Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Independence and Adulthood

By Connor Watts

Author’s note: This article contains spoilers for all seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

As a child, and even as a teenager, I was scared of growing up. I didn’t know what “being an adult” entailed—but I thought it meant grudgingly carrying out responsibilities, such as working in a dissatisfying job, paying bills, and, maybe, raising children th…