There were a number of memorable characters on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but few drew the ire of fans as much as Buffy’s sister Dawn Summers, but why did viewers hate her so much? Created by Joss Whedon – who’d previously scripted the movie version – Buffy the Vampire Slayer launched in 1997 on what was then The WB network (now The CW), but it wasn’t until the beginning of season 5 in 2000 that Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) would appear.
Dawn’s debut appearance came in Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s season 5 premiere, “Buffy vs. Dracula.” Her introduction is kept a surprise until the very end of the episode, as Buffy walks into her room and finds Dawn going through her stuff. At first, it appears as though the actual appearance is going to startle Buffy, but instead it becomes more simple annoyance at her sister going through her things. From then on, Dawn became a key part of the show until the very end, with involvement in major storylines and even training as a Slayer herself. Despite that, though, a lot of fans hated the character.
One reason for the dislike of Dawn was that, five seasons in, she materialized out of nowhere. While there are clues to Dawn’s appearance that you can spot in hindsight, at the time this was a major change to the status quo, and a seemingly inexplicable one. Suddenly giving Buffy a sister after so long without one – and not only that, but without addressing her sudden appearance, and instead suggesting a live-in history that viewers had never experienced – was jarring, and a risky move for the series. While Dawn’s origins were ultimately revealed and worked in the plot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 5 (which was one of the show’s strongest), the character herself was nonetheless difficult for fans to take to.
Of course, beyond Dawn’s sudden appearance, there were other reasons Buffy fans didn’t warm to the character. Not only did they have to accept she existed, but also put up with how annoying Dawn came across as. This wasn’t just in Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 5, but even more so in season 6, where her character was largely stuck complaining, moaning, and getting on people’s nerves. Some of this did make sense – she’d been abandoned a lot, had to come to terms with her real identity, and was in the shadow of her sister being the Slayer, as well as being a normal annoying teenager. At the same time, even creator Joss Whedon admitted (via IGN) that they “run the same note for a while” with Dawn, understanding at least some of the complaints.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans disliked Dawn because of how whiney and irritating she could be, although that’s not much to do with Trachtenberg’s performance, since they were the beats she was supposed to hit. Eventually she did grow-up somewhat and become a more natural, enjoyable part of Buffy, especially as her relationship with her sister developed, although it’s safe to say she was never a major fan-favorite either.
