A quarter century later, Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans are still talking about the same moment. Polygon argues that the show's best quote — delivered during Buffy's sacrifice for Dawn in the season 5 finale — remains the most inspiring line in TV history.

The case rests on how complete that moment was. The season 5 finale didn't just give the series one of its most quoted passages; it delivered an ending so definitive it could have closed the show for good. Of course, Buffy famously didn't end there — the series carried on for two more seasons — which has only sharpened the debate over whether that finale represents the show's true emotional peak.

That the conversation is still live 25 years on says something about the series' staying power. Plenty of genre shows from that era have faded into nostalgia-trivia territory; Buffy's big moments still get re-litigated like they aired last week. For a show about a teenager fighting vampires, that's a legacy most prestige dramas would kill for.