the Supernatural show have been vocal about their appreciation of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Supernatural producer Ben Edlund wrote for Angel, the popular Buffy spinoff. This link inevitably created some of the Buffy influence seen in Supernatural. This influence ranged across tone, theme, and subtle Easter eggs.

Supernatural showrunner Eric Kripke (who also helmed The Boys) went as far as saying, "Buffy really taught me about effectively using metaphor in genre... I used that same philosophy on my run of Supernatural" (via the best Supernatural episodes display this process, with Whedon's "high school is hell" metaphor inspiring Supernatural's 'family is hell' metaphor. Kripke "always grounded [his] horror episodes around the notion of families" (via Yahoo Entertainment). Kripke's openness about Buffy's impact on his work is refreshing and, indeed, there are many moments in Supernatural's long history that acknowledge Joss Whedon's classic series.

10 The Ogre In Mentalists

This Ogre Recalled A Troll From Buffy

The seventh episode of Supernatural season 7 dropped a very subtle Buffy the Vampire Slayer Easter egg when it referred to a well-known monster. "The Mentalists" aired in 2011 and featured a chief who was speculating on the death that had occurred at the crime scene. The chief reckoned the suspect was "either a ghost or some sort of ogre that only attacks Russians."

This reference came in the episode's second crime scene and referred to "Triangle," an episode of Buffy that explored Anya and her ex-boyfriend. Anya was a significant character in Buffy and a vengeance demon who had a part in the Russian Revolution. Anya turned her ex into a troll, and he was after her in "Triangle," making Anya's ex exactly the kind of "ogre" that the chief was talking about in Supernatural.

9 The Orb Of Thesulah

Supernatural Used The Buffy Object

In the same episode as the Anya reference, Supernatural also referred to a magical object from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In "The Mentalists," there was an offhand reference to the Orb of Thesulah. This object was also in Angel. In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this object was used in a Gypsy ritual to restore a vampire's soul, and had special significance for one of Buffy's favorite vampires, Angel.

It could have appeared as if Kripke was setting his Supernatural TV show in the same universe as Buffy the Vampire Slayer. ing Whedon's universe somehow would have demonstrated a whole new level of commitment. However, a previous episode of Supernatural had revealed that this was not the case - Supernatural characters actually watched Buffy.

8 Hell House Referenced Buffy

The Supernatural Episode Celebrated Buffy

Supernatural season 1, episode 17, "Hell House" aired on March 30, 2006, and name-dropped Buffy the Vampire Slayer in a hilarious snippet of dialogue. Harry and Ed were two of the best characters in Supernatural, despite the brevity of their appearance. Running their paranormal blog and investigating ghosts prompted Ed to pep talk Harry:

This stuff here... This is our ticket to the big time right here. Fame, money, sex. With girls. OK? Be brave. WWBD. What would Buffy do?

Harry gave the only possible response - "I know, but Ed, she's stronger than me." Thankfully, Harry and Ed survived the episode. The popular internet acronym beginning with "WW" often swaps in a third letter that suits its purpose. Harry and Ed's apt worship of Buffy the Vampire Slayer reflected the showrunners' own love for Buffy.

7 Mercedes McNab Lives In Both Worlds

McNab Appeared In Supernatural

Actress Mercedes McNab appeared in both Supernatural and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, along with a fair few other actors. McNab had a big role in Buffy as the vampire who eventually went public with vampirism. In Supernatural, McNab played a character that slyly nodded to Buffy - she was a blonde vampire in Kripke's show as well as Whedon's.

McNab guest starred in Supernatural as a recently-turned vampire called Lucy. Lucy cropped up in "Fresh Blood," the seventh episode of Supernatural season 3. Dean killed Lucy, while the episode also featured the hunter Gordon Walker, who was one of Dean and Sam's allies for a time. This fun episode was first broadcast on November 15, 2007.

6 Bloodlines Referenced Buffy

Supernatural Recognized The Parallels

A Supernatural episode called "Bloodlines" referenced Buffy the Vampire Slayer in season 9. This episode, the 20th in the season, brought back the idea that Supernatural characters had Buffy available on TV. Sam and Dean Winchester were investigating a case in Chicago when they ran into shapeshifter David Lassiter. This shapeshifter was intriguingly involved in a mafia-esque feud for dominance in Chicago, along with his family.

Released in 2014, this episode saw David call Dean "Buffy" in an unabashed reference to the Slayer. David's comparison of Dean to Buffy wasn't the only time Dean paralleled the famous vampire slayer, although he also had a lot in common with the mischievous Buffy character Faith. True to form, Dean Winchester, along with his brother Sam, were slayers of various vampires and paranormal monsters across Supernatural's 15 seasons.

5 Metatron And Andrew Tell Their Story

The Characters Share A Similar Scene

Buffy the Vampire Slayer appeared to inspire a Metatron moment in Supernatural. Played by Tom Lenk, Andrew Wells devoted himself to capturing Buffy's story on video to mark the end of an era in the show. In episode 16 of the seventh and final season of Buffy, he was making a video in the lead-up to the apocalypse, for survivors to have a record of events. In an innovative bout of meta storytelling, this episode envisaged Andrew's imaginary retelling of the show's events as he sat in a comfy chair by the fire in a smoking jacket, playing classical music.

In Andrew's own words - "it's wonderful to get lost in a story, isn't it?" Metatron broke the fourth wall to address viewers in Supernatural season 9, episode 18, sending the series to meta heights and recalling Andrew's scene. Metatron sat in a cozy office, wearing a similar jacket to Andrew's and playing similar music. He discussed the nature of stories in Supernatural, making it clear that Andrew's meta moment had been noted. Andrew was a masterclass in character development, going from odious to the lovable imbecile of season 7, episode 16. In recalling Andrew, Kripke smartly foreshadowed Metatron's redemption.

4 Amber Benson Died In The Same Episode In Both Shows

Amber Benson Starred in Supernatural And Buffy

Amber Benson featured in Supernatural and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with arcs that connected both shows. It was unforgettable when Willow's girlfriend, Tara, died in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Warren shot Tara, who was played by Benson, leaving her blood splashed all over Willow's shirt. Lenk's character, Andrew, was involved in this too, taking part in this culmination of his villainous arc with The Trio. This occurred in episode 19 of season 6 and marked a huge tragedy, but also the catalyst for Andrew's eventual redemption.

Benson featured in Supernatural and, brilliantly, her character also died in episode 19 of season 6, praising the impact of this important episode in Whedon's powerful show. "Mommy Dearest" aired on April 29, 2011, and starred Benson as Lenore, the "friendly" vampire. Despite trying to feed on cattle blood alone, Lenore lapsed and Castiel killed her, completing Supernatural's copycat kill of Benson.

3 A Box On The Ocean Floor

Angel And Dean Shared A Prison

Supernatural riffed off Angel's prison idea when Dean plotted to imprison himself in a box at the bottom of the ocean. Dean was trying to stop Michael from wreaking havoc and planned to climb into the box while Michael possessed him. This appeared to come from the final episode of Angel season 3, which starred the beloved Buffy character Angel as its protagonist.

In the finale of Angel season 3, Angel actually did get imprisoned in a box at the bottom of the ocean. This laid the groundwork for Supernatural's deep-sea imprisonment plan, featuring Dean's powerful Ma'lak box. Dean never had to manifest his terrifying plan, but Angel wasn't so fortunate.

2 True Happiness

Castiel And Angel Shared a Curse

One of the Supernatural moments that most obviously reflected Buffy the Vampire Slayer was the true happiness of both Castiel and Angel. Castiel's confession of love for Dean cursed him in a way that recalled what happened to Angel after he finally managed to sleep with Buffy. Both Angel and Castiel experienced devastating consequences once they experienced something that made them truly happy.

Whenever Angel experienced true happiness, he reverted to his original, evil form. When Castiel finally felt true happiness, he got sucked into the Empty. The curse of true happiness was not the only parallel between these arcs in Supernatural and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Although Angel was, ironically, a vampire in Buffy, Castiel was, of course, an angel in Supernatural.

1 The Djinn's Vision

Dean And Buffy Saw An Alternative Life

Perhaps the biggest celebration of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in Supernatural was Dean's vision after coming into with a djinn. The djinn showed Dean an alternative life - what reality could have looked like if Jess hadn't died and Sam wasn't a hunter, for instance. Buffy had a similar vision in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, linking the two characters.

Dean's vision in Supernatural was inspired by Buffy's season 6, episode 17, "Normal Again." Buffy and Dean both reckoned with what life would be like if they weren't hunters, slayers, and champions of mortal people. This emotional episode in both shows tackled the core question of both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural. Buffy and Dean both emerged with their answer - they do what they do because no one else can, and they would never choose any differently.

Source: Yahoo Entertainment