We are gathered here today to pay tribute to one of the finest vampires ever to have "lived". Sure she was a cold-blooded killer, evil to the bone, but that's what being a vampire is all about. So let us remember her fondly, shall we, as we think back on her life (and unlife).

Darla (whose surname is unknown as of this time) was born over four centuries ago, probably not in America. She lived happily up to her teens (or early twenties?) when she was "brought across" by an unknown vampire (possibly The Master). This was when her life ended and her unlife began.

Whether because of a latent evil inside of her, or due to an intense concentration of demon-soul within her blood, Darla became one of the most vicious vampires on earth. Being beautiful and smart helped enormously of course. She traveled the world, killing indiscriminately. She lived in America throughout the War of Independence, but moved to Ireland very soon after, and while there she met Angelus. [NOTE: this is disputed by Becoming, Part 1, but other evidence suggests the information reported here is true.]

Angelus was an Irish boy with an angelic face whom she fell in love with (or as close to love as a demon can get) and she Sired him - turned him into a Vampire - and together they terrorized humanity. They found pleasure in killing together and Darla was truly happy. But one day something happened.

A gypsy curse gave Angelus his soul back, and he felt remorse for killing humans. In sadness he fled to America in the early part of this century, leaving a broken Darla behind. She despised him for his betrayal of vampiric society, but still loved him very much. She was truly a romantic at heart.

At some point, four hundred or so years ago, she joined the Master, quickly becoming his favorite. It is unknown whether the Master followed Angel or the other way around, but they all moved to America at some point this century. Soon after this however, the Master became trapped between worlds in an attempt to bring Hell to Earth.

Sixty years later, Darla became the first to bring new blood to the Master, in the form of a young man named Jesse. The Master was upset at finding that she tasted his blood first, but he bore no grudge (how could he?) and their relationship continued as normal.

The Slayer known as Buffy became a problem to Darla. When the vampire was bringing Jesse to her Master, Buffy fought to free him. Darla barely escaped with her life. Then, Buffy prevented the Master's escape from his prison. The last straw came when Buffy befriended Angel, Darla's love.

Darla tried to subvert Angel, to bring him back to the vampires, to her, by making him kill Buffy, but it didn't work. In a last desperate attempt to save them all, she brought out handguns to kill Buffy with. Unfortunately it all ended when Angel (of all people) slew Darla, collapsing her to a pile of dust.

And so we remember her: a brave, evil, loving bitch who could teach Tarantino a thing or two about guns. There will never be another like her.

May she rest in Hell.
Amen.

Thanks to Lisa Rose for providing the pictures. Check out her Buffy Pages.

After a moment of silence,