Demon (Buffyverse)
Encyclopedia
In the fictional Buffyverse
established by Buffy and Angel
, a Demon
is a kind of nonhuman life form separate from the animal kingdom
.
The definition raises complex issues. Roughly speaking, the series uses demon to describe any creature that isn't a god, robot, unmodified human, or standard terrestrial animal. Thus, the categorydemon includes independent self-reproducing species, former humans that have been parasitically possessed via mystical or pseudo-biological processes, non-sentient species from adjacent dimensions, life forms that have been created or modified to serve some specific purpose, self-modifying individuals of indeterminate origin, and the hybrid offspring of any or all of the above.
. Though individual Old Ones constantly made war with one another, rising and falling in power within the group, the overall dominance of the Old Ones was absolute. Over time, however, they gradually lost their hold on this reality. Some individuals, such as Illyria, werekilled , but did not "die" in the human sense; many such demons were confined in the Deeper Well, a hole running through the center of the world. They continued to be feared for their ability to cheat death. Others escaped to other dimensions, and became unable or unwilling to return to Earth in their true forms. Among these were the cabal known as the Wolf, the Ram and the Hart. Demons are not affected by Sunlight or other ways of killing Vampires. Many Demons have a distinct method of killing and are only killed in a certain way.
Though Earth was now under the rule of humanity, the Old Ones had left behind many descendants and former servitors. These demons, far smaller and less powerful than the Old Ones, were usually the product of crossbreeding with humans and other mortal animals. Many of these hybrid species retained some ability to crossbreed with humans and each other.
Demonic reproduction is thus a diverse and complex subject. Some species, including vampires, Wraithers, and Werewolves, reproduce by infecting humans and then inhabiting and using their bodies. Others, such as Haxil Beasts and Skilosh demons, infect humans in order to use their bodies to gestate their young. Some demon species reproduce via sexual intercourse. Some indeterminate number of these species, for instance Brachen and Ano-Movic demons, are cross-fertile with humans. Some demon species reproduce via asexual methods, such as budding. Still other sorts appear to have been created or manufactured by some other entity (magician, Old One, Power), and do not reproduce on their own.
Little is known about the origin and evolution of demon populations in other dimensions. Some dimensions appear to be home to large populations of entirely non-human demonic species. Others, such as Pylea, have significant indigenous human populations.
Despite the obviously humanoid appearance of many demon species, some demon groups, most notably the Scourge, deny that they share any biological heritage with humans. This view may have more to do with ideology than biology, although they were unaffected by a machine designed to eliminate anyone with human blood.
comics, and many other species and individuals have been referenced in dialogue. Their forms are likewise variable. While the majority have been humanoid, others more resemble various animal species, and still others are almost amorphous. Some have mammalian or reptilian features, or a combination of the two.
It also should be noted that there's an entire roster of demons who aren't identified as belonging to any specific species.
The next example of a good demon is in the second season Buffy episode "Becoming, Part One", which introduces Whistler, a demon who tells Angel that not all demons are bad and helps set Angel on his heroic path. At the end of season three, Wesley Wyndham-Price informs Buffy that the Council of Watchers will not help her save Angel from a deadly poison on the grounds that he is, in fact, a vampire; this leads to Buffy breaking ties with the Council for over a year. One of the strains on the relationship between Buffy and Riley Finn
is that he automatically assumes that all supernatural creatures are bad until, in the episode "New Moon Rising", he realises that some monsters are good and some humans are evil after meeting the werewolf Oz. Spike begins as a major villain, is restrained by The Initiative to be unable to harm humans (by means of a chip in his brain), then later becomes heroic in his own right, to the point of successfully undertaking a trial to return his soul and sacrificing himself to save the world. Another popular demon character, Clem, actually aids Buffy in training potential slayers.
Angel has several characters who are demon or part demon but not inherently evil. During the first eight episodes of season one, the character of Allen Francis Doyle
is portrayed as a good half-demon sent by the Powers that Be to Angel for helping him to 'Help the helpless', until his death in the episode "Hero
". The third season episode "That Old Gang of Mine
" centers around stopping a gang that kills all demons, bad and good, indiscriminately. By the end of the series, more of Angel's team are some form of demon (Angel, Spike, Lorne, Illyria) than human (Gunn and Wesley). In the canonical continuation
, in fact, none are human.
Buffyverse
The Buffyverse, also known as the Whedonverse or Slayerverse , is the shared fictional universe in which the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel are set. This term, originally coined by fans of the TV series, has since been used in the titles of published works, and adopted by Joss...
established by Buffy and Angel
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
, a Demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
is a kind of nonhuman life form separate from the animal kingdom
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
.
The definition raises complex issues. Roughly speaking, the series uses demon to describe any creature that isn't a god, robot, unmodified human, or standard terrestrial animal. Thus, the category
Origins
Many demon species are native to Earth. Many more had their origin in other dimensions. Long before mankind made its appearance, Earth was dominated by purebred demons, the most powerful of whom are known as Old OnesOld Ones (Buffyverse)
In the Buffyverse, the Old Ones are the extremely powerful, pure-breed demons that once dominated Earth before humankind appeared. Illyria is one of these demons, though its real form was revealed only in an illustration.-History:...
. Though individual Old Ones constantly made war with one another, rising and falling in power within the group, the overall dominance of the Old Ones was absolute. Over time, however, they gradually lost their hold on this reality. Some individuals, such as Illyria, were
Though Earth was now under the rule of humanity, the Old Ones had left behind many descendants and former servitors. These demons, far smaller and less powerful than the Old Ones, were usually the product of crossbreeding with humans and other mortal animals. Many of these hybrid species retained some ability to crossbreed with humans and each other.
Demonic reproduction is thus a diverse and complex subject. Some species, including vampires, Wraithers, and Werewolves, reproduce by infecting humans and then inhabiting and using their bodies. Others, such as Haxil Beasts and Skilosh demons, infect humans in order to use their bodies to gestate their young. Some demon species reproduce via sexual intercourse. Some indeterminate number of these species, for instance Brachen and Ano-Movic demons, are cross-fertile with humans. Some demon species reproduce via asexual methods, such as budding. Still other sorts appear to have been created or manufactured by some other entity (magician, Old One, Power), and do not reproduce on their own.
Little is known about the origin and evolution of demon populations in other dimensions. Some dimensions appear to be home to large populations of entirely non-human demonic species. Others, such as Pylea, have significant indigenous human populations.
Despite the obviously humanoid appearance of many demon species, some demon groups, most notably the Scourge, deny that they share any biological heritage with humans. This view may have more to do with ideology than biology, although they were unaffected by a machine designed to eliminate anyone with human blood.
Species
The number of demon species is evidently vast. More than 200 of them have appeared on screen or in canonicalCanon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
comics, and many other species and individuals have been referenced in dialogue. Their forms are likewise variable. While the majority have been humanoid, others more resemble various animal species, and still others are almost amorphous. Some have mammalian or reptilian features, or a combination of the two.
It also should be noted that there's an entire roster of demons who aren't identified as belonging to any specific species.
Ethics
The vast majority of demons in Buffy are shown to be inherently evil and interested in causing suffering, death, and harm. The Judge, for example, derives pleasure and sustenance from burning all humanity out of a creature, and numerous demons are shown to attempt to bring about the end of the world. Others show a strong predisposition to violence coupled with a lack of empathy that leads to their performing evil acts, or are biologically required to kill humans in order to survive or reproduce. In addition, there are a large number of demons such as hellhounds which are simply nonsentient, man-eating predators with unsavory dietary requirements. However, this generalization of "demon equals evil" is challenged constantly in both series. Angel is the first example of this; vampires, demonic spirits possessing and animating the corpse of a human, are considered to be inherently evil, but Angel has had his human soul forcibly returned to him. Many demons have human characteristics and personalities.The next example of a good demon is in the second season Buffy episode "Becoming, Part One", which introduces Whistler, a demon who tells Angel that not all demons are bad and helps set Angel on his heroic path. At the end of season three, Wesley Wyndham-Price informs Buffy that the Council of Watchers will not help her save Angel from a deadly poison on the grounds that he is, in fact, a vampire; this leads to Buffy breaking ties with the Council for over a year. One of the strains on the relationship between Buffy and Riley Finn
Riley Finn
Riley Finn is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Portrayed by Marc Blucas, Riley was introduced in the 1999 season four premiere episode, "The Freshman", and Blucas was part of the series credited cast for the second part of season four...
is that he automatically assumes that all supernatural creatures are bad until, in the episode "New Moon Rising", he realises that some monsters are good and some humans are evil after meeting the werewolf Oz. Spike begins as a major villain, is restrained by The Initiative to be unable to harm humans (by means of a chip in his brain), then later becomes heroic in his own right, to the point of successfully undertaking a trial to return his soul and sacrificing himself to save the world. Another popular demon character, Clem, actually aids Buffy in training potential slayers.
Angel has several characters who are demon or part demon but not inherently evil. During the first eight episodes of season one, the character of Allen Francis Doyle
Allen Francis Doyle
Allen Francis Doyle is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the cult television series, Angel. The character was portrayed by Glenn Quinn.-Character history:Doyle was born to a human mother and a Brachen demon father...
is portrayed as a good half-demon sent by the Powers that Be to Angel for helping him to 'Help the helpless', until his death in the episode "Hero
Hero (Angel episode)
"Hero" is episode 9 of season 1 in the television show Angel. Written by Tim Minear and Howard Gordon and directed by Tucker Gates, it was originally broadcast on November 30, 1999 on the WB television network...
". The third season episode "That Old Gang of Mine
That Old Gang of Mine (Angel episode)
"That Old Gang of Mine" is episode 3 of season 3 in the television show Angel, originally broadcast on the WB television network. In this episode, Gunn discovers his former comrades are murdering harmless demons for fun...
" centers around stopping a gang that kills all demons, bad and good, indiscriminately. By the end of the series, more of Angel's team are some form of demon (Angel, Spike, Lorne, Illyria) than human (Gunn and Wesley). In the canonical continuation
Angel: After the Fall
Angel: After the Fall is a comic book published by IDW Publishing. Written by Brian Lynch and plotted with Joss Whedon, the series is a canonical continuation of the Angel television series, and follows the events of that show's final televised season...
, in fact, none are human.