Throughout her seven years in Sunnydale, Buffy faced her share of apocalypses. In fact, Buffy the Vampire Slayer saw the Scoobies avert ten apocalyptic events. Some were entire seasons in the making. Others were one-episode arcs. Despite being an event that would always end with the destruction of the world, each apocalypse was interestingly unique.
Some apocalypses, like the Master’s plan to open the Hellmouth, were long in the making. Others, like Dark Willow’s attempt, were on a whim. Glory’s apocalypse wasn’t even about destroying the world. For her, that was just a happy coincidence. When looking at each “end of the world plan,” it is interesting to examine why some could have worked while others, Scoobies or no, still might not have been successful.
10 Vharral Demons Attempt To Open The Hellmouth
In the Season 4 episode "Doomed," a recent earthquake convinced Buffy something bad was coming. Giles eventually confirmed her fears, determining it was the end of the world. As the Scoobies soon learned, a group of Vharral demons was going to use the Sacrifice of Three to open the Hellmouth.
One-episode apocalypse events don’t usually feel as intense. They lack proper buildup. However, when the baddies make themselves the sacrifice like the Vharral demons did, it raises the stakes. This particular apocalypse was also notable because it gave the Scoobies and fans alike a chance to revisit the destroyed Sunnydale High.
9 Adam Plans To Create A Biomechanical Demonoid Army
There is no denying that Adam’s Season 4 plans to usher in the apocalypse were unique. The Initiative’s failed biomechanical demonoid super-soldier set out to create an army in his image and overrun the world. Adam proved difficult to beat, even for Buffy. This led the Scoobies to try a vastly new approach: creating a super Slayer.
The Scoobies perform an enjoining spell to give Buffy their combined abilities and save the world in a nifty showdown with Adam. Adam’s plan was good, but even if Buffy failed, the end of the world seemed unlikely. It would not have been long before the military stepped in and possibly even wiped Sunnydale off the map to stop Adam’s army.
8 The Sisterhood of Jhe Tries To Open The Hellmouth
Season 3’s "The Zeppo" was a Xander-centric episode that featured a pending apocalypse in the background. This time, the demonic Sisterhood of Jhe sought to open the Hellmouth. Because the narrative followed Xander, who wasn’t involved in this apocalypse, viewers never see the whole thing go down.
From the way the Scoobies looked the next day, it was a tough battle. Throw in werewolf Oz on the loose and it was a difficult night. It took the full force of Buffy, Angel, Faith, Willow, and Giles to stop the Sisterhood and contain Oz. Despite this, the Sisterhood of Jhe got impressively far. They even released the Hellmouth spawn not seen since "Prophecy Girl."
7 Angelus, Drusilla, And Spike Try Using The Judge To Unleash Armageddon
In honor of Drusilla’s return to health, Spike reassembled the legendary Judge. This demonic being arrived in the 14th century to wipe out the righteous by literally burning the humanity out of them. Armies tried to stop him, but no weapon forged could kill the Judge. So, he was dismembered. With the Judge now intact, Spike, Drusilla, and the newly arrived Angelus planned to destroy the world.
To avert this apocalypse, the Scoobies did some clever thinking. This involved using Xander’s military skills to obtain a rocket launcher. This demonstrated a long-term benefit of the "Halloween" episode. Buffy confronted the Judge with the rocket launcher, proving modern weapons could destroy him while saving the day.
6 The Mayor Transforms Into the Giant Old One, Olvikan
Season 3 Big Bad Mayor Richard Wilkins planned to ascend into the giant snake-like Old One, Olvikan. A previous Ascension was only stopped by a volcano eruption that killed the beast. This inspired the Scoobies’ to blow up Sunnydale High when the Mayor ascended at graduation. The threat of Olvikan was nothing to take lightly as noted by Anya before she fled Sunnydale.
There is no denying the Mayor's plan was solid. Still, the destruction of the earth by one Old One seems unrealistic. Had Buffy failed, there would have been many other obstacles, including the military. Some wonder why the Mayor did not just open the Hellmouth, releasing many Old Ones.
5 The Master Opens The Hellmouth To Free The Old Ones
Many have tried to start an apocalypse with the Hellmouth, but no attempt is as memorable as the Master’s. During the Season 1 finale, the Scoobies’ fought to stop their first apocalypse and the Master almost achieved his goal. After drinking Buffy’s blood he left her for dead and escaped his prison.
From the Sunnydale High rooftop, the Master watched for the portal to open and the Old Ones, the original pure demons, to again walk the earth. Except, his apocalypse did not get that far. With some CPR, Cordelia’s car, and a lot of weapons, the Scoobies beat back the vampire army and the Hellmouth spawn. Buffy, meanwhile, destroyed the Master.
4 The First Plans To Take Over The World
Originally appearing in Season 3, the First Evil returned in Season 7 to destroy the world. Rather than wait for the First and its army of Harbingers of Death and uber vampires to make a move, Buffy brought the fight to the Hellmouth. The First had the Scoobies on the ropes and Anya and Spike (temporarily) even bit the dust. But, even if it had won the Hellmouth battle, the First’s apocalypse would likely have been difficult to achieve.
Even without Slayers, the world was teeming with superpowered champions. Buffy had Angel and his team waiting for the First in L.A. should it get that far. The Powers That Be, though an Angel concept, would arguably also intervene if they felt threatened.
3 Angelus Awakens Acathla To Suck The World Into Hell
Few apocalypses were as heartbreaking as Angelus awakening the demon Acathlain in Season 2. This opened a portal that began sucking the world into hell. The portal opened considerably slowly, however, giving Buffy and Angelus time to fight and Willow time to restore his soul.
Eventually, Buffy killed Angel to close the portal, which had barely opened. Despite the portal’s slow nature, Angelus’ plan would have worked if it had gone undetected. While the threat itself resulted in no harm to the world, the personal suffering and consequences experienced by Buffy and Angel make this one for the books.
2 Willow Drains The World’s of Its Life Energy
Within minutes of deciding to end the world, Willow was at Kingman’s Bluff unearthing Proserpexa's effigy. Fueled by her grief over Tara’s death and, thanks to Giles, her connection to humanity's suffering, Willow planned to burn the world to a cinder. Any real threat to this plan was already taken out of commission, including Buffy and Giles. Xander was the one who saved the day, demonstrating how close the world truly was to being finished.
Willow’s plan, though spontaneous, was direct and, barring Xander, efficient. In fact, part of the reason Willow would have been successful is that her decision to destroy the world was so quick. The Scoobies weren’t expecting it and had little reaction time.
1 Glory Tries To Go Home Causing Dimensions To Bleed Together
When it comes to apocalypses, the hell god Glorificus is the one to beat. After being expelled from her dimension, Glory was reborn in a human body. To get home, she needed to open a portal by sacrificing the key, which had been transformed into Buffy’s sister, Dawn. However, opening this portal would cause all dimensions to bleed together, destroying Earth, until the key died.
Glory eventually captured Dawn and the ritual started. The portal opened and an apocalypse that would have swiftly ended the entire world started. No foreseeable force could have stopped it. Realizing Dawn’s blood—and therefore her own—could close the portal, Buffy sacrificed herself. This put a blunt end to the apocalypse, which had already caused more damage than any before it.