Sunnydale facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sunnydale
The "Welcome to Sunnydale" sign
Buffy the Vampire Slayer location
Created by	Joss Whedon
Type	Fictional city
Notable locations	Sunnydale High School The Bronze The Magic Box UC Sunnydale
Notable characters	Buffy Summers Rupert Giles Xander Harris Willow Rosenberg Cordelia Chase Angel Daniel "Oz" Osbourne Spike Riley Finn Anya Jenkins Dawn Summers Tara Maclay

Sunnydale is a made-up city in California, United States. It is the main setting for the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which aired from 1997 to 2003. The show's creator, Joss Whedon, wanted Sunnydale to look like a normal California town. But it was also a funny way to make fun of how calm towns often seem in scary movies.

Sunnydale is built on something called a "Hellmouth." This is a special spot where magical energy gathers. It acts like a door between our world and another one, making it a magnet for strange and spooky things.

Sunnydale's History

Before Buffy Came to Town

Long before people lived in Sunnydale, the Hellmouth was already there. It was a powerful place where magic was used a long time ago. An ancient, magical scythe was used to defeat a powerful demon at this very spot. After that, the scythe was hidden away.

Later, Native American groups like the Navajo and Chumash lived in the area. Spanish friars also settled here in the late 1700s. In 1812, a big earthquake hit Sunnydale. It caused a cave-in that buried an entire Spanish mission, and people soon forgot it ever existed.

In the late 1800s, a man named Richard Wilkins came to California. He was looking for gold. He decided to build Sunnydale in a valley that was full of demons. He made a deal with these demons: he would build a town over the Hellmouth for them to feed on. In return, he would become a pure demon and live forever. Wilkins then became the Mayor of Sunnydale.

In the 1930s, another big earthquake happened in Sunnydale. This quake caused a cave-in that trapped a powerful vampire known as the Master in his lair.

Richard Wilkins was elected mayor again in the 1980s or 1990s. He was known as "Richard Wilkins III" and served for many years. He told the police to hide any strange or supernatural crimes in the city. He also told the principal of Sunnydale High School to keep quiet about any weird events happening there.

Hidden Magical Items

Over time, many magical items were hidden in Sunnydale's cemeteries and other places. These included:

• The du Lac Cross
• Parts of a powerful being called the Judge
• The Glove of Myhneghon
• The Amulet of Balthazar
• The Gem of Amarra

During the TV Series

The TV show begins when Buffy Summers moves to Sunnydale. She is the current vampire slayer, a special person chosen to fight evil. Buffy starts attending Sunnydale High School. There, she meets her new friends, Willow Rosenberg and Xander Harris. She also meets her "watcher," Rupert Giles, who helps train her.

This group of friends, sometimes called the "Scooby Gang," often hangs out at places like The Bronze, a local music club. Buffy's mom, Joyce, works at an art gallery in Sunnydale.

While in high school, Buffy and her friends fight many vampires. Some of the most important ones are the Master, Angel (a vampire with a soul who falls in love with Buffy), Spike, and Drusilla. Another slayer named Faith arrives later. She eventually teams up with Mayor Wilkins.

In one episode, Cordelia Chase wishes that Buffy had never come to Sunnydale. Her wish comes true, and she finds herself in a different version of Sunnydale. In this alternate world, the Master has taken over the town. Humans live in fear, and many of Buffy's friends are either dead or vampires.

At the end of the third season (in 1999), Sunnydale High School is destroyed in a big battle. Mayor Wilkins and Principal Snyder are also defeated. After this, the show doesn't talk much about the city's leaders.

As the fourth season begins (in 1999), Buffy and Willow start college at the University of California, Sunnydale. They discover that the U.S. government has a secret military group called The Initiative. This group has a lab and a place to hold demons under the campus. The Initiative is shut down after a big fight. By this time, Tara Maclay and Anya have joined the Scooby Gang. Giles also buys a magic shop called The Magic Box.

Between the fourth and fifth seasons (in 2000), a mysterious "Key" turns into Buffy's younger "sister," Dawn Summers. An evil goddess named Glory also arrives in town. She causes many people to become mentally ill. The next year, Buffy's mom, Joyce, passes away. Buffy herself also dies, but Willow brings her back to life with a magic spell.

At the end of the sixth season (in 2002), the Magic Box is destroyed in a battle. At the start of the seventh season (in 2002), Sunnydale High School is rebuilt in the same spot, right over the Hellmouth.

By this time, more people in Sunnydale are starting to realize that strange things are happening. The town's population has also dropped to about 32,900 people.

In the final part of the seventh season (in 2003), the supernatural events at Sunnydale High become very intense. Almost everyone in the town leaves in a mass evacuation. Soon after, a huge battle takes place. Buffy, the other Slayers, and the Scooby Gang fight against a powerful evil force called the First Evil. This battle causes Sunnydale to collapse into a giant hole, closing the Hellmouth.

The destruction of Sunnydale is mentioned several times in the spin-off show Angel. Later, in the comic book series Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, the Scooby Gang returns to the ruins of Sunnydale. They go there to protect the Seed of Wonder, which is the source of all magic on Earth. This leads to another big battle against many demons. The U.S. government now considers Buffy and her Slayers to be a terrorist group because of the town's destruction.

See also

In Spanish: Sunnydale para niños