With nearly 150 episodes over the course of seven seasons, Buffy the Vampire Slayer ran into more than her fair share of “vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness.” From high school into adulthood, Buffy Summers dusted more vamps than we can count.
While there were plenty of vampires of the week and a handful of standout Big Bads, there were a few monsters we only saw once who left an impression long after the Scoobies left Sunnydale behind. From suave musical hell demons to nightmare wannabe stepdads, here are the 10 one-off villains we wish had stuck around.
Toth, “The Replacement”
While Toth himself isn’t that memorable, the effects of his weapon are. In “The Replacement,” Xander, hapless as ever, gets hit with Toth’s weapon in the middle of a fight, his essence gets split apart into two people, one who is even slobbier and goofier than Xander normally is, and one who is more handsome and confident.
Making use of Nicholas Brendan’s actual twin, the episode allowed for hilarious interplay with the “two Xanders” while also exploring Xander’s vulnerabilities, something we’d certainly like to have seen more of.
Gnarl, “Same Time, Same Place”
After the devastating events of the season six finale, Willow Rosenberg departed to England to gain balance. Upon her return anxious to Sunnydale, she was disappointed to discover she was invisible to her best friends and set out to find the demon responsible, tracking down a horrifying creature called Gnarl.
One of the creepier moments in Buffy history depicted an invisible Willow trapped under the demon’s spell as he ate her skin piece-by-piece. Thankfully, Buffy was there to save the day, but this terrifying demon was memorable enough for more than one episode.
Gwendolyn Post, “Revelations”
While previously alluded to, Watcher Gwendolyn Post is the first concrete evidence of corruption in the patriarchal system of the Watchers Council that governs the Slayers and their magic. When Faith’s new Watcher arrives in Sunnydale, she is suitably strict and authoritative, but also harbors a hidden agenda to steal the incredibly dangerous Globe of Myhnegon (basically Thanos’s Infinity gauntlet).
Though her character has a very concrete end, it was a powerful storyline that we would have gladly watched over multiple episodes, one that foreshadows the ways the Watchers exploit Slayers.
Gachnar, “Fear Itself”
In a highlight of season four, the Scoobies find themselves trapped in a college haunted house party that manifests their actual fears, ranging from Oz turning into a werewolf when it’s not the full moon to magic revolting against Willow. Buffy eventually finds the demon at the source of the magic–only to reveal he’s a few inches tall.
It’s a hilarious metaphor that serves to underline the entire episode: your fears are only as big as you let them become. Though Gachnar was crushed like a bug, we wouldn’t have minded another iteration of him.
Holden Webster, “Conversations With Dead People”
“Conversations With Dead People” is a standout episode as the First Evil appears to Buffy and the Scoobies in the form of their dearly departed loved ones. However, in a My dinner With Andre style graveside chat, Buffy is occupied with one newly undead vampire, Holden Webster, who she knew when he was still very much alive at Sunnydale High.
The episode showcases Joss Whedon’s trademark flair for sparky and witty dialogue (though written by proteges Jane Espenson and Drew Goddard) and Holden is simply too much fun to lose in one episode.
Ted, “Ted”
Golden Globe and Emmy award winner John Ritter guest-starred as Ted, the too-perfect new boyfriend of Buffy’s mom, Joyce. Known for his comedy, Ritter played nice guy to a pitch-perfect creepy level, making audiences fear for Joyce and cringe at Buffy’s teenage hostility.
As he drugged everyone else with his homemade baked goods, Buffy trusted her gut that something was astray only to discover he was actually a homicidal, serial killer robot. While Buffy slew the bot, surely another backup could have been found to face down with Buffy over a round of mini-golf.
Marcie Ross, “Out Of Mind, Out Of Sight”
Turned invisible by bullying and isolation, Marcie Ross was an iconic villain of the moment. Portrayed by Clea Duvall, who built her career playing outcasts in She’s All That and But I’m a Cheerleader, Marcie helped cement the central ethos of Buffy as a story about the emotional terrors of high school personified through paranormal forces.
The spooky X-Files ending of “Out of Mind, Out of Sight” revealed that the government took Marcie to hone her invisibility as a weapon, which would have been an excellent follow-up episode (perhaps with the Initiative).
Dracula, “Buffy vs. Dracula”
For a show that draws so fundamentally from vampire lore, it’s surprising that the prince of darkness himself, Dracula, didn’t appear until the season five premiere. Heralding the arc of the season and foreshadowing Buffy’s descent into darkness, Dracula is a deliciously fun and campy vampire who mesmerized all the Scoobies, especially Xander.
Additionally, Dracula may be the only vamp to equal Buffy’s greatness. This is sadly the only time we see him “in the flesh,” but Dracula does make a spectacular return in the Buffy comic books.
The Gentlemen, “Hush”
The Gentlemen may be the most notable villains in Buffy history, garnering Buffy its only Emmy nomination for writing. The dapper floating demons who steal voices of the innocents so no one can scream when their heart is ripped out of their chest are scary and timeless enough to warrant their own film franchise.
One of Buffy’s most inventive episodes of the series, it is suitable for them to be a one-off villain, but we would have loved to watch Buffy and the Scoobies face them down again.
Sweet, “Once More With Feeling”
If there were a demon beauty pageant, Sweet would win definitely Most Talented and Miss Congeniality. Easily the most fun demon, Sweet brought the magic of song and dance to Sunnydale, compelling people to voice the truth of their hearts until they couldn’t stop. Sweet’s evil scheme to take Dawn as his child bride to hell was easily forgotten due to his smooth voice and deadly soft shoe.
Because Sweet isn’t outright vanquished but rather leaves due to a misunderstanding of who summoned him, there’s plenty of room for an encore.
