In which episode is Buffy resurrected?

Buffy is resurrected in “Bargaining,” the two-part season-six premiere of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The story begins five months after Buffy sacrifices herself in “The Gift” to save Dawn and close the dimensional portal opened by Glory.

Willow, Xander, Anya, and Tara perform a forbidden resurrection ritual at Buffy’s grave. They believe the spell fails when demon bikers interrupt the ceremony and destroy part of the magical equipment. In reality, Buffy has already returned—but she awakens inside her coffin and must claw her way to the surface.

A common mix-up is “After Life,” the episode immediately following “Bargaining.” That episode deals with the consequences of the resurrection, including Buffy’s trauma and the revelation that Willow’s spell may have pulled her from a peaceful afterlife. “Once More, with Feeling” is later in season six and is the musical episode, while “All the Way” is another season-six story.