Old Ones (Buffyverse)

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Old One is also a fictional term used in numerous fantasy and horror series.

Old Ones

Illustration depicting Illyria in its real form

First appearance	Prophecy Girl (unconfirmed)
Last appearance	Not Fade Away
Created by	Joss Whedon

Statistics
Species Name	Old Ones
Kind	Pure-breed demons
Notable powers	Enormous strength, stamina and resistance. Immortality, capable of resurrection. Unique mystical powers for each Old One.
Portrayed by	None

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 her real form was revealed only in an illustration.

[Spoiler warningSpoiler warning]: Plot and/or ending details about some or all of the Buffyverse productions (Buffy, Angel, Fray, etc.) follow.

Contents

1 History
2 Related parties
3 Examples

3.1 Canon
3.2 Non-canon

4 See also

History

The information regarding the Old Ones is limited. Giles tells Buffy when she first arrives at Sunnydale that: "This world is older than any of you know. Contrary to popular mythology, it did not begin as a paradise. For untold eons demons walked the Earth. They made it their home, their...their Hell. But in time they lost their purchase on this reality. The way was made for mortal animals, for, for man. All that remains of the Old Ones are vestiges, certain magicks, certain creatures"

Anya explains to the Scooby Gang the nature of 'pure demons'. As Giles had stated, Earth was originally ruled by these huge powerful pure-breed demons, now known as the Old Ones, and the races that exist on earth today are hybrids with humans and other species. The Old Ones possess many different shapes and powers, ranging from reptilian to insectoid, but all of them are gigantic. They were worshipped as gods, ruled over vast territories, commanded fearsome armies and constantly made war against each other. In short, under their rule the world was living hell.

At some point, the Old Ones lost their claim over this world; some were killed while others were driven from this dimension. The corpses of the fallen Old Ones, were placed in stone sarcophagi, while their powers were drained and placed on jewels embedded on the surface of the coffins. All of the sarcophagi were placed in a mystical graveyard known as the Deeper Well, a hole in the world which could be accessed in the Cotswolds in England, and its antipodal point in Oceania. A keeper or guardian, with a small detachment of demon warriors, was placed in the Deeper Well to prevent anyone from extracting a sarcophagus. They failed, however, to prevent Knox from transporting the sarcophagus of Illyria from the Well. It should be noted, though, that this act was said to be preordained.

In the centuries that followed, the Old Ones continued to be objects of worship among the lesser half-breed demons. One of these cults was the Order of Aurelius, a cult of vampires worshipping the Old Ones and awaiting for their return.

Related parties

Halfrek refers to the The First Evil when she says "Something's rising. Something older than the Old Ones, and everybody's tail is twitching." therefore The First Evil is a powerful force that pre-dates even the Old Ones.

The Ascension is the transformation of a human being into a pure demon. Mayor Wilkins became the embodiment of the demon Olvikan through a series of rituals, offerings and sacrifices done over the course of a hundred years.

The demons of 'The Scourge', though far different, smaller and weaker than the Old Ones, consider themselves to be pure-breed demons. Their claim of purity is supported by the fact that they do lack human DNA, as they were immune to the effects of a machine that incinerated those with human DNA, the Beacon. Their origins remain a mystery, though demons originated in hell dimensions without humans could very well be pure-breed demons, just not true Old Ones. Another possibility is that certain demons can't manifest in this dimension in their true forms, like the Senior Partners.

Examples

Canon

Illyria - Her seat of power was located in what would later be California, was one of the most feared of all the Old Ones. She was trapped in the Deeper Well before being released into human form.

A group of demons known as "the Wolf, the Ram and the Hart", who were rather weak by demon standards, barely stronger than a vampire. They left this dimension when the Old Ones were expelled, but unlike other demons, the Wolf, the Ram and the Hart, now under the moniker of "Senior Partners", became major players through Wolfram & Hart and its many incarnations and branches throughout many dimensions.

Olvikan has appeared in the series as a Pure Demon, but whether or not a distinction exists between Old One and Pure Demon is unknown. Lohesh is referenced as a demon species who manifested in a pure form. The so-called Hellmouth Spawn is often thought of as a Pure Demon or Old One, but is never directly referenced as such in the series. Though all three creatures appear in canon, none are 'confirmed' as Old Ones.

Non-canon

Other Old Ones have also appeared in the Buffyverse comics, such as Ky-laag.

In the comic Giles, certain invocations to the Old Ones can change reality and cause severe mutations in people.

In Monster Island, an Old One appears to have settled and resigned from influence amongst humanity. The being seems bored and alienated in the world that exists.