1) The Zeppo! I love how he got under Jack’s skin and got him to stop the bomb and of course the end when he didn’t tell a soul about what he did because what mattered was that Xander knew.
3) Prophecy Girl! People tend to remember Xander in the episode as the boy who took rejection badly but I remember it for Xander jumping to Buffy’s rescue the second he learned about the prophecy and Buffy heading on her own to fight the Master - regardless of her rejection - and going to ANGEL of all people to lead him to the Master’s place and ending up saving Buffy himself. He never asked for thanks or to be rewarded for it. Give the kid some credit please.
Made by bvffythevampireslayer
4) Innocence: I love when Xander is shown to be smart and insightful which happened a lot on the show but it tends to be too subtle that people barely notice them and the poor kid is dubbed dumb. Xander came up with the idea to defeat the Judge and also showed good leadership skills (He’ll be the Scoobies leader again in the summer between S2 and S3) And I just love, love, love how he noticed that something was off about Angel and rushed back quickly and saved Willow!
5) Sacrificing himself for those he loves. Inca the Mummy Girl shows Xander offering himself to be killed by Ampata’s kiss of death instead of Willow. He pushed Buffy out of the way in The Replacement - didn’t know what Toth’s stick did, could have fried him to death and he still took a bullet for Buffy. He refused to choose between Willow and Anya in Triangle and prefered to be killed instead. BtVS shows plenty of scenes where Xander pushes a loved one out of harm’s way and jumps into the fray.
Made by @marshmallow-the-vampire-slayer
6) The Prom! Speaking of Xander pushing a loved one out of the way and jumping into the fray, this exactly happens in the shop where Cordelia works. This episode is a beautiful farewell to Xander/Cordelia. Xander makes up for cheating on her by keeping her secret about her family situation (which is interesting because Cordelia didn’t keep her promise not to reveal Xander’s family situation before. Xander could have used that moment for a petty tit for tat but he proved to be a good person and a gentleman.) Then he ended up buying Cordelia the dress with his road trip money!
Made by yourtinseltinkerbell
7) Killed by Death: Xander standing up to Angelus wasn’t only very brave and heroic, but also so incredibly sexy and launched off so many hot and dark Xangelus fics where Angelus makes Xander pay for making him look like a fool!!!
Made by darthmarion
8) Every time he rescues Spike and is gentle with him. That’s the Spander in me showing, but Xander saved Spike’s life on several occasions and it’s not all with fighting and there needs to be a gif set about it damnit! Xander lighting Spike’s lighter is the highlight - actually S5 was the best Spander season, both men showed plenty of signs that they could grow to be friends this season. What the hell happened in S6?
Made by Mokalicious
9) The Harvest: Xander just learned that vampires were real, yet it didn’t paralyze him in place with fear because Jesse was in danger. Xander risked his life to save Jesse and it was the first heartbreak in the series when Jesse gets killed. “I don’t like vampires.” Poor Xander.
10) Where the Wild Things Are: Buffy and Riley are trapped inside and Xander just goes in there to save their life, with Spike or without him. None of his friends wanted to back him up, and yet he just goes there. It’s exactly what Anya says about him in Storyteller:
Anya: There’s no one like you, Xander. You were willing to stand up to danger, even when your hands had no weapons. You were ready to protect me with your life.
It wasn’t just for Anya and loved ones. He also did it for strangers and people he disliked like Cordelia in Some Assembly Required and Spike in Doomed.
Made by @marshmallow-the-vampire-slayer

Source sunnydale-scoobies.tumblr.com
2) Speeches of love and respect: too many to pick from, but Buffy, Willow, Dawn and Anya received plenty of them. I wish Xander got to give Giles a love and respect speech at one point in the series. 
3) Prophecy Girl! People tend to remember Xander in the episode as the boy who took rejection badly but I remember it for Xander jumping to Buffy’s rescue the second he learned about the prophecy and Buffy heading on her own to fight the Master - regardless of her rejection - and going to ANGEL of all people to lead him to the Master’s place and ending up saving Buffy himself. He never asked for thanks or to be rewarded for it. Give the kid some credit please.


Made by bvffythevampireslayer
4) Innocence: I love when Xander is shown to be smart and insightful which happened a lot on the show but it tends to be too subtle that people barely notice them and the poor kid is dubbed dumb. Xander came up with the idea to defeat the Judge and also showed good leadership skills (He’ll be the Scoobies leader again in the summer between S2 and S3) And I just love, love, love how he noticed that something was off about Angel and rushed back quickly and saved Willow!

5) Sacrificing himself for those he loves. Inca the Mummy Girl shows Xander offering himself to be killed by Ampata’s kiss of death instead of Willow. He pushed Buffy out of the way in The Replacement - didn’t know what Toth’s stick did, could have fried him to death and he still took a bullet for Buffy. He refused to choose between Willow and Anya in Triangle and prefered to be killed instead. BtVS shows plenty of scenes where Xander pushes a loved one out of harm’s way and jumps into the fray.


Made by @marshmallow-the-vampire-slayer
6) The Prom! Speaking of Xander pushing a loved one out of the way and jumping into the fray, this exactly happens in the shop where Cordelia works. This episode is a beautiful farewell to Xander/Cordelia. Xander makes up for cheating on her by keeping her secret about her family situation (which is interesting because Cordelia didn’t keep her promise not to reveal Xander’s family situation before. Xander could have used that moment for a petty tit for tat but he proved to be a good person and a gentleman.) Then he ended up buying Cordelia the dress with his road trip money!

Made by yourtinseltinkerbell
7) Killed by Death: Xander standing up to Angelus wasn’t only very brave and heroic, but also so incredibly sexy and launched off so many hot and dark Xangelus fics where Angelus makes Xander pay for making him look like a fool!!!

Made by darthmarion
8) Every time he rescues Spike and is gentle with him. That’s the Spander in me showing, but Xander saved Spike’s life on several occasions and it’s not all with fighting and there needs to be a gif set about it damnit! Xander lighting Spike’s lighter is the highlight - actually S5 was the best Spander season, both men showed plenty of signs that they could grow to be friends this season. What the hell happened in S6?

Made by Mokalicious
9) The Harvest: Xander just learned that vampires were real, yet it didn’t paralyze him in place with fear because Jesse was in danger. Xander risked his life to save Jesse and it was the first heartbreak in the series when Jesse gets killed. “I don’t like vampires.” Poor Xander.

10) Where the Wild Things Are: Buffy and Riley are trapped inside and Xander just goes in there to save their life, with Spike or without him. None of his friends wanted to back him up, and yet he just goes there. It’s exactly what Anya says about him in Storyteller:
Anya: There’s no one like you, Xander. You were willing to stand up to danger, even when your hands had no weapons. You were ready to protect me with your life.
It wasn’t just for Anya and loved ones. He also did it for strangers and people he disliked like Cordelia in Some Assembly Required and Spike in Doomed.

Made by @marshmallow-the-vampire-slayer

thrasherpix
I love Xander keeping Cordelia's secret and getting her that dress which couldn't have been easy, and looked on him as kindly as Cordelia when she drove a crying Buffy home (when what is good about humanity shines through them)

DeepBlueJoy
I don't think I can improve on that list!