When a show is called Buffy the Vampire Slayer, combat is par for the course. The cult TV series turned fight scenes into an art form. Each character's personality is reflected in the way they fight: Buffy is graceful and agile, Angel uses brute strength, Spike is scrappy and playful, etc. When the music ramps up and the fists come out, the viewer knows they're in for a treat.
While the Slayers and vampires of the Buffyverse are highly skilled at hand-to-hand combat, sometimes they need a little help in the form of weaponry. Some weapons of choice have potent mystical properties, whereas others are basic, man-made killing devices. From the epic and enchanted to the satisfyingly simple, here are some of the best in the show's run.
The Buffybot
Introducing the weapon with the world's creepiest origin story. Spike wasn't content to steal Buffy's cashmere sweater and panties; he wanted the real thing, or as close as he could get. He commissions Warren to build him a Buffybot, purely for sexual purposes.
Ick factor aside, the Buffybot turns out to be a rather formidable weapon. She's put to excellent use in the fight against Glory. After the real Buffy dies, the Scoobies use the bot as a stand-in, both to ensure Dawn doesn't get taken away by Social Services and in everyday patrol. Alas, the Buffybot went out the same way as many a robot before her—ripped apart by a demon biker gang.
The Dagon Sphere
Admittedly, the Dagon Sphere looks more like a 90s toy fad than an actual weapon...but a really cool, glowy one. Is it lethal? No, but it's a handy tool for repelling primeval hell goddesses like Glory. Bear in mind, Glory is Buffy's strongest foe ever. Compared to Glory, Buffy has the strength of a flea.
When it comes time for the final battle, Buffy needs every weapon in her arsenal, with the Dagon Sphere front and center. It seriously weakened Glory at the start of the fight, which in turn threw her off psychologically. Sure, she was able to crush it with her bare hands, but the Dagon Sphere had its moment in the spotlight.
The Rocket Launcher
This weapon has no magic in it whatsoever. Still, who cares? It's a freaking rocket launcher. When the Judge is assembled, the Scooby Gang is up the creek without a paddle, as "no weapon forged" can kill their new blue foe. Luckily, Xander has an uncharacteristic stroke of genius, and devises an elaborate scheme to steal the rocket launcher from the (ever-so-convenient) local military base.
Giles may chide the Scoobies for not honoring ritual and tradition, but sometimes it pays to live in the now. See, the "no weapon forged" rule predates rocket launchers. So, Buffy tries her luck and fires at the Judge just as he's about to kill a mall full of people. She succeeds, reducing him to teeny Smurfy smithereens. Buffy has had many a fight scene, but this one especially is a total blast.
Olaf the Troll God's Enchanted Hammer
Buffy may be most famous for its serious episodes, but fans know that the show is also quite funny. There's no reason the weapons can't be too. The hammer is introduced in "Triangle", a Season 5 filler episode. It's wielded by Olaf, Anya's ex whom she turned into a troll. The Scoobies get rid of him, but Buffy keeps the hammer as a souvenir.
Turns out, it's as heavy as it is powerful. Buffy finds this out the hard way when she places it on a display case in the Magic Box and it smashes the glass. Spike can't even lift it. With her Slayer strength, though, Buffy is able to, and uses it to beat a weakened Glory to a bloody pulp. It takes a lot of weapons to defeat a hell goddess, Olaf's hammer being the most effective.
The Glove of Myhnegon
It wouldn't be fair to let the good guys have all the cool weapons. The Glove of Myhnegon isn't for your fairweather villain. It's as permanent as it is evil. Once worn, it can never be removed unless its owner dies. When Watcher-gone-bad Gwendolyn Post rolls into town, she has her sights set on the glove.
The Scoobies, in the throes of infighting, are distracted and let their guard down. Once Gwendolyn puts the glove on, she can shoot lightning out of it, like an electrokinetic Spiderman. The gang still manages to defeat Gwendolyn and destroy the glove with Living Flame, ending the life of the world's deadliest fashion accessory.
The Orb of Thesulah
Like the Dagon Sphere, this looks like just another shiny ball. However, the Orb of Thesulah packs one heck of a magical punch. It's used in the Ritual of Restoration, a spell intended to curse a vampire with a soul. When Angelus gets wind that Jenny Calendar means to perform the ritual on him, he hunts her down, with the primary goal being to destroy the Orb.
As Angelus points out, the Orb's downside is that it's rather fragile. Not so lucky for him, Willow gets her hands on another one and is thus able to perform the curse that Jenny could not. When it comes to weapons, round is the new pointy.
Faith's Knife
This is the Mona Lisa of Buffy weapons. When it's onscreen, it's all the viewer can look at. Faith was dead right in her assessment that it's a "thing of beauty". Is it enchanted? No, it's just a really gorgeous knife. A gift to Faith from the Mayor, she puts it to good use in her short time owning it. However, Faith is unable to retrieve it during a fight against the Scooby Gang and Buffy keeps it for herself.
It turns out that Slayers really dig the knife too, because Buffy finds her fair share of uses for it as well. For starters, she uses it on Faith, but the best part is when she shows it to the Mayor, who has recently ascended into a giant snake. Instead of using the knife for its intended purpose, Buffy taunts him with the fact that it's covered in Faith's blood. The knife is pretty and sharp...and pretty sharp.
The Gem of Amara
Don't let the gem's appearance fool you. Yes, it does totally look like a mood ring you might find at Claire's Accessories, circa 1998. Go ahead and laugh, but if a vampire gets his hands on it, go ahead and run. Any vampire who puts it on is rendered invincible. Stakes, crosses, sunlight, all useless.
The Gem of Amara is what draws Spike back to Sunnydale. He gets his hands on it for a very badass five minutes or so, before Buffy rips it off his finger. She sends it to Angel, who wears it for another badass five minutes. In the most ludicrous example of martyr logic ever, Angel destroys it because being invincible would "distract him from his mission". That, and he didn't want to have the same jewelry as the local teenyboppers.
Mr. Pointy
No fuss, no muss, just dust. As the Slayer, Buffy's weapon of choice has always been a simple wooden stake. It's lightweight, easy to carry and conceal, and as Buffy tells the Scoobies, "pepper spray is just so passé."
Stakes may be a dime a dozen, but Mr. Pointy is special. It was a gift from Kendra, shortly before her untimely death. Buffy has kept it ever since, even joking that she'd have it bronzed should she ever get the opportunity to retire from slaying. That's likely never going to happen, so having Mr. Pointy as her trusty companion is a comfort to Buffy.
The Scythe
Most of the time, a plain stake is enough to get the job done. Other times you need to bring out the big, flashy guns. Originally made for the First Slayer, the Scythe becomes the key component in Buffy and co. battling the First. When Buffy gets her hands on it, she puts it to use immediately, defeating the misogynistic Caleb by slicing him in half, starting with his nether regions.
Later, Willow is able to use the essence of the Scythe to activate Slayer power in all the Potentials. It's then used to destroy a slew of Turok-Han vampires. Ultimately, when it comes to weapons, Scythe matters.