Inside the wild transformations of the Buffy cast, from the first episode to now

It’s not too far off 30 years now since Buffy the Vampire Slayer first kicked demon ass on our TVs back in 1997, which is a wild amount of time and makes me feel very old. The groundbreaking series changed television forever, and literally changed my life – it’s been my biggest obsession and love for as long as I can remember. Here’s a look back at the wild transformations of the Buffy cast from their first episode on screen to now.

Sarah Michelle Gellar – Buffy Summers

Buffy barely even looks like the Buffy you think of when she was in series one. Our fresh faced Slayer with her Hermione bushy hair – a simpler time. Today, God Michelle Gellar still has that statement Buffy Summers blonde and looks absolutely stunning. She’s in a slaying the looks on Instagram era.

Alyson Hannigan – Willow Rosenberg

Alyson Hannigan grew up a lot on the show from her first episode as Willow Rosenberg – and now she’s in full mum era, taking the kids to see Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and nailing it on Dancing With The Stars!

Nicholas Brendan – Xander Harris

Xander first met Buffy after she ran into him and dropped all her stuff out of her bag, where he finds her stake and pieces together that something is a bit different about the new girl at Sunnydale High School. Nicky Brendon has been very public with his struggles since the show and hasn’t done much acting.

Anthony Head – Rupert Giles

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The way little child me honestly thought Giles was so old on Buffy and he literally wasn’t old at all? The English stuffy librarian vibes aged him for real. He’s still acting and if you watch UK telly he’s in everything, from Motherland to Ted Lasso (pictured above).

Charisma Carpenter – Cordelia Chase

Long serving icon of the Buffyverse Charisma Carpenter started Welcome To The Hellmouth as a shallow bully, but progressed into not just a crucial part of the Scooby Gang but an integral part of the spinoff show Angel, going with David Boreanaz when that show began. She still looks 100000/10.

David Boreanaz – Angel

David Boreanaz looked so young on Buffy in hindsight, and aged into an older, handsome guy as the show went on despite the fact vampires aren’t meant to age. He’s still so fit, let’s face it.

James Marsters – Spike

Spike was never meant to be a main character on Buffy, but he was loved so much from his debut in series two’s School Hard that instead of being killed off when he was meant to be in What’s My Line, he eventually had a redemption arc and became a core member of the group. James Marsters honestly still looks the same but just like the year isn’t 1998 anymore.

Seth Green – Oz

This is surely the most wild of all the Buffy cast first episode transformations – he doesn’t look bad of course but he actually looks like an adult now! Seth Green is one of those actors who just always looked like a teenager. King of the cult classics. Daniel ‘Oz’ Osbourne debuted as a love interest for Willow in series two’s fourth episode Inca Mummy Girl.

Emma Caulfield – Anya Jenkins

Anya came as the demon Anyanka in the iconic episode The Wish, but after being turned human became an amazing part of the gang and love interest for Xander and once Cordelia left she truly filled her big boots with an amazing personality. Love her. She’s still a gorgeous icon and was in WandaVision – and apparently has an even bigger role in the upcoming Agatha series.

Marc Blucas – Riley Finn

The much maligned Riley never struck the right chord with audiences as a Buffy boyfriend after the whirlwind romance and drama of Buffy and Angel. It didn’t help he was tied to the Initiative plot line which was so poorly received it barely made it a season of plot. Marc is now just vibing on his farm, tbh – love that for him. Of all the Buffy cast first episode transformations it’s Marc who’s gone from boy to man.

Michelle Trachtenberg – Dawn Summers

I will always be a Dawn defender because she had a LOT on her plate when she surprise rocked up as Buffy’s previously unexisting little sister and handled it all amazing considering she was literally like 15. Give Dawn a break! God Trachtenberg still slaying the selfie game all these years later.

Amber Benson – Tara Maclay

The show was so sick for only giving Tara series regular status in her final episode. Sick and twisted. She still looks like our Tara, and she’s penned the continuation of the Buffyverse narrative on Audible that came out last year!

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