Big bad is a term originally used by the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV show to describe a major recurring adversary, usually the chief villain in a particular broadcast season. It was originally used by Buffy in the episode 'Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered', in which she describes the newly soulless Angel as "the big bad thing in the dark". The phrase may originate in various fairy tales (particularly "3 Little Pigs" and the related song) about the "big bad wolf". It has also been expanded as "Big Bad Evil Guy" (abbreviated as BBEG) For other uses, see Buffy the Vampire Slayer (disambiguation). ... The following is a listing of Big Bads (main villains) for each season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. ... Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered is episode 16 of season 2 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. ... Angel (also known as Angelus, originally Liam) (born 1727 in Galway, Ireland) is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt for the television programs Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

For the spin-off Angel, the law firm Wolfram and Hart was the Big Bad present in the series; however, there were other major recurring threats that arose. While the format of the series didn't stick to an established Big Bad the way Buffy did, several characters and elements have represented significant season arcs, using the "Big Bad" term frequently. Media spin-off is the process of deriving new radio or television programs from existing ones (see list of television spin-offs). ... For the South Korean TV series of the same name, see Angel (2007 TV series). ... Wolfram and Hart, Attorneys at Law is an international and interdimensional fictional law firm in the television series Angel. ... For the South Korean TV series of the same name, see Angel (2007 TV series). ...

The term has been later used in other fandoms, such as Charmed and Smallville to denote the annual villain. The short-lived series Birds of Prey actually used the term "Big Bad" on screen to refer to Harley Quinn. Other series such as Supernatural have played upon this collocation, referring to The Demon as "something Big and Bad". In the May 11th 2007 Lost podcast, the show's producers refer to Ben Linus as the series' "Big Bad". Even comics have adopted the term into their lexicon, with Nightwing describing Bruno Mannheim to Batwoman as "the Big Bad" in DC Comics' 52: Week 30. Similarly, in Veronica Mars, there is a Big Mystery revolving around a crime perpetrated by the Big Bad of the season. Greg Weisman, an admitted fan of Joss Whedon, described Demona as a "Big Bad" in issue three of the Gargoyles comic book. For other uses, see charm. ... Smallville is an American television series created by writer/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, and was initially broadcast by The WB. After its fifth season, the WB and UPN merged to form The CW, which is the current broadcaster for the show in the United States. ... For other meanings of the term, see Bird of prey. ... Harley Quinn (real name Dr. Harleen Quinzel) is a fictional character in the animated series Batman: The Animated Series, as well as the DC Comics Batman series and its spin-offs, and subsequently in various Batman-related comic books. ... This article is about the US TV series. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Demon, actual name unknown (sometimes referred to as Yellow Eyed Demon), is a fictional character and villain on The CW Television Networks Supernatural. ... “LOST” redirects here. ... Benjamin Ben Linus is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost played by Michael Emerson. ... This article is about the DC Comics hero and former sidekick of Batman. ... Bruno Ugly Mannheim is a fictional character who appears in DC Comics as one of Supermans enemies. ... Batwoman (originally referred to as the Bat-Woman) is a fictional character, a female counterpart to DC Comics popular superhero Batman. ... DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ... 52 is the title of a comic book limited series published by DC Comics, which debuted on May 10, 2006, one week after the conclusion of the seven-issue Infinite Crisis. ... This article is about the Veronica Mars television series. ... Greg Weisman (born September 28, 1963 in Los Angeles, California) is an American animation writer and producer most famous as the creator of the animated television series Gargoyles. ... Demona is one of the primary antagonists of the animated television series Gargoyles. ... Cover to Gargoyles #1, by Greg Guler. ...

External links

• The Buffy Formula: Patterns in the Buffyverse
• Big Bad - Television Tropes and Idioms on tvtropes.org