When Buffy the Vampire Slayer his television screens in 1997, I was four years old. The show practically raised me.
In a media landscape oversaturated with male protagonists and watered-down women, Buffy was a queen to me. Willow and Xander (when he was behaving) were my best friends. Spike was my first love. Giles…gave me some really confusing feelings. And so did evil Angel. And so did—It doesn't matter.
When I was a teenager I bought the box sets for all seven seasons of Buffy, and I have watched the entire series once a year since. Though a lot of unfortunate behind-the-scenes cruelty has come to light and the series itself is definitely a product of its time, I will always remember that this show was a lifeline to me. It's the cornerstone of my personality, and I have the tattoo to prove it.
It's so rare to say that a television show ended at exactly the right time, but even if it had its narrative stumbles, Buffy knew when to call it quits. That doesn't mean I wasn't heartbroken to see it go. In its absence, I spent years searching for a show that made me feel the same way, a show that made me feel powerful, seen, and, somehow, more human.
In my lifelong search, I've found some pretty good distractions from the loss. I've also found some pretty close seconds. And, not to speak blasphemy here, but after more than a decade of looking, I actually found one show I think is even better. But we'll get to that in time.
Here are 10 shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer to fill that Sarah Michelle Gellar-sized hole in your heart.
True Blood
Let's kick things off with an obvious choice. Like Buffy, Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) is no ordinary girl, though she tends to do a lot more laying than slaying when it comes to vampires. Not that Buffy was entirely immune to that, either…
True Blood is unique in that this series features a world in which vampires have come out of the coffin, uneasily coexisting by sustaining themselves—or pretending to—on artificial blood.
Dragged into dangerous vampire business by her love for blood sucker Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), Sookie does her best to keep her family and her imperfect little town of Bon Temps, Louisiana safe. Her telepathy is just the beginning of her powers, and Bill is just the first of her supernatural lovers.
Teen Wolf
I was late to the game on this series, tuning in for the first time during the start of the pandemic. I've watched the series in its entirety no less than five times since.
Teen Wolf captures the spirit of Buffy, centering the supernatural drama around the struggle of balancing real life teen responsibilities with deadly paranormal responsibilities. When sophomore Scott McCall (Tyler Posey) is bitten by a werewolf, his entire life changes. Against his will he's plopped into the middle of an old revenge plot, an he unwittingly stumbles into a forbidden romance with Allison Argent (Crystal Reed), the daughter of a werewolf hunter.
Like Sunnydale, Beacon Hills has a way of attracting monstrous attention. Like Buffy, this show has an incredible supporting cast with a lot of heart.
Charmed
As Buffy the Vampire Slayer ran from 1997 to 2003, Charmed ran concurrently from 1998 to 2006. As two supernatural dramas on television during the same decade, there was a lot of overlap between these shows—and, if I'm honest, Buffy did pretty much everything better. But Charmed is a cult favorite for a reason.
After their grandma passes away, Prue (Shannen Doherty), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), and Phoebe Halliwell (Alyssa Milano) discover they come from a long line of very powerful witches. Using the “Power of Three,” it is their destiny to act as forces of good and suppress the forces of evil lurking in the world. A fourth sister, Paige (Rose McGowan) makes an interesting addition in the fourth season.
Being Human (UK)
While this series has a popular American remake, I promise you the BBC original is the superior version. Being Human is sort of like a look at Buffy from the other side. The protagonists are the forces of evil that go bump in the night, but they don't want to be. They just want to live their lives like the humans they'll never get to be again.
Vampire Mitchell (Aidan Turner), werewolf George (Russell Tovey), and ghost Annie (Lenora Crichlow) share an apartment in Bristol, but their unique natures sometimes get in the way of peaceful cohabitation. As hilarious as it is heart-wrenching, this series is one for all the Spike fans.
Jessica Jones
Jessica Jones is where Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Veronica Mars (another incredible series). Gifted with remarkable strength, Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) is often a reluctant hero. Skating by in life with a P.I. business to keep her flush with booze, she can't help that sometimes there are evils that are just too big to ignore.
This series definitely scratches the “powerful woman” itch that Buffy started. The first season in particular is one of the most affecting things I've ever seen on television.
Torchwood
Looking for a show with the tone of Buffy but more of a sci-fi tilt? Torchwood is your next great watch! While this series is actually a spin-off of the long-running Doctor Who, I binged the entirety of Torchwood before I ever saw Doctor Who and it wasn't really a problem.
A rift in space and time is hidden in Cardiff, Wales, causing chaos for its citizens. The secret organization known as Torchwood protects the city—and Earth itself—not only from visitors from another planet, but from the dangerous technology they leave behind. Gritty and oversexed, this series is perfect for those who loved the mixture of dark danger and campy fun in Buffy.
Season three is perhaps the best story arc to ever exist in any form of media. But I do pretend season four doesn't exist…
Supernatural
Most people will agree that Supernatural went on long past its prime, but at least the first five seasons are a great alternative if you can't sit down and rewatch Buffy for the 100th time.
Exchanging the highs and lows of girlhood for brotherly angst and hijinx, Supernatural follows Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) Winchester, brothers who take up the family business of hunting monsters, demons, and the like.
If you liked the Buffy spin-off Angel, you'll probably love this series. It has the monster of the week format that we all know and love, and has an added dose of fun for not being set in one locale, giving viewers more of a world to explore.
Lost Girl
Lost Girl is, perhaps, the most underrated series on this list. With a healthy five season run under its belt, this series has the best use of supernatural lore I've ever seen. Bo Dennis (Anna Silk) is a succubus who knows nothing not only about her deadly powers, but knows nothing about the Fae hierarchy that rules the territory.
As she learns the ins and outs of her heritage, Bo teams up with a human named Kenzi (Ksenia Solo) to start up a supernatural detective agency.
Bo struggles to maintain neutrality in a world which demands she choose between Light and Dark. The show has a great balance of monster of the week goodness and longterm conflict. Plus there's an absolutely addicting bisexual love triangle at the heart of it all.
The Vampire Diaries
Speaking of love triangles, there's really none more twisted than the one driving the plot of The Vampire Diaries. In Mystic Falls, Virginia, teenage Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) falls in love with a vampire named Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley). Then she falls in love with his brother, Damon (Ian Somerhalder)…
This show really puts the “teen” in teen drama, but it's addicting, nonetheless. While Elena is caught in the middle between two vampire brothers with a grudge, Mystic Falls is under constant threat of supernatural destruction. With angst that goes back centuries, the twists keep on coming.
Wynonna Earp
Prepare yourselves for a big statement: Wynonna Earp is the only series I've ever thought not only rises to Buffy's level, but surpasses it. I know it's controversial. Buffy, despite it's recent unveiled scandals, has a lot of nostalgia attached to it. It will always hold a special place in my heart. But Buffy walked so Wynonna could run.
Wynonna Earp (Melanie Scrofano) is the descendant of legendary lawman Wyatt Earp—and the latest heir of the Earp curse. For each heir, the outlaws that Wyatt killed resurrect as revenants, and the family curse can only be broken if one single heir sends all of them back to Hell. Armed with her magic gun and her loyal team, Wynonna has plans to put these undead criminals—and every other supernatural baddie—down for good.
This show really has everything. Wynonna is a beautifully flawed heroine with all the humor, courage, and heart that makes a rabid fanbase. Sexy immortal cowboy Doc Holliday (Tim Rozon) could make any viewer swoon. And there's a sapphic romance between Wynonna's sister, Waverly (Dominique Provost-Chalkley), and local cop Nicole Haught (Katherine Barrell) that puts Willow and Tara's love story to shame.
