Recently, I started rewatching one of the shows that truly deserves more attention- “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” The title of this article is maybe a little misleading, considering Buffy isn’t a witch, but she is pretty badass. When I was younger, my cousin sat my sister and me down to watch it, and I was immediately hooked. I finally decided to revisit it now that I’m older and it didn’t disappoint.
Buffy Summers is the epitome of a “cool girl;” her blonde hair and unique style is precisely the kind of inspiration people should look at for fashion now. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is an excellent show; it features real issues and a powerful female 16-year-old who looks good while doing it. Buffy starts the show as someone who’s been tasked with slaying demons, which she does literally, and also metaphorically with her attitude and smarts. She deals with boy problems, family drama, not feeling good enough, struggling in school and maintaining/making friends. Rewatching it now that I’m 21 and understand more of what she’s going through, minus killing vampires and other poorly-made SFX creatures, I can appreciate how incredibly challenging her struggles are. Don’t worry, the entertainment aspect is all there, full of witty jokes and lots of laughable moments. Buffy and her friends go through massive ups and downs with many challenges thrown their way. I’m a fan for many reasons, but seeing such powerful women proves how important the show is to TV in general. Fantasy/supernatural often don’t put women in positions of power or countability but instead on sidelines characters to the men who have the power. Buffy’s best friend in the show, Willow, ends up becoming an actual practicing witch and has the book smarts anyone would be envious of. She also has a lot of growing and overcoming hardship in the series. Her book smarts become invaluable to the group- something she never saw as helpful when people needed something outside of school. The bond the two have and their collective growth through the series is fun to watch, and to inspire can do it while fighting vampires, werewolves and the occasional fish man.
Another show with some fantastic female leads who are actually witches is Charmed. It focused on three sisters, Piper, Phoebe and Pru, who find out they are witches and must fight the forces of evil in the form of, you guessed it, more demons, angels and The Source. The three sisters fight and protect their home while holding onto jobs, raising kids and dealing with relationships. Nothing comes easy to these three, yet they continue to fight and do what they can to keep people safe. Charmed was also one of the first and only long-running shows featuring a female coven. Not only did it set up the Wiccan religion in a more positive light, but it shed light on a subject many had previously never heard of or looked into. The three women are incredibly badass and powerful, and their show made an impact that lasted, something many shows can’t say.
The last movie I thought of was Twitches. The two main characters, Artemis and Apolla, are twins separated at birth. They are from an alternate dimension, given their power from their father to protect them from the Darkness. Once reunited, the girls must learn how to use their abilities and work together to keep evil and people safe. The teamwork they have to learn in a short period is impressive and equally as challenging. The success of the two came at a personal cost, but they are just as badass as any other witch or slayer that I’m a fan of.
Extra honorable mention to Bonnie from The Vampire Diaries; she is and will always be one of the best and most undervalued characters on that show.
