Why did she die?

PrincessBuffy16

PrincessBuffy16

Scooby
Joined
Sep 20, 2009
Messages
5,009
Location
Brussels, Belgium
I never understood that. From seasons 1-5 I always understood why she did some things, and I approved them. Riley was gone, her mother was dead. Ok, that was a big zero in her life. But why did she left all of her friends? When I watch that episode only thing I can remember is season 1, last episode. Only thing I can remember is that she wanted to live, and then she jumps. I mean, she had a choice, her or Dawn. Then why her? Why did she made that hard decision. Was it because she loved her sister so much and wanted her to live, or because she thought she doesn't have a reason to live? I always wondered, what if Angel didn't left. I think he would stay if Joyce didn't came to him and in one way said him that he should leave (that bad bad bad bad women). So if he didn't left, he would be with her, so would she do the same? Would she jump even if love of her life is by her side? What do you think, would it be Angel or Dawn? I will always remember Willow's tears and Xander's face. So, I don't understand why did she jumped? Only thing I knew back then my Buffy was gone.
 
I think she jumped for Dawn. It was her sister, it didn't matter that she was created by some monks.
The whole point was that in Buffy's mind Dawn truly was her sister, Summer's blood and all that.

Don't think at all that Joyce's death, the breakup with Riley or whatever had much to do with it.
It was all about being the hero she was/is and do what needed to be done.
Also think that it was an easy choice, or actually not even a choice. It was the only thing to do.

/SK
 
I think the only reason is, she loves her sister so much. Plus, the first Slayer told her "Death is your gift". She knew she had to jump. And I don't think she wouldn't do that if Angel was by her side. She would simply tell Dawn and Angel to take care of her friends.
 
I'm pretty much on board with everyone else here. The only reason for her doing what she did, was for Dawn. She wanted Dawn to live. At this point I don't think Buffy felt like there was no reason to live, she was simply doing what she knew needed to be done.

She would have done the same thing had Angel, Riley or Joyce had still been around. Although I do like the idea of Joyce sacrificing herself for both.

And on a side note, Angel would have left regardless of Joyce coming to see him not. It might have taken him a little longer to come to that decision. Joyce didn't make up his mind for him, he already knew what he needed to do, Joyce just confirmed it for him.
 
Yeah she did it for her sister,

plus the whole 'death is your gift' thing.

I think if Angel was there she still would of jumped, and just of told him to look after her friends and take over.

How sad would of that been? I think Buffy is that stubborn...
 
I felt that Buffy did it because of who she was: a hero. Just like Giles told Ben "She's a hero, you see..." Buffy had been trained to do whatever necessary to protect not only the world, but those she loved. And by taking Dawn's place and jumping into the "lock", she was saving her sister and the rest of the entire world. She knew it was her job, not Dawn's or anyone else's and she sacrificed herself for the greater good.
 
BUFFY: I sacrificed Angel to save the world. I loved him so much... but I knew. What was right. I don't have that any more. I don't understand. I don't know how to live in this world, if these are the choices, if everything's just stripped away then I don't see the point. I just wish... I wish my mom was here.

BUFFY: If Dawn dies, then I'm done with it. I'm quitting.
Click to expand...

She could not sacrifice her sister to save the world, so she sacrificed herself. Once the portal was open it was Buffy or Dawn.

"I wish my mom was here" is hearbreaking
 
I sacrificed Angel to save the world. I loved him so much... but I knew. What was right. I don't have that any more. I don't understand. I don't know how to live in this world, if these are the choices, if everything just gets stripped away. I don't see the point. I just wish... I just wish my mom was here." Buffy says a lot of important stuff there. In her past it was always clear what needed to be done, no matter how painful it may have been.


"Tell Giles... Tell Giles I figured it out. And... I'm okay." This is such a beautiful moment I am without words to describe it and I will openly admit it easily brings me to tears every time I see it alone. The Slayer is not just a killer, but if used wisely is an instrument of love; a hardened fighter who is blinded by the very love she is full of -- the gift she gives to the world episode that changed
 
ukkid09 said:
I don't know how to live in this world, if these are the choices, if everything just gets stripped away. I don't see the point. I just wish...
Click to expand...

I think as much as Buffy loved Dawn and did not want to sacrifice her, this comment cannot be overlooked. I feel that Buffy was beaten down by life as a slayer. She outlived, according to the television show, any other slayer and all of the loss- be it loved ones, or loss of normality- finally got to her. She lost the will to continue and this was a way to find peace. To go out with a grand purpose. To know that she would save the world and the obvious pain that she was in.

People often assume that the issues that bothered Buffy in the following season were simply a result of returning from the grave and being snatched from 'heaven' but I think they also go back to the situation, and quote, from this season. She no longer knew how to live, and simply being the slayer was not enough purpose for her life. She would later find purpose in being a surrogate mother to Dawn at the end of season six.

Buffy lost her desire, her will to live with the struggle. She jumped because it was the right thing to do, but that was not the only reason for the plunge. She jumped also because she her lost strength. As Spike alluded to in the previous season 'all slayers have a death wish' that death wish did not have to be realized with the fangs of a vampire with Buffy, but with closing a portal.
 
A
Amanda108
[No message]
W
Wesley
Correct, the Slayer Death Wish was an important factor in her jumping. The life of a Slayer is unfair and eventually they get out.
Scobro said:
I think as much as Buffy loved Dawn and did not want to sacrifice her, this comment cannot be overlooked. I feel that Buffy was beaten down by life as a slayer. She outlived, according to the television show, any other slayer and all of the loss- be it loved ones, or loss of normality- finally got to her. She lost the will to continue and this was a way to find peace. To go out with a grand purpose. To know that she would save the world and the obvious pain that she was in.

People often assume that the issues that bothered Buffy in the following season were simply a result of returning from the grave and being snatched from 'heaven' but I think they also go back to the situation, and quote, from this season. She no longer knew how to live, and simply being the slayer was not enough purpose for her life. She would later find purpose in being a surrogate mother to Dawn at the end of season six.

Buffy lost her desire, her will to live with the struggle. She jumped because it was the right thing to do, but that was not the only reason for the plunge. She jumped also because she her lost strength. As Spike alluded to in the previous season 'all slayers have a death wish' that death wish did not have to be realized with the fangs of a vampire with Buffy, but with closing a portal.
Click to expand...

I agree. In a way she had lost the will to go on. She would rather die then have to watch another person she loved be sacrificed to save the world. It was too much. Plus, it WAS her chance to be the hero and to live up to what it really meant to be a slayer. No matter who was there, Angel, Xander, her mother...she still would have done it. And I do think that a lot of why she was so unhappy after she was brought back was because she didn't know how to live in a world where she could ultimately never be happy...because her sacrifices would never end.
 
Summerlilly said:
I agree. In a way she had lost the will to go on. She would rather die then have to watch another person she loved be sacrificed to save the world. It was too much. Plus, it WAS her chance to be the hero and to live up to what it really meant to be a slayer. No matter who was there, Angel, Xander, her mother...she still would have done it. And I do think that a lot of why she was so unhappy after she was brought back was because she didn't know how to live in a world where she could ultimately never be happy...because her sacrifices would never end.
Click to expand...


I completely agree, and that always broke my heart for Buffy.
 
PrincessBuffy16 said:
I never understood that. From seasons 1-5 I always understood why she did some things, and I approved them. Riley was gone, her mother was dead. Ok, that was a big zero in her life. But why did she left all of her friends? When I watch that episode only thing I can remember is season 1, last episode. Only thing I can remember is that she wanted to live, and then she jumps. I mean, she had a choice, her or Dawn. Then why her? Why did she made that hard decision. Was it because she loved her sister so much and wanted her to live, or because she thought she doesn't have a reason to live? I always wondered, what if Angel didn't left. I think he would stay if Joyce didn't came to him and in one way said him that he should leave (that bad bad bad bad women). So if he didn't left, he would be with her, so would she do the same? Would she jump even if love of her life is by her side? What do you think, would it be Angel or Dawn? I will always remember Willow's tears and Xander's face. So, I don't understand why did she jumped? Only thing I knew back then my Buffy was gone.
Click to expand...

She sacrificed herself to save the world, and to save Dawn. Simple as that. It's who she is/was.
 
(I have not read the rest of the thread)

PrincessBuffy16 said:
I never understood that. From seasons 1-5 I always understood why she did some things, and I approved them. Riley was gone, her mother was dead. Ok, that was a big zero in her life. But why did she left all of her friends? When I watch that episode only thing I can remember is season 1, last episode. Only thing I can remember is that she wanted to live, and then she jumps. I mean, she had a choice, her or Dawn. Then why her? Why did she made that hard decision. Was it because she loved her sister so much and wanted her to live, or because she thought she doesn't have a reason to live? I always wondered, what if Angel didn't left. I think he would stay if Joyce didn't came to him and in one way said him that he should leave (that bad bad bad bad women). So if he didn't left, he would be with her, so would she do the same? Would she jump even if love of her life is by her side? What do you think, would it be Angel or Dawn? I will always remember Willow's tears and Xander's face. So, I don't understand why did she jumped? Only thing I knew back then my Buffy was gone.
Click to expand...

I assume you don't have a sister? Or if you do, not one you like very much?

I would jump in a heart beat for any member of my family(probably even for strangers). I don't believe there's any man or women that I could be so in love with that I would stand and watch my sister bleed to death.

I think Buffy jumped for Dawn's sake and only a little bit because she, as Spike put it, had a "death wish". The monks must have made sure Buffy loved Dawn enough to do that. Hell, we saw in Propechy girl that Buffy was willing to walk to her forseen death to save innocents.

And do you really think Angel would have wanted a woman that wouldn't die for her sister? Or that her friends would?

Not to sound mean, but I really don't know how you can't understand Buffy's motives.
 
If Angel had been there, she absolutely still would have jumped, IMO, because that's just who she is. It wouldn't have mattered if she was the happiest she'd ever been- it was her sister. I know a lot of fans don't like Dawn, but that doesn't mean that Buffy (and the rest of the Scoobies for that matter) doesn't love her.

On the issue of her mental state at the time: I can't put it better than Scobro already did. I think her season 6 issues really began in season 5. While I don't think she would have killed herself if she hadn't needed to, I do think she was a little too okay with the idea. That's why I don't understand why some people think the show should have ended with S5. Yes, it was a beautiful sacrifice, but you can't ignore her mind state at the time. Who wants the show to end with the hero dying while feeling miserable about life?
 
No I don't have a sister, and I understand her motives, but in one way they are not logical FOR ME. Idk, maybe because I'm so conected with Buffy and that day I felt like I lost her.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom