28 Years Ago, Buffy Revealed a Main Character Was Secretly a Monster (But It Made Sense)

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On January 27, 1998, Buffy the Vampire Slayer aired the episode “Phases” from its second season. That was the episode where Oz let everyone know that he was a werewolf.

Oz Revealed He Was a Werewolf 28 Years Ago

Image Courtesy of The WB

It was 28 years ago that Buffy the Vampire Slayer released its 15th episode of Season 2, “Phases.” At this time, Oz is dating Willow, while Xander is dating Cordelia. The episode opens with a werewolf attacking Xander and Cordelia, and Giles mentions that there have been other attacks and animals have been killed. Two students had been bitten recently. One was Oz (by his cousin), and the other was a guy named Larry (by a dog).

The Scooby Gang tries to figure out when the next full moon will cause a transformation and realizes the next night is the second of the current month. They decide it would be wrong to kill it since it is only a werewolf three nights a month, but there is a werewolf hunter in town with different plans. Willow then finds out that Oz has become a werewolf because his cousin, who bit him, was a werewolf, and then the gang saves Oz from the hunter before figuring out what to do next.

This was as shocking to Oz as it was to anyone else. However, it also made a lot of sense. He was a love interest for Willow and a bad boy in a rock band, but he needed something more to make him an interesting character. Turning him into a werewolf did that and it helped make Oz a beloved member of the Scooby Gang, and someone the fans missed dearly when he left the series.

What Happened to Oz on Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

Image Courtesy of The WB

Oz didn’t last too much longer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer after his reveal. He left in the fourth season episode, “Wild at Heart,” when he had to fight and kill Veruca and almost attacked Willow before Buffy was able to stop him. He felt he needed to get away and find a way to make it safer to be around him. He returned later in the season in “New Moon Rising” when he learned techniques to control his lycanthropy in Tibet. However, he was only there for a short time, and when he saw that Willow was now in love with Tara, he left Sunnydale for good.

There is no word on whether Seth Green will return as Oz in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot series. Sarah Michelle Gellar is back as Buffy Summers, but she is mentoring the next Chosen One in the series, with Ryan Kiera Armstrong as Nova. At the moment, there are no former cast members slated to return, although Gellar said not to count anyone out.

However, Seth Green said he is interested in returning if the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot would have him. “I love that character, and if there was more story to tell, I’d be there to tell it,” Green said. He also said that he was “very excited that we’re gonna learn more about the journey of Buffy Summers and how she saves the world because I think the world needs her.”

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