Over seven seasons, Buffy the Vampire Slayer introduced some truly spine-tingling villains, but none were so horrifying as Glory. Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a paranormal drama series following Buffy, a teenage girl who is also the Slayer, a supernatural warrior whose sole mission is to kill vampires and demons. The show ran from 1997 to 2003 with a total of seven seasons.
Buffy's greatest villain, Glory first appeared in season 5 of the series. Originally named Glorificus, Glory is a goddess from a hell dimension who is committed to finding the Key, a magical nexus that allows her to return to the hell dimension from which she was kicked out of. During Buffy season 5, Glory goes against Buffy again and again because, as Sunnydale's Slayer, she guards the Key. Despite being a nearly insurmountable power, Glory was eventually defeated by Buffy with the help of various different spells, objects, and friends.
Why Glory Is One Of The Best Buffy The Vampire Slayer Villains
Glory is one of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's best villains because of her immense power and unique character. While Buffy's typical enemy tended to be a vampire or a low-level demon, Glory's appearance as an actual goddess proved to be a serious challenge that was almost hopeless. Buffy and her friends struggled hard against Glory's demonic powers because of their strength and reach, especially in relation to her "brain-sucking" ability. Plus, Glory's dedication to finding the Key, no matter who she hurt, made her an even bigger threat.
Aside from sheer power though, Glory is an amazing Buffy villain because of her distinct personality. Although she identifies as a literal deity from hell, her appearance is that of a regular teenage girl, similar to Buffy. In this way, Glory's intensity and force was a great antithesis to her sweet, approachable countenance. Furthermore, her personality was also similar to that of a teenager's. When she first appears on the scene in Buffy, Glory gets frustrated when she breaks her shoe and destroys an entire building. This unexpected personality makes her stand out among other bad guys.
Glory's Power Level Totally Changed Buffy The Vampire Slayer
Glory may have been an outstanding villain in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but she also broke the series in a way. As previously mentioned, Buffy's enemies were never as powerful as Glory, so once she became a main antagonist, the stakes were raised immeasurably. For the next two seasons, the showrunners had to introduce villains that were up to par, or better, than Glory such as Dark Willow and The First Evil. Overall, leaving such massive shoes to fill shows how Glory made Buffy better, but also made it harder.
In the end, Glory is one of most memorable and likable Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters. While she definitely increased the pressure on Buffy's creators to up the ante each season, she made her mark as a Big Bad Guy that had both power and personality. Plus, in a way, she increased Buffy's power as well by proving that, despite being mostly human, Buffy and the gang could take on just about everything- even a god from hell.