.
06
Buffy’s best friend Willow Rosenberg begins the series as a shy computer nerd but eventually becomes one of the most powerful beings in the Buffyverse. What is the source of her immense power?
✓ Correct! Willow, played by Alyson Hannigan, develops into an incredibly powerful witch over the course of the series. Her magic arc goes from floating pencils to nearly destroying the world as ‘Dark Willow’ in Season 6 — one of the show’s most dramatic character transformations.
✗ Staked! The answer is witchcraft and magic. Willow’s journey from timid hacker to world-ending witch is one of Buffy’s most compelling arcs. Her addiction to dark magic in Season 6 and eventual mastery of her powers in Season 7 show the full spectrum of her character.
07
Which bleach-blonde vampire starts as a villain who has killed two Slayers, but over the course of the series falls in love with Buffy and ultimately sacrifices himself to save the world?
✓ Correct! Spike, played by James Marsters, goes from one of Buffy’s deadliest enemies to one of her most devoted allies. After seeking out a soul of his own free will — unlike Angel, who was cursed with one — Spike sacrifices himself in the series finale to close the Hellmouth and save the world.
✗ Staked! The answer is Spike. Angelus is Angel’s evil alter ego, Drusilla is Spike’s sire and former love, and Darla is Angel’s sire. Only Spike made the journey from Big Bad to self-sacrificing hero, choosing to earn his soul rather than having it forced upon him.
08
The Season 6 episode ‘Once More, with Feeling’ is a full musical where the cast sings and dances. What supernatural force causes the townspeople to burst into song and reveal their deepest secrets?
✓ Correct! Sweet, a dapper singing demon summoned accidentally by Xander, forces everyone in Sunnydale to express their hidden feelings through song — with the deadly side effect that some people literally dance themselves to death. The episode is widely considered one of the greatest TV musical episodes ever made.
✗ Staked! The answer is a demon named Sweet. Xander accidentally summoned Sweet with an amulet, unleashing musical chaos across Sunnydale. The songs revealed painful truths — Buffy’s depression, Giles’s plan to leave, Tara’s suspicion about Willow’s magic — making it both entertaining and emotionally devastating.
Sunnydale · Patrol Complete Your Slayer Record
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Chosen One — or just another Sunnydale civilian?
On the other side of the spectrum, there's "The Body." It's one of the most moving, effective explorations of immediate grief ever put on screen, as Buffy finds her mother's lifeless body on the couch, her supernatural powers useless in the face of a sudden brain aneurysm. The loud crack of Joyce's ribs as Buffy attempts to give her CPR in the eerily silent episode — there's no music through the entire 40 minutes — is genuinely haunting. Watching that episode is like time stopping and slipping away all at once, mimicking Buffy's panic, shock, and heartbreak.
Each of these episodes did something entirely new, boldly experimenting with genre, formats, ideas, and creative elements like sound to push Buffy the Vampire Slayer's story forward. Importantly, even now, years later, the episodes aren't gimmicky. All three have a purpose within the show's overarching narrative, proving that brave storytelling can pay off, even in series that have already perfected a winning formula.
All Three Of Buffy's Highest-Rated Episodes Are Still Character-Driven
What makes these episodes work so well is that, beyond offering viewers an entirely new experience, they're ultimately still character-driven. "Hush" doesn't just use the characters' inability to speak to make dirty jokes or place an obvious obstacle in their path. It also forces them to come clean with one another; Willow and Tara, as well as Buffy and Riley, are cornered into situations that ultimately help them move forward in their relationships. It's a masterclass in character writing and development, a thoughtful exploration of what it means to communicate.
Buffy and Dawn losing their mom in such a human, non-supernatural tragedy in "The Body" fundamentally changes their relationship, the group's perspective on death, and Buffy's mentality towards being the Slayer. A line can be drawn from Joyce's death to Buffy's sacrifice at the end of season 5 and her depression in season 6 following her unexpected resurrection. None of that would have felt nearly as gut-wrenching if "The Body" hadn't shown Buffy in such a vulnerable light, however. That empathy is crucial to the rest of Buffy's journey.
"Once More, With Feeling" dials everything up to 11. Like in "Hush," the songs force the Scoobies to confront and share their deepest, darkest feelings. Sarah Michelle Gellar absolutely kills it with "Something to Sing About," as Buffy finally reveals to her friends the horrifying truth that being resurrected dragged her out of Heaven against her will. Willow's magic and her relationship with Tara reach a critical point during this episode, too, contributing to her subsequent addiction and Anakin Skywalker-esque fall to the dark side. Rather than being a fun, light-hearted musical interlude, "Once More, With Feeling" is the season's turning point. It's impossible to skip.
Buffy's Best Episodes Changed What A Network Fantasy Show Could Be
"Hush," "The Body," and "Once More, With Feeling" redefined the genre and changed what a network fantasy show could be. While Buffy the Vampire Slayer was far from the only successful female-led supernatural show on TV during the late '90s and early 2000s — hits like Xena: Warrior Princess and Charmed aired around the same time — it was arguably the boldest, subverting audience expectations week after week. Xena may have done a musical episode before Buffy did (season 3, episode 12's "The Bitter Suite," which premiered in 1998), but Buffy's remains the gold standard of TV musicals; no other show has come close.
"The Body" is still widely regarded as one of the best TV episodes of all time, despite abandoning the show's entire paranormal premise. It introduced a mature approach to difficult topics like grief and death that were missing (and still often are missing) in other similar shows. Countless other "silent" episodes followed the example set by "Hush," including Only Murders in the Building, BoJack Horseman, and Mr. Robot. Buffy influenced dozens of shows that premiered in its wake, most obviously The CW's 15-season hit Supernatural, but also more recent dramas like Jessica Jones and Orphan Black.
Buffy perfected the blend between episodic and serialized storytelling, popularized rapid-fire banter and pop-culture references in dialogue, and fundamentally changed what it means to be a hero on TV. She was a badass demon slayer, the woman monsters ran away from, but she was also allowed to feel. She was allowed to grieve and cry and struggle with depression and loneliness while wearing killer outfits and taunting recently turned vampires. Buffy the Vampire Slayer's experimentation, creativity, and forward-thinking storytelling helped build a legacy bigger than almost any other comparable TV show in history.
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