In the premiere episode of the fifth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a major change happened. Suddenly, fans of the series saw Buffy with an annoying kid sister named Dawn. Eventually, viewers learned the nature of her existence and watched as she became a regular part of the series. Still, there are plenty of instances and details that would have changed with the monks' meddling.
No longer an only child, it's unlikely that Buffy would have had the same struggle with sharing when it came to living with her demon roommate Kathy. Likewise, the entire situation with Ted, Joyce's evil robot boyfriend, would have been different if another Summers sister were in the mix. Hardcore fans have definitely wondered about some of these details that would have been different with Dawn in the picture.
Dawn Would Have Been On Angelus's Radar
After losing his soul, the worst thing Angelus did was go after those Buffy was closest to, so naturally, her kid sister Dawn would have been a major target. Viewers see him confront Joyce outside the Summers house, and he even sketches Buffy while she sleeps and leaves the drawing inside their home.
There's no doubt that Dawn would have been subject to some dangerous situations, and the Revoke Invitation Ritual that was performed would have been done even sooner. Angelus definitely would have put all of his attention towards the Summer's women instead of focusing on Buffy's friends, causing season 2 to be wildly different.
Buffy's Issue With Sharing
Would "Living Conditions" have even happened if Dawn was in the picture? At the start of season 4, Buffy starts her freshman year of college and struggles to get along with her roommate Kathy. Giles states that one of the biggest reasons it's so difficult for Buffy to live with another young woman is because she was an only child.
Of course, this wouldn't have been the case had Buffy grown up with Dawn and had to learn to co-inhabit at a young age. Sure, Kathy might have still been irritating, but if Buffy had already been living with her annoying kid sister Dawn, she wouldn't have been constantly bothered by all Kathy's quirks, much less Willow eating her sandwich at the end of the episode.
Wouldn't Have Taken on Lyle Gorch At The Mall
Considering that the first thing Buffy is asked to do after Dawn's first appearance is let her sister tag along when she goes out, it's not exactly a stretch to assume that Joyce would often force Buffy to take Dawn with her. For example, in season 2's "Bad Eggs," Joyce asks Buffy to pick up a dress for her while the two are out shopping at the mall; however, if Dawn had been there, Joyce would likely have told Dawn to go with her big sister.
With Dawn as a distraction, it's possible that Buffy would never have even noticed Lyle Gorch and his victim, and of course, even if she had, Buffy would've needed to figure out how to get rid of Dawn in order to slay him.
A Different Ted Storyline
Had Dawn been in the picture, things would have totally changed from the original timeline where Buffy struggled to get along with her mother's evil boyfriend, Ted. Knowing that Dawn has a fondness for food concoctions, it's likely Ted might have managed to bond with Dawn over his mini pizzas.
On the other hand, Dawn could also be very emotional and may have teamed up with Buffy to try and get rid of Ted, putting herself in greater danger than her sister due to her lack of supernatural strength. The deadly confrontation where Buffy pushed Ted down the stairs might have also involved the younger Summers girl. This episode certainly would have been quite different if Dawn had been around.
Xander's Love Spell Would Have Affected Her
Xander's love spell, which causes all the women in Sunnydale to become magically enamored by him, would have enchanted Dawn as well. In the original timeline, when he and Cordy attempted to hide out at the Summers' house, Joyce ends up falling under a spell. Of course, if Dawn had been around, she would've become obsessed with Xander as well, and it's unlikely Xander or Cordy would have tossed the young girl out of the house as they did Joyce.
This means they would have been forced to put up with Dawn's advances towards Xander, likely making their later interaction a bit more awkward once the spell was broken.
What Would Faith Have Done To Dawn
The situation would have been completely different had Dawn been there after Faith woke up from her coma. After heading to the Summer's house for payback and tying up Joyce, Faith would have also had to deal with Buffy's little sister. Not only would Faith have been forced to change her strategy, but she may also have very well preferred to go after Dawn, who would have been an easier target than Joyce.
Similarly, Buffy was always very protective of Dawn and would have likely gone home sooner to ensure her sibling was safe from the vengeful dark slayer.
Ethan's Enchanted Costumes
With Dawn in the picture, Buffy would have often had a tag-along on many of her formerly solo adventures. Seeing that Joyce asked Buffy to take her sister with her after Dawn's initial appearance means Buffy would have likely been forced to take Dawn to Ethan's when the gang went shopping for Halloween costumes in season 2.
This means Dawn would have been changed into whatever costume she chose and, as a younger girl, would have been in even more danger than Buffy was.
Thanksgiving Would Have Been Different
Dawn's presence would have completely altered Thanksgiving. In season 4's "Pangs," Buffy tells Willow that she's not going to have Thanksgiving dinner with Joyce because her mom is going to visit Buffy's aunt. Of course, it's unlikely Joyce would have been taking this family trip if she already had a young daughter at home who was expecting a holiday meal.
Similarly, it's questionable that Joyce would have chosen to only take her younger daughter without at the very least extending an invitation to Buffy as well. Dawn's existence would have certainly prevented the Thanksgiving chaos that happened at Giles' home.
Buffy At The End Of Season 2
Without question, much of what happened at the end of season 2 would have been drastically different if Dawn had been around. For example, Joyce kicking Buffy out of the house after learning she's the Slayer, and Buffy's decision to leave Sunnydale would definitely not play out the same if Buffy had had a younger sibling.
Though Buffy's time in LA is still cannon after Dawn's arrival, knowing that she'd be leaving her sister alone in a supernatural town certainly would have affected Buffy's decision to go, just as Joyce might not have reacted so harshly after finding out Buffy was the Slayer if Dawn was there as emotional support.
Changing Parent-Teacher Night
If Dawn existed during "School Hard," Joyce likely would have taken her along when she went to meet Buffy's teachers. So, unfortunately, Dawn and Joyce would've both ended up getting trapped inside the school after Spike and the other vampires invaded it. Of course, this means that Buffy would not only need to save her mother but her little sister as well.
If Dawn was there, would Joyce have still been around to hit Spike with an ax? Or would there have possibly been a darker ending to this episode?