Big and little bad
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Big Bad is a term coined by fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer as the name for the most important villain fought during one season by the show's protagonists. Similarly, the term Little Bad (or sometimes Minor Bad) was also coined by Buffy fans, referring to a less important villain that was fought throughout the course of the season. Often, but not always, the Little Bad is an agent of the Big Bad. Again often, but not always, the Big Bad is defeated in a climatic season finale. Because the Big Bad typically only lasts one season, it is frequently mentioned along with the season's number (e.g. the Big Bad of Season 1). The term 'Big Bad' originally comes from the character of the Big Bad Wolf in the Little Red Riding Hood stories, and was first used in the show by Spike to describe himself.
As a rule, there is only one Big Bad, even though it may be a duo or trio of villains, but they need to work closely together, if not one of them is a Little Bad. There can be more than one Little Bad; it is in fact not very uncommon.
'Big Bads' in
- Season 1 - The Master (vampire)
- Season 2 - Angelus, Spike and Drusilla (all vampires)
- Season 3 - Mayor Richard Wilkins III (originally human but ascends to become a demon)
- Season 4 - Adam (a sort of Frankenstein's monster made up of various demon parts)
- Season 5 - Glorificus (Buffyverse) (goddess)
- Season 6 - The Trio (three humans - Warren Mears, Andrew Wells and Jonathan Levinson) and Dark Willow
- Season 7 - The First Evil (non-corporeal entity)
Other 'Big Bads'
This concept also applies to other TV series, most easily Buffy's spin-off Angel, but also other shows like Roswell and Charmed. For instance, Justice League Unlimited has adopted "Big Bad" structures for its recent seasons: Cadmus and Lex Luthor/Brainiac last season, and the Legion of Doom this season.
In addition, it could also be said to apply to anime such as Dragon Ball, which was split into sagas and not seasons, with each saga (usually) named after the main villain starring in it.
See also
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