IPTAT: There Can Be Only One
Immortals - Part One
Team Four: Eternal characters who have a hard time dying.
Duncan MacLeod (Highlander: The Series)
Vandal Savage (DC Comics, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow)
Captain Jack Harkness (Doctor Who, Torchwood)
Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel)
Fictional heroes, villains, and everyone in between have formed unlikely alliances to answer a common calling: which group of kindred characters is the mightiest of them all? United by a shared theme, troops of four fabulous fictional characters will figuratively compete in a tournament of television, movie, and literature’s finest where only one foursome can be crowned kings and queens of popular entertainment. Join in on the roll call to learn more about these similar characters and delve into their individual histories. It's time to assemble the analogous all-stars and find out who is the best, one team at a time.
There are pop culture icons that seem to have existed since time immemorial, and this nigh-invulnerable squad consists of some of fiction’s most interesting immortals. Their individual histories span centuries, each possessing their own signature skills and abilities. Let’s explore the legacies of these ageless wonders and determine if their combined longevity can carry them to victory.
Immortals, assemble!
1. Duncan MacLeod
First appearance: Highlander: The Series (“The Gathering” episode 1, season 1, 1992)
Popular entertainment of 1992:
Unforgiven - film starring Clint Eastwood
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles - television series starring Sean Patrick Flanery
The English Patient - novel written by Michael Ondaatje
Duncan MacLeod (played by Adrian Paul) began his long life as a baby foundling adopted into the Clan MacLeod in 1592 in Glenfinnan, Scotland. Like other Immortals, Duncan’s genetic origins remain a mystery, but the family that raised him trained him to be a Celtic warrior—-a battle hardened upbringing that would help the young Highlander when he entered “the Game.” Immortals are drawn to each other, hunting each other throughout the centuries, for in the end, there can be only one.
According to their legends, the last immortal standing is said to win “the Prize,” which is foretold to grant the winner the gift of a normal, mortal life, including, in theory, the ability to have children. Immortals are unable to produce offspring, which is another reason why many of them take on apprentices and teach them the rules of their ancient ways.
While the Highlander franchise lore has gone through changes, a consistent aspect of the canon is that Immortals start their lives as “regular” people, i.e., they could theoretically live their entire lives and die a natural, human death. Other Immortals can still detect whether or not someone has the potential to become immortal, but the longevity is only “triggered” by what is called a “mortal wound.” These catalysts are typically violent and intense deaths, and it is unclear how or why these specific traumatic events would activate whatever mystical element that turns someone into an Immortal. Much of the Immortals’ origins are a mystery (“…a kind of magic…”) even among themselves, but perhaps the best explanation as to how they came to be is also the simplest: “…we simply are.”
Throughout the films and television series, the average Immortal is an adult, physically at an age where they can properly defend themselves. It is possible for someone to suffer their mortal wound at a very young age or even at an older point in what would be their “natural” life, but these preadolescent and/or elderly ones are not often seen—-a grim reminder of what some Immortals will do in the pursuit to be the final One.
Despite referring to themselves as immortal, these beings can die. The only way to end an Immortal’s life is to chop off their head, which is why dueling with swords is common amongst them. Other weapons and methods have been used to decapitate opponents, but a sharp blade is an Immortal’s standard weapon of choice and has long since become their traditional form of combat. The removal of an Immortal’s head releases a devastating energy source known as the Quickening. Receiving a Quickening bestows the victor with the strength, skill, and essence of the fallen Immortal. These sword fights are usually reserved for a secluded area since the combatants would want to keep their identities a secret, plus a Quickening more often than not results in sparks of electricity, brilliant light, as well as earth-rumbling shockwaves. Each Quickening is different and its effects vary, and the older an Immortal is, the more powerful their lifeforce is. Each beheading gives the winning Immortal more of an edge when it comes to their senses and can even enhance physical strength. There are also occasions when the recipient of a Quickening takes on certain personality traits of the defeated Immortal.
A duel to the death must only involve two Immortals at a time, and holy ground such as churches and cathedrals are considered neutral areas where combat is forbidden. The consequences of fighting in or on blessed land is unclear, but even the most ruthless Immortals are known to honor the custom.
It is important for Immortals to understand their rules if they want any chance at staying alive. Duncan MacLeod has had many teachers from around the world throughout the centuries, including his fellow clansman from a different era, Connor MacLeod (played by Christopher Lambert). The elder MacLeod shared a similar fate to his distant “cousin” Duncan: raised in the highlands among warring clans, and struck down in battle only to find himself resurrected. Connor only appears in the pilot episode of Highlander: The Series, but is occasionally mentioned during the show’s six seasons. Soon after the series begins, Duncan takes on his own pupil, wayward youth Richie Ryan (played by Stan Kirsch), and together they trained and faced numerous nefarious Immortals. Other allies have helped Duncan along his journeys, such as Joe Dawson (played by Jim Byrnes), a member of a secret society of observers known as the Watchers who chronicle the Immortals’ history.
Duncan’s lifetimes’ worth of globe-hopping experiences have honed his fighting skills and provided him with a wealth of worldly knowledge. Serving in different bloody wars eventually led Duncan to practice a pacifist lifestyle, leaving the Game. He would be drawn back to violence, however, as the time of the Gathering approached: an age where all Immortals feel compelled to seek out who they believe to be the last living Immortals and are even closer to winning the Prize.
A master of martial arts disciplines, trained as a battlefield doctor, and an expert swordsman, Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod would rather spend his many days as a lover, but he will fight when he’s challenged. The other eternal men on this team may hail from realms where they do not adhere to the rules he is used to, but Duncan will not hesitate to raise his signature katana blade to pass whatever test is thrown his way.
These perpetual participants are an intriguing foursome, but they’ll need more than longevity if they want to advance over the Spin-Off Superstars in what could be any kind of challenge—they’ll all need to keep their heads on a swivel, and just plain keep their heads.
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