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{{Quote|Very few Vampires are cunning enough to have lived as long as I — which [[Angel|you've]] now demonstrated.|The Master|Darla (episode)}}
 
{{Quote|Very few Vampires are cunning enough to have lived as long as I — which [[Angel|you've]] now demonstrated.|The Master|Darla (episode)}}
   
'''Heinrich Joseph Nest''',<ref>Joss Whedon's notes for "[[Welcome to the Hellmouth]]"</ref> or more popularly known as '''The Master''', was an ancient and powerful [[Vampire|vampire]] who was also named the "'''King of Vampires'''", being older than any other vampire on record.<ref name=PG>"[[Prophecy Girl]]"</ref>
+
'''Heinrich Joseph Nest''',<ref>Joss Whedon's notes for "[[Welcome to the Hellmouth]]"</ref> or more popularly known as '''The Master''', was an ancient and powerful [[Vampire|vampire]] who was also named the "'''King of Vampires'''"; he was older than any other vampire on record.<ref name=PG>"[[Prophecy Girl]]"</ref>
   
He was leader of the [[Order of Aurelius]], a vampire cult that worshiped the [[Old Ones]], and also the sire of [[Darla]], inadvertently leading to a [[The Master's bloodline|long legacy of infamous vampires]]. For centuries he sought to bring about the end of the world until he was stopped in 1997 by the [[Slayer]], [[Buffy Summers]].
+
The Master was the leader of the [[Order of Aurelius]]a vampire cult that worshiped the [[Old Ones]], and also the sire of [[Darla]]inadvertently leading to a [[The Master's bloodline|long legacy of infamous vampires]]. The Master sought to bring about the end of the world through opening the [[Hellmouth]] underneath [[Sunnydale]] until he was stopped in 1997 by the [[Slayer]], [[Buffy Summers]].
   
 
==Biography ==
 
==Biography ==
  +
At some point, the Master was turned by the Old One, [[Archaeus]], giving him a direct link to the power of this ancient demon that he passed on to other vampires in his bloodline.
  +
 
=== The Old World ===
 
=== The Old World ===
 
{{Dialogue a-b|Angelus|So, [[Darla]] here tells me you're some sort of master?|Darla|The Master. He commands our [[Order of Aurelius|order]].|[[Angelus]] and [[Darla]].|Darla (episode)}}
 
{{Dialogue a-b|Angelus|So, [[Darla]] here tells me you're some sort of master?|Darla|The Master. He commands our [[Order of Aurelius|order]].|[[Angelus]] and [[Darla]].|Darla (episode)}}
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===Legacy ===
 
===Legacy ===
{{Template:Dialogue a-b-a|Big Ugly|The Master is dead. Someone has to take his place.|Lean Boy|As long as the Slayer is alive, whoever takes his place will be sharing his grave!|Then let the soul who kills her wear his mantle.|The Master's minions discussing who should take his place|School Hard}}
+
{{Template:Dialogue a-b-a|Big Ugly|The Master is dead. Someone has to take his place.|Lean Boy|As long as the Slayer is alive, whoever takes his place will be sharing his grave!|Then let the soul who kills her wear his mantle.|The Master's minions discussing who should take his place|School Hard}} Following the Master's death, the Anointed One assumed leadership of the Order. 
 
[[File:The_masters_bones_smash.jpg|thumb|left|Buffy smashes the Master's remains, ensuring he never returns]] Working with [[Absalom]], the Anointed One concocted a plan to resurrect the Master via a [[Revivification Ritual|revivification ritual]]. He forced his minions to dig up the Master's bones despite the holy water burning their hands and kidnapped [[Rupert Giles]], [[Jenny Calendar]], [[Willow Rosenberg]] and [[Cordelia Chase]], all of whom where in the vicinity of the Master when he died as the ritual required. Buffy returned to Sunnydale from [[Los Angeles]] around the same time as the Anointed One initiated his scheme and was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as result of her death at the Master's hands. Buffy as a result became mean and malicious to others and it was only when she discovered that her friends had been kidnapped due to her falling into a trap because of her impulsivity — that she decided to think straight again. Buffy, along with Angel and Xander, intervened and killed all of the remaining minions present before crushing the Master's bones to dust with a sledgehammer, ending his threat permanently and allowing herself to move on with her life.<ref name=WSWB/>
[[File:The_masters_bones_smash.jpg|thumb|left|Buffy smashes the Master's remains, ensuring he never returns]]
 
Months later, having assumed leadership of the Order, the Anointed One attempted to resurrect the Master via a [[Revivification Ritual|revivification ritual]]. He forced his minions to dig up the Master's bones despite the holy water burning their hands and kidnapped [[Rupert Giles]], [[Jenny Calendar]], [[Willow Rosenberg]] and [[Cordelia Chase]], all of whom where in the vicinity of the Master when he died as the ritual required. Buffy, having suffered post-traumatic stress disorder as result of her death, became mean and malicious to others and it was only when she discovered that her friends had been kidnapped, due to her impulsively falling into a trap, that she decided to think straight again. She, along with Angel and Xander, intervened and killed all of the remaining minions present before crushing the Master's bones to dust with a sledgehammer, ending his threat permanently and allowing her to move on with her life.<ref name=WSWB/>
 
   
Weeks after the event, the Order decided that whoever would be successful in killing the Slayer would take the Master's place as leader of the Order. [[Spike]], a member of the [[The Master's bloodline|Master's bloodline]], elected to prove himself by killing the Slayer his way on the [[Night of Saint Vigeous]]. His plan having failed, costing the Order several minions and ruining the Night of Saint Vigoreus by impatiently launching his attack before the event, Spike dusted the Anointed One and took over [[The Factory|the factory]] they inhabited after the Master's death. It was then that Spike announced that there would be a little less ritual, and little more fun in [[Sunnydale]], contrasting to the Master's near unshakable traditionalist world view.<ref name=SH>"[[School Hard]]</ref>
+
Weeks after the event, the Order decided that whoever would be successful in killing the Slayer would take the Master's place as leader of the Order. [[Spike]], a member of the [[The Master's bloodline|Master's bloodline]], elected to prove himself by killing the Slayer his way on the [[Night of Saint Vigeous]]. His plan wasn't successful, however. Spike launched his attack at Sunnydale High during parent-teacher night which Buffy organized, several nights before the Night of Saint of Vigeous out of impatience, but failed due to the Slayer's efforts.
  +
The Anointed One demanded that Spike give penance for ruining the Night of Saint Vigeous and costing the Order several minions from the attack, but Spike instead killed the Anointed One and took over [[The Factory|the factory]] the Order inhabited following the Master's death. It was then that Spike announced that there would be a little less ritual, and little more fun in [[Sunnydale]], contrasting to the Master's near unshakable traditionalist world view.<ref name=SH>"[[School Hard]]</ref>
   
 
{{Quote|Right back to the beginning! Not the bang, not the word... the true beginning. The next few months are going to be quite a ride, and I think we're all going to learn something about ourselves in the process. [[Spike|You'll]] learn you're a pathetic schmuck, if it hasn't sunk in already. Look at you... tried to do what's right. Just like [[Buffy Summers|her]]. You still don't get it. It's not about right. Not about wrong.|[[The First]], impersonating the Master.|Lessons}}
 
{{Quote|Right back to the beginning! Not the bang, not the word... the true beginning. The next few months are going to be quite a ride, and I think we're all going to learn something about ourselves in the process. [[Spike|You'll]] learn you're a pathetic schmuck, if it hasn't sunk in already. Look at you... tried to do what's right. Just like [[Buffy Summers|her]]. You still don't get it. It's not about right. Not about wrong.|[[The First]], impersonating the Master.|Lessons}}
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===Physical appearance===
 
===Physical appearance===
 
{{Template:Dialogue a-b|Darla|The Master has grown past the curse of human features|Angelus|I'm not gonna get a bat-nose like that, huh? Am I? |Angelus, insulting the Master|Darla (episode)}}
 
{{Template:Dialogue a-b|Darla|The Master has grown past the curse of human features|Angelus|I'm not gonna get a bat-nose like that, huh? Am I? |Angelus, insulting the Master|Darla (episode)}}
The Master possessed a more ghoulish appearance than regular vampires which was apparently permanent, preventing him from assuming a human visage, a likely effect of his old age. His features somewhat resembled that of a [[Turok-Han|Turok-Han vampire]]. He had white pale skin, a bald head with pointed ears and yellowish, talon-like nails. His face had the basic vampire brow ridge, wrinkles and fangs, except with blood red eyes instead of yellow ones, and a snub, bat-like nose. He also had a distinctive bloody red stain on his nose down to his mouth, something Buffy referred to as "fruit punch mouth."<ref name=PG/>
+
The Master possessed a more ghoulish appearance than regular vampires which was apparently permanent, preventing him from assuming a human visage (a likely effect of his old age). His features somewhat resembled that of a [[Turok-Han|Turok-Han vampire]]. He had white pale skin, a bald head with pointed ears and yellowish, talon-like nails. His face had the basic vampire brow ridge, wrinkles and fangs, except with blood red eyes instead of yellow ones; and a snub, bat-like nose. The Master also had a distinctive bloody red stain on his nose down to his mouth, something Buffy referred to as "fruit punch mouth."<ref name=PG/>
   
 
===Clothing ===
 
===Clothing ===
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==Relationships==
 
==Relationships==
 
*[[File:The_Master_and_Darla.jpg|thumb|The Master only rarely scolds Darla but favors her over his other minions]]'''[[Darla]]''' — Darla was the Master's most cherished minion out of the whole Order. The Master himself referred to her as his favorite.<ref name=Angel/> It was apparent that he didn't just sire her randomly, having allegedly 'sang' to her the night before. As Darla laid hopeless, the Master seemed to see some potential in her and the two cultivated a close bond during the next two centuries. The Master was shocked that Darla abandoned her own [[sire]] for a younger vampire, but respected her decision, knowing that their relationship wouldn't last.<ref name=Darla/> The Master was once, though, harsh to Darla when she gave him an unacceptable offering before the Harvest, openly threatening her.<ref name=TH/> Though this only seemed to fit his role as 'father' of the Order and wouldn't allow her too much liberties, shown when he allowed her to execute [[the Three]], knowing she would take much joy in the act while believing little was enough. When Darla died, the Master became openly aggressive, smashing one of his candleholders in anger until the Anointed comforted him.<ref name=Angel/>
 
*[[File:The_Master_and_Darla.jpg|thumb|The Master only rarely scolds Darla but favors her over his other minions]]'''[[Darla]]''' — Darla was the Master's most cherished minion out of the whole Order. The Master himself referred to her as his favorite.<ref name=Angel/> It was apparent that he didn't just sire her randomly, having allegedly 'sang' to her the night before. As Darla laid hopeless, the Master seemed to see some potential in her and the two cultivated a close bond during the next two centuries. The Master was shocked that Darla abandoned her own [[sire]] for a younger vampire, but respected her decision, knowing that their relationship wouldn't last.<ref name=Darla/> The Master was once, though, harsh to Darla when she gave him an unacceptable offering before the Harvest, openly threatening her.<ref name=TH/> Though this only seemed to fit his role as 'father' of the Order and wouldn't allow her too much liberties, shown when he allowed her to execute [[the Three]], knowing she would take much joy in the act while believing little was enough. When Darla died, the Master became openly aggressive, smashing one of his candleholders in anger until the Anointed comforted him.<ref name=Angel/>
*[[File:The_Master_You're_sitting_on_my_chair!.jpg|thumb|255px|Angels offends the Master]]'''[[Angel]]us/[[Angel]]''' — The Master was shown to have mixed feelings regarding Angel and his soulless counterpart. He was impressed at Darla for bringing Angelus to him, even admiring the name she choose for him, thinking it was marvelous. His good mood then changed when Angelus mocked his appearance and the Order's views, beating him for not showing the 'proper respect'.<ref name=Darla/> However, by 1997, the Master's opinion of Angel seemed to have changed, though apparently aware of his ensoulment and name change, the Master claimed Angel was "the most vicious creature" he ever met and even admitted to missing him, possibly suggesting that the two met again after their initial meeting. The Master was even shocked that it was Angel that killed Darla, wanting Angel to be at his right hand come his ascension.<ref name=Angel/>
+
*[[File:The_Master_You're_sitting_on_my_chair!.jpg|thumb|255px|Angels offends the Master]]'''[[Angel]]us/[[Angel]]''' — The Master was shown to have mixed feelings regarding Angel and his soulless counterpart. He was impressed at Darla for bringing Angelus to him, even admiring the name she chose for him, thinking it was marvelous. His good mood then changed when Angelus mocked his appearance and the Order's views, beating him for not showing the 'proper respect'.<ref name=Darla/> However, by 1997, the Master's opinion of Angel seemed to have changed, though apparently aware of his ensoulment and name change, the Master claimed Angel was "the most vicious creature" he ever met and even admitted to missing him, possibly suggesting that the two met again after their initial meeting. The Master was even shocked that it was Angel that killed Darla, wanting Angel to be at his right hand come his ascension.<ref name=Angel/>
 
*'''[[Zachary]]''' — Like Darla, the Master seemed to value his minion Zachary and was upset when hearing that he didn't come back from his hunt the previous night because of the Slayer, considering Zachary to be one of his children. The extent of their relationship was never shown.<ref name=Angel/>
 
*'''[[Zachary]]''' — Like Darla, the Master seemed to value his minion Zachary and was upset when hearing that he didn't come back from his hunt the previous night because of the Slayer, considering Zachary to be one of his children. The extent of their relationship was never shown.<ref name=Angel/>
 
*[[File:The_Master_and_the_Anointed.png|thumb|The Master and the Anointed share a Mentor/Student bond]]'''[[The Anointed One]]''' — The Master quickly developed a close bond with the young vampire, acting as the Anointed's mentor, teaching him how to successfully run the Order in terms of punishing failure<ref name=Angel/> and also the power fear has and how a vampire could conquer anything if they conquered their fear.<ref name=Nightmares/> The Master even held stones in his hand that the Anointed would use to throw onto the pools of water in the church and derived solace from the young vampire's hopeful words after Darla's death.<ref name=Angel/> The Anointed also seemed to appreciate the Master and his rulings, working to resurrect him despite having inherited the Master's rule<ref name=WSWB/> and maintaining the Order's traditions until he was usurped by the rebel [[Spike]].<ref name=SH/>
 
*[[File:The_Master_and_the_Anointed.png|thumb|The Master and the Anointed share a Mentor/Student bond]]'''[[The Anointed One]]''' — The Master quickly developed a close bond with the young vampire, acting as the Anointed's mentor, teaching him how to successfully run the Order in terms of punishing failure<ref name=Angel/> and also the power fear has and how a vampire could conquer anything if they conquered their fear.<ref name=Nightmares/> The Master even held stones in his hand that the Anointed would use to throw onto the pools of water in the church and derived solace from the young vampire's hopeful words after Darla's death.<ref name=Angel/> The Anointed also seemed to appreciate the Master and his rulings, working to resurrect him despite having inherited the Master's rule<ref name=WSWB/> and maintaining the Order's traditions until he was usurped by the rebel [[Spike]].<ref name=SH/>
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|}
 
|}
   
===''Buffy'' ''Season Eight  ''===
+
===''Buffy Season Eight''===
 
*''[[The Long Way Home, Part Three]]'' <small>(cameo)</small>
 
*''[[The Long Way Home, Part Three]]'' <small>(cameo)</small>
 
*''[[The Chain]]'' <small>(cameo) </small>
 
*''[[The Chain]]'' <small>(cameo) </small>
 
*''[[Last Gleaming]]'' <small>(Parts 1-4) </small>
 
*''[[Last Gleaming]]'' <small>(Parts 1-4) </small>
  +
  +
===''Buffy Season Ten''===
  +
*''[[Day Off (or Harmony In My Head)]]'' <small>(cameo)</small>
  +
*''[http://buffy.wikia.com/wiki/Relationship_Status%3A_Complicated%2C_Part_One Relationship Status: Complicated]'' (cameo)
   
 
== References ==
 
== References ==

Revision as of 08:06, 23 April 2015

Very few Vampires are cunning enough to have lived as long as I — which you've now demonstrated.
―The Master[src]

Heinrich Joseph Nest,[3] or more popularly known as The Master, was an ancient and powerful vampire who was also named the "King of Vampires"; he was older than any other vampire on record.[4]

The Master was the leader of the Order of Aurelius; a vampire cult that worshiped the Old Ones, and also the sire of Darla; inadvertently leading to a long legacy of infamous vampires. The Master sought to bring about the end of the world through opening the Hellmouth underneath Sunnydale until he was stopped in 1997 by the Slayer, Buffy Summers.

Biography

At some point, the Master was turned by the Old One, Archaeus, giving him a direct link to the power of this ancient demon that he passed on to other vampires in his bloodline.

The Old World

Angelus: “So, Darla here tells me you're some sort of master?
Darla: “The Master. He commands our order.
Angelus and Darla.[src]
Angel207-master

The Master reveals himself to Darla after posing as a priest

In the 12th Century, the Master was very powerful and enslaved by the Seed of Wonder. By 1609, he had already lived past the 'curse' of human features, becoming much more demonic in appearance than other vampires, to the point where he resembled the much older and more powerful Turok-Han vampires.

At this time, the Master (posing as a priest) came to the Virginia Colony where he visited the deathbed of a prostitute suffering from syphilis. He tested her faith and discovered that she had lost all hope in having her soul saved. Alone with her, the Master revealed himself and that he 'sang' to her from the window the previous night. When she said she believed he was death, the Master claimed he was actually her savior and that God never did anything for her, but he would before sinking his fangs into her neck and making her into a vampire. Over a hundred years after she was born, the Master would give her the name "Darla", the Anglo-Saxon derivation of "Dear One/Loved One".[5]

Masterthrone

The Master meets Angelus

In a sewer in London, England in 1760, the Master was introduced to Angelus, Darla's progeny after they had returned from Yorkshire, England. Angelus, mocking the Master's appearance and the Order's severe dogmas of underground dwelling, was pummeled into the ground after the Master lost his temper during their confrontation. Darla, despite the Master having made her the person who she was, preferred Angelus' offer of pleasure and adventure, leaving to Naples with the "stallion" after the offended Master beat him to a bloody pulp. Despite Darla choosing to abandon the Master and the Order to pursue her love affair with Angelus, the Master allowed the two to leave and ordered his henchmen to let them pass, but estimated that the couple would last no more than a century before breaking up.[5]

File:The master vs yuki.jpg

The Master fights the Slayer

Around 1801, the Master fought a Japanese Slayer by the name of Yuki Makimura and sired her, making her one of his own devoted followers. The creation of a Slayer-vampire hybrid disgraced the Watcher's Council so much they erased all records of Yuki from the Slayer timeline.

Around 1880, the Master welcomed Darla back to the Order after she and Angelus had a fight. However, she soon returned to the arms of her lover.

After 1900, Darla returned to the Master for good.

Imprisonment

There was an earthquake that swallowed about half the town. And him too.
Willow Rosenberg[src]

By 1937, the Master moved to the New World with the hopes of opening the Hellmouth located in Sunnydale and bringing about the end of the world by releasing the Old Ones. While in Sunnydale, he caused a notable raucous by murdering a large number of people. However, months later an earthquake hit town in the middle of the ritual to open the Hellmouth, swallowing half the town, including the church in which the Master was performing the ritual. As the ritual had already commenced, the Master was imprisoned within a mystical barrier, like a cork in a bottle. Now all he had to do to open the Hellmouth was to break through the barrier, which he didn't have the power to do so.[6] Some time around that event, the Master came into contact with the Slayer, India Cohen.[7]

The Master Rising

The Master rises in 1997 after three score years of sleep

In 1997, after spending 60 years sleeping in a pool of blood, the Master arose again and used the acolytes of his Order of Aurelius to help him escape his prison within the Hellmouth.[8] This involved a ritual called the Harvest. The Harvest occurred on a single night occurring each century where the Master could draw power from one of his minions (named "the Vessel"). Each time the Vessel fed the power was transferred back to the Master. Hoping to gather enough power for him to escape. the Master selected an acolyte named Luke as his Vessel and sent him to out to find blood. Luke and many of the Master's other followers attacked the patrons of the Bronze nightclub, draining and killing a few of them until the current Slayer, Buffy Summers, who had just moved to Sunnydale from Los Angeles, intervened. Buffy disrupted the ritual by killing the Vessel (and many other Aurielius vampires) and thus foiling the Master's plan.[6]

Buffy further upset the Master by killing more of his most cherished minions, such as Zachary. Angered by her meddling, the Master sent the Three to assassinate her but when Buffy and her friends defeated them, he had them killed as penance.  The destruction of the Three proved to bring little solace or satisfaction.  Darla offered to kill the Slayer her own way and the depressed Master agreed. Jealous of Buffy, Darla's scheme involved making it appear that Angelus, now a ensouled Angel, had turned evil, forcing Buffy to be duty-bound to kill him; and in turn force Angel to defend himself and kill her. This plan backfired when Angel unhesitatingly killed Darla in order to save Buffy, thereby deepening Master's depression.  Visibly distraught and sincerely grieving the Master nearly lost the will to carry out his plans. Only words of encouragement from his right-hand vampire child, the Anointed One, brought any comforts, strengthening his resolve to continue making preparations for his release.[9]

The master nightmares

Buffy meets the Master for the first time when her nightmares become real

 

Billy Palmer, a human boy who had been beaten into a coma by an unknown assailant, astral projected from his hospital bed triggering a response from the Hellmouth which caused the nightmares of Sunnydale citizens' to manifest into a false reality. In a manifestation of Buffy's deepest fears, the Master was briefly released from his prison and set upon the surface. He confronted Buffy at a mystically conjured cemetery before pushing her into an empty coffin and burying her alive (an interesting foreshadowing of events that would not occur for another five years). Buffy freed herself, rising as a vampire temporarily. Awakening Billy from his coma ended the realization of nightmares coming true. If in fact the Master had been truly freed and was not just a manifestation of Buffy's own inner terrors, he was returned to his mystical prison and appeared to have no memory of his brief sojourn on the surface.[7]

Escape

You tried. It was noble of you. You heard the prophecy that I was about to break free and you came to stop me. But prophecies are tricky creatures. They don't tell you everything. You're the one that sets me free. If you hadn't come, I couldn't go. Think about that.
―The Master, before killing Buffy[src]
File:The Master Is Free!.jpg

The Slayer's blood provides the Master with enough power to escape his prison

File:Prophecy Girl- The Master.jpg

The Master fulfills the prophecy

Even though the Pergamum Codex prophesied that the Master would inevitably rise from his prison and kill the Slayer, Buffy resolved to deal with him after signs of the upcoming apocalypse encouraged the Master's minions to start taking people's lives on school grounds. The first sign that the Pergamum Codex prophesy would not work out as expected happened when the Master sent the Anointed One to bait the Slayer into entering his lair. Contrary to the codex, Buffy recognized the Anointed One instantly and asked him to fulfill his task as guide. The Master welcomed the Slayer but avoided confronting her directly. Instead, he taunted her from the shadows in order to prolong the moment.

Disgusted with his theatrics and eager to get the confrontation over and done with, Buffy told the Master to reveal himself. Appearing behind her, the Master easily disarmed and rendered her helpless through hypnosis. Holding an incapacitated Buffy and just prior to killing her, the Master happily informed her that if it weren't for her attempt to kill him then he wouldn't have been able to leave. The Master bit her, but drank only a small amount of blood, before dropping her and leaving her to drown in a shallow pool, with a sarcastic compliment about her pretty gown. Despite only drinking a small amount, the Slayer's blood imbued the Master with so much power he broke through the mystical barrier that kept him prisoner for so long.

Death

The Master: “Where are your jibes now? Will you laugh when my Hell is on Earth?
Buffy: “You're really that amped about Hell? Go there.
— Buffy and the Master, before she slays him[src]
Master death

The Master as he died

Fortunately for Buffy, Angel and Xander Harris arrived in time to revive her, and Buffy confronted the Master just as he ascended to the roof of Sunnydale High School, above the library where the Hellmouth was located directly below. Though shocked at seeing her alive, the Master made another attempt at her with his hypnosis but she somehow resisted and the two began fighting, hand-to-hand. As a creature from the Hellmouth rose and attacked Buffy's friends, the Master remarked on how Buffy would still be making jibes while his hell was raining on earth. Buffy grabbed the Master by the neck and said if he was so excited about hell, he should go there. She then ultimately defeated him by throwing him through the skylight and impaling him on a large piece of wood that had formed from a broken table. Unlike most vampires, who turned completely to dust upon their death, the Master left behind a skeleton.[4] His remains were then buried in the Sunnydale Cemetery and consecrated with holy water in a special ritual to prevent any vampires from retrieving him. 

Legacy 

Big Ugly: “The Master is dead. Someone has to take his place.
Lean Boy: “As long as the Slayer is alive, whoever takes his place will be sharing his grave!
Big Ugly: “Then let the soul who kills her wear his mantle.
— The Master's minions discussing who should take his place[src]

 Following the Master's death, the Anointed One assumed leadership of the Order. 

The masters bones smash

Buffy smashes the Master's remains, ensuring he never returns

Working with Absalom, the Anointed One concocted a plan to resurrect the Master via a revivification ritual. He forced his minions to dig up the Master's bones despite the holy water burning their hands and kidnapped Rupert Giles, Jenny Calendar, Willow Rosenberg and Cordelia Chase, all of whom where in the vicinity of the Master when he died as the ritual required. Buffy returned to Sunnydale from Los Angeles around the same time as the Anointed One initiated his scheme and was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as result of her death at the Master's hands. Buffy as a result became mean and malicious to others and it was only when she discovered that her friends had been kidnapped — due to her falling into a trap because of her impulsivity — that she decided to think straight again. Buffy, along with Angel and Xander, intervened and killed all of the remaining minions present before crushing the Master's bones to dust with a sledgehammer, ending his threat permanently and allowing herself to move on with her life.[2]

Weeks after the event, the Order decided that whoever would be successful in killing the Slayer would take the Master's place as leader of the Order. Spike, a member of the Master's bloodline, elected to prove himself by killing the Slayer his way on the Night of Saint Vigeous. His plan wasn't successful, however. Spike launched his attack at Sunnydale High during parent-teacher night which Buffy organized, several nights before the Night of Saint of Vigeous out of impatience, but failed due to the Slayer's efforts. The Anointed One demanded that Spike give penance for ruining the Night of Saint Vigeous and costing the Order several minions from the attack, but Spike instead killed the Anointed One and took over the factory the Order inhabited following the Master's death. It was then that Spike announced that there would be a little less ritual, and little more fun in Sunnydale, contrasting to the Master's near unshakable traditionalist world view.[10]

Right back to the beginning! Not the bang, not the word... the true beginning. The next few months are going to be quite a ride, and I think we're all going to learn something about ourselves in the process. You'll learn you're a pathetic schmuck, if it hasn't sunk in already. Look at you... tried to do what's right. Just like her. You still don't get it. It's not about right. Not about wrong.
The First, impersonating the Master.[src]
The Master and the First

The First appears in the form of the Master

Six years later, the First Evil taunted a now-ensouled Spike by taking the shape of the major enemies faced by the Scooby Gang including the Master (despite the Master and Spike never actually meeting before) along with Drusilla, Mayor Richard Wilkins III, Adam, Glorificus and Warren Mears in that order reversed.[11]

Reappearance

Kids. They only visit when they need something.
―The Master[src]
File:The Master comic.jpg

The Master returns from the dead to torment Buffy once more

Following Buffy and Angel's rejection of their roles as the creators of a new universe and their releasing of thousands of new demons, Spike revealed that the Seed of Wonder, which was the thing from which everything came, was what they needed to end this. Based on information Spike acquired from the Las Vegas branch of Wolfram & Hart, he explained that the Seed had been there all along. The seed was not made by Angel and Buffy, but rather its existence even preceded The First and it was considered the beginning of everything. It had been specifically kept in Sunnydale in the church where the Master was trapped after his original attempt to open the Hellmouth, and that the Slayer Organization needed to collect it in order to avert a demonic invasion. However, the seed was guarded by a protector in the form of the Master, returned to life via the intervention of the Seed who chose him as the Seed's protector and restored him to "life."

File:The master dies.jpg

The Master dies once more at the hands of Angel

As a result of the battle, Willow overtook the power of the Seed, abandoning the Master in the church. When Buffy and a possessed Angel arrived, Angel shattered the Master's head with a single punch, dusting him once again.[12]

Appearance

The Master: “You're dead!
Buffy: “I may be dead, but I'm still pretty. Which is more than I can say for you.
— Buffy Summers, commenting on the Master's appearance[src]
File:The master tall.jpg

The Master's advanced age gave him a more demonic and permanent visage

Physical appearance

Darla: “The Master has grown past the curse of human features
Angelus: “I'm not gonna get a bat-nose like that, huh? Am I?
— Angelus, insulting the Master[src]

The Master possessed a more ghoulish appearance than regular vampires which was apparently permanent, preventing him from assuming a human visage (a likely effect of his old age). His features somewhat resembled that of a Turok-Han vampire. He had white pale skin, a bald head with pointed ears and yellowish, talon-like nails. His face had the basic vampire brow ridge, wrinkles and fangs, except with blood red eyes instead of yellow ones; and a snub, bat-like nose. The Master also had a distinctive bloody red stain on his nose down to his mouth, something Buffy referred to as "fruit punch mouth."[4]

Clothing 

At least since the late 20th century, the Master was always seen wearing a black leather Nehru jacket with a belt and matching pants and boots. In the 17th century when he sired Darla, the Master disguised himself as priest, using a dark robe with its hood covering his face. Later in the 18th century while meeting Angelus, the Master wore a black leathery vest with long, quilted sleeves.[5]

Personality

Nobody died...what's the fun in burying someone if they're already dead?
―The Master[src]
Master throne episode 1

The Master sitting on his throne

The Master was a ruthless overlord who expected total devotion from his followers and expected them to risk their very own lives for his cause.[6]

Minions who failed to carry out their objectives were brutalized by the Master himself or called upon to mutilate themselves in an act of penance. An example of this was Claw, who cut off his own arm after displeasing the Master, but still had to depart from the Order.[13] The Master was also personally offended when Darla offered him Jesse McNally as food, a human she feed off beforehand which the Master considered to be scraps.[6]

However, the Master did consider the taking of a life (obviously not a human one) to be a serious matter and not to be taken for personal joy. He also believed the Order of Aurelius was more a family than a religious order, considering his minions as his own children and that providing them with the responsibility to perform executions was for their own learning, even initially denying Darla the chance to kill Buffy because her desire to do so was based mainly for her own self-interest rather than for the good of the Order.[9] Despite this family-orientated attitude, the Master was prone to favoritism. His most treasured disciple was Darla, whom he viewed as a daughter, and nearly lost the will to continue his plans when she was staked by Angel.[9]

The Master was a strong traditionalist who viewed human culture and life above ground as "pestilence", forbidding his minions from living on the surface, only allowing them to leave when hunting,[5] however, he seemed to change this view when rising from the church after being freed, admiring the surface after decades of isolation where it he forgot what it was like.[4] His Wisherse counterpart furthered this; after having spent so long trapped underground, he openly defied the Order's old-established views and conquered Sunnydale.

The Master also held a belief in demonic superiority, living in tribute to the Old Ones and claiming that vampires were undeniably the superior race in the Wishverse (which would be consistent in the original timeline considering the Wishverse Master's more laid-back demeanor).[14] Interestingly, the Master himself claimed that his objectives were for the "common good".[9]

Despite his cold-hearted nature, the Master was fairly charismatic and had a sardonically dry sense of humor, asking the Anointed One if the earthquake that preceded the oncoming apocalypse was "5.1" on the Richter scale after making an overzealous performance to accompany it, blatantly remarking that Buffy's sarcastic comment about his lair's water leakage as "the feeble banter portion of the fight" (which seemed to be an on-going feature in her slaying) and even taking the time to compliment Buffy's dress as he finally escaped his lair, pitifully remarking "And by the way. I like your dress"[4]

Powers and Abilities

You're way out of your league, kid. The Master'll kill you before you can breathe—if you're lucky.
―Angel[src]

Enhanced vampire abilities — Because of his extremely advanced age as the oldest vampire ever recorded, the Master possessed superhuman strength, speed, reflexes and endurance far beyond those of any other vampires. He clearly demonstrated this by defeating many Slayers throughout history, including Yuki Makimura and Buffy Summers. Master also demonstrated fair hand-to-hand combat skills, able to hold his own against Buffy and showed to have a tendancy to grab victims by the throat in order to overpower them, a tendancy Buffy used against him when she killed him in 1997.[4]

The Master once lifted a minion of his by the neck with a single arm and effortlessly threw him into a stack of church benches,[15] easily tossed an insulting Angelus to the other side of the room,[5] and displayed impressive speed, catching an arrow mid-fight that Buffy shot at him without warning and then quickly moving out of her field of vision in a split second while she reloaded without a single sound to indicate that he changed his position.[4]

The Master also demonstrated a higher resistance to crosses, when he was able to look at a large cross (though with disgust and anguish) and touch it, the cross emitting visible smoke as it burned his hand but not harming him. The Master explained that this was because fear, like pain, was in the mind, which could be controlled. Because he conquered his fear he could not feel any pain.[7] Additionally, the Master also dreaded the very church he was imprisoned in, though could live in it for over 60 years.[6]

Prophecygirl460

Hypnosis — The Master had adept hypnotic abilities which allowed him to control people's motor functions with the wave of his hand (not even requiring their gaze), and thus taking control of their bodies and rendering them unable to move, but still conscious of what was being done to them. Not even the Slayer was capable of resisting it. He used this on Buffy and the hypnosis was powerful enough that she remained immoble even when he threw her into a pool after biting her, leaving her to drown. The Master later tried to hypnotize her a second time where he managed to draw her towards him only to find out she was now immune to his hypnotic power. Why this is was never explained. [4]

Razor-sharp fingernails —  Like his descendants Darla and Drusilla, the Master has demonstrated having extremely sharp fingernails capable of easily tearing and wounding flesh; once when he punishingly jammed his finger into the eye of one of his minions (sarcastically quipping "Oh, hold on...you got something in your eye") and the other whilst in mid-fight with a resuscitated Buffy where he striked her with his nails, scratching her chest which caused visible scarring though not enough to deter her.[4]

The Master Skeleton

Skeletal Preservation — The Master had the distinction of being the only known vampire in existence powerful enough to leave his skeleton intact while his flesh and clothing disintegrated into dust upon death. This gave way for him to resurrected by a certain magic ritual until his bones were destroyed, preventing the ritual from being conducted.[2] However, despite the Master leaving skeletal remains during his death in 1997 at the hands of Buffy,[4] this apparently wasn't so after his second death by a possessed Angel.[16]

The Master Book

Sorcery and Occult Aptitude — Numerous times, the Master has demonstrated intimate knowledge of dark rituals and prophesies — such as The Harvest,[6] the rise of The Anointed[15] and The Pergamum Codex's prediction of Buffy's death and his rise despite the text being lost for over five hundred years (though the Master could of easily read the prophecies before it was lost).[4] It's also likely the Master would've had at least some knowledge of sorcery and magic since he tried to open the Hellmouth.

Power Detection — The Master appeared to at least possess some psychic ability when he could sense a powerful psychic force caused by the astral projection of Billy Palmer (though it's possible he was sensing the hellmouth having resided so close to it underground, it being the cause of the problem).[7]

Relationships

  • The Master and Darla

    The Master only rarely scolds Darla but favors her over his other minions

    Darla — Darla was the Master's most cherished minion out of the whole Order. The Master himself referred to her as his favorite.[9] It was apparent that he didn't just sire her randomly, having allegedly 'sang' to her the night before. As Darla laid hopeless, the Master seemed to see some potential in her and the two cultivated a close bond during the next two centuries. The Master was shocked that Darla abandoned her own sire for a younger vampire, but respected her decision, knowing that their relationship wouldn't last.[5] The Master was once, though, harsh to Darla when she gave him an unacceptable offering before the Harvest, openly threatening her.[6] Though this only seemed to fit his role as 'father' of the Order and wouldn't allow her too much liberties, shown when he allowed her to execute the Three, knowing she would take much joy in the act while believing little was enough. When Darla died, the Master became openly aggressive, smashing one of his candleholders in anger until the Anointed comforted him.[9]
  • The Master You're sitting on my chair!

    Angels offends the Master

    Angelus/Angel — The Master was shown to have mixed feelings regarding Angel and his soulless counterpart. He was impressed at Darla for bringing Angelus to him, even admiring the name she chose for him, thinking it was marvelous. His good mood then changed when Angelus mocked his appearance and the Order's views, beating him for not showing the 'proper respect'.[5] However, by 1997, the Master's opinion of Angel seemed to have changed, though apparently aware of his ensoulment and name change, the Master claimed Angel was "the most vicious creature" he ever met and even admitted to missing him, possibly suggesting that the two met again after their initial meeting. The Master was even shocked that it was Angel that killed Darla, wanting Angel to be at his right hand come his ascension.[9]
  • Zachary — Like Darla, the Master seemed to value his minion Zachary and was upset when hearing that he didn't come back from his hunt the previous night because of the Slayer, considering Zachary to be one of his children. The extent of their relationship was never shown.[9]
  • The Master and the Anointed

    The Master and the Anointed share a Mentor/Student bond

    The Anointed One — The Master quickly developed a close bond with the young vampire, acting as the Anointed's mentor, teaching him how to successfully run the Order in terms of punishing failure[9] and also the power fear has and how a vampire could conquer anything if they conquered their fear.[7] The Master even held stones in his hand that the Anointed would use to throw onto the pools of water in the church and derived solace from the young vampire's hopeful words after Darla's death.[9] The Anointed also seemed to appreciate the Master and his rulings, working to resurrect him despite having inherited the Master's rule[2] and maintaining the Order's traditions until he was usurped by the rebel Spike.[10]

See Also

Gallery

Buffyverse The Master article has a Photo Gallery.


Behind the Scenes

  • He was portrayed by Mark Metcalf. He was also played by David Boreanaz in a flashback sequence in "When She Was Bad" and voiced by D.C Douglas in 2003 Xbox video game Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
  • Joss Whedon's notes for "Welcome to the Hellmouth" indicated that The Master's real name was Heinrich Joseph Nest and his age was 600 years. However, the flashback to 1609 in "Darla" shows The Master already with his bat-like demonic visage, meaning he was far older than just 600 years by 1997, as this would have made The Master over 300 by 1609, and he wouldn't look like that, as shown with Darla who is over 400 years old. 
  • If the Master's real name truely is "Heinrich", its possible he might be of Germanic origin.
  • Despite his old world origins, the Master spoke with a modern American accent, even before he came to Sunnydale. In the 2003 video game, however, the Master had an English accent.
  • The Master was originally supposed to have a beard and long hair. Mark Metcalf came up with the bald, more demonic look as an homage to Nosferatu.  
  • According to Metcalf, the Master's makeup took 5 hours to put on.[17]
  • The Master's appearance and the events of "Prophecy Girl" parallel some of the themes in the 1922 German horror classic Nosferatu. The fact that it was prophesied that Buffy would have to die fighting the Master is similar to how Ellen Hutter had to let Count Orlock feed off her in order for him to be distracted until the sun came up. The victimization of the young woman to the monstrous male figure symbolizes male dominance and the drinking of blood carries themes of rape (shown by the Master's powerful reaction after biting Buffy). Buffy the Vampire Slayer in turn offers a feminist subversion where Buffy, the female victim, defeats her male aggressor. The Master in general is representitive of traditional monsters of the horror genre with Buffy playing as a subversion of the typical, helpless female victim common among horror films, the Master's traditionalist, patriarchal disposition going in contrast with Buffy's modern and witty character.
  • The Master was indirectly responsible for The Whirlwind: The Master sired Darla, who sired Angelus, who sired Drusilla, who sired Spike. On an interesting note, that indirect action brought forth two of the most infamous vampires in history (Angelus and Spike), who had an even darker reputation than The Master. It also left the Master responsible for his own demise and the end of the Order of Aurelius, due to Angel's pivotal role in his death, and Spike's murder of the Anointed One. 
  • The Master is, and remains, the only Big Bad or enemy in general that killed Buffy through his own devices.
  • The Master is also responsible for the activation of Kendra Young after Buffy's temporary death, causing two Slayers to exist simultaneously for the first time ever.
  • The Master is one of the only two Big Bads in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (though there are others in Angel) to appear in the first episode of his respective season, the other being final antagonist The First.
  • Russell Edgington in "True Blood" is very similar. Like the Master, he was considered to be the oldest and most powerful vampire in existence into his own universe. He had also racial hatred fiercely extremist against humanity and believe that only the supernatural beings hold the law on the world similar to the allegeance of the Master for the Old Ones. Similar to the Master, he wants also to drink the blood of the main female character Buffy/Sookie because of their mystical Slayer/Faerie property.

Expanded Universe

  • In the first Buffy the Vampire Slayer video game, The Master returns as a phantom and, with the help of a trio of demons known as the Dreamers, possesses Angel to regain a physical presence. Ultimately Willow Rosenberg banishes him from Angel, the Scoobies subsequently using a spell to make him temporarily corporeal once again. With Buffy now able to stake the Master once he regains a solid form, Giles states that Buffy's destruction of The Master's body in this manner also destroyed his spirit. In the game the Master also possesses other abilities such as teleportation, telekinesis and switching between corporeal and incorporeal form for a limited time.
    File:Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Xbox) - The Master.jpg

    The Master in the 2003 Xbox video game

  • In the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Comics Issue #38 False Memories, we learn moments before his final death, the Master was able to move his essence to the astral plane, where he would remain until he could return into a new body. An attempt to bring him back to the land of the living by his congregation, the Eidu, was nearly successful. Using the Eidu Amulet, which is a bridge to the spirit world, the Eidu kidnapped Xander and planned to use his body as the vessel for the Master's astral essence to inhabit. Before the Master could enter the body, Willow and Tara cast a spell to temporarily keep the Master's spirit from possessing Xander. During the ritual, the Master's essence was destroyed after he was struck with a vapor blade by Buffy's sister, Dawn.[18] [19]

Appearances

The Master was the primary villian in the first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He appeared in 10 episodes all together (6 living, 1 in a dream, 1 in the Wishverse, 1 in archive footage and 1 as a disguise of the First Evil). He also appeared in one episode in the second season of Angel in flashbacks. He appeared in 11 Buffyverse episodes altogether, 9 of which featured the acting talent of Mark Metcalf.  

The Master would later return in Buffy Season Eight in the first four issues of the final story arc Last Gleaming. He previously made cameo appearances during Buffy's astral dream in Part 3 of The Long Way Home and during one of her decoy's activivations in The Chain. He later appeared in the Angel comic Auld Lang Syne as a clone in the first and fourth parts. He appeared in 8 Buffyverse comic issues overall.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Season One:
Welcome to the Hellmouth

Appears

The Harvest

Appears

Witch Teacher's Pet

(mentioned)

Never Kill a Boy on the First Date

Appears

The Pack Angel

Appears

I Robot, You Jane The Puppet Show Nightmares

Appears

Out of Mind, Out of Sight

(mentioned)

Prophecy Girl

Appears (killed)

Season Two:
When She Was Bad

Appears (in vision)

Some Assembly Required School Hard

(mentioned)

Inca Mummy Girl Reptile Boy Halloween Lie to Me The Dark Age What's My Line, Part One What's My Line, Part Two Ted
Bad Eggs Surprise

(mentioned)

Innocence Phases Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered Passion Killed by Death I Only Have Eyes for You Go Fish Becoming, Part One Becoming, Part Two
Season Three:
Anne Dead Man's Party Faith, Hope & Trick Beauty and the Beasts Homecoming Band Candy Revelations Lovers Walk The Wish

Appears (Only in Wishverse)

Amends Gingerbread
Helpless The Zeppo Bad Girls Consequences Doppelgängland

Appears (Only in Wishverse archive footage)

Enemies Earshot Choices The Prom Graduation Day, Part One Graduation Day, Part Two
Season Four:
The Freshman Living Conditions The Harsh Light of Day Fear, Itself Beer Bad Wild at Heart The Initiative Pangs

(mentioned)

Something Blue Hush Doomed
A New Man The I in Team Goodbye Iowa This Year's Girl Who Are You Superstar

(mentioned)

Where the Wild Things Are New Moon Rising The Yoko Factor Primeval Restless
Season Seven:
Lessons

Appears(Only as the First Evil)

Beneath You Same Time, Same Place Help Selfless Him Conversations with Dead People Sleeper Never Leave Me Bring on the Night Showtime
Potential The Killer in Me First Date Get It Done Storyteller Lies My Parents Told Me Dirty Girls Empty Places Touched End of Days Chosen

Angel

Season Two:
Judgement Are You Now or Have You Ever Been First Impressions Untouched Dear Boy Guise Will Be Guise Darla

Appears (in flashback)

The Shroud of Rahmon The Trial Reunion Redefinition
Blood Money Happy Anniversary The Thin Dead Line Reprise Epiphany Disharmony Dead End Belonging Over the Rainbow Through the Looking Glass There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb
Season Five:
Conviction Just Rewards Unleashed Hell Bound Life of the Party The Cautionary Tale of Numero Cinco Lineage Destiny

(mentioned)

Harm's Way Soul Purpose Damage
You're Welcome Why We Fight Smile Time A Hole in the World Shells Underneath Origin Time Bomb The Girl in Question Power Play Not Fade Away

Buffy Season Eight

Buffy Season Ten

References

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