Buffy the Vampire Slayer
and Supernatural
are two programs that have mixed genres and entertained audiences for decades, but Supernatural has an advantage in some significant ways. Both Buffy and Supernatural It made big waves for fans of horror, all things supernatural and comedy. For Buffy, it followed a young girl who was destined to be the Slayer, fighting the forces of evil and keeping the world safe. The series ran from 1997 to 2003, but it wasn’t long after the series ended that the gap it left for fans was filled.
Supernatural began airing in 2005 on the CW and immediately the world fell in love with Sam and Dean Winchester. Two brothers who were trained as hunters from a young age and possessed all the skills and talents needed to defeat monsters and demons. Learning from Buffy, Supernatural expanded the show’s premise to seem much grander and raised the stakes at every opportunity, and although Buffy may hold a special place in fans’ hearts like the original, Supernatural perfected the monster hunting genre.
10
Supernatural Makes Sibling Relationships Better Than Buffy
It is clear that Supernatural has the upper hand when it comes to sibling relationships, as the show revolves around two brothers. About that, Buffy only introduced a brother to Buffy Summers in season 5. Dawn was cleverly woven into the story and her presence definitely changed the dynamic in Buffybut it doesn’t compare to the bond between Sam and Dean.
Dawn was an invention that made the narrative in Buffy considerably more complex, but the change took time to get used to. Supernatural begins with Dean returning to pick up his brother from college to help with an important rescue mission to track down his missing father. Buffy and Dawn have a stereotypical sister relationship where they argue but ultimately love each other, but Dawn, being a much younger sister, tends to be left out of most stories. Sam and Dean have their ups and downs, but the brothers are always there for each other, helping to lift each other up and literally bring them back from the dead.
9
Supernatural’s road trip premise offers more variety
While Buffy the Vampire Slayer introduces Buffy as the Slayer of the Chosen, a being whose responsibility and power mean they must protect the world from monsters. Buffy rarely leaves the small town of Sunnydale. Coincidentally, Sunnydale is positioned at an important intersection between Earth and other realms, but still, it seems strange that the character doesn’t have to deal with threats beyond the borders of his hometown.
On the other hand, Supernatural sees the Winchesters traveling to every corner of the continental United States, and sometimes further afield. Their work took them to Heaven, alternate dimensions and Purgatory. But most of the time, Sam and Dean are able to drive from one monster to another as their work takes them across America. And since Sam and Dean are just two hunters among many, it makes sense that they wouldn’t need to travel beyond the U.S. but still rack up a lot of miles on the Impala.
8
Supernatural has better monsters
Buffy may have started the monster of the week in a live-action story, but Supernatural perfected. Buffy encounters a variety of supernatural beings, from human-sized insects to demons, but most of the time, the vampire slayer faces off against vampires. Supernatural sees Sam and Dean battling every conceivable myth and monster from a variety of religions, mythologies and legends.
At first, they fight many classic demons and cryptids, but it isn’t long before they are fighting angels, the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, God himself, and every other threat in existence. The visual effects, practical effects, variety and level of threat provided by Supernatural far exceeds anything since Buffyand is equally creative in its approach to new supernatural creatures. General, Supernatural monsters and threats are more impressive and fun than Buffy’s.
7
Supernatural’s characters are more dynamic than Buffy
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Buffy Summers is an iconic protagonist. A high school student who has exceptional martial arts skills and spends her nights patrolling the streets looking for vampires. She also has amazing friends; Willow, who learns witchcraft, and Xander, who is incredibly brave and resilient despite sharing no mystical talents. However, many of these characters fall into typical stereotypes, replicating the high school setting. Even Rupert the school librarian is a classic British librarian trope, with some secret knowledge to strengthen the character.
Supernatural It includes some stereotypes, such as Dean being a womanizer and Sam being a bookish brother, but for the most part, the series rejects stereotypes. One of the Winchesters’ most prized possessions is an older redhead named Bobby, who has a deep knowledge of ghosts and all things supernatural. The angels are tragically flawed, God is a bored drunk, and the demons that rule Hell are deliciously complex with mommy issues. The series delves into each character in a fun and satisfying way.
6
Supernatural’s villains are much more powerful
Although the variety of monsters has already been proven to be considerably wider in Supernaturalthe level of threats also eclipses Buffy. Buffy deals with threats that occasionally present real danger to the outside world, but more often than not, the worst trouble happens in Sunnydale. Grand plans for Earth domination are shot down with little more than the Scooby Gang’s version of Buffy, when a group of kids band together to fight bad guys and rely mostly on Buffy to do the heavy lifting.
In SupernaturalAngels threaten to turn Earth into little more than rubble and rubble in a holy war, the results of which are seen in an alternate dimension. The entire universe is in danger of being shut down by the all-powerful creator, and Hell is on the verge of being unleashed on Earth multiple times in imaginative new ways. Pound for pound, Supernatural hits harder, with more impressive monsters ready to destroy life on Earth and often beyond.
5
Supernatural has spectacular overarching stories
Buffy the Vampire Slayer featured some truly great stories from across multiple seasons and brought characters back time and time again in fun ways. New Slayers being activated, Angel’s romance with Buffy, and Spike’s slow path to reform. These stories are fundamental to making the show what it is, but they rarely feel thought out or planned from the beginning.
Meanwhile, Supernatural had great moments early in the series that only paid off a decade or so later. When Chuck was first introduced in Season 4, the seeds that he was actually God were already being sown, despite this revelation only happening in Season 11. Castiel grew from a simple angel to an integral member of the team, the mystery of the Men of Letters unfolded. over several seasons, and the Winchester parents, John and Mary, were slowly developed over the show’s 15 seasons.
4
Supernatural balances drama and humor better than Buffy
Both shows are undeniable examples of how to mix genres and balance humor and drama. Buffy leans heavily towards the lighter aspect from the start, with the premise of a teenage girl who could be crowned prom queen leading a double life as a monster hunter. But as the show continues, Buffy Summers’ life becomes extremely more complicated and the drama naturally escalates. This balance is fun and adds to the show, but some episodes were overly silly while others felt incredibly dark.
Supernaturalhowever, set this blended tone from the beginning. Different Buffywhere episodes tended to lean more heavily towards one note or another, Supernatural explored drama and humor side by side. One moment, people were screaming in agony, with the boys running to the rescue, and the next, Dean was getting a phone number while Sam was shaking his head. This duality allowed both emotions to diffuse and create something complex and rewarding. The show rarely goes too far in any direction, and when it does, it’s with a lot of purpose.
There are undeniably great episodes in which Buffy break the mold and do something extremely creative. From the dialogue-free episode to introducing a new central character and acting as if they were always there, Buffy’s the creative capacity is clear. But that said, these episodes occasionally felt more like experiments rather than major additions to the show.
Supernatural it also had many highly creative episodes, and it’s fair to say that not all of them were as essential or important as the others. However, the meta-episodes were a stroke of genius. Especially in episodes like when Sam and Dean are transported to the real world, where they find themselves playing their own roles. Or episodes that were framed as being a story from Chuck’s romance or found footage from horror shows like Ghostfacers Supernatural nailed the meta humor, and these episodes helped drive the narrative forward, with characters returning later.
2
Supernatural is more modern
An obvious distinction, but worth mentioning, Buffy came out in the 1990s. The show was shaped by the period in which it was set, and while it remains a favorite for many, it’s easy to see how the show became outdated in just a few decades. The high school setting didn’t help with this, as it meant the show followed popular tropes of the period that quickly went out of fashion. About that, Supernatural started just a few years later Buffy finished, but remains more modern and timeless.
Although major innovations like smartphones, tablets, and personal laptops have become increasingly common, Sam and Dean reject these innovations in favor of more reliable, time-tested methods. Yes, Sam will use a laptop to research, but just as often he’s seen in a library flipping through archived newspapers. The brothers also use feature phones and their method of dealing with monsters is very practical. As a result, the program feels more contemporary and easier to connect with.
1
Supernatural’s special effects far surpass Buffy’s
And continuing from that point, Supernatural it also benefited from the new wave of innovation and advancements in CGI that occurred throughout the 2000s and 2010s. Buffy’s The practical effects are great, but when it tries to use CGI, the show’s age shines through even more clearly than it does because of the outdated content. Today, anyone with a smartphone, which means practically everyone, is capable of creating special effects that exceed anything in Buffy’s entire race.
Supernatural, on the other hand, it does some clever things with CGI, and while these elements still age the series, there’s no denying that it’s better and more effective than Buffy. Whether it’s an angel spreading its wings or a black monster coming from another dimension, the special effects in Supernatural to knock Buffy the Vampire Slayer out of the race. But that doesn’t mean both shows don’t have strengths and are worth watching.