Plays Buffy's caring mother who has
to put up with daughter's mysterious activities and has come to deal with
the fact that her daughter has lost her virginity ("Passion"). Since, she
is not aware of the fact that Buffy is the slayer (some people believe
Joyce is in denial) she is harsh in her punishments and can't understand
why her daughter is so violent or why she would burn down the gym of her
old school. Until, "Becoming" Part 2 when Buffy was forced to slay a vampire right in front of her mother. Buffy's mother at first did not believe what she saw and then when she conceeded that it did happen she ordered Buffy to stop being the Slayer. Buffy told her she'd tried but it doesn't work like that and Buffy had to choose between saving the world or staying at home with her mother. Buffy chose to do the "right" thing and save the world but at the expense of having her mother tell her never to come back. Now, we find out that Buffy's mom really didn't mean it and just said it in the heat of the arguement but Buffy leaves town at the end of the season anyway.
In "Anne" Buffy comes back home and Joyce is thrilled! However, as things start to settle down we see Joyce having a difficult time trusting Buffy. We also see her under some strain when Buffy has to go out and fight the monster-of-the-week. Joyce is trying though, so we have to give her credit. In "Lover's Walk" she is very excited and talking about college for Buffy when Buffy finally gets her SAT scores back and they are wonderful!
After Buffy died for a few minutes during "Prophecy Girl" the cosmic universe called another Slayer. Kendra shows up in "What's My Line?" Part 1 & 2 to fight a "dark power rising in Sunnydale". This dark power is going to be Drusilla if Spike can get her back to full health. At first Kendra and Buffy fight amongst themselves because they both have different attitudes about slaying. Buffy is, well, Buffy and Kendra is a slaying machine devoid of emotion, who does everything by the Slayer's Handbook. However, the slayers come to a truce and they work together to get Angel back, who in the meantime was kidnapped by Spike. Kendra doesn't understand Buffy's relationship with Angel but in the end she doesn't try to kill Angel a second time, so we took that as good. The only other episode Kendra is in is "Becoming" Part 1. She comes to town, again, to help Buffy stop Angelus from awakening the demon, Acathula. When, Buffy goes off to fight Angelus at the end of the episode Kendra stays to guard Willow, Xander, Giles, and Cordelia as they perform the ritual to restore Angel's soul. Drusilla and Company, however, stalk into the library in the middle of the spell. Willow is injured as well as Xander, Cordelia runs away, and Giles is taken. During all this Kendra is trying to fight the vampires, but there are too many. Drusilla ends up killing her, leaving her body in the library to be found by Buffy.
The new slayer in town. Faith has been called to replace Kendra who died last season in "Becoming" Part 1. Faith's first episode was "Faith, Hope, and Trick" where the entire gang was introduced to her. We know that she dropped out of high school, her Watcher was killed in front of her, and that she loves slaying. She is currently in Sunnydale, living in a sleazy motel where Giles is acting as her Watcher as well as Buffy's, till the Council sends a replacement Watcher. Faith often feels left out of Buffy's circle of friends and takes on a tough persona to help herself deal with it. Faith killed the Deputy Mayor in "Bad Girls" and she was not upset by it, she just took it in stride. In "Consequences" she tried lying and ignoring the problem of the life she had taken but it wouldn't go away. While, Buffy was trying to talk her out of leaving town they were attacked by a gang of vampires and Faith killed Mr. Trick. At the end of "Consequences" she joined the Mayor's evil side to replace Mr. Trick. Now she is working against Buffy and the gang for the Mayor and his "Ascension".