15 Best Buffy The Vampire Slayer Episodes
7. The Gift (Season 5, Episode 22)
"The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Be brave. Live. For me."
The Gift was meant to be Buffy's final episode, before it was picked up by a new network and renewed for a new season. But, honestly, if the show had ended here, would it really have been that bad? The answer, simply, is no, because The Gift is nothing short of a masterpiece of television, and the fact that it's not higher on this list should only speak volumes about how great the rest of the episodes are.
From its opening montage recap to the Scooby Gang's final confrontation with Glory (Clare Kramer), the episode never slows down. As Buffy takes on Glory, trying with all her effort to save her sister (Michelle Trachtenberg), Spike, Willow, Xander, Giles and Anya (Emma Caulfield) lead the charge against her followers.
The battle is small but epic, the entire thing laced with the feeling that something is about to go very wrong. Which it soon does, as Buffy realises she has to sacrifice herself to save her sister and her friends - but not before giving a heartbreaking speech to Dawn.
The episode also sees Giles do what Buffy never could, Spike accept the fact that Buffy will never love him, and a haunting final shot of the Slayer's grave. It's violent, quick, incredibly moving, and a serious tearjerker.