EDIT: Didn’t really expect this to blow up like it did! Thank yall for your insight and opinions! I like that we can this sort of discussion even if it’s unpopular. Now if you’ll excuse me, I shall write Willow/Tara fanfic and continue to be deeply delusional that they are still happy and in love and have a life together.

Don’t get me wrong: I loved Willow and Tara’s relationship and I’m grateful that it happened especially in the early 2000s when there was limited queer representation in the media.

But in my opinion, Willow should have been the one who died, not Tara. Willow is easily one of the most selfish characters on the series.

And I say this as a major Willow fan.

I feel like Willow didn’t do enough to earn Tara’s trust back. It’s one thing to give up magic, but there’s still the root issue of her insecurities (not being enough for her lovers or to her friends).

We see that Tara was able to cement her friendship with Buffy without Willow being there. And she was Anya’s confidant due to their mutual bond of being “the outsiders” (only there as girlfriends to their respective significant others) And Tara was the closet person Dawn had to a parental figure after Joyce died and Giles left.

In short, Tara was the heart of the group. (Sorry Xander, but you’re not it)

That being said, I’m not sure what Tara’s reaction would have been if it was Willow who was killed by the bullet. Would she have gone dark magic too? Would someone like Tara have it in her to kill Warren? Would she have tried to destroy the world fueled by grief and rage? Would Anya be there to stop Tara saying that she loves her?

Who knows?

What are y’all’s thoughts?