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Whatever the case may be, these villains from Buffy the Vampire Slayer represent seven of the least effective from the program’s storied run.
1) The Anointed One
In Season 1, the Anointed One (played by child actor Andrew J. Ferchland) is foreshadowed as a major adversary for the Slayer, yet he barely succeeds at cramping her style. Prior to his first appearance in the fifth episode, we learn of a prophecy from the Writings of Aurelius foretelling of a major showdown between the Anointed One and the Slayer. After the death of the Master, we see the Anointed One rise to power as the new leader of the Order of Aurelius. But he never gets the chance to live up to his storied reputation.
While the Anointed One was initially planned as the core antagonist for Season 2, actor Ferchland’s unexpected growth spurt cut short the character’s time on the show. Instead of realizing his sinister potential, the Anointed One unceremoniously steps aside in the third episode of the second season when Spike helps him meet the sun. It makes sense that Ferchland outgrew the role and that the writers had to resolve his arc. However, after so much foreshadowing and buildup, the end of his story is extremely anticlimactic.
2) The Master
There’s nothing wrong with Season 1 Big Bad the Master (Mark Metcalf), per se. He brings a certain amount of intrigue as he attempts to open the portal to hell located underneath Sunnydale High. Even still, he isn’t a particularly memorable character in the grand scheme of things. If the show hadn’t pushed forward to deliver even more engaging antagonists in his wake, we might be discussing him in a different context. However, the show really found its footing in the seasons that followed and looking back on Season 1, the Master pales in comparison to some of the adversaries Buffy and company eventually take on.
Some fans will surely argue that the Master is memorable for (briefly) killing Buffy, and he is. Yet, despite that impressive feat, he isn’t a particularly engaging character. The Master is pretty one-dimensional, in fact.
3) The Judge
The Judge (Brian Thompson), an ancient demon capable of separating his victims from their humanity, has plenty of potential as a character, yet he’s largely under-utilized. The Judge is established as this imposing, invincible adversary, yet Buffy bests him not long after Spike (James Marsters) and Drusilla (Juliet Landau) resurrect him. We see the Judge introduced in Season 2, Episode 14 where we learn that he is nearly impossible to defeat. However, in the very next episode, Buffy dispatches him with a rocket launcher.
The Judge has a memorable demise, for sure. But with such an impressive origin story, fans rightfully expected him to put up more of a fight. Thanks to a rushed and anticlimactic exit, the character never got to make the kind of mark he might have otherwise made.
4) The Bezoar
The Bezoar hails from the Season 2 Episode “Bad Eggs.” This largely inanimate villain stages an anticlimactic rein of terror from underneath Sunnydale high school. The Bezoar comes onto our collective radar when one of its offspring manages to attach to health teacher Mr. Whitmore (Rick Zieff). From there, Mr. Whitmore begins handing out Bezoar eggs to Sunnydale students to babysit. As creative as the core idea behind this episode is, the character itself simply isn’t that imposing.
It’s a bit of an understatement to say that the Bezoar lacks the agility of some of the show’s more memorable monsters because other than wrapping its tentacles around victims (and ingesting them), this antagonist is pretty stationary. The lack of any particularly active powers makes this monster of the week one we’re glad didn’t outstay its welcome.
5) Moloch the Corruptor
Moloch feels like another wasted opportunity to many fans. He is an impressive-looking character but he lacks the edge that makes some of his contemporaries resonate. He joins the series in Season 1, Episode 8 after he’s released from confinement in an ancient tome when Willow (Alyson Hannigan) scans the book into a computer. From there, he begins to wreak havoc in the digital space, catfishing Willow as a potential suitor.
When we finally see Moloch in the physical space, he is well-rendered, a cool looking adversary for sure. However, that’s about all that he has going for him. Fans understandably find his final battle with Buffy more than a little underwhelming. As they face off, Buffy is unable to best him with fisticuffs and ultimately tricks him into electrocuting himself, yawn. If only the character’s abilities lived up to his exceptional costume design, we might be revisiting him in a different context.
