Say good-bye to Moriarty, Sherlock fans, because co-creator Steven Moffat is replacing the detective's famous foe with new villains.

"We need to find new villains, we need to find new ideas, otherwise the show doesn't keep growing," Moffat said in interviews with two French websites.

Moriarty and Sherlock plummeted off a building in Series 2, but viewers later learned the detective faked his death. This led to speculation the character may have faked his own death. However, Moffat puts those rumors to rest.

"Moriarty's a one-shot deal in the original [books]. I don't want [Sherlock] to turn into a show that's about one villain and one hero. Moriarty was great because he was a surprise," he said.

So, who should fans expect to face-off against the legendary detective when Series 3 returns?

"There are other great villains in [the Conan Doyle books] that we want to visit," Moffat revealed. "We have to keep the show growing otherwise it won't surprise you. Once you get the measure of it you'll just get critical - if we keep surprising you and keeping you off balance you won't."

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Sherlock