Beginning with the 1992 movie and continuing on TV through Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its darker spin-off Angel, the Buffyverse became a hugely influential fantasy franchise.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest shows of all time, the groundbreaking small-screen version helped usher in TV's second golden age, turning vampires, demons and apocalypses into metaphors for teenage angst. Buffy and her Scooby Gang won a devoted following, while numerous future A-listers appeared in early roles.
Click or scroll on to discover the estimated fortunes of its leading actors, memorable guests and creator Joss Whedon, with figures courtesy of Celebrity Net Worth.
All dollars values in US dollars
Now worth $300 million (£223.2m), Ben Affleck appeared as an uncredited basketball player in the 1992 movie. He later joked that he was "so bad" the filmmakers dubbed over his only line.
Angel featured future Marvel star Jeremy Renner, whose fortune stands at $80 million (£59.5m), while Amy Adams played Tara's hostile cousin Beth in Buffy. She's currently worth $60 million (£44.6m).
Pedro Pascal (pictured) portrayed doomed student Eddie. Years later, he revealed that a Buffy residual arrived when he was broke, paying his rent and enabling him to continue acting. He's since amassed $22 million (£16.4m).
Buffyverse performers lacking credible wealth estimates include Kristine Sutherland, who played Buffy's mother Joyce; Mercedes McNab, the actress behind Harmony; Tom Lenk, who portrayed Andrew; and Juliet Landau, a fan favourite as unhinged vampire Drusilla.
Missing Big Bads include Clare Kramer, unforgettable as the fabulously terrifying hell-god Glory, and Adam Busch's Warren.
Over on Angel, no reliable figures are available for J August Richards, who starred as Charles Gunn, or Glenn Quinn (pictured), much-loved for his role as Doyle, who died in 2002 aged just 32.
Buffyverse fans were also left bereft following the death of Nicholas Brendon (pictured) in March 2026 at age 54. Brendon played Xander Harris, one of Buffy's original Scoobies and a central presence throughout all seven seasons. His fortune was estimated at $300,000 (£223k).
Gary Grubbs, who portrayed Fred's father Roger Burkle in Angel, and Sasha Jenson, vampire Grueller in the 1992 movie, share the same estimate. Leonard Roberts, who played Riley's military colleague Forrest Gates, has his fortune pegged at $500,000 (£372k) while Dean Butler and Felicia Day each have an estimated net worth of $1 million (£744k).
James Marsters (pictured) is worth an estimated $1.5 million (£1.1m). His platinum-haired vampire Spike evolved from a season two Big Bad into Buffy's lover, uneasy ally and eventual saviour of Sunnydale.
Several other familiar faces are valued at $2 million (£1.5m), including Emma Caulfield, who played former vengeance demon Anya; Amy Acker as Angel favourite Fred; Bianca Lawson as Slayer Kendra; and Eric Balfour as Buffy's doomed friend Jesse. Mark Metcalf, a standout as the murderous Master, shares the same estimate.
Buffyverse fans suffered another painful loss in June 2026 when Anthony Head (pictured) died aged 72. Best remembered as Rupert Giles, Buffy's beloved Watcher and father figure, the British actor had an estimated fortune of $3 million (£2.2m).
The same figure is attached to Amber Benson, who portrayed Willow's girlfriend Tara, and Marc Blucas, who starred as Buffy's soldier boyfriend Riley.
Armin Shimerman terrorised Sunnydale High as Principal Snyder, while Charlie Weber played Ben, the human host of Glory.
Also in the $3 million (£2.2m) club are Vincent Kartheiser, Candy Clark, Laurel Holloman, David Denman, Dennis Christopher, and Jack Conley.
Two of the Buffyverse's most prominent performers share an estimated $4 million (£3m) fortune.
Charisma Carpenter (pictured) played Cordelia Chase across Buffy and Angel, while Julie Benz portrayed Darla, the vampire who sired Angel and later became central to his spin-off.
Other stars worth $4 million (£3m) include D B Woodside, who joined Buffy as Principal Robin Wood, and Elisabeth Röhm, who played Angel detective Kate Lockley.
Alexa Davalos appeared as electricity-wielding Gwen Raiden, while Harris Yulin portrayed stern Watchers' Council chief Quentin Travers. Kristy Swanson, who originated the role of Buffy in the 1992 movie, completes the group.
Adam Baldwin came aboard for the final season of Angel as Marcus Hamilton, the seemingly indestructible liaison between Wolfram & Hart's demonic Senior Partners and the firm's Los Angeles team.
Paul Reubens (pictured) appeared in the 1992 movie as vampire henchman Amilyn, whose absurdly prolonged death became one of the film's most memorable comic scenes. Best known as Pee-wee Herman, Reubens died in 2023 aged 70.
Another Buffyverse luminary who is sadly no longer with us, Michelle Trachtenberg (pictured) joined Buffy as Dawn Summers, Buffy's younger sister and the human form of the mystical Key. Central to season five's battle against Glory, Dawn remained a major character throughout the show's final three seasons. Trachtenberg later appeared in EuroTrip and Gossip Girl before her untimely passing in 2025 at just 39.
Also in this wealth bracket are Christian Kane, who played Wolfram & Hart lawyer Lindsey McDonald in Angel, and Thomas Jane, who had a small role as mechanic Zeph in the 1992 movie.
There are no Buffyverse names with estimates between $6 million (£4.5m) and $10 million (£7.4m), hence the sudden jump. Luke Perry (pictured), who starred as Buffy's movie love interest Pike, had amassed this fortune before his shock death in 2019 aged just 52.
Conchata Ferrell, who appeared as Sunnydale High nurse Ruth Greenleigh, was worth the same when she died the following year.
Daniel Dae Kim appeared in Angel as lawyer Gavin Park, while Jenny Mollen played werewolf Nina Ash.
Oscar winner Joel Grey completes the group as the sinister demon Doc, who helped Glory open the portal between dimensions.
Now let's look at the stars with bigger fortunes...
Liking this? Click the Like button above. And click the Follow button above for more great stories from loveMONEY
Natasha Gregson Wagner made her big-screen debut in the 1992 movie playing Cassandra, one of Buffy's high-school friends who falls victim to vampire king Lothos. The daughter of Hollywood icon Natalie Wood and producer Richard Gregson, she later appeared in movies including Lost Highway and Two Girls and a Guy in 1997 and High Fidelity in 2000.
More recently, Wagner has helped preserve her mother's legacy, producing the HBO documentary Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind and writing the memoir More Than Love.
Now an acclaimed writer and producer, Danny Strong portrayed Jonathan Levinson, whose Buffy arc took him from bullied outsider to magically enhanced superstar, misguided villain and would-be redeemer.
Strong's greatest success has come behind the camera. He penned the acclaimed political dramas Recount and Game Change, co-wrote the final two Hunger Games movies and co-created Empire. A two-time Emmy winner, he later created the hard-hitting 2021 miniseries Dopesick.
A formidable presence across fantasy, sci-fi and drama, Gina Torres joined Angel as Jasmine, the season four Big Bad who promised world peace by stripping humanity of free will. The supposedly benevolent higher being also devoured followers to sustain her powers.
Torres went on to become a genre favourite in the 2000s through Firefly, its movie sequel Serenity and two Matrix films. Her biggest mainstream role came as powerhouse lawyer Jessica Pearson alongside Meghan Markle in Suits, which led to the spin-off Pearson.
Rutger Hauer brought considerable menace to the 1992 movie as Lothos, the ancient vampire king who had killed numerous Slayers before targeting Buffy. The Dutch actor was already internationally famous for his haunting performance as replicant Roy Batty in 1982 sci-fi classic Blade Runner, as well as roles in The Hitcher, Ladyhawke and Nighthawks.
Later credits included Sin City, Batman Begins and True Blood. Hauer, who was also a tireless environmental and AIDS activist, was worth an estimated $16 million (£11.9m) when he died in 2019 aged 75.
Alexis Denisof's Wesley Wyndam-Pryce underwent one of the Buffyverse's most dramatic transformations, evolving from a pompous, ineffectual Watcher into a battle-hardened member of Angel Investigations.
Beyond the franchise, Denisof portrayed The Other in The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy, and recurred as Sandy Rivers in How I Met Your Mother.
Buffy also changed his personal life: he met Willow actress Alyson Hannigan on set during season three. The couple married in 2003 and have two daughters. Celebrity Net Worth actually attributes most of his fortune to Hannigan.
One of the Buffyverse's most magnetic antiheroes, Eliza Dushku brought dangerous charisma to Faith Lehane, the troubled Slayer who joined forces with the Mayor before fighting her way towards redemption.
Dushku went on to star in Bring It On, Tru Calling, Dollhouse and horror hit Wrong Turn.
Her career later took a challenging turn when she said she was written out of CBS drama Bull in 2017 after confronting co-star Michael Weatherly over inappropriate remarks and alleged sexual harassment. CBS ultimately paid her a reported $9.5 million (£7m) settlement.
The richest Buffyverse Big Bad actor, Nathan Fillion joined the final season of Buffy as Caleb, the First Evil's sadistic, superpowered enforcer. He also briefly embodied the First itself after Caleb's death.
Fillion had already starred as Captain Malcolm Reynolds in Firefly, later reprising the part in movie spin-off Serenity. His biggest mainstream success came with the title role in crime drama Castle, followed by another hit as John Nolan in The Rookie.
He reportedly earned $100,000 (£74k) per episode of Castle, which ran from 2009 to 2016.
A member of the celebrated Arquette acting dynasty, David Arquette made an early screen appearance in the 1992 movie as Benny, Pike's friend who is turned into a vampire and ultimately staked by him. His breakthrough came four years later as lovable deputy Dewey Riley in Scream, a role he reprised across five instalments of the blockbuster horror franchise.
Arquette also appeared in Airheads, Never Been Kissed and Eight Legged Freaks. His eclectic career has extended beyond acting into directing, producing and even professional wrestling.
A chance encounter while walking his dog in an LA park launched David Boreanaz's extraordinary screen career. Struck by his brooding presence, the stranger who later became his manager put him forward to play Angel, the vampire with a soul who became Buffy's great love before headlining his own spin-off.
After eight years in the Buffyverse, Boreanaz starred as FBI agent Seeley Booth throughout all 12 seasons of Bones, reportedly earning $250,000 (£186k) per episode. He then enjoyed another long-running lead role as Navy SEAL Jason Hayes in SEAL Team, which concluded in 2024.
Sarah Michelle Gellar spent seven seasons playing the titular slayer, who, in the show's own words, "saved the world. A lot." Buffy made her an international star and eventually paid up to $350,000 (£260k) per episode.
Gellar has also enjoyed major movie success with I Know What You Did Last Summer, Cruel Intentions, Scooby-Doo and The Grudge. She was set to reprise Buffy in Hulu sequel Buffy: New Sunnydale, but the streamer abandoned the project in March, leaving fans bitterly disappointed.
Gellar's estimated fortune is combined with that of husband Freddie Prinze Jr.
Over seven seasons, Willow Rosenberg evolved from a shy computer nerd into a witch powerful enough to destroy the world. Her dependence on magic became a potent metaphor for addiction, while her romance with Tara broke new ground for LGBT+ representation.
Alyson Hannigan earned $250,000 (£186k) per episode by the show's end. The American Pie movies broadened her fame, while How I Met Your Mother delivered another nine-season success, also paying up to $250,000 (£186k) per episode.
As mentioned, her earnings also account for much of husband Alexis Denisof's estimated fortune.
The only actor who was cast in both the original movie and TV show, Seth Green filmed a scene as vampire Wally Bessel for the 1992 film, though it was ultimately cut. He later joined the series as Oz, Willow's dryly hilarious musician boyfriend who discovers he is a werewolf.
Green achieved wider movie success as Scott Evil in the Austin Powers trilogy and became the longtime voice of Chris Griffin in Family Guy. He also co-created, produces and voices numerous characters in the Emmy-winning stop-motion comedy Robot Chicken.
Screen legend Donald Sutherland brought gravitas to the 1992 movie as Merrick, Buffy's stern first Watcher. His six-decade career included The Dirty Dozen, M*A*S*H, Don't Look Now and The Hunger Games, earning him two Golden Globes, an Emmy and an honorary Oscar.
In 1978, he rejected 15% of Animal House's gross earnings in favour of a $50,000 (£37k) fee, believing the comedy would flop. It became a surprise blockbuster, and his share would have totalled $21 million (£15.6m) then, equivalent to $107 million (£79.5m) today.
Still, Sutherland was worth a not too shabby $60 million (£44.6m) when he died in 2024 aged 88.
Long before becoming a two-time Oscar winner, Hilary Swank made her movie debut as Buffy's image-conscious friend Kimberly in the 1992 film.
After The Next Karate Kid and a short-lived stint on Beverly Hills, 90210, she achieved international acclaim in 1999 for Boys Don't Cry. Swank earned just $3,000 (£2k) for the role but won her first Academy Award, then collected a second for 2004's Million Dollar Baby.
The star's other notable films include Insomnia, P.S. I Love You and Amelia. Her remarkable rise began after she and her mother moved to LA and briefly lived in their car.
The creator of the Buffyverse tops the ranking with an estimated $100 million (£74.3m) fortune. Joss Whedon turned his 1992 Buffy movie into the far superior TV show, then co-created Angel and developed further cult favourites including Firefly and Dollhouse.
He also co-wrote Toy Story, earning an Oscar nomination, before directing the blockbusters The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Whedon's movies have grossed more than $3.5 billion (£2.6bn) worldwide. Yet allegations from former collaborators of workplace bullying, threats and abuses of power later cast a cloud over his legacy.
Liked this? Click the Like button above. And click the Follow button above for more great stories from loveMONEY