Buffy Summers might be the Slayer, the only one in her generation with the power to face vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness, but that doesn’t mean she has to save the world alone. In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the eponymous heroine breaks from tradition by sharing the truth of her destiny with her friends, many of whom end up gaining supernatural powers themselves. Together, they dub themselves the Scooby Gang, or Scoobies, with their numbers shrinking and growing over Buffy‘s seven seasons, as old friends are lost and new ones are made.
But how do the Scoobies fare against each other when it comes to their skill levels? Before we figure that out, some ground rules need to be established. As the gang is not a formal club but just a loosely assembled friendship group, it can be hard to determine who counts as an official Scooby or not. As such, only the show’s main cast members will be considered. Similarly, several Scoobies went on to appear in spin-off series Angel, but for this ranking, only their tenures on Buffy are relevant. With that out the way, here are all 12 Scoobies, ranked from least to most skilled.
12
Cordelia Chase Was Always a Reluctant Scooby
On Angel, Cordelia Chase had a very literal glow-up, as she not just gained psychic visions but eventually became a full-on Higher Being (essentially an angel). If that version of Cordy was factored in, she would come much higher, but as it is, the younger Cordelia has to bring up the rear of this ranking.
Cordelia was always a reluctant Scooby, and essentially became friends with Buffy and company against her will, so she wasn’t the most adept when it came to demon-hunting. That said, when the pressure was on, Cordy managed to impress. In Season 3’s “The Prom,” for instance, she didn’t let being hunted down by vamps stop her from reaching her Senior Prom.
11
Dawn Summers Had Mystical Origins but No Superpowers
You might think that Dawn’s mystical origins as an orb of multidimensional energy would mean she comes with some neat superpowers. However, when those monks turned her into a human, they did their job well, as Dawn is functionally just a regular human teenager. In Season 7’s “Potential,” she and Xander memorably bond over being the only two normal folks in the gang.
Moreover, as Buffy is so keen to protect her little sister throughout the back-half of the show, Dawn rarely gets to prove herself in a fight or on the field. Still, Dawn certainly has the Slayer’s courage and tenacity, as the two Summers women are able to hold off Dark Willow’s Earth golems together in Season 6 finale “Grave.”
10
Oz Becomes Ferocious in His Werewolf Form
Oz may view his lycanthropy as a curse, but at least being a werewolf afforded him some useful skills. Most notably, enhanced senses, as Oz is occasionally able to detect dangers and clues the other Scoobies can’t. Likewise, when he has fully “wolfed out,” suddenly Oz becomes the most dangerous Scooby of them all. While he can’t always control himself in wolf form, Oz was able to kill Veruca before she could hurt Willow when he was transformed.
Of course, the limit of Oz’s wolf-powers is that they only last a few nights each month, and otherwise he is a regular human. Similarly, like Cordelia, Oz only became part of the Scoobies due to his relationship with one of the Core Four, and so is something of a layperson at demon-hunting.
9
Tara Maclay Was a Talented, if Pacifistic, Witch
It took a while for Tara to be fully accepted as a Scooby, due to her secretive and shy nature, but she eventually came to be considered part of their found family. Even once she became a fully-fledged member, though, Tara was never necessarily the most skilled at slaying due to her pacifism. She is only known to have a single kill — the demon biker, Razor, from Season 6’s “Bargaining.”
Still, Tara aided the gang in other ways beyond combat. She combined her magical power with Willow’s on numerous occasions and Tara’s unique aura-reading ability came in handy, too. And if emotional maturity and compassion count as skills, she had those in spades.
8
Anya Jenkins Was a 1000-Year-Old Former Demon
In her Vengeance Demon form, Anya may arguably be the most powerful main character on Buffy, as she literally creates a whole new reality when she grants someone’s wish. What’s more, though this is not confirmed, Anya may have just as bloody a history as Angel and Spike, as seen when Demon Anya massacres a frat house in Season 7’s “Selfless.”
That said. Anya is only ever a human when she is part of the Scoobies and therefore no longer has her powers. Still, her 1000-year lifespan means she is the oldest on the team and the occult knowledge she had acquired over that time occasionally outshone Giles’ own.
7
Xander Harris Averted the Apocalypse Single-Handed
Some of Xander’s more toxic character traits may make him divisive, but whatever the fandom’s feelings about him, it can’t be denied that Xander earned his place as one of the Core Four Scoobies. He was once described as the gang’s heart, and the importance of that was demonstrated when he managed to talk Dark Willow down from ending the world. That makes him one of the few characters not called Buffy Summers to single-handedly avert an apocalypse.
For a while, Xander also had the tactical and military knowledge of a soldier (thanks to a Halloween costume turned real — don’t ask), which proved key to the battle against the Mayor in Season 3’s “Graduation Day.” Plus, when it comes to his slaying abilities, Xander has an on-screen kill count of 15, which is none too shabby.
6
Riley Finn Was a Demon-Hunting Super-Soldier
Similar to Xander, Riley is another Scooby who might not always be the most popular with fans, but he is certainly one of the most skilled on the team. In Riley’s case, he is a trained operative for the Initiative, and so is easily one of the strongest combatants on the Scoobies’ roster outside of Buffy herself. What’s more, it’s ultimately revealed that Dr. Maggie Walsh dosed him with performance-enhancing drugs, meaning that he possessed super-strength until he stopped taking them.
With his military precision, expert marksmanship, and weapons mastery, Riley really was the perfect soldier, if not always the perfect boyfriend. Even after Riley left Sunnydale, he continued fighting the good fight and embarked on demon-hunting missions for the U.S. military, alongside his wife, Samantha.
5
Rupert Giles’ Intellect and Expertise Was Invaluable
As Buffy’s Watcher, Giles is the Scooby Gang’s greatest resource when it comes to occult knowledge, and his ability to dig up some salient information about their latest enemy just in the nick of time saved the day on numerous occasions. He didn’t seem to possess much in the way of natural magical power, but Giles certainly had a knack for wielding it; he even managed to hold Dark Willow at bay with some borrowed magic in Season 6’s “Two to Go.”
Combat, on the other hand, was definitely not Giles’ forte, as most fight scenes in Buffy‘s early years would end with him knocked unconscious. Still, thanks to expertise in demonology and his exceptional training of Buffy, Giles proved time and time again that brain beats brawn.
4
Spike Was Integral to the Battle at the Hellmouth
Like a certain other redeemed vampire in Buffy’s life, Spike has skills both as a villain and a hero. Before he fell for Buffy, Spike was renowned as one of the world’s most feared vampires, thanks to his status as a two-time Slayer killer. At 120 years old, Spike wasn’t particularly ancient for a vamp, but his passion and guts made him more dangerous than others.
When he became good, Spike put his enhanced strength, resilience, and agility to heroic use and helped the Scoobies avert at least three apocalypses. He ultimately proved his worth when he sacrificed himself to destroy the First’s forces — and Sunnydale along with them — in the series finale, “Chosen.”
3
Angel Is Both a Staunch Ally and a Deadly Foe
As feared as Spike was in his bad boy days, Angelus was even worse. Though he never killed a Slayer, Angelus is thought to have murdered thousands in the days before he was cursed to regain his soul. The Scoobies later found out just how wicked Angelus was when he returned in Season 2 — unlike Spike, he even had the gall to attempt to end the world by resurrecting the demon Acathla, and was very nearly successful.
Angel, meanwhile, makes for a highly capable ally, thanks to his excellent combat skills and enhanced vampire abilities. He was also no slouch in the intelligence department, either, as his long life and former villainy ensured he had a deep knowledge of the demon underworld. As with Cordelia, Angel became an even more accomplished hero on his own show, but this is where he ranks based on his Buffy appearances.
