Buffy vs. Angel: Which Is The Better TV Show (& Why) – Screen Rant

Joss Whedon's iconic TV show,Buffy the Vampire Slayerand its popular spin-off,Angel, are two of his best and most popular works to date, but which show edges out the other in terms of being all-around better?

Buffy the Vampire Slayerstarted as a 1992 movie starring Kristy Swanson as the titular Slayer, then moved to television on The WB network in 1997. Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers, the Slayer, the show followed Buffy and her friendsknown affectionately as the Scooby Gangthrough their adventures in high school, college, and beyond. Equal parts supernatural drama and heartwarming coming-of-age tale, many fans grew up watching Buffy and found themselves greatly identifying with the characters due to the lessons that the show taught about growing up, falling in love, heartbreak, loss, and much more. After season 3, David Boreanazwho played Buffy's vampire boyfriend, Angelended up departingBuffyfor his character's own spin-off series, which ran from 1999-2004 and totaled five seasons.

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ThoughBuffyhad a longer runseven seasonsand created the larger universe that's known to fans as "the Buffyverse",Angelhad some definite high points. Because the two shows were connected, there were many crossover episodes between the two, and characters from one show often made appearances for a single episode or even a larger arc on another. In many ways, the two shows are so interchangeable given their overlap in talent, crew, and overall style, given Whedon's signature way of writing, that it's difficult to ascertain which is better. However, three easy criteria to apply here are: characters, plot and writing, and the ability to re-watch and binge-watch a series, since both have been very popular on streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and even Facebook Watch.

It can easily be argued that, sinceBuffy the Vampire Slayercreated many of the characters who eventually transitioned toAngeleither as main characters or for shorter story arcs, the original show gets the nod for best characters overall. However, the reason behind whyBuffyhas the better characters overall goes far beyond that logic. Not only didBuffycreate the characters who, arguably, are the best onAngelincluding Angel himselfbut if one considers the overall trajectory and growth of each character,Buffydid it better.

SinceBuffyis largely a coming-of-age tale, it's a definite positive that the show's main characters all went through some major transformation. While many of the characters who were first introduced onBuffy, such as mean girl Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter) did go on to have better, meatier story arcs and character development onAngel, it can't compare to the overall growth of the core characters onBuffy. Even Buffy Summers herself went from a high school girl who wanted to completely ignore her prophetic death in season 1 to a young woman who was willing to risk it allher very lifeby committing suicide in season 5 to save the world. Then, after her resurrection in season 6, she confessed to her friends that she was pulled out of Heavenwhere she would have possibly been reunited with her late mother, Joyce (Kristine Sutherland)and still continued to fight the good fight.

By season 7, Buffy overcame her occasional bouts of selfishness in early seasons and utilized the magical prowess of her best friend, Willow (Alyson Hannigan) to share her Slayer powers with her small army of Potential Slayers and beyond, subsequently allowing every young woman who could potentially have the power to be called to embrace her full gift. Other characters, like Xander (Nicholas Brendon) went from a male-gaze heavy character who pined over his unrequited crush on Buffy to fighting valiantly by her side even after he lost his eye at the hands of Caleb (Nathan Fillion), one of the First Evil's henchman who far overpowered him, a mere human.

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It could also be argued that, if not for his relationship with Buffy, Angel would have never been drawn to the city of Los Angeles and drawn to his mission to "help the hopeless". While he always sought redemption and seemed to possess a strong urge to help others, it was after his actions in season 2 when he lost his soul and once again reverted to the villainous Angelus after a moment of pure happiness that he seemed to rededicate himself to the cause.

WhileBuffy the Vampire Slayerearns its edge in characterization, the writing and plots inAngelwere far superior overall. The overall theme ofAngelwas about redemption and self-sacrifice for the greater good and, because of this, it managed to go beyond the coming-of-age classification of its progenitor.WhileBuffytaught audiences that heroism often has a price and saving the world isn't easy,Angelreinforced that the cost is often heavier than one might think, and yet people are still willing to pay itoften over and over againin order to keep the world from falling into the hands of the wicked.

ThoughAngelstill very much contained the sharp, often biting one-liners and potent sarcasm that's become a trademark of any Joss Whedon show or movie, there was a darker edge to it that truly gave it an advantage. Not only that, but the storylines reflected much of the real world and its problems. The City of AngelsLos Angelesis known as a hub for all sorts of predatory behavior even without the supernatural quotient, as has been recalled time and again in modern years with the rise of the #MeToo movement and the Harvey Weinstein trial. Hollywood, in many ways, is as insidious and predatory as vampires and demons, andAngelplays off of this by putting Angel in the seat of a private investigatora very normal, even human jobto "help the hopeless", particularly young women who have been targeted for some reason.

In season 1 alone,Angeldeals with cases that involve date rape, stalking, political corruption, and even cut a storyline that was deemed too dark for TV.Buffytook a darker turn in season 6, but overall, the show was downright light-hearted in comparison. Both shows aren't afraid to kill their darlings, and many a main character met a tragic death, butAngelwent even harder in that department by proving to its audience on multiple occasions that nobody is safe; it was almost as reliable as shows likeGame of Thrones, where major character deaths almost were expected rather than surprising, though it never hurt less to say goodbye.

Due toAngel's heavier subject matter, it can be difficult to engage in repeat viewings. WhileBuffy the Vampire Slayeris a longer show overall, with seven seasons instead of five, it's more often cited as re-watchable and binge-watchable by fans, with many even claiming to do a yearly re-watch.Angeloccasionally drags along, and whileBuffyis guilty of having a few story arcs and standout episodes that are arguably difficult to get through for one reason or anothersome are boring, where others are more emotionally drainingit's the lighter, easier watch overall.

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Outside of that,Buffyhas a few episodes that beg to be watched over and over again, whereAngelflows more seamlessly from one episode into another, with longer story arcs and less of a formulaic, "monster of the week" style than the original show. Though this cinematic feel, which is a hallmark of more modern television shows, likeWestworldandLovecraft Country benefitted it in terms of the plot development and the spin-off's superior writing,Buffyis quick to digest. Episodes like Buffy'srenowned musical, "Once More With Feeling", can almost be seen as disconnected enough from the rest of the show that it can be consumed in a solitary fashion via standalone viewing. Also, for many fans of both shows, Buffyis like comfort food: putting on an episode is less like settling down to watch a TV show and more like visiting an old friend.

Overall, Buffy the Vampire Slayeris the better show. WhileAngelis a strong competitor and really shows the best of Whedon and company in a completely different way than the original show, there's a reason whyBuffy the Vampire Slayeris a continual talking point in pop culture. Colleges teach entire classes dedicated to dissecting the show and its plots, themes, and overall impact on society.Angelhas become a part of thatand the larger universeby proxy, and while there are many lessons to be learned from it, there's just no stopping the Slayer.

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Jack Wilhelmi is the horror features editor at Screen Rant, and has been with the site since 2019. He is a lifelong fan of the horror genre, and loves any excuse to discuss genre-related topics, since none of his friends dare challenge him in horror trivia. He has been published on the independent horror blog Morbidly Beautiful, and has covered major genre film festivals such as Cinepocalypse in Chicago. He has also served as a judge for the Ax Wound Film Festival. In his free time, he is a devoted dog dad to a high-spirited rescue pup named Peter Quill and enjoys volunteering with various animal rescue organizations. Jack likes to travel and explore dark tourism-related and other various haunted locations. He enjoys studying psychology, the paranormal, and will watch literally any schlocky B-movie on the planet for a laugh.

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Buffy vs. Angel: Which Is The Better TV Show (& Why) - Screen Rant