History Recap / BuffyTheVampireSlayerS7E5Selfless

* DaydreamSurprise: An apparently sane Spike pours out his troubles to a sympathetic Buffy, only for the real Buffy to walk in, whereupon we realise Spike is seeing dead people again.

* GiantSpider / NestedMouths: The Grimslaw demon.

* InstantCostumeChange / OffscreenRealityWarp: Anya opens a door in her dressing gown and steps onto the verandah in her wedding dress during the "Mrs" song. Never mind that she hadn't actually bought the dress at this point; rule of musical likely applies.
* ItSucksToBeTheChosenOne

* NightmareFetishist: D'Hoffyrn

* PleaseKillMeIfItSatisfiesYou: Subverted by D'Hoffryn. After becoming a vengeance demon again, Anya grants a girl's wish to kill a houseful of men and then regrets it (Humanity Is Infectious caught up to her, presumably). D'Hoffryn says he will reverse the wish but it will cost the life of a vengeance demon. Anya bows her head, completely willing to give her life... and D'Hoffryn summons up Anya's friend and fellow demon Halfrek and kills her instead. "Never go for the kill when you can go for the pain," indeed.
* PunnyName: Aud (pronounced 'Odd')
* {{Retraux}} / AffectionateParody: The flashback to Anya's life in Sweden takes the form of an Creator/IngmarBergman-type movie, including scratched film.

* StartOfDarkness / BackStory

* ComicallyMissingThePoint / MedievalMorons: Olaf is attacked by the villagers after being turned into a troll.

* BilingualBonus Sorta. In the flashback Olaf and Aud speak real but rather bad [[UsefulNotes/{{Sweden}} Swedish]]. Some parts are understandable, some not so much. The original plan was for the scene to be dubbed by native Swedes, but the actors actually learned their entire dialogue in Swedish, so it was decided to use the live take.

* BrickJoke: In "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS2E22BecomingPart2 Becoming]]", Xander refused to tell Buffy that Willow was attempting to ensoul Angel, instead telling Buffy to "kick his ass". ''Five seasons later'', this comes out as Buffy brings it up in front of Willow.

* ApologeticAttacker / [[TalkToTheFist Talk To The Sword]]

-->'''Anya:''' You're apologizing to me. What fight are you watching? Or is this like one of your little pop-culture references I don't get, 'cause I'm a vengeance— (Buffy stabs her through the chest).

** Olaf hugging Anya in the past. "Fear not, sweet Aud, you will always be my beautiful girl." SmashCut to Anya in the present, [[OutDamnedSpot washing blood off her hands]].

* NoSocialSkills: After 3 1/2 seasons of everyone (including herself) blaming Anya's {{Literal Minded}}ness on having been a demon for 1,100 years, [[AmbiguousDisorder it turns out she was]] ''[[AmbiguousDisorder always]]'' [[AmbiguousDisorder like this]]. This doesn't explain how Anyanka fit so well with the Cordettes when she approached Cordelia.

* MundaneSolution: With a huge scary spider demon sneaking through the trees above them, Xander suggests going for [[MoreDakka more swords and a protection amulet too]]. Buffy just [[AnAxeToGrind chucks her axe]] in the air. Spider demon drops dead at their feet.

* SeriesContinuityError: In the flashback to 'Once More With Feeling' Anya's hair is neither the same length, style or shade of blonde. Granted, she is wearing a wig.

* BigBeautifulWoman: Olaf assures Aud that he's not interested in the bargirls with their large [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar load-bearing hips]], but prefers Aud, who has the hips of a woman from a more arid region of the Baltic.

** To "[[Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS5E7FoolFoLove Fool for Love]]" -- a socially inept person becomes a demon in a moment of emotional pain, reinvents their image to strike out at what hurt them, eventually surpassing a mentor in their enthusiasm (don't forget that Cecily/Halfrek was heavily involved in both cases).

* CriticalResearchFailure: The research stopped short of the fact that the Svear in the 800s actually spoke ''Old Norse'', but experts in that language are hard to get by in California. The fact that the creators at one point managed to use some sentences in proper ''Sumerian'', makes this even funnier.

** CriticalResearchFailure: The research stopped short of the fact that the Svear in the 800s actually spoke ''Old Norse'', but experts in that language are hard to get by in California. The fact that the creators at one point managed to use some sentences in proper ''Sumerian'', makes this even funnier.

* FakeRussian: During the Russian Revolution scene the burning man that runs into the room is yelling “Help me!” in Russian with American-ish accent.

* YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame: Willow's reaction to D'Hoffryn's praise about flaying Warren Mears.

-->'''Buffy:''' ''I killed Angel.'' Do you even remember that? I would have given up everything to be with... (fights emotion) [[OneTrueLove I loved him more than anything I will ever love in this life]] and I put a sword through his heart ''because I had to.''

* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: Averted; at one point during her argument with Xander, Buffy turns and walks away from him, and we see the bloody scars on her back from her fight with the spider demon earlier.

[[quoteright:284:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/btvs_s7_5_selfless.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:284:"Never go for the kill when you can go for the pain."]]

** Xander's lie to Buffy in "Becoming, Part II" is exposed, though it's not clear if Buffy picks up on it. Willow had told Xander to pass on the message that she was trying again to restore Angel's soul. Instead Xander told Buffy, "Willow says kick his ass", either due to hatred of Angel/us or because he thought Buffy's reluctance to kill her former lover was putting the whole world in danger.

** "Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. From beneath you, it devours. Be patient. All good things in time." [[spoiler:Anya is killed fighting TheLegionsOfHell in the final episode "Chosen".]]

** CriticalResearchFailure: The research stopped short of the fact that the Svear in the 800s actually spoke ''norse'', but experts in that language are hard to get by in California. The fact that the creators at one point managed to use some sentences in proper ''Sumerian'', makes this even funnier.

In a flashback to 1905, Anyanka and Halfrek drink champagne at a banquet full of massacred men in Russia. The city of St. Petersburg burns outside the window. Anyanka accepts Halfrek's compliments for starting the Russian Revolution but rejects her offer to celebrate as her work is all she is and all she wants.

* BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy: Anya had a hand in causing the [[Main/RomanovsAndRevolutions 1905 Russian Revolution]].

* CallBack: To "Fool for Love" -- a socially inept person becomes a demon in a moment of emotional pain, reinvents their image to strike out at what hurt them, eventually surpassing a mentor in their enthusiasm.
** Don't forget that Cecily/Halfrek was heavily involved in both cases.

* BeingEvilSucks

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: The girl who was pranked at the frat party and Anya end up [[{{Understatement}} less than satisfied]] with the outcome of their various wishes. The whole point of vengeance demons, of course, is to either convert the WomanScorned into an unfeeling and monstrously inhuman dispenser of cruelty or to answer the spurned woman's wish in a way that they really, ''really'' end up regretting. [[AnAesop Don't give in to vengeance so quickly, kids.]]

* DealWithTheDevil: Aud/Anya with D'Hoffryn, twice. First in flashback, when she gave up her humanity to serve him as a vengeance demon in the first place. Second in the episode itself, when she offers him her life to resurrect the people she's killed. [[spoiler: Subverted in the second deal when he takes Halfrek's life instead.]]

* ExactWords: [[spoiler:Anya begs the demon D'Hoffryn to revive the people she's slaughtered, and even agrees to sacrifice herself for it when he tells her that will require the life and soul of a vengeance demon. There is protest by Anya's friends, teary goodbyes and a lot of drama; right up until the point D'Hoffryn summons Anya's best friend Halfrek, also a vengeance demon, and immolates her right in front of everyone.]]

* {{Foreshadowing}}: The difference between what a WomanScorned wants and what a vengeance demon gives them [[spoiler:means Anya should have known D'Hoffryn wouldn't kill her.]]

* [[spoiler:IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure]]

* TechnicolorDeath: [[spoiler:Halfrek's death.]]

* VillainsDyingGrace: [[spoiler:D'Hoffyrn leaves Anya alive to agonize over Halfrek's death, assuming the BigBad uber evil will finish her off anyway. However in later episodes he sends demon assassins to finish the job, implying he's had second thoughts. Presumably D'Hoffyrn realised that having a former 'daughter' of his teamed up with an enemy of the First might not be good for his health.]]

Dawn helps Willow move into her new room at Summers house while giving her advice on how to fit in with the people at school. Buffy and Xander contribute to the effort too as they talk about Anya. Buffy wonders about Anya's evil intentions but Xander thinks she's getting better and is no longer a threat. Meanwhile at a fraternity house, male bodies litter the floor; all with their hearts ripped out. Anya sits in the corner, covered in blood and rocking back and forth, seemingly shocked by what she's just done.

Flashback to Sjornjost, Sweden. It's 880AD. A pre-demon Anya, originally named Aud cares for her Viking mate Olaf. He has returned from a hard day of fighting trolls although Aud doubts him. She waits on him, promising the requested sex after he's eaten and rhapsodising about the 'sense of accomplishment that stems from selflessly giving yourself to others'. She worries that Olaf has been unfaithful.

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: The girl who was pranked at the frat party and Anya end up [[{{Understatement}} less than satisfied]] with the outcome of their various wishes. The whole point of vengeance demons, of course, is to answer the spurned woman's wish in a way that they really, ''really'' end up regretting. [[AnAesop Don't give in to vengeance so quickly, kids.]]

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor