Anya's soliloquy in "The Body"

"But I don't understand! I don't understand how this all happens. How we go through this. I mean, I knew her, and then she's, there's just a body, and I don't understand why she just can't get back in it and not be dead anymore! It's stupid! It's mortal and stupid! And, and Xander's crying and not talking, and, and I was having fruit punch, and I thought, well Joyce will never have any more fruit punch, ever, and she'll never have eggs, or yawn or brush her hair, not ever, and no one will explain to me why."

How about Giles discovering Jenny's corpse at the end of what looks like a setup for a romantic encounter? Made worse by the fact she had been killed on screen in the previous act; therefore, clearly a setup. It just makes Giles' obliviousness to what's coming even more gut-wrenching. Not to mention Buffy and Willow's reactions.

Tara's death. "Your shirt..."

The end of "The Gift"

Dawn, listen to me, listen. I love you. I will always love you. But this is the work that I have to do. Tell Giles… tell Giles I figured it out. And, and I'm okay. And give my love to my friends. You have to take care of them now. You have to take care of each other. Dawn, the hardest thing in this world… is to live in it. Be brave. Live… for me.

Also the scoobies' reactions, particular Willow's and Spike's.

As tough an act as "The Body" was to follow, I think they managed with the final scene of "Forever", when Buffy finally breaks down and releases all the grief and anxiety she's held inside since finding Joyce.

Buffy: I have to do these things, 'cause, 'cause when I stop... then she's really gone. And I'm trying, Dawn, I am really trying to take care of things. But I don't even know what I'm doing! Mom always knew.

Dawn: Nobody's asking you to be Mom!

Buffy: Well, who's gonna be if I'm not?!? Huh, Dawn? Have you even thought about that!? Who's gonna make things better? Who's gonna take care of us?

• This Troper thinks the most powerful part in that episode follows the quote above, when Buffy says "Mommy" in a way that makes her sound like a child who's overjoyed to see a long lost parent. SMG, I applaud you.

Buffy having to kill Angel to save the world in "Becoming, part 2"

The scene in Prophecy Girl when Buffy learns of her imminent death. Sarah Michelle Gellar is my GODDESS.

Buffy: They say how he's gonna kill me? Do you think it'll hurt? Don't touch me! Were you even gonna tell me?

Giles: I was hoping that I wouldn't have to. That there was... some way around it. I...

Buffy: I've got a way around it. I quit!

Angel: It's not that simple.

Buffy: I'm making it that simple! I quit! I resign, I-I'm fired, you can find someone else to stop the Master from taking over!

Giles: I'm not sure that anyone else can. All the... the signs indicate...

Buffy: The signs? READ ME THE SIGNS! TELL ME MY FORTUNE! YOU'RE SO USEFUL SITTING HERE WITH ALL YOUR BOOKS! YOU'RE REALLY A LOTTA HELP!

Giles: No, I don't suppose I am.

Angel: I know this is hard.

Buffy: What do you know about this? You're never gonna die!

Angel: You think I want anything to happen to you? Do you think I could stand it? We just gotta figure out a way...

Buffy: I already did. I quit, remember? Pay attention!

Giles: Buffy, if the Master rises...

Buffy: I don't care! I don't care. Giles, I'm sixteen years old. I don't wanna die.

What happened to Tara in "Tough Love" was hard to watch. This troper finally broke down in the final scene, where Willow has to feed Tara like a baby.

I ALMOST made it through "The Body", mostly because I knew about it before hand and Buffy's shock looked like a gasping fish, killing all the heartbreak and drama! But when Dawn's at school, the girl's demanding to know know what's going on, where's her mom, and breaks down in big noes and tears in front of everyone, then the camera switches to an "empty space" drawing, symbolizing how Joyce is gone. I felt my eyes watering at that point.

Buffy's utter collapse in self-loathing at the end of Dead Things.

TARA: I-I've double checked everything. (smiling) There's nothing wrong with you.

BUFFY: Then why can Spike hurt me?

TARA: Well, I said that there was nothing wrong with you, but ... you are different. Shifting you out of ... f-f-from where you were ... funneling your essence back into your body ... i-it, it altered you on a basic molecular level. Probably just enough to confuse the sensors or whatever in Spike's chip. But it's all just surfacey physical stuff. It wouldn't have any more effect than ... a bad sunburn.

BUFFY: I didn't come back wrong?

TARA: No, you're the same Buffy. With a deep tropical cellular tan.

BUFFY: You must have missed something. Will you check again?

TARA: Buffy, I-I promise, there's nothing wrong with you.

BUFFY: There has to be! This just can't be me, it isn't me. Why do I feel like this? Why do I let Spike do those things to me?

TARA: You mean hit you...? [she suddenly gets it] ...Oh. Oh, really.

BUFFY: He's everything I hate. He's everything that ... I'm supposed to be against. But the only time that I ever feel anything is when ... Don't tell anyone, please.

TARA: I won't.

BUFFY: The way they would look at me ... I just couldn't...

TARA: I won't tell anyone. I wouldn't do that.

BUFFY: Why can't I stop? Why do I keep letting him in?

TARA: Do you love him?

[Buffy stares, barely comprehending the question]

TARA: Because it's okay if you do. He's done a lot of good, and, and he does love you. A-and Buffy, it's okay if you don't. You're going through a really hard time, and you're...

BUFFY: What? Using him? What's okay about that?

TARA: It's not that simple.

BUFFY: It is! It's wrong. I'm wrong. Tell me that I'm wrong, please... Please don't forgive me, please... [sobbing] Please don't...

[She slides off the table onto the floor, kneeling, putting her head in Tara's lap]

BUFFY: Please don't forgive me...

The tear-jerker-y-ness of Becoming's ending is famous, but this troper got pretty teary at this scene, where Drusilla hypnotises Giles and pretends to be Jenny. Showing how much he loves and grieve for her, as well as making me want to kill Drusilla for using this.

Giles: Jenny! I thought I'd lost you.

Dru/Jenny: Shh. I'll never leave you.

Giles: We have to get out of here.

Dru/Jenny: No-no-no-no-no. Slowly.

Giles: It can't be you.

Dru/Jenny: Did you tell Angel? About the ritual?

Giles: No. We have to get... him away from Acathla.

Dru/Jenny: Why? Is he close to figuring it out?

Giles: Later.

Dru/Jenny: Tell me what to do. It's all right. We'll be together... finally. We'll have everything we never got to have... Never got to feel... Just tell me what to do.

Giles: We have to get Angel away from Acathla.

Dru/Jenny: Angel himself? He's the key?

Giles: H-h-his, his blood... H-he mustn't...

Dru/Jenny: Shh. [they kiss]

The scene in Season 7 where Willow and Xander try to act normal and make jokes about Xander losing his eye and Willow starts crying... and he just looks away, and says flatly. "Willow. Please don't," and you can tell he's this far from falling apart.

The climax of The Killer In Me, where Willow snaps out of grief for Tara, and guilt for letting her go even for a second.

Willow: It was your fault, slut! You tricked me. Got me to forget.

Kennedy: Tara....

Willow: Shut up! Shut up! You do not get to say her name. Offering it up to whoever's there. Tricking me into kissing you. (looking lost) I didn't—I didn't mean... what I'm saying, I—I can't make— (pleading) Kennedy? ...I can't hold on... he's winning.

Kennedy: (takes a step toward Willow/Warren) No...

Willow: I'm being punished. I k—I kissed you just—just for a second, but it was enough. I let her go. I didn't mean to.

Kennedy: Kissing me didn't mean th—

Willow: No, she was never gone. She was with me. We should have been forever, and I— (cries) I let her be dead. She's really dead. (breaks down into tears) And I killed her. (falls to the ground sobbing)

Kennedy: Willow, no.

Willow: Please, baby, I'm so sorry. Come back. I'm sorry. I'm sorry! Come back... (sobs)

I love you.

No, you don't. But thanks for saying it.

The very ending of season 2, in "Becoming: Part II". Need proof? It even made the Grr Argh monster at the end of every episode sad. "Oooh, I need a hug." Which was, admittably the cutest thing ever, but doesn't make the ending any less sad.

• Erm, it's already up there. But you wrote your example better than I did!

The final scene of "Beneath You". Spike's insanity, guilt and self-loathing are absolutely heart-breaking, and James Marsters acts his bloody heart out.

Why does a man do what he mustn't? For her, to be hers. To be the kind of man who would nev... To be a kind of man. And she will look upon him with forgiveness, and everybody will forgive, and love... and he will be loved. So everything's okay, right? Can we rest now? Buffy?... Can we rest?

Anya walking down the aisle alone in Hell's Bells. This Troper just got married and was watching that episode with her new husband. i cried.

• The scene in "Innocence" where Buffy takes off the claddagh ring, curls up in bed, and cries.

• Andrew telling Xander about Anya's death, especially because he's lying.

  "She was incredible. She died saving my life."

  "That's my girl. Always doing the stupid thing."

The end of the season 3 episode "The Wish". In the alternate reality created by Cordelia's wish, we see Vampire Xander staking Angel, Buffy staking Vampire Xander, and Oz staking Vampire Willow. Finally, we see the Master break Buffy's neck.

The scene in Innocence where Angelus, still disguised as Angel, taunts Buffy in the cruelest way possible. This troper still can't watch it without tearing up, not to mention it showed off just how brilliant both the actors are.

Buffy: I was freaking out! You just disappeared.

Angelus: What? I took off.

Buffy: But you didn't say anything. You just left.

Angelus: Yeah, like I really wanted to stick around after that.

Buffy: What?

Angelus: You got a lot to learn about men, kiddo. Though I guess you proved that last night.

Buffy: What are you saying?

Angelus: Let's not make an issue out of it, okay? In fact, let's not talk about it at all. It happened.

Buffy, meek and heartbreaking: I, I don't understand. Was it m-me? Was I not good?

Angelus: *laughs* You were great, really. I thought you were a pro.

Buffy: How can you say this to me?

Angelus: Lighten up. It was a good time. It doesn't mean we have to make a big deal.

Buffy: But it is a big deal!

Angelus: It's what? Bells ringing, fireworks, a dulcet choir of pretty little birdies? *laughs* Come on, Buffy. It's not like I've never been there before. *reaches up to touch her*

Buffy: Don't touch me!

Angelus: I should've known you wouldn't be able to handle it. *starts to walk away*

Buffy, teary-eyed and hurt: Angel! I love you!

Angelus, coldly: Love ya too. I'll call you. *leaves*

Giles and Buffy at the very end of "Lie to Me":

Giles: You mean life?

Buffy: Yeah. Does it get easy?

(Vampire-Ford bursts from the ground, and Buffy wearily stakes him. He looks surprised, and crumbles to dust.)

Giles: What do you want me to say?

Buffy: (turns to Giles) Lie to me.

Giles: Yes, it's terribly simple. The good guys are always stalwart and true, the bad guys are easily distinguished by their pointy horns or black hats, and, uh, we always defeat them and save the day. No one ever dies, and everybody lives happily ever after.

Buffy: Liar.

Sleeper. This troper just refuses to admit anyone with a soul could be unmoved by Spike's final breakdown.

Spike: [holding out his heart for the staking] Just do it quick, okay? [pause] He said you'd do it!

Buffy: Who said?

Spike: Me. It was me. I saw it. I was here the whole time, talking and singing. [sobs] There was a song.

Buffy: What are you talking about?

Spike: I don't know. Please, I don't remember. Don't make me remember. [to invisible person] Make it so I forget again! I did what you wanted!

Buffy: There's something here. [throws away the stake]

Spike: Oh, God, no, please. I need that. I can't cry this soul out of me. It won't come. I killed, and I can feel 'em. I can feel every one of them.

Buffy: There's something playing with us. All of us.

Spike: What is it? Why is it doing this to me?

Buffy: I don't know.

Spike: Will you... Help me. Can you help me?

Willow's breakdown in The Body, and Tara comforting her.

Buffy's speech in "Homecoming," to Cordelia about the Blessed With Suck nature of her life. With shades of Unfunny Aneurysm Moment, given the hell Cordy's life went to over the course of Angel

Cordelia: I don't know why the Homecoming Queen thing matters so much to you, when you do things like this (slaying)

Buffy: Because this is all I do. This is what my life is. You couldn't understand. I just thought ... Homecoming Queen. I could pick up a yearbook someday and say, I was there. I went to high school, I had friends, and, for one moment, I got to live in the world. And there'd be proof, proof that I was chosen for something other than this.

there's one for me in the gift, right after the whole previously on shows pretty much the whole show foreshadowing [[heroicsacrifice what we all know]] we see an alley and a vampire chasing a guy and buffy comes out of nowhere, the usual stuff but the difference is that the guy doesn't know that who the slayer is. cue this conversation

Buffy: been a long while since i met one who didn't know me (beat) you should get home

Guy: how'd you do that?

Buffy: this what i do

Guy: But you're just a girl

Buffy: that's what i keep saying