[[folder:Season One]]
* Buffy's first Awesome moment in the series was her staking of Luke, the Vessel, and she picks ''such'' an excellently bitchy way to do it. She shatters a window, [[SchmuckBait making Luke think the sunshine is getting in]], but he stops cowering and starts looking confused when he sees a streetlight. Then Buffy sneaks up and stakes him.
-->'''Buffy:''' [[BondOneLiner It's in about nine hours,]] [[WhatAnIdiot moron.]]
* Just come back to life and hunting down the Master, Buffy's PowerWalk set to the theme song definitely counts too.
** "You have fruit punch mouth."
* "There's scarier things than you, and I'm one of them." Spoken by Buffy ''as a vampire''. To a creature with a club arm that had already beaten her down and forced her to ''run'' instead of continuing to fight.

* Willow has had a [[ChildhoodFriendRomance huge crush]] on Xander since they were kids. In "The Pack", Xander has been possessed by a hyena spirit, turning him into a predatory bully. Xander has been captured and locked up, and lays on the charm trying to get Willow to let him out. As soon as she comes within reach, he lunges at her and she [[GenreSavvy deftly dodges out of the way]], now [[SecretTestOfCharacter knowing for certain]] she can't trust him (for the duration of his possession).

* Punching out the MonsterClown in ''Nightmares''.
** Let's not forget the taunting afterwards!
-->'''Xander:''' You were a lousy clown! Your balloon animals were pathetic. ''Anyone'' can make a giraffe!
** A minor one, but acknowledged, from the same episode. When [[spoiler: the child-beating coach]] tries to make his getaway in the end, Xander is the one to take him down.
* A very small one in "The Pack" (doused with a bit of SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming|Moments}}), where he, immediately upon waking from his hyena trance, sees Willow in danger and tackles the zookeeper to save her. [[UndyingLoyalty All without a moment's hesitation]].



* Cordelia driving to the library in the Season One finale.
** Okay, that needs more of a description because this one doesn't do it justice: several members of the Scooby Gang are outside the school and surrounded by [[BigBad the Master's]] {{Mooks}}, when Cordelia suddenly shows up out of nowhere in her car and yells at them to get in. She then drives them to the (relatively) safe(r) library, where they prepare to be sieged by the vamps. Now, bear in mind that at this point, Cordelia wasn't really a part of the group, and didn't even really like any of them, but she did all this anyway.
** Also worth note, in ''The Witch'' Cordelia's driving teacher references her taking Driver's Ed repeatedly, and in ''Out Of Mind, Out Of Sight'' Cordelia herself mentions a time she ran over a biker. She is a terrible driver, but managed to get everyone in safely.

* The Master killing Buffy ''twice''. Even if she came BackFromTheDead it's an impressive accomplishment.
* Darla pulling the guns on Buffy in "Angel". With just that trick she put herself in a situation of ''complete'' advantage on the one person supposed to be able to slay vampires with impunity and that had recently offed one much stronger than herself, and the only reason Buffy survived was that Angel staked Darla before she could kill her.


[[folder:Season Two]]
-->''[Buffy crawls out, gives Lyle a'' look'']''
-->'''Lyle:''' "All right. It's over."
* Buffy confronting Jenny in "Innocence". Having just recovered from her HeroicBSOD, Buffy walks into school, goes straight to Jenny's classroom, grabs Jenny by the neck and slams her down onto her desk ''in front of Giles and the entire class''.
* "Innocence" reminds this troper why he used to like this show.
--> '''Judge:''' Fool! No weapon forged can defeat me!
--> '''Buffy:''' That was then. [takes out the rocket launcher] This is now.
--> Drusilla and Angel run for cover as the Judge looks blankly.
--> '''Judge:''' What's that do?
--> [BOOM!]
** JossWhedon [[WordOfGod had gone on record]] that he loved Buffy here more than any other time.
* A little later in the same episode, there's the spectacular, vicious, emotional battle between Angelus and Buffy that sees Buffy finally holding a stake over Angelus, frozen in hesitation, unable to kill him, and [[TemptingFate as he gloats]]...
--> '''Angelus''': (''chuckling'') You can't do it. You can't kill me.
--> '''Buffy''': (''delivers possibly '''the most''' satisfying GroinAttack on all network television, which leaves Angelus paralysed on the floor in breathless agony, and walks away without looking back'') Give me time.
* Buffy vs Angelus in "Becoming, Part 2"
--> '''Angelus:''' That's everything. No weapons... no friends... no hope. Take all that away, and what's left?
--> '''Buffy:''' (Catches Angelus' sword [[BarehandedBladeBlock with HER BARE HANDS]]) [[PreAsskickingOneLiner Me.]]

* Willow in "The Dark Age":
--> '''Willow:''' And if you aren't with me a hundred and ten percent, then [[PrecisionFStrike get the hell out of my library]]!
* [[BewareTheNiceONes Angry!Willow]] is ''always'' awesome. When she screams "'''HEEEEEEEEYYYYYYY!!'''", ''everyone'' cowers before her, including [[BadassNormal Giles]] and Angel.

* "What's My Line" (2x09). Xander ''epically'' pwns [[AlphaBitch Cordelia.]]
-->'''Cordelia:''' What am I, mass transportation?
-->'''Xander:''' That's what a lot of the guys say, but it's just locker-room talk.
* "Killed by Death":
-->'''Angelus''': If I decide to walk into Buffy's room, do you think for one microsecond that you could stop me?
-->'''Xander''': Maybe not. Maybe that security guard couldn't either. Or those cops... or the orderlies... But ''I'm'' kinda curious to find out. You game?
--> '''Angelus''': Buffy's White Knight. You still love her. It must just eat you up that I got there first.
-->'''Xander''': You're gonna die. And I'm gonna be there.
-->'''Angelus''': Tell her I stopped by.
-->''(And then Angelus, the vampire who slaughtered nuns for fun, took on Holtz, and God knows who else, WALKED AWAY!)''
* His "WhatTheHellHero" to Buffy in "When She Was Bad," ending with "If they hurt Willow, I will kill you." Here, [[TookALevelInBadass Xander's balls dropped about a foot, and tripled in size]].


* The first time Ethan shows up, we haven't really seen much evidence of Giles' FormerTeenRebel self. So when he shows up in Ethan's shop and proceeds to absolutely kick his ass-- in a state of TranquilFury no less-- it is both unexpected and ''amazing''.
* Some cheered when Giles went after Angelus and company singlehandedly. ''With a flaming baseball bat.'' Remember that at this point, the Big Bad is a two hundred year old vampire who '''even the Master and the (literally invincible) Mayor were afraid of.''' And considering that Giles has no super powers, spends his days in a library and has pretty much been the Useless Mentor up until his girlfriend dies, that's saying a lot about his badass level. The Badass Scale officially exploded at this point, even if Angelus recovers a minute later.
---> '''Giles:''' In order...to be worthy...you must perform the ritual...in a tutu.
** Then he glares Angelus down. And calls him a pillock.
* Give Tony Head his props; when he has to whip out a range of emotions and characteristics in ''The Dark Age''... he's amazing.



* Cordelia snaps at Harmony in "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered":
--> '''CORDELIA''': Harmony, shut up. Do you know what you are, Harmony? You're a sheep.
--> '''HARMONY''': I'm not a sheep.
--> '''CORDELIA''': [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech You're a sheep. All you ever do is what everyone else does just so you can say you did it first. And here I am, scrambling for your approval, when I'm]] ''[[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech way]]'' [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech cooler than you are cause I'm]] ''[[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech not]]'' [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech a sheep.]] I do what I wanna do, and I wear what I wanna wear. And you know what? I'll date whoever the ''hell'' I wanna date. ....No matter how lame he is.

* ''School Hard''. [[MamaBear Joyce Summers]]. Fire axe.
-->"You get the hell away from my daughter."
** Which gets reference in the season finale.
--->'''Joyce''': Have we met?
--->'''Spike''': Er... You hit me with an axe one time. Remember, er, "get the hell away from my daughter"?
--->'''Joyce''': Oh. So, do you live here in town?


[[folder:Season Three]]
** Later, after finding Tucker, we get this exchange.
-->'''Willow''': We can't just leave you, Buff-
-->'''Giles''': Buffy, they're right. You need-
-->'''Buffy''': To see tail lights. Hit the door. I've got everything under control.
-->'''Oz''': Buffy, it makes sense to -
-->'''Buffy''' (deadly): Have. A nice. Time.
-->'''Willow''': Okay then.
-->'''Xander''': See ya.
* Buffy [[BullyHunter scares off a group of bullies]] with what can be interpreted as a SlasherSmile.

* Vamp Willow getting the vamps who attacked her to work for her.
-->'''Vamp!Willow:''' (after beating down the two vampires and putting one in an armlock) You made me cranky.
-->'''Minion Vamp:''' There must be a mistake. We were sent after a human!
-->'''Vamp!Willow:''' Who do you work for?
-->'''Minion Vamp:''' I'm not tellin' you a thing!
-->'''Vamp!Willow:''' *snaps one of his fingers* Who do you work for?
-->'''Minion Vamp:''' Aggh! Wilkins! The Mayor!
-->'''Vamp!Willow:''' *breaks another finger* Who do you work for?
-->'''Minion Vamp:''' ... you.
* Willow's rant to Faith in "Choices":
-->'''Faith:''' Give me the speech again, please. "Faith, we're still your friends. We can help you. It's not too late."
-->'''Willow:''' It's way too late. You know, it didn't have to be this way. But you made your choice. I know you had a tough life. I know that some people think you had a lot of bad breaks. Well, boo hoo! Poor you! You know, you had a lot more in your life than some people. I mean, you had friends in your life like Buffy. Now you have no one. You were a slayer and now you're nothing. You're just a big, selfish, worthless waste.
*** [[spoiler: Granted, this speech [[HarsherInHindsight comes back to bite her in the rear end after the Dark Willow incident]], because it can be used to describe her [[NotSoDifferent when she went crazy after Tara's death]], somewhat lessening the awesome (this troper actually considers the speech to be self-righteous, smug and pretentious, especially since Willow ''never'' liked Faith to begin with).]] Kind of explains why the two were on pretty decent terms come Season 7.
* Of course, why is Willow in a position to say that to Faith? Because she got captured. But then she kills the vampire guarding her and has an opportunity to escape. So what does she do? She ''doesn't escape'', she finds the Mayor's office and studies the Books of Ascension, nabbing the most informative pages for Giles to study.
* The above speech from 'Choices'? Is Willow's ''second''-best speech from that episode. Here's the best one, from where Willow reveals to Buffy that she's chosen to go to college at UC Sunnydale.
-->'''Buffy:''' I can't believe it! Are you serious? Ah, wait, what am I saying? You can't.
-->'''Willow:''' What do you mean, I can't?
-->'''Buffy:''' I won't let you.
-->'''Willow:''' Of the two people here, which is the boss of me?
-->'''Buffy:''' There are better schools.
-->'''Willow:''' Sunnydale's not bad. And I can design my own curriculum.
-->'''Buffy:''' Okay, well, there are safer schools. There are safer ''prisons''. I can't let you stay because of me.

-->'''Zombie Jack:''' I'm not afraid to die. I'm already dead.
-->'''Xander:''' Yeah, but this is different. Bein' blowd up isn't walking around and drinkin' with your buddies dead. It's little bits being swept up by a janitor dead, and I don't think you're ready for that.
-->'''Zombie Jack''' Are you?
--> '''Xander:'''...''I like the quiet''.

* When Angel reveals that he's been pretending to have lost his soul:
--> '''Faith:''' What can I say, I'm the world's best actor.
--> '''Angel:''' [[WhamLine Second best.]]
** Cue OhCrap look on Faith's face.
* Angel saving Giles and Wesley from Balthazar.
-->'''Balthazar''': Who has my amulet? What is his name!?
-->'''Angel''': [[BigDamnHeroes His name's Angel.]]
--> Giles: How do we get the heart of the second demon?
--> (Cut to Angel unleashing a furious attack on the second demon. NoHoldsBarredBeatdown ensues.)

* In ''Dead Man's Party'', Giles threatens Principal Snyder to let Buffy back in school. He's wearing Ripper's little smile, the one that says, "Please give me an excuse to hurt you, you tiny slug of a man."
-->'''Snyder:''' I'm not convinced.
-->'''Giles:''' *slams Snyder against a cupboard, a serene smile on his face* Would you like me to convince you?
** Making this even better is Snyder's previous scene showed he more or less gets sexually aroused at hurting Buffy, [[TooDumbToLive and basically confesses this to Giles.]] Then ignores the threat of having the state Supreme Court brought in.
* In ''Faith, Hope & Trick'', [[TwoWordsObviousTrope four words]]; "[[PullTheThread There is no spell.]]"
* Giles in the third-season episode 'Wish.' He destroys Anyanka's power center almost entirely on faith that the other world "will be better. [[CrapsackWorld It has to be.]]"
* In ''Earshot'', Giles calls Wesley a berk. A what? It's rhyming slang, it's a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome because Giles was GettingCrapPastTheRadar to call Wes a cunt.
* There's [[BigBad Mayor Wilkens]], right, who's invincible, on the verge of ascending into a [[ScaledUp giant snake]], and he's come to threaten the Scoobies in the library. When he menaces that he's going to kill Buffy, Giles stabs him through the chest with a saber. Being invincible and all, it only offends The Mayor that Giles would use violence, but it still shows him as a {{Badass}} PapaWolf.
** And no, this time it wasn't his Ripper persona briefly re-emerging. That was Mr. Giles, the Watcher-who-just-got-fired-from-the-Council-because-of-his-paternal-love-and-protectiveness-of-his-Slayer. If you're going to poke that bear you'd ''better'' have some invincibility mojo going on.

* Though the "Fool For Love" episode of ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' is a good latter-day attempt, Spike gets his in the final scene of "Lover's Walk" where, after a {{montage|Out}} of every other character's brooding {{Wangst}}, you see him in his car streaking off into the desert sun to find Drusilla, rocking out to the Sex Pistols' version of "My Way".


* Season 3, episode 4: "Beauty and The Beasts". Jealous boyfriend Pete confronts Oz, who's locked in the book cage, about Debbie. Oz tries to warn Pete away by saying that something is about to happen that Pete "probably won't believe", then Pete morphs into Hyde-Pete and lays a smackdown on Oz for several minutes. At one point, Oz manages to put a bit of space between them, and he looks out the window to see the sun dip below the horizon. Cue SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome: "Time's up. Rules change." Were-Oz proceeds to unleash a full-fledged [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown wolf-fu style asskicking]] that only ends, fortunately for Pete, when Oz gets distracted and tries to attack Willow and Faith.

--> '''Cordelia''': (You're going to) Rip out my innards, play with my eyeballs, boil my brain and eat it for brunch? Listen up, needle-brain. Buffy and I have taken out four of your cronies, not to mention your girlfriend.
--> '''Lyle''': Wife!
--> '''Cordelia''' Whatever. The point is, I haven't even broken a sweat. See, in the end, Buffy's just the runner-up. ''I'm'' the Queen. You get me mad, (gets in his face and glares at him) what do you think I'm gonna do to you?
--> '''Lyle''': Later.
** Keep in mind that Lyle thought Cordelia was a slayer in this scene, and she was playing to that misconception. In other words, bluffing her ass off - which, in some people's opinions, makes it even ''more'' awesome.
** As proved in ''Series/{{Angel}}'', Cordy's acting chops come through when it really, really matters.

* Killing the vampire who killed her Watcher with a really large stake.
* Having learnt that Scott has dumped Buffy, Faith goes in to bat for her, grossing out his current girl with claims of having several [=STDs=]. Buffy's other friends...do sweet jack all.

* In the slaver demon's pocket dimension in ''Anne''. When Buffy is incapacitated, all the other humans are about to either give up or die, and she's just been [[KickTheDog emotionally beaten back into submission]], [[BewareTheNiceOnes Lily]] [[TheDogBitesBack kills the slaver demon]] [[UnderestimatingBadassery by shoving him off the ledge from behind]] [[ShutUpHannibal in the middle of his monologue]].
** Leading to a SugarWiki/{{Funny Moment|s}} when the camera zooms in on [[OhCrap Lily's face]] when she realizes what she just did.
* The Mayor was back to back awesome, even if not a {{badass}} as we'd call it now. His crowning moment, however, was probably killing [[spoiler: the definition of AssholeVictim, Pricipal Snyder]].


[[folder:Season Four]]
-->'''Buffy:''' And for the record, the arm is hurt. (*thwack*) It's not broken.
* Buffy taking out two powerful demons barehanded after Professor Walsh sends her into a trap. Followed by this equally awesome BadassBoast once Buffy finds the camera in the trap, said on monitors in the Inititave HQ just as Walsh finished telling Riley about Buffy's "death":

* This was on Funny Moment, but it's worth repeating here.
-->'''Willow:''' Keep eye contact. Funny is good, but don't be glib. And remember, if you hurt her, I will beat you to death with a shovel.
-->''(Riley looks back at her, very surprised)''
-->'''Willow:''' A vague disclaimer is nobody's friend. Have fun.

** Also, the fact that Xander was the heart of the spell.


* The frat house sealed Buffy and friends inside and their worst fears are coming true ([[RecycledScript again]])? All the doors and windows have vanished? Frat house, meet Giles. [[ChainsawGood With a chainsaw.]]
--> '''Giles:''' We'll need to make a door
--> '''Anya:''' You can do that?
--> '''Giles:''' ''(pulls a chainsaw out of his bag)'' I can.
-->''"...and try not to bleed on my couch/I just had it steam-cleeeeeaned..."''

* Spike's escape from the Initiative was pretty freaking cool.
* Another great Spike moment: in season 4 when [[RivalTurnedEvil rogue slayer]] Faith wakes up from her coma, the group goes searching for her. Giles and Xander run into Spike, and describe the situation, and Faith. Spikes response "Tell you what I'll do then. I'll head out, find this girl... tell her exactly where all of you are and watch as she kills you." Xander and Giles look at each other in confusion. Spike continues, "[[CharacterCheck Can any one of your damn little Scooby club at least try to remember that I HATE YOU all?]]" When Xander tries to retort that Spike doesn't even know what Faith looks like, Spike calmly recites Xander's physical description: "Dark hair, this tall, name of Faith, ''criminally'' insane. Like this girl already." as he walks off. Xander and Giles are left behind, utterly dumbstruck, until all Xander can say is "We're dumb."

* "Where The Wild Things Are" was probably the worst episode of the season, but Anya was well and truly awesome and we saw what she would do when Xander was in danger. She charged up the stairs telling the screeching poltergeists who want to kill her to, "Shut up, repressed crybabies!" They responded by making a vine [don't ask] go straight through the palm of her hand, so she pulled it out ''without even a second of hesitation'', and continued fighting her way up to bathroom to stop them drowning her boyfriend.


* Riley [[ShutUpHannibal arresting Ethan Rayne]] in the middle of his BreakingSpeech.
* Punching Parker in the face when the latter starts making unpleasant remarks about Buffy.
* It takes a special kind of soldier to rip out a programming chip embedded in his own chest, and Riley shows off his steel-plated testicles by ''using broken glass to do it.''
* Riley decking that smug son of a bitch Colonel [=MacNamara=]:
-->'''[=MacNamara=]:''' You're a dead man, Finn!
-->'''Riley:''' No, sir. ''(knocks the colonel out with one fist to the jaw)'' [[IronicEcho I'm an anarchist.]]

* Confronting Buffy on campus in "This Year's Girl".
* Her [[spoiler: in Buffy's body]] telling a bunch of vamps holding a congregation hostage that what they're doing is wrong... and meaning it.

* Harmony driving away Spike in "Pangs"
-->''No! I'm strong and I'm beautiful and I don't need you to complete me. (pulls out stake) And you're mean!''.


[[folder:Season Five]]
* The episode "Checkpoint," where after a full episode of being made to feel inferior by the ZenSurvivor Watcher's Council, the ditziest BigBad ever to appear on the show, and a crazy KnightsTemplar army of [[WellIntentionedExtremist Well-Intentioned Extremists]], Buffy gives a perfectly calm, almost deadpan set of demands to the council's lead DeadpanSnarker, punctuated by a thrown broadsword. This troper's roommates' ears are still ringing from his cheering. The scene in all its awesomeness:
-->'''Quentin Travers:''' "We can begin the review at last. We'll skip the more obvious questions-"
-->'''Buffy:''' [''places sword over his notes''] "There isn't gonna be a review."
-->'''Quentin:''' "Sorry?"
-->'''Buffy:''' "No review. No interrogation. No questions you ''know'' I can't answer. No hoops, no jumps, [''Nigel opens his mouth to speak, Buffy turns to him''] and no interruptions. [''begins pacing''] See, I've had a lot of people talking at me the last few days. Everyone just lining up to tell me how unimportant I am. And I've finally figured out why. Power. I have it. They don't. This bothers them. ...Glory came to my home today."
-->'''Giles:''' "Buffy, are you-?"
-->'''Buffy:''' "Just to talk. She told me I'm a bug, I'm a flea, she could squash me in a second. Only she didn't. She came into my home and we talked. We had, what in her warped brain, probably passes for a civilized conversation. Why? Because she needs something from me. Because I have power over her. You guys didn't come all the way from England to determine whether or not I was good enough to be let back in. You came to beg me to let ''you'' back in. To give your jobs, your lives, some semblance of meaning."
-->'''Nigel:''' "This is beyond insolence-"
-->'''Buffy:''' [''flings broadsword, which just barely misses him''] "I'm fairly certain I said no interruptions."
-->'''Xander:''' [''whispers''] "That was ''excellent''."
-->'''Buffy:''' "You're Watchers. Without a Slayer, you're pretty much just watching ''Masterpiece Theatre''. You can't stop Glory. You can't do anything with the information you have, except maybe publish it in the ''Everyone Thinks We're Insane-O's Home Journal''. So here's how it's gonna work. You're gonna tell me everything you know. And then you're gonna go away. You'll contact me if and when you have any further information about Glory. The Magic Shop will remain open. Mr Giles will stay here as my official Watcher, reinstated at full salary-"
-->'''Giles:''' [''coughs''] "Retroactive."
-->'''Buffy:''' "-To be paid retroactively from the month he was fired. I will continue my work with the help of my friends-"
-->'''Lydia:''' "I-I-I... don't want a sword thrown at me, but-but civilians, I - we're talking about children."
-->'''Buffy:''' "We're talking about two very powerful witches and a thousand-year-old ex-demon."
-->'''Anya:''' "Willow's a demon?!"
-->'''Phillip:''' "And the boy? No power there."
-->'''Buffy:''' "The ''boy'' has clocked more field time than all of you combined. He's part of the unit."
-->'''Willow:''' [''whispers''] "That's Riley-speak."
-->'''Xander:''' [''whispers back, grinning''] "I've clocked field time."
-->'''Buffy:''' "You all may be very good at your jobs. The only way we're gonna find out is if you work with me. You can all take your time thinking about that. But I want an answer right now from Quentin, 'cause I think he's understanding me."
-->'''Quentin:''' [''clears throat''] "Your terms are... acceptable."
* The fact that Buffy went toe to toe with [[PhysicalGod Glory]] as often as she did. She may have gotten her ass kicked nearly every time but she was facing off against a ''living god'' with just her Slayer powers. Of course that made it beyond amazing when she finally wiped the floor with Glory in the final.
* Buffy [[FoeTossingCharge nonchalantly pushing Doc off Glory's tower]] in the season 5 finale. Doc was in mid-sentence. It was like a non-verbal "Whatever."
* Buffy wiping out the vampire brothel gang, six to one odds, [[CurbStompBattle in fourteen seconds.]] Probably just as well she didn't take up Riley's invitation to work out her anger on him.

* "[[PunctuatedForEmphasis I. Owe. You. Pain.]]"
** Even people who hate Dark Willow love this line.
** As is this one:
---> '''Glory''': What's this, bag of tricks?
--->'''Willow''': [[FlechetteStorm Bag of knives.]]
** Buffy's pretty good at punching out vampires, demons and the BigBad. Willow [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu punches out]] ''gods.''
* This:
--> '''Willow:''' Spike was right. Snap out of it! What you're going through right now? It's called guilt. It's an emotion, and it's important, but it's not more than that. Buffy, you have had [[TitleDrop the weight of the world]] on your shoulders since high school, and for one second you wanted it to be over. So what?!
--> '''Buffy:''' I killed Dawn.
--> '''Willow:''' Hello, your sister? Not dead yet! But she will be soon, if you don't come back to us.
--> '''Buffy:''' What if I can't?
--> '''Willow:''' Then I guess you're right. You really did kill your sister. ''[turns to walk away]''
--> '''Buffy:''' Where are you going?
--> '''Willow:''' Where you're needed. You coming?

-->'''Xander:''' "And the glorified bricklayer picks up the spare."
-->'''Audience:''' '''"OH HELL YEAH!!!"'''
** And this isn't [[UnspokenPlanGuarantee part of a stated plan, either.]] Xander pulls a DynamicEntry with a ''wrecking ball''. [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu Against a]] ''[[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu god.]]''
-->'''Donny [=MacClay=]:''' Tara, if you don't get in that car, I swear by God I will beat you down.
-->'''Xander:''' And I swear by your [[SarcasmMode full and manly beard]], you're gonna break something trying.


* The episode "Tough Love" has one of Giles' best SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome. After finding one of Glory's minions spying on them, Giles tells Anya and Willow to get twine to tie him up, and proceeds to engage in off screen violence. The minion quickly decides singing like a canary to be the wiser of the two options. Best part? When asked what happened, Giles/Ripper cooly responds with, "He changed his mind."
** It may be a bit morbid, but what Giles says to Ben at the end of "The Gift" (just before his ShootTheDog moment) sticks out in this editor's mind for sheer badass content.]
--->'''Giles''': ...[Buffy] couldn't take a human life. She's a hero, you see. She's not like us.
--->'''Ben''': ...us?

-->'''Spike''': The first was all business but the second, she had a touch of your style. She was cunning, resourceful... oh, did I mention? Hot. I could have danced all night with that one.
-->'''Buffy''': You think we're dancing?
** [[spoiler:He didn't have a good day. He promised Buffy and himself that he would enjoy her dying, and it destroyed him.]] Joss Whedon, you Bastard.
* Spike had more than his fair share, but that's what happens when you're the BadassLongcoat.
--> '''Buffy''': What are you doing here? [Spike begins to answer] Five words or less.
--> '''Spike''': [Pauses, then, counting on his fingers] Out... for... a... walk. [Pauses again] ...Bitch.
* "Intervention". Spike gets tortured by a [[PhysicalGod hellgod]] that no one has been able to beat, and the only thing he has to do to save himself pain is tell [[BlondesAreEvil Glory]] where the Key is. ''And he doesn't do it.'' Because he couldn't hurt the real Buffy by betraying Dawn.
** Not to mention he escapes ''by himself''. When the scoobies show he just has to figure out how he's getting out the elevator, past the henchmen and to his crypt, in broad daylight. Notably the scooby gang showed up to ''kill him before he could talk''.
* Spike's contribution to protecting Tara from her family in 'Family' was awesome in its fast-thinking and unorthodox creativity. When Tara's father contemptiously calls her something akin to a demon-spawn, Spike walks up to Tara and ''punches her in the nose''. How can punching a girl be a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome? Because it triggers Spike's shock-chip, proving that Tara is actually human. Which means that Spike not only promptly worked out how his curse could for once prove useful but also volunteered to suffer another fit of head-splitting pain just to help a human.

** Made even better as Tara had previously stated that she considered this a FateWorseThanDeath.

* Anya's soliloquy in "The Body".
--> '''Anya:''' But I don't understand, I don't understand how this all happens, how we go through this. I mean I knew her, and now she's...there's just a body, and I don't understand how come she just can't get back in it and not be dead anymore. It's stupid! It's mortal and it's ''stupid!'' And Xander's crying and not talking, and I was having fruit punch and I was thinking that well, Joyce will never have 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''.
** This is the only moment on television to make this (male) troper cry. Twice.


* Taking down a vamp nest by himself using a grenade.
** Not to mention first staking the vampire who nearly killed Buffy with the stake he'd earlier taken from Buffy.

* The Scoobies facing down Tara's family in "Family".
** Except for Spike, who makes a point, as everyone else is doing their "You'll hafta go through ME first" routine, of saying "You won't hafta go through me, I don't really care". (And then Xander emphasizes: "You'll have to go through all of us... [[MyFriendsAndZoidberg except Spike]].")
*** Though Spike ''did'' do his bit when he strikes Tara, proving that she's entirely human due to him feeling pain via the chip in his brain (not a pleasant thing). He didn't ''have'' to do it, the family was already on the debate's losing end... One can't help but feel that despite still being (mostly) evil, his not caring was [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial coming to be a state of denial by this point]] (well, that or simple spite for [[BigScrewedUpFamily the sort]] [[StrawMisogynist of people]] the [=McClays=] seem to be. Either way, it's a pretty cool moment.)
--> '''Tara's Father''': We are her blood kin! Who the hell are you?
--> '''Buffy''': We're ''family''.
* I'm not sure this was intentional, but I and my inner feminist found Harmony's speech to Spike in ''Crush'', coupled with her shooting him with a crossbow, pure, utter, awesome.
-->What about me, Spike? You forget about me ''again''? The ''actual'' girlfriend? I gave you the best ... bunch of months of my life! I thought I could change you, Spike. I thought maybe if I gave and I gave and gave, maybe you'd come around. Maybe be a little nicer. Stop treating me like your dog. But now I see it's you. You're the dog. Who needs to be put down.
* The scientist pretending to remove Spike's chip by first distracting Harmony.

[[folder:Season Six]]
* Killing the monster in "Normal Again" by punching through its chest.
-->'''Warren:''' Say goodnight, bitch!
-->''Buffy destroys his magic orbs before he's PunchedAcrossTheRoom.''
-->'''Buffy:''' [[IronicEcho Goodnight, bitch!]]

** To clarify, that was Osiris, Egyptian god of the dead. Once again, Willow attacked a ''god'' and ''hurt it''.
*** Again.
** Her [[FlayingAlive flaying of Warren]]. Disturbing in execution, but so, so deserved.
** [[FanNickName Willow the Vampire Flayer.]] Whoever thought up the idea deserves a date with Willow for that one.
** Let's face it, her torture and hunt for him was pretty special as well.
* A great Dark Willow moment: "Jonathan. Andrew. You boys like magic, don't you? [[ShockAndAwe ABDA KADABRA.]]"

* Xander at the end of season 6 [[TalkingTheMonsterToDeath confronting Willow]]
--> '''Xander:''' If you're going to end the world, start with me. I've earned it.
** That's right, Xander pulled off a [[Franchise/MassEffect Paragon Interrupt]] on the Apocalypse!


* Personally, I thought Spike fighting to earn his soul back, throwing away a lifestyle he'd kept for centuries, knowing he had little to no chance with Buffy despite that, is one of the most {{Badass}} things someone can do. Love, man. It conquers all.

-->"No one touches my girl!"
** Notable because not only are she and Willow broken up at this point in time, but it emphasizes just how [[CharacterDevelopment far she's come]] from the shy girl who couldn't even get a sentence out when under scrutiny in her first appearance.
** And before that she stands up to Spike after being told about him and Buffy, when he gets sexually aggressive she's right on hand to shoot him down.


-->'''Dawn:''' (holding up the sword, tiny smile) What? You think I never watched you?



[[folder:Season Seven]]
* Buffy killing Caleb with the scythe.
--->'''Caleb:''' You can't do it. You haven't got the ba-[[GroinAttack THWACK]]
--->'''Buffy:''' [[PreMortemOneLiner Who does nowadays?]]
--->'''Angel:''' Now I'm pissed. Where is he?"
--->'''Buffy:''' [[{{Pun}} "He had to split."]] (cracks up)
--->'''Joss Whedon:''' Sauron himself would be like "''DUDE!''"

* Willow's BadassBoast to Andrew in "Never Leave Me"
* "Get It Done", Willow [[LampshadeHanging hangs a lampshade]] on the [[AltumVidetur Gratuitous Latin]] before showing why she's one of the most powerful women in the world:
-->''Via, concursus, tempus, spatium, audi me ut imperio. '''[[PrecisionFStrike Screw it!]]''' Mighty forces, I suck at Latin, OK? But that's not the issue. [[RefugeInAudacity I'm the one in charge, and I'm telling you open that portal, now!]]''
* In the finale, Willow [[spoiler: using her magic to unlock all the Potentials' powers]], complete with [[OneWingedAngel white-haired glowing Willow]], "Oh. My. Goddess.", and an appropriate summation when the spell is over and Willow flops to the floor, exhausted: "That was nifty."

* Xander when comforting Dawn at the end of ''Potential.''
--> '''Xander:''' You're not special. You're ''extraordinary''.
* Xander gets a series long SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome simply for surviving. Buffy's a slayer and she died, twice. Willow's a witch and the most powerful character on the show. Anya's a demon [[spoiler: and she died]]. Spike's a vampire [[spoiler: and he died]]. Xander's human, arguably not even a BadassNormal, and he's survived.

* Angel appearing out of nowhere to save Buffy at the last moment from Caleb - with his show on ''a different television network''.

* The way he thwarts the attempt on his life is suitably awesome.

* Crazy Spike embracing the cross.
* Even if you weren't a Spuffy shipper you have to admit Spike being willing to [[spoiler: go up ''in flames'' even when he knew she didn't return his feelings to save the day]] is awesome.
* When the First Evil is impersonating [[AFormYouAreComfortableWith Drusilla]] to manipulate Crazy!Spike. He [[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu laughs at the First]], declaring that she's not Dru... because she's not ''nearly'' crazy enough.
* Spike's getting his ass kicked by a demon that he needs to kill to help Buffy. [[CombatSadomasochist And he's laughing gleefully]], clearly having more fun than he has all season. The demon pins him against a wall, and Spike simply snaps its neck before pulling out a cigarette. Lighting it with a match struck on the dead demons skin tops it all off amazingly.
-->''I don't know your feelings, big guy. But to me, a tussle like that... *[[HesBack lights his smoke, takes a deep draw]]* [[BondOneLiner is good for the soul.]]''

* Everybody should know how badly Buffy cracked after The First drove a potential to suicide. Basically, she goes beyond DrillSergeantNasty in an epic "everyone sucks but me" speech. Well later, when her arch nemesis Faith shows up, reformed, wanting to help and the potentials wanting her over Buffy she spits it and leaves. We gotta give Anya this for her thoughts.
* "Bunnies. Floppy. Hoppy. Bunnies."

* Dawn to Spike in the second episode of Season Seven:
--> '''Dawn''': You sleep, right? You. Vampires. You sleep.
--> '''Spike''': Yeah. What's your point?
--> '''Dawn''': You know, I probably can't take you in a fight, even with a chip in your head, but if you ever hurt my sister, [[BewareTheNiceOnes you're going to wake up on fire. ]]
--> '''Spike, shortly after, to Buffy''': When did your sister [[TookALevelInBadass get unbelievably scary]]?
* Dawn's speech to Amanda in "Potential", and the subsequent act of sheer guts when she hands over the stake to Amanda, while ''facing down a vampire and six Bringers''.
** Which ''hurts'' Buffy, before Dawn calls her a dumbass. Considering her actions over the season this can be very cathartic.


* Depending on your view of Buffy's behaviour in Season 7, the potentials confronting her about her poor leadership and demanding she get on board or leave might be a collective SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome for the group.
** One Potential on the receiving end of AbusiveParents becomes a Slayer. She [[PunchCatch stops the abuse]] and shoots a DeathGlare.
* On the villainous side, the First morphing into each previous BigBad [[ContinuityCavalcade in reverse order]] to torment Spike. CreepyAwesome indeed.
* Caleb beating the shit out of the Scoobies in their first confrontation.
* Amanda in ''Help'' seeks Buffy's advice on an abusive boyfriend...should she pound him into the pavement some more. As a long term BullyHunter the question leaves Buffy speechless. [[spoiler: [[{{Foreshadowing}} Of course]], Amanada turns out to be a Potential.]]
* Creator/SarahMichelleGellar getting to play a Buffy villain, in the form of the First Evil's favored guise, in the style of her character from ''Film/CruelIntentions''. Comes to a peak with First!Buffy [[IShallTauntYou taunting]] Good!Buffy during the final fight, with Buffy delivering a "[[ShutUpHannibal Shut Up, Buffy!]]" by [[MadeOfIron fighting on despite a seemingly mortal wound]].
** If that floats your boat Buffy herself is also for the second part of the season a villain, whose actions as a DrillSergeantNasty GeneralFailure very nearly led to TheBadGuyWins.


[[folder:Season Eight]]
* Buffy killing a demon with a Crucifix.
* Amy's gloating that [[NothingCanStopUsNow nothing can stop her]]. Enter [[BigDamnHeroes Willow]].
-->[[IronicEcho "I'd like to test that theory."]]
** Giant Dawn stepping on Amy, with a PrecisionFStrike BondOneLiner.
* Faith killing two gargoyles, despite completely wrecking her hands.
* Buffy killing Sephrilian with a magical assist from Willow.
* The "Wolves at the Gate" arc is made of awesome.
** Toru managing to trick Dracula out of his powers and give them to his hundreds of Vampire mooks, steal the Scythe from Buffy, [[spoiler:kill two Slayers]], and very nearly succeed in his plan to depower the Slayer army.
** Giant-Dawn vs. Mecha-Dawn in the middle of downtown Tokyo.
*** Especially Andrew's reaction to it. "One of my teammates is fighting a giant robot version of herself on the streets of Tokyo. '''I've been preparing for this moment my entire life.'''"
** Renee baiting out a vampire, who Buffy captures, douses in fuel, and threatens to set alight if he doesn't talk. She does so anyway after she's done with him, declaring war, because of the brutal murder of a Slayer (who herself earned a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome for killing a bunch of powerful demons).
** Buffy jumping off a skyscraper and dusting Kumiko before she could kill Willow.
** Satsu staking Raidon right before he could kill Buffy.
** Dracula utterly destroying Toru by cutting off his arms and a leg, followed by Xander doing an UnflinchingWalk through the battlefield to take Dracula's sword from him and decapitate Toru in revenge for him killing [[spoiler:Renee]].
*** Dracula's YouHaveNoIdeaWhoYoureDealingWith speech towards Toru as he does the above. Reminding him that he was the one who killed ''thousands'' [[spoiler: and only after ''that'' did he became a vampire.]]
** A Internet tycoon approaches Buffy and Kennedy about being targeted by Wolfram & Hart, who are using his servers. When the demon Buffy brings along turns on them, she and Kennedy brawl and it looks like all hope us lost how does Kennedy save the day? [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim Shoot the servers.]] Then she [[TookALevelInKindness tries to keep Buffy hired on because despite everything their client made it out okay.]]


[[folder:Season Ten]]
* After half of season nine being Buffy moping about being a Slayer and a comparatively weak BigBad where does the series go from here. All the main characters at full force fighting super vampires. [[spoiler: Buffy going back to basics. Xander and Anya are back. Willow's at full power now that magic has returned. So's a recently revived Giles. Spike and Angel are fighting together, and Faith, and Billy the male Slayer, and Kennedy with Holly and Leah as the Slayer answer to Delta Force.]] [[HolyShitQuotient This is gonna be good.]]
** Now with the release of ''Angel & Faith'' it's revealed there's a new ''Spike'' series. But there's something different about this one. There's a specific writer attached to it. Who you ask? None other than Spike himself, Creator/JamesMarsters.
** Season ten (and nine) achieved the impossible: They made Kennedy cool and turned her into essentially a DistaffCounterpart to Soap from ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare.'' Let's face it [[RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap how many would think she is awesome were it not for her earlier portrayal?]]
* With ''Angel & Faith'' having kicked into high gear the main series needed to step up and the long awaited return to Sunnydale does so big time. For a while now it's been hinted that Warren will be resurrected. Well...[[spoiler: the Scoobies chase Andrew when he steals the Vampyer book who intends to use it to bring Johnathan BackFromTheDead. There's someone else he intends to resurrect as well.]] [[spoiler: [[WhamLine Tara. McClay]].]] Oh...[[HolyShitQuotient here we go.]]
** "...we'll be fighting a megapowerful hell demon that can probably slaughter us in out sleep. Or as we call it, Wednesday." As well as a BadassBoast Willow says of herself, Buffy and Spike the issue was in fact released on Wednesday, making this literally true.
* Half of ''Angel & Faith'' has become ''Series/CallOfDuty'' with Kennedy and Faith filling in for Price and Soap. Well Sam, Riley's wife, shows up as a MacMillin {{Expy}}, sniping a good dozen vamps. GunsAreWorthless? Not as long as she's around they ain't.


* Spike killing two slayers, especially Nikki Wood (sorry Robin).
* Anytime Spike wins against the Scoobies in verbal arguments.
* In the E-Comic "Harmony Comes to the Nation", Jane Espenson writes a Buffyverse-only one for... Creator/StephenColbert! It's a S8 tie-in. The plot? It's a two page comic showing an interview with Harmony after her show becomes big. Oh, and in his trademark style, points out her hypocrisy and stupidity.
* Buffy vs Dragon. Mid air. Shown during the AnimatedAdaptation preview and when it was worked into the comics it's shown the Dragon loses.