{ WORLDS OUT OF BALANCE } Fanlisting for Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 4

Characters

A brief guide to the characters of season four. I've tried to give a bit of background on each character and a very short introduction to what they do during the season. Also, each actor's name is linked to his or her IMDb profile in case you'd like to know more about them. :)

Regular Characters

They're the regular cast for the whole season, and they all appear in every episode.

Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar)
Chosen as the Slayer when she was 15 and living in LA, Buffy moved to Sunnydale with her mom at age 16. She did her last three years of high school at Sunnydale High, where she saved the world a few times and killed many vampires. At the beginning of season four she is starting at the University of California, Sunnydale. Having broken up with her vampire boyfriend Angel at the end of high school, Buffy is single for the first time in a couple of years until she starts seeing Riley Finn.

Xander Harris (Nicholas Brendon)
Unlike his friends Buffy and Willow, Xander is not starting at university this year. After taking a road trip over the summer, he comes home to find that his parents now want him to live in the basement and pay rent, so he starts on a series of odd jobs. He also begins dating former vengeance demon Anya.

Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan)
Buffy's best friend. At the beginning of season four, Willow is starting at UC Sunnydale with Buffy and her boyfriend Oz, but Oz soon leaves town, leaving Willow very depressed for a while. Willow is learning witchcraft, and eventually she meets a fellow witch named Tara. The two become good friends, and their relationship develops into something more.

Rupert Giles (Anthony Stewart Head)
Giles was the librarian at Sunnydale High, but with the school having blown up, he finds himself unemployed at the beginning of season four. He is no longer officially Buffy's watcher (though he does continue to help her fight demons) and is at a bit of a loose end in his life.

Subtractions & Additions

Characters who are listed in the opening credits for part of the season only. They all appear in every episode they're listed as regulars for, though.

Daniel 'Oz' Osbourne (Seth Green)
A former Sunnydale High student, Oz is starting at UC Sunnydale with Buffy and his girlfriend Willow this year. He is also a werewolf. Part way through the season, he decides to leave Sunnydale to try and learn to control his wolf side after he loses control and kills another werewolf, Veruca, with whom he had cheated on Willow. He returns to Sunnydale later in the season to try and win Willow back, but leaves when he discovers that his strong feelings for her bring out the wolf in him.
Leaves Cast: 4.06 - Wild at Heart
Appears as Recurring: 4.19 - New Moon Rising, 4.22 - Restless

Spike (James Marsters)
Also known as William the Bloody, Spike is a vampire and former arch-nemesis of Buffy. He returns to Sunnydale (with his new girlfriend Harmony) in search of the Gem of Amara and, aside from a brief stay in Los Angeles, ends up staying in town permanently after he is captured by the Initiative and rendered unable to bite. He comes to the Scoobies for help in his weakened state, and interacts with them regularly throughout the season, both as an ally and an enemy.
Joins Cast: 4.07 - The Initiative
Appears as Recurring: 4.03 - The Harsh Light of Day, 4.06 - Wild at Heart

Riley Finn (Marc Blucas)
Born and raised in Iowa, Riley is first introduced as the teaching assistant for Maggie Walsh's Psych 105 class, which Buffy and Willow are enrolled in. He soon begins dating Buffy, and is also revealed to be a soldier in Walsh's secret government-funded Initiative.
Joins Cast: 4.11 - Doomed
Appears as Recurring: 4.01 - The Freshman, 4.04 - Fear, Itself, 4.05 - Beer Bad, 4.06 - Wild at Heart, 4.07 - The Initiative, 4.08 - Pangs, 4.09 - Something Blue, 4.10 - Hush

New Recurring Characters

Recurring characters, some major, some minor, but all introduced in season four.

Adam (George Hertzberg)
Adam is what's hidden behind door 314 in the Initiative labs; he is the first man/demon/machine hybrid created by Professor Walsh. His first act is to kill his "mother," and after doing so he goes on a crusade to make sure that Walsh's plans to build an army of creatures such as himself succeed.
Episodes: 4.13 - The I in Team, 4.14 - Goodbye Iowa, 4.16 - Who Are You, 4.17 - Superstar, 4.19 - New Moon Rising, 4.20 - The Yoko Factor, 4.21 - Primeval, 4.22 - Restless

Colonel McNamara (Conor O'Farrell)
The soldier who takes over the running of The Initiative after Professor Walsh's death.
Episodes: 4.19 - New Moon Rising, 4.20 - The Yoko Factor, 4.21 - Primeval

Dr. Angleman (Jack Stehlin)
An Initiative scientist who works under Professor Walsh. He is involved in the top secret project 314.
Episodes: 4.13 - The I in Team, 4.14 - Goodbye Iowa, 4.21 - Primeval

Forrest Gates (Leonard Roberts)
Forrest is probably Riley's best friend in The Initiative, and always acts as his second in command ... at least until Buffy shows up.
Episodes: 4.07 - The Initiative, 4.08 - Pangs, 4.10 - Hush, 4.11 - Doomed, 4.13 - The I in Team, 4.14 - Goodbye Iowa, 4.15 - This Year's Girl, 4.16 - Who Are You, 4.18 - Where the Wild Things Are, 4.20 - The Yoko Factor, 4.21 - Primeval

Graham Miller (Bailey Chase)
One of Riley's closest friends, and a fellow Initiative soldier.
Episodes: 4.07 - The Initiative, 4.08 - Pangs, 4.11 - Doomed, 4.13 - The I in Team, 4.14 - Goodbye Iowa, 4.15 - This Year's Girl, 4.18 - Where the Wild Things Are, 4.21 - Primeval

Kathy Newman (Dagney Kerr)
Kathy is Buffy's perky roommate at the beginning of the school year. Buffy soon becomes convinced that Kathy is far too annoying to be human, and she is correct: Kathy is a Mok'tagar demon who left her home dimension to attend university.
Episodes: 4.01 - The Freshman, 4.02 - Living Conditions

Maggie Walsh (Lindsay Crouse)
A professor of psychology at UC Sunnydale with expertise in the field of behaviour modification, Maggie Walsh is also the head of the secret military research group known as The Initiative. In this capacity, she has been working on a top secret project to develop a race of man/demon/machine hybrid warriors.
Episodes: 4.01 - The Freshman, 4.04 - Fear, Itself, 4.05 - Beer Bad, 4.06 - Wild at Heart, 4.07 - The Initiative, 4.10 - Hush, 4.12 - A New Man, 4.13 - The I in Team, 4.21 - Primeval

Olivia (Phina Oruche)
Olivia is Giles' girlfriend, who visits him occasionally from England.
Episodes: 4.01 - The Freshman, 4.10 - Hush, 4.22 - Restless

Parker Abrams (Adam Kaufman)
Parker is a student at UC Sunnydale, probably a sophomore, who meets Buffy in the cafeteria line. The two end up sleeping together, and Parker then gives Buffy the cold shoulder, leaving her depressed for a few weeks.
Episodes: 4.02 - Living Conditions, 4.03 - The Harsh Light of Day, 4.04 - Fear, Itself, 4.05 - Beer Bad, 4.07 - The Initiative

Tara Maclay (Amber Benson)
A shy UC Sunnydale student who meets Willow through the campus Wicca group, Tara is a witch who becomes Willow's close friend, partner in magic, and eventually her lover.
Episodes: 4.10 - Hush, 4.12 - A New Man, 4.13 - The I in Team, 4.14 - Goodbye Iowa, 4.15 - This Year's Girl, 4.16 - Who Are You, 4.17 - Superstar, 4.18 - Where the Wild Things Are, 4.19 - New Moon Rising, 4.20 - The Yoko Factor, 4.21 - Primeval, 4.22 - Restless

Veruca (Paige Moss)
A singer in a local band called Shy, Veruca is also a werewolf. Sensing the wolf in Oz, she is drawn to him and tries to convince him to let his wolf side run free.
Episodes: 4.02 - Living Conditions, 4.05 - Beer Bad, 4.06 - Wild at Heart

Old Recurring Characters

Characters introduced in previous seasons who show up in season four, with varying degrees of impact. One of them (Angel) is a former regular cast member.

Amy Madison (Elizabeth Anne Allen)
Amy is a former Sunnydale High student. She is also a witch, and she turned herself into a rat part way through season three. She spends most of season four living in a cage in Buffy and Willow's dorm room.
Episodes: 4.09 - Something Blue

Angel (David Boreanaz)
Buffy's former boyfriend. Angel, the vampire with a soul, broke up with Buffy and moved to Los Angeles at the end of Buffy season three. He does his own evil-fighting in LA, but returns to Sunnydale occasionally during season four to check up on Buffy, whom he still loves.
Episodes: 4.08 - Pangs, 4.20 - The Yoko Factor

Anya (Emma Caulfield)
Anya first appeared in season three as the vengeance demon who granted Cordelia's wish that Buffy had never come to Sunnydale. After that, however, she was stripped of her powers and forced to live on in Sunnydale as a mortal. She went to the prom with Xander, but left town soon after out of fear of what might happen if the Mayor's ascension was successful. She returns to Sunnydale in season four to pursue a relationship with Xander.
Episodes: 4.03 - The Harsh Light of Day, 4.04 - Fear, Itself, 4.08 - Pangs, 4.09 - Something Blue, 4.10 - Hush, 4.12 - A New Man, 4.13 - The I in Team, 4.14 - Goodbye Iowa, 4.16 - Who Are You, 4.17 - Superstar, 4.18 - Where the Wild Things Are, 4.19 - New Moon Rising, 4.20 - The Yoko Factor, 4.21 - Primeval, 4.22 - Restless

D'Hoffryn (Andy Umberger)
Anya's former boss from her days as a vengeance demon who refused to give her her powers back after she lost them in season three. D'Hoffryn is capable of granting humans the power of vengeance, and is always on the lookout for new recruits to his stable of demons.
Episodes: 4.09 - Something Blue

Ethan Rayne (Robin Sachs)
An old friend of Giles from Giles' "Ripper" days when he dabbled in dark magicks, Ethan is a chaos-worshipping sorcerer who likes to visit Sunnydale occasionally to cause havoc.
Episodes: 4.12 - A New Man

Faith (Eliza Dushku)
Faith is the slayer who was called to replace Kendra, the slayer who was called when Buffy died. She showed up in Sunnydale at the beginning of season three. She and Buffy were allies at first, but Faith eventually turned evil and went to work for the evil Mayor of Sunnydale. Buffy stabbed Faith during a fight, leaving her in a coma for several months. When she wakes up mid-way through season four, Faith is not happy.
Episodes: 4.15 - This Year's Girl, 4.16 - Who Are You

Harmony Kendall (Mercedes McNab)
Harmony attended Sunnydale High with Buffy, Xander, Willow, and Oz, but, unbeknownst to them, she was turned into a vampire on graduation day. It comes as a bit of a shock to the gang when Harmony shows up undead in Sunnydale at the beginning of season four with Spike as her boyfriend. She and Spike eventually break up.
Episodes: 4.03 - The Harsh Light of Day, 4.07 - The Initiative, 4.08 - Pangs, 4.22 - Restless

Jonathan Levinson (Danny Strong)
Jonathan was a student at Sunnydale High with Buffy, Xander, and Willow. The Scoobies encountered him many times during their high school careers, but were never close friends with him.
Episodes: 4.17 - Superstar

Joyce Summers (Kristine Sutherland)
Buffy's mother. With her daughter living in the college dorm, Joyce now lives alone in her Sunnydale home and is only seen occasionally.
Episodes: 4.01 - The Freshman, 4.04 - Fear, Itself, 4.15 - This Year's Girl, 4.16 - Who Are You, 4.22 - Restless

Mayor Richard Wilkins III (Harry Groener)
Buffy's arch-nemesis in season three, the Mayor of Sunnydale was in fact over 100 years old and had founded the town of Sunnydale to cater to his desire to become a demon. Although he died at the end of season three, he appears this season on a video he left for his accomplice Faith, whom he viewed almost as a daughter.
Episodes: 4.15 - This Year's Girl

Percy West (Ethan Erickson)
Percy attended Sunnydale High with Buffy, Willow, and Xander. Willow tutored him in history.
Episodes: 4.11 - Doomed

Principal Snyder (Armin Shimerman)
Unfriendly principal of Sunnydale High for most of the time Buffy was there. Snyder was eaten by the Snake Mayor at graduation.
Episodes: 4.22 - Restless

Willy the Snitch (Saverio Guerra)
Proprietor of a local demon bar. Willy is a good source of gossip from the underworld, and Buffy gets information from him from time to time.
Episodes: 4.14 - Goodbye Iowa

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	Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) Chosen as the Slayer when she was 15 and living in LA, Buffy moved to Sunnydale with her mom at age 16. She did her last three years of high school at Sunnydale High, where she saved the world a few times and killed many vampires. At the beginning of season four she is starting at the University of California, Sunnydale. Having broken up with her vampire boyfriend Angel at the end of high school, Buffy is single for the first time in a couple of years until she starts seeing Riley Finn.
	Xander Harris (Nicholas Brendon) Unlike his friends Buffy and Willow, Xander is not starting at university this year. After taking a road trip over the summer, he comes home to find that his parents now want him to live in the basement and pay rent, so he starts on a series of odd jobs. He also begins dating former vengeance demon Anya.
	Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan) Buffy's best friend. At the beginning of season four, Willow is starting at UC Sunnydale with Buffy and her boyfriend Oz, but Oz soon leaves town, leaving Willow very depressed for a while. Willow is learning witchcraft, and eventually she meets a fellow witch named Tara. The two become good friends, and their relationship develops into something more.
	Rupert Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) Giles was the librarian at Sunnydale High, but with the school having blown up, he finds himself unemployed at the beginning of season four. He is no longer officially Buffy's watcher (though he does continue to help her fight demons) and is at a bit of a loose end in his life.

	Daniel 'Oz' Osbourne (Seth Green) A former Sunnydale High student, Oz is starting at UC Sunnydale with Buffy and his girlfriend Willow this year. He is also a werewolf. Part way through the season, he decides to leave Sunnydale to try and learn to control his wolf side after he loses control and kills another werewolf, Veruca, with whom he had cheated on Willow. He returns to Sunnydale later in the season to try and win Willow back, but leaves when he discovers that his strong feelings for her bring out the wolf in him. Leaves Cast: 4.06 - Wild at Heart Appears as Recurring: 4.19 - New Moon Rising, 4.22 - Restless
	Spike (James Marsters) Also known as William the Bloody, Spike is a vampire and former arch-nemesis of Buffy. He returns to Sunnydale (with his new girlfriend Harmony) in search of the Gem of Amara and, aside from a brief stay in Los Angeles, ends up staying in town permanently after he is captured by the Initiative and rendered unable to bite. He comes to the Scoobies for help in his weakened state, and interacts with them regularly throughout the season, both as an ally and an enemy. Joins Cast: 4.07 - The Initiative Appears as Recurring: 4.03 - The Harsh Light of Day, 4.06 - Wild at Heart
	Riley Finn (Marc Blucas) Born and raised in Iowa, Riley is first introduced as the teaching assistant for Maggie Walsh's Psych 105 class, which Buffy and Willow are enrolled in. He soon begins dating Buffy, and is also revealed to be a soldier in Walsh's secret government-funded Initiative. Joins Cast: 4.11 - Doomed Appears as Recurring: 4.01 - The Freshman, 4.04 - Fear, Itself, 4.05 - Beer Bad, 4.06 - Wild at Heart, 4.07 - The Initiative, 4.08 - Pangs, 4.09 - Something Blue, 4.10 - Hush

	Adam (George Hertzberg) Adam is what's hidden behind door 314 in the Initiative labs; he is the first man/demon/machine hybrid created by Professor Walsh. His first act is to kill his "mother," and after doing so he goes on a crusade to make sure that Walsh's plans to build an army of creatures such as himself succeed. Episodes: 4.13 - The I in Team, 4.14 - Goodbye Iowa, 4.16 - Who Are You, 4.17 - Superstar, 4.19 - New Moon Rising, 4.20 - The Yoko Factor, 4.21 - Primeval, 4.22 - Restless
	Colonel McNamara (Conor O'Farrell) The soldier who takes over the running of The Initiative after Professor Walsh's death. Episodes: 4.19 - New Moon Rising, 4.20 - The Yoko Factor, 4.21 - Primeval
	Dr. Angleman (Jack Stehlin) An Initiative scientist who works under Professor Walsh. He is involved in the top secret project 314. Episodes: 4.13 - The I in Team, 4.14 - Goodbye Iowa, 4.21 - Primeval
	Forrest Gates (Leonard Roberts) Forrest is probably Riley's best friend in The Initiative, and always acts as his second in command ... at least until Buffy shows up. Episodes: 4.07 - The Initiative, 4.08 - Pangs, 4.10 - Hush, 4.11 - Doomed, 4.13 - The I in Team, 4.14 - Goodbye Iowa, 4.15 - This Year's Girl, 4.16 - Who Are You, 4.18 - Where the Wild Things Are, 4.20 - The Yoko Factor, 4.21 - Primeval
	Graham Miller (Bailey Chase) One of Riley's closest friends, and a fellow Initiative soldier. Episodes: 4.07 - The Initiative, 4.08 - Pangs, 4.11 - Doomed, 4.13 - The I in Team, 4.14 - Goodbye Iowa, 4.15 - This Year's Girl, 4.18 - Where the Wild Things Are, 4.21 - Primeval
	Kathy Newman (Dagney Kerr) Kathy is Buffy's perky roommate at the beginning of the school year. Buffy soon becomes convinced that Kathy is far too annoying to be human, and she is correct: Kathy is a Mok'tagar demon who left her home dimension to attend university. Episodes: 4.01 - The Freshman, 4.02 - Living Conditions
	Maggie Walsh (Lindsay Crouse) A professor of psychology at UC Sunnydale with expertise in the field of behaviour modification, Maggie Walsh is also the head of the secret military research group known as The Initiative. In this capacity, she has been working on a top secret project to develop a race of man/demon/machine hybrid warriors. Episodes: 4.01 - The Freshman, 4.04 - Fear, Itself, 4.05 - Beer Bad, 4.06 - Wild at Heart, 4.07 - The Initiative, 4.10 - Hush, 4.12 - A New Man, 4.13 - The I in Team, 4.21 - Primeval
	Olivia (Phina Oruche) Olivia is Giles' girlfriend, who visits him occasionally from England. Episodes: 4.01 - The Freshman, 4.10 - Hush, 4.22 - Restless
	Parker Abrams (Adam Kaufman) Parker is a student at UC Sunnydale, probably a sophomore, who meets Buffy in the cafeteria line. The two end up sleeping together, and Parker then gives Buffy the cold shoulder, leaving her depressed for a few weeks. Episodes: 4.02 - Living Conditions, 4.03 - The Harsh Light of Day, 4.04 - Fear, Itself, 4.05 - Beer Bad, 4.07 - The Initiative
	Tara Maclay (Amber Benson) A shy UC Sunnydale student who meets Willow through the campus Wicca group, Tara is a witch who becomes Willow's close friend, partner in magic, and eventually her lover. Episodes: 4.10 - Hush, 4.12 - A New Man, 4.13 - The I in Team, 4.14 - Goodbye Iowa, 4.15 - This Year's Girl, 4.16 - Who Are You, 4.17 - Superstar, 4.18 - Where the Wild Things Are, 4.19 - New Moon Rising, 4.20 - The Yoko Factor, 4.21 - Primeval, 4.22 - Restless
	Veruca (Paige Moss) A singer in a local band called Shy, Veruca is also a werewolf. Sensing the wolf in Oz, she is drawn to him and tries to convince him to let his wolf side run free. Episodes: 4.02 - Living Conditions, 4.05 - Beer Bad, 4.06 - Wild at Heart

	Amy Madison (Elizabeth Anne Allen) Amy is a former Sunnydale High student. She is also a witch, and she turned herself into a rat part way through season three. She spends most of season four living in a cage in Buffy and Willow's dorm room. Episodes: 4.09 - Something Blue
	Angel (David Boreanaz) Buffy's former boyfriend. Angel, the vampire with a soul, broke up with Buffy and moved to Los Angeles at the end of Buffy season three. He does his own evil-fighting in LA, but returns to Sunnydale occasionally during season four to check up on Buffy, whom he still loves. Episodes: 4.08 - Pangs, 4.20 - The Yoko Factor
	Anya (Emma Caulfield) Anya first appeared in season three as the vengeance demon who granted Cordelia's wish that Buffy had never come to Sunnydale. After that, however, she was stripped of her powers and forced to live on in Sunnydale as a mortal. She went to the prom with Xander, but left town soon after out of fear of what might happen if the Mayor's ascension was successful. She returns to Sunnydale in season four to pursue a relationship with Xander. Episodes: 4.03 - The Harsh Light of Day, 4.04 - Fear, Itself, 4.08 - Pangs, 4.09 - Something Blue, 4.10 - Hush, 4.12 - A New Man, 4.13 - The I in Team, 4.14 - Goodbye Iowa, 4.16 - Who Are You, 4.17 - Superstar, 4.18 - Where the Wild Things Are, 4.19 - New Moon Rising, 4.20 - The Yoko Factor, 4.21 - Primeval, 4.22 - Restless
	D'Hoffryn (Andy Umberger) Anya's former boss from her days as a vengeance demon who refused to give her her powers back after she lost them in season three. D'Hoffryn is capable of granting humans the power of vengeance, and is always on the lookout for new recruits to his stable of demons. Episodes: 4.09 - Something Blue
	Ethan Rayne (Robin Sachs) An old friend of Giles from Giles' "Ripper" days when he dabbled in dark magicks, Ethan is a chaos-worshipping sorcerer who likes to visit Sunnydale occasionally to cause havoc. Episodes: 4.12 - A New Man
	Faith (Eliza Dushku) Faith is the slayer who was called to replace Kendra, the slayer who was called when Buffy died. She showed up in Sunnydale at the beginning of season three. She and Buffy were allies at first, but Faith eventually turned evil and went to work for the evil Mayor of Sunnydale. Buffy stabbed Faith during a fight, leaving her in a coma for several months. When she wakes up mid-way through season four, Faith is not happy. Episodes: 4.15 - This Year's Girl, 4.16 - Who Are You
	Harmony Kendall (Mercedes McNab) Harmony attended Sunnydale High with Buffy, Xander, Willow, and Oz, but, unbeknownst to them, she was turned into a vampire on graduation day. It comes as a bit of a shock to the gang when Harmony shows up undead in Sunnydale at the beginning of season four with Spike as her boyfriend. She and Spike eventually break up. Episodes: 4.03 - The Harsh Light of Day, 4.07 - The Initiative, 4.08 - Pangs, 4.22 - Restless
	Jonathan Levinson (Danny Strong) Jonathan was a student at Sunnydale High with Buffy, Xander, and Willow. The Scoobies encountered him many times during their high school careers, but were never close friends with him. Episodes: 4.17 - Superstar
	Joyce Summers (Kristine Sutherland) Buffy's mother. With her daughter living in the college dorm, Joyce now lives alone in her Sunnydale home and is only seen occasionally. Episodes: 4.01 - The Freshman, 4.04 - Fear, Itself, 4.15 - This Year's Girl, 4.16 - Who Are You, 4.22 - Restless
	Mayor Richard Wilkins III (Harry Groener) Buffy's arch-nemesis in season three, the Mayor of Sunnydale was in fact over 100 years old and had founded the town of Sunnydale to cater to his desire to become a demon. Although he died at the end of season three, he appears this season on a video he left for his accomplice Faith, whom he viewed almost as a daughter. Episodes: 4.15 - This Year's Girl
	Percy West (Ethan Erickson) Percy attended Sunnydale High with Buffy, Willow, and Xander. Willow tutored him in history. Episodes: 4.11 - Doomed
	Principal Snyder (Armin Shimerman) Unfriendly principal of Sunnydale High for most of the time Buffy was there. Snyder was eaten by the Snake Mayor at graduation. Episodes: 4.22 - Restless
	Willy the Snitch (Saverio Guerra) Proprietor of a local demon bar. Willy is a good source of gossip from the underworld, and Buffy gets information from him from time to time. Episodes: 4.14 - Goodbye Iowa