9 Important Things You Never Realized About "Buffy The Vampire Slayer"

Before Whedon brought Buffy along, story arcs were generally wrapped up by the end of a season...or in some cases the end of an episode. These longer form narratives were something Joss and Buffy brought to the table, and Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad fans should take note. 

The idea of there being a "Big Bad" and a "Little Bad," in terms of villain categorization, is something that became popularized with Buffy. Shows like Dexter and more recently House of Cards (though in a more subtle fashion, suited to politics) utilize this categorization often. 

There are some inevitable things being shared between any two fandoms created by the same person—Joss Whedon—but we think a couple are big enough to be worth mentioning. The sort of mix between playful social interactions and badass villain fighting is never done so well as in a Whedon world. Also, the idea of Bruce Banner being "angry all the time"? And that being the key to The Hulk's entire...thing? Definitely got that from Oz the werewolf. 

And we're not talking about fictional ones. Real life babies have started being named after Buffy characters. By 2013 Willow and Xander were both in the top 200 baby names in the US. 

Before there was Edward Cullen and his motley crew of vampires, there were Spike and Angel. 

Specifically, it's a problem amongst those in the fields of technology. This is a tragic one we wish Buffy were LESS on point with...but the last couple of years has shown that the tech field, and the gaming world especially with things like #gamergate are riddled with misogyny. 

Buffy was one of the first shows to take on a traditionally "nerdy" topic and make it extremely popular. You can't even call it a cult classic...it was just a tremendously beloved TV show. And now, geek culture is trickling into the mainstream all over the place! 

The mixture of drama and comedy is something that really emerged with Buffy and hasn't left since. Whedon's combination of serious and hilarious topics have become the norm, and now every successful show's popularity seems to hinge on its ability to be a hybrid. 

You can't talk about Joss Whedon and Buffy the Vampire Slayer without talking about the fact that he actually managed to create a BADASS female protagonist in the world of television horror stories. Buffy wasn't a damsel in distress, she was a monster-slaying fierce ass woman, and we need more characters like her.