Do you recall the movie Highlander? Russell Mulcahy’s 1986 fantasy action film Highlander is based on a Gregory Widen short story. It is a British production. The movie recounts the conclusion of a long-running conflict between immortal warriors through interwoven historical and modern-day storylines, with Connor Macleod serving as the main protagonist. However, he is not the subject of this video.
This video focuses on Connor’s nemesis, The Kurgan. He was a sour-tempered barbarian with a terrible propensity for slaughtering press reporters. Kurgan was revealed to be a terrifying lunatic in his quest to kill the remaining immortals. This individual is pure wickedness, and we shall examine his life and depraved actions in this video.
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A brief history of this immortal antagonist
Prior to delving into the Kurgan’s past and origins, it is crucial to comprehend the film’s main theme. This film was based on the idea that there are Immortals who are at odds with one another and lead secret lives that the rest of us are unaware of. All of these individuals who were born immortal and unbeatable up to their beheading are the center of the story.
A Quickening, a powerful energy outpouring caused by the beheading of another immortal, empowered the remaining immortal. As a result, the immortals in this movie and the entire franchise engage in a clandestine conflict with one another, fighting until only a small number of them are left to take part in the Gathering and battle for the Prize, which requires a tremendous amount of strength and energy.
The Kurgan, a dangerous and evil Immortal who was regarded as one of the planet’s most powerful Immortals, stood in the background of this. He consumed several Immortal heads throughout the course of his three thousand years of existence, dying in 1985 at the hands of Connor MacLeod.
The Kurgan’s birth name was Vitor, and he was born on the Caspian Sea’s edge in the territory that would eventually become Russia. Vitor was separated from his family when he was a child by a strong flood. He awoke later and was taken care of by the Kurgans, Grig, and his wife Ura. Despite his wife’s concerns, Grig puts in a lot of effort to help Vitor, but he refuses to take him into his family. Grig, fed up with Vitor’s existence, throws him into a pit with a starving dog. Vitor was, however, successful in killing the dog and survived himself.
In 970 BC, the Kurgan was killed by his intoxicated father, who smashed his head in with a rock. After resurrecting, the Kurgan forced his father to swallow a scorching hot stone, murdering him. Later, he joined a band of criminals that preyed on caravans travelling between India and the Mediterranean. He eventually met another Immortal named The Bedouin, who disclosed his actual nature as an Immortal to him.
The Bedouin became his lone friend and master, training him in the ways of The Game which was how all the immortals hunted each other so that they could grow stronger with each kill as the dying immortal released their Quickening. The Kurgan eventually killed The Bedouin and seized his mentor’s head and scimitar as his own. Thus, he spared no one, not even his only friend and mentor – that was how evil and hollow he was.
The Kurgan participated in the battle of Plataea in ancient Greece in 479 BC, aligning himself with the Persians as part of a special military force. During the combat, he was pitted against an Immortal Spartan warrior wielding a one-of-a-kind katana created by Masamune, the legendary master swordsmith. The blade was sharp enough to break the Kurgan’s blade, despite being centuries ahead of its time. He escaped by sliding off a cliff and was carried away by the battle’s flow. The Kurgan realized the significance of steel and a well-crafted blade as a result of this event. Tak Ne, the Spartan warrior’s name, was eventually revealed to him and he would hold a grudge forever.
The Kurgan accompanied the Vandals, Goths, and Visigoths in invading Rome and other Roman settlements around A.D. 410, and also fought alongside the Goths against the Huns. Around the year 453, he would directly affiliate himself with the Huns, fighting with Attila. From the fifth through the twelfth century, the Kurgan wreaked havoc together with the Gobi Tartars and ancient Turks, as well as Viking raids and Genghis Khan’s Mongol armies.
After a combat in which they were the only two men left standing, the Kurgan met the feared Mongol in 1536. The Mongol was defeated by the Kurgan, who stole his head. He journeyed to Scotland in quest of more victims, where he met pre-immortal Connor MacLeod. He formed an alliance with Clan Fraser, a MacLeod foe, on the stipulation that no one was allowed to go against Connor except him.
Connor was attacked by the Kurgan during a conflict between the MacLeods and the Frasers. The Kurgan’s broadsword sliced through Connor before he could even strike. Angus and Dougal, Connor’s cousins, and other members of his tribe, however, defeated the Kurgan, saving Connor from certain beheading at the Kurgan’s hands. This marked the beginning of their historical rivalry that would come to a head in the film.
Kurgan in Highlander movie
The first Highlander, starring Christopher Lambert as swordsman Connor MacLeod, was released in 1986 and has now become a cult classic. MacLeod, a Highlander from the Scottish Highlands, realizes that he is one of a few immortal swordsmen who can only be slain by beheading.
After settling in New York City for several centuries, MacLeod, the hero, is forced back onto the battleground when his biggest enemy, The Kurgan comes back to behead him and thus obtain “the Prize” – a special ability bestowed upon the last living immortal warrior: enormous knowledge and the capacity to subjugate the entire human race. He is shown as a menacing villain in this movie and definitely sent chills down viewers’ spines. This is how it all went down.
In the Madison Square Garden parking garage in 1985, Connor MacLeod is met by an old foe, Iman Fasil at the very beginning of the movie. After a sword battle, MacLeod beheads Fasil and sets off a strong release of energy known as a Quickening, which destroys several cars in the area. Officers arrest Connor for homicide after he hides his katana in the garage ceiling, but eventually release him owing to a lack of proof.
Then, through a sequence of flashbacks, Connor’s past is revealed. In 1536, Connor was set to fight his first combat in the Scottish Highlands, as the MacLeod Clan was at war with the Fraser Clan. In return for the right to kill Connor, an outlander warrior, the Kurgan, assists the Frasers.
The Kurgan challenges MacLeod in the middle of the combat and runs him down with his broadsword. Angus and Dougal, Connor’s cousins, defeated the Kurgan and saved Connor from being beheaded. “Another time, MacLeod!” yells the Kurgan. Connor miraculously recovers from all the wounds The Kurgan had inflicted on him, prompting his lover Kate and relative Dougal to accuse him of practicing witchcraft.
The clan wants to kill him, but Chieftain Angus, his other cousin, gently exiles him. Connor explores the Highlands, eventually becoming a blacksmith and marrying Heather MacDonald. As a result, Connor and The Kurgan become lifelong adversaries, doomed to fight each other in a struggle that only one can win.
Five years later, Ramrez, another Immortal, seeks out MacLeod as their only hope of ensuring Kurgan’s defeat. After tracing his old nemesis, the Kurgan, to Scotland, Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramrez, an Egyptian swordsman, finds Connor. He adds that he, Connor, the Kurgan, and others like them were born immortals and are doomed to fight each other, with the exception of holy territory.
The few who remain will be attracted to a remote location for the Gathering, the ultimate struggle for the Prize, the power of all the immortals throughout time, under the overarching creed of all immortals. Ramrez reveals that immortals are unable to have children and fears that if bad individuals such as the Kurgan win the Prize, mankind will be doomed to an eternity of darkness. Thus, the movie definitely builds a dark and terrifying aura surrounding the Kurgan which adds to his stature as a terrifying villain.
MacLeod is trained by Ramrez, and the two develop a friendship. While Connor is away, the Kurgan tracks down his house and fights Ramrez. After a vicious battle, Kurgan decapitates Ramirez and assaults Heather, who never tells Connor about the awful incident, and flees the area. Heather passes away of old age years later, leaving Connor to travel the Earth, adopting Ramrez’s katana as his own after burying Heather and marking her grave with his old sword. He is a villain who has no remorse and commits heinous acts without even stopping to think for a second.
In 1985, the Kurgan and Connor MacLeod reunited in New York City, where the Gathering was supposed to take place. During this time, the Kurgan goes by the moniker “Victor Kruger” and utilizes his reputation as a New York City criminal skinhead gang leader as a front for his true intentions. The Gathering was the final showdown and immortals from all over the world were turning up to New York to battle it out.
Victor, Iman Fasil, Sunda Kastagir, Osta Vasilek, Yung Dol Kim, and MacLeod are the final six Immortals standing. Vasilek is decapitated by the Kurgan in New Jersey before learning of Fasil’s demise at the hands of MacLeod in Madison Square Garden.
He then overcomes Connor’s companion Kastagir, leaving him and McLeod as the last two surviving immortals. The Kurgan abducts Brenda Wyatt, Connor’s then-girlfriend, and brings her to the Silvercup Studios tower to throw Connor’s concentration off. MacLeod follows them to the battleground, where he and the Kurgan fight it out. MacLeod decapitates his opponent, transferring his essence to the Highlander, the winner of “The Prize.”
Clancy Brown played the role of the deranged and hedonistic Kurgan. Brown has been a prolific actor in cinema and television since the 1980s, and he is noted for his adaptability in both live-action and animated films. He is frequently cast in evil and authoritarian parts.
He played Kurgan right down to a T and was practically perfectly cast in the role. Interestingly, Clancy Brown almost turned away the role of The Kurgan because he was worried that his allergy to cosmetics would hinder him from wearing the late-in-the-film prosthetics. Later iterations have had a tough time following Brown’s portrayal of this villain because of how good it was.
All in all, while the movie did not do well critically, nor did it do well at the Box Office, upon release, it found its way into the houses and hearts of people via DVD release. The film garnered a cult following and is praised for the novelty of the idea of the film, the unabashed action, the amazing soundtrack and for having one of the most believable bad guys that had ever graced the screens as part of a fantasy film.
After the first film, Kurgan’s appearances in later movies were quite minor or they reused footage from the first film, which if you ask me, is an absolute shame. In the novelization, however, we get to know more about Kurgan and what happened after he was beheaded. Connor MacLeod absorbed The Kurgan’s energies and Quickening shortly after his death. The Kurgan’s spirit came into Connor’s consciousness when he was going through the Quickening. He revealed to Connor many other aspects of his life, including his boyhood, his First Death, and his meeting with the Horsemen, among others. Even after his death, The Kurgan’s presence would be felt both outwardly and internally for some time to come.
After taking The Kurgan’s head in 1987, Connor began to realize that he had undergone a Dark Quickening. Immortal Catherine Curtis and another unidentified Immortal died as the Kurgan’s presence began to take over Connor. When Connor realized he was frighteningly out of control, he enlisted the help of his cousin Duncan MacLeod. Immortal Gordon Byrne tranquilized, imprisoned, and tormented Connor before he could do much. He wanted to see how powerful Connor’s Dark Quickening had rendered him. Connor’s evil deepened as he was tormented until Byrne freed him, planning for Connor to kill Duncan.
Duncan was able to calm Connor and place him in the care of Hugh Fitzcairn, a friend of his, on Holy Ground. Connor was compelled to confront The Kurgan inside his thoughts when he was alone. Connor was taunted by the Kurgan, who told him that he was doomed to remain evil. Despite this, Connor was able to reclaim his identity. With his spirit in control once more, Connor was able to finally expel The Kurgan, putting a stop to him once and for all.
Augustus Mason, the owner, and architect of the Barrow Building in the Big Finish Kurgan Rising audio drama from 2008 used a mixture of architectural forms stretching as far back as Scythian sic Siberian structures in Three B.C., using glyphs symbolizing power, dominion, and resurrection. MacLeod was unable to detect the other Immortals due to the structure’s architecture.
Duncan MacLeod battled Immortal Justino Alberez and murdered him on Holy Ground by accident. The structure absorbed the energy and channelled it, drawing the Kurgan out with it. However, it also plucked out Connor MacLeod, who had perished several years before. Connor then offered The Kurgan his own head and was able to cripple him from within, allowing the wounded Duncan MacLeod to take The Kurgan’s head and finally kill him.
Highlander: The Series, which aired on television in 1992 and included Lambert as Connor in the opening episode, showed that the Highlander franchise was not only limited to films. Duncan Mcleod, a new character in the series, is introduced. Highlander: The Animated Series, which aired from 1994 to 1996, was another series adaptation.
The series imagines a meteorite creating an apocalypse on Earth, and is a vague science-fiction adaptation and sequel to the original film. The Kurgan’s character unfortunately did not appear in any of these and fans think that the inclusion of this villain in some form or the other would really have lent some depth and grisly noir vibe to the properties.
What makes him so powerful?
As far as his personality was concerned, in every sense of the word, the Kurgan was a barbarian. To him, everything was a tool to be exploited or discarded in order to achieve his objectives. Only his wicked delight at the expense of his opponents matched his thuggery.
While Conner is described as “afraid to live” and detests the isolation that his immortality has brought him, the Kurgan adored this feeling in every way. He was hedonistic and possessed an unquenchable desire for life. He reveled in generating dread and panic, as evidenced by the Quickening he snatched from Kastagir. While attracting a small audience, he appeared to suspend the quickening power, then he purposefully exploded the damaging effect across the throng like a bomb, hurting many people just for his own entertainment.
While he followed the precepts of Holy Ground, he was not above defilement on the spur of the moment. He’d snuff out memorial candles and make fun of priests and nuns. He frequently disobeyed the Immortal rule of keeping their conflicts hidden, attacking both Immortals and mortal friends at the same time. The Kurgan seemed to enjoy the battles more than the triumphs, despite his determination to kill MacLeod and claim the prize for himself. He laughed even when he was vanquished by Connor, right before losing his head.
The Kurgan battled with a focus on sheer power and raw striking force, often seeking to end the combat with a single surprise assault before it even began. He would methodically stalk his opponents until he was ready. He’d then assault without even posing a challenge. He utilized a two-handed broadsword that he subsequently replaced with a detailed duplicate that could be dismantled and stored away when not in use.
In New York, he practiced with his sword, performing stunning flourishes as well as meticulous slashes and blows. This would imply that, while being capable of far more sophisticated and graceful combat, the Kurgan deliberately chose a brute strength strategy. He most certainly did it to pleasure himself by using the harshness of his victims’ dread and agony.
He was also immortal, as is the focus of this movie and the only way he could be killed was via beheading him, detaching his head from his body, completely. This being a tough task in general, meant that he was not easy to kill and could recover from every single injury under the sun as long as his head stayed on his shoulders. The combination of his immortality, the combat skills he had gained over his many years of being on the battlefield and fighting alongside and against people like Gengis Khan and the Mongols, and his intrinsically evil personality make him one menacing villain that I would like to stay far, far away from.
All you need to know about the upcoming reboot
The first Highlander picture had a mixed reception upon its first theatrical release, generating over $12 million globally against a production budget of $19 million. Despite this, it became a cult classic that spawned film sequels and television spin-offs. It is also notable for songs by the rock band Queen, with “Princes of the Universe” being used in the television series’ title sequence. Thus, although the first movie the first film was not critically acclaimed, it did spawn a bunch of sequels, including a reboot that is coming up.
The Highlander revival, directed by Chad Stahelski and starring Henry Cavill from The Witcher, is expected to begin filming this year. Cavill is scheduled to start filming on the eagerly anticipated reboot this year, according to The Hollywood Reporter, with Stahelski’s vision being described as “a more centered take” when compared to the earlier movies and television shows, and that the film “will likely play a bit more like a modern tragedy.”
The screenplay of the film will be written by Ryan J. Condal and Kerry Williamson. Rampage, Hercules, and the new Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon are among Condal’s credited works. Williamson has worked as a writer for Tyler Perry’s Alex Cross and Noomi Rapace, Glenn Close, and Willem Dafoe’s What Happened to Monday.
In May of 2021, it was stated that Henry Cavill had signed on to lead the Highlander revival, and sources now claim that the role has paid the popular actor $5 million. Chad Stahelski also explained what makes the Man of Steel star so ideal for the character of the titular eternal warrior, who is compelled to fight his fellow immortals in order to obtain “the Prize.” The role of Connor Mcleod is not that far away from other roles that Henry Cavill has played and gotten rave reviews for – such as his much-loved portrayal of the Geralt of Rivia in the Netflix series, The Witcher.
The main question that arises however is, who is going to play the antagonist opposite Cavill? Well, all the way back in 2015, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista was rumoured to be in talks to play The Kurgan in the upcoming ‘Highlander’ film reboot.
According to Latino Review, Bautista has signed on to play The Kurgan, the villain in the next Highlander franchise revival if true, this would be the latest high-profile production to cast Bautista as a menacing antagonist, as he is seen as a dangerous thug in the James Bond film Spectre, as well as the malevolent Tong Po in the Kickboxer reboot, which also stars Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Bautista has already found his calling as an actor, bringing hulking muscle-heads to life onscreen. He’s also demonstrated that he can portray the same stereotype for laughs, as he did last year in Guardians of the Galaxy as Drax the Destroyer. Highlander will presumably require Bautista to maintain a straight face in his role as The Kurgan, though it’s possible that the filmmaker will add some comedy into the proceedings rather than keeping everything dead serious and po-faced – meaning Bautista may get to employ his comedic timing.
However, keep in mind that this news – that the film had identified its villain in Dave Bautista – was first reported in early 2015. The notion had merit because Bautista fit the mould of The Kurgan, the villain portrayed by Clancy Brown in the original film. The casting was never formally announced, and it was more than five years ago, so even if Bautista was already on board at the time, that doesn’t mean he still is now. However, because no replacement actor has been announced to play the legendary villain, this is still a possibility.
The Kurgan has always been seen as a formidable character and gave the people goosebumps as they watched him cold-bloodedly slaughter people and other immortals and engage in other hedonistic activities. He was a skilled fighter, and he felt no remorse, making him practically the perfect villain with no earthly attachments to hold him back. Fans are hoping that Kurgan comes back in a major role in the reboot and is played by someone who can do justice to the role like Brown did all those years ago. What do you think about Kurgan? Let us know in the comments section below!