Buffy's Relationship History

NOTE: This relationship history discounts anything that happened before the television series began -- unless it has been directly referenced in the series -- because the correlation between the film and the tv series is not exact.

Xander: Xander has had an unrequited crush on Buffy since the first moment he saw her. He even asked her out once (Ep. 1.12), but she said no. Since then, they basically haven't talked about it, and Buffy pretends that it doesn't exist. But Xander has continued throughout the series to vigorously beat his chest around any other male (be they human or otherwise) who shows romantic or sexual interest in Buffy. Buffy either doesn't notice, or pretends not to.

Owen: Owen was a Sunnydale High intellectual cutie-pie (adored by many, including Cordelia as well as Buffy) who liked Emily Dickinson's poetry ... and also liked Buffy. However, when their first real date turned into a vampire-slaying adventure, Buffy decided she had to cut Owen loose because he found the danger a little too exciting, and she was afraid he'd end up getting himself killed. (Ep. 1.05)

Angel: Buffy's romantic interest in Angel -- an ensouled vampire -- developed relatively slowly, then dragged on for years of agonizing angst. At first, everything seemed to be going okay. He was cute and mysterious. She was intrigued ... but thought he was human. Then his face transformed into his vampire visage during their first kiss (Ep. 1.07). Ack! Buffy angsted, but then they continued with the lovey-doveying. They had sex (Ep. 2.13), and he turned extremely evil (scariest villain on the show ever, in my opinion!). Then she had to kill him to save the world (Ep. 2.22), and was so heart-broken that she skipped town for a while. Then he miraculously returned from hell (Ep. 3.04) -- with major emotional damage and a new-even-broodier attitude -- and they tried to stay away from each other. No luck. At least they didn't have sex again, since that would have turned him evil again. He broke up with her before the prom (Ep. 3.20), but then he showed up at the dance anyway and Buffy swooned in his arms. Soon afterward (Ep. 3.22), he skipped town "for her own good," so that she could have a normal life. Yeah, right. And that's when he got his own series.

Scott: Scott was Buffy's rebound guy after she killed Angel and went AWOL, then returned all emotionally banged-up. Scott was sort of blandly good-looking, I guess. He dumped her for no apparent reason, just before the Homecoming Dance ... how tacky is that? But Buffy didn't care much, because she was back in the Land of Angel Angst, secretly ministering to her vampire lover in an abandoned mansion, because he'd returned from hell all animal-like. So Buffy got over Scott pretty quick, since he just couldn't compare to an angst-beast like Angel. (Eps. 3.03-3.05)

Parker: Parker was Buffy's rebound guy after Angel took off to start his own series. Only this time, Buffy only thought she'd found boyfriend material ... and he just thought she was easy. They had a one-night stand (Ep. 4.03), but Buffy thought it was more. She was all weepy and freaked out for a while afterward about the fact that Parker totally blew her off after seeing her naked.

Riley: Buffy initially liked Riley because he was nice and normal, and she really wanted to be with someone "normal." Well, he ended up being a secret government anti-demon commando for "The Initiative." So much for "normal." Buffy joined the Initiative to work with her honey; the leader of the Initiative tried to have her killed; and Riley turned out to have an embedded behavior-control computer chip that turned him into a bad guy for a while. But they worked it all out, and everything seemed to be peachy for a little while, until Riley started paying vampire ho's to suck his blood, and then took off in a dramatic helicopter exit. Some time later, he returned briefly, apparently to rub Buffy's nose in the fact that his life was now really great and hers sucked. Charming. (Eps. 4.07-5.10, and 6.15)

Spike: Buffy and Spike's relationship has pretty much always been complicated, since it started out with him trying to kill her in Season 2, then teaming up with her at the end of that same season, in order to defeat Evil Angel. Spike harbored an unrequited love for Buffy throughout Seasons 5 and 6 (and perhaps even earlier, without being aware of it). Season 5 began with Buffy barely tolerating Spike's presence, but ended with her treating him almost like a friend and trusting him to protect Dawn. During Season 6, their relationship became even more complex, as Buffy turned to Spike as the only person she felt truly comfortable with upon returning from death. They began a rather ... um ... vigorous sexual relationship, but Buffy denied any emotional involvement because she "can't" love anyone who doesn't have a soul. Things deteriorated rapidly and their relationship became increasingly abusive. By the end of the season, Spike had fled in horror at what he had become, and Buffy found herself surprisingly upset to discover his absence. Where this will go in Season 7 is anyone's guess!