The Kurgan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Alias | Och Ragenko, Yuri Kusigyn, Conrad Roschman, Keith Samples, Victor Kruger |
| Race | Human, Immortal |
| Gender | Male |
| Hair color | Black |
| Eye color | Blue |
| Age | 2,990 (at time of death) |
| Born in | 1005 BC, Russia |
| Immortality | 970 BC |
| Affiliations | The Kurgans, Connor MacLeod |
| Past affiliations | "The Bedouin", Atilla the Hun, Clan Fraser, Ramírez |
| Mentors | The Bedouin |
| Weapons | Scimitar, Custom claymore |
| Watchers | James Horton (1981-1985) |
| Status | Deceased (Nov. 1, 1985) |
| Killed by | Connor MacLeod |
| Portrayed by | Clancy Brown |
| First appearance | Highlander |
| Movies | 1 |
The Kurgan is a fictional character from the Highlander movies, portrayed by actor Clancy Brown. He is an Immortal.
He is the main antagonist to Connor MacLeod in Highlander, and his last opponent in the Gathering. He is also mentioned on Highlander: The Series.
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[edit] History
The Kurgan's true name is never stated. He was born in eastern Russia on the border of the Caspian Sea in 1005 BC. His tribe, the Kurgans, were infamous for their cruelty, and were known to "toss children into pits full of dogs, and watch them fight for the meat" for amusement. His first death occurred in 970 BC, when his drunken father crushed his head with a rock. Upon returning to life, the Kurgan proceeded to force his father to swallow a searing hot stone, killing him. He then went off to join a group of bandits that raided caravans. He eventually encountered another Immortal, "The Bedouin," who taught him about what he was, and became the only person who could be labeled as his friend. However, it is rumored he murdered his teacher shortly after his training was completed. From there, he traveled the world, killing both mortals and Immortals in his quest to obtain The Prize. He is known to have ridden with Attila the Hun, and participated in the Sack of Rome. Egyptian Immortal Tak Ne (prior to assuming his later "Ramirez" identity) and the Kurgan battled one another a number of times throughout early history, including encounters in Babylonia, Greece, and ancient China. He quickly gained the title of strongest of all the Immortals, and was feared by most, if not all, of them.
Years later, the Kurgan heard of a powerful pre-Immortal named Connor MacLeod. As MacLeod and his clan were to fight against the Clan Fraser, he made a deal with Murdoch Fraser, Chieftain of Clan Fraser, allowing him to fight alongside them if they agreed to let him kill the boy. In the midst of the battle, the Kurgan challenged MacLeod. Before Connor could strike, he was run through with the Kurgan's broadsword. However, Connor's cousins Angus and Dougal (along with other members of his clan) beat the Kurgan back, rescuing Connor from certain beheading. The Kurgan promised he would finish it, screaming: "Another time, MacLeod!!" Five years later, fellow Immortal Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez sought out the now fully immortal MacLeod as the only hope of defeating the Kurgan. However, the Kurgan discovered this, and tracked them down to MacLeod's home. MacLeod was away, but Ramírez and Heather MacLeod, Connor's wife, were there. He battled Ramírez, with whom he had several run-ins with in the past. Ramírez managed to slice Kurgan's throat (though not deep enough to behead him) before being impaled and beheaded himself; all while Heather watched. After taking Ramirez's Quickening, the Kurgan raped Heather and departed. MacLeod returned shortly after, narrowly missing his enemy.
The two would meet again in 1985, in New York City, where the Gathering was to take place. During this time, the Kurgan was going by the alias Victor Kruger. The last six Immortals at this time were himself, MacLeod, Sunda Kastagir, Iman Fasil, Osta Vasilek, and Yung Dol Kim. Vasilek was beheaded by the Kurgan in New Jersey before he learnt of Fasil's death in Madison Square Garden at the hands of the Highlander. He then defeated both Kim, as well as Connor's friend Kastagir, leaving just the two of them. In order to throw Connor's concentration off, the Kurgan kidnapped his then-girlfriend, Brenda Wyatt. MacLeod followed them to an old building, where the two faced each other in deadly combat while Brenda watched. After almost killing MacLeod, Kurgan was distracted by Brenda when she bashed him over the head with a pipe. Connor attacked the Kurgan, and ended up severing his head, a few inches above the scar left by Ramirez. So ended the terrible reign of the Kurgan. His essence passed to the Highlander, winner of the Prize.
Unlike most immortals, The Kurgan gleefully adopts the youth culture of the era he occupies, as opposed to adopting dignified and respectable occupations (like Connor and Ramirez), living the life of a wandering nomad with no stable financial income. Also, the Kurgan seems to grow less emotionally mature as the ages roll on; falling from a respected warlord to little more than a mere hooligan by his death in 1985.
[edit] Alternative continuity
In Highlander: The Series, the Kurgan's death effectively kicked off the beginning of the Gathering. He is mentioned in the episode "The Watchers."
After Darius's death in Paris, in 1993, Duncan MacLeod returned to Seacouver to learn more about the Watchers, and the Hunters. His investigation led him to Joe Dawson, a Watcher, who had no alternative but to tell him who they were. To exemplify the Watchers' knowledge, Dawson showed Duncan his cousin Connor's, the Kurgan's, and his own personal databases. In the Kurgan's database, the data revealed more of his victims: Ivan Trotski and Flavio Parocchi. According to Dawson, Connor MacLeod did the world "a lot of good" by killing the Kurgan.
In the Watcher Chronicles DVD supplements, it's also mentioned that from 1981 to 1985, the Kurgan was watched by future leader of the Hunters, James Horton.
[edit] Highlander II: The Quickening and Planet Zeist
In the final shooting draft of the Highlander II: The Quickening screenplay, it was revealed that the Kurgan was in fact originally sent from the planet Zeist to Earth by General Katana in order to hunt down Connor MacLeod and Ramirez before either of them could win "The Prize," and therefore return to Zeist. The scene was scheduled for filming, and actor Clancy Brown contacted about reprising his role in the sequel, but Brown was not willing to abide the rather extensive pre-production requirements (makeup, costuming) a second time, and declined. [1]
[edit] The Kurgan in the Game
1 - The Bedouin (Rumored), 10th century BC (Highlander novel)
2 - Ivan Trotski1, 1472 (The Watchers)
3 - The Mongol, c.1535 (Highlander novel)
4 - Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez, 1541 (Highlander)
5 - Flavio Parocchi1, 1664 (The Watchers)
6 - Osta Vazilek2, 1985 (Highlander)
7 - Yung Dol Kim3, 1985 (Highlander)
8 - Sunda Kastagir, 1985 (Highlander)
1Appeared in the Kurgan's Watcher database in that episode.
2Only mentioned.
3Deleted scene.
[edit] External links
- Highlander at the Internet Movie Database
- Highlander Page for Beginners
- The shows and movies summarized
