Buffy vs. Teen Wolf
Mar. 11th, 2026 02:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
annavereI found this fun graphic on Tumblr of obvious parallels between Buffy and Teen Wolf characters, indicating that the latter took a lot of influence from the former (or else that teen drama archetypes are indeed fairly archetypal). Anyway, for fun, I decided to pick my winner for each category, although some characters are included twice and Angel complicates things a little.
Buffy vs. Scott (average teen turned hero). I really want to do the dark horse pick, because people are forever dunking on Scott, and I don't think he did anything wrong. But Buffy is one of the greatest protagonists ever, and her journey (even if I were to limit it to the high school years) is filled with incredible layers. Also, the writers did a fairly good job of not forgetting her various traumas when convenient. I can't say the same for poor Scott. BtVS: 1; TW: 0
Willow vs. Stiles (smart best friend). Tricky. Willow got better development and was given riskier storylines, which I respect, but there are parts I really struggle with. Willow turned into a villain in season six and the writers chickened out of handling the consequences, leaving me incredibly unconvinced of her reformation in the final season, because the root issues were papered over with "the magic made me do it." Even limiting her to the high school years, I generally think the writers had more awareness when Stiles crossed lines than Willow. Willow's descent without ever achieving cathartic self-reflection deeply stresses me out, where I'm quite comfortable watching Stiles screw up. BtVS: 1; TW: 1
Xander vs. Stiles (geeky best friend). Xander is another character people are forever dunking on, and so I really want to pick him, but alas, it would be in error. Xander was so badly underutilized in several seasons, where Stiles was always given stuff to do. Stiles' traumatic home life was acknowledged in ways that made his damage clearly understood, where Xander's got treated like a joke most of the time. I know people like to call him Whedon's self-insert, but if that's true, all I can say is he's the most self-loathing self-insert I've ever witnessed, and I hate how he's forever belittled. Also, his sense of humor is less appealing to me than that of Stiles, and his relationship with Anya is skidsteered off a cliff so badly that it makes the Stiles/Malia manufactured breakup look good. I love Xander, but I often hate his writing. BtVS: 1; TW: 2
Cordelia vs. Lydia (secretly smart queen bitch). No contest here. Lydia handily defeats Cordelia. I like Cordy a lot, but I would never write an endless series detailing the story from her perspective. Also, even if I decided to include Angel, Cordelia's Greek tragedy of ruination doesn't hit me the same way as Lydia's suffering does (and how sad a statement that is, that both of these characters are mostly defined by how much their powers make them suffer). Anyway, I adore Lydia. BtVS: 1; TW: 3
Cordelia vs. Jackson (preppy rival). Jackson, however? He's a fun disaster, but he never gets that slow growth before leaving the show. By late season two, Cordelia is already showing layers of personal strength and a character journey that Jackson doesn't get near. BtVS: 2; TW: 3
Angel vs. Allison (natural enemy turned love interest). Well... Angel gets his own show. That's throwing me off here. Angel gets a depth Allison can't hope to rival, because he gets his own show. Allison only gets three seasons. So to be more fair, let's limit Angel to the high school years only. This levels the playing field a lot. Allison gets a more dynamic descent and atonement than Angel, because she connects with more of the main characters than just Scott. Angel's interactions with the Scooby Gang are few and fleeting, and Allison benefits from being a fellow kid. She has friendships and family, and her romance with Scott is handled with more maturity than the "go away/come here" tennis match of Buffy/Angel. I say all this with a deep affection for Buffy/Angel, but by handicapping Angel's LA growth, Allison wins. BtVS: 2; TW: 4
Angel vs. Derek (supernatural broody boy). The same applies. If I discount the spinoff, my deep sympathy for Derek Hale probably wins over Angel. Derek's trauma, his bad decisions, his slow growth toward the light and his deep seated issues and fucked-up family life just give him more scope for my imagination than Angel. HOWEVER, Derek is in the movie, which kind of functions like a spinoff, and he's a father to a stroppy teen boy in that movie, so I think we can open the playing field here (yes, Allison was also in the movie, but with no intervening character development, and with amnesia 95% of the time). In which case, Derek never coheres into a person the way Angel does (not helped by endless missing scenes). Angel is a complete portrait of existential despair and the search for meaning, and we get to see almost every step of that journey. BtVS: 3; TW: 4
Anya vs. Malia (former demon/coyote with no filter). An easy one. Anya's use as a comedy character never sat well with me, since her comedy is based off of being an incredibly sadistic mass murderer. Malia's morality is handled way better, her relationship with Stiles is easier to root for, and their breakup is not straight out of a sitcom and into a soap opera. BtVS: 3; TW: 5
Tara vs. Isaac (abuse victim healed by joining team). Tara, my darling. Tara who deserved better. Isaac is a likable character, and all, but Tara got a much more satisfying story until right near the end. Isaac often felt like an extra pair of hands in an increasingly large cast. Tara was her own person and Tara was amazing. BtVS: 4; TW: 5
Faith vs. Theo (friend turned psycho turned friend). In fairness, chopping out Faith's time in L.A. and treating that like Theo's time in the underworld... Yeah, Faith still kicks his ass. With Faith, we see the fall, the despair, and the self-hatred fueling her actions. With Theo, he goes from smug evildoer to quippy reluctant ally, and it's fun, but it doesn't make me shed tears for his pain. Faith gets so many epic moments, too, and a more complicated enemyship with everyone. BtVS: 5; TW: 5
Dawn vs. Liam (new kid). When Dawn showed up, she didn't immediately steal all the emotional limelight of the show and become a de facto lead, leaving no room for what the core characters were going through, unlike Liam. I did eventually grow to like Liam, but I never had to struggle like that with Dawn, because she was so carefully introduced. Total sympathy, all the way. BtVS: 6; TW: 5
Joyce Summers vs. Melissa McCall (loving mom). Joyce tried. She did. She made some mistakes, often functioned as a narrative obstacle and she also got neglected by the writers. Her job was only ever a plot device once and we never saw the gallery where she spent so much time. She had very little private life. Melissa McCall had a job which enabled her to feature and contribute in multiple storylines, she had potential romances with actual recurring characters, and she never went evil or oblivious to further the plot. She was awesome with great frequency. BtVS: 6; TW: 6
Giles vs. Deaton (the mentor). Both had shady ethics, but with Giles it was deliberate, and with Deaton it was because he was offscreen for vast portions of time, making him feel less helpful than he should. Deaton had a whole mysterious past that went completely underexplored, and he was never around enough to become the team dad Giles was (which is a shame, because the teens desperately needed a supernatural mentor). He was interesting, but I never connected to him. No contest. BtVS: 7; TW: 6
Spike vs. Peter Hale (vainglorious bringer of chaos and eater of popcorn). Umm. Spike is unquestionably the better character. He has deeper relationships, a well-realized character evolution and doesn't ping-pong around what the plot needs him to be doing. Therefore, I feel really bad about this pick, but... dammit, it's Peter. He's so much more of a mess than Spike. Also more devious. He's doing terrible things with a soul. His trauma is not buried in a triggering lullaby, it is loud and present and he will make everyone else pay for it. Again, I must defer to the muse, which insisted I write endlessly about this man and his problems, and has never felt the slightest need to do the same for Spike. BtVS: 7; TW: 7
That's a tie. Which I kind of love, honestly. ♥ ♥ ♥
Buffy vs. Scott (average teen turned hero). I really want to do the dark horse pick, because people are forever dunking on Scott, and I don't think he did anything wrong. But Buffy is one of the greatest protagonists ever, and her journey (even if I were to limit it to the high school years) is filled with incredible layers. Also, the writers did a fairly good job of not forgetting her various traumas when convenient. I can't say the same for poor Scott. BtVS: 1; TW: 0
Willow vs. Stiles (smart best friend). Tricky. Willow got better development and was given riskier storylines, which I respect, but there are parts I really struggle with. Willow turned into a villain in season six and the writers chickened out of handling the consequences, leaving me incredibly unconvinced of her reformation in the final season, because the root issues were papered over with "the magic made me do it." Even limiting her to the high school years, I generally think the writers had more awareness when Stiles crossed lines than Willow. Willow's descent without ever achieving cathartic self-reflection deeply stresses me out, where I'm quite comfortable watching Stiles screw up. BtVS: 1; TW: 1
Xander vs. Stiles (geeky best friend). Xander is another character people are forever dunking on, and so I really want to pick him, but alas, it would be in error. Xander was so badly underutilized in several seasons, where Stiles was always given stuff to do. Stiles' traumatic home life was acknowledged in ways that made his damage clearly understood, where Xander's got treated like a joke most of the time. I know people like to call him Whedon's self-insert, but if that's true, all I can say is he's the most self-loathing self-insert I've ever witnessed, and I hate how he's forever belittled. Also, his sense of humor is less appealing to me than that of Stiles, and his relationship with Anya is skidsteered off a cliff so badly that it makes the Stiles/Malia manufactured breakup look good. I love Xander, but I often hate his writing. BtVS: 1; TW: 2
Cordelia vs. Lydia (secretly smart queen bitch). No contest here. Lydia handily defeats Cordelia. I like Cordy a lot, but I would never write an endless series detailing the story from her perspective. Also, even if I decided to include Angel, Cordelia's Greek tragedy of ruination doesn't hit me the same way as Lydia's suffering does (and how sad a statement that is, that both of these characters are mostly defined by how much their powers make them suffer). Anyway, I adore Lydia. BtVS: 1; TW: 3
Cordelia vs. Jackson (preppy rival). Jackson, however? He's a fun disaster, but he never gets that slow growth before leaving the show. By late season two, Cordelia is already showing layers of personal strength and a character journey that Jackson doesn't get near. BtVS: 2; TW: 3
Angel vs. Allison (natural enemy turned love interest). Well... Angel gets his own show. That's throwing me off here. Angel gets a depth Allison can't hope to rival, because he gets his own show. Allison only gets three seasons. So to be more fair, let's limit Angel to the high school years only. This levels the playing field a lot. Allison gets a more dynamic descent and atonement than Angel, because she connects with more of the main characters than just Scott. Angel's interactions with the Scooby Gang are few and fleeting, and Allison benefits from being a fellow kid. She has friendships and family, and her romance with Scott is handled with more maturity than the "go away/come here" tennis match of Buffy/Angel. I say all this with a deep affection for Buffy/Angel, but by handicapping Angel's LA growth, Allison wins. BtVS: 2; TW: 4
Angel vs. Derek (supernatural broody boy). The same applies. If I discount the spinoff, my deep sympathy for Derek Hale probably wins over Angel. Derek's trauma, his bad decisions, his slow growth toward the light and his deep seated issues and fucked-up family life just give him more scope for my imagination than Angel. HOWEVER, Derek is in the movie, which kind of functions like a spinoff, and he's a father to a stroppy teen boy in that movie, so I think we can open the playing field here (yes, Allison was also in the movie, but with no intervening character development, and with amnesia 95% of the time). In which case, Derek never coheres into a person the way Angel does (not helped by endless missing scenes). Angel is a complete portrait of existential despair and the search for meaning, and we get to see almost every step of that journey. BtVS: 3; TW: 4
Anya vs. Malia (former demon/coyote with no filter). An easy one. Anya's use as a comedy character never sat well with me, since her comedy is based off of being an incredibly sadistic mass murderer. Malia's morality is handled way better, her relationship with Stiles is easier to root for, and their breakup is not straight out of a sitcom and into a soap opera. BtVS: 3; TW: 5
Tara vs. Isaac (abuse victim healed by joining team). Tara, my darling. Tara who deserved better. Isaac is a likable character, and all, but Tara got a much more satisfying story until right near the end. Isaac often felt like an extra pair of hands in an increasingly large cast. Tara was her own person and Tara was amazing. BtVS: 4; TW: 5
Faith vs. Theo (friend turned psycho turned friend). In fairness, chopping out Faith's time in L.A. and treating that like Theo's time in the underworld... Yeah, Faith still kicks his ass. With Faith, we see the fall, the despair, and the self-hatred fueling her actions. With Theo, he goes from smug evildoer to quippy reluctant ally, and it's fun, but it doesn't make me shed tears for his pain. Faith gets so many epic moments, too, and a more complicated enemyship with everyone. BtVS: 5; TW: 5
Dawn vs. Liam (new kid). When Dawn showed up, she didn't immediately steal all the emotional limelight of the show and become a de facto lead, leaving no room for what the core characters were going through, unlike Liam. I did eventually grow to like Liam, but I never had to struggle like that with Dawn, because she was so carefully introduced. Total sympathy, all the way. BtVS: 6; TW: 5
Joyce Summers vs. Melissa McCall (loving mom). Joyce tried. She did. She made some mistakes, often functioned as a narrative obstacle and she also got neglected by the writers. Her job was only ever a plot device once and we never saw the gallery where she spent so much time. She had very little private life. Melissa McCall had a job which enabled her to feature and contribute in multiple storylines, she had potential romances with actual recurring characters, and she never went evil or oblivious to further the plot. She was awesome with great frequency. BtVS: 6; TW: 6
Giles vs. Deaton (the mentor). Both had shady ethics, but with Giles it was deliberate, and with Deaton it was because he was offscreen for vast portions of time, making him feel less helpful than he should. Deaton had a whole mysterious past that went completely underexplored, and he was never around enough to become the team dad Giles was (which is a shame, because the teens desperately needed a supernatural mentor). He was interesting, but I never connected to him. No contest. BtVS: 7; TW: 6
Spike vs. Peter Hale (vainglorious bringer of chaos and eater of popcorn). Umm. Spike is unquestionably the better character. He has deeper relationships, a well-realized character evolution and doesn't ping-pong around what the plot needs him to be doing. Therefore, I feel really bad about this pick, but... dammit, it's Peter. He's so much more of a mess than Spike. Also more devious. He's doing terrible things with a soul. His trauma is not buried in a triggering lullaby, it is loud and present and he will make everyone else pay for it. Again, I must defer to the muse, which insisted I write endlessly about this man and his problems, and has never felt the slightest need to do the same for Spike. BtVS: 7; TW: 7
That's a tie. Which I kind of love, honestly. ♥ ♥ ♥
no subject
Date: 2026-03-12 04:15 am (UTC)Anyway, very much agreed on almost all counts, and you make excellent points about the character development (or lack thereof) for everybody. Solid analysis. I am more of a Spike fan than a Peter fan, but as you said, that's very much down to the muse sometimes.
Also while I fully agree with you regarding Anya and her characterization and development, the speech she gives in The Body resides permanently in my brain. That bit alone changed my view of her character, when I watched that episode. I just wish that depth had been more pervasive.
no subject
Date: 2026-03-12 04:43 pm (UTC)Yes, Anya had some amazing moments and that speech is one of them, for sure. I love Emma Caulfield's work on the show, and it frustrates me that she didn't get much focus and that her backstory was played for laughs, because she knocked it out of the park when the occasion arrived.
no subject
Date: 2026-03-13 06:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-03-15 12:25 pm (UTC)Thanks for reading and commenting! ❤️