One ofBuffy the Vampire Slayer’smost impactful villains happens to be the most relatable. All seven seasons of the TV show, as well as the comic book expansion seasons, prided themselves on housing villains that audiences at home could find relatable, yet one stands out.
Villains like Warren Mears, Spike, and Angelus all struck a chord with audiences on a human level, but none more so thanBuffy the Vampire Slayer’smost relevant villain: Student loan debt. In theSeason Ninecomics, Buffy is approached by a demon demanding that Buffy Summers pay off her student loans. Even worse are the circumstances that force this demon to become a debt collector.
Everything surrounding this moment feels oddly and scarily relevant to today’s economic climate, and once again, it proves how theBuffyfranchise continues to be relatable to its viewership.
…even demons and Slayers feel the economic backhand that life can offer to the average citizen.
Student Loan Debt is Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Most Relatable Monster
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine#1 and #2 by Joss Whedon, Andrew Chambliss, Georges Jeanty, Dexter Vines, Michelle Madsen, Richard Starkings, and Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight’sroadmapends with the destruction of the Seed of Wonder, the source of all magic. This halts the supernatural for not only the Scoobies, but also the average demon. Whilst adjusting to life without magic, Buffy is approached by an unnamed demon demanding she pay her student loans to end the first issue. A fight ensues to start the second, but the demon relents, pleading his case. Because of the end of magic, the now powerless demon is stranded in this dimension, forced to pick up a debt-collecting jobbecause, on Earth,“it’s expensive.”
Out of sympathy,Buffy heads to the nearest ATM and gives the demon her first payment, nearly wiping out her bank account in the process. If this issue ofBuffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nineproves anything, it is that even Slayers and demons are not immune to life’s financial hardships. Fans saw this struggle on the show, where Buffy worked dead-end jobs at the Doublemeat Palace after dropping out of UC Sunnydale. In the comics, she is still stuck working dead-end jobs as a waitress. And apparently, even demons have bills to pay.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Worst Enemy is One Everyone Can Relate To
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Speaks to the Hardships of Adulthood
The earliest seasons ofBuffy the Vampire Slayerused horror to allegorize the stress of being a teenager,with her antagonists reflecting universal feelings that the average fan could relate to.In later seasons, the older Buffy got, each allegory focused more on what it means to transition into adulthood and the everyday struggles with being an adult. One of those struggles is paying off debt, which some adults find even harder to pull off in today’s economy. Today, everything from bills to groceries is more expensive than ever. Things weren’t much better at the time of this issue’s release.
After all, in 2011, the world was two years removed from the end of the Great Recession. Today, the world is predicted to be heading toward another recession. Amidst confusion surrounding the state of student loans upon the potential end of the Department of Education, this comic and its villain are more relevant than ever. It highlights whatBuffyhas always done best: use its stories as a reflection and allegory for things people relate to. This taps intoBuffy the Vampire Slayer’sBuffyverse to highlight a real-world adult problem that many people face daily.
All issues ofBuffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nineare available now from Dark Horse Comics!
