Buffy the Vampire Slayer: How to watch the Buffyverse (including Angel) in release and chronological order

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Image credit: 20th Century Fox

How to by Grant DeArmitt Contributing writer

Published on Sept. 14, 2023

Our media landscape would look very, very different if it weren't for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Not only did the series solidify the idea of "Big Bad" storytelling, it ushered in one of the most successful universes ever to be on television: the Buffyverse.

With the monster-hunting series and its spinoff, Angel, having completely wrapped, now is a great time to get into the world that began at the Hellmouth. But just how should a viewer watch the Buffyverse? Is there a chronological way to view the show, or can you simply start anywhere? Popverse has your answers here, in our offical Buffyverse watch order.

Let's start by getting a handle on...

How to watch the Buffyverse by show

If the viewing experience you're after is taking in the canon show by show, the best (and easiest) way to do it is simply by starting at the beginning of Buffy, continuing it to the end, then starting and finishing Angel. That order looks like this:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season One (1997)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Two (1997-1998)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Three (1998-1999)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Four (1999-2000)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Five (2000-2001)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Six (2001-2002)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Seven (2002-2003)

Angel

Angel: Season One (1999-2000)
Angel: Season Two (2000-2001)
Angel: Season Three (2001-2002)
Angel: Season Four (2002-2003)
Angel: Season Five (2003-2004)

And you're done. This really is the simplest way to get through the Buffyverse, since you can pretty much press play on the first episode and let your streaming service play the episodes in order automatically.

The problem, however, is that you're going to have to be ok with returning to familiar plotlines once you get to Angel. Though Buffy and Angel didn't depend on each other's narratives as much as, say, the MCU entries do, they did occasionally cross into each other's storylines. If it's important to you to watch the Buffyverse by era instead of by show, you're going to need to know...

How to watch the Buffyverse in Chronological and Release Order

Though Angel's adventures were distinctly his own, the two shows began their concurrent runs as very much a pair. They'd air back to back Tuesdays on The WB; Buffy would be on at 8PM followed by Angel at 9PM. Occasionally, small story beats would carry over between episodes. For example, a phone call Buffy makes in an episode of her show might make it into the episode of Angel that followed, just from Angel's side of the conversation.

So if you're looking for a Buffyverse watch order that flows in a perfect, linear chronology, look no further. Just be prepared to hop around.

Pre-Angel (1997-1999)

Fortunately, we start off pretty easy. The chronological order of Buffyverse episodes is straightforward for the first three seasons considering that, well, there was only one show at that time. That show should be watched like this:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season One
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Two
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Three

It's at this point that things start getting a bit more complicated, with David Boreanaz's tall, dark, and mysterious vampire character getting his own spinoff. The Buffyverse was about to split, starting with...

Buffy S4, Angel S1 (1999-2000)

Though Angel the series was darker in tone and a little less quirky than its parent, the two were still firmly set within the same universe, a universe they shared in this order:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Four, Episode One; The Freshman
Angel: Season One, Episode One; City of...
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Four, Episode Two; Living Conditions
Angel: Season One, Episode Two; Lonely Hearts
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Four, Episode Three; The Harsh Light of Day
Angel: Season One, Episode Three; In the Dark
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Four, Episode Four; Fear, Itself
Angel: Season One, Episode Four; I Fall to Pieces
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Four, Episode Five; Beer Bad
Angel: Season One, Episode Five; Room with a View
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Four, Episode Six; Wild at Heart
Angel: Season One, Episode Six; Sense and Sensitivity
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Four, Episode Seven; The Initiative
Angel: Season One, Episode Seven; The Bachelor Party
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Four, Episode Eight; Pangs
Angel: Season One, Episode Eight; I Will Remember You
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Four, Episode Nine; Something Blue
Angel: Season One, Episode Nine; Hero
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Four, Episode Ten; Hush
Angel: Season One, Episode Ten; Parting Gifts
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Four, Episode Eleven; Doomed
Angel: Season One, Episode Eleven; Somnambulist
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Four, Episode Twelve; A New Man
Angel: Season One, Episode Twelve; Expecting
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Four, Episode Thirteen; The I in Team
Angel: Season One, Episode Thirteen; She
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Four, Episode Fourteen; Goodbye Iowa
Angel: Season One, Episode Fourteen; I've Got You Under My Skin
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Four, Episode Fifteen; This Year's Girl - Part One
Angel: Season One, Episode Fifteen; The Prodigal
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Four, Episode Sixteen; This Year's Girl - Part Two
Angel: Season One, Episode Sixteen; The Ring
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Four, Episode Seventeen; Superstar
Angel: Season One, Episode Seventeen; Eternity
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Four, Episode Eighteen; Where the Wild Things Are
Angel: Season One, Episode Eighteen; Five by Five
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Four, Episode Nineteen; New Moon Rising
Angel: Season One, Episode Nineteen; Sanctuary
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Four, Episode Twenty; The Yoko Factor
Angel: Season One, Episode Twenty; War Zone
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Four, Episode Twenty-One; Primeval
Angel: Season One, Episode Twenty-One; Blind Date
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Four, Episode Twenty-Two; Restless
Angel: Season One, Episode Twenty-Two; To Sanshu in L.A.

Not only did this era of the Buffyverse establish a new life and set of compatriots for Angel, it nailed down the previously mentioned airing schedule. It was a format that worked, and one The WB would continue with...

Buffy S5, Angel S2 (2000-2001)

This era of the Buffyverse is known for the introduction the character of Dawn Summers, who would become a regular on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the significant expansion of the character of Darla on Angel. It goes:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Five, Episode One; Buffy vs. Dracula
Angel: Season Two, Episode One; Judgement
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Five, Episode Two; Real Me
Angel: Season Two, Episode Two; Are You Now or Have You Ever Been
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Five, Episode Three; The Replacement
Angel: Season Two, Episode Three; First Impressions
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Five, Episode Four; Out of My Mind
Angel: Season Two, Episode Four; Untouched
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Five, Episode Five; No Place Like Home
Angel: Season Two, Episode Five; Dear Boy
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Five, Episode Six; Family
Angel: Season Two, Episode Six; Guise Will Be Guise
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Five, Episode Seven; Fool for Love
Angel: Season Two, Episode Seven; Darla
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Five, Episode Eight; Shadow
Angel: Season Two, Episode Eight; The Shrooud of Rahmon
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Five, Episode Nine; Listening to Fear
Angel: Season Two, Episode Nine; The Trial
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Five, Episode Ten; Into the Woods
Angel: Season Two, Episode Ten; Reunion
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Five, Episode Eleven; Triangle
Angel: Season Two, Episode Eleven; Redefinition
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Five, Episode Twelve; Checkpoint
Angel: Season Two, Episode Twelve; Blood Money
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Five, Episode Thirteen; Blood Ties
Angel: Season Two, Episode Thirteen; Happy Anniversary
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Five, Episode Fourteen; Crush
Angel: Season Two, Episode Fourteen; The Thin Dead Line
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Five, Episode Fifteen; I Was Made to Love You
Angel: Season Two, Episode Fifteen; Reprise
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Five, Episode Sixteen; The Body
Angel: Season Two, Episode Sixteen; Epiphany
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Five, Episode Seventeen; Forever
Angel: Season Two, Episode Seventeen; Disharmony
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Five, Episode Eighteen; Intervention
Angel: Season Two, Episode Eighteen; Dead End
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Five, Episode Nineteen; Tough Love
Angel: Season Two, Episode Nineteen; Belonging
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Five, Episode Twenty; Spiral
Angel: Season Two, Episode Twenty; Over the Rainbow
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Five, Episode Twenty-One; The Weight of the World
Angel: Season Two, Episode Twenty-One; Through the Looking Glass
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Five, Episode Twenty-Two; The Gift
Angel: Season Two, Episode Twenty-Two; There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb

By this point, you've probably gotten used to the episode pattern of each era: that is, Buffy, Angel, Buffy, Angel, and so on. But in 2001, that would change. Let's move along to...

Buffy S6, Angel S3 (2001-2002)

Fans who have seen the end of Buffy Season Five know that a pretty huge change takes place. I won't spoil that here, because for our purposes, the biggest change was that Buffy the Vampire Slayer moved both time slots and networks. Now, it was Angel that would air first (Mondays at 9PM on The WB) and Buffy that followed (Tuesdays at 8PM on UPN). So, the order for this era goes:

Angel: Season Three, Episode One; Heartthrob
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Six, Episode One; Bargaining - Part One
Angel: Season Three, Episode Two; That Vision Thing
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Six, Episode Two; Bargaining - Part Two
Angel: Season Three, Episode Three; That Old Gang of Mine
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Six, Episode Three; After Life
Angel: Season Three, Episode Four; Carpe Noctem
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Six, Episode Four; Flooded
Angel: Season Three, Episode Five; Fredless
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Six, Episode Five; Life Serial
Angel: Season Three, Episode Six; Billy
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Six, Episode Six; All the Way
Angel: Season Three, Episode Seven; Offspring
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Six, Episode Seven; Once More, with Feeling
Angel: Season Three, Episode Eight; Quickening
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Six, Episode Eight; Tabula Rasa
Angel: Season Three, Episode Nine; Lullaby
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Six, Episode Nine; Smashed
Angel: Season Three, Episode Ten; Dad
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Six, Episode Ten; Wrecked
Angel: Season Three, Episode Eleven; Birthday
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Six, Episode Eleven; Gone
Angel: Season Three, Episode Twelve; Provider
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Six, Episode Twelve; Doublemeat Palace
Angel: Season Three, Episode Thirteen; Waiting in the Wings
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Six, Episode Thirteen; Dead Things
Angel: Season Three, Episode Fourteen; Couplet
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Six, Episode Fourteen; Older and Far Away
Angel: Season Three, Episode Fifteen; Loyalty
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Six, Episode Fifteen; As You Were
Angel: Season Three, Episode Sixteen; Sleep Tight
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Six, Episode Sixteen; Hell's Bells
Angel: Season Three, Episode Seventeen; Forgiving
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Six, Episode Seventeen; Normal Again
Angel: Season Three, Episode Eighteen; Double or Nothing
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Six, Episode Eighteen; Entropy
Angel: Season Three, Episode Nineteen; The Price
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Six, Episode Nineteen; Seeing Red
Angel: Season Three, Episode Twenty; A New World
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Six, Episode Twenty; Villains
Angel: Season Three, Episode Twenty-One; Benediction
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Six, Episode Twenty-One; Two to Go
Angel: Season Three, Episode Twenty-Two; Tomorrow
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Six, Episode Twenty-Two; Grave

Notably, the character of Angel doesn't appear at all in this season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, due to a crossover embargo agreed upon by the networks. But come the next season, there was a pretty solid reason to bring Angel back to the Buffy series. That is, it was ending. Be ready to bid adieu as we enter...

Buffy S7, Angel S4 (2002-2003)

I'm going to be honest; this era gets pretty messy. There are multiple breaks in both series, meaning the "Buffy, Angel, Buffy, Angel" pattern falls apart a few times. Still, the creators made the chronology of each episode move in order of their release, which went like this:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Seven, Episode One; Lessons
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Seven, Episode Two; Beneath You
Angel: Season Four, Episode One; Deep Down
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Seven, Episode Three; Same Time, Same Place
Angel: Season Four, Episode Two; Ground State
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Seven, Episode Four; Help
Angel: Season Four, Episode Three; The House Always Wins
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Seven, Episode Five; Selfless
Angel: Season Four, Episode Four; Slouching Toward Bethlehem
Angel: Season Four, Episode Five; Supersymmetry
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Seven, Episode Six; Him
Angel: Season Four, Episode Six; Spin the Bottle
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Seven, Episode Seven; Conversations with Dead People
Angel: Season Four, Episode Seven; Apocalypse, Nowish
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Seven, Episode Eight; Sleeper
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Seven, Episode Nine; Never Leave Me
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Seven, Episode Ten; Bring On the Night
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Seven, Episode Eleven; Showtime
Angel: Season Four, Episode Eight; Habeas Corpses
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Seven, Episode Twelve; Potential
Angel: Season Four, Episode Nine; Long Day’s Journey
Angel: Season Four, Episode Ten; Awakening
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Seven, Episode Thirteen; The Killer in Me
Angel: Season Four, Episode Eleven; Soulless
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Seven, Episode Fourteen; First Date
Angel: Season Four, Episode Twelve; Calvary
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Seven, Episode Fifteen; Get it Done
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Seven, Episode Sixteen; Storyteller
Angel: Season Four, Episode Thirteen; Salvage
Angel: Season Four, Episode Fourteen; Release
Angel: Season Four, Episode Fifteen; Orpheus
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Seven, Episode Seventeen; Lies My Parents Told Me
Angel: Season Four, Episode Sixteen; Players
Angel: Season Four, Episode Seventeen; Inside Out
Angel: Season Four, Episode Eighteen; Shiny Happy People
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Seven, Episode Eighteen; Dirty Girls
Angel: Season Four, Episode Nineteen; Magic Bullet
Angel: Season Four, Episode Twenty; Sacrifice
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Seven, Episode Nineteen; Empty Places
Angel: Season Four, Episode Twenty-One; Peace Out
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Seven, Episode Twenty; Touched
Angel: Season Four, Episode Twenty-Two; Home
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Seven, Episode Twenty-One; End of Days
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Seven, Episode Twenty-Two; Chosen

And with that twenty-second episode of the seventh season, Buffy the Vampire slayer concluded. Though the story would continue in a much-lauded Dark Horse comic, the show was officially no longer producing new episodes, leading to our final era of the televised Buffyverse...

Post-Buffy (2003-2004)

For the first time, Angel would be on its own, and this era of the Buffyverse would not last long. In fact, it only lasts for one season, listed below:

Angel: Season Five

If you feel the end of this list is anticlimatic, you're not alone. Angel's cancellation after the fifth season was a surprise to the folks working on the show too, leading Buffy creator Joss Whedon to compare the show's end to a "Healthy man dying of a heart attack." Fortunately, like Buffy, Angel's story would continue on in a canon comic book, one that sees Angel team up with fan favorite Faith.

And with that, our chronological and release order for the Buuffyverse is complete. But before you begin your binge, there's a question you need answered.

Where do I watch the Buffyverse?

With a watch order as complex as the one above, you might be a little nervous about finding all the episodes streaming. I have great news, though; streaming the Buffyverse is as simple as can be. All you need is a Hulu account, where both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel are streaming in their entireties. Whew!

Having answered that question so easliy, you can go ahead and jump into a watchthrough. And I have no doubt that, once you get to the end of a it, the first question on your mind is going to be...

Will there be more Buffyverse?

Technically, the correct answer is that there already is more Buffyverse, in the form of those canon comics I mentioned earlier (and that you should really check out, no?). But I understand that when most people ask about this, they're really asking if there's going to be more Buffyverse on TV. And unfortunately, the answer to that is not a positive one.

As of this writing, there are no plans for or conversations surrounding a televised return to the Buffyverse. In fact, when SFX Magazine asked Sarah Michelle Gellar about the possibility of returning to her character, she said that it "didn't need to be done," but that, perhaps, the story could continue without her.

"We wrapped that up," said the star. "I am all for them continuing the story, because there’s the story of female empowerment. I love the way the show was left: 'Every girl who has the power can have the power.' It’s set up perfectly for someone else to have the power."

Could a Buffyverse exist without Buffy? Angel season five technically did that, so it's not impossible. But possible or not, it's not something studios are pursuing, to our knowledge. And until we get word of that, the stake's been planted in the heart of the Buffyverse, with no word as to whether or not it will rise again.

Are you a Popverse member who just finished a Buffython? Check out the Popverse-exclusive Buffy the Vampire Slayer reunion panel from C2E2 2023 featuring Charisma Carpenter, James Marsters, David Boreanaz, & Marc Blucas. Not a member? Learn how to join here.