Ash fights a Dark One (cover for Army of Darkness vs. Re-Animator #1).
The Dark Ones are centuries-old creatures who once ruled the Earth and its inhabitants using magic and their armies of Deadites. Cast into another plane of existence, their rule over the world ended and humanity was free to thrive.
The Dark Ones were first mentioned in the opening sequence of Evil Dead II, but later appeared in various forms of expanded media before making their "canon" debut in the Ash vs Evil Dead episode Books From Beyond.
Contents
History
Origins
According to one account, The Dark Ones were born in another realm outside of the spaces humanity is familiar with. Some have claimed that The Dark Ones are demon nor fully human, while others see them as large inhuman beings that vary in shape. Through means unknown, the Dark Ones broke through the barriers of their realm and found their way into the universe in which humanity inhabits. Eventually settling down on Earth, The Dark Ones enslaved the primitive humans that populated the planet, and used creatures known as Deadites to keep the slaves in-line.
Banishment
The Dark Ones rule over the Earth lasted generations, with many humans never knowing of a time when the god-like creatures didn't walk among them. As The Dark Ones are creatures that inhabit many universes, there are several variations on how they came to be exiled from the Earth. In two realities, a human selected by God (dubbed "The Chosen One") was given powers to combat the Dark Ones, resulting in their banishment to another realm called the Mirror Dimension. In another reality, a Dark One which identified itself as "Ruby" united with a sorceress named Kaya to expel all of the Dark Ones (excluding herself) and Deadites from the face of the Earth. Regardless of the exact circumstances, humanity was now free to grow and develop, eventually becoming the dominate species of the planet.
Legacy
Though they were now trapped in another world, The Dark Ones still had a lasting impact upon the Earth they once ruled. In one reality, a philosopher named Abdul Alzeez discovered ancient texts written by the Dark Ones, text which he would translate and compile in a book titled the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis. Another source implied that the Dark Ones were able to influence humans on Earth throughout history (such as Adolf Hitler) with promises of power, leading the humans to search for methods to release the Dark Ones via artifacts (such as the Necronomicon) from their time as rulers of the planet.
Release & Escape
One of the earliest known release attempts of the Dark Ones in the multiverse occurred on Earth-818793, where Herbert West and Wilbur Whateley opened a portal to the dimension where the Dark Ones were trapped, though that reality's version of Ash Williams closed the portal before any of them could escape. The next known release of the Dark Ones also occurred on Earth-818793, when a red demon and the Four Horsemen of The Apocalypse successfully brought the old gods back to the world of the living, though Ash Williams once again foiled their plans and altered history mere seconds after their unleashing.
The only known successful attempt at bringing back the Dark Ones was brought about by Ruby and Kaya, the same pair that had banished the creatures centuries earlier in their native universe. While Ruby and Kaya intended to kill the Dark Ones once they were back on Earth, the Dark Ones almost immediately managed to kill the pair and acquire the Necronomicon, which they used to bring about the apocalypse.
Powers, Abilities, & Weaknesses
Powers & Abilities
As The Dark Ones are beings shrouded in mystery, the full extent of their powers remain mostly unknown, though it seems to vary from individual to individual and universe to universe. In any case, even a single Dark One poses a serious threat to the world in which it is let loose upon with or without the Necronomicon in its possession.
Weaknesses
The Kandarian Dagger is one of (if not the only) known weaknesses of The Dark Ones, as just a light touch from the dagger's blade is enough to burn the skin of one of the creatures.
Appearances
Ash vs Evil Dead
| Episodes | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 🖼 | |||||||||
| Season 2 | ||||||||||
| Season 3 | 🖼 | ✔ |
| ✔ | Appears | ✔ | Appears as a deadite |
| 🖼 | Appears in a photograph | ✔ | Appears as a corpse |
| ✔ | Appears in a dream/hallucination/as a ghost | ✔ | Voice is heard |
In Other Media
Video Games
- In Evil Dead: Hail To The King, the Dark Ones are mentioned, but never seen. Abdul Alzeez mentions to Ash (who stumbles across the remains of a large unseen creature) that directly looking at a Dark One would be enough to drive one person mad.
Comic Books
- The Dark Ones make their first appearance in the Earth-818793 continuity in Army of Darkness vs. Re-Animator #4, trying to escape a gateway opened by Yog-Sothoth and his son, Wilbur Whateley.
- Outside of Army of Darkness comics also set in that timeline, the Dark Ones (referred to as "The Old Ones") play major roles in the Dynamite's 2015 Reanimator comic (a direct sequel to the second Army of Darkness/Reanimator crossover) and the 2007 miniseries Xena: Warrior Princess: Dark Xena (which depicts the Dark Ones ruling over the Earth and their banishment, as previously mentioned in Army of Darkness comics).
- Space Goat's Evil Dead 2 line of comics focused on The Dark Ones and their mythology in two miniseries, Cradle of The Damned and Dark Ones Rising.
Gallery
Ash vs Evil Dead
Comic Books
