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Questions tagged [highlander]

The Highlander refers to one of the immortals in the 1986 fantasy film, the film's sequels, and the TV series that followed. Use in conjunction with the [highlander-franchise] tag.

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13 votes
1 answer
2k views

Which “Highlander” movie features a scene where a main character is waiting to be executed?

Long ago, probably in the 90s, I watched (I think) one of the Highlander movies with Christopher Lambert. A big part of the movie was him waiting to be executed via guillotine. He spent almost every ...
7 votes
1 answer
5k views

During the match at the beginning of Highlander, why does one of the fighters show off the Confederate flag?

Prior to the beginning of the match in Madison Square Garden, one of the fighters is wearing a cloak with the Confederate flag. Did the CSA (Confederate States of America) win the American Civil War ...
5 votes
1 answer
657 views

How does the Quickening affect Mortals?

The Quickening in the Highlander series and movies is characterize as magical lightning which transfers the knowledge, skill and "power" of a defeated Immortal to the victor. Generally speaking, this ...
24 votes
5 answers
7k views

Why do immortals not use any neck armour in Highlander (1986)?

An Immortal in Highlander can die only if decapitated. That is their only vulnerable point in a sword fight. (I stick to the canon of the original Highlander, as in Highlander V we see immortals ...
11 votes
2 answers
2k views

How did the Kurgan never completely heal from the wound Ramirez gave him?

In the original Highlander, Ramirez barely missed taking the Kurgan's head, delivering a wound that would have been immediately fatal without the quickening to keep the Kurgan from dying. Yet, ...
18 votes
2 answers
8k views

How many Immortals are there in Highlander Universe?

How many Immortal individuals are there known (shown or mentioned) in the entire Highlander franchise? (including movies, both TV series, and other media such as books etc...)? Wiki doesn't seem to ...
13 votes
4 answers
1k views

What exactly constitutes a Holy Ground in Highlander canon?

What exactly constitutes a Holy Ground in Highlander canon? Most that I recall seem to be Christian burial places, but some were non-Christian burial places. But pretty much ANY place is a burial ...
7 votes
3 answers
402 views

Is Alex the same person as Sarah in Highlander 3?

In the third Highlander film there are two women played by Deborah Unger who may or may not be one and the same person: the noble Sarah Barrington, a woman Connor MacLeod was in love with in the 18th ...
4 votes
1 answer
182 views

What's this song in Highlander, season 6, episode 9?

In the Highlander episode titled 'Deadly Exposure' there's a song that plays in the background during the outdoor photo shoot. In the below link it plays from around 6:55 to around 7:50. Can anybody ...
16 votes
3 answers
12k views

Who was the longest lived Highlander Immortal?

According to canon, Methos is considered the current oldest living 'active' Immortal at 5,162 years old. This of course is tempered by the revelation in 'The Source' that the Guardian and the Elder ...
10 votes
1 answer
2k views

How did the Kurgan know that Connor MacLeod was a fellow immortal?

The "immortal radar" mentioned in other questions does not explain how the Kurgan knew Connor MacLeod was immortal. He was far away on the other side of a valley before the 1536 battle against the ...
16 votes
5 answers
8k views

Were there Immortals who did not honor the Holy Ground tradition?

In the original Highlander Ramirez says this to MacLeod: You are safe only on Holy Ground. None of us will violate that law. It's tradition. Even Kurgan obeyed it, despite his lust to have the ...
4 votes
1 answer
266 views

Were all the remaining Immortals known to each other?

By the time of the Gathering, were all the remaining Immortals known to each other by sight? McLeod recognises Fasil in the MSG car park and knows Kastagir and the Kurgan, but had they all met ...
3 votes
2 answers
778 views

What are the other unwritten rules?

I know about the code against fighting on holy ground and multiple immortals ganging up on one- are there other unspoken laws immortals follow?
14 votes
4 answers
5k views

Do pre-Immortals die of old age if they haven't had their immortality triggered beforehand?

It was established in many of the Highlander movies, that even though they are born "Immortals" they genuinely have to be killed first to become an "Immortal". Essentially a trigger to their ...
13 votes
3 answers
906 views

How do immortals recognize other immortals?

The immortals apparently have a radar sense that tells them when other immortals are nearby. That only tells them a fellow immortal is near, not which person in a crowd is immortal. How do any ...
45 votes
2 answers
13k views

How was Ramirez's sword forged over 1,500 years before katana swordsmithing techniques were perfected in Japan?

In the 1986 film The Highlander we learn that the Immortal Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez was given an ivory handled katana in 592 B.C., forged by the great Japanese swordsmith Masamune. How was ...
9 votes
3 answers
4k views

Why are all Immortals relatively close in power?

I've only seen a few episodes (and half a film) of Highlander, and I never really understood the Quickening: The Quickening is the receiving of all the power and knowledge another Immortal has ...
14 votes
1 answer
399 views

Why didn't the immortals sense the presence of the Kurgan nearby?

In Highlander, the Kurgan sneak-attacks his victims several times. He spies on Brenda and Connor when they visit the zoo. He was within 6 meters of Connor MacLeod at the zoo. He sneak attacks Connor ...
9 votes
1 answer
594 views

How did the Kurgan get his sword?

The Kurgan has an unusual segmented sword with spikes sticking out from the quillons. How did he get his sword? It was made before 1541, which is when the Kurgan killed Ramirez. ...
25 votes
5 answers
15k views

Was the fact that Connor MacLeod won the Prize in movies ever retconned explicitly in later continuity?

It seemed fairly unambiguous from Highlander movie (and Highlander 2: It didn't happen) that by killing Kurgan, Connor MacLeod won the Prize. Yet, from further franchise - the series and the later ...
2 votes
2 answers
2k views

What's the story with planet Zeist vs. Earth?

From "Highlander 2" on Wikipedia: On the planet Zeist, a last meeting is held between the members of a rebellion against the rule of General Katana. The rebellion’s leader, Ramirez, chooses "a man ...
6 votes
1 answer
957 views

Is there a "final" FINAL screenplay for Highlander?

If you look at Gregory Widen, Peter Bellwood & Larry Ferguson's Highlander screenplay as of 2/6/1985, most of it is nearly 100% identical to the movie (the plot and even the lines). Everywhere I ...
4 votes
1 answer
604 views

Was the plot of 'The One' (2001) influenced by 'Highlander'?

The two plots seem very similar: A sheriff's deputy fights an alternate universe version of himself who grows stronger with each alternate self he kills. Obviously it's taking form the age old ...
15 votes
6 answers
3k views

In Highlander universe, why don't Immortals just hide?

Look at canon that includes TV series, it appears that there were plenty of Immortals running around throughout history. Seemingly, in the movies, most seem to have gotten themselves killed at the ...
3 votes
2 answers
713 views

What did The Witches Cave (Podzemelye Vedm) movie rip off from Highlander?

I saw at least a couple different reviewers mention (in Russian) that the 1990 Soviet movie Подземелье ведьм (The Witches' Cave) very liberally borrowed from Highlander. However none of them went into ...
42 votes
4 answers
11k views

How does the Kurgan's sword work?

In the first Highlander movie, we see the Kurgan in a hotel room assembling his sword. It was a bunch of segments that fit neatly together like something you would buy at an IKEA for weapons (IKILLYA?...
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

Were there any other Immortals aside from Connor and Duncan MacLeod who were relatives?

Connor and Duncan MacLeod seem to be somewhat related (they are of the same Highlander clan). Were there any other Immortals in the Highlander franchise who were related to at least the same degree, ...
8 votes
1 answer
762 views

How did the Immortals know there would be a gathering?

From the transcript of the first Highlander movie: Conner: What gathering? Ramirez: When only a few of us are left we will feel an irresistible pull towards a faraway land to fight for the ...
11 votes
2 answers
1k views

Can two Immortals gang up on one? If so, what happens with the Quickening?

Base question: Can two Immortals gang up on one? Is it against the rules of the Game (the way fighting on Holy Ground is)? Most importantly, if the answer is "yes": What happens with the Quickening ...
9 votes
1 answer
581 views

What is the "Immortal Radar" range?

Is there a canon-supported estimate on how far an Immortal can "sense" the presence of another Immortal?
6 votes
1 answer
4k views

Musical themes carried over from the Highlander film to TV series

In "The Gathering", the pilot episode of Highlander, there are several parts of songs used from the movie: Princes of the Universe, which plays over the film credits, is the show's theme song, and is ...
5 votes
2 answers
681 views

In any of the Highlander movies (except #2), is there a clear implication that Only One remains?

Leaving aside "Highlander II: The Quickening" due to its continuity controversies, is there a clear and unambiguous implication in any of the "Highlander" movies that MacLeod is The One remaining ...
10 votes
1 answer
1k views

What are the "evil spirit" animations supposed to be?

After Connor MacLeod beheads the Kurgan, he goes through some kind of event, as had other Immortals after winning battles, but this time it is accompanied by various animations of what appear to be "...
6 votes
2 answers
2k views

Is the Kurgan referring to Jesus?

In the first Highlander movie, in the scene when Kurgan is talking to Connor McLeod in the church, he has a conversation with a priest after Connor leaves. Priest: People are trying to pray. Kurgan: ...
7 votes
3 answers
2k views

Are all the people on planet Zeist immortal/Immortal?

From Highlander 2 on Wikipedia: On the planet Zeist, a last meeting is held between the members of a rebellion against the rule of General Katana. The rebellion’s leader, Ramirez, chooses "a man of ...
5 votes
2 answers
3k views

Can pre-Immortals have children?

In this question, the question of whether Masamune c. 593 B.C. was the same person as the famous real-life swordsmith (c. 14th century A.D.) came up. It was determined this was not likely because the ...
14 votes
1 answer
2k views

Did the writers originally envision aliens when they wrote the first "Highlander"?

Yes, we'd all like to believe that Highlander II: The Quickening did not exist. But in 1991 we were shown a movie where we were told that Connor MacLeod, Ramirez, and the rest of the Immortals were ...
7 votes
1 answer
575 views

What was Ramirez's nationality?

Juan Ramirez claimed to be both Spanish and Egyptian, had spent some time in feudal era Japan (I don't know if he ever directly refers to it as Japan, but if he did then he officially has the power to ...
12 votes
1 answer
1k views

Does an Immortal get the Quickening if another Immortal is killed by a mortal?

Does an Immortal (if he is physically close enough) get the Quickening if another Immortal is killed by a mortal? Or is the Quickening lost? Canon answers only please (movies/series/cartoons/info ...
11 votes
2 answers
997 views

Was anyone else considered to play The Highlander?

While watching Highlander with my son last night (his first time watching the classic), I found myself wondering if any other actors were considered/desired for the title role before it was given to ...
4 votes
1 answer
951 views

What were the details of the claim that "Highlander: The Source" events were just a dream?

And the fifth movie has been retconned into "All Just a Dream" [trope] via Word Of God (from TVTrope's "Canon discontinuity" article on "Highlander: The Source" movie). What exactly was that Word ...