Biff Tannen Sr.
A bully who stole time itself, only to have his empire erased by a single act of courage in 1955.
Biff Tannen Sr. serves as the primary antagonist throughout the Back to the Future franchise, acting as the persistent bullying force that shadows the McFly family across multiple decades. In the original timeline, he is a car wash owner who maintains control over George and Lorraine through intimidation. However, his character takes a dramatic turn when he steals the DeLorean time machine in 2015. Using an almanac containing sports results from 1950 to 2000, he alters history to become one of the country's wealthiest and most corrupt men by 1985. This version of Biff transforms Hill Valley into a chaotic dystopia, secretly killing George McFly in 1973 and forcing Lorraine to marry him. His actions drive the central conflict of Part II, requiring Marty and Doc to travel back to 1955 to retrieve the almanac and restore the timeline.
- Role
- Primary Antagonist / Bully
- Affiliation
- Tannen Family
- Occupation
- Car Wash Owner / Dystopian Dictator
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
The narrative of Biff Tannen Sr. splits when he witnesses Marty McFly's departure from October 26, 1985. After overhearing the discussion about the sports almanac (covering results from 1950 to 2000), an elderly Biff steals the DeLorean and travels back to November 12, 1955. He gives this book to his younger self, setting in motion a chain of events that creates an alternate 1985. In this distorted reality, Biff accumulates a fortune through gambling and corruption, turning Hill Valley into a lawless zone dominated by his casino. He secretly murdered George McFly in 1973 and forced Lorraine into marriage with him. Meanwhile, the younger Marty was sent to boarding school in Switzerland, and Doc Brown was committed to a mental hospital. This timeline exists solely because of Biff's intervention, proving that his greed could reshape history until Marty and Doc intervened.
In Their Own Story
The turning point for Biff occurred when he retrieved the discarded almanac after police interrupted Marty and Doc in 2015. He used the time machine to deliver it to his younger self on November 12, 1955, ensuring his rise to power. In the resulting alternate 1985, Biff ruled Hill Valley with an iron fist, living in a luxury mansion while the town descended into chaos. However, Marty McFly followed young Biff in 1955 and watched him receive the book. After a hoverboard chase where Biff crashed into a manure truck for the second time in a week, Marty retrieved the almanac. As old Biff tried to kill Marty, the younger version was confronted by George McFly at the high school dance. George finally stood up to Biff, beating him and breaking the cycle of abuse. Marty burned the almanac, nullifying the changes. The alternate timeline vanished instantly, leaving old Biff confused as he returned to his original state, having lost everything.
Reader's Guide
Biff Tannen Sr. represents the consequences of unchecked power and the dangers of altering history for personal gain. His role evolves from a standard high school bully in 1955 and a sleazy car wash owner in 1985 to a dystopian dictator in the alternate timeline. He has no special abilities; his dominance relies on physical intimidation, fear, and later, wealth derived from future knowledge. Key moments include stealing the DeLorean in 2015, giving the almanac to his younger self in 1955, and ruling as a corrupt billionaire. His defeat comes not through violence but through the restoration of the correct timeline when George McFly stands up to him in 1955 and Marty destroys the source of his power. This act erases his empire, returning him to a defeated old man with no memory of the future he briefly created.
Did You Know?
- Biff used the sports almanac containing results from 1950 to 2000 to secure a fortune in the alternate timeline.
- In the dystopian 1985, Biff secretly killed George McFly in 1973 and forced Lorraine to marry him.
- Biff crashed into a manure truck for the second time in a week during the confrontation in 1955.
- The alternate timeline was created when elderly Biff traveled back to November 12, 1955, to give the almanac to his younger self.
More in Characters & Cast
Related in Back to the Future
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Elsewhere in the Back to the Future universe
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