| abstract | - The Scoobies face off against Glory. Xander proposes to Anya. Buffy discovers the meaning of "Death is your gift". This was the last episode to air on The WB. So in a way its sort of a series finale for the network that supported the show from the beginning.
* Actually a Doombot: Glory decapitates Buffy -- only to be surprised that the Slayer is a robot. Then the real Buffy appears behind her wielding a great big hammer.
* Always Save the Girl: Buffy refuses to even consider the idea of killing Dawn to stop the ritual.
* Ass Pull: Two. There's Olaf suddenly being called a "Troll God" rather than just a Troll to explain why his hammer can hurt Glory. And the one that really gets fans upset: Buffy sacrificing herself in Dawn's place on the theory that since Dawn was made from Buffy's blood, her death will also close the portal. Never mind that if that was the case, it should mean they both have to die.
* Batter Up: Anya, but she doesn't know how to hold it properly.
* Barrier-Busting Blow: Badass Normal Xander with a wrecking ball.
* Blood Magic: The Key's blood is used to open the portal while Buffy's blood -- which is the same as Dawn's -- is used to close it again. The importance of this trope is lampshaded by Spike.
* Call Back: The opening scene where Buffy saves a boy from a vampire is a reference to the original premise of the series.
* Cat Scare: Xander and Anya are searching the basement; Xander removes a cloth and shrieks as he suddenly finds himself facing the Buffybot. Then Anya shrieks and starts ranting at whatever sick person put a...stuffed toy rabbit in the basement.
* Chekhov's Armoury: The Hammer of Olaf, the Dagon Sphere, and the Buffybot are all used to fight Glory.
* The Coats Are Off: Glory takes off her sacrificial robe to fight Buffy.
* Completely Missing the Point: According to the Parents Television Committee Buffy is one of the worst, offensive, atrocious shows on TV because Buffy gives her life to save the world, stating it was suicide. Apparently they believe she was meant to let the world be destroyed.
* Courtly Love: Spike is now willing to die protecting those Buffy loves, even though he knows Buffy will never return his feelings.
* Cowardly Lion: Willow and her jelly-belly.
* Despair Speech: Oh, Buffy.
* Dissonant Serenity: After being forced to wear a sacrificial robe, Dawn neatly folds her clothes and leaves them on a chair. Averted moments later when Glory's minions haul her for sacrifice -- Dawn starts screaming out Buffy's name.
* Dressed to Kill: Doc changes into a suit and tie for the big event.
* Excuse Me, Coming Through: Willow/Tara clear a path for Spike through Glory's minions using telekinesis.
* Fighting From the Inside: A subtle example. Tara, driven insane by Glory, suddenly slaps Willow and calls her a bitch. She then tries to have a My God, What Have I Done? moment, but can't.
* Foe-Tossing Charge
* Foreshadowing: For Xander knocking Glory for six with a wrecking ball.
* Flashback Echo: When Buffy puts together the clues on how to close the rift.
* Get Out!: Dawn is sick of listening to Ben's excuses for his Face Heel Turn and demands he change, shouting in a similar manner to her "Get-out-get-out-GET-OUT!" of previous episodes; "Be Glory. Be Glory. (yelling) Glory! Glory! Glory!"
* Girl-On-Girl Is Hot: Xander asks why the Buffybot hasn't been melted down.
* The Glasses Come Off: Inverted -- Giles deliberately puts on his glasses before suffocating Ben, making a point of not sparing himself the horror of what he's doing.
* Groin Attack: A rare female example. It's hard to see due to the pace of the fight, but at one point Glory clearly punches Buffy in the groin. And yes, it hurts just as much for women, and Glory is a god... ouch.
* Hell on Earth: Glory's departure will tear open the dimensions, causing Earth to be invaded by Eldritch Abominations.
* Hidden Depths: Despite the derision of Spike and Giles, Anya comes up with some good ideas to fight Glory, and stays to fight instead of leaving Sunnydale like she did in "Graduation Day".
* Held Gaze: Spike shares an Oh Crap look with Dawn a moment before Doc pushes him off the tower.
* Heroic Sacrifice: Dawn tries to throw herself off the tower so as to close the rift. Buffy stops her and goes in her place.
* I Gave My Word
* I Am a Monster / All Love Is Unrequited: Spuffy
* I'm Not a Hero, I'm X
* Incredibly Lame Pun: Glory's minions rally to protect her tower.
* Love You and Everybody
* Mad Oracle: Tara, who has been Mind Raped by Glory and reduced to a babbling childlike state, suddenly points to Giles and shouts, "You're a killer!" foretelling his murder of Ben.
* The Magnificent: Doc called Glory "her Splendidness" and one of her minions refers to her as "Oh, Most Sweaty-Naughty-Feelings-Causing One."
* Manly Tears: Spike weeps over Buffy's death.
* Meaningful Echo: "The hardest thing in this world is to live in it" is repeated (by Dawn) in Season 6, where Buffy finds real life more difficult to cope with than any Big Bad.
* Negated Moment of Awesome: Doc bests Spike in combat, then faces up to Buffy knife in hand, saying "This should be interesting." Buffy throws him off the tower without even breaking stride.
* Nerds Are Sexy: After Anya figures out some good ways of attacking Glory.
* No-Holds-Barred Beatdown / Drop the Hammer
* Not Quite Dead: Doc
* OOC Is Serious Business: Giles is trying to get Buffy to acknowledge that killing Dawn may be necessary.
* Our Dragons Are Different: A dragon flies through the rift. It's not explained what happened to it, though some have speculated it's the same one that appears in the Grand Finale of Angel.
* Our Hero Is Dead
* Plot Tailored to the Party
* Poisonous Friend: Giles
* Pre-Climax Climax / Sex Dressed: Xander and Anya in the basement.
* "Previously On...": A montage showing clips from every season, starting with "Welcome to the Hellmouth", getting faster and faster until it Smash Cuts to The Teaser.
* Ridiculously Human Robot: Although its fighting style is slightly less impressive, the Buffybot copies Buffy's personality much better than it did after months of tweaking by Willow in Season 6.
* Robotic Reveal / Off With Her Head
* Rousing Speech: Averted by Buffy.
* Rule of Symbolism: The Heroic Sacrifice happens at dawn.
* Saying Sound Effects Out Loud: Xander, upon seeing the insane contraption of Glory's tower says, "Shpedoinkle!"
* Series Fauxnale
* Shoot the Dog
* Surrounded by Idiots
* Super Strength: Anya suggests using the Hammer of Olaf. Spike is in the middle of saying that he tried to lift it (in "Blood Ties") and it was too heavy, when Buffy casually hefts the hammer in one hand.
* Taking the Bullet: Anya shoves Xander out of the way of a bolt of lightning, and then gets injured by falling rubble.
* Targeted Human Sacrifice
* Telepathy: Willow uses this to communicate during the battle.
* Tempting Fate
* Too Much Information: Ben tries to comfort Dawn by saying at least she'll die quick. A hobbit-minion chimes in that actually it'll be slow to encourage the maximum blood flow.
* Unusual Euphemism: Anya's "pleasure moment".
* With This Ring: Xander proposes to Anya. At first Anya is offended, thinking Xander is only doing it because they'll be dead soon and he won't have to keep his promise. Xander says he's doing it because he thinks they'll live. Anya is touched but, clearly seeking to avoid Tempting Fate, tells him to hold onto the ring until after the battle.
* Vampire Invitation: Spike is quite moved when Buffy allows him back into her house.
* You Have No Idea Who You're Dealing With: Buffy is mildly surprised when the vampire she encounters doesn't know who she is. No problem.
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