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“ | You girls are just burning with righteousness, aren't you? Problem is, you think they're blazing like suns, when really you're matchsticks in the face of the darkness. | „ |
~ Caleb |
“ | You're the one who sees everything, aren't you? Well, let's see what we can't do about that... | „ |
~ Caleb's most famous quote before he tears out Xander Harris' eye. |
Caleb is the secondary antagonist in Season 7 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
He was the lead follower of the First Evil. He was introduced because of the fact that the First Evil was a spiritual force, and thus the show's creators felt the gang required a physical opponent to act as a kind of avatar for the spirit.
He was portrayed by Nathan Fillion, who also played Gao the Lesser in Jade Empire, Captain Hammer in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, Johnny Worthington III in the Monsters, Inc. franchise, the Monstrous Inmate in Guardians of the Galaxy, Preston Northwest in Gravity Falls, Cornvelious Daniel in Rick & Morty, The Detachable Kid in The Suicide Squad and Karja in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
History[]
Prior to becoming the right-hand man of the First Evil, Caleb (who was originally known as Father Caleb) was an ex-priest and serial killer responsible for the deaths of at least two girls, who he lured to their fate using his charisma and charm.
However by the time the First Evil surfaced in Sunnydale Caleb had made himself a loyal follower and was the prime mover for the events of the final series — in an effort to eliminate all threats to the First Evil's return he directed hordes of Bringers to kill of potential Slayers around the world as well as ordering the bombing the the Watcher's Headquarters in London — causing the deaths of several prominent Watchers.
Caleb soon personally murders two Potential Slayers and effortlessly defeats Buffy, Faith and Spike — forcing them to retreat. In this battle Caleb also blinds Xander in one eye via ramming his thumb into his left eye socket — which resulted in Xander wearing an eyepatch for the remainder of his life.
In the series finale, Buffy, with help from Angel, manages to pierce his abdomen with a mystical Scythe and seemingly kills him. However, Caleb is revived stronger than before by the First and knocks Angel out cold; he and Buffy then proceed to have a battle before she finally manages to slice him in half — ending his threat once and for all.
After his death, Caleb returned as one of The First's final forms, taunting Buffy over the oncoming final battle.
Personality[]
Caleb was a ruthless, sadistic, calculating and bloodthirsty menace who rejected the typical practices of people in his profession, instead opting for becoming a serial killing misogynist with a twisted pleasure found from killing women. Additionally he looked to The First as indeed a higher being but still rejected the concept of God, only believing The First to be the closest thing to God and as such was perfectly willing to become his right hand man and wipe out the slayer bloodline.
Caleb's brutal nature is contrasted from the persona he tries to set himself however, with him being a very charismatic, smooth talking southerner who can very easily put on a friendly persona before immediately switching into his true self, sometimes even blending the two into one another. He is also incredibly self confident and although he hides it well has a fairly nasty temper, best exemplified when he uses Buffy as a punching bag as well as when he threw several wine barrels across his layer in a fit of fury after being forced to let Buffy go free.
Caleb also had a strong belief in not hiding from whence you came, still wearing his typical priest attire merely because he doesn't believe he should hide what his upbringing was, as well as the fact that black is slimming for his figure.
Appearance[]
Caleb was a handsome young man with a friendly and enduring face, making it very easy for him to lure in unexpecting women, although this can also be helped by his clothes. He has a mop of brown hair on his head and matching eyes with a muscular build as well as fair skin. He is always seen wearing an all black getup; shirt, trousers, belt and shoes, with his most defining piece being his clerical collar left over from his days as a genuine priest.
When being granted some of the First's power Caleb's eyes will temporally turn jet black but this will eventually wear off. After being attacked by Buffy and Angel however the black substance in his eyes seemed to begin leaking all over his face and remained as such until he was finally killed by Buffy.
Powers and Abilities[]
Caleb had psychic abilities that allowed him to detect the aura and powers of opponents, read their minds and channel the power of the First Evil for extended periods; when Caleb merged with the First Evil he gained temporary superhuman strength, stamina, and durability far superior to that of most vampires, demons and Slayers.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Caleb is the only human antagonist to be deliberately killed by Buffy; however, it is worth noting Caleb was corrupted past the point of return, and had powers beyond that of an ordinary human.
- When asked about Caleb's religious connections, Joss Whedon has stated, "I'm not coming down against priests. This guy clearly is not one."
- Although never proven, it was highly likely Caleb was completely insane; he seemed to genuinely see the First Evil as a god, if not God himself.
External Links[]
- Caleb on the Pure Evil Wiki.