Willow is the best Buffy the Vampire Slayer character ever. She underwent one of the most dramatically satisfying character arcs of the show, going from dorky wallflower to all-powerful witch. She inspired an entire generation of so-called nerds, showing us that shy, bookish types are not to be underestimated. Ever.
Though she was always a helpful member of the Scooby Gang, Willow really hit her stride when she started honing her witchcraft. Eventually, Willow’s powers would reach an all-time high, making her one of the strongest Scoobies, maybe even stronger than Buffy. Willow has literally saved the world, and more than once. But her path to power was not always smooth. There were some bumps along the way. Some were almost fatal. Here are 5 Times Willow Saved the Buffyverse (And 5 Times She Put Everyone In Danger):
SAVED - Stopped Adam With Enjoining Spell
Though Adam may be one of Buffy’s lamest Big Bads, he was certainly formidable in terms of brute strength. So much that Buffy’s Slayer-strength wasn’t enough to slow him down. Cue witch-extraordinaire Willow. Okay, the Scoobies helped too. Willow cast an enjoining spell in which her power, Giles’ knowledge of ancient language, and Buffy’s Slayer powers were all combined so Buffy could swiftly defeat Adam.
Saving the world aside, Willow’s spell also helped to (literally) reunite the Scoobies. Their first year of college found them, like so many of us, drifting apart. Spike was easily able to exploit the cracks in the gang, but Willow and her spell were able to heal them. With their alliance re-fortified, the Scoobies saw that they work far better as a team than on their own. Willow didn’t just the save the day; she saved their friendship.
DANGER - Accidentally Summoned Vampire Willow
One of Willow’s deepest insecurities is that she will forever be seen as a mousy nerd. Her attempts to distance herself from this reputation have often ended in disaster. Case in point: when Willow was called “old reliable” by both friends and foes one too many times, she agreed to aid mysterious new-girl Anya in a spell to retrieve Anya’s lost necklace. Little did Willow know that Anya was a former vengeance demon looking to reclaim her powers.
The spell bombed. Instead, a vampire version of Willow from another dimension was transported to Sunnydale. Vampire Willow didn’t wait long to wreak havoc on the town. She rounded up a band of local vampires and stormed the Bronze, looking to turn it into a feeding den.
SAVED - Stole From The Books Of Ascension
When a mission to steal a weapon from the Mayor went awry, Willow found herself in the custody of turncoat Faith and the Big Bad himself. Being trapped by your murderous enemies might cause one to panic, but not Willow. During her time in captivity, she was able to steal key pages from the Books of Ascension, a nefarious how-to guide for the Mayor to carry out his dastardly plans.
Willow’s thievery was hardly the key to stopping the Mayor, but it spoke to a bravery that Willow herself didn’t even realize she possessed. Even Faith had to admire Willow’s tenacity. In one the best Willow moments ever, she stared down the intimidating Faith and told her off for throwing away the opportunity to save the world alongside the Scoobies.
DANGER - Cast A Heartbreak Spell
When Oz broke up with Willow, it absolutely crushed her (and us too!) It took Willow a long time to heal, and while the Scoobies were supportive at the beginning, they grew aggravated by Willow’s constant mopiness. Fed up with feeling alienated and alone, Willow cast a spell to let her “will be done” in an effort to get over Oz.
Whoopsie. While her feelings for Oz remained very much intact, Willow’s spell accidentally caused her “will” to be done in a series of sometimes comic, but also dangerous consequences. She said Buffy was so obsessed with Spike she might as well marry him; a moment later the sworn enemies were planning their wedding. Willow accused Giles of not being able to see anything and thus he went blind. But the most dangerous consequence of all was when Willow called Xander a demon magnet. The next thing the Scoobies knew, they were fighting off demons left and right.
SAVED - Restored Tara’s Mind
Willow and Tara had one of the best relationships in the Buffyverse. When Glory fed off Tara’s mind, draining her of her mental faculties, we were just as devastated as Willow. In the grand finale of a battle, it was a total stand-up-and-cheer moment when Willow was able to use her powers to take Tara’s mind back from Glory and restore her witch-girlfriend to her former self.
This, sadly, was not enough to stop the fabulously evil god and Buffy had to sacrifice herself to save the world. Still, this was not some easy-peasy spell she could perform from the comfort of her dorm room. Willow had to physically touch Glory to successfully perform the spell. Being able to go head to head with a god takes crazy courage, and proved Willow had come a long way from her days of cowering in the face of a cheerleader.
DANGER - A Forgetting Spell That Nearly Killed The Gang
You know it’s a dark time for Willow when her solution to her magical troubles is to use even more magic. Things were tense with Buffy after the Slayer revealed that she was ripped out of heaven via Willow’s resurrection spell. Willow was also in the doghouse with Tara after using a spell to make Tara forget about a fight between them. Willow’s solution to all this self-inflicted drama? Cast another forgetting spell, on both Buffy and Tara. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, as it turns out, a lot. The spell affected not just Buffy and Tara, but the entire Scooby Gang, who all forgot who they were. This provided some comedic relief at first, but things took a turn for the dangerous when a loan shark demon - admittedly one of the cheesiest monsters the show has seen - showed up wanting blood in payment for Spike’s gambling debts. But even during a case of mistaken identity, the gang was still able to come together and save the day. With the spell broken, Tara rightfully broke up with Willow, making this the most lasting, and painful, consequences of her magic.
SAVED - Re-Cursed Angel (TWICE!)
After the tragic death of Jenny Calendar, Willow took over not just her teaching duties, but her paganism. Jenny left behind a floppy disc - oh, that ’90s nostalgia! - containing the Ritual of Restoration. This is the spell that would re-curse Angel with his soul, in the wake of losing it after having sex with Buffy and becoming the evil Angelus again.
This is complicated magic for any witch, let alone a total newbie like Willow was at the time. Still, Willow was determined to try. Before she had the chance to start, she was attacked by Angel’s henchmen and almost killed. This may be enough to stop most people in their tracks, but not Willow Rosenberg. She performed the spell from her hospital bed, and succeeded, even though it was too late. Years later, Willow would be called upon to perform the spell again, this time on Angel. The powerful witch proved to be two for two. Angel has always been a necessary soldier in the battle against evil, and by bringing him back, Willow saved the world.
DANGER - Resurrected Buffy
Admittedly, we’re grateful for this one. Buffy the Vampire Slayer wouldn’t be much of a show without, well, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But this magic proved to be one of the most dangerous, foolhardy spells Willow had ever attempted. Willow underwent a series of “tests” culminating in a snake that crawled out of her mouth. Blech.
Ultimately the spell was a success. Buffy came back. But there were consequences, and not just Willow’s fractured relationship with Giles. With Buffy came a demon that haunted the Scoobies and tried to kill them all. And, oh yeah, Willow ripped her best friend out of heaven! Yes, Willow suspected that Buffy was in a hell dimension but what’s truly disturbing is the fact that there was a part of Willow that wanted to perform the resurrection spell just to see if she could do it.
DANGER – Became Dark Willow
Willow’s days of reckless magic and addiction looked like they were behind her. She got clean and reconciled with Tara. Then Warren went and killed her. Rage overtook Willow. Her eyes went pitch black and she went on a one-woman warpath to kill Warren.
She did, flaying him alive. But she didn’t stop there. Jonathan and Andrew were Willow’s next targets, despite having nothing to do with Tara’s death. The Scoobies tried to protect them, and Willow, who was so consumed with hatred, repeatedly put them in harm’s way in her attempts to finish off the Trio. When her anger gave way to overwhelming pain, Willow tried to end the world but was stopped by Xander - one of his rare moments of heroism.
SAVED – Turned The Potentials Into Slayers
Man alive, does Willow know how to earn a redemption. In Buffy’s final season, it was Willow’s spell that saved the world. The First wanted to create hell on earth by killing off all Potential slayers. With the Scoobies’ encouragement, Willow reversed the tradition, rooted in patriarchy, of the Chosen One. She cast the most powerful spell ever, giving Slayer powers to every Potential in the world. Buffy went from leading an army of scared teenage girls to one of noble warriors.
Kennedy said it best. “Willow, you are a goddess.”
