Fans saw themselves in Buffys challenges and mourned along with her and her friends when tragedy struck.
Here, were remembering some of the most heartbreaking episodes fromBuffy the Vampire Slayer.
Yet, things arent as simple as they seem.
Ford has only six months left before a brain tumor takes his life.
Hes come to Sunnydale to become a vampire, and he plans to trade Buffy for the privilege.
Ford ultimately gets his wish, leaving it to Buffy to slay him.
Still, Buffy feels bad for Ford and sad that she lost a friend.
Willow had started practicing magic early in the series, but by season 6 she was abusing it.
Seeing a beloved character fall so far was harrowing.
The season finale, Grave, was the culmination of that arc.
His love and acceptance stopped her and finally let her grieve her terrible loss.
However, Buffys boyfriend is a bit older than the rest of the gang.
As a 200+ year old vampire, he doesnt really get the prom.
Despite the fact that both Joyce and Angel are ultimately right about the relationship, its a devastating break-up.
After all, the relationship between the slayer and vampire with a soul had a poetic quality to it.
And despite their obvious difficulties, they were clearly head over heels for one another.
One of Angelus' favorite pastimes is taunting the Slayer and her friends.
Its a hobby that leads to horrible consequences when Angelus ends up snapping Jenny Calendars neck.
Yet, the thing that makes the situation heartbreaking is what he does with her body.
A grief-stricken Giles decides to attack Angelus for revenge.
With no real powers of his own though, Giles is no match for the vampire.
Fortunately, Buffy shows up and saves him.
HELLS BELLS (SEASON 6, EPISODE 16)
This episode has some interesting moments.
Then came the tear-jerker of an ending.
Sure, happiness was hard to come by in Sunnydale, but this wedding day break-up was especially cruel.
That episode saw Buffys friends being attacked, Giles taken by vampires, and Drusilla taking Kendras life.
Yet, things only got worse in Part 2.
Angelus tortured Giles for information and Willow was in a coma.
As Buffy is about to take him out, Willows spell returns Angels soul to him.
Confused, he asks Buffy whats going on.
However, Angelus had already succeeded in opening a vortex that would suck the world into Hell.
The only way to stop it is to take out Angel.
So Buffy kisses him, tells him to close his eyes, and rams a sword into him.
She then despondently leaves town as fans everywhere sobbed uncontrollably.
Before Buffy realizes that Angel has gone bad, they have a devastating exchange.
Even with that revelation, when Buffy finally confronts Angel, she cant bring herself to end his life.
Buffys sorrow is quietly driven home by the episodes final scene.
Yet, its her final act that makes her truly heroic.
As Buffy and Xander talk in her backyard, Warren approaches them with a gun.
He shoots wildly, hitting Buffy.
Tara doesnt realize what happened.
She only has long enough to comment on the blood splattered on Willows shirt before she collapses.
The scene is one of the saddest and most shocking in the whole show.
And the senseless nature of her ending made it all the more heartrending.
To this day, Taras last words, Your shirt will bring tears toBuffyfans eyes.
From its beginning to its end, the episode is a gut-wrenching meditation on death.
The episode picks up from the previous one, when Buffy finds her mothers body on the couch.
As well as the different ways people process and cope with grief.
NEXT:THE ONE BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CAPTAIN MARVEL & WONDER WOMAN’S MOVIES
