Turok-Han
Encyclopedia
The Turok-Han vampires are fictional characters from Joss Whedon's
TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They appear in the 7th and final season of the series, making their first appearance in the episode "Never Leave Me", when the Seal of Danzalthar is opened under the basement of Sunnydale High, over the Hellmouth
.
They are a race of ancient powerful vampires stronger and fiercer than the regular vampires from the series, stated to be to vampires what Neanderthal
s are to humans. Sunlight and beheading do kill them, but they are immune to crosses, and holy water only causes minor burns that do not deter them in the slightest. They are also resistant although not invulnerable to being staked through the heart (they have denser sternums), and can enter human residences undeterred. Though they are incapable of language and limited to animal instinct
, the Turok-Han are intelligent enough to forge their own weapons. Turok-Han are raised by blood offerings/rituals performed on the seal of the Hellmouth.
An interesting note is that the Turok-Han are similar in appearance to the ancient vampire leader, The Master, whose immense age resulted in his human appearance being lost forever; possibly reverting back to the vampire's primal state.
, via its Bringers, first used Spike
's blood to open the Seal, thus releasing the first Turok-Han on the series. Buffy's first encounter with the primordial vampire nearly killed her as she was caught off-guard, tired from two days lack of sleep and worried about the fate of her friends. She managed to kill it in a staged fight in the next episode "Showtime
".
The Shadow Men later show Buffy a vision, wherein it is revealed that there are actually thousands of Turok-Han, all living below the seal. The First Evil apparently plans to open the Hellmouth and release them all, allowing them to conquer the world. It is also mentioned that somehow, the First would be able to take physical form when its "forces" (presumably referring to the Turok-Han) outnumbered humanity in this world.
Eventually, a few more Turok-Han are released, as seen in the episode "End of Days
". Still more waited under Sunnydale for the time when the First would be able to free them all.
In "Chosen
", Buffy and the other Slayers go into the Hellmouth itself to fight the Turok-Han. In the end, all of them are apparently killed, including thousands by the mystical amulet that entraps Spike.
The Turok-Han army's performance in the final battle of the series is noticeably worse than the performance of the first Turok-Han. While the first Turok-Han nearly killed Buffy, forcing her to use every possible resource to defeat it the second time around, the later Turok-Han seem evenly matched against the newly activated Slayers and even normal humans such as Xander
and Dawn
. In the audio commentary for the episode, creator Joss Whedon
explains he is aware of the continuity issue with the Turok-Han's powers. He acknowledges that early in the season the demon was nearly unstoppable, yet in the final episode the Slayers can defeat the Turok-Han much more easily. Whedon explains that the story behind the season/episode he wanted to get across to viewers was more important than the continuity.
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They appear in the 7th and final season of the series, making their first appearance in the episode "Never Leave Me", when the Seal of Danzalthar is opened under the basement of Sunnydale High, over the Hellmouth
Hellmouth (Buffyverse)
In the fictional universe established by the television shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, the Buffyverse, a Hellmouth is an area fraught with massive supernatural activity.-Definition:"From beneath you, it devours."...
.
They are a race of ancient powerful vampires stronger and fiercer than the regular vampires from the series, stated to be to vampires what Neanderthal
Neanderthal
The Neanderthal is an extinct member of the Homo genus known from Pleistocene specimens found in Europe and parts of western and central Asia...
s are to humans. Sunlight and beheading do kill them, but they are immune to crosses, and holy water only causes minor burns that do not deter them in the slightest. They are also resistant although not invulnerable to being staked through the heart (they have denser sternums), and can enter human residences undeterred. Though they are incapable of language and limited to animal instinct
Instinct
Instinct or innate behavior is the inherent inclination of a living organism toward a particular behavior.The simplest example of an instinctive behavior is a fixed action pattern, in which a very short to medium length sequence of actions, without variation, are carried out in response to a...
, the Turok-Han are intelligent enough to forge their own weapons. Turok-Han are raised by blood offerings/rituals performed on the seal of the Hellmouth.
An interesting note is that the Turok-Han are similar in appearance to the ancient vampire leader, The Master, whose immense age resulted in his human appearance being lost forever; possibly reverting back to the vampire's primal state.
Appearances on Buffy
The First EvilFirst Evil
The First Evil is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The First Evil first appeared in the third season episode "Amends", and became the main antagonist of the 7th and final season.A being manifested from all evil in existence, the First is an...
, via its Bringers, first used Spike
Spike (Buffyverse)
Spike, played by James Marsters, is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Spike is a vampire and played various roles on the shows, ranging from villain to anti-hero. For Marsters, the role as Spike began a career in science...
's blood to open the Seal, thus releasing the first Turok-Han on the series. Buffy's first encounter with the primordial vampire nearly killed her as she was caught off-guard, tired from two days lack of sleep and worried about the fate of her friends. She managed to kill it in a staged fight in the next episode "Showtime
Showtime (Buffy episode)
"Showtime" is the eleventh episode of the seventh and final season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.-Plot synopsis:A young woman gets off a bus at a bus station at night and heads to a payphone to find the number for Buffy Summers. Before she can find the number, one of the...
".
The Shadow Men later show Buffy a vision, wherein it is revealed that there are actually thousands of Turok-Han, all living below the seal. The First Evil apparently plans to open the Hellmouth and release them all, allowing them to conquer the world. It is also mentioned that somehow, the First would be able to take physical form when its "forces" (presumably referring to the Turok-Han) outnumbered humanity in this world.
Eventually, a few more Turok-Han are released, as seen in the episode "End of Days
End of Days (Buffy episode)
"End of Days" is the 21st episode of the seventh and final season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.-Plot synopsis:Starting moments after the previous episode ended, "End of Days" begins as Buffy effortlessly pulls the scythe from the stone...
". Still more waited under Sunnydale for the time when the First would be able to free them all.
In "Chosen
Chosen (Buffy episode)
"Chosen" is the series finale of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It serves as the 22nd episode of the seventh season, and the 144th episode overall. The episode was written and directed by series creator Joss Whedon and originally aired on UPN on May 20, 2003...
", Buffy and the other Slayers go into the Hellmouth itself to fight the Turok-Han. In the end, all of them are apparently killed, including thousands by the mystical amulet that entraps Spike.
The Turok-Han army's performance in the final battle of the series is noticeably worse than the performance of the first Turok-Han. While the first Turok-Han nearly killed Buffy, forcing her to use every possible resource to defeat it the second time around, the later Turok-Han seem evenly matched against the newly activated Slayers and even normal humans such as Xander
Xander Harris
Alexander LaVelle "Xander" Harris is a fictional character in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as in numerous items in the series Expanded Universe, such as comic books, tie-in novels and video games...
and Dawn
Dawn Summers
Dawn Summers is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and introduced by Marti Noxon and David Fury on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, portrayed by Michelle Trachtenberg. She made her debut in the premiere episode of the show's fifth season, and subsequently appeared in every...
. In the audio commentary for the episode, creator Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
explains he is aware of the continuity issue with the Turok-Han's powers. He acknowledges that early in the season the demon was nearly unstoppable, yet in the final episode the Slayers can defeat the Turok-Han much more easily. Whedon explains that the story behind the season/episode he wanted to get across to viewers was more important than the continuity.