Why Buffy Fans Got It Wrong About Dawn Summers

When the Buffy the Vampire Slayer fandom dislikes a character, they really dislike them, but in the case of one particular individual, they got it wrong. On the flip side, there are also Buffy fan-favorites, like everybody’s favorite mean girl, Cordelia Chase. Willow was so beloved that we didn’t see her villain arc coming despite obvious clues, while Spike was spared a season 2 death because of his popularity.

However, the last thing you want to be is a Scooby’s love interest, following the disintegration of an enduring Buffy relationship. Riley “Captain Cardboard” Finn was seen as Buffy’s blandest boyfriend after her love-for-the-ages with Angel, while Kennedy was perceived as an indisputable step down for Willow following Tara’s death. The disdain for these characters has some merit, though we could take it easier on the youngest Scooby.

Why Dawn Is Such A Hated Buffy The Vampire Slayer Character

Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) smiling in Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The season 5 premiere isn’t only famous for showcasing one of Buffy‘s worst villains, a failed portrayal of Dracula, but also a huge twist — Buffy has a little sister. Instantly, fans were more confused than curious, and even worse, annoyed.

Not only had Buffy famously been an only child up until this point, which worked for her character, but Dawn Summers gave a terrible first impression. She was a stereotypical little sister in all the worst ways possible, coming across as bratty, clingy, and an overall thorn in Buffy’s side.

While most of us relate to characters like Willow more than the titular Slayer, Buffy is our heroine, and we have spent four seasons loving her like a best friend and cheering her on as she repeatedly saves the world. Therefore, if a new character frustrates Buffy to the extent that Dawn does, she frustrates us too.

The “Buffy has a little sister” twist was not only incredibly random, but it was unnecessary. Even though Buffy season 4 was underrated in many ways, it definitely struggled to find its character dynamics following the departures of Angel and Cordelia. But by the end of the season, Spike, Anya, Tara, and yes, even Riley, had found their place in the Scooby Gang, and the chemistry was starting to gel.

Adding a new member completely threw off the vibes of the group. Furthermore, Buffy season 5 was definitively more grown-up than what had come before. The Scoobies were facing young adult problems like caring for a sick parent and leaving home for the first time; a whiny teenager begging to be “one of the gang” just didn’t fit, and everything about Dawn turned viewers off.

Dawn’s Behavior In Buffy Season 6 Is Totally Normal For A Teenage Girl

Dawn in a letterman's jacket, being held by the throat by a vampire in Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 6

Much of the hatred for Dawn spilled over into season 6. While many thought Buffy season 6 was too dark, Dawn’s very teenage storylines were an awkward juxtaposition rather than a welcome relief, with the Dawn-centric “All the Way” easily being Buffy‘s worst Halloween episode.

Yes, Dawn’s moodiness could be annoying, and her kleptomania — particularly stealing from Anya and the Magic Box — did her no favors. Nor did the ear-piercingly shrill resurgence of the “Get out, get out, GET OUT!” temper tantrum. But given the trauma of what she’d been through, her behavior was not only totally normal for a girl of her age, but frankly, restrained.

Dawn began the season having recently lost her big sister, who sacrificed herself in Dawn’s place to save the world. Almost anyone would be unable to cope, especially because Dawn is forced to interact with a funhouse mirror version of Buffy in the Buffy-bot.

Then, Dawn had only begun processing Buffy’s death when she was resurrected — out of the blue, from Dawn’s perspective, as she was not privy to the resurrection spell plan. This causes an understandable rollercoaster of emotions for the girl, which are even harder to deal with when she finds out that Buffy was pulled out of heaven, and seemingly wishes she wasn’t back on Earth with Dawn.

Given the weight of all that, Dawn could have acted out so much worse than lying about a sleepover and stealing trinkets. Her meltdown at Buffy’s party is also justified. Prior to Buffy coming back, Dawn was the central focus of the Scooby Gang, as they all teamed up to take care of her.

Now, they’ve more or less ceded this responsibility to Buffy, who isn’t really up to the task for obvious reasons. In a way, Dawn has lost her support system, so of course, she’s going to wish that nobody is able to leave her. While this is still one of the weaker season 6 storylines, the fault simply isn’t Dawn’s.

Dawn Was Underrated In Season 7

Dawn in Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode Potential

Even if Dawn didn’t deserve the hate she received, it makes sense to be frustrated by her presence in seasons 5 and 6, but she sneakily became a great character in Buffy‘s seventh and final season, and she doesn’t get nearly enough credit for that.

For someone who grew up in her sister’s shadow and has experienced debilitating feelings of isolation and neglect, Dawn showed maturity beyond her years when dozens of teenage Potentials moved into her home and occupied most of Buffy’s attention.

The most moving moment in Dawn’s Buffy season 7 arc is in “Potential,” when it’s revealed that she herself might be a potential Slayer. This is a dream come true for Dawn, who admires Buffy more than anyone else in the world and wants to be exactly like her. However, when her schoolmate Amanda turns out to be the Potential instead, Dawn quietly accepts her fate.

This results in a very sweet scene with Xander, a rare likable moment for him. With Amanda part of the team, everyone else has moved on, but Xander knows what the pain of being relegated to the background is like, and he commends Dawn for rolling with the punches, calling her “extraordinary.”

He’s not wrong, and this really points to how far she’s come. Yes, she was part of the wildly unpopular decision to kick Buffy out of her own home later in the season, but Dawn was by no means leading the charge; all of the Scoobies must share the blame on that one.

Ultimately, nobody has to like that Dawn was added to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast, but those who still hate on her can get out, get out, get — well, you get the idea.