Old Ones (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
| Attributes | |
|---|---|
| Kind | Pure-breed demons |
| First appearance | "The Harvest" |
| Creator | Joss Whedon |
| Actor(s) | Amy Acker |
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) while it's more than likely that Jasmine and her kind (The Powers That Be) ascended to their higher plane because of the growing malevolence of these warring demons. It's also possible that the Powers that Be were part of the same race but shared a different philosophy than the other Old Ones.
Information regarding the Old Ones is limited and based on the writings of H.P. Lovecraft. Rupert Giles tells Buffy Summers in "The Harvest" (1997):
"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 man. All that remains of the Old Ones are vestiges, certain magicks, certain creatures..."
Anya Jenkins explains to the Scooby Gang in "Graduation Day, Part One" the nature of "pure demons." As Giles had stated, Earth was originally ruled by these huge, powerful, pure-breed demons, and the demon races that exist on Earth today are hybridized with humans and other species. Anya, although far too young to have seen an original Old One, had previously witnessed an Ascension.
The Old Ones possess many different shapes and powers, but all of them are gigantic. They were worshipped as gods (according to Illyria, she was a "god to a god"), ruled over vast territories, commanded fearsome armies, and constantly made war against each other. They also did not seem to live and die the way mortals do. Illyria claimed she lived seven lives at once, and even after her death, releasing her essence from the sarcophagus was enough to resurrect her into the nearest host. In short, under the Old Ones' rule, the world was a living hell.
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Wikipedia