Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a groundbreaking show during its time on the air. It flipped horror movies and used them as metaphors, presented one of the first explicit LGBTQ+ romances on television, and set the template for future female action heroes.
Perhaps Buffy's most important achievement was that it opened the door for the show's writers and performers. The show made household names out of Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz, and almost every main cast member went on to do great things after the series' conclusion. To celebrate their achievements since the show's debut 25 years ago, now is the perfect time to highlight the cast's best roles outside of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, according to IMDb.
David Boreanaz - Married... with Children (1987-1997) 8.1
David Boreanaz has been one of the most successful actors to come out of the Buffyverse thanks to his lead roles in Bones and SEAL Team. Despite the acclaim he has received on those programs, however, IMDb users noted his best performance (outside of a 10-second cameo in Family Guy) to be his very first.
In the Married... with Children episode "Movie Show," Boreanaz starred as Frank, Kelly's suave yet philandering boyfriend who famously gets beat up by Al. Though he only had a minor part in the plot of the episode, Boreanaz's charisma helped make the one-off character memorable and a great foil for Al.
Emma Caulfield - Bandwagon: The Series (2010-2011) 8.1
Having played one of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's funniest characters, it might come as a shock to learn that Emma Caulfield hasn't had as much success on television as her co-stars. She's done for herself, having starred in Once Upon a Time and WandaVision, but she isn't as recognizable a name as Sarah Michelle Gellar or Seth Green.
Given Caulfield's relatively limited success compared to her peers, it is rather ironic that her most acclaimed role is as a fictionalized version of herself in Bandwagon: The Series. It acts as a continuation of the 2004 film, Bandwagon, and sees Caulfield bumbling through Hollywood as an off-color actress trying to make it to fame. Needless to say, she brings her usual zany energy to the proceedings.
Nicholas Brendon - Criminal Minds (2005-2020) 8.1
Though Nicholas Brendon is just as famous now for his bouts with substance abuse as he is for his time on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, people forget he was a viable actor for much of the 2000s. He famously played supporting roles in Private Practice and Married... with Children, but his best role according to IMDb users is as technical analyst Kevin Lynch on Criminal Minds.
As a recurring character from seasons 3 to 10, Brendon made a lasting impression on the show due to the nerdlike energy he brought to the role and his romance with main character Penelope Garcia. It wasn't too far removed from his take on Xander Harris, yet Lynch thankfully lacked some of the pigheadedness which made Xander one of the things that aged poorly on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Amber Benson - Supernatural (2005-2020) 8.4
Amber Benson is arguably the most underrated actress from the Buffyverse. As Tara, she grounded the show and brought a sense of warmth that was needed following the loss of characters such as Oz and Joyce.
In contrast to the comfort and welcoming demeanor Benson brought to the role of Tara, her other famous performance leaned on her ability to play a cold, tortured spirit as Lenore. Unlike most other vampires on Supernatural, Lenore resists the temptation to feed on human blood, something which made her stick out in the episode "Bloodlust."
James Marsters - Star War: The Clone Wars (2008-2020) 8.4
As Spike, James Marsters stole the screen on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It's a role that put him on the map and allowed him to jump into other popular franchises such as Torchwood, Smallville, and Dragon Ball Super.
Despite Marsters' success as an actor, his highest-rated role on IMDb is a minor one. In the Star War: The Clone Wars episode "Cloak of Darkness," Marsters voiced the arrogant Faro Argyus, a disillusioned Senate guard who broke Nute Gunray out of prison in exchange for payment. Though he didn't make it out of the episode, Marsters' stuffy vocal performance made the Senate captain stand out among the show's early villains.
Alyson Hannigan - Veronica Mars (2004-2019) 8.4
Alyson Hannigan has had a great deal of success since the conclusion of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She starred in the commercially successful American Pie films, was the main character on the long-running How I Met Your Mother, and has been the host of Penn & Teller: Fool Us since 2016.
During her time as Lily on How I Met Your Mother, Hannigan also had a recurring role on Veronica Mars during the show's first and second seasons. Like Willow and Lily, Hannigan plays a relatively meek and soft-spoken character, yet diversifies her resume due to the character's somewhat duplicitous nature.
Sarah Michelle Gellar - The Simpsons (1989-present) 8.7
As the face of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Sarah Michelle Gellar became one of the most recognizable television actresses of the late '90s and early 2000s. She was a feminist icon, and the clout she received as Buffy allowed Gellar to star in successful properties such as The Grudge, Scream 2, and the first two live-action Scooby-Doo movies.
Despite how profitable Gellar's movies were, her most well-received role according to IMDb users was as Gina Vendetti on The Simpsons. Her debut appearance in "The Wandering Juvie" in particular allowed the actress to breathe life into a troubled youth who makes Bart look like a saint, and her performance was so memorable that she showed up in the 2013 episode "Moonshine River."
Michelle Trachtenberg - House (2004-2012) 8.7
Michelle Trachtenberg was only 14 when she was cast as Dawn on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and since that time, has gone on to star in several TV shows as a young adult. With shows like 6 Feet Under and Gossip Girl, she proved she could make the transition into adult roles and won rave reviews in the process.
Despite Trachtenberg's presence as a headlining actress, her best role can be found as a guest star on the TV show House. In the season 2 episode "Safe," she plays a teenager who is immuno-compromised following a heart transplant, and the pain she brings to the role while House and his team try to cure her is palpable. Some would even argue it to be Emmy-worthy.
Anthony Stewart Head - Ted Lasso (2020-present) 8.8
One of Great Britain's most accomplished actors, Anthony Stewart has starred in several properties such as Doctor Who, Repo Man, and Bridgerton. Despite the popularity of these shows, however, the role which has garnered the most praise from IMDB users is Rupert Mannion in Ted Lasso.
Though largely an offscreen presence on the show, Anthony Steward Head's Rupert Manion is a cruel and narcissistic piece of work that the actor revels in playing. There's no redemption for this despicable character, and Head's performance makes that abundantly clear.
Seth Green - Batman: The Animated Series (1992-1995) 9.0
Seth Green has arguably been the most active performer to come out of the Buffyverse. He's been the voice of Chris on Family Guy since 1999, played Leonardo in the 2014 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon, and co-created the adult comedy series Robot Chicken. Yet even the amount of success he has had over the years pales in comparison to one of his earliest roles in Batman: The Animated Series.
In the stellar episode "I Am The Night," Seth Green voices a troubled youth who inadvertently keeps Batman away from a police raid where Commissioner Gordon is shot. He doesn't have many lines, but the contempt he shows toward the beginning of the episode followed by his respect for Batman at the story's conclusion reflects Batman's emotional arc.
Charisma Carpenter - Going Home (2022-present) 9.7
Though not as well-known as some of her co-stars, Charisma Carpenter has led a fruitful career in television following her departure from the Buffyverse in 2004. She's guested on popular programs such as Supernatural and Sons of Anarchy, starred in the Expendables movies, and played a prominent role as Kendall Casablancas on Veronica Mars.
Despite her post-Buffy success, Carpenter has never amassed a huge following, which explains why her best role is one so few are familiar with. In the Pure Flix drama Going Home, she plays a terminal cancer patient who is angry with the world, and Carpenter more than delivers the raw intensity that comes with the role of a cancer patient.