There’s no denying that Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the most beloved and iconic TV shows of recent times. It’s deeply, achingly ‘90s in some respects, from fashion sense to some choice turns of phrase, but it remains as popular with fans today as it ever was.
As such, the relationships between characters continue to be scrutinized and questioned (even seemingly super close friendships like Willow and Xander’s). Here are some potential friendships that could have added an interesting dynamic to the show but didn’t play out for various reasons.
Buffy And Kendra
Buffy is one of the greatest powerhouses heroines in TV history. She dusts all manner of ghastly beasts from the depths of the Hellmouth while rarely breaking a sweat. She has a brilliant, snarky, or badass line for every occasion. Even so, she isn’t without her flaws.
One of Buffy’s biggest shortcomings is her frequent desire to make sure everybody knows she’s the strongest in the room. On Kendra Young’s appearance (after Buffy’s brief death), she could have had a very valuable ally, but railed against the other Slayer encroaching on her territory. Their very different styles would have made a potential longer friendship very interesting to watch, while also making Kendra’s death (she was killed by Drusilla) more impactful.
Giles And Jonathan
As fans will know, the Trio seemed to serve as the Big Bad(s) of Season Six, but that status soon came into question on the rise of the formidable Dark Willow. At their villainous best, though, it was really arguably Warren Mears who led his cohorts Andrew Wells and Jonathan Levinson astray.
The sad circumstances of Jonathan’s death left Andrew in the ‘custody’ of the Scooby Gang, who wanted him to truly feel and atone for his crimes. He survived the climactic battle that closed out the TV series at their side and went on to become a Slayer in the official continuation of the series. Jonathan, then, remained the ‘victim’ of the Trio. Perhaps, in different circumstances, he could have bonded with the group and been mentored by Giles as Andrew was.
Willow And Faith
Right from the very first time viewers meet Willow Rosenberg, it’s clear that she’s a kind, gentle wallflower. It would have been tough to predict her transformation from computer hacker to almighty witch, but even then, she remained softly spoken and all-around good and pure. Dark Willow incidents aside, of course.
In short, she couldn’t have been any more different to the forceful, outgoing, and fiery Faith, another of Buffy’s fellow Slayers. Their wildly different personalities (and Faith’s many misdeeds) meant that they rarely saw eye to eye, but they did have their moments. Later, in the comic book continuation, they express some respect and even liking for each other (to an extent), but it would’ve been great to see these two become closer over the course of the show.
Principal Snyder And Buffy
Needless to say, Sunnydale High is one of the most bizarre, troubled, and demon-infested schools in television history. Accordingly, the principals viewers meet over the course of the show are quite an… interesting group themselves.
Principal Flutie was an amiable, kindly sort of man, which made his ridiculous eaten-by-hyena-students fate all the more lamentable. His replacement, Principal Snyder, was a cruel and uncaring man who saw the students in his care as nothing more than nuisances. Snyder got his comeuppance in the end, but there was a bit of a missed opportunity here. Had he and Buffy begrudgingly resolved their differences and became closer, Snyder’s death in the Graduation Day battle would’ve raised the stakes and the emotional impact on Buffy. It would’ve been great to watch too!
Angel And Dawn
Dawn Summers proved to be one of the most controversial characters on the show. Introduced in Season 5, Buffy’s sister didn’t get a lot of time for character development, often derided for adding little to the show beyond a rebellious and badly behaved petulant presence.
What Dawn needed, perhaps, was more time to develop relationships with the core cast. While she enjoyed Spike’s company at times, a friendship with another of Buffy’s former lovers, Angel, may have been more fruitful. When able to keep Angelus at bay, Angel could be incredibly compassionate, and his patience could have been just what was needed to draw Dawn out of herself and convince her to confide in him. It’s a shame the pair never really met during the course of the show.
Anya And Cordelia
The ever-acerbic Cordelia Chase was another prominent character who disappeared from the show (to appear in Angel along with the titular vampire). She was blunt, judgmental, and shallow, but she also had some sympathetic traits that drew some fans to her. All of this can also be said of another Buffy the Vampire Slayer icon: Anya Jenkins.
The ex-vengeance demon and Cordelia have had dealings with each other. In the episode “The Wish,” the pair of them create a deadly alternate reality (inadvertently on Cordelia’s part) in which Buffy didn’t move to Sunnydale and The Master rules. Anyanka aside, Anya is every bit as endearingly self-absorbed and direct as Cordelia. They’d have made quite the snarky double act if they’d had the chance to strike up more of a friendship.
Oz And Tara
While Daniel ‘Oz’ Osbourne and Tara Maclay were very different people from very different walks of life, they shared a lot more in common than just their deep feelings for Willow.
Sensitive, caring souls who had endured and prevailed over a lot of personal trauma, they were loving, empathetic individuals who could have offered a lot of consolation and understanding to each other. Spiritual people with tremendous mental strength (Oz even learned to keep his werewolf transformation at bay), they could have been real kindred spirits if they could have overcome the awkwardness between them.
Giles And Joyce
As the show explores in heart-breaking, poignant detail, Buffy’s mother Joyce Summers was one of only two characters on the show to pass away naturally (the other being Cassie Newton, who had a congenital heart condition). This tragic turn of events brought an end to what could have been an enduring friendship (or even more than that) with Rupert Giles.
Giles is often seen (and sees himself) as a father figure for Buffy, but his relationship with Joyce was strained at first as he encouraged her daughter along the perilous path of the Slayer. Nonetheless, they became quite fond of each other (particularly in the iconic episode “Band Candy”) and fans were eager to see what awaited the pair before Joyce’s time was tragically cut short.
Spike And Warren
Like fellow fan-favorite vampire Angel, Spike was in the unique position of serving as a villain and an anti-hero as the show progressed. As such, he had the potential to develop a kinship with a huge range of characters.
One curious example is Warren Mears. At the end of Season 5’s “I Was Made To Love You,” Spike demands that the robotics genius build him a similar robot to April, based on Buffy. These are really the only dealings the pair have with each other, but it would have been fascinating to see Warren (along with Andrew and Jonathan) forge an alliance with Spike, manipulating the vampire’s furious feelings for Buffy to further the Trio’s objective of bringing her down.
Xander And Andrew
Despite his future as a trusted Watcher, the Andrew who closed out the television series was a conflicted man. He had committed awful crimes and, while seeking to atone, the Scoobies just couldn’t trust him.
Had circumstances been different, though, Andrew and Xander could well have developed a close friendship over the course of the TV show. Xander shared a lot of common interests with the Trio, and often felt as though he was marginalized by the Scoobies as a member without any specific magical or physical abilities. They could have bonded over this, and perhaps Andrew would have ingratiated himself with the audience more in the process.