The First Evil (usually called The First) is a fictional character created by

Joss Whedon Joseph Hill Whedon (; born June 23, 1964) is an American filmmaker, composer, and comic book writer. He is the founder of Mutant Enemy Productions, co-founder of Bellwether Pictures, and is best known as the creator of several television series: ...

for the TV series ''

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film of the same name, also written by W ...

''. The First Evil first appeared in the third season episode "

Amends "Amends" is episode ten of season three of the television show ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. It was written and directed by series creator Joss Whedon. Advertised as a Christmas episode, it was first broadcast on December 15, 1998. Plot It is C ...

", and became the main antagonist of the seventh and final season. A being manifested from all

evil Evil, in a general sense, is defined as the opposite or absence of good. It can be an extremely broad concept, although in everyday usage it is often more narrowly used to talk about profound wickedness and against common good. It is general ...

in existence, the First is an incorporeal entity that can assume the appearance of any person who has died (however briefly) – including

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...

s and humans who have been resurrected. Over the course of the series, and depending upon its audience, it takes various guises as a method of deception and manipulation – for example, the First usually appears as

Buffy Summers Buffy Anne Summers is the title character of the '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' before going on to appear in The WB/UPN 1997–2003 television series and subsequent 1998 ...

(

Sarah Michelle Gellar Sarah Michelle Prinze ( ; born April 14, 1977) is an American actress. After being spotted at the age of four in New York City, she made her screen acting debut in the television film ''An Invasion of Privacy'' (1983). A leading role on the te ...

) to the Slayer and her allies, but it also assumes the forms of

Warren Mears Warren Mears is a fictional character that is portrayed by Adam Busch in the American television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. The character also appears in canonical comic book series continuation of that series. He is the main antagonist ...

Spike Spike, spikes, or spiking may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Books * ''The Spike'' (novel), a novel by Arnaud de Borchgrave * ''The Spike'' (book), a nonfiction book by Damien Broderick * ''The Spike'', a starship in Peter F. Hamilto ...

Drusilla Drusilla is a female given name deriving from the Roman cognomen Drusilla. History The name has its origin from the Latin cognomen (and later praenomen) ''Drusus'' which itself derived from the Greek ''drosos'' (dew). The diminutive "illa" t ...

and

Jonathan Levinson Jonathan Levinson is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. The character is portrayed by Danny Strong. Character development Strong described the early development of his character ...

on multiple occasions, among a variety of other forms taken less frequently. Its only real weakness is that it is non-corporeal, and therefore cannot cause any real physical damage. It is expert at

psychological manipulation Manipulation in psychology is a behavior designed to exploit, control, or otherwise influence others to one’s advantage. Definitions for the term vary in which behavior is specifically included, influenced by both culture and whether referring t ...

, and can act through its servants, such as the Bringers,

Turok-Han The following is a list of demons, vampires, human monsters, walking dead, ghosts, beasts and any kind of evil being or supernatural creature seen in the Buffyverse (created by Joss Whedon). Demons, Half-Demons and Old Ones * Acathla (" Becom ...

Caleb Caleb (), sometimes transliterated as Kaleb ( he, כָּלֵב, ''Kalev'', ; Tiberian vocalization: Kālēḇ; Hebrew Academy: Kalev), is a figure who appears in the Hebrew Bible as a representative of the Tribe of Judah during the Israelites' ...

or whatever person it can manage to influence.

Biography

Character history

The First Evil claims to be the source and embodiment of all that is evil. For technical purposes, the First Evil is neither male, female, demon, nor god; it is a "power". The First is older than demons, even the Old Ones, who themselves existed long before the first humans; it is older than the written word, the Big Bang and transcends all realities and dimensions; it is older than any other evil being and may even be the very first entity ever to have existed. It is said that the First lurked in the darkness long before the

universe The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. Acc ...

was even created and shall remain long after the universe ends. Few have heard of it and even fewer believe in its existence. The entity cannot affect the world on a physical level. Its power lies in its ability to deceive, torment and manipulate others. It can take the form of anyone who has died (or as an enormous, phantasmic demon with large horns and long, talon-shaped fingers), and it can choose to be seen and heard by just one person or by multiple people. The First has a deep understanding of human nature and it uses this knowledge to drive others to madness, murder and/or suicide. The First makes its initial appearance in the series as a

monster of the week "Villain of the week" (or, depending on genre, "monster of the week", "freak of the week" or "alien of the week") is an antagonist that only appears in one episode of a multi-episode work of fiction. A villain of the week is commonly seen in Brit ...

that

Angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...

must face in the episode "

". It tries to drive the vampire to kill Buffy by reminding him of his "true" nature (Angelus) and it sets about accomplishing this by appearing to him as some of his victims: Daniel, Margaret, Travis and

Jenny Calendar Jenny Calendar is a fictional character in the fantasy television series '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1997–2003). Played by Robia LaMorte, Jenny is the computer teacher at Sunnydale High School. Unbeknownst to Buffy or anyone else, Jenny Calen ...

. It claims that it is responsible for Angel's return from

Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...

, and suggests that Angel can end his sufferings by turning evil again and killing Buffy, but instead he chooses to kill himself using the sunrise. His suicide is only averted by a freak snowstorm unheard of in Southern California. Episodes of the spin-off series ''Angel'' later suggest that Angel was returned from hell and his life saved by

divine intervention Divine intervention is an event that occurs when a deity (i.e. God or a god) becomes actively involved in changing some situation in human affairs. In contrast to other kinds of divine action, the expression "divine ''intervention''" implies that ...

from the heavenly Powers That Be. Later, the First makes its presence known again in the seventh season by tormenting the vampire

, who like Angel has come into possession of a soul; tricking the former villain

Andrew Wells Andrew Wells is a fictional character in the television series '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and '' Angel'', played by Tom Lenk. The character also appears in '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight'', the canonical continuation of the serie ...

into awakening the Hellmouth beneath Sunnydale High; and dispatching its agents, the Bringers, to kill young women around the world with the potential to succeed

Faith Faith, derived from Latin ''fides'' and Old French ''feid'', is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or In the context of religion, one can define faith as "belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". Religious people often ...

as the current

Slayer Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style ...

. When Buffy's allies Giles and Anya query the First's sudden rise in activity with a mystical third party, they learn that the First is able to act in this way because of an anomaly in the Slayer line caused by Buffy's recent resurrection, providing an outlet for the First to wipe out all the Slayers. Though incorporeal, the First is effective in prompting suicides, deceiving various members of the Buffy's gang, and releasing evil monsters from the Hellmouth. Later in season seven, the audience is introduced to the First's right-hand-man, the supernaturally strong misogynistic ex-priest

, as well as its army of primordial

vampires living beneath the Hellmouth. In the series finale, Buffy and her allies take the fight to the First by opening the Hellmouth and using magic to activate every potential Slayer in Buffy's army. With additional help from a magical amulet, the gang destroy the First's army, the Sunnydale Hellmouth, and the surrounding town.

Powers and abilities

Neither male or female, living or dead, the First is pure power. It is the darkness inside the hearts and souls of all living creatures. While the First has no physical body and is impossible to kill, it also cannot truly interact with the physical world. Certain people are able to interact and even become one with the First, such as Caleb. The First appears in the physical world as dead people, including vampires, humans who have died, and dead people who have been resurrected. This allows the First to impersonate people for the purpose of manipulating others. For instance, the First appears as Warren to get Andrew to kill Jonathan during "

Lessons A lesson or class is a structured period of time where learning is intended to occur. It involves one or more students (also called pupils or learners in some circumstances) being taught by a teacher or instructor. A lesson may be either one ...

," as Eve to more easily attack the Potentials during "

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

," and as Buffy to amplify Spike's torture throughout

Season 7 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...

. The First seems also to know mannerisms, information and details of the life of whoever it imitates. This is best shown in "

Conversations with Dead People "Conversations with Dead People" is the seventh episode of the seventh and final season of the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. It is the only episode other than " Once More, with Feeling" where the title appears on screen. Plot S ...

" as the First appears to Dawn as her mother Joyce, appears to Andrew as Warren and appears to Willow as Cassie Newton, in an attempt to manipulate them all into serving its purpose. As essentially the source of all evil, the First has knowledge of every monster and dark ritual in existence. This was exemplified by the runes the Bringers carved into Spike's chest to summon the Turok-Han. As the First is said to be eternal, existing before time and believed to be the only thing remaining after the end of time, it is infinitely patient. A defeat it suffers is nothing more than a minor setback. In '' Chaos Bleeds'', the First displayed the ability to possess people, open portals, teleport beings across dimensions and, according to Sid, conjure a duplicate dummy body for him and trap his soul inside.

Appearances

The First Evil has appeared in 16 canonical

Buffyverse The Buffyverse or Slayerverse is a Multimedia franchise, media franchise created by Joss Whedon. The term also refers to the shared fictional universe in which the TV series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and ''Angel (1999 TV series), Angel'' are ...

episodes: ''

'' *Season 3 (1998) **"

" (as Daniel, Margaret,

, and Travis–name revealed in the shooting scripts). *Season 7 (2002–2003) **"

" (as

, Glory,

Adam Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as " ...

, The Mayor,

, The Master, and

) **" Selfless" (as Buffy Summers) **"

" (as Warren Mears, Cassie Newton, and

Joyce Summers Joyce Summers is a fictional character in the action-horror television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1997–2003). Played by Kristine Sutherland, Joyce is the mother of the main character, Buffy Summers, and appears in 58 of the 144 episod ...

) **" Sleeper" (as Buffy Summers and Spike) **"

Never Leave Me "Never Leave Me" is the ninth episode of the seventh and final season of the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', in which the Scooby Gang begins to realize the magnitude of their peril. Plot Xander works to repair the living room wi ...

" (as Buffy Summers, Spike, Warren Mears, and

) **"

Bring on the Night ''Bring On the Night'' is the first live album by Sting recorded over the course of several live shows in 1985 and released in 1986. The title is taken from a song by the Police from their 1979 album ''Reggatta de Blanc''. The songs performed ...

" (as Spike and Drusilla) **"

" (as Buffy Summers and Eve) **"

First Date A first date is the initial meeting during the dating process of two individuals, in which an effort is made to ask about each other, plan a potential relationship, and/or organize some sort of romantic activity. Aims vary between finding a ...

" (as Jonathan Levinson and

Nikki Wood This article lists the major and recurring fictional characters created by Joss Whedon for the television series '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. For detailed descriptions, see individual character pages. Cast Main cast The following characters ...

) **" Get It Done" (as Chloe) **" Storyteller" (as Warren Mears) **"

Dirty Girls "Dirty Girls" is the 18th episode of the seventh and final season of the television series '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. The episode aired on April 15, 2003 on UPN. Plot A young Potential Slayer, Shannon, is chased through the woods by Bringers ...

" (as Buffy Summers and Betty) **"

Empty Places "Empty Places" is the 19th episode of the seventh and final season of the television series '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. The episode aired on April 29, 2003 on UPN. Plot The citizens of Sunnydale flee en masse to escape the Hellmouth and Sunny ...

" (as Buffy Summers) **" Touched" (as Richard Wilkins and Buffy Summers) **" End of Days" (as Buffy Summers) **" Chosen" (as Buffy Summers and

). The First appears in the

non-canonical The adjective canonical is applied in many contexts to mean "according to the canon" the standard, rule or primary source that is accepted as authoritative for the body of knowledge or literature in that context. In mathematics, "canonical example ...

video game '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds'' as the main antagonist, having helped occultist magician

Ethan Rayne This article lists the major and recurring fictional characters created by Joss Whedon for the television series '' Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. For detailed descriptions, see individual character pages. Cast Main cast The following characters ...

escape military confinement to enact a plan for world domination. Buffy and her friends pursue the First over multiple realities and across the centuries, eventually "dispersing it across dimensions" to stop its plans to consume the universe with evil.

Bringers of the First Evil

The Bringers of the First Evil, or Harbingers of Death, are the acolytes of the First Evil. They are humans who have been corrupted by the First and undergone rituals that include self-mutilation: their eyes and tongues are removed, and their eyelids covered by rune-like scars; yet they are perfectly aware of their surroundings. It is implied that the First's high priest,

, has played an important role in indoctrinating the Bringers. He possesses extensive knowledge of their habits (such as knowing that they pant instead of sweating) and refers to them as "my boys". Indeed, The Harbingers of Death themselves refer to him as their "teacher". The Bringers also have a poisonous aura which is capable of rendering earth and living beings sterile: : ''For they are the harbingers of death, nothing shall grow above or below them, no seed shall flower, neither in Man nor...'' Despite their apparent disabilities, Bringers are swift assassins capable of highly organized attacks thanks to their collective consciousness, which is under the control of the First. Besides their deadly fighting skills, Bringers are also capable of summoning manifestations of the First to haunt people, and create psychic links between dreamers through their dark rituals. In season 7, The First declared war on the Slayer line. The Bringers became assassins of Potential Slayers around the world. When the First set up camp in Sunnydale, Bringers begin to swarm the town to hunt down arriving Potentials and to unearth the

Scythe A scythe ( ) is an agricultural hand tool for mowing grass or harvesting crops. It is historically used to cut down or reap edible grains, before the process of threshing. The scythe has been largely replaced by horse-drawn and then tractor m ...

, a mystic weapon created by Guardians: ancient, powerful women who cared for the Slayer.

Analysis

Picart and Browning describe the First Evil as "evil by definition". According to Gregory Stevenson Whedon's creation of the First Evil shows that evil is persistent. It can never stop nor be fully defeated. There is always a balance between good and evil and the characters get from one fight, that is won to the next. As the evil is an entity that can not be fully defeated, Buffy and their friends have to keep it up with an army of this entity within the last season, which can be defeated by them, while the entity continues to exist. According to J'annine Jobling the First Evil seems to be "a radical reversal of the Christian mythos". "An original graced state gave way to a fallen one" because of "humans' disobedience and misuse of free will". According to

Augustine of Hippo Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Af ...

, a god who is perfect is not able to be the "source of evil", just as the "First Evil" does not seem to be able to be the source of any good. According to James B. South,

is not interested in the theological implications of this entity. She merely states: "Alright, I get it, you're evil." He adds that the First Evil seems to precede good. It is omnipresent and very powerful. With it,

was aiming to create an enemy that was neither human nor demon. It could either appear in a human form or in a demonic form.James B. South (2011): Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy: Fear and Trembling in Sunnydale. Open Court. P. 213-225

Biography

Character history

Powers and abilities

Appearances

Bringers of the First Evil

Analysis

References

Further reading

See also