Dark Master

The Dark Master is the faux antagonist of the film Bridge To Terabitha. He is a figure made up in by Jess Araon and Leslie Burke use in their adventures in Terabithia. He represents the issues Jess has with his father, and arguably his grief after Leslie's death.

Bridge To Terabithia
When Jess and Leslie find a seculeded area in the woods, they decide to name the place Terabithia, where they hang out to take a break from reality. In their adventures in Terabithia, they act as the king and queen of the fantastical kingdom. In they're adventures, they make up the Dark Master as the villain, and spend their time battling his minion and trying to free his slaves.

As thier adventures go on, it becomes apparent that Jess has used the Dark Master as means of dealing with his father. His father was often hard on Jess, but this isn't revealed until the end.

Later on Leslie is killed in a freak accident while trying to get into Terabitha. The rope she used to get in broke, and she fell into the river, hit her head and drowned. Jess blamed himself for not inviting Leslie on a trip to a museum the day she died. Jess at first is in denial of her death and angry at feeling abandond. During the emotional climax, Jess returns to the woods, where he is chased by the Dark Master. Jess eventually stops running, and breaks down, finally crying for his friend. His father finds him and comforts him. Jess says he is worried Leslie is in Hell, but his father tells him, he may not know that much about God, but he's sure that he wouldn't send a girl like Leslie to hell. Jess says he thinks he's going to hell because he blames himself, but is told not to think that for a minute. Jess is told that Leslie gave him somthing special, and he needs to hold onto that to keep Leslie alive. Jess and his father reach an understaning and reconcille thier differences, and Jess finally accepts Leslie's death, and the Dark Master dissapears forever.

Trivia

 * The Dark Master represents Jess's father, who is played by Robert Patrick, who also played T-1000
 * The Dark Master's design vaugely resembles The Predator.