After attempting to start a new life in Los Angeles, Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) returns to Sunnydale in season three. एंजल (David Boreanaz) is resurrected due to unknown circumstances. While Buffy is happy to have एंजल back, he seems to have लॉस्ट much of his sanity in Hell. Buffy helps एंजल recover but, having seen Angel's demonic side, Buffy's फ्रेंड्स distrust him until he saves them from a monster.
Rupert Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) is fired from the Watchers' Council because he has developed a "father's love" for Buffy, and towards the end of the season Buffy announces that she will also no longer work for the Council. Early in the season she is confronted with an unstable Slayer, Faith (Eliza Dushku), who was activated after Kendra's death near the end of season two.
Angel, after getting his soul back, is once again tormented द्वारा his guilt and personally द्वारा an entity called the First Evil, who goads एंजल into attempting suicide. Buffy prevents एंजल from killing himself but he still feels heavy remorse for his past actions.
Although the First is still out there, the antagonist of the season is shown to be the affable Mayor Richard Wilkins (Harry Groener), who has plans to become an Olvikan, a giant snake-like demon, on Sunnydale High's Graduation दिन — a goal he had in mind after gaining immortality through a Faustian bargain with demons when he originally founded Sunnydale.
Although Faith works with Buffy at first, after accidentally killing a human, Faith becomes irrational and sides with Mayor Wilkins, whose charismatic behavior influences Faith's dark side. She helps Wilkins in his plan, until a fight with Buffy puts her in a coma.
At the climax of the season, Wilkins speaks at the graduation ceremony, as the time for his transformation has come and he finally morphs into Olvikan. He kills several people, including Principal Snyder. Buffy and her फ्रेंड्स organize the graduating students to fight back against Wilkins and his minions. Buffy confronts the demon, taunting him about Faith. She lures the provoked Mayor into the पुस्तकालय which was rigged with explosives. The explosion is set off, destroying Wilkins and his Olvikan form.
Meanwhile, एंजल becomes convinced that Buffy's प्यार for him will be bad for her in the long run; after the battle with the Mayor he leaves Sunnydale to begin his spinoff series in Los Angeles.