[The Swords] | [Historical Warfare] | [The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse] | [Conflict of the Immortals] | [Rhyser Entertainment Highlander Site]

"Here we are, born to be kings...We're the princes of the universe. Here we belong, fighting to survive in a world with the darkest powers..." (Freddie Mercury, Princes of the Universe, the Highlander theme song.)

Immortality is something that humans often dream of. We wish that we could live forever or never grow old. Humans inherently fear death. What would it be like to actually be an Immortal? The television show Highlander explores this question every week in a science fiction adventure. In Highlander, the characters are intended to be real people living in our contemporary world. They have participated in history and they continue to shape our future alongside of us. These fictional characters, however, happen to be Immortal. Each episode deals with the Immortal "culture" and how they deal with one another.

For those who have not seen the Highlander movie or TV show here is an explanation of the Highlander universe.

Watching Highlander, one can see the major characteristics of small-scale warfare between the good and bad characters. For example:

War Is Universal

Each Immortal fights and is part of the Game, whether they want to be or not. Characters who fight for the survival of both mortal and Immortal society are "good", whereas those who kill strictly to win the Prize, or kill mortals in order to help them kill other Immortals are "bad". Note however, that some "good" characters have killed mortals in a warfare setting, but they are still considered "good" because they were killing for society, not to get to another Immortal.

War Is Male-Dominated

This isn't so obvious in Highlander, but it does exist. The few main female characters have been mortal, with the exception of Amanda, played by Elizabeth Gracen. Amanda uses her sexuality to her advantage in her battles with other Immortals, but often we see MacLeod, the main character played by Adrian Paul, coming to her rescue or fighting her battles for her. Other female Immortals have generally either been on the "bad" side and apparently not very good fighters because they are all killed at the end of the episode. There are, like in every society, exceptions where some females will be active fighters in the war, but there are still more males.

War Produces Homicide

Immortals expect that eventually another Immortal will come after them and they will have to fight for their survival. Other immortals or mortals who get in the way of that will often be brutally murdered. "Bad" characters usually have no qualms about killing to get what they want. There is definitely dehumanization of mortals by "bad" Immortals. Often, mortals are thought of as a lower species than Immortals.

Wars Have Rules

As with every other game, the Immortal Game has it's rules. The most common ones are that there is no fighting on Holy Ground and once a fight begins, other Immortals are not allowed to interfere. Immortals hold these rules in high regard, and we have yet to see anyone break them. There are, of course, tricks to getting around them. Some Immortals will wait just outside of Holy Ground until their target comes out. Others will wait until a fight ends and will take the head of the victor while they are receiving their Quickening.

This website will explore certain aspects of the Highlander universe and relate them to cultures and traditions of our own world. We can learn many things about ourselves by creating and watching fictional characters. This site will explore the following areas:

Conflict of the Immortals

Immortals fight between themselves in nearly every episode. What are justifiable reasons for killing? How do the Immortals compare to other cultures?

Historical Warfare

Immortals have lived through history and have often participated in our historic battles. Are wars portrayed accurately in Highlander? Do Immortals feel compelled to help mortal civilizations survive?

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

In a special 2-part episode, the Four Horsemen (all Immortal), are reunited. Is the destruction they cause reminiscent of historical incidents? How do the characters and actors react to being "death"?

The Swords

Immortals use swords as their weapon of choice, for a clean, sharp cut of the head. For the fun of it -- a look at different swords and their uses.

The Rysher Entertainment Highlander Website

The official website for the tv show. Included for more information on the series, characters, actors, and episodes.

[Disclaimer] [Links & Credits] [annotated bibliography]

---

Page created 12 April 1998 by Ali Zimmerman.