9 Promising Buffy The Vampire Slayer Characters The Show Completely Wasted

Buffy the Vampire Slayer boasts some of the most memorable characters in television history, but many great ones were severely wasted. The likes of the titular Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris, Rupert Giles, Angel, and Spike were all thoroughly developed characters, but many weren’t so lucky. That’s a real shame because some of Buffy‘s supporting characters could have been as interesting as the series’ most iconic characters with more screen time and stories to their names.

Good guys and villains alike came and went on Buffy the Vampire Slayer without getting the development their characters warranted. The show could have been so much better, with even more brilliant characters getting prominent stories. While that may seem strange when it comes to one of the best television shows ever, it is an unfortunate truth about Buffy.

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9 Clem (James C. Leary)

Brilliant Demonic Comic Relief

Clem is a recurring character in the final two seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and one of the few friendly demons in the show. He first appeared in season 6’s “Life Serial” and is seen leaving Sunnydale in season 7’s “Empty Places,” making six additional appearances between those two. Buffy trusts Clem to the extent that she left Dawn in his care in the season 6 episode “Villains,” and a natural development for the character would’ve been to see him become a bona fide Scooby Gang member. He’s funny, and his back-and-forth banter with Xander regularly could’ve been priceless.

8 Marcie Ross (Clea DuVall)

She Could Have Been An Awesome Super Spy

Marcie Ross is an unpopular student at Sunnydale High who, because of Hellmouth’s mystical influence, turns invisible due to her peers ignoring her. She appeared in one episode, season 1’s “Out of Mind, Out of Sight,” and acted out her revenge on those who ignored her by getting up to mischief while invisible – including trying to kill Cordelia Chase. At the episode’s climax, she’s taken to an academy for invisible students by the FBI, where she opens a textbook with a chapter titled Assassination and Infiltration, indicating the FBI has plans for her. She should’ve returned to the series with her new skills, perhaps to assist the Scooby Gang.

7 Kakistos (Jeremy Roberts)

A Vampire So Old Deserved More Development

Kakistos – which is Greek for “the worst” – is a vampire so old that his hands and feet have turned cloven. He has a history with Faith Lehane, whereby he tortured and killed her first Watcher in a despicable way, and is the only thing in existence that scares Faith. He appeared in one episode, season 3’s “Faith, Hope & Trick,” in which Faith faces her fear and kills him with a thick wooden post after a regular stake from Buffy failed to dust him due to his vast age. A vampire that old must have an eventful history in the Buffyverse, which should have been explored much deeper.

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6 The First Slayer (Sharon Ferguson)

A Deeper Look Into The Slayer’s Origins Would’ve Been Great

The First Slayer, or Sineya, is a prehistoric girl and the first person to be imbued with the slayer’s power. Upon her death, her power passing on to another girl meant that the slayer line concept was born. She appeared mystically and in visions in various Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes, starting with the season 4 finale, “Restless,” and ending with season 7’s “Get it Done,” with a handful of appearances in between. However, further exploration of her character would’ve been terrific. Learning more about the original Slayer and the powers Buffy ultimately inherited would undoubtedly make for exciting viewing.

5 The Judge (Brian Thompson)

He Should Have Been A Season Big-Bad

The Judge is a demon who, in ancient times, was drafted to Earth to rid the planet of the human plague. He burns humanity out of people, which he does en masse, killing them and increasing his power. In ancient times, it was said no weapon forged could kill him. However, an army chopped him up and spread his parts worldwide. Spike and Drusilla reassemble him in the 20th century, and Buffy blows him to pieces with modern weaponry: a rocket launcher. He was in two episodes, season 2’s “Surprise” and “Innocence,” but he should’ve been one of Buffy‘s main villains. The rocket launcher moment could’ve been a brilliant season finale payoff.

4 D’Hoffryn (Andy Umberger)

Such A Powerful Character Needed More Screen Time

D’Hoffryn is a Lower Being, one step down from being an Old One in the Buffyverse, which means he’s a mighty character. He’s the master of the vengeance demons – themselves powerful creatures – and, as such, can give and take reality-warping powers to and from individuals on a whim while also being able to manipulate the very fabric of reality himself. He first appeared in season 3’s “Doppelgängland” and made his final appearance in season 7’s “Selfless,” making four appearances in total. Often friendly to Buffy’s regular cast, he occasionally showed his vicious side, which is terrifying. It would’ve been great to see him showcase his abilities more.

3 Amy Madison (Elizabeth Anne Allen)

She Could And Should Have Been A Prominent Witch

Amy Madison is a Sunnydale High student, the daughter of a powerful witch, and a witch herself. In her eight appearances on the show, starting with season 1’s “Witch” and ending with season 6’s “The Killer in Me,” she endured a forced body swap with her mother and was transformed into a rat. Still, she also demonstrated competence at casting spells herself. When she began misusing her powers, she became a rival to Willow Rosenberg. That rivalry being depicted over a more extended period could have been a brilliant ongoing side plot for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and could’ve seen Amy become intriguingly and frighteningly powerful.

2 Ethan Rayne (Robin Sachs)

His History With Giles Is So Interesting

Ethan Rayne, a brilliantly irritating villain played by the wonderful late Robin Sachs, is a warlock who worships a Chaos deity and is a former acquaintance of Rupert Giles from back when Giles was the notorious “Ripper.” While Giles subsequently took a better path, Rayne remained malevolent and turned up in Sunnydale several times to cause mayhem that Giles and the Scoobies put a stop to. He appeared in four episodes, starting with season 2’s “Halloween” and ending with season 4’s “A New Man.” While his history with Giles was undoubtedly touched upon, additional exploration and an extended rivalry with his former acquaintance would’ve been great.

1 Riley Finn (Marc Blucas)

Buffy’s “Other” Main Boyfriend Was Badly Wasted

Riley Finn is a student of UC Sunnydale, a physically-enhanced covert operative of the demon-hunting Initiative, one of Buffy Summers’ main love interests, and a bona fide member of the Scooby Gang. Therefore, it might seem strange to say his character was wasted in the show, but it was. Yes, he was sometimes irritating, but Riley’s resources would’ve made for an interesting ongoing dynamic in the show in the Scoobies’ fight against evil. Making him so unlikable also seems like a waste, as it meant rooting against an ally of Buffy’s. His rivalry with Spike and Angel also had far more potential than was shown in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.