The Harvest (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

The Harvest is the name given to a ritual in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer universe, specifically featured in the first two episodes of the series, collectively titled "Welcome to the Hellmouth" and "The Harvest." It is a crucial event planned by the Master, an ancient and powerful vampire trapped beneath Sunnydale High School.

The purpose of the Harvest is to unleash the Master from his imprisonment. The ritual requires a human vessel to be imbued with the Master's essence, temporarily empowering the vessel with incredible strength and vampiric abilities. This vessel, under the Master's influence, then feeds on a large number of people, transferring their life force to the Master, allowing him to break free from the Hellmouth's confines.

The Harvest is ultimately thwarted by Buffy Summers, the Slayer, with the help of her Watcher, Rupert Giles, and her friends Xander Harris and Willow Rosenberg. Buffy confronts and defeats Darla, a female vampire initially tasked with choosing the Harvest candidate, and then ultimately stops Luke, the young man selected as the vessel, before he can complete the ritual. While the Harvest fails to free the Master completely, it does provide him with a significant boost of power and influence, enabling him to manipulate events from within his prison. The Harvest serves as a key plot point in establishing the mythology of the series and highlighting the ongoing struggle between good and evil in Sunnydale.