10 Buffy The Vampire Slayer Moments That Shocked Us All

Originally intended as the show's final episode, The Gift is a prime example of the series firing on all cylinders, and as a result, means that it's full to the brim with iconic set-pieces, emotionally devastating character pieces and heart-stopping moments.

Everything from Buffy's brutal assault on Glory with Olaf's hammer, to Willow restoring Tara's sanity, was designed to get fans leaping out of their seats in excitement, but one moment in particular however shocked fans to their core.

After beating Glory to a bloody pulp, Buffy refrains from killing her when she transforms into Ben. Buffy tells Ben that if Glory ever dares to come near them again, she won't hesitate to finish the job, to which Ben wholeheartedly agrees. Buffy then leaves to go rescue Dawn and Giles quickly steps in to tend to Ben.

Ben laments about how Buffy could have killed him, to which Giles reassures him that she couldn't as 'she's not like us'. Before Ben can fully grasp what those words mean, Giles suffocates Ben, killing both him and Glory in the process.

We all knew that Giles had a dark side, but we weren't quite ready for that.