10 Most Gut-Wrenching Buffy The Vampire Slayer Moments From Buffy The Vampire Slayer
8. Xander leaving Anya at the altar
Fan favorite Anya – or Anyanka, as she was previously known – made her debut appearance in season threes ‘The Wish’. Her arc from careless Vengeance Demon to a loveable, caring, sarcastic human woman was among the best in the show. Which accumulated in her marriage to Xander during season six episode ‘Hell’s Bells’.
Fans were thrown a curveball, however, when Xander pulled out from the wedding last minute, literally leaving Anya stood at the altar. Standing there in her dress, tears rolling down her face, the scene shown just how much she had grew as a character over the years and the very human pain she now felt. In Xander’s defense, they were both young at the time and his reasoning for not going ahead with the wedding kind of made sense, especially given his character. He was scared and didn’t want to end up unhappy like his parents. But still, he couldn’t have realized that a bit earlier?
Anya truly was a highlight of the show. To see a character we’ve grown so fond of over the years hurt in this way was difficult to watch and left fans screaming at the TV “Why Xander?! Why?!”.