13 Reasons Buffy Is a Badass Feminist

Buffy doesn't really hold back, nor should she. She says it like it is, and she usually hits the nail on the head. Her biting wit and fluency in sarcasm taught me absolutely everything I know.

Buffy is not fearless. She fears many things, in fact. She's afraid for the people she loves, she carries the weight of the world on her shoulders and she worries for everyone in it, and she even fears herself at times. But she faces those fears and conquers them. She is unflinchingly brave, and her courage is unwavering — whether it be facing down a demon armed with a stake and a snappy quip, or whether it be facing life raising her sister without her mother, Buffy does it. Because she has to, and because it's just who she is.

She sharpens weapons. She worries about her outfit. She's whatever she wants to be. She doesn't put herself into a masculine or feminine box, she's just Buffy: former cheerleader and homecoming queen, lover of boots, leather pants, and crop tops, wielder of swords and stakes, craver of a post-slayage nonfat yogurt, and sucker for the mall. Behold, she is a woman with layers. Imagine that.

Buffy rains down puns no matter the occasion, and manages to keep calm and collected in almost every situation — even (actually, especially) the life and death ones. And she looks so good doing it.

She befriended Willow and Xander at the risk of her brand-new Sunnydale High reputation. When Willow came out to Buffy about her love for Tara, she didn't miss a beat. When Xander starting dating a demon, well, who was Buffy to judge really? No matter what choices the people around her made or what path they took, she heard them out and had their backs, no questions asked.

In fact, her emotions are what make her stronger. She uses them to be a better fighter, to be a better friend and sister, and daughter, and lover. She's not a emotionless automaton (unless you're confusing her with the Buffybot, in which case . . . well, she is). She breaks the stereotype of women being overly emotional and incapable of dealing with those emotions. She cries. She wipes her tears. Then she slays.

Then she does what it takes to fix them. She's not perfect — in fact, she is very far from it. But her mistakes make her a more tangible and lovable character. She uses what she learns from those mistakes to make her an even better Slayer and person.

After dying a few times, losing so many people she loved, and constantly fighting to save the world, all while trying to keep up the guise of a normal woman, you'd think a girl would lose her sense of humor, and understandably so. But Buffy's wit lasts to the bitter end, and she reminds me that there's nothing that can't be solved with a well-landed pun, often accompanied by a well-landed kick flip.

Yes, Buffy does have her occasional vampire love affair. It happened just once or twice. OK, twice. Still whether it was with Angel, bore-me-to-tears Riley, or Spike (for life), she never lost sight of the bigger picture. I mean, she DID kill Angel for the sake of the world . . . so I’d say she has a pretty good grasp on what's important.

Buffy is one of the strongest women I've ever seen portrayed in fiction, but she also allows herself to be vulnerable, without seeing it as a weakness. She lets people in, and sometimes they break her heart. She trusts sometimes when she shouldn't (Parker Abrams, we'll never forgive and never forget). She loves deeply, even if it puts her at risk. Even if, as with Angel, it ends in heartache. She showed me that vulnerability isn't weakness, that, in fact, it's a valuable strength.

For someone with the abilities of a Slayer, it would be easy to go down a dark, power-hungry path, to isolate yourself completely from anyone of lesser strength, or pull a Faith and spiral into the Slayer anarchy. Buffy doesn't do any of these things. Instead, she includes the Scoobies in her life and in her missions, and allows them to play to their strengths and foster their talents. When she, Giles, Xander, and Willow combine their essences to defeat Adam, it's the true test of their bond. She recognizes that they are stronger together than apart, and rather than resent that fact, she embraces it. The ultimate display of this selflessness is of course when she transfers the Slayer powers into all Potentials in the world, thus creating an army of Slayers, and giving up her status as the Chosen One.

Buffy doesn't shy away from sex. She has it, and she's unapologetic about it. There are so many female characters in movies and TV shows who are painted as sluts for wanting sex or prudes for not having it. Women can't win, and it's absolutely ludicrous. But growing up watching the show, I watched a woman fall in love, have her heart broken, make mistakes, make love, have one night stands, and explore different kinds of sex and different ways to view it. What better way to gain a positive perspective about sex than by seeing a strong woman embrace and own it? Get it, B.

In all ways. Buffy has remarkable strength of body (duh), but it's her strength of heart that never ceases to amaze me. Don't get me wrong, no one loves watching her kick the demon of the week's ass more than I do, but her inner strength and resilience through everything she experiences is what stays with viewers like myself, even after all these years.