Buffy The Vampire Slayer: 10 Reasons Why Buffy And Willow Aren’t Real Friends

On Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy Summers is the “Chosen One.” It’s her destiny to fight vampires, demons and the forces of darkness. But while Buffy has the superpowers, over the years she relies on a little help from her Watcher, Giles, and a revolving door of “Scoobies” that include Xander, Willow, Anya, Faith, Angel, Tara, Cordelia, Riley and Spike.

Buffy and Willow consider each other besties, but “frenemies” may be a more accurate description. Time and again the two are at odds over everything from boys to Willow’s frustration at being a sidekick. Here are 10 reasons why Buffy and Willow aren’t real friends.

10 Buffy Is Bored By Willow’s Heartbreak

During Season 4, the group dynamic of the Scooby Gang goes through a dramatic shift. Buffy and Xander find themselves in new relationships while Oz abandons Willow to go in search of a way to control his wolfy side. She’s heartbroken, and it doesn’t take long for her friends, including Buffy, to grow tired of Willow’s whining.

After being cast aside for neutered vampires and ex-demon girlfriends, an embittered Willow casts a spell on her friends — one that finds Buffy engaged to her arch-nemesis Spike. It’s not the only time Willow’s magic goes wonky, adversely affecting her friends, but it’s also not the first time Buffy finds herself too preoccupied with her boyfriend or being the Slayer to support Willow.

9 Buffy Isn’t Super Supportive Of Willow’s Romance With Tara

During Season 4, Buffy is consumed with new boyfriend Riley and the top-secret government agency known as the “Initiative.” She’s so busy that she fails to notice the burgeoning love connection between Willow and fellow witch Tara. How close can these two pals be if Buffy is completely caught off guard when Willow comes out?

Buffy’s reaction causes Willow to ask Buffy if she’s “freaked.” Buffy denies having any negative feelings about Willow’s new relationship, but she isn’t entirely supportive, something Willow eventually calls her out on. “We have to face it — you can’t handle Tara being my girlfriend.” Accusations of homophobia don’t fly between friends.

8 Buffy Skips Town And Doesn’t Tell Willow

After Buffy is forced to kill Angel to save the world from Acathla, she ditches Sunnydale for Los Angeles without telling anyone. Willow is initially optimistic that the spell to restore Angel’s soul is successful and the twosome is off smooching somewhere, but after months with no word from the Slayer, she’s left to ponder Buffy’s whereabouts.

Buffy has to kill her undead boyfriend and send him to a hell-like dimension, but she can’t drop her friend a postcard? Yes, Buffy’s mom kicks her out after she reveals her secret identity, but the Scoobies didn’t abandon her. Willow sure feels comfortable trying to fill Buffy’s shoes during her absence, and she also doesn’t welcome Buffy home with open arms.

7 Willow Can’t Tell The Difference Between Buffy And A Robot

The fact that Spike commissioned a “Buffybot” from literal ladykiller Warren during Season 5 is disturbing. Spike using the Buffybot for sexual purposes is pretty bad — but Willow not being able to tell the real Buffy from the fake one is the absolute worst.

Just because the Buffybot is designed to look, sound and slay like the real thing, there are some obvious hints it isn’t Buffy: her stilted, imbecilic speech, her overly-cheery demeanor…and then there’s the sex with Spike. This is before Buffy’s self-destructive Spike phase, so she’s only ever shown contempt for the platinum blonde vamp. For such close buddies, Willow is easily fooled by imitations — when it comes to figuring out Buffy’s body is being inhabited by Faith, Willow drops the ball as well.

6 Willow Brings Buffy Back From The Dead

The entirety of Season 5 foreshadows Buffy’s death, and when the time comes, she doesn’t hesitate to sacrifice herself. At the start of Season 6, Willow, concerned Buffy’s soul may be suffering for all eternity in some hell dimension, raises Buffy from the dead. The witch is certain nothing can go wrong, giving no thought to the consequences.

Willow hides her plan from Giles, Spike and Dawn because she doesn’t think they’ll understand. More likely Giles wouldn’t approve (and with good reason). Willow’s actions point to someone more concerned over whether she can bring back Buffy and not if she should. She bullies everyone into it instead of just letting Buffy rest in peace.

5 Willow Almost Gets Dawn Killed

During Season 6, Willow becomes a magic addict, using her powers not just to help others but for personal gain. She begins visiting Rack, a warlock who infuses Willow with some addictive dark magic. Willow, desperate for a fix, drags Dawn along.

There’s always a trade-off when it comes to magic, and this time it is murderous demons who almost succeed in killing Dawn. One perk of being the Slayer’s sister is that Buffy shows up just in time. All is well that ends…with Dawn breaking her arm. Dawn is betrayed by someone she loves and trusts almost as much as her sister. Willow’s sorry, but this isn’t the last time she plays fast and loose with what is most precious to Buffy.

4 Willow Erases Buffy’s Memory

In Season 6’s iconic “Once More with Feeling” episode, Willow finds out the truth, that she pulled Buffy out of heaven. To appease her guilt, Willow casts a spell to erase Buffy’s memories of her happy place. But like so many times before, Willow botches the job in “Tabula Rasa.” By violating her friends’ minds, she puts their lives at risk. Willow would rather use magic as a quick fix as opposed to putting in the hard work and quality time it would take to help Buffy reacclimate to life on this celestial plane.

3 Buffy Refuses To Avenge Tara

In her search for the Key during Season 5, Glory has a few missteps, and one is thinking Tara is the ball of energy she needs to get home. Once Glory discovers her mistake, she scrambles Tara’s brain. Willow wants vengeance at any cost, but Buffy isn’t willing to face off with Glory. Willow isn’t entirely wrong when she accuses Buffy of not caring enough. Were it Angel, Dawn or someone Buffy loves as much as Willow loves Tara, the Slayer would be ready to beat Glory to a bloody pulp.

Willow’s hubris leads to a confrontation with Glory in “Tough Love.” But all the witch succeeds in doing is angering the god and pointing her in Dawn’s direction. Willow sets off a chain of events that might have been avoided if she didn’t resent Buffy always calling the shots, and Buffy making it clear that she considers Tara nothing more than collateral damage.

2 Willow Unleashes Her Fury

Tara’s murder during Season 6 brings out Willow’s inner nastiness, and she unleashes her fury on anyone who crosses her path. She says horrible things to Dawn — an impressionable child — and just like in vino veritas, there’s a part of “Dark Willow” that despises Buffy’s little sister enough to turn her back into a mystical energy ball if big sister didn’t make an appearance. Willow slings some harsh truths Buffy’s way as well, revealing disdain for the Slayer and herself for bringing Buffy back.

1 Buffy Clashes With Willow

Like many beings imbued with huge amounts of power, Willow decides to destroy the world during the Season 6 finale, “Grave.” Since it’s Buffy’s job to save it, this puts her and Willow at odds, and Willow doesn’t play fair. Not only does she reanimate enough corpses to tip the odds in the undead’s favor in their battle against the Slayer, but Dawn’s life is also in peril as well. No amount of grief excuses Willow from trying to murder her supposed bestie and her little sister.

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