In keeping with its supernatural premise and frequently high stakes, Buffy the Vampire Slayer revival has been officially announced as being in the works. A lot of that appreciation and acclaim has centered around the various surprises that were conceived by the various writers on the show.

Those twists and turns started as early as Buffy the Vampire Slayer comfort episodes. Still, they were no less compelling in their own way.

10 Angelus Murders Jenny Calendar

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Really Upped The Stakes

When it comes to Angel, he could probably have a whole list of surprising moments unto himself. For starters, the moment he consummated his relationship with Buffy and lost his soul was quite a shock. The moment he did, it was made immediately clear that Angelus would leave his mark on Sunnydale before he was done. That notion came to a head in Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 2, episode 17, "ion," when he struck at the heart of the Scooby Gang by brutally murdering Jenny Calendar to prevent his soul from being restored.

It wasn't just the murder itself that made this moment noteworthy; it was the casually cruel effort Angelus put into letting Buffy and her friends know what he'd done. Staging a romantic tableau, he laid her in Giles' bed for him to find. He then watched as the news spread, reveling in his evil. Though they'd spent months being tormented by their former ally, all were unprepared for him killing one of them. And so were most audiences. As a result, the stakes were raised heading towards Buffy the Vampire Slayer's season 2 finale.

9 Oz Is A Werewolf

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Made The Scooby Gang More Eclectic

When a werewolf started stalking the woods around Sunnydale in Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 2, episode 15, "Phases," there were no shortage of suspects. That included Xander's frequent nemesis, Larry, who had been bitten recently. Few could have suspected that it was actually Oz until he woke up naked and confused in the woods. Realizing a bite from his cousin had turned him, it was an extremely amusing twist. Furthermore, it solidified another member of the Scooby Gang having a unique trait alongside a slayer, a watcher, a vampire, and a witch, leaving only Xander as the quintessential human.

8 Kendra's Arrival

Slayer Lore Deepened In Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 2

When the mysterious Kendra first emerged, she appeared to be part of the Order of Taraka, a group of villains that should return for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer revival. After stalking Buffy and incapacitating Angel, however, it's revealed that she is actually another slayer. With Buffy having temporarily died in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 1 finale, Kendra was called up. It blew everything we knew about Slayer lore wide open and, though she was short-lived, Kendra served as a fitting counterpoint to Buffy herself. Kendra also paved the way for Faith, who would come with some shocks of her own.

7 Buffy Has To Kill Angel

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 2 Had A Heartbreaking Finale

Few TV finales have hit as hard as Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 2, episode 22, "Becoming, Part 2" did for fans. Operating at his most evil, Angelus sought to drag the entire world into a Hell dimension. In order to stop him, Willow decided to try and restore his soul while Buffy went to tackle the threat head on. In order to maximize their chances of success, Willow tried to get word to Buffy that she should stall Angel. Unfortunately, the problematic Buffy character that is Xander Harris neglected to relay the message for ignoble reasons.

As a result, Buffy fought at her fullest, even when all seemed lost, and she eventually got the drop on her former love. Sadly, just as she was about to land the final blow, Willow's spell worked and Angel's soul was restored. Ever sadder still, before they could fully get reacquainted and celebrate that fact, Buffy realized that the portal had already been opened. With no other choice, Buffy saved the world by sacrificing Angel to the aforementioned Hell dimension. It was the kind of emotionally resonant (and devastating) storytelling that helped cement Buffy the Vampire Slayer's iconic status.

6 Tara's Death And Willow's Dark Turn

The Big Bad Was More Personal In Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 6

In of dark turns, Faith's siding with The Mayor in Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 3 deserves an honorable mention. In of impact and personal stakes, however, nothing could top Willow's grief-stricken turn to the dark side. The turn came at the end of Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 19, "Seeing Red," when Warren Mears shot and killed Willow's girlfriend, Tara. Unable to bring her back to life as she did Buffy, Willow instead chose vengeance and violence. The bulk of those two things were directed at Warren, whom she ultimately flayed to death.

Watching her engage in some particularly gruesome acts of torture and violence was a far cry from the Willow that fans had fallen in love with several seasons before.

Though Dark Willow was teased as early as Season 2, it was extremely subtle, as were the subsequent hints in Buffy the Vampire Slayer seasons 4 and 5. As a result, it was a shocking turn of events when they actually unfurled in the final episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6. Watching her engage in some particularly gruesome acts of torture and violence was a far cry from the Willow that fans had fallen in love with seasons before. It emphasized that the show wouldn't always play things safe, even if it was too much for some.

5 All The Potential Slayers Are Activated

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 7 Evened The Playing Field

For many of the episodes, Buffy and her allies often remained on the back foot when dealing with The First Evil in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 7. With an army of forces, including Bringers and pure vampires known as Turok-Han, it was often a question of how The Scooby Gang and the potential slayers would overcome the odds. The answer came in a surprising fashion when Willow used magic to turn every potential into a full-fledged slayer, not just in Sunnydale but around the world. It was a powerful, game-changing moment that still resonates, factoring into the comics and maybe the revival.

4 Spike Gets His Soul Back

The Rug Was Pulled In Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 6

After the out-of-character events that took place during Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6, episode 19, "Seeing Red," it seemed as though Spike was doubling down on being evil again. His general attitude and the nature of his dialogue suggested he was once more looking to return to his former, bloodthirsty glory. That made it all the more shocking when the final words of Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6 revealed that what he'd been fighting for was to have his soul restored. It was a huge swerve that really set the stage for a fascinating character study in a more thematically interesting season 7.

3 Buffy Sacrifices Herself

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 5 Went Out On A Painful Note

Fans were no strangers to Buffy dying after the events of Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 1, but nobody expected it to come around again, and in quite the way it did in season 5. Throughout the acclaimed run of episodes, the Scooby Gang battled the powerful Buffy the Vampire Slayer villain Glory. Unable to prevent the ritual that would allow Glory to return home, and also doom the world, Buffy was left with no choice. She threw herself from the tower to be struck by the surrounding mystical energy and fell to her death, much to the despair of her found family.

Over 91 different slayers have been introduced and explored in the expanded Buffy the Vampire Slayer canon.

It was another moment that was subtly teased with The First Slayer's message of "death is your gift," but the exact meaning of that phrase was a gut punch when first experienced. Equally, though it was expected by most that Buffy would return for Buffy The Vampire Slayer season 6, ending with a shot of her grave was a tragic and shocking exclamation to an already heartbreaking season. It also set the stage for what was to come, with the full ramifications of Buffy's death being explored in Buffy the Vampire Slayer's highly-rated musical episode and further beyond.

2 Dawn's Introduction

Things Were Turned On Their Head After Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 4

Few things in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer canon were as surprising as the arrival of Dawn in the season 5 premiere. Throughout the first four seasons, Buffy was an only child. As such, the introduction of a younger sister threw every single fan for a loop. Of course, it was revealed that Dawn was much more, but the fact remained. Buffy had a sister and a whole host of new dynamics were folded into the show. It was a bold move that most series wouldn't dare even contemplate, but which Buffy the Vampire Slayer handled with style and aplomb.

1 Buffy Finding Her Mom's Body

The Moment Was As Shocking As It Was Heartbreaking

Unlike how Dawn's arrival was foreshadowed in "Restless", the death of Buffy's mother, Joyce, was a complete blindside. Coming at the end of a fun and seemingly standalone episode, Buffy finding her body has remained one of the most haunting moments in television history. Equally, it led to one of the most poignant hours of television via Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 5, episode 16, "The Body." It was a true Superman moment, showing Buffy that superpowers can't prevent every tragedy and showing fans that Season 5 was a whole different beast compared to past Buffy the Vampire Slayer seasons.