Canon

As with tie-in materials related to Star Trek, Star Wars, and other prolific sci-fi/fantasy franchises, most Buffyverse fans (and the show's creators themselves) acknowledge the Buffy and Angel TV episodes as absolute canon. This has since been extended to include the Season Eight comic series, as well as Angel: After the Fall and it's spin-off.

Canonical comics

 * Tales of the Slayers and Tales of the Vampires
 * These anthology series are usually accepted as canon. They were written by writers of the Buffy and Angel television shows. Joss Whedon told a number of tales for these comic series. Other writers include Amber Benson, Ben Edlund, Jane Espenson, David Fury, Drew Goddard, Doug Petrie, and Rebecca Rand Kirshner.


 * Fray
 * This eight-part comic series written by Whedon is also largely accepted as a canonical work. The story is about a vampire slayer of the future named Melaka Fray and her discovery of what being a slayer means. In the Buffyverse, it seems that a powerful scythe used by Buffy will be found in centuries to come by Melaka. Whedon has also written an Angel comic book mini-series, Long Night's Journey.


 * The Origin
 * A four-part comic series written by Christopher Golden and Dan Brereton had its canonicity affirmed by Whedon who stated: "The origin comic, though I have issues with it, CAN pretty much be accepted as canonical. They did a cool job of combining the movie script (the SCRIPT) with the series, that was nice, and using the series Merrick."

Several of the comics have been written by the scriptwriters of Mutant Enemy Productions, and do not often contradict any information from the Buffyverse canon. Some fans argue that any/all of these might also be considered canon. For example:
 * Jane Espenson has written a number of Buffy comics, including the graphic novel Haunted and the one-shots Jonathan, and Reunion.


 * Doug Petrie wrote Ring of Fire. He also wrote Double Cross, and Bad Dog, two stories found in the collection Food Chain.


 * Paint the Town Red from Spike & Dru was co-authored by Spike actor James Marsters.''


 * Willow & Tara was co-authored by Tara actor Amber Benson.''

Confirmed Non-canon
The main trouble with Buffyverse canon arises in tie-in materials where neither the author nor Whedon has taken an offical stance. However, a select few works have been confirmed as non-canonical.


 * Cursed Confirmed in a historian's note
 * Wicked Willow: The Darkening
 * Wicked Willow: Shattered Twilight
 * Wicked Willow: Broken Sunrise The Wicked Willow Trilogy is an alternate reality series, and is stated as such from the get-go