Sarah Michelle Gellar pays tribute to Michelle Trachtenberg.

There’s no denying the Buffy the Vampire Slayer fandom is hurting right now. When I first saw the news of Michelle Trachtenberg’s passing, I thought it had to be a hoax. It just didn’t seem real. But as the reports confirmed the heartbreaking truth, the shock hit even harder. She was only 39. A life gone way too soon.

Trachtenberg joined Buffy in Season 5 as Dawn Summers, the Slayer’s younger sister. Her sudden appearance in the show was explained by being a mystical “key” transformed into human form and sent to Buffy for protection. Despite the unexpected introduction, Dawn quickly became integral to the show. Trachtenberg’s performance throughout the final three seasons made her a core member of the Buffy family.

Throughout her time on the series, Dawn and Buffy shared some of the most emotional storylines, and it’s clear that the sisterhood Trachtenberg and Sarah Michelle Gellar built on-screen extended into real life. So, it’s no surprise that Gellar’s tribute to her late friend is gut-wrenching.

Sharing a carousel of photos from their time together, Gellar referenced the Season 5 finale, where Buffy sacrifices herself to save Dawn and the world. She wrote:

“Michelle, listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will always love you. The hardest thing in this world, is to live in it. I will be brave. I will live… for you. 💔💔💔🗝️”

That original quote, “Dawn, the hardest thing in the world is to live in it. Be brave. Live… for me.” already had Buffy fans in tears back in the day, but now? Now, it just hits differently.

With the news of the Buffy revival, many fans hoped Michelle Trachtenberg would return as Dawn Summers, even just for a brief cameo. With her passing, I hope the revival will find a way to honour her legacy. Something tells me Sarah Michelle Gellar will make sure of it.