Brian Taylor

For the author, see Brian Taylor (author).

"You know how children of divorce often erroneously blame themselves for the breakup? In the case of Brittany's little brother, it's the rest of the family pointing the finger at him."

- "Oh, the Obscurity!", MTV Definative Daria website

Brian Taylor is the younger brother of Brittany Taylor in Daria. His mother, Vivian Taylor, left the family soon after his birth.

Appearances and Personality
Brian makes only three short appearances in the show, in episodes "The Lab Brat," "The Old and the Beautiful" and "Groped by an Angel," plus a non-speaking appearance in IICY?.

His appearances in the two last episodes suggest he is a brat, as he talks back at his father and is shown running around the house swearing and taunting his family by handling things not belonging to him (and in a way that could break them). "Lab Brat" also shows he enjoys torturing small animals.

This behaviour takes on a more sinister edge thanks to The Daria Database, which strongly implies that Brian has been systematically murdering every single pet cat the family has ever had and that they know he's doing it ("cats disappear with Brian around, so family no longer bothers coming up with original names"). We're told this sick bastard "loves electrical cords, duct tape and the whimper of a helpless animal on a hot afternoon".

Trivia

 * Brian's age is revealed to be ten years old in The Daria Database.


 * Brian wears braces.

In Fanfiction
Brian is one of the characters most often described as "evil" by fans of the series. This perception is strongly reinforced in many of the fanfics about him, which often present him as a dangerous psychopath. Examples include:


 * "Young Love," a highly disturbing (and inaccurately named) one-shot by RX-87, which depicts him raping Tricia Gupty.
 * "Darkeresteemers" by Shiva, which depicts an older Brian meeting Daria in Self-Esteem Class.
 * "Children of the Scorn" by Kristen Bealer, where he almost murders the entire cast ("I was just kidding!")

A rare example of a sympathetic Brian is JoeMerl's "Cats, Cast and Card," which explores his own view of his family and gives him an unusually amiable relationship with Ashley-Amber.