Twilight vs Buffy: The Vampire Worlds of Meyer and Whedon by Nadya Vlassoff
Vampire
mythology has been translated and interpreted
in many varied ways throughout several different
generations. With the birth of film and television,
the facility to portray different vampire legends
and theories surrounding the mysterious bloodsuckers
has allowed many creative minds to add to the
mythology while transforming it into their own
unique visual concept. As early as the 1920s,
vampires were finding their way to the silver
screen in movies like the German made Nosferatu,
which went on to inspire the creation of even
more vampire films that are still captivating
moviegoers to this day with such hits as the Stephenie
Meyer based Twilight saga starring Robert Pattinson,
Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner. Vampires
have turned up in parodies, horror films, and
even romantic comedies and serious dramas, all
made under the common bloodsucking concept, each
one with their own unique liberties that have
expanded the mythical vampire history.
In recent years, pre Twilight, one of the most successful additions to the vampire universe in both film and TV was the massively popular Joss Whedon TV series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Originally a film starring Kristy Swanson as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the movie concept of Buffy was subsequently turned into a television series by creator Joss Whedon and aired for seven seasons between UPN and The WB. The TV series followed the heroic high school exploits of Buffy Summers, a vampire slayer played by Sarah Michelle Geller, tasked with saving the world while living a normal life among loyal mortal friends, working with her Watcher, and co-existing with a variety of good and bad vampires, including Angel and Spike, that she also relates to and even falls in love with.
Joss
Whedon was able to add his own unique layers
to the vampire mythology by infusing traditional
aspects of vampires - death by sunlight and
their aversion to holy water along with the
very well known stake to the heart – with relatable
real life drama that young teens could identify
with as they came of age. To the fans that tuned
in to Buffy each week, it was relatable drama
because not only do we often feel the isolation
that a vampire feels but we also know deep down
that there are vampires walking among us each
day, figuratively speaking.
When Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended in 2003,
many fans were left bereft with an ending to
the series that was very much open-ended. For
Buffy fans, a lot of questions weren’t answered.
Regardless of the series finale, Buffy the Vampire
Slayer was very important in offering a new,
more human view of vampires by turning them
into compassionate creatures. In many ways Buffy
the Vampire Slayer followed in the emotional
footsteps of Interview with the Vampire, which
empathized with the tortured vampire character
instead of rehashing the traditional two-dimensional
malicious fanged bloodsucker dressed in a cape.
With the
success of the Twilight saga, a new vampire
story is adding to the vampire lore. Stephenie
Meyer’s vampire world is very similar to the
Joss Whedon-verse. But the layers within Twilight,
New Moon, Eclipse and the Twilight world at
large are also very different than those within
the Buffy series.
In Twilight, the introduction of Edward Cullen and his clan follows very much in line with the idea of a reformed vampire making the personal choice to refrain from killing humans as a way of distancing themselves from the mentality of being a “vicious bloodsucker”. In the Buffy world, while Angel was “ensouled” by force after his alter ego, Angelus, angered a gypsy clan and was cursed with a soul, Spike, one of Angel’s “children” reformed by choice. The romantic notion that follows Spike’s story allowed the James Marsters character to change his nature because of his love for Buffy, the slayer. This of course went against Spike’s very nature as a vampire, a forbidden love between bitter enemies. In the Twilight series, Edward and his family do not encounter a Slayer but instead have a rivalry with the werewolf pack of the Quileute tribe. This Twilight storyline can also be found in the Underworld series as the Lycans and vampires battle for supremacy.
Deeper
into Twilight, New Moon Eclipse, and beyond,
The Cullens, as they are described in the Twilight
novels, do not share the same traits as the
vampires created by Joss Whedon. The Stephenie
Meyer vampires don’t incinerate when exposed
to the sun. Instead the Meyer Twilight vamps
become more beautiful than they were before.
The Joss Whedon universe established vampires
that follow more in line with traditional lore.
However, their physical appeal, especially in
the reformed heroes, is a quality that they
do share with the vampires in the Twilight,
New Moon, and the remainder of the Twilight
series.
The Cullens are described as being astonishingly
good-looking, each in their own individual way
from their piercing eyes to their elegant grace.
As compared to Buffy, Angel and Spike are both
good-looking in their individual ways but the
transformation from human guise to vampire facial
transformation is something that has not been
explored yet in the Twilight series. James,
the villain in the first Twilight film, managed
to transform slightly when he bit the character
Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), which slightly
touched on the subject. But the brief transformation
tease was nowhere near the same degree as the
vampires in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Perhaps
the most important difference between the Stephenie
Meyer Twilight series and Joss Whedon’s Buffy
is the absence of fear in Twilight. Bella is
not afraid of Edward’s true vampire nature,
which can be attributed to his constant human
guise. While Edward of twilight and his family
are exceptionally powerful and lithe, those
attributes only strengthen their physical appeal.
The underlying concept of their true nature
only becomes evident with James and his clan,
and to a slightly lesser degree, Jasper who
continues to struggle with his bloodlust in
Twilight and New Moon. Edward’s protectiveness
of Bella also serves as a motivator in his ability
to try and reign in his more natural impulses
of hunting and killing. Edward’s pseudo father
Carlisle is able to control his bloodlust so
well that he seems almost unaffected in any
way by Bella’s all too obvious mortality. In
the TV world of Buffy, the true nature of the
vampire is made evident in every episode since
the very essence of the show is about Buffy
being a slayer, and therefore Buffy must slay
vampires and demons. In Buffy the element of
fear was (and is) always present.
With two similar yet distinct interpretations
of vampires and their history, Joss Whedon and
Stephenie Meyer have both reshaped and remixed
the popular vampire concept and character to
create a more compassionate and human world
for them to live in. The interaction that the
vampires in both Buffy and Twilight maintain
with humans is as important as their depictions,
both physical and emotional.
For
Edward Cullen, the brooding physical appeal
is as much a draw for Bella as Angel and Spike’s
prowess and sexual appeal was alluring for Buffy.
Buffy’s relationship with Spike was much more
destructive than the relationship that Bella
has with Edward, as Meyer’s romanticized version
of a forbidden love has been tamed to a lesser
degree. This could be due in part to the series’
large youth audience, although Edward is not
entirely perfect in his portrayal of the tortured
heartthrob. With millions of fans worldwide,
the Stephanie Meyer vampire saga has clearly
been embraced with open arms and not met with
much resistance. For fans of the Buffy franchise,
their heroes, Spike and Angel, will forever
be seen as desperados who went against their
very vampire nature to protect the woman they
both loved. The notion is romantic, yes, but
what vampire story would be complete without
it?
With the New Moon clock winding down toward the first day of filming on March 23, Twilight fans worldwide will be eagerly awaiting the next installment of the Twilight series, where Edward and his family continue their road to redemption.
So the final question remains ... Which is the better vampire universe, Twilight, New Moon and beyond or the world of Buffy? Tell us what you think.
Hi - It's clear to me that at the VERY least, Stephenie Meyer watched Buffy VERY closely, and Seasons 2-3 in particular. I can actually name 7 episodes which quite possibly influenced her - and after having read the 1st 3 Twilight books (couldn't be arsed w/the 4th), I do agree that each are dissimilar enough not to warrant legal action from Whedon. However, I think I speak for a sizable Buffy contingent when I say it's clear that given Twilight's timing ('05), and numerous context cues (particularly the whole vampire-who-doesn't-feed-on-humans-malarkey), it seems 'wrong' that an acknowledgment to Buffy doesn't seem to be on the cards from Meyer, as the genesis of her 'verse seems to be directly linked to Whedon's - far more so than any other popular vamp writer. And THAT'S what's poor, imo.
Victoria D
December 31, 2009 - 07:23
Subject: If has a fight...
Well, we need admit that Angel (Buffy, Angel) and Edward (Twilight) are vampires, are in love, are cute and smart, but if you see, they are not the same person, are different and everyone has the power of expression the opinion, but for what? I can tell for myself. I like say what I think and in my opinion Angel can kill the lovely and sissy, Edward, with eyes closed!
The girls are crazy for Edward for now, but when the Twilight saga be not over the fever go too! If you see them photos will know that Angel has an angel face, besides he is so charming!
I PREFER 100% ANGEL AND ANGELUS TEAM!!!
Lida
November 23, 2009 - 05:17
Subject: NEW MOON
Great, I can finally see New Moon and now I am too afraid. What if the movie doesn’t live up top the book?
Well, although I do enjoy Twilight and all it’s Saga’s, I strongly believe that the idea for twilight came from Buffy.
1.) Loving someone you shouldn’t
2.) Vampire’s and Wolf’s in the same show
3.) Power’s to be - Volturi
I think Stephanie just didn’t like the untouchable Buffy, and wanted her to be more vulnerable, so she created Bella.
Carolyn – Houston, TX
November 19, 2009 - 14:29
Subject: Love Buffy!!!
I absolutely loved the Buffy series and was so sad when the series ended. It was brilliant- from the cast, chemistry between the cast members, to the plot of each show. I have to say that Whedon did an amazing job drawing parallels of teenage/young adult hood problems to the problems of Buffy and her situations of falling in love with those she could not be with and having issues with finding her identity, i.e. what she wanted to do in life besides being a "slayer". I'm willing to read some of the Twlighlight books, but they have a pretty high bar to surpass if they want to impress me. And yes, I'm in the 25-29yr age range
Twilight and buffy are, in fact, almost nothing alike. Buffy the vampire slayer surely kicks twilight's a** any day of the week. If twilight is a ripoff of anything, it's a ripoff of the movie Underworld. My opinion, you can't sue :p ... Only sue-ing that should be going on is between the creator of underworld and stephanie meyers..
twilight is the best moveis even krister stwer and rob pattint and nikki reed and ashley green the cullen famliy is the best
caitlyn
June 25, 2009 - 02:37
Subject:
I don't get how people can even compare the two. Sure, they're both about vampires. Ummm, what else is similar? How can Twilight be a rip-off of Buffy when they are totally different? I just love both of them. For different reasons. And Buffy's never even popped into my head while watching/reading Twilight. Ever. Til now.
StevieAndrews
June 23, 2009 - 02:48
Subject: Buffy vs Twilight
Buffy and Angel are the stepping stones for Twilight. The only Dream of Twilight That Stephanie Meyers had was on tuesday nights at 8pm from 1997-2003. LOL I Think she ripped off Joss whedon. I like Twilight but I Love Buffy. I've watched it since it came out when i was in 3rd grade. I watched every single episode with the exception of two which i later saw. Buffy and Angel's Relationship surpasses and other Vampire/Human Relationship. Buffy had great acting as for Twilight. It's Acting was bland. Robert Pattinson is very attractive but a pretty face doesn't make a good actor. People were emotionally Attached to the characters Buffy and Angel. And their Relationship is more Realistic. As for Twilights Bella and Edward From the movies stand point the relationship was rushed a bit with the montage. I didn't feel that they were really in love. They never even say I love you to one another. I think Buffy beats Twilight anyday. Long live Buffy.
Lu
May 26, 2009 - 18:17
Subject: Bella vs. Buffy
Bella vs Buffy...no contest. Come on...three months of blank nothing because a guy breaks up with you? " I just can't function without my man... What should I do? Kill myself with a motorcycle? Go out and jump off a cliff?"
What I really don't understand is why women aren't more insulted that we are still being typecast this way. Buffy was groundbreaking as a heroine because when she faced the inevitable pain of life and love she showed that even if women are vulnerable and emotional we are also strong and can kick ass.
Lida
May 18, 2009 - 04:17
Subject: Twilight/Buffy?
I have always been a Buffy fan. And now it's Twilight. It's true saying: If you think Twilight was the best movie you've ever seen in your life, it must suck." But it is also true: "It's loving the unknown". I loved Buffy as a teen. And right now loving Twilight. I guess only 30 year old's would be on this site, because we will know about Buffy. Not all kids would know who we are talking about.
I THINK; KEEP BUFFY ALIVE, BUT LOVE EDWARD AND BELLA. I know I can't wait for the New Moon movie.
Lorelai
April 23, 2009 - 21:11
Subject: Please People
Unfortuantely I saw Twilight. I am a big fan of Buffy and was actually looking forward to Twilight coming out and being amazing. Huge let down. Buffy got weird in the last few seasons and I didn't really agree with some of the stuff that they decided to do. But the relationship between Buffy and Angel blows Edward and Bella out of the water. He walked away from her for her good. She sent him to hell to save the world. Not to mention the chemistry between them was believable as opposed to Twilight where they were awkward and out of place. I actually wanted to cry when I found out people waited in line at Wal-mart at midnight to get the Twilight DVD. Its truly sad. The books are amazing. Well written and detailed, But the movie was a huge let down.
Nikki
April 21, 2009 - 07:42
Subject: Twilight vs. Buffy
Well they are both exceptional but i would have to say twilight i mean i got so into the books that i could feel bellas emotions and that sort of thing just draws you in..... now i know there both great but my personal opinon is that twilight is the best!!!
edward&bellaforever – sydney . NS
April 20, 2009 - 16:06
Subject: TWiLiGHT RULES
kayso , i have to say twilight is waayyyy better , edward is hot and awesome & you know what as bella said in "New Moon" , a thousand words couldnt even describe him ! , in the twilight books / movie there is nothing gross about it . a teenage girl falls in love with a vampire & i fell in love with their love ; ) & edward lol . i think its stephanies profound obsessive love that intreges me & everyone else , once you read the book you can stop & your thristy for more ! or even after you watch the move , you could be dead set against it & you would watch it & have to addmit thaat it was a good movie , im only 12 years old but the twilight saga have almost completed my life all thats left to complete it is to meet robert pattinson & become a vampire i am sooo obbsessed with the twilight saga i read all the books three times & have the count down for the movies new moon & eclipse
Im only youngish and i probably fall under the whole twilight generation BUT ive been watching buffy for as long as i can remember and to mee it just seems way better than those bloody twilight books/movie
Here is my group on facebook: www.facebook.com
People who would like to see Buffy slay the crap out of Edward Cullen!
Vampire
mythology has been translated and interpreted
in many varied ways throughout several different
generations. With the birth of film and television,
the facility to portray different vampire legends
and theories surrounding the mysterious bloodsuckers
has allowed many creative minds to add to the
mythology while transforming it into their own
unique visual concept. As early as the 1920s,
vampires were finding their way to the silver
screen in movies like the German made Nosferatu,
which went on to inspire the creation of even
more vampire films that are still captivating
moviegoers to this day with such hits as the Stephenie
Meyer based Twilight saga starring Robert Pattinson,
Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner. Vampires
have turned up in parodies, horror films, and
even romantic comedies and serious dramas, all
made under the common bloodsucking concept, each
one with their own unique liberties that have
expanded the mythical vampire history.
Joss
Whedon was able to add his own unique layers
to the vampire mythology by infusing traditional
aspects of vampires - death by sunlight and
their aversion to holy water along with the
very well known stake to the heart – with relatable
real life drama that young teens could identify
with as they came of age. To the fans that tuned
in to Buffy each week, it was relatable drama
because not only do we often feel the isolation
that a vampire feels but we also know deep down
that there are vampires walking among us each
day, figuratively speaking.
With the
success of the Twilight saga, a new vampire
story is adding to the vampire lore. Stephenie
Meyer’s vampire world is very similar to the
Joss Whedon-verse. But the layers within Twilight,
New Moon, Eclipse and the Twilight world at
large are also very different than those within
the Buffy series.
Deeper
into Twilight, New Moon Eclipse, and beyond,
The Cullens, as they are described in the Twilight
novels, do not share the same traits as the
vampires created by Joss Whedon. The Stephenie
Meyer vampires don’t incinerate when exposed
to the sun. Instead the Meyer Twilight vamps
become more beautiful than they were before.
The Joss Whedon universe established vampires
that follow more in line with traditional lore.
However, their physical appeal, especially in
the reformed heroes, is a quality that they
do share with the vampires in the Twilight,
New Moon, and the remainder of the Twilight
series. 
Perhaps
the most important difference between the Stephenie
Meyer Twilight series and Joss Whedon’s Buffy
is the absence of fear in Twilight. Bella is
not afraid of Edward’s true vampire nature,
which can be attributed to his constant human
guise. While Edward of twilight and his family
are exceptionally powerful and lithe, those
attributes only strengthen their physical appeal.
The underlying concept of their true nature
only becomes evident with James and his clan,
and to a slightly lesser degree, Jasper who
continues to struggle with his bloodlust in
Twilight and New Moon. Edward’s protectiveness
of Bella also serves as a motivator in his ability
to try and reign in his more natural impulses
of hunting and killing. Edward’s pseudo father
Carlisle is able to control his bloodlust so
well that he seems almost unaffected in any
way by Bella’s all too obvious mortality. In
the TV world of Buffy, the true nature of the
vampire is made evident in every episode since
the very essence of the show is about Buffy
being a slayer, and therefore Buffy must slay
vampires and demons. In Buffy the element of
fear was (and is) always present.
For
Edward Cullen, the brooding physical appeal
is as much a draw for Bella as Angel and Spike’s
prowess and sexual appeal was alluring for Buffy.
Buffy’s relationship with Spike was much more
destructive than the relationship that Bella
has with Edward, as Meyer’s romanticized version
of a forbidden love has been tamed to a lesser
degree. This could be due in part to the series’
large youth audience, although Edward is not
entirely perfect in his portrayal of the tortured
heartthrob. With millions of fans worldwide,
the Stephanie Meyer vampire saga has clearly
been embraced with open arms and not met with
much resistance. For fans of the Buffy franchise,
their heroes, Spike and Angel, will forever
be seen as desperados who went against their
very vampire nature to protect the woman they
both loved. The notion is romantic, yes, but
what vampire story would be complete without
it?
i am sooo obbsessed with the twilight saga i read all the books three times & have the count down for the movies new moon & eclipse