The Master was the first major antagonist of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the original "Big Bad" - a word used by fans of the series to describe a villain who orchestrates events throughout a season and ultimately serves as the final battle in the storyarc. He is portrayed by Mark Metcalf. To aid him, he created a child-vampire dubbed the Anointed One and held him in high regards, second only to Darla - whom he viewed as a daughter despite her abandoning him to fulfil her own desires.