Scooby Gang

The Scooby Gang, or "Scoobies," was the core group formed after the arrival of Buffy Summers to Sunnydale in order to battle the supernatural forces of evil and assist Buffy in her duties as the Slayer.

The Scooby Gang usually took an unimpressed, flippant attitude towards extraordinary events and supernatural occurrences. Originally a group of teenage friends attending Sunnydale High in a town built on top of a Hellmouth, the group gradually expanded, eventually merging with the Watchers Council to become a global organization, dealing with demonic threats worldwide and training thousands of Slayers. In the beginning, Buffy often had to protect her friends from monsters, but over the course of the series most of them gained superpowers and fighting skills of their own, with Xander the only notable member with no mystical abilities or connection to the supernatural. Because of the show's strong themes of female empowerment, the most powerful members of the team are often female (Buffy and Willow), while the men play passive roles such as that of father-figure (Giles) and supportive best friend (Xander). Also, in keeping with the show's themes of redemption and moral ambiguity, many of the Scoobies have at some point in their lives been evil and even murdered people before, but are now fighting on the side of good.

"Why do demons even come here any more? I mean, don't they know..."

- Willow

The group was also sometimes referred to as the "Slayerettes." Both Willow and Spike used the term on different occasions. In fact, this name served as the semi-official name for the group until Xander coined their true name while they were all on the run from the Order of Taraka.

Scooby Gang Members (In chronological order)


 * Buffy Summers — As the Slayer, Buffy possessed enhanced abilities which enable her to battle the forces of darkness. She was the focal point of the Scooby Gang, as the team initially formed around her responsibilities as the Chosen One, and she was very close to most of its members. Buffy was often reluctant to accept her destiny and leadership position, but was forced to train her fellow Slayers in the fight against evil.


 * Rupert Giles — Originally Buffy's Watcher, Giles acts as a father-figure and mentor to most of the other Scoobies. Giles was a founding member of the team, before returning to England so that Buffy will take responsibility for her own life. He returns to the Scoobies on several occasions in times of need, and later took control of his own squad of Slayers; since his death, Angel, his unwitting murderer, has taken to finding ways to resurrect him with the reluctant assistance of Giles' former partner, Slayer Faith Lehane.


 * Xander Harris — The most consistent, long-term, and reliable member of the Scoobies, the wise-cracking Xander was notable for being one of the few characters in the show with no "superpowers." Instead, his insight, compassion, and support was how he helps his friends in the battle against evil; for example, bringing Willow back from the brink of darkness with his unconditional love. Xander also possesses some knowledge of military combat and weapons after being turned into a real soldier in a Halloween episode. Xander was notable for being the only Scooby that remained consistently on the team; Giles returned to England for a time, Buffy was in Los Angeles for a summer and was dead for a time, and Willow went to England to recuperate.


 * Willow Rosenberg — Willow's abilities as a witch make her the most powerful member of the Scooby Gang. Willow has taken lead of the Gang twice; during the summer when Buffy ran away to Los Angeles, and then again when she died. Willow frequently struggles to control her own immense power, but is responsible for magically activating all of the Potential Slayers in the world.


 * Angel — Buffy's vampire lover, Angel rarely socializes with the other Scoobies, contacting them only when necessary, and largely only meets up with Buffy and Willow outside of combat situations. His relationship with the group is strained when he turns evil and murders Giles' girlfriend, Jenny Calendar, and he eventually leaves for Los Angeles where he and Cordelia form their own group, Angel Investigations. Angel becomes a "Champion" after leaving Buffy in Sunnydale, and follows his own path away from her.


 * Cordelia Chase — A snobby cheerleader at Sunnydale High, Cordelia looked down on the Scoobies, who she considered unpopular and therefore beneath her. However, she often finds herself in perilous situations and relies on Buffy to save her. Cordelia became Xander's girlfriend and an official member of the Scooby Gang, until she leaves for Los Angeles and joins Angel Investigations until her demise.


 * Oz — A member of the gang and romantic interest of Willow. Oz is a werewolf and also the guitarist of Dingoes Ate My Baby and a student both at Sunnydale High and UC Sunnydale. He is very intelligent and deep, but is known for his trademark stoicism. He is a valuable member of the team, until leaving to learn to control his werewolf attributes.


 * Faith Lehane - A troubled Slayer, and often referred to as the "Rogue Slayer," Faith, called as a Slayer after the death of Kendra Young who was called when Buffy died a momentary death, is considered to be the anti-Buffy. She arrives in Sunnydale after her Watcher is killed and works as an ally for the Scooby Gang until she accidentally kills a man, leading her to join up with Mayor Richard Wilkins. After waking up from a coma that Buffy put her in, and causing trouble for Buffy again, she flees to Los Angeles, where she is helped by Angel and turns herself in to the police. Years later, Faith breaks out of jail to assist Angel and decides to work towards an active redemption instead of a passive one. Shortly after, she rejoins the Scoobies and temporarily takes control of the gang and the Potential Slayers. After the activation of all of the Potential Slayers around the world, Faith partners with Giles to either defeat or rehabilitate Slayers going down the wrong path. After his death, Faith moved to his home in London and has partnered with Angel.


 * Anya Jenkins — A 1120 plus year old ex vengeance demon who becomes mortal and falls in love with human Xander. Anya struggles to understand human conventions and often offends people, usually because of her frank honesty and literal approach to speech, but most of the time she doesn't notice she is insulting them. Initially very selfish, she eventually comes to respect humans and proves her loyalty to the team on many occasions.


 * Riley Finn — Buffy's college boyfriend, Riley was a soldier for the government demon-hunting operation The Initiative. When he learns that the institute he was working for was corrupt, Riley joins the Scoobies instead. While on good terms with Buffy's friends, his relationship with Buffy disintegrates and he leaves her and Sunnydale to join another army unit.


 * Tara Maclay — Willow's girlfriend and long-time lover. Tara, though she doesn't have the same skill as Willow, is a very powerful yet timid witch. Initially very shy, Tara comes to open up to the Scoobies and eventually becomes a member herself. She forms a special confidante-like relationship with Buffy, and finds a kindred spirit at times with Anya who was also dating a member of the four "core Scoobies." According to Giles, she became the heart of the group before her untimely death.


 * Spike — Formerly an enemy of the Scoobies, this vampire switches sides when a microchip is implanted in his brain by the Initiative which prevents him from harming humans. This left him fighting non-humans as the only other alternative left, and ultimately proves himself as a strong asset for the team in their quest for protecting humanity. Spike eventually falls in love with Buffy and becomes a true hero, seeking out his soul in order to prove his worth. Despite all of this, the other Scoobies' opinions of him vary; Buffy, Dawn, and Willow are more friendly towards him and treat him civilly; Xander and Giles are openly hostile towards him outside of combat situations (and vice versa); and all remain somewhat wary of him. After his heroic death at the Battle at the Hellmouth, Spike is ressurected months later and joins Angel's team in Los Angeles, becoming a Champion in his own right and later going his own way.


 * Dawn Summers — Buffy's younger sister, Dawn was actually the mystical Key, a giant mass of energy with the power to open the doors to the multiple dimensions in the universe. She was given human form by the monks of Dagon, magically made from Buffy herself and then was embedded into the Slayer's life, with false memories fabricated for herself and everyone in her life so that her true identity would be hidden. Dawn suffers from abandonment issues because of her traumatic life. However, she considers the Scooby Gang to be her surrogate family, and is very close to them. During the battle with the First Evil, with the temporary absence of both Willow and Giles, a matured Dawn, being referred to as "junior Watcher gal," takes to being the research expert as well as the multi-linguist.


 * Andrew Wells — Another former villain, Andrew is an immature nerd who the Scoobies held hostage in Buffy's house during the battle with the First Evil. He soon shows remorse for his past crimes, and tries to join the team, but the other Scoobies find him irritating, and often mock him. After surviving the Hellmouth battle, Andrew trained to be a Watcher and lead a group of Slayers in Italy. During a mission, Buffy confirmed his status as one of the Scoobies. Andrew also relocated to San Francisco along with the other Scoobies after the disbandment of the Slayer Organization.

Relationship/Comparison with Angel Investigations
The Scooby Gang has a rather confusing relationship with their Los Angeles counterparts, the Angel Investigations team (despite Angel Investigations being essentially a splinter organization that was formed by Angel and Cordelia after they left the Scoobies to operate independently), in addition to numerous similarities. They have similar goals and morals, though the members of A.I. are more willing to kill evil humans if they are certain the situation requires it (such as Angel killing blind assassin Vanessa Brewer who Wolfram and Hart reguraly prevented from being brought to justice) while the Scoobies prefer to leave their human enemies alive to face human justice for their crimes (such as Buffy's reasons for wanting to spare Warren Mears after he unintentionally killed Tara Maclay, although she unhesitatingly kills Caleb, presumably as he's too powerful to stop any other way and his physical strength suggesting that he no longer qualified as pure human any more, and Buffy has killed a few other (mostly superpowered) human enemies); during "Sanctuary", Angel actually briefly fought with Buffy when she came to Los Angeles over their differing opinions regarding Faith, Buffy wanting Faith to be punished for her actions and Angel arguing that she deserved a chance at redemption, though both sides were somewhat satisfied when Faith willingly turned herself in to the L.A.P.D. Additionally, A.I. regularly employs the usage of firearms, while the Scoobies have a strong distaste for them, Buffy herself having even forbidden her teammates from using them.

While the Scooby Gang was somewhat mystically superior to Angel Investigations thanks to Willow's magical talent, Angel Investigations tended to have superior fighters; the Scoobies' knowledge of combat tended to focus simply on basic punches and kicks while trying to stake vampires, leaving more complicated opponents to Buffy- to the point that they were forced to activate the Buffybot to make any kind of impact on the city's vampire population after Buffy's death-, while Angel Investigations' members were all capable fighters even if Angel remains their primary combatant when facing their more powerful enemies, Cordelia and Fred receiving training while all other members possessed varying degrees of combat skills before joining the team (Although Lorne preferred not to fight, his culture makes it clear that he would received some lessons).

While the Scoobies tend to handle the more large-scale, immediate enemies, with their traditional 'Big Bads' representing immediate threats to the world as a whole- save in the case of The Trio, who were primarily comically dangerous rather than genuinely malevolent-, Angel Investigations's enemies are traditionally more patient, long-term planners, Wolfram & Hart constantly subtly attempting to subvert and corrupt Angel due to his prophecised role in the Apocalypse and the entity known as Jasmine having apparently planned for years to manipulate the team into a position where she could be reborn. A.I. is also somewhat more organized than the Scooby Gang as they are guided by the Powers That Be and people who contact them directly about supernatural problems, where the Scooby Gang become aware of their latest threats due to Buffy discovering something while patrolling, Giles reading up on prophecies, or 'Big Bads' looking to kill the Slayer. Another difference between the two groups is that Angel Investigations deals with a lot of evil human enemies, mostly Wolfram and Hart employees, while the Scoobies enemies are primarily demons and vampires. The only real human enemies the Scoobies have is The Trio and Caleb. Additionally, while the members of the Scooby Gang are entirely human (with the exceptions of Angel and Spike), the demon members of Angel Investigations actually outnumber the humans.

Another key difference between the Scoobies and A.I. is the exact way their groups operate. While Angel Investigations operates as a private detective agency, publicly offering their services to others and thus granting themselves a semi-legal reason for their actions, the Scoobies largely remain underground as a vigilante force, with few people besides their closest friends and family members even knowing of their existence. Another key difference is how others view them as of recent events: while the Angel Investigations staff are hailed as celebrities and heroes for their actions in the Fall of Los Angeles, the Scooby Gang is viewed and denounced as a terrorist group by the world at large as a result of the anti-Slayer movement.

It is often implied that the Scoobies and Angel Investigations have met each other on occasion off-screen. Fred calls Willow for help against Angelus and Willow was aware of Connor's existence and relation to Angel before meeting him in that same episode. Additionally, Buffy knew where the original Angel Investigations offices were located and went to confront him there, whereas Willow visited the Hyperion Hotel to inform Angel of Buffy's death; in "Blind Date", Cordelia also called Willow for advice and tips when attempting to hack encrypted computer files that Angel had stolen from Wolfram & Hart. It is known, however, that the two groups regularly keep in contact.

In addition, several Expanded Universe materials, most notably Monster Island, depict the Scooby Gang and Angel Investigations teaming up to take down a greater common foe (In Monster Island, for example, the group fought a demon army lead by Axtius, the father of former Angel Investigations member Doyle.

The Core Four

 * Buffy Summers
 * Xander Harris
 * Willow Rosenberg
 * Rupert Giles

Other Members

 * Cordelia Chase (joined after being saved from mutilation )
 * Oz (joined after witnessing a vampire staked in front of his eyes)
 * Anya Jenkins (joined when she started to date Xander)
 * Riley Finn (joined after he found out the institute he was working for was corrupt)
 * Tara Maclay (joined after she started dating Willow at college)
 * Dawn Summers (joined around the time of her mother's death)

Allies

 * Angel (intermittent; role consisted mainly of dropping in to give Buffy advice on the current crisis)
 * Jenny Calendar (joined when helping Giles and The Scoobie to defeat the demon Moloch)
 * Kendra Young (assisted them when she was in Sunnydale)
 * Faith Lehane (joined the group, but betrayed them to work for the Mayor but soon returned to the good side while fighting The First Evil)
 * Joyce Summers (joined after she learned the truth about Buffy being a Slayer)
 * Wesley Wyndam-Pryce (officially Buffy's Watcher for a while)
 * The Class of '99 (during the fight against The Mayor at Graduation)
 * Spike (reluctantly and unreliably)
 * Robin Wood (during the fight against The First Evil)
 * Andrew Wells (during the fight against The First Evil)
 * The ever-increasing number of Potential Slayers (during the fight against the First)


 * Satsu (Scotland, later Tokyo)
 * Vi (New York)
 * Rona (Chicago)
 * Kennedy (Brazil, later New York)
 * Renee (Scotland, until she is killed in Wolves at the Gate)
 * Rowena (Scotland)
 * Leah (Scotland)
 * Eldre Koh
 * Robert Dowling
 * Billy Lane

Headquarters
Along with variations in the team roster, the place which serves as a sort of "headquarters" for the Scooby Gang changed a few times over the years. The most notable of these headquarters, before its explosion, was the Sunnydale High School library. Other locales included Rupert Giles's apartment, The Magic Box, and the Summers' residence. However, the Scoobies spread across the world, with Buffy and Xander maintaining a "command center" in Scotland.

Headquarters
Along with variations in the team roster, the place which serves as a sort of "headquarters" for the Scooby Gang changed a few times over the years. The most notable of these headquarters, before its explosion, was the Sunnydale High School library. Other locales included Rupert Giles's apartment, The Magic Box, and the Summers' residence. However, the Scoobies spread across the world, with Buffy and Xander maintaining a "command center" in Scotland.
 * 1997-1999: Sunnydale High School / Sunnydale High School library
 * 1999-2000:  Rupert Giles's apartment / UC Sunnydale
 * 2000-2002: The Magic Box / Summers' residence
 * 2002-2003: Summers' residence
 * 2005-: Scotland command center

Behind the Scenes
The group was first referred to as the Scooby Gang by Xander Harris in the Season Two episode "What's My Line, Part One", as a reference to the group of ghost-hunting teenagers from the cartoon Scooby-Doo. Occasionally Willow wore Scooby-Doo t-shirts and used a Scooby-Doo lunch box.  Willow Scooby Doo Shirt.jpg|Willow wearing a Scooby-Doo t-shirt in "School Hard". scoobydoo Willow shirt.jpg Willow Scooby lunch box.png|Willow using a Scooby-Doo lunch box in "Beauty and the Beasts".