Only A True Fan Knows If This Happened On Buffy Or On Supernatural
- by Rose Moore
- – on
- in Movies and TV
Buffy and Supernatural have a whole lot in common - both of these horror fantasy series are about people who spend their lives fighting the forces of darkness, hiding their work from the real world, and surrounding themselves with their own 'families' to do it. They both involve a whole range of monsters and demons, lore, escalating big bads, and adventures... but of course, they are far from identical. Buffy focuses mostly on vampires, and the adventures of the 'chosen one', a young girl destined to fight the undead, and given some pretty spiffy superpowers in order to do it. The Winchesters, on the other hand, have no superpowers (most of the time, anyway), and chose a life of hunting after their mother was killed. They may save the world a lot, but most of the time they manage to do it using only their skills as fighters and the lore that they have learned over the years.
How big a Buffy/Supernatural fan are you? Are you able to determine which of these various scenarios, weapons, and villains appeared on Buffy, and which was on Supernatural? Maybe you are a huge fan of both series, or just a hardcore fan of one of them (so that you can remember everything that happened on it)... or maybe you are going to find out that you aren't really that great with either - which is the perfect reason for a rewatch!
There is a vampire with a soul
There are vampires in both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural, but only one show features this particular vampire - who also stands out because unlike the rest, he actually has a soul! After being turned, he was cursed by a gypsy woman for killing one of her family, doomed to feel remorse for all the things that he had done as a vampire unless he could feel a moment of true happiness - which would revert him to the vampire he originally was.
A main character kills death
Death is a big part of both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural - with the main characters even losing their lives and then being resurrected more than once! However, Death only appears as an actual person in one of these two series - one of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, but not beyond being destroyed himself. Eventually, one of the main characters kills Death with his own scythe - creating a void that a Reaper eventually ends up filling.
A hellmouth opens up under a library
In both of these shows, there are plenty of worrying place where the things that go bump in the night can come through from their world into ours... especially the Hellmouth! This is a vortex for monster activity, and when opened, it can release a hideous demon on the world - which happened once in this show, although luckily the monster hunting heroes were able to save the day and shut it down before anything too truly awful could happen.
There's an organisation known as the Men Of Letters
While these series both start out with our heroes believing they are essentially alone in their demon-hunting destiny, as the seasons continue, they learn that many people before them have also devoted their lives to fighting the forces of evil - including the Men of Letters, an organization devoted to collecting lore, spellwork, and weapons, and keeping the world safe without having to live life on the road. However, the US Men of Letters is defunct, having been taken out by a powerful demon.
Someone fights Eve
As well as the more common, street level monsters and demons that both Buffy and the Winchesters have faced, they have also taken on some big names from the world of monsters and demons - including Eve herself. Also known as the Mother Of All, it was Eve who created the first of the races of monsters that the heroes now have to face on a regular basis - although they were also able to face her down when they discovered her only weakness was Phoenix ashes.
The mentor dies
In both series, there is one mentor in particular who helps the hero train, learn, and become the best that they can be. In Buffy The Vampire Slayer, that mentor is Buffy's original watcher, Rupert Giles. In Supernatural, meanwhile, Sam and Dean are led by their grumpy hunter father figure Bobby Singer. However, one of these mentors doesn't make it through to the end, but it killed by one of the monsters they chase - who shoots him in the head.
A mayor becomes a snake
Sometimes, the villains of both Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Supernatural are actually human - although definitely not the best examples of the species! This Mayor (Richard Wilkins) was the mayor of his town, and on the outside, he was a clean-cut family man who stood for conservative values. However, he had also sold his soul for various powers, and was a sorcerer, determined to turn himself into a pure snake demon - a goal that he did finally manage.
They battle zombies
Zombies may not be the usual fare on either of these series, as Buffy and the Winchesters are far more likely to be taking down demons than this other kind of undead creature. However, they have shown up in both of these two shows - more than once, in fact! Which show was it that included a kind of 'zombie' that was a person infected with the Croatoan virus - something that would turn them into unthinking monsters consumed by rage.
Someone is sent to purgatory
While most of the action in both Supernatural and Buffy the Vampire Slayer takes place right here on Earth (or a version of it where monsters are real, anyway), there are also plenty of other realms that get a mention, at the very least. Which of the two shows includes Purgatory, a terrible place where one of the heroes is sent, and which acts as an afterlife for all of the monsters that they have devoted their life to killing?
They fight an invisible girl
Although demons and vampires might be frightening and powerful, at least most of the time the heroes of these two shows can see them in order to fight them! However, in this series there was also an invisible girl, who was slowly rendered literally invisible when she went unnoticed for far too long. Her treatment drove her insane at the same time, leaving the heroes of this show battling an invisible killer, determined to have her revenge on the people who ignored her.
Someone falls in love with a vengeance demon
Although most of the monsters that Buffy and the Winchesters meet are evil creatures that need to be destroyed, there are also quite a few allies, and even lovers, that have a monstrous side to them. Anyanka started her life on this show as a vengeance demon, but after losing her powers actually became a friend of the heroes, fighting on their side against the various apocalypses they faced (although she did stay in touch with a few demon friends, too).
A main character falls in love with a musician werewolf
There are werewolves in both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural - as neither show would miss out on such a well-established monster. However, what may be a little more surprising is that in both series, at least one werewolf is a love interest for a main character - and neither realize what is going on at first! However, in which of the two series was the werewolf also a musician, getting extra cool points with his girlfriend for being in a band.
There's an organisation called the Watchers Council
The Watchers Council, like the Men of Letters, is an organization that pays attentions to what the fighters on the ground are doing, but prefers to do so in suits, from behind closed doors. They collect knowledge, they plan, and they supervise from on high - or, more accurately, from their palatial estate in Great Britain. However, because of this, they don't have much to do with the day to day demon fighting that happens on this particular TV series.
The main characters get tattoos
Not just any tattoos, either. In this series, the main characters all get a very specific tattoo to prevent any demon from possessing them - a symbol that will keep them safe, and ensure that no matter what happens, they can always trust each other and know that they are dealing with the real person, and not a demon posing as that person. It's something that definitely need to happen in this world, where possession would otherwise be a major threat.
There are prophets of the lord
With so much religious lore surrounding demons and vampires (and a few other monstrous beings), it's not surprising that there are quite a lot of biblical elements in both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural (although one more than the other). In which show are there prophets - humans who are destined to be the mouthpieces of 'god' on Earth, and who are able to naturally do things like read angelic or demonic writing and translate ancient artifacts for the heroes.
The heroes discover books written about them
Obviously, in real life, both Supernatural and Buffy The Vampire Slayer have become comic books, but only one series has books about the series appearing in-canon! The heroes find a set of novels that are being sold as fiction (and come with a dedicated fandom), but are shocked to find that the books actually tell the story of their lives! It's not something that they really want printed, and their search to find the author brings them face to face with God himself.
A hero has to get a job at a fast food joint
Fans often wonder where the heroes seem to get all their money from - as life isn't cheap (and neither are all the weapons they use). At various points there have been different explanations for how they manage to keep themselves afloat, but at one point, things get truly dire and one of the main characters finds themselves having to work at a fast food joint: the Doublemeat Palace. It doesn't last, though, as monster hunting was always going to get in the way.
The mother dies of natural causes
With so many characters losing their lives to all of the monsters and demons that populate these shows, it's fairly shocking when someone actually passes away from natural causes - and that is one of the things that makes this particular death so heartbreaking. The mother to the lead characters was previously ill, but things seemed to be getting better... until one of our heroes comes home one day to find her unconscious on the couch, dead from a brain aneurysm.
A principal is eaten by a giant snake
There are plenty of characters on shows like these who don't survive very long in the dangerous world of monster hunting, and when they are lost, the fans mourn them... and then there are characters like this guy, Principal Snyder. This odious little man was obsessed with control and hated the children under his watch, so when he was eaten by a giant snake demon at a school graduation ceremony, he wasn't mourned by many - if any - fans.
The world is saved by a vampire
On another occasion, the world is saved by one of the creatures that is usually trying to destroy it! When the First Evil is going to unleash an army on the world, an amulet is discovered that will allow someone who has a soul, but is more than human, to save the day - and although one of the heroes (who are definitely more than just human) could do it, it is this vampire's final act of self sacrifice to take on the task himself.
The First Evil appears
As both Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Supernatural created stronger and stronger foes for their heroes to take down, they start to reach beyond the basics of monsters to ultimate demons, gods, and even (for one show) the First Evil. This is the ultimate evil, and can appear at any time, taking the form of a person who has died. The First Evil's main agent on Earth, though, was the creepy preacher Caleb, a twisted serial killer who still wore a dog collar.
They discover a mystical, vamp-killing axe
There are some epic weapons on both Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Supernatural, but this is one of the most important in the entire series. This axe, also called the Scythe, is the weapon designed and destined for the one true hunter of the series, specially to kill vampires, and includes a stake on the end as well as the blade itself. It's more than just a weapon though, it also acts as a mystical embodiment of power that the person wielding it can sense.
Someone goes to the land of Oz
Sometimes, these shows like to wander into the world of fictional realms and creatures - including the Land of Oz! Reached through inter dimensional portals opened with keys, when this land was discovered on this series, some of the characters from the books also appear on their mission to save the place they live. Oz doesn't appear often in the show, but one of the characters does actually leave the show for a time in order to go and live in Oz.
The main character is turned invisible
As well as the usual monsters, there are plenty of enemies of the heroes who are actually human and who just want to cause trouble - or who have started to meddle in the dark arts themselves. In this show, one recurring group of human villains are known as the Trio, and at one point, they were capable of making a gun that actually manages to make someone invisible - and they use it on the hero! It's all fun and games until they realize that being invisible will slowly kill them, though.
They use a demon-killing gun
As well as some of the other incredible weapons that show up on both Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Supernatural, this is one of the earliest super-powered weapons that appears: the Colt. This gun, and the special bullets that are made to be used with it, have the ability to kill almost any supernatural being in the world - including demons! However, it's not capable of killing absolutely anything, and it was originally found with a very limited number of bullets.
There are literal angels
There are plenty of characters in both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural that might be referred to as 'angels' - those that are always there to support and help the heroes... but only one of these two shows has literal angels in it - the kind that have an impressive wingspan and come to Earth straight from heaven. One of the first angels that the heroes meet (Castiel) even becomes a close friend and ally before the end of the show.
There is a musical episode
Fans are always thrilled when a genre series puts on a musical episode - there's just something fun about seeing the characters belting out their problems in the form of a song! This musical episode was called 'Once More With Feeling', and it happened when one of the gang accidentally summoned a demon that caused everyone to sing and dance... until they burst into flames. In the end, it all worked out, but the songs also revealed some painful truths...
There is a demon wedding
Wedding episodes are another fan favorite, no matter the show - and this demon wedding is no exception! The wedding is supposed to take place between a demon and one of the main characters, and everyone has been looking forward to it for weeks... but in the end, a bitter villain decides to twist the groom's mind until he decides to call it off out of fear that the marriage won't work, breaking the bride's heart and ruining the day.
The mother is resurrected
Mothers play a major part in both Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Supernatural - although both die, at some point in the series. Resurrection is also something that neither series shies away from - with people popping back to life left, right, and center. However, only one of the mothers actually returns from the dead and takes her place in the land of the living (much to the annoyance of the Reaper, Billie, who is sick of all these people coming back from the grave).
There is a demon bar
There are plenty of places where the heroes of both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural like to hang out, but what about the bad guys? In this show, there is a bar specifically for all the demons in the area, where blood is served for the vampires (as well as all manner of other odd concoctions for the other demons) - and where a loose lipped bartender named Willy is a great source of information on the monster underworld goings on in the area.
They battle a god named Glory
While there are a lot of biblical references in both shows, that doesn't mean that there is only one God that appears in them. Various Gods from different pantheons also appear in both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural - but this god only appears in one. Glory is a god from a hell dimension, banished to Earth, and all she wants is to return home again... by tearing apart the walls that keep worlds apart, and making Earth a literal hell.
There is a secret government project called the Initiative.
While the hunters and slayers do most of the heavy lifting in these shows, that doesn't mean that no one else knows about the monsters roaming the world - including the government. In this series, the heroes stumble across a secret underground government facility known as the Initiative, that is using high tech weaponry to take down monsters - but also to use them to conduct experiments in an attempt to create a weapon. Thankfully, it's not long before it all goes wrong and they are shut down.
The world is saved by a car
The world gets saved a lot in both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural, but this has to be one of the more interesting ways that it happens - when it's an inanimate object that saves the day! At least, the Impala, the car that the heroes have had in their family since childhood, is what inspires one of the main characters to take back control over a power that has possessed them, and stop the looming apocalypse... this time.
They discover the First Blade
Another mystical weapon that pops up on one of these two shows is the First Blade, a knife made from the jawbone of a donkey - which may not seem like a particularly useful material for a knife, but that's not the whole thing. It works only with the magical seal known as the Mark of Cain. However, when the two are used together, it is one of the most powerful weapons in existence - capable of killing almost anything.
There is a Scooby Doo crossover episode
Finally, it's not all apocalyptic doom and gloom in either Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Supernatural - there are plenty of episodes that are just plain fun to watch... like the crossover episode with the classic cartoon Scooby Doo! In this episode, the heroes are dragged into the TV and an episode of Scooby Doo - which thrills them, because someone in the group is a huge fan of the original Scooby Gang - but were they a member of the Buffy or Supernatural teams?