Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 3
Season 3 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Directly follows the overarching narrative developments of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 2.
- Faction dynamics and core character alliances shift under escalating external stakes.
- Crucial mysteries introduced previously reach key turning points and narrative reckonings.
- Sets up serialized story arcs that build directly toward the climactic season finale.
Episode Guide
Season 3 Progress Shield
Anne
Sep 29, 1998
Buffy -- living on her own in a big city -- assists a girl whose boyfriend has mysteriously vanished. Back in Sunnydale, Buffy's friends do their best to battle the forces of evil
Dead Man's Party
Oct 6, 1998
A Nigerian mask reanimates the dead, forcing Buffy to battle a horde of zombies.
Faith, Hope & Trick
Oct 13, 1998
A charismatic Slayer visits Sunnydale and wins over many of Buffy's friends. Meanwhile, two powerful vampires plot an attack.
Beauty and the Beasts
Oct 20, 1998
Oz becomes the prime suspect when a series of animal-like attacks occur in Sunnydale.
Homecoming
Nov 3, 1998
As Buffy and Cordelia vie for Homecoming Queen, a group of killers gather to participate in SlayerFest '98.
Band Candy
Nov 10, 1998
Mr Trick enlists Giles' old buddy Ethan Rayne to manufacture and distribute boxes of candy which turn the adult population into uninhibited, irresponsible teenagers to keep them ou
Revelations
Nov 17, 1998
With some help from Faith's new watcher, Buffy seeks to destroy a weapon-like glove before it falls into the hands of a demon.
Lovers Walk
Nov 24, 1998
Spike returns to Sunnydale and kidnaps Willow in hopes of creating a magic spell that will make Drusilla love him again.
The Wish
Dec 8, 1998
Cordelia's wish for a Buffy-free Sunnydale comes true, plunging her into a world where vampires have control of the town.
Amends
Dec 15, 1998
As the Christmas holiday approaches, Angel is tormented by evil apparitions who want him to eliminate Buffy.
Gingerbread
Jan 12, 1999
After discovering the corpses of two young children bearing a symbol linked to the occult, Joyce spearheads a campaign to rid Sunnydale of witches.
Helpless
Jan 19, 1999
As her birthday approaches, Buffy loses her slayer powers and must do battle with a vampire who is not only extremely powerful but also quite mad.
The Zeppo
Jan 26, 1999
Feeling useless due to his lack of supernatural powers, Xander becomes obsessed with becoming cool and falls in with a dangerous crowd. Meanwhile, the rest of the gang race to prep
Bad Girls
Feb 9, 1999
Faith convinces Buffy to live on the wild side, with fatal consequences.
Consequences
Feb 16, 1999
A homicide detective closes in on Buffy and Faith as he investigates the deputy mayor's death.
Doppelgangland
Feb 23, 1999
While casting a magic spell, Anya and Willow accidentally summon Willow's evil double from an alternate universe.
Enemies
Mar 16, 1999
As Faith attempts to seduce Angel and steal his soul, the Mayor summons a dark-magic demon to finish the job.
Choices
May 4, 1999
The Mayor takes Willow prisoner after Buffy and her friends steal away a box containing demonic energy needed for Ascension Day.
The Prom
May 11, 1999
After Angel breaks off their relationship, Buffy single-handedly battles three fearsome hell hounds so that her classmates can enjoy their senior prom.
Graduation Day (1)
May 18, 1999
In an effort to distract Buffy from the Ascension, the mayor instructs Faith to poison Angel.
Graduation Day (2)
Jul 13, 1999
On Ascension Day, Buffy and her friends prepare for the ultimate battle as they face off againstthe mayor and a horde of vampires.
Earshot
Sep 21, 1999
A mouthless demon infects Buffy with the ability to hear everyone's thoughts, but what starts out as a useful power soon turns into a curse.