Ranking The Buffyverse's Halloween Episodes

Halloween is a time to get a little creepy. Buffy The Vampire Slayer is one of the greatest supernatural shows of all time, so what better way to celebrate the spooky season than revisiting the cult-classic's Halloween themed episodes?

The following is a ranking of every Halloween episode the Buffy-verse has to offer, including from the spin-off series, Angel. We've also included a few bonus entries- episodes that are not technically Halloween themed, but still good, creepy fun.

Let's get slaying!

4. 'All The Way' BTVS, Season 6, episode 6

Halloween is usually a quiet night for demonic activity, making it a rare night off for Buffy. However, in 'All The Way', the Slayer has been roped in to helping run a Halloween event at Giles and Anya's shop, the Magic Box. All the other Scoobies are helping out too, leaving Dawn to her own devices for the night. Buffy isn't concerned, believing Dawn is spending the night with her friend Janice. Unfortunately, Dawn and Janice sneak out with a pair of boys who turn out to be vampires, forcing the Scoobies to mount a rescue.

'All The Way', while quite easily the weakest of Buffy's Halloween eps, still has a few things going for it. For example, a mid-episode twist where the slightly creepy Old Man Kaltenbach, initially set up as the episodes villain, is really just a lonely old man, and sadly, falls victim to Dawn's vampire date.

3. 'Life Of The Party'- Angel, Season 5, Episode 5

Angel's first and only official Halloween themed episode came in it's fifth and final season. Empathic demon Lorne is stressed about an upcoming Halloween party, the first big event he has had to plan since Angel and co took jobs at Wolfram & Heart. Believing he needs more time, Lorne has his need to sleep removed. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to Lorne, a lack of sleep in empaths such as himself causes an expansion in his abilities, leading others to inadvertently be influenced by his will, leading to interesting events at the party. The usually responsible Wesley and Fred get drunk, Gunn begins to 'mark his territory' by urinating all around the building, and Angel sleeps with Eve, the team's liaison to the evil Senior Partners. Eventually, Lorne's frustrated subconscious manifests as a giant evil version of himself.

As the title suggests, 'Life Of The Party' is a good, fun, episode. However, unlike the Buffy episodes, the Halloween theme is not overt, aside from the fact that most of the episode takes place at a Halloween party. This keeps it from obtaining a higher place on a Halloween specific list.

2. 'Fear Itself', BTVS Season 4, Episode 4

As already mentioned, Halloween is supposed to be a quiet night for demons in the Buffyverse. So, in 'Fear, Itself', Buffy and the gang take a night off to be normal College Students and attend a party at a Frat House. Unfortunately, the Fraternity, on the hunt for spooky authenticity, paint a symbol on the floor that summons Gachnar, a demon that brings people's greatest fears to life. The accidental ritual also leads to Buffy and the other partygoers trapped in the Frat House with their fears.

'Fear, Itself' is part of what Buffy's sometimes maligned fourth season does best: strong individual episodes. It's also got some great moments of humour amidst the fear, such as Giles breaking into the Frat House with a chainsaw, and the twist ending, revealing that while Gachnar's power packs a punch, the demon himself is less than two inches tall.

1. 'Halloween', BTVS Season 2, Episode 6

Buffy is delighted to discover that evil takes a night off on Halloween, meaning that Buffy can make it to a planned date with Angel. Unfortunately, everyone who bought their costumes from new local store Ethan's Costume Shoppe is transformed into their costumes on Halloween Night. Xander becomes a soldier, Willow a ghost, and Buffy an eighteenth century Noblewoman. The shop's owner, Ethan, is a former friend/rival of Giles, and has cast the spell simply to cause chaos.

'Halloween' is a classic Buffy episode, and easily deserves it's place at the top of any list of the show's best Halloween entries. It is important for both continuity and character development reasons. It is the first episode to feature recurring villain Ethan Rayne, and with Buffy effectively out of action, it allows other characters, such as Willow and Giles, a turn in the spotlight.

Bonus

The following episodes, while not technically Halloween themed, are creepy enough to deserve a place in any Buffy-verse Halloween marathon.

'Killed By Death', BTVS Season 2, Episode 18

Buffy has had a fear of hospitals since her cousin, Celia, died in one as a child. In 'Killed By Death', Buffy must face her fear when she is hospitalised with a high fever after contracting the flu. Soon, Buffy discovers that Der Kindestod, a demon that can only be seen by those with a high fever, is killing young patients, and that the same demon was likely responsible for Celia's death years before.

'Killed By Death' often appears on lists of the scariest Buffy episodes, and it's place among them is easily earned.

'Hush', BTVS Season 4, Episode

One morning, the entire town of Sunnydale, including Buffy and her friends, wake up to find that they are unable to speak. The culprits are The Gentlemen, a group of creepy, grinning demons who stole the voices so that their victims could not scream as their hearts are cut out. To defeat The Gentlemen, the 'Princess', ie, Buffy, must scream in their presence. But first she needs her voice back.

Aside from being one of Buffy The Vampire Slayer's creepiest episodes, 'Hush' is also one of the most memorable. It earns a place in history as the only Buffy episode to receive an Emmy nomination for writing.

'I've Got You Under My Skin' Angel, Season 1, Episode 14

After Cordelia has a new vision, the Angel Investigations team sets out to save a family whose son, Ryan, has been possessed by the mass-murdering Ethros demon. After expelling the Ethros from Ryan, Angel and Wesley track it down, only to discover that the demon was scared, and pleased to escape the boy: Ryan has no soul.

The episode's initial concept of a possessed child is frightening enough, but the twist ending ups the fear factor even further, making 'I've Got You Under My Skin' one of Angel's scariest episodes.

Enjoy your Halloween binging!