Buffyverse Wiki
Advertisement
Buffyverse Wiki

We use the latest in scientific technology and state-of-the-art weaponry, and you, if I understand correctly, poke them with a sharp stick.
Maggie Walsh[src]

A stake was any pointy wooden object capable of slaying a vampire if penetrated the creature's heart.[1]

Usage[]

Stakes were one of the most common and effective ways to slay a vampire. However, vampires in possession of the Gem of Amara would be rendered invincible, and immune to staking.[2] A vampire could also become immune to staking by having its heart surgically removed, although this process certified the vampire's death within about six hours.[3]

Stakes were the most commonly used weapons by vampire hunters and Slayers whilst fighting and hunting vampires, along with crossbows, crossesholy water and bladed weapons which generally were secondary weapons. Buffy Summers seemed to have a penchant for using stakes, once holding one when hunting a Mohra demon.[4]

Generally, any wooden object of a reasonable size could function as a stake — including broken chair legs, decorative bamboo sticks, tree branches, pencils,[5] clapperboards,[6] entire trees,[7] rolled books,[8] etc. —, but professionals tended to carry their own specially carved stakes.[9][10] Agents of the Initiative along with Wolfram & Hart security guards and Special Ops each individually carried their stakes while dealing with vampire attacks, similar to how they would use a combat knife or nightstick.[11][12][13][14]

More advanced versions of this weapon were Angel's stake bracers[15] and Connor's stake gun.[16] The  weapon also contained wooden stake opposite to its head. Kendra Young once owned a individual stake which she nicknamed Mister Pointy, which she passed on to Buffy before her death.[17]

Along with vampires, stakes were also an effective weapon against species related to vampires, such as the Turok-Han,[18] zompires,[19] and new vampires.[20]

Behind the scenes[]

  • The prop stakes used in Buffy the Vampire Slayer were made of real wood, however, when it came to stabbing, stakes with a retractable points were sometimes used in action scenes to create the illusion of stabbing.[21] There were also stakes cast in foam rubber and plastic.
  • There were two to three different stakes introduced per season.
  • In the non-canonical video games Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Chaos Bleeds, some demon enemies (like hellhounds and Hanoch demons) could only be killed with the same methods as vampires like fire, decapitation, and staking.

Gallery[]

Screenshots[]

Props[]

Appearances[]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer[]

Angel[]

References[]

Advertisement