10 Smartest Moments In Buffy The Vampire Slayer

10. Realising The Demon Can Only Be Seen By Sick Children – Buffy (Season 2, Episode 18)

In the eighteenth episode of Season 2, Buffy catches a fever and ends up in hospital. Though her condition isn’t life-threatening, she struggles to relax, as there’s clearly something creepy going on.

During her first night at the hospital, Buffy sees a goblin-like demon with pointed teeth and a top hat. But due to her weakened condition, she can't be sure that the demon was genuine. However, Buffy wasn’t the only one who saw something strange. The younger children also saw the demon. After recovering from her illness, Buffy sees Doctor Backer being murdered, but she can no longer see the demon who’s attacking him.

It’s a baffling state of affairs, but Buffy ultimately realises the truth: the demon can only be seen by sick children. Neither Giles nor Willow – who are typically the smartest members of the group – were able to figure this one out, yet Buffy managed to spot the connection despite her recent illness.

Determined to put a stop to the murders, Buffy (who is still underage at this point) deliberately makes herself ill again and takes down the demon by snapping its neck.