10 Scrapped Buffy the Vampire Slayer Storylines That Could’ve Changed the Whole Show

Few cult television shows reached the same level of quality as . While not the first to use a ‘monster of the week’ format, it uniquely combined those standalone episodes with ongoing storylines for its characters. Sarah Michelle Gellar played Buffy Summers, the chosen slayer tasked with protecting the world from supernatural threats. The show’s detailed mythology and the complex, relatable character of Buffy herself were particularly noteworthy.

Buffy ran for seven seasons and consistently stayed strong, with only a few minor dips in quality. While the show is known for its memorable stories, some early ideas that were never used could have drastically changed its direction. These unused storylines, found in the Buffy archives, reveal a path the series almost took.

Spike Wasn’t Intended to Survive Past Season 2

In the early episodes of *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*, the show was still developing and some characters hadn’t fully taken shape. When the second season began, the writers needed a main villain, and the rebellious vampire Spike temporarily filled that role. Although Spike went on to become a long-running character, that wasn’t the original plan. He was initially only meant to appear for half a season and was scheduled to be killed off in the episode “What’s My Line.”

The episode saw Spike manage to heal Drusilla, though he was injured himself. Originally, this was intended to be the conclusion of his storyline. However, James Marters’ compelling performance as Spike changed everything. He not only lived through the season, but became one of the show’s most beloved characters, remaining a part of the series until its very end.

Angel Wasn’t Always Meant to Return

Season 2 of *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* is often considered a standout, largely due to the strong connection between Buffy and Angel. Their forbidden romance was a central focus from the start, and the tension built as they eventually became physically intimate. However, this moment of happiness was tragically short-lived, as Angel lost his soul and reverted to his more monstrous, vampiric nature.

Angelus was a truly memorable villain, largely because he deeply affected Buffy emotionally. It was heartbreaking when Willow restored Angel’s soul, bringing back the man Buffy loved. Buffy’s eventual sacrifice of Angel to save the world was a pivotal moment for her character and incredibly painful for viewers. The writers initially intended this to close that chapter of her life, allowing for new romances. Luckily, the series brought Angel back relatively quickly in Season 3. This gave Buffy and Angel a chance to resolve their relationship in a more fulfilling way and paved the way for the spin-off series about Angel.

The Government Assassin Program Should Have Returned

The first season of *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* included several interesting episodes that didn’t quite build momentum. One standout featured a young Clea Duvall as Marcy, a high school student who became invisible because she felt so alone and ignored. In the episode “Out of Mind, Out of Sight,” Buffy and Cordelia talk about how loneliness can affect anyone, particularly during their high school years.

Marcy used her invisibility to get revenge on those who had bullied her, but the most interesting part of the episode came at the end. She was captured and sent to a school for people with vision impairments, similar to her own condition. The episode hinted at a dangerous idea: training these individuals for secret missions for the government. It would have been compelling to explore that concept further, and it’s disappointing that the show didn’t.

Xander’s Sexuality Was Up For Debate

Though LGBTQ+ characters appeared on *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*, the show’s creator, Joss Whedon, had always intended to include them. From the beginning, he considered developing the sexuality of either Willow or Xander, subtly hinting at their potential storylines through dialogue. Willow openly commented on the apparent homosexuality of her evil counterpart, while Xander also made playful remarks about people of the same gender, suggesting a possible future exploration of his own sexuality.

Joss Whedon once thought Xander might be the character to explore queerness within the group. However, the strong connection between Alyson Hannigan and Amber Benson led to Willow and Tara becoming television’s first lesbian couple to share a kiss on screen, making the idea of Xander being queer no longer a possibility.

The Trio Almost Looked Quite Different

The villains in Season 6 were a particularly disturbing group. Though Buffy often treated them like comical rivals, this trio of nerds actually embodied everything the show stood against. Led by Warren, who created a line of robotic sex dolls, the group foreshadowed the issues of ‘incel’ culture before the term was widely known. Warren’s actions were especially horrifying; he brainwashed a former girlfriend into having sex with the trio, and then tragically killed her when she broke free from his control.

Originally, the show planned for Tucker to be one of the main villains alongside Warren and Jonathan after he unleashed demon dogs on prom night. However, the actor couldn’t continue with the role. The writers then had a great idea: they cast Tom Lenk as Andrew, Tucker’s younger brother, who instead trained flying monkeys to disrupt the school play. The running gag about their sibling relationship worked well, and like Spike, Andrew became a popular character with fans.

Faith Was Supposed to Be Short-Lived

The idea of multiple slayers wasn’t new by Season 3, but Faith Lehane stood out. She initially appeared as Buffy’s opposite, embracing the darker side of being a slayer. Unlike Buffy, Faith seemed to relish the thrill of the hunt a little too much, and this ultimately led her to mistakenly kill an innocent person. After accidentally staking the assistant mayor, believing him to be a vampire, the original plan was for Faith to take her own life.

Instead of a typical character, viewers got someone far more compelling who continued to appear even after the original show ended. Faith’s journey from villainy to heroism became a powerful story, and she played a key role in both *Buffy* and its spin-off, *Angel*, culminating in a significant appearance in the final episode of *Buffy*.

Oz’s Season 4 Actions Would Have Had Bigger Repercussions

Season 4 of *Buffy* isn’t always a fan favorite, but it does have some strong points. We see Willow really come into her own as a witch and meet Tara, who quickly became a beloved partner. One storyline fans weren’t thrilled with was the breakup between Willow and Oz, which happened because Oz became involved with a werewolf named Veruca. Even before that, the story wasn’t well-received, as it seemed Oz was attracted to someone else. Veruca was a cool, outgoing singer, while Willow was a more studious and bookish type. Ultimately, Oz left Sunnydale to get his werewolf side under control after accidentally killing Veruca when she became violent.

Originally, the show’s writers planned a much longer story arc. They intended for Season 4 to focus on a love triangle involving Willow, Veruca, and Oz, a plotline that would have been out of character for Oz. Fortunately, Seth Green decided to leave the show as a regular cast member, which led to the quick cancellation of this storyline.

Dawn Was Almost More Mystical

Bringing in the character Dawn at the start of Season 5 was a brilliant move. Just when the show could have become predictable, Joss Whedon introduced Buffy’s previously unknown sister. While it was later revealed she was a powerful figure destined to cause chaos – a ‘Key’ – there was potential for her story to be even more complex.

Originally, the character Dawn was planned to have psychic abilities like telekinesis, which would have given her a much more significant role in the story, especially concerning the opening of Glory’s hell dimension. Ultimately, however, she ended up simply being a crucial element – a key – whose purpose was just to exist.

Tara Was Supposed to Return

Tara’s death is widely considered one of the most disliked storylines in *Buffy* history. It fell into the harmful ‘Bury Your Gays’ trope and seemed to only serve the purpose of creating the ‘Dark Willow’ arc. Interestingly, the show had planned for Amber Benson to reprise her role in a Season 7 episode, ‘Conversations With Dead People,’ which could have offered a different outcome.

It wasn’t actually Tara who appeared; the First Evil simply took her form to manipulate Willow’s feelings. However, it ultimately chose to use the image of Cassie, a girl Willow felt responsible for killing, to overwhelm her with guilt and distress.

Buffy Could Have Ended Up With Xander in the Worst Timeline

As a huge Buffy fan, I was SO glad they dropped the idea of Buffy and Xander becoming a couple! For most of the show, Xander is totally hung up on Buffy, and she just doesn’t feel the same way. At first, it seemed like the show was making a point about guys putting women on pedestals, which was cool. But apparently, the original plan was for them to *actually* end up together, and honestly, that would have been a shame!

Xander often acted like someone who was secretly resentful, getting upset with Buffy over who she chose to be with, despite not having a right to control her relationships. He would sometimes make her feel bad and became jealous easily, even going so far as to try and force a tragic outcome for Buffy and the man she loved, Angel. Ultimately, Xander finding happiness with someone else was a positive development. If Buffy had ended up with Xander, it would have sent the wrong message about the way he behaved towards her throughout the show.

2025-10-07 01:14