In Season Six he returns after Buffy is resurrected, then leaves again so that his presence won't hold her back from growing strong and independent.

Angel then leaves Sunnydale in hopes Buffy can have a more normal life without him.

Buffy then promises to change her self-destructive behavior in order to be there for her sister.

The character had intended to be a brief villain, with Whedon originally adamant to not have another major " romantic vampire " character like Angel-Marsters says " Spike was supposed to be dirty and evil, punk rock, and then dead "-but the character ended up staying for the second season, and then returning in the fourth to replace Cordelia as " the character who told Buffy she was stupid and about to die ".

Dawn then falls into a watcher-esque role offering the group answers from research, such as ways to communicate with The Bringers and translating texts given to Buffy in a ' slayer keepsake '.

Buffy and Angel then return and save the Earth, temporarily.

While starring on 90210, Perry then won a supporting role in the original film version of the Joss Whedon-written Buffy The Vampire Slayer ( 1992 ).

Denisof claims that Wesley was originally supposed to " come in, irritate Giles and Buffy for a couple shows, and then be gloriously terminated ".

In " Villains ", Buffy recovers due to the magical abilities of Tara's girlfriend, Willow ( Alyson Hannigan ), who then seeks revenge on Warren.

She then uses her restored powers to open a dimensional portal and go traveling ( possibly due to the need for the authors to get her out of the universe before the events of the last Buffy comics that wipe out magic.

The Master's incarceration underground was a device used by the writers to avoid having Buffy meet him and then thwart his attempts to kill her each week.

Buffy overhears Giles discussing it with Angel and tells Giles she refuses to be the Slayer if it means she will die, then begs her mother to go away with her for the weekend.

Her questions at first confound Dr. Walsh — who answers to no one — then cement Dr. Walsh's decision to remove Buffy from the Initiative.

After Buffy managed to kill the uber-vampire, the First lays low for a few weeks, then returns to psychologically torment the Potential Slayers.

In their efforts to track and defeat Balthazar and his cohorts, Buffy and Faith flirt with lawlessness, breaking into a store and stealing weapons, then escaping police custody to complete their mission.

Faith retrieves the box for him, which Buffy then steals in order to prevent this important ritual from occurring.

On orders from the Mayor, Faith murders a geologist who has uncovered evidence of a previously ascended demon, then shoots Angel with a poisoned arrow to distract Buffy and the Scoobies, who have to care for, and try to save, Angel.

Buffy then offers her own blood to Angel, who feeds on her, then takes her to the hospital after he recovers.

Frustrated and unhappy, Willow then quarrels with Buffy and Xander and storms away.

At the Bronze, although Anya exposes Willow's disguise, Buffy defeats the other vampires, then captures the returning doppelganger.

She then uses magic to get dressed quickly and starts another spell by the fireplace that will make Tara and Buffy forget the damages of the spells Willow used on them.

" Lynch also jokingly comments that should Joss have major plans for him in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, then you are to imagine it is his brother.

Willow takes on the leadership role when Buffy is unavailable, and her growing powers sometimes make her resent being positioned as Buffy's sidekick.

Upon discovering what he has done, he begs Buffy to stake him, but she refuses and takes him into her house, telling him she has seen him change.

" Anya cannot find anyone who wishes vengeance on Xander and so she takes comfort in sex with Spike, an act which puts her relationship and friendship with Xander and Buffy in jeopardy.

Co-executive producer Doug Petrie, who wrote Wesley's first episode " Bad Girls ", explains, " The way Faith is a reflection of Buffy, Wesley takes up a lot of the space that Giles traditionally occupies.

She takes magic very seriously, becoming competent enough in the fifth season to achieve what Buffy cannot.

Snyder takes an immediate and profound dislike to Buffy, and seeks out any excuse to expel her.

Walsh initially thinks that Buffy can be a useful ally to the Initiative, but soon takes a dislike to her unpredictability and unwelcome curiosity, especially with regards to the " 314 Project ".

Notable Watchers include Rupert Giles, Watcher of series protagonist Buffy, and Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, who temporarily takes over in season 3.

It also summons its second in command, Caleb to Sunnydale and begins the search for the Slayer's Scythe, which Buffy eventually takes.

Two other episodes in the Buffy canon are also based on, or have elements of, fairy tales: " Killed by Death ", where only sick children can see a demon who sucks away their lives, and " Gingerbread ", where a demon takes on the forms of Hansel and Gretel to create a moral panic in Sunnydale.

A demon loan shark confronts Spike about his kitten debt, but Buffy steps in and takes care of the thugs.

Giles tells Buffy he is leaving for England and Buffy takes the news very badly.

The next day, Joyce takes Buffy to see Principal Snyder, who takes vindictive pleasure in making it difficult for Buffy to re-enter Sunnydale High School.

Buffy takes the opening to plunge a shovel into its eyes.

While Cordelia searches the house, Angel shows up and takes Buffy into the kitchen.

* This episode marks the first time that Willow takes command of the Scoobies, as Buffy has no recollection of who she is & therefore has no way of leading her friends.

Later at the library, Buffy has another informative dream, and takes Angel to investigate the factory where Spike and Dru have their lair.

The 12th or 13th episode of each season is traditionally when Buffy celebrates her birthday ; her birthday takes place in episode 12 of Season Three (" Helpless "), episode 12 of Season Four (" A New Man "), episode 13 of Season Five (" Blood Ties ") and episode 14 of Season Six (" Older and Far Away ").

Continuity-wise, the comic story takes place in Buffy Season 6, and assumes that an ensouled Spike briefly left Sunnydale and visited LA.