5 Dead Buffyverse Characters Who Could Appear In The ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’ Reboot

It looks like the Buffy The Vampire Slayer reboot is moving full steam ahead at Hulu/Disney Plus. Sarah Michelle Gellar is firmly on board to return as the titular character and Ryan Kiera Armstrong, last seen as Fern in the Star Wars series Skeleton Crew, has been cast as a younger Slayer whom Buffy will take under her wing.

In a recent interview Gellar outlined her hopes for the reboot, saying that amidst the new stories, she hopes to feature appearances from the original series' characters, even those who might have died. This is not an odd a statement as it might seem, as Buffy herself temporarily died on two separate occasions in the original series, proving that death in this world is not always the end.

Here are a few dearly departed characters from the Buffyverse who could potentially appear in the reboot.

1. Cordelia Chase

Introduced in the very first episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Cordelia Chase, played by Charisma Carpenter, at first appears to be the stereotypical 'Rich Bitch' of Sunnydale High. Over time the character begins to display hidden depths, and upon discovering that vampires and other monsters are real, becomes a reluctant afiliate of Buffy and the Scooby Gang.

After three seasons in the Buffy cast, Cordelia made the jump to the series new spin-off, Angel. She moves to L.A, initially to pursue an acting career, but after encountering Angel, who has also moved to the city in search of a higher purpose, switches focus to helping make his new detective business, Angel Investigations, a growing concern. Cordy eventually becomes Angel's link to the Powers-That-Be, experiencing visions that let him know who he next needs to help. After being left in a coma at the end of season four, Cordelia appears to make a miraculous recovery in the final season episode 'You're Welcome', only for a gut-punch twist to reveal that Cordy had passed away offscreen, and that her day with the Angel Investigations team was a final gift from the Powers-That-Be.

Charisma Carpenter, and fans of the show, were not pleased with Cordelia's ending, which is believed to have come about because Joss Whedon was unhappy about having to write around Carpenter's real-life pregnancy.

Despite her issues with Whedon, Carpenter has always expressed continued love for her character, cast mates, and fans. She clearly deserved better, so fans were delighted when the actress reprised her role in the Audible Original audio drama Slayers: A Buffyverse Story, set in a divergent timeline in which Cordelia ends up called as a Slayer. It would be a wonderful gesture on the part of the reboot to find a way to return Cordelia to the canon Buffyverse.

2. Anya Jenkins

One of many characters who begins as an enemy but becomes an ally, Anya first appears in the third season episode 'The Wish'. A Vengeance Demon posing as a High School student, Anya tricks a heartbroken Cordy into wishing that Buffy Summers had never come to Sunydale, creating a semi-dystopian alternate reality. When the wish is undone, Anya is left without her powers, now trapped as a human.

Initially not intended to appear beyond the end of the third season, the writers became fond of actress Emma Caulfield, so wrote Anya into the fourth season, beginning a romantic relationship with Xander. The pair get engaged at the end of the fifth season, but Xander gets cold feet, leaving her at the altar in season six. While they look set to repair their relationship in the final season, Anya is killed during the series' final battle.

With her overly literal interpretations and struggles to fully adjust to human life, Anya was a fan favourite, so her death, killed quite suddenly by one of the Bringers, was a blow. At the time, it was said she was killed off because Caufield did not wish to appear in any spin-offs. However, the actress has been regularly sharing new reboot info as it comes to hand, leading some to believe her feelings regarding a return may have softened.

3. Tara Maclay

Introduced in season four as the one genuine fellow witch in U.C Sunnydale's Wicca Club, the sweet but shy Tara's initial purpose seems to be aiding Willow's progression in her study of Witchcraft. However, the two eventually begin a romantic relationship, becoming one of the first long-running lesbian relationships on regular network TV. This was groundbreaking for its time, making both Willow, Tara, and actresses Alyson Hannigan and Amber Benson, instant icons of the LGBTQ community.

Tara breaks up with Willow over her abuse of magic at the beginning of season six. After a few awkward encounters along the way, they reconcile before season’s end, only for Tara to be killed by one of Warren’s stray bullets. Fans were deeply upset, as Whedon’s claims that the storyline was necessary for Willow’s character development, and would have unfolded the same way if she’d had a male partner at the time, many couldn’t help but see Tara’s death as an example of the ‘Bury Your Gays’ trope.

Tara was originally written to return in the season seven episode ‘Conversations with Dead People’, with The First Evil using her form to torment Willow. Amber Benson declined, not wanting to ruin Tara’s legacy as a kind, pure character by letting her be used by something so evil. Another possible storyline, involving Buffy being granted a single wish by the Powers-That-Be and using it to revive Tara, was dropped because Benson wasn't available for filming.

Given Tara's beloved and iconic status, and the controversy surrounding her death, many fans hope her revival story could be revisited for the reboot.

4. Winifred 'Fred' Burkle

Rescued from the Hell-Dimension Pylea in Angel's two part second season finale, quirky student physicist Fred Burkle is at first cared for by the Angel Investigations team as she recovers from her trauma, before ultimately deciding to stay on as the team's most unlikely member. Unlike her co-workers, Fred does not have any evil or darkness in her past. She soon becomes the heart of the team, deeply loved by all. One of the few things every member of the Angel Investigations team fully agrees on is that Fred is the best of them.

This makes Fred's death in the final season, her soul shattered by the God-King Illyria who then takes over her body, one of the most devastating moments in not just Angel, but the Buffyverse as a whole.

Had Angel continued into a sixth season as originally planned, Fred’s soul was to begin re-manifesting within Illyria. A similar storyline occurred in Darkhorse’s Angel comics, with Fred becoming the dominant personality, and Illyria emerging if Fred was in danger, in a Bruce Banner/Incredible Hulk-like scenario.

Despite Illyria's role in Fred's death, both have become fan favorite characters, largely due to Amy Acker's engaging dual performance. Fans would love a scenario where both of them could return.

5. Wesley Wyndham-Pryce

In what likely comes as a surprise to those on a first watch, Wesley Wyndham-Pryce possibly goes through the biggest character development journey over both shows. He is initially introduced in Season Three of Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a replacement Watcher for Buffy and Faith after Giles is fired, but fails dismally in this position given Faith's fall from Grace. Wesley reappears in Angel's first season, now claiming to be a rogue demon hunter, and ultimately takes the Angel Investigation team left vacant by Doyle's death.

Wesley's goofier character traits were phased out as Angel went on, he developed genuine battle skills, and the final version of the character is a skilled, clever, but often troubled and deeply flawed individual. After surviving most of the series, Wesley is killed in the finale by demonic Sorceror Cyrus Vail. Illyria grants him a peaceful death by allowing him to see Fred's face.

Despite his death, Wesley features prominently in the Angel: After the Fall comics. Appearing as a ghost, Wesley explains to Angel that the contracts they signed with Wolfram and Heart bind him to the evil company even in death. Many fans believe having a permanent ghost character in the cast would be an interesting choice for the Buffy reboot.

We'll have to wait for moreinformation as the reboot continues development.