With Sarah Michelle Gellar recently naming Zendaya as her pick to play Buffy in a reboot (per IGN), there’s been renewed interest in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its many iconic characters. In a show centered around the ongoing fight against evil, the main characters in Buffy each had a degree of bravery within them. Whether they were battling the supernatural or suffering personal dilemmas, each character exhibited courage in their own admirable ways.
Characters with supernatural enhancement like Buffy and Faith may have had an advantage over others, but their bravery was still laudable for how they committed themselves to the cause. Whilst a lot of the bravery shown in the show revolved around defending the world, there were also smaller acts of courage that were just as commendable and made each character brave in their own right.
Tara
Tara was brave in her own way, but when it came to the other Scoobies, her bravery was shrouded in little acts of courage rather than overall fearlessness. Considering her timid nature, Tara wasn’t usually at the forefront of any fighting, preferring instead to keep to the sidelines.
However, in season 5 she proved to be brave in the face of Glory’s torture of her mind, which was no small feat. She was also always on hand to perform many powerful spells to help the gang throughout her time on Buffy, meaning that she wasn’t completely without her share of valor.
Angel
Angel may have been the hero of his own show, but within Buffy he doesn’t rank as high as others for bravery. Considering he was a vampire and therefore had an advantage when it came to fighting, Angel’s fearless nature was part in part because of his supernatural strength.
His decision to leave Sunnydale once Buffy graduated took an immense amount of self-will, as did his path to redemption after his return from the Hell dimension, showing that a lot of his acts of bravery were bound up in decisions of the heart, and were thus courageous ones.
Faith
Faith may have been a controversial character, but her status as a Slayer secured her immediately as a brave person by nature. Despite her wayward conscience, there’s no denying that Faith was a fearless and courageous fighter who often charged into battle with little care for her own safety, relying on her confidence in her abilities.
One of the most heroic things Faith did was to come back to Sunnydale in the show’s final season and help Buffy train the potential Slayers and fight against the First. Although she often acted on her own accord, her bravery shone whenever she was on screen, but she did have the upper hand with her enhanced capabilities.
Spike
He may have started out as a somewhat cowardly villain, but Spike’s transformation over the years in Buffy showed how he grew into a unconventional hero, who ultimately helped to destroy the Hellmouth at the show’s conclusion. His love for Buffy forced Spike to become a better person, and he committed many admirable acts because of this.
Not only did he endure the painful tests in order to get his soul back, but he also allowed himself to suffer immensely at the hands of Glory to protect Dawn. Spike changed dramatically and grew into an unlikely warrior for the good side who sacrificed himself for a greater cause, showing great bravery.
Anya
When first introduced, it didn’t seem like Anya was a particularly brave character, mostly due to her past as a vengeance demon who was selfish in nature and oftentimes narrow minded. Yet, throughout Buffy she grew into a compassionate person who learned to put others before her, putting herself in harms way to protect her friends more than once.
Anya’s rank is befitting of her final act in “Chosen,” when she bravely fought in the battle against the First Evil and died protecting Andrew from getting killed. The sacrifice showed the incredible growth in her character and secured her place as one of the bravest people in Buffy.
Dawn
Dawn may have been an annoying Buffy character at times, but by the end of the show she had grown into a courageous young woman who was desperate to be a part of the fight against evil. Her bravery was born out of her want to be like her sister, and she was often thrown into danger because of this.
Considering Dawn was just a kid, the feats she achieved were remarkable – she learned how to fight against vampires and demons alike with no supernatural advantage, survived whilst Buffy was gone, and stood her ground admirably when fighting next to her sister. Dawn grew to be one of the most valiant characters on the show, especially with all that she overcame.
Xander
Out all of the Scoobies, Xander often felt like he didn’t have a purpose in the group. However, time and time again he proved to be one of the bravest people on Buffy, through how he helped his friends and acted with compassion and honor.
Some of the most courageous things Xander did came when he acted alone, like when stopped the high-school from being blown up in “The Zeppo,” even though he was terrified. One of the bravest things he ever did was to stand in front of Willow as she tried to destroy the world, and not give up on her, saving the day as an unassuming hero. He may have been scared 99% of the time, but that only stood to make Xander even braver when the moment called for it.
Giles
Giles was the most intelligent character in Buffy, and he was also one of the bravest. Tasked with acting as the stand-in parental figure to the Scoobies, Giles was often the voice of reason and was always there for others in their time of need, and some of his most valiant efforts came in the way he guided Buffy.
Outside of his Watcher duties, Giles was a courageous man personally too. Many times he led the Scoobies with kindness, and put himself on the front lines to protect them. There wasn’t much that Giles’s wouldn’t do for his friends, and his ongoing guidance and protection of the Scoobies made him one of the bravest characters in Buffy.
Willow
Her quirky nature and undeniable strength made Willow one of the best characters in Buffy. Willow’s growth throughout the show from the shy, school-obsessed sidekick to a powerful witch was a truly admirable transformation that was indicative of her courageous spirit.
Through all the pain she endured, Willow proved continually how strong she was, and her bravery was a highlight of her character. Willow’s magical abilities secured her as a force to be reckoned with, as she saved her friends on many occasions even when she doubted herself. Outside of her status as a witch, she was still a truly heroic character for how fiercely she defended those she loved, and how she brought herself back from the brink of darkness.
Buffy
Even without her status as a Slayer, Buffy was undeniably the bravest character on the show. Burdened with the pressure to constantly save the world, Buffy sacrificed herself many times in order to save others and was always defiant in her need to protect her friends.
Even when everything got too much for Buffy, she always rallied and showed her strength and, out of all the characters, she was the most fearless through the way she simultaneously defended and led those around her. From sacrificing Angel to save the world, to dying for it, Buffy’s bravery was unmatched and she ranks as the most heroic character by far.
