Line #26 Franchise/Highlander


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/poster_thumb_452.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:300:''[[Music/{{Queen\|Band}} Here we are, born to be kings;\
3	we're the princes of the universe.]]'']]
4
5	->''"In the end, {{there can be only one}}."''
6	-->-- '''The Immortals' motto'''
7
8	A [[LongRunner long-running]] {{Historical\|Fantasy}} and UrbanFantasy [[SeriesFranchise franchise]] created by Gregory Widen (who wrote the original screenplay for the [[Film/{{Highlander}} original film]] during his college days), about a rare collection of beings known as The Immortals. They can live forever, but with a catch: When one Immortal [[OffWithHisHead takes the head]] of another, the winner [[VictorGainsLosersPowers gets the loser's power]], while the beheaded Immortal is dead for good. This power exchange manifests as an explosion of energy called The Quickening, in which [[MadeOfExplodium everything within 50 yards blows up]]. They can only spar with each other [[LetsFightLikeGentlemen one-on-one]], and never on {{holy ground}}.
9
10	Drifting invisibly through the history of the world, they battle each other in [[SwordFight swordfights]] until only one Immortal remains; the last one standing gets "The Prize", the exact nature of which is unknown.
11
12	The above paragraphs contain the agreed-upon facts. Beyond that, [[ContinuitySnarl things get a bit fuzzy]]. Calling it "a canon" is being charitable; it's more of a series of BroadStrokes that define an assortment of films, sequels, spin-offs, and remakes, all with only one connecting concept and made with very little regard for continuity. But hey, [[CashCowFranchise who's counting]]?
13
14	The various film and television incarnations of ''Highlander'' include:
15	[[index]]
16	* ''Film/{{Highlander}}'' (1986) introduces Connor [=MacLeod=] (Creator/ChristopherLambert), an Immortal born in the Scottish Highlands. In a series of flashbacks, Connor is mentored by Juan Ramírez (Creator/SeanConnery), a wise Immortal who teaches him the basics before being beheaded by a barbarian known as the Kurgan (Creator/ClancyBrown). The film's other half takes place in [[BigApplesauce New York City]], where all the world's Immortals, whose numbers are now growing thin, are drawn together to battle to the last man; an event known as "The Gathering". By the end of the film, Connor and the Kurgan are the only Immortals left. Connor beheads him, saves the girl (Roxanne Hart), and gains The Prize: enlightenment and mortality.
17	----
18	* ''Film/HighlanderIITheQuickening'' (1991) flashes forward to [[TheFuture the year 2024]]. The now-elderly Connor is a wealthy man, having parlayed The Prize into building a planetary force field to repair the [[GlobalWarming ozone layer]]. CEO David Blake (Creator/JohnCMcGinley) has wrestled away control of the company and is in cahoots with another Immortal, General Katana (Creator/MichaelIronside), who reveals Connor's [[RecycledInSpace interplanetary origins]].\
19	Although it enjoyed a much-higher budget, it was panned by critics, spurned by fans and rode high on "Worst Movies" lists for a long time. Besides a bad case of DoingInTheWizard that [[VoodooShark raised more questions than it answered]], the film was plagued with creative and budgetary problems, which resulted in a private entity taking over post-production and finishing it on the cheap. Several years after the theatrical screening, the director re-edited ''The Renegade Cut'' for release on home video -- ''twice''. The edits had all references to space aliens [[{{Retcon}} removed]].
20	----
21	* ''Series/{{Highlander}}'' (1992-1998) -- Popularly referred to as ''Highlander: The Series'', it stars Duncan [=MacLeod=] (Creator/AdrianPaul), another Immortal and kinsman of Connor [=MacLeod=]. It coined the term "The Game", which refers to the Immortals' ongoing battle. The original film is canon, [[BroadStrokes apart from]] Connor winning The Prize; The Game is still ongoing. Later seasons go further and suggest that it [[ForeverWar will never really 'end']]. The series also introduces the Watchers, a [[TeamSwitzerland neutral group]] who have observed and chronicled Immortal activities throughout history; one of their agents is Joe Dawson (Jim Byrnes), a maverick who bends the rules from time-to-time [[OlderSidekick to keep Duncan alive]]. Another major character is Methos (Peter Wingfield), the oldest Immortal on record, whose [[ImmortalImmaturity immaturity]] masks a [[MrExposition wealth of knowledge]]. For the most part it was well-received and internally consistent.
22	----
23	* ''Film/HighlanderIIITheSorcerer'' (1994) -- Alternatively titled ''Highlander: The Final Dimension''. It ignores the second film and the TV series, making it a direct sequel to the original film. It turns out that The Kurgan was ''not'' the only Immortal out to claim Connor's head, as Kane (Mario Van Peebles) and two {{Mooks}} were trapped in a cave for 400 years and didn't make it to The Gathering. Despite following an identical formula to the first film, ''Highlander 3'' was better-received than ''The Quickening''.[[/index]]
24	----
25	* ''Highlander: The Raven'' (1998-1999) was a short-lived SpinOff of the TV series. Partly-inspired by the 80's hit ''{{Series/Moonlighting}}'', it co-stars Duncan's OldFlame Amanda (Elizabeth Gracen) and her ex-cop sidekick Nick Wolfe (Creator/PaulJohansson). The series suffered from low-quality scripts, lower budgets, creative differences and actors in revolt. ''Raven'' ended after one season with an unresolved cliffhanger.
26	----
27	* ''Film/HighlanderEndgame'' (2000) is a film starring both Duncan and Connor, more-or-less following on from the TV series (not entirely faithfully) while including many {{Call Back}}s to the first film. Duncan and Connor are targeted by Jacob Kell (Creator/BrucePayne), a [[SinisterMinister religious zealot]]-turned-Immortal with a grudge against Connor; his gimmick is that doesn't play by "The Rules" and can kill other Immortals wherever and however he pleases. Neither Highlander has a hope of defeating Kell alone: their only chance is with their powers combined. ''Endgame''[='=]s poor editing left fans confounded and casual viewers completely adrift. Like ''The Quickening'', ''Endgame'' saw an extended cut which at least gives it some semblance of order.
28	----
29	* ''Film/HighlanderTheSource'' (2007), released as a [[Creator/{{Syfy}} Sci-Fi Channel]] [[Film/SyfyOriginalMovie Original Movie]], marks the final appearance of Duncan and his gang. Following an [[AfterTheEnd apocalyptic event]], the dissolution of the Watchers, and a lot of other interesting stuff not explored in this movie, Duncan, Methos, Joe, and the few remaining Immortals on Earth embark on a search for the fabled "Source" of their immortality. Standing in their way is an Immortal (Cristian Solimeno) who tried to obtain the Source long ago; as punishment, he was cursed to become its "Guardian." Word of God stated that it was AllJustADream.
30	----
31	* A ContinuityReboot was announced in 2008, but has been in [[invoked]]DevelopmentHell for years. Creator/RyanReynolds was attached to play Connor, but has since dropped from the project. [[Wrestling/{{Batista}} Dave Bautista]] was cast as the Kurgan in early 2015 and seemingly dropped from it. ''Franchise/JohnWick'' co-director Chad Stahelski signed on to direct in late 2016, and the project was confirmed to be in active development in May 2021 with Creator/HenryCavill set to star in it.
32
33	''Highlander'' in other media:
34	[[index]]
35	* ''WesternAnimation/HighlanderTheAnimatedSeries'' (1994-1996) mostly ignores the established canon, though Connor [=MacLeod=] and Ramirez (from the original film) both make an appearance. It takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where the Immortals have agreed to a truce. Once everyone else has taken the oath, however, a {{jerkass}} Immortal named Kortan [[ILied takes advantage]] of the binding truce to become [[TakeOverTheWorld ruler of Earth]]. Several centuries later, new Immortal Quentin [=MacLeod=] is born. He is [[CurseEscapeClause not bound by the oath]], making him the sole warrior able to face Kortan. His mentor Vincente Ramirez leads him on a quest to find the other Immortals and receive their knowledge, before Kortan does. Tagging along is Clyde of the Dundee, Quentin's adoptive sister. The series eventually spawned a game ''Highlander: The Last of the [=MacLeods=]'' for the ill-fated Platform/AtariJaguar CD.[[/index]]
36	* In 2001, a [[WebAnimation Flash animated]] fan series entitled ''The Methos Chronicles'' was [[http://www.highlanderworldwide.com/world/animation/methoschronicles/index.html made available]] online. The eponymous character is voiced by Peter Wingfield, reprising his old role from the TV series.
37	[[index]]
38	* ''Anime/HighlanderTheSearchForVengeance'' (2007) is an {{anime}} unrelated to any of the films or other adaptations. It starts in AD 125, somewhere in Roman Britain. A small village is wiped out by Roman troops led by Immortal Marcus Octavius. He is a NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist who thinks an Empire is [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans necessary to build a utopian society]]. This battle leads to the rise of another Immortal, Colin [=MacLeod=]. He is mentored by Amergan, the ghost of a druid. Colin devotes his life to seeking vengeance by killing Octavius. The film follows them in brief scenes taking place during a period of two millennia. The film was a critical hit and is thought to have a far more complex plot than most of the live-action sequels.[[/index]]
39	* Nine spinoff novels were released between 1995 and 1999, with an anthology of short stories (written by writers and actors who had worked on the show) being released in 2000. A tenth novel was scheduled, but was never written due to a serious illness on the author's part.
40	* In 2009, Big Finish released a four-story season of Highlander audio dramas. A second season, centering on The Four Horsemen, was released in 2011.
41	* ''Highlander: Imagine'' is a currently in-production series of AlternateUniverse novels where Tessa survives instead of dying in season 2.
42
43	[[AC:ComicBooks]]
44	* ''Highlander'' (2006-2007): A series set after the first film.
45	* ''Highlander: Way Of The Sword'' (2007-2008)
46	* ''Highlander Origins: The Kurgan'' (2009)
47	* ''Highlander: The American Dream'' (2017)
48
49	[[AC:Novels]]
50	* ''The Element of Fire'' by Jason Henderson (1995)
51	* ''Scimitar'' by Ashley [=McConnell=] (1996)
52	* ''Scotland the Brave'' by Jennifer Roberson (1996)
53	* ''Measure of a Man'' by Nancy Holder (1997)
54	* ''The Path'' by Rebecca Neason (1997)
55	* ''Zealot'' by Donna Lettow (1997)
56	* ''Shadow of Obsession'' by Rebecca Neason (1998)
57	* ''The Captive Soul'' by Josepha Sherman (1998)
58	* ''White Silence'' by Ginjer Buchanan (1999)
59
60	[[AC:TabletopGames]]
61	[[index]]
62	* ''TabletopGame/{{Highlander}}: The Card Game'' (1996): First published as the TV series was gaining serious steam.[[/index]]
63	* ''Highlander: The Board Game'' (2018) A BoardGame from River Horse with up to 6 immortals battling to claim the prize.
64	* ''Highlander: The Duel'' (2020)
65
66	[[AC:VideoGames]]
67	* ''Highlander'' (1986)
68	* ''Highlander: The Last of the [=MacLeods=]'' (1995)
69	* Creator/SquareEnix announced a videogame for the 360 / [=PS3=] generation, and after numerous release pushbacks, it was set to be released but was cancelled in late 2010.
70
71	Here are the character sheets for the [[Characters/{{Highlander}} film series]] and [[Characters/HighlanderTheSeries TV series]].
72
73	----
74	!! This series provides examples of:
75
76	* AfterTheEnd: A strangely popular setting for ''Highlander'' spinoffs, for no explicable reason. ''Highlander II'', ''Highlander: The Source'', ''Highlander: The Search for Vengeance'', and the animated series all occur in post-apocalyptic settings. It's justifiable in ''The Search for Vengeance'' and the animated series, as they take place in the far future and immortals are one of the few likely to survive the end of the world, but less so in the case of ''The Quickening'' and ''The Source''; both take place TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture and have most ''normal'' people living through the apocalypse as well.
77	* AlternateContinuity: The franchise has ''a lot'' of different continuities – it's hard to pin down exactly how many there are, as some are intended to be different from the outset while others are simply the result of {{retcon}}s and CanonDiscontinuity. Using the very broadest categories, there are at least four continuities: the first three films; the TV shows and fourth & fifth films (and various tie-in media); the animated series with its tie-in videogame; and the anime film.
78	* AlternateUniverse: As a result of the LooseCanon involved, there are no fewer than ''four'' different sets of canon.
79	* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: Immortals tend to keep their Immortality a secret to avoid being subjected to this trope. When they fail, results tend towards BurnTheWitch or TheyWouldCutYouUp, depending on the timeframe.
80	* AllThereInTheManual: While the flashbacks do supplement some of the information, the [=DVDs=] (at least, for the Series) have the Watcher Chronicles, which include date of birth/first death, first teacher, background on the immortals, notes from the watchers, and information on the different swords used.
81	* AnimatedAdaptation: ''Highlander: The Animated Series'' and ''Highlander: The Search For Vengeance''.
82	* ArcWords: "There can be only one!" - also a PreAssKickingOneLiner.
83	** The fifth movie's only remotely redeeming moment is the Guardian subverting this with a gleeful "There can be only '''''me!'''''"
84	** "It's a kind of magic" is also used as a call-back between Connor and Rachel (and a reference to the theme music).
85	* ArtisticLicenseSpace: In ''The Source'', concerning planetary alignment: "Well that could just be... orbital wobble." [[SubvertedTrope The very next line is (paraphrased)]] "that's not how orbital wobble works; this is clearly magic", then DoubleSubverted when all the the gas giants pass within Mars' orbit without [[NoEndorHolocaust causing any damage to Earth, themselves, the solar system as a whole, or about twenty other delicate astronomical systems.]]
86	* AudibleSharpness: Not ''every'' sword, but a great many of them. The first film got great mileage out of a very unusual "sword clang" sound effect, most notably in the first duel between Connor and Fasil.
87	* BadassLongcoat: A warehouse of them. The coat at least [[HandWave waves a hand]] at how the Immortals carry swords around unnoticed, and [[{{Hammerspace}} where they come from]] when they pull them out.
88	* BigNo: The series has a [[SayMyName Big]] [[{{Narm}} DAARRRRIIIUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSSS!]]
89	* BlackAndWhiteMorality: Despite Duncan insisting that "There are no all good or all bad Immortals, we run the spectrum just like you," The series has a clearly defined sense of right and wrong, heroes and villains, and only blurs it on occasion.
90	* BlessedWithSuck: Immortality is presented as this more than a few times, especially when it comes to having mortal lovers and friends who will eventually either die of old age or get killed from hanging around with Connor or Duncan. [[spoiler:Starting with Connor's wife Heather, to the tune of Queen's "Who Wants to Live Forever?"]] Also, that the only friends you can have who can truly understand and share in your Immortal experience are other Immortals, and by the nature of The Game, even they are transitory (if you don't end up forced to face off with and kill them yourself).
91	* BraveScot / ManInAKilt: The Clan [=MacLeod=], which provides all the franchise's main characters.
92	* BurnTheWitch:
93	** In the series, happened to John Garrick.
94	** A general reason why Immortals never stay for too long in one place. (Shading into TheyWouldCutYouUp in modern times.)
95	* CanonDiscontinuity:
96	** ''Highlander II: The Quickening''. Parts of the plot of this film are so poorly received that numerous edits of the film have been released on DVD, and most of them completely ignore the "Zeist/Immortals are really aliens" sub-plot. To the point that some editions of the third film have it titled as ''Highlander 2''.
97	** [[WordOfGod The filmmakers themselves]] agree that ''The Source'' isn't {{canon}} and [[AllJustADream supposed to be a nightmare]] Duncan is having.
98	* CantGrowUp: Kenny from the TV series. It's likely there were others, but they probably didn't last long. Connor himself was supposedly eighteen when he became Immortal.
99	* CapeBusters: In the series, rogue Watchers called Hunters track and kill immortals, even on holy ground.
100	* CaptainErsatz: The X-ternals, a group of mutants in Marvel's X-Men comics, were obviously based on the Highlander concept: they had powers that could only be accessed after they "died" and came back to life. Cannonball of the ComicBook/NewMutants turned out to be one. All of them were wiped out by Selene (herself an ancient immortal.) Rumor is that Marvel decided to get rid of them before they got sued.
101	* CartwrightCurse: Technically all Immortals, because of the, you know, Immortal thing, but Duncan especially. It's even written on his palm that he will love many women, but marry none (for reasons usually related to death).
102	* ClassyCatBurglar: Amanda.
103	* ClothesMakeTheLegend: Connor wears a beige overcoat during the majority of the first film. In the PilotEpisode of ''Highlander: The Series'', you can probably guess what he's wearing in his cameo. (He's even shown wearing it in [[GhibliHills grassy Scotland]].)
104	** At least the long coat makes it somewhat plausible that he can carry a katana concealed in his clothing (see Hammerspace below).
105	* CombatPragmatist:
106	** If the fight's going against him, Methos is not above feigning helplessness (such as pretending to slip) and, when his opponent moves in for the kill, drawing a hidden dagger and stabbing him.
107	** In one of ''Highlander: The Source''[='=]s only intelligent moments, the BigBad is shown wearing heavy armor around his neck designed to make decapitation almost impossible. Because this idea makes far too much sense for such a terrible movie, the resulting Quickening of his ''first battle'' makes it vanish for no reason, and he spends the rest of the film unarmored.
108	** The series has quite a few. The biggest is probably Xavier St. Cloud, who in his first appearance tried to use poisonous gas against his opponents and later had hired mercenaries shoot his opponents and took their heads while they were recovering and helpless, but he was far from the only one. Just a few of the other examples seen in the series included an Immortal trapped forever in the body of a young boy who would get other Immortals to take him in and kill them after they lowered their guard around him, a guy who used a pack of huge attack dogs to injure and wear down his enemies, one Immortal who got his Watcher to fall in love with him and used her knowledge of Immortals to strike at times when they would be unarmed and helpless, an Immortal who led his enemies into a booby trapped base, bad guys with hypnotic powers, two Immortals attacking one target at the same time and planning to kill their enemy while he's receiving a Quickening if he does manage to defeat one of them, a guy who [[ColdSniper snipes]] his targets and takes their head before they can recover, and so on.
109	* {{Confessional}}: A long, long confession.
110	* CycleOfRevenge:
111	** Immortals can hold blood feuds and grudges that last centuries - and usually the same guys fighting throughout history.
112	** Think about that for a second...if you were immortal and made an enemy of a fellow immortal, spent centuries tracking them down to avenge yourself on them, only to find they got their head chopped off sometime last year, how would you feel?
113	** At one point in the series Amanda tries to point out that this is likely to happen if either Duncan or his current opponent (a good guy who has a genuine beef with Duncan) dies fighting the other. Both are good men with lots of friends who will try to avenge them if they die. If the ball gets rolling, it's almost certain to never stop.
114	* DecapitationRequired: Immortals can only be killed this way.
115	* DiedInYourArmsTonight: [[spoiler:Charlie]].
116	* EverythingsLouderWithBagpipes: As might be expected from the franchise name, bagpipes appear. They're used sparingly, though.
117	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: In the films, Immortals truly are immortals and can take gunshots and avoid drowning. In ''The Series'' and the series' sequel films, however, Immortals are killed by regular means and then [[ResurrectiveImmortality come back to life]] minutes later.
118	** The concept of a "first death" triggering immortality is absent in the first film. The Kurgan is clearly after Connor's head in the battle between the Macleod's and the Frazers. Connor also could already sense The Kurgan. The "pre-immortals" of later installments cannot do this and taking their heads is of no value to another immmortal, although a full immortal CAN sense a pre-immortal.
119	* EvenEvilHasStandards: Among the rules, fights on holy ground like a church are forbidden, though some villains like Kane attempt to do it anyway. Those are rare, though; even the most heinous Immortals like Kurgan, Kalas, and Larca respected the rule about Holy Ground, even if they were willing to break other rules or "bend" Holy Ground itself. For instance, Larca told his gang of new Immortals (who thought Larca was God who had brought them back to fight the Devil, i.e. Duncan) that even the Devil can claim sanctuary on Holy Ground. Kalas may have lain in wait for Immortals leaving his monastery to ambush them and take their heads, but he ''did'' wait until they'd '''left''' the monastery. How much of this is actual respect for Holy Ground, fear of potential divine retribution, or simple PragmaticVillainy varies.
120	* EvilIsHammy: This is in effect for nearly all the notable villains, but ''especially'' the Kurgan from the first movie.
121	* EvilSoundsDeep: Kalas, due to a throat injury, though his voice has more of a raspy quality to it.
122	* ExpositionOfImmortality: Let us count the ways that this happens. No, let's not; there's too many of them. The first film is a principal source, between [=MacLeod=]'s many memories of times gone by; saving Rachel from Nazis, dueling drunk in 17th Century England, or the sizable collection of antiquities he's picked up over the years from their original time period. Ramirez' sword is a particular example, especially since it's older than it should be.
123	* FacialCompositeFailure: The news media, unaware of The Gathering or what is happening, attributes each of the original film's beheadings to a single killer. The newspapers release a composite sketch of The Kurgan, dubbing him the "Headhunter".
124	* {{Flashback}}: Ahh, the ''Highlander'' flashback. Usually designated by being shown in DeliberatelyMonochrome.
125	** Generally the case when a mortal has a flashback; flashbacks of immortals are undoctored. Possibly meant to reflect mortals having imperfect memories, while immortals remember everything?
126	*** Early on in the series Mac's flashbacks to his first days of immortality were in a sort of sepia tone, suggesting that those moments are the hardest to recall. Later on they abandoned this.
127	** Usually with interesting framing, like a window the scene enters becoming a flashback for example.
128	* {{Flynning}}: Almost all the swordfights, although this may be justified as the Immortal style of swordplay is very different from the mortal's idea of "find a vital place and stab it." To an Immortal, there's only one vital place, and merely poking it isn't enough; you need a good, firm, unimpeded swing. Furthermore, the ''really'' old Immortals have an incredibly high tolerance for pain and stabbing or slashing barely slow them down. In fact Duncan himself seems very fond of disarming his enemy first before deciding to take their head or not. Conversely, Connor was only able to beat the Kurgan by wearing him out and inflicting enough minor wounds on him quickly enough that it slowed him down at the final moment. Also justified because, after a few hundred years of practice, most Immortals would be ''ludicrously'' skilled swordsmen and women.
129	* FriendlyEnemy: Some Immortals, such as the [=MacLeod=] protagonists, have (very) old friendships with others, as they can relate to each other in a way mortals cannot. They weave in and out of each other's lives over the centuries. Duncan and Amanda even have an on-and-off romantic relationship. But they all still know that eventually, they will either be killed by someone else, or they will have to fight each other to the death.
130	* FriendlyRivalry: What any friendship between immortals can be.
131	* GoodScarsEvilScars: The Kurgan and General Katana. For the latter, the filmmakers applied makeup to the [[RealLifeWritesThePlot already-existing scar]] on Creator/MichaelIronside's head, exaggerating its grotesqueness.
132	* {{Hammerspace}}: In the series at least, this is where the Immortals appear to store their swords when not in use. It's referred to as "Katanaspace" by the fans, or sometimes "Zeist pockets".
133	** Probably the most egregious example comes to us courtesy of Annie Devlin (played by Sheena Easton), wearing a [[FormFittingWardrobe very tight white sweater and a very tight and short black leather vest]]. She's beating the stuffing out of Richie unarmed, then reaches behind her back and bam, sudden sword. Now, she is using a blade thin and short enough it ''could'' have been running down her spine under her clothes, with the hilt hidden in her hair, but the only way the blade could have appeared in her hand in the manner depicted is by teleporting through a layer of wool and a layer of leather.
134	* HollywoodHistory: This franchise isn't meant to teach accurate history. Most of the time you'll be getting BroadStrokes or TheThemeParkVersion.
135	* HolyGround: Immortals will not - or possibly ''cannot'' - fight each other on holy ground. In the TV series, there's a legend that breaking this rule triggered ''the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.'' "Holy ground" is never explicitly defined but broadly includes any land that a human culture considers sacred, including religious structures such as churches, mosques, synagogues, etc.; and also indigenous holy sites (i.e. Stonehenge).
136	** In the anime the main character merely trying to raise his sword within Stonehenge causes ''a lightning to strike him from a clear sky''.
137	* IAmXSonOfY: "I am Connor/Duncan/Quentin/Colin [=MacLeod=] of the Clan [=MacLeod=]."
138	* IconicItem: Connor's sword ([[AncestralWeapon given to him]] by Ramirez in the distant past) and Duncan's katana both count.
139	* IdiotBall:
140	** Ramirez cuts the Kurgan's throat in their duel, but instead of finishing the Kurgan off while he's staggered, he stands there and taunts him. The Kurgan gets his second wind and kills Ramirez, and goes on to commit atrocities for centuries, including raping Connor's wife Heather.
141	** General Katana carries one to complement his VillainBall in ''Highlander 2''. For no apparent reason, he sends a couple of assassins to Earth after [=MacLeod=], then goes himself. Never mind that [=MacLeod=] won The Game ''years'' ago and had no intention of going back to Zeist - within less than a decade, he would be dead by old age. Instead, the new arrivals make him immortal again, make him young, and also alert him ahead of time that he has to deal with Katana. One of the assassins even ''points out'' how pointless this is, and gets smacked for it. [=MacLeod=] practically spells it out for Katana what a huge, stupid, meaningless mistake stirring up this trouble really was.
142	* ImmortalityBeginsAtTwenty: Averted, the Immortals seem to stop aging at the age where they first experience a violent death. Can lead to NotGrowingUpSucks if one meets their end at a significantly young age.
143	** It's also explained that there are few child Immortals because they logically can't fight as well as an adult, so on a scale of centuries, most of them got picked off by other Immortals in the Game. There's a somewhat justified bias against the handful of remaining child Immortals as a result, because the only way they could survive for that long is by relying on deceit and trickery to overcome their enemies rather than a straight-up fight, and they're less willing to even temporarily befriend other Immortals out of fear, preferring to kill them first.
144	* ImmortalProcreationClause: Immortals cannot have children. According to Joe Dawson in the series, even if their Immortality hadn't been "activated" by dying yet, they still can't have children, though the series itself leaves this a bit nebulous.
145	* KatanasAreJustBetter: They're the weapon of choice for every [=MacLeod=], as well as Connor's mentor Ramirez. At various points in the series, Duncan did occasionally use a different type of blade, but the katana was his 'default' weapon. Subverted in ''Highlander: The Source'' where Duncan's katana is broken in half by the Guardian, and he goes into the final confrontation with a pair of knives. Could be partly justified by the katana's effectiveness as a cutting weapon; when the only way to kill someone is to decapitate them, a sword specifically designed for slashing comes in handy. Additionally the katana is a lot easier to carry around and hide in a trench-coat the way Connor did, and in modern day duels, the lack of effectiveness against armor isn't a factor.
146	** Discussed in the original, when Brenda carbon-dates the ivory in the handle of Connor's katana back to 500 BC, loooong before folded-steel katanas had been developed (''steel'' was new to the scene in India then). According to Ramirez, the sword was forged by Masamune (presumably an ancestor), and was probably the first steel katana ever made.
147	*** While Connor and Duncan both prefer katanas, it is mostly for sentimental reasons (Connor's belonged to Ramirez, and he took it when his teacher was killed, and Duncan's was a gift from a man who saved his life). Other Immortals are shown to carry a large number of different types of sword. The ones that show up more than once aren't always using the same sword from episode to episode either.
148	* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Tessa, Darius, Charlie, Fitzcairn, Richie, Connor, Joe]] [[spoiler:[[WordOfGod Not Joe.]]]]
149	* KillSteal: Immortal duels are supposed to be one-on-one, with the victor claiming the loser's head, and with it his power. Some Immortals aren't above landing the actual deathblow after one Immortal has defeated, but not killed, another. Amanda does it to Duncan once, and Methos attempts to have Duncan kill him to prevent Kalas from doing so.
150	-->'''Methos''': He can beat me. He might beat you. ''He can't beat us.''
151	* KryptoniteFactor: Invoked; while immortals can only be ''killed'' by decapitation, wounds to their throat apparently remain even if their heads weren't actually severed, such as the Kurgan and Kalas retaining damage to their throats at least decades since the wounds were inflicted.
152	* LargeHam: The Kurgan, Ramirez, the Guardian, Katana.
153	* LivingForeverIsAwesome: The opinion of a few, as illustrated by Queen's "Princes of the Universe".
154	* LoopholeAbuse: While almost no Immortal would dare fight on holy ground, some of them are more than willing to bend the rules a bit. Like waiting to ambush a rival the moment they leave the area or sending in mortal human subordinates to attack in their place. On the other side, one Immortal set up a monastery as a place for other Immortals to rest, and Duncan keeps a lodge on Native American holy land that he's been known to retreat to for years.
155	* LoveHurts: A frequent result of WhoWantsToLiveForever.
156	* MasterSwordsman: Logically, ''any'' Immortal who lives long enough would eventually have to become one, but the [=MacLeods=], Ramirez, and Graham Ashe (Ramirez's teacher) are explicitly referred to as such.
157	* MayflyDecemberRomance: Any love interest for an Immortal. Duncan and Amanda are both immortal, but they come and go over time, not willing to be attached to each other for centuries.
158	* MortalityEnsues: In the original continuity, part of the Prize is the option to live as a normal human; Connor states that this is his intention at the end of ''Highlander''. ''The Series'' stated that the last Immortal will be powerful enough "to rule this planet forever".
159	* MrFanservice: ''Highlander: The Series''
160	* MyNameIsInigoMontoya: It seems to be a tradition that Immortals meeting for the first time introduce themselves properly, hence "[[IAmXSonOfY I am Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod]]." Duncan and Connor go in for the formality, most Immortals just give their first and last names.
161	* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling: Immortals can sense the nearby presence of their kind.
162	* NewOldFlame: Duncan gets one in ''Endgame'', and a completely different one in ''The Source''.
163	* OddlyNamedSequel2ElectricBoogaloo: ''Highlander 2: The Quickening'', ''Highlander 3: The Sorcerer'', ''Highlander: Endgame'' and ''Highlander: The Source''
164	** "The Quickening" is probably the second most parodied subtitle after "Electric Boogaloo". Creator/RogerEbert spent a third of the televised review time complaining about how stupid a subtitle he thought that was.
165	** These may seem unusual but actually make sense, as ''Endgame'' and ''The Source'' are actually set in the TV series continuity and so could be considered "separate" enough to warrant a change in title format. (''Highlander 3'' [[{{CanonDiscontinuity}} ignores the existence of]] ''Highlander 2'', but let's not get into that.)
166	*** In the US market, ''Highlander III: The Sorcerer'' was titled ''Highlander: The Final Dimension'', making it clear that removing the numbering from the titles was mostly an attempt to pretend ''Highlander II'' never existed.
167	* ObstructiveCodeOfConduct:
168	** Immortals are only allowed to fight one-on-one, and are forbidden to do so on "holy ground". These rules are [[RetCon malleable]], to put it lightly.
169	** Watchers are not supposed to interfere in Immortal conflicts. Joe Dawson spends a lot of time bending, breaking, or just plain ignoring this rule (which almost gets him executed by his peers).
170	* ParentalAbandonment: Both Richie and Duncan on ''Highlander: The Series'' are orphans. Many in the fanbase have used this fact to conclude that all immortals must also be orphans. Whether this is true or not is unknown, and the idea is never mentioned again.
171	* PlaceOfProtection: Any consecrated site, in theory.
172	** In the Series, Brother Paul (an Immortal) had set up a monastery specifically as one of these, a sort of safe retreat for Immortals weary and traumatised from The Game to come and rest, recharge, collect themselves, and venture forth again in something resembling mental and spiritual health. [[spoiler:The co-founder of the monastery, Kalas, ambushed Immortals as they were leaving and took their heads, Brother Paul was [[{{Understatement}} somewhat displeased]] when he learned of this.]]
173	* PopStarComposer
174	** We were born to be Music/{{Queen\|Band}}s of the u-ni-verse!
175	** The second film had Stewart Copeland of Music/ThePolice providing the music. Fortunately, it's one of the few genuinely good aspects of the film.
176	* PoliceAreUseless: Especially in the first film.
177	--> "What does "in-com-pee-tant" mean?"
178	* RatedMForManly: Dudes running around lopping each other's heads off with swords and hooking up with beautiful women throughout all of human history. The introduction of female Immortals doesn't significantly curb this.
179	* ReallyDeadMontage: The series does this many times when a supporting character or recurring character dies, most notably [[spoiler:Darius, Tessa, Fitz, and Richie]].
180	** [[spoiler:Connor]] gets one in ''Endgame'' as well.
181	* RealMenLoveJesus: Both Connor and Duncan are devout Catholics
182	* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: Obviously, but invoked most strongly with Methos. Despite being at least [[TimeAbyss five thousand years old]], he appears to be in his late twenties to early thirties.
183	* RemovingTheHeadOrDestroyingTheBrain: When chopping off someone's head is the only way to kill an Immortal, you end up with a lot of these.
184	* ResurrectiveImmortality: Immortals can die just like anyone else, but their bodies heal and they revive. And it can turn into a cycle if conditions are bad, which can lead to an insane immortal or at least an immortal with a huge desire for revenge.
185	* RetiredBadass: Duncan is almost always trying to retire from "The Game" to various degrees of success. On the one hand he probably has more immortal friends than any other, but he also has countless enemies who come looking for him too. He refuses to "hunt" other immortals unless they personally threaten those he cares about and keeps a cabin on Native American holy ground he has been known to live on for very long periods of time.
186	** Connor tried as well.
187	** Darius and Brother Paul where Badasses who retired from the Game and into holy ground.
188	* {{Satan}}: Ahriman, the supernatural Big Big of Season 6, is described as being the source of all evil in the universe.
189	* ScarsAreForever:
190	** Subverted. Most injuries heal supernaturally quickly for Immortals and don't leave scars, except neck wounds (the Kurgan's slashed throat in the movie, and Kalas' slashed vocal cords in the series), probably due to the connection between decapitation and death for them.
191	** Also Xavier St. Cloud's entire hand.
192	** Colin in the anime retains a scar across his face from when he very nearly got his head cleaved in two.
193	** Several Immortals from the series, most notably Kronos, have facial scars. Presumably wounds on the face get treated similarly to throat wounds (or it may be that the facial scars were inflicted before they became immortal).
194	* ScaryImpracticalArmor: The Kurgan (and later Kane) are seen wearing this during their glory days.
195	* {{Scotireland}}: Averted. They generally go out of their way to note the difference, and in ''Endgame'' Connor and Duncan are reminiscing about Scotland while travelling through Ireland. Scottish and Irish Immortals are frequently on fairly good terms, but mostly that involves being united in the common idea that [[UsefulNotes/MisplacedNationalism England sucks.]]
196	* SeekingSanctuary: Any holy site (of any religion) is considered a TruceZone between Immortals. Some creators have interpreted this as an honor system, others as an actual cosmic law - with dire consequences for breaking it.
197	* ShaggyDogStory: ''The Source''. [[CanonDiscontinuity It's not canon now]], but its interpretation of The Prize renders all the fighting in the series practically pointless.
198	* SkywardScream: When Duncan finds [[spoiler:Darius's body]] in the season 1 finale.
199	** Connor manages to resurrect Ramirez in ''Highlander 2'' by screaming his name to the heavens.
200	* {{Squick}}: In-universe; Ramirez's reaction to Connor's explanation of Haggis.
201	* SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome: ''The Source''. Nearly every character from the television series, nay, the ''franchise'' is presumed dead in the film's dystopian world. Yes, even [[spoiler:Connor]], who bit the dust in ''Endgame''. Rather heartlessly, [[spoiler:Methos]], a highly popular character, is last seen running off in to the woods, presumably to be ''killed offscreen.''
202	** [[spoiler:WordOfGod states that ''The Source'' isn't canon and just some kind of trippy nightmare Duncan is having. Don't know if that helps, but there it is.]]
203	* SuperStrength: While they don't display it as consistently as they should, the Immortals in ''Highlander'' are more than just Humans with the ability to regenerate and recover from fatal injuries and potentially live forever. Immortals are stronger, faster and tougher than regular humans, and this grows as they age, train and acquire more Quickenings. Being able to cut off the heads of other Immortals, much less any human being requires a great deal of physical strength, seeing as how hard it is to do consistently. The Kurgan himself displays this when he's able to chop down a huge chunk of the tower that Connor lives in, and when he manages to stab a man and lift him up into the air with his sword. It's more obvious how much stronger and powerful Immortals are in ''The Search for Vengeance'' when you're not constrained by a special effects budget like they would in live-action films.
204	* SyntheticPlague: In the series, Kronos plots to unleash one of these more or less ForTheEvulz. ''Search For Vengeance'' had Marcus planning to use one in order to wipe out people he deemed unfit of being part of his perfect, orderly society.
205	* TakeUpMySword: Literally, as most Immortals get their weapons from their mentor, either as a gift or by claiming their weapon after they suffer MentorOccupationalHazard. More generally, the "good" Immortals teach their students to stand up to and defeat the "evil" Immortals.
206	* TechnicolorDeath: The Quickening that occurs when an immortal dies.
207	* ThemeNaming: ''Highlander'''s [[BigBad Big Bads]] tend to names beginning with a "K" (The Kurgan, General Katana, Kronos, Kell, etc).
208	* TheRevealPromptsRomance: The 1986 film set one of these up between the secretly-immortal Connor [=MacLeod=] and his love interest. Made more remarkable by the fact that Connor made his reveal by stabbing himself in the chest.
209	* ThoseWackyNazis: A flashback to Connor saving Rachael during the Holocaust ("Whatever you say, Jack; [[PretenderDiss you're the Master Race]]") got cut from the first film's theatrical release, along with about four additional minutes of footage. There are a few Nazi Immortals; there were one or two in the TV series, both beheaded by Duncan. One of the failed tryouts for ''The Raven'', Alex Raven (hence the odd title), worked as an Allied spy.
210	* TrainingMontage:
211	** In the original film, it takes place over the course of a few years.
212	** Richie gets two of them in "Eye For An Eye."
213	** The third film includes a sequence in which Connor returns to Scotland, and several beats from the first film's montage (running on the beach, rowing on the lake) are re-created with solo Connor.
214	* TranslationConvention: During flashbacks to previous eras, the [=MacLeods=] and other immortals are often seen in various countries, speaking English (sometimes accented, sometimes not) with people who may not have actually been speaking English at the time (again with the on-again, off-again accents.) During segments of the series which take place in Paris, the majority of the bystanders and bit characters will speak plain English, with one or two characters speaking in a French accent.
215	* TruceZone: Any "holy ground" is a safe zone for an immortal. (But only from other immortals. [[spoiler:Poor Darius.]] Jacob Kell also breaks it.)
216	* UndeadTaxExemption: Averted: Connor has to change his identity every so often to blend in with society. Though he doesn't move on, just transfers his home and assets to the next identity. This is what eventually gets him found out once there are enough government records signed with the same handwriting over two centuries to backtrack over. Duncan takes a different tack; whenever he 'dies', he moves to another country and sets up shop there for 50-60 years, which he also advises Richie to do after the latter dies in a motorcycle racing accident.
217	* UndyingWarrior: The Immortals cannot be killed unless their head is severed from their bodies. If an Immortal beheads another in combat, he will be imbued with their victim's power; as a result, Immortals have been fighting a secret war for ultimate power throughout history. Because Immortals [[DeathActivatedSuperpower only discover their powers in the event of their violent death]], it's not uncommon for them to have been warriors or soldiers - as was the case with both Connor and Duncan [=MacLeod=]. Also, despite the need to keep their existence a secret, it's not unknown for some immortals to occasionally work as mercenaries in mortal wars.
218	* VictorGainsLosersPowers: One of the side effects of the Quickening after one Immortal beheads another one. Not that pronounced in either the films or the series, but it's implied that the major villains (particularly The Kurgan) have so much skill and knowledge due to their high number of kills.
219	** It's usually downplayed, but there are two notable explicit invocations. In the variously-titled ''Highlander 3'', Kane gets the illusion powers of The Sorcerer Nakano after taking his head, [[NiceJobBreakingItHero after Nakano offered his Quickening to Connor, who refused to strike down his friend and mentor.]] In the series, the Immortal Coltec, who makes it his mission to take the heads of truly evil Immortals, takes one too many and suffers a Dark Quickening, not only turning evil but embracing the same crimes the various evil Immortals he had killed indulged in. [[spoiler:Duncan is forced to kill him and suffers the same fate, temporarily.]]
220	** The card game replicates this with Quickenings, Pregame cards that replicate the Persona powers of other Immortals, letting you combine, say, Amanda's extra attacks with Kurgan's extra damage. If your opponent defeats you via Head Shot, they get any Quickenings you were using.
221	* ViewersAreGeniuses: If you pay attention to the histories of some of the Immortals and where they have been, their particular weapon makes so much more sense.
222	* WaxingLyrical: The Kurgan - "I have somethin' to say! It's [[Music/NeilYoung better to burn out, than to fade away!!]]"
223	* WeaponSpecialization: Each Immortal uses a different style of sword, usually related to what they grew up using. Some are very exacting about what kinds and qualities of sword they will use. Notably, Xavier St. Cloud uses a katana in his first appearance, but switches to a lighter rapier in his second. Makes sense, since his first appearance ended with him losing a hand, and rapiers are easier to use one-handed than katanas.
224	* WeAreAsMayflies: "All love must die" (from the soundtrack.) The Immortals see everyone they know grow old and die while they live on.
225	* WhenThePlanetsAlign: The impetus of ''Highlander: The Source''.
226	* WhoWantsToLiveForever: Although the phrase is older than the movie, it was first used in the context of that trope here, when before it was about not being a coward in the face of danger. To wit:
227	** Connor was a Scottish warrior in the 16th Century. He was stabbed through the chest in a battle and presumed dead by his clansmen, who promptly believed he had made a DealWithTheDevil when he returned to life the following day. The only reason he wasn't burned at the stake (at the suggestion of his own lover no less) was because his OnlySaneMan cousin exiled him instead. He met a blacksmith's daughter named Heather, fell in love with her and they are HappilyMarried for many long years... and then she dies of old age (and because immortals are sterile they had no kids, something she laments on her deathbed). By 1985, Connor is a recluse surrounded by antiques who occasionally takes the names of dead children to pass on his belongings and keep his identity a secret. His only social contact is Rachel, a Jewish girl he saved during World War II and by now looks way older than he is. By ''Film/HighlanderEndgame'' Connor is a DeathSeeker who has lost countless friends and loved ones over five centuries of living, most of them at the hands of the film's BigBad Jacob Kell, and [[spoiler:his HeroicSacrifice death at the hands of Duncan and symbolically being TogetherInDeath with Heather is treated as somewhat ''happy''.]]
228	** In a cut sequence from the first film (the footage was sadly destroyed in a fire) where the Kurgan fights a Korean immortal named Yung Dol Kim, who poses as a security guard in 1985 and fights with a pair of short Japanese swords. Kim actually ''throws down his swords and offers his neck'' because he is fed up with four hundred years of empty living and would be happy to just die. The Kurgan, an AxCrazy hedonistic barbarian who subscribes to LivingForeverIsAwesome because it lets him engage in ForeverWar and RapePillageAndBurn, is ''visibly taken aback'' by this - [[EvilCannotComprehendGood he cannot understand why Kim or anybody else for that matter would think living forever is bad]]. And Kim was relatively young for an immortal.
229	** Ramirez was born in Ancient Egypt and lived over two thousand years before he was beheaded by the Kurgan in 1542. In that time he had three wives, including a Japanese princess named Shakiko (whose father Masamune forged his [[CoolSword badass ivory-handled katana]]). Eventually he inevitably outlived Shakiko and swore off ever marrying mortal women again, even warning Connor against it. The way he talks about Shakiko even two millennia after her passing, he clearly [[TheLostLenore still misses her dearly]].
230	** ''Endgame'' also shows how marrying Immortals doesn't always work out either. Duncan falls in love with a woman who is a nascent Immortal, and he deliberately causes her violent first death (on her wedding night no less) to activate her Immortality without explaining his rationale. This causes her to freak out, run away and join forces with the BigBad.
231	* WomenAreDelicate: According to the writers, there aren't as many female Immortals as male ones in the present day, because women were less likely to survive centuries of one-on-one duels with other Immortals in the Game. It's somewhat similar to the other point that there are few child Immortals, because they have even less chance of surviving centuries of personal combat. This eased up slightly in the modern era as people were less likely to walk around with swords for combat, combined with the fact that most of global society isn't as patriarchal as it used to be, with only men taught to fight. A medieval damsel with no combat training, only recently awakened as an Immortal, would tend to get picked off by stronger and more experienced male Immortals. In the present day, it's a bit more common for women to have self-defense training (police officers, soldiers, etc.). The few female Immortals from pre-modern society who survive to the present are those who through luck and skill managed to survive long enough to get proper combat training, and who have to be ''very'' good at it to compete with male Immortals.
232	* WorldOfHam: The only Immortal in the first movie who is even the ''tiniest'' bit understated is Connor himself, and once he gets the Prize..."[[AGodAmI I KNOW EVERYTHING! I AM EVERYTHING!]]"
233	* WouldYouLikeToHearHowTheyDied: Several evil Immortals like to taunt their opponents in this manner. [[BerserkButton If their opponent's last name is [=MacLeod=], this is even dumber than making one your opponent in the first place.]]
234	* WoundThatWillNotHeal: Kalas received a cut to his throat (like The Kurgan) in the series, as well as Xavier St. Cloud's severed hand (although the fandom has debated whether Xavier would have been able to reattach his hand if he'd retrieved it after it was cut off).
235
236	----
237	->''Hey, it's a kind of magic.''

Context Franchise / Highlander