At the end of its official series canon, Buffy the Vampire Slayer solidifies why it was all “worth it.” After the seventh and final season of the television show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer continued in the comics for another five comic seasons under Dark Horse Comics. Since the comic series was written by franchise creator Joss Whedon, each of those seasons is officially canon to the show.
As such, the official message of the series is expressed in the official series finale as depicted in the comics, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 12: The Reckoning #4 by Joss Whedon, Christos Gage, Georges Jeanty, and Karl Story. The issue depicts Buffy and her friends facing off against the canon’s final Big Bad, Harth, a vampire from the future who also happens to be the twin brother of future Slayer, Fray. He forms an army filled with demons, Wolfram & Hart, and Sunnydale’s Mayor for one final battle prophesied to end the Slayer line for good.
Instead, after staking Harth, the Slayer line is stronger than ever, helping Buffy understand her most valuable lesson.
For Buffy, Being the Vampire Slayer Was Worth It
Fast-forward to a couple of weeks later. In that time, Buffy and Faith become police officers as they both get the happy ending they always wanted, transitioning into finally living normal lives. After consoling Angel as he mourns the life of Illyria that was lost during the battle, the two join Spike in the kitchen. Both of her former lovers, now even closer as friends, join the rest of their allies outside for a party celebrating Faith and Buffy’s accomplishment.
During all of this, Buffy is monologuing about the entirety of her journey, dating back all the way to the first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She’s gone from “cheerleader to Slayer. Slayer to General. General to nobody. Girl to woman.” With the number of Slayers at an all-time high and the number of monsters at an all-time low, Buffy realizes that now is the time for her to finally rest. The issue ends with Buffy’s final words of the entire continuity: “The trouble with changing the world is … worth it.”
Buffy Finally Finds Peace
This is a Buffy who is finally at peace with her life, which must be wholly satisfying to see for any longtime fan of the show. There were so many times when Buffy found herself frustrated with how badly her Slayer duties took dominion over her life. There were several instances where Buffy nearly quit being a Slayer as she complained about wanting to be nothing more than a normal teenage girl. Now, she’s at peace with not only where she is in life, but every version of herself that got her to where she is.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer has made peace with every aspect of her journey, convinced it was all worth it in the end.
