- “They have no earthly desire except to collect their bounty. To find their target and eliminate it. You can kill as many of them as you like. It won't make any difference — because where there is one, there will be another. And another. They won't stop coming until the job is done.”
- ―Rupert Giles[src]
The Order of Taraka was a society of deadly and feared assassins and bounty hunters, including both humans and demons.[1]
History[]
- “They are masters of deceit. Vampires are bound by the night, but these predators can be anywhere, anytime. They can appear as normal as the next person. Just another face in the crowd. You might not ever know when one of them is near — not until the moment of your death.”
- ―Rupert Giles[src]
Background[]
The records on the Order of Taraka indicated that they existed at least since the times of King Solomon (970 B.C.). Throughout the centuries, they became widely feared and respected. Some could be identified by a ring worn only by members of the Order.[1]
According to Rupert Giles, the credo of the Order was to sow discord and kill the unwary. Its members had no earthly desires but to collect their bounties. Each of them worked alone and with their own methods, though some of them preferred to assume a disguise to observe and stalk their victims until it was time to strike. If one assassin was killed, another would take his place until the target had been eliminated.[1]
Against Buffy[]
The assassins in Drusilla's cards.
In late 1997, the vampire Spike summoned the Order of Taraka to hunt down Buffy Summers, the Slayer, so she would not interfere in his attempt to restore the health of his lover Drusilla. Dru's tarot cards predicted the coming of three assassins, represented by cards depicting a cyclops, an insect, and a jaguar.[1] The assassins — Octarus, Norman Pfister, and Patrice — took different tactics to attacking Buffy, but they were ultimately unsuccessful.[1][2]
Octarus attacked Buffy at a skating rink but had his throat slit with an ice skate instead. Norman attempted to infiltrate Buffy's house as a salesman,[1] but he was found out by Cordelia and Xander, who escaped to warn Buffy. Patrice attacked with a gun at Buffy's career fair, disguised as a police officer, but Buffy drove her off.[2]
Norman and Patrice were in attendance of the abandoned church where Spike performed a restoration ritual on Drusilla. Buffy fought them to rescue Angel, and Patrice had the upper hand against Buffy before Kendra and the Scooby Gang interfered. Xander and Cordelia killed Norman by devising a trap. Kendra knocked Patrice out.[2]
Following the death of the three assassins[1][2] and the fire that defeated the Spike and Drusilla,[2] the contract on Buffy was canceled, thus the Order didn't send anymore Tarakans after her.[3]
Known members[]
Appearances[]
Canonical[]
- "What's My Line? Part One"
- "What's My Line? Part Two"
- "Ted" (Only mentioned)
Other[]
- Return to Chaos (Only mentioned)
- The Angel Chronicles, Volume 2
- Ghost Roads (Only mentioned)
- The Willow Files, Volume 1 (Only mentioned)
- Ghoul Trouble (Only mentioned)
- Slayer (Only mentioned)