5 Ways Buffy's Still Better Than Any Other Supernatural Show of the 2010s

When we talk about TV series of the 2000s, one of the first titles that comes to mind is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The supernatural drama series became incredibly popular with young people at the time and still has an entire cult following that revisits the beloved show on a regular basis.

Fans were enamored of Buffy for her humor, character complexity, and strength, which gave the audience a sense of empowerment. But, aside from the endearing main character, what else was there to make this show so popular?

5. Perfect mix of comedy and drama

All seven seasons of the show were a hell of an emotional rollercoaster — one moment you're laughing and the next, you're in tears. Despite the great one-liners and comedic situations, Buffy was not a typical teen show with silly jokes, it was a real drama with incredibly shocking and heartbreaking deaths.

4. Excellent writing

While Buffy's first season may not be the best, the show as a whole had one of the strongest scripts in television history, featuring great world-building, compelling romantic stories, and themes relevant for teenage audiences of the time. For many young people, Buffy was the first show to reflect their own experiences of love, loss, and entering adulthood.

3. Great characters

Of course, one of Buffy's greatest assets is its excellent cast of characters. Buffy, Xander, Willow, Giles, Cordelia, Angel, and others all have well-written backgrounds, each with their own strengths and weaknesses that make them alive and relatable.

Although the characters are vampires and demons, their supernatural powers are used mainly as an artistic device to help them evolve as they deal with the everyday hardships of life.

2. One of the best queer representations

Buffy slays! That says a lot.

In all seriousness, even though Joss Whedon turned out to be a misogynist who exploited actresses on set, Buffy is still an icon for the LGBTQ+ community. One of the first TV series to subvert gender stereotypes by showing a strong and well-developed female character without undoing her femininity, Buffy is also praised for representing the lesbian relationship between Willow and Tara in a natural, non-objectifying, and very heartwarming way.

1. Buffy set the bar for all supernatural shows for years to come

Buffy influenced the supernatural and horror genre in many ways. For one, it made filmmakers finally realize that viewers aren't interested in seeing female characters exclusively as victims. The series' structure, dialogue, and balance of humor and drama inspired many future shows like Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, and even the recent Yellowjackets — and this profound impact on the genre makes Buffy a truly superior show.