A closer look at “28 Years Later, 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Still Nails Its Darkest Villain Introduction”, exactly as the source publishes it. In the third season of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer,' the episode 'Faith, Hope & Trick' introduces the Slayer Faith Lehane, a character who would become one of the series' most complex antagonists. Played by Eliza Dushku, Faith arrives in Sunnydale as a potential ally but quickly reveals a reckless, violent edge that sets her on a collision course with Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar). The episode, written by David Greenwalt and directed by James A.
Contner, first aired on October 13, 1998, and is widely regarded as a turning point for the show's darker themes. Faith's introduction matters because she serves as a mirror to Buffy—what the Slayer could become without a support system. The full version stays on the original page, which this listing opens directly.