The Kurgan
Encyclopedia
The Kurgan is a fictional character
from the first Highlander
film, portrayed by actor Clancy Brown
. He is an Immortal
and the main antagonist to the character Connor MacLeod
in Highlander
, and the latter's ultimate opponent in the Gathering.
The Kurgan's life story is fleshed out in several Highlander spin-offs in various media.
The Kurgan -whose birth-name remains unknown- was born in what is now Russia
on the border of the Caspian Sea
. His tribe, the Kurgans, Juan Ramírez
notes, were infamous for their cruelty, and were known to "toss children into pits full of starved dogs, and watch them fight [for the] meat" for amusement.
In the year 1536, the Kurgan hired himself out to Clan Fraser in their battle with the MacLeod clan, in exchange for allowing him to be the one to kill Connor MacLeod. In the midst of the battle, the Kurgan challenged MacLeod. Before Connor could strike, he was run through with the Kurgan's claymore
. However, Connor's cousins Angus and Dougal (along with other members of his clan) beat the Kurgan back, rescuing Connor from certain beheading. The Kurgan promised he would finish it, screaming: "Another time, MacLeod!!" Five years later, another Immortal, Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez
, sought out the now fully Immortal MacLeod as the only hope of defeating the Kurgan. However, the Kurgan discovered this, and tracked them down to MacLeod's home. MacLeod was away, but Ramírez and Heather MacLeod
, Connor's wife, were there. He battled Ramírez, who managed to slice Kurgan's throat (though not deep enough to behead him) before being impaled and decapitated himself; all while Heather watched. After taking Ramirez's Quickening
, the Kurgan raped Heather and departed. MacLeod returned shortly after, narrowly missing his enemy.
The Kurgan and Connor MacLeod would meet again in 1985, in New York City
, where the Gathering was to take place. During this time, the Kurgan was using his status as a NYC criminal skinhead gang leader as a disguised background to hide his true self and going by the alias "Victor Kruger." The last six Immortals at this time were he, MacLeod, Sunda Kastagir, Iman Fasil, Osta Vasilek, and Yung Dol Kim. Vasilek was beheaded by the Kurgan in New Jersey
before he learnt of Fasil's death in Madison Square Garden
at the hands of the Highlander (McLeod). He then defeated both Kim and Connor's friend Kastagir, leaving just the two of them, McLeod and the Kurgan. In order to throw Connor's concentration off, the Kurgan kidnapped his then-girlfriend, a screaming Brenda Wyatt, and raced all the way to the Silvercup Studios
building while driving down the wrong side of the street, playing chicken
and running over pedestrians while gleefully singing the theme from "New York, New York."
MacLeod followed them to the site, where he and the Kurgan faced each other in deadly combat, with Brenda's life at stake. Disarming MacLeod, the Kurgan was distracted by Brenda bashing him over the head with a pipe. This distraction gave Connor the time to recover his sword and gather his composure, and the two ancient warriors clashed once more. MacLeod's calmness, maturity, and skill all proved to be superior to the Kurgan's, and ended up beheading his foe, his essence passing to the Highlander, winner of "The Prize."
The Kurgan's first death occurred in 970 BC, when his drunken father crushed his head with a rock. Upon returning to life, the Kurgan proceeded to force his father to swallow a searing hot stone, killing him. He then went off to join a group of bandits that raided caravans. He eventually encountered another Immortal, "The Bedouin," who revealed to him his true nature, and who became the only person who could be labeled as his friend. During the intervening centuries, the Kurgan took an incalculable number of Immortal heads.
Circa 410 AD, the Kurgan joined the Vandals
, Goths
, and Visigoths in attacking Rome
and other Roman settlements, also fighting with the Goths against the Huns
. He would then later ally himself with the Huns directly, fighting alongside Attila
, around the year 453. From the fifth to thirteenth centuries, the Kurgan would spread terror with the Tartars of the Gobi and ancient Turkey
, as well as with Viking
raiders and the Mongol horde of Genghis Khan
.
screenplay, it was revealed that the Kurgan was in fact originally sent from the planet Zeist to Earth by General Katana in order to hunt down Connor MacLeod
and Ramirez
before either of them could win "The Prize," and therefore return to Zeist. The scene was scheduled for filming, and actor Clancy Brown
contacted about reprising his role in the sequel, but Brown declined.
, the Kurgan's death effectively kicked off the beginning of the Gathering. The Kurgan is mentioned in the episode "The Watchers".
After Darius
's death in Paris
, in 1993, Duncan MacLeod returned to Seacouver
to learn more about the Watchers
, and the Hunters. His investigation led him to Joe Dawson, a Watcher, who had no alternative but to tell him who they were. To exemplify the Watchers' knowledge, Dawson showed Duncan his fellow Clansman Connor's, the Kurgan's, and his own personal databases. Among other Immortals listed as being slain by the Kurgan in this database were Ivan Trotski and Flavio Parocchi. In contrast to the Kurgan's background in the film continuity, the series portrays the Kurgan as being much younger, having received his immortality in 1453 (according to the screen display that Joe shows Duncan). According to Dawson, Connor MacLeod did the world "a big favor" by killing the Kurgan.
In the Watcher Chronicles DVD supplements, it's also mentioned that from 1981 to 1985, the Kurgan was watched by future leader of the Hunters, James Horton.
, published by Dynamite Entertainment
, further expands on Kurgan's life and gives him more encounters with Connor.
In the year 476 BC, allying himself with the Persians as part of a special fighting unit, Kurgan took part in the Battle of Plataea
in ancient Greece
. During the battle, he faced off with a Sparta
n warrior who wielded a katana made by the master swordsmith Masamune, strong enough to shatter Kurgan's blade. He escaped by falling down a cliff, and was borne away by the flow of the battle. From this experience, Kurgan learnt the value of steel and a well-crafted blade. The Spartan warrior fought in the battle was revealed to be fellow Immortal Tak Ne
, later known as Ramírez. Kurgan would also encounter him in Babylonia
and ancient China
before their final confrontation in Scotland.
Kurgan would join the naval forces of Napoleon Bonaparte of France in 1804, and while serving aboard one ship, would run into Connor MacLeod serving aboard the H.M.S. Victory under Admiral Nelson. MacLeod was able to fatally stab Kurgan, but before he could behead him, a mainmast fell, and the two were separated. Moreover, MacLeod’s weapon became lodged in the Kurgan’s body. The ship sank, taking Kurgan to the sea’s bottom, where he revived and claimed the Masamune katana as his own.
After these events, Kurgan would return to his native Russia, pillaging alongside the Cossacks near the end of the nineteenth century. During the First World War, in 1918 Galluzo, Italy, Kurgan hired two gypsy women, Natasha and Stasya, to lure Francesco, an Immortal monk, from holy ground with the promise of sexual favors. Once the monk left holy ground, Kurgan challenged him, and quickly took his head. Afterwards, he had his way with the two women. While Kurgan slept, Stasya managed to steal MacLeod's Masamune katana in payment for services rendered, but left Kurgan his claymore.
During the 1960s during the Cold War
, Kurgan entered into an unholy partnership with the government of the Soviet Union
to create a genetically engineered army of mortal super-soldiers purportedly loyal to the U.S.S.R., but in fact created to aid Kurgan in his quest for "The Prize" – men possessing greatly slowed metabolism and aging, as well as superior fighting and swordsmanship abilities. Kurgan and these soldiers would confront Connor MacLeod and a group of other fellow Immortals in the year 1964, with Kurgan himself gravely (yet temporarily) wounded during the battle, allowing Connor and the others to escape with their lives.
These devoted followers of Kurgan would continue to remain active for decades, even following his death in New York City in 1985, seeking to destroy MacLeod for his actions in the first Highlander film. Kurgan's influence would continue to be felt in the world for some time to come – Connor MacLeod received a "Dark Quickening" from his enemy, resulting in the deaths of several innocent Immortals at Connor's hands in early 1987, until Duncan MacLeod
aided in purging Kurgan's last influences from his cousin's tortured psyche.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the first Highlander
Highlander (film)
Highlander is a 1986 fantasy action film directed by Russell Mulcahy and based on a story by Gregory Widen. It stars Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown, and Roxanne Hart. The film depicts the climax of an ages-old battle between immortal warriors, depicted through interwoven past and...
film, portrayed by actor Clancy Brown
Clancy Brown
Clarence J. "Clancy" Brown III is an American actor and voice actor. He is known for his roles in live action as The Kurgan in the cult classic film Highlander, Byron Hadley in the award-winning The Shawshank Redemption, Brother Justin Crowe in HBO's critically acclaimed Carnivàle, and Career...
. He is an Immortal
Immortal (Highlander)
Immortals are a group of fictional characters seen in the movies and series of the Highlander franchise. Since they are immune to disease and stop aging after becoming Immortal, they can live forever and they only die when they are beheaded....
and the main antagonist to the character Connor MacLeod
Connor MacLeod
Connor MacLeod, also known as The Highlander, is a fictional character in the Highlander film series, as well as the television programs Highlander: The Series, and Highlander: The Animated Series...
in Highlander
Highlander (film)
Highlander is a 1986 fantasy action film directed by Russell Mulcahy and based on a story by Gregory Widen. It stars Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown, and Roxanne Hart. The film depicts the climax of an ages-old battle between immortal warriors, depicted through interwoven past and...
, and the latter's ultimate opponent in the Gathering.
The Kurgan's life story is fleshed out in several Highlander spin-offs in various media.
Highlander
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
on the border of the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
. His tribe, the Kurgans, Juan Ramírez
Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez
Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez is a character from the fictional universe of Highlander movies, portrayed by actor Sean Connery. He is an Immortal....
notes, were infamous for their cruelty, and were known to "toss children into pits full of starved dogs, and watch them fight [for the] meat" for amusement.
In the year 1536, the Kurgan hired himself out to Clan Fraser in their battle with the MacLeod clan, in exchange for allowing him to be the one to kill Connor MacLeod. In the midst of the battle, the Kurgan challenged MacLeod. Before Connor could strike, he was run through with the Kurgan's claymore
Claymore
The term claymore refers to the Scottish variant of the late medieval longsword, two-handed swords with a cross hilt, of which the guards were in use during the 15th and 16th centuries.-Terminology:...
. However, Connor's cousins Angus and Dougal (along with other members of his clan) beat the Kurgan back, rescuing Connor from certain beheading. The Kurgan promised he would finish it, screaming: "Another time, MacLeod!!" Five years later, another Immortal, Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez
Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez
Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez is a character from the fictional universe of Highlander movies, portrayed by actor Sean Connery. He is an Immortal....
, sought out the now fully Immortal MacLeod as the only hope of defeating the Kurgan. However, the Kurgan discovered this, and tracked them down to MacLeod's home. MacLeod was away, but Ramírez and Heather MacLeod
Heather MacLeod
Heather MacLeod is a fictional character from the universe of Highlander movies, portrayed by actress Beatie Edney.Heather MacLeod is one of four characters from the Highlander universe to appear in both movie and television continuity .-History:Daughter to a blacksmith named Angus MacDonald, Heather...
, Connor's wife, were there. He battled Ramírez, who managed to slice Kurgan's throat (though not deep enough to behead him) before being impaled and decapitated himself; all while Heather watched. After taking Ramirez's Quickening
Quickening (Highlander)
The Quickening is a phenomenon in the Highlander films and television series. When an Immortal is beheaded, there is a powerful energy release from their body which is called a Quickening. Lead Highlander: The Series actor Adrian Paul explains, "The Quickening is the receiving of all the power and...
, the Kurgan raped Heather and departed. MacLeod returned shortly after, narrowly missing his enemy.
The Kurgan and Connor MacLeod would meet again in 1985, in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where the Gathering was to take place. During this time, the Kurgan was using his status as a NYC criminal skinhead gang leader as a disguised background to hide his true self and going by the alias "Victor Kruger." The last six Immortals at this time were he, MacLeod, Sunda Kastagir, Iman Fasil, Osta Vasilek, and Yung Dol Kim. Vasilek was beheaded by the Kurgan in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
before he learnt of Fasil's death in Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
at the hands of the Highlander (McLeod). He then defeated both Kim and Connor's friend Kastagir, leaving just the two of them, McLeod and the Kurgan. In order to throw Connor's concentration off, the Kurgan kidnapped his then-girlfriend, a screaming Brenda Wyatt, and raced all the way to the Silvercup Studios
Silvercup Studios
Silvercup Studios is the largest film and television production facility in New York City. Located in the neighborhood of Long Island City, in the borough of Queens, the studio complex has been operating since 1983 in the former Silvercup Bakery building...
building while driving down the wrong side of the street, playing chicken
Chicken (game)
The game of chicken, also known as the hawk-dove or snowdrift game, is an influential model of conflict for two players in game theory...
and running over pedestrians while gleefully singing the theme from "New York, New York."
Theme from New York, New York
"Theme from New York, New York" is the theme song from the Martin Scorsese film New York, New York , composed by John Kander, with lyrics by Fred Ebb. It was written for and performed in the film by Liza Minnelli...
MacLeod followed them to the site, where he and the Kurgan faced each other in deadly combat, with Brenda's life at stake. Disarming MacLeod, the Kurgan was distracted by Brenda bashing him over the head with a pipe. This distraction gave Connor the time to recover his sword and gather his composure, and the two ancient warriors clashed once more. MacLeod's calmness, maturity, and skill all proved to be superior to the Kurgan's, and ended up beheading his foe, his essence passing to the Highlander, winner of "The Prize."
Novelization
The novelization of the film by Garry Kilworth expands on the Kurgan's early life.The Kurgan's first death occurred in 970 BC, when his drunken father crushed his head with a rock. Upon returning to life, the Kurgan proceeded to force his father to swallow a searing hot stone, killing him. He then went off to join a group of bandits that raided caravans. He eventually encountered another Immortal, "The Bedouin," who revealed to him his true nature, and who became the only person who could be labeled as his friend. During the intervening centuries, the Kurgan took an incalculable number of Immortal heads.
Circa 410 AD, the Kurgan joined the Vandals
Vandals
The Vandals were an East Germanic tribe that entered the late Roman Empire during the 5th century. The Vandals under king Genseric entered Africa in 429 and by 439 established a kingdom which included the Roman Africa province, besides the islands of Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearics....
, Goths
Goths
The Goths were an East Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin whose two branches, the Visigoths and the Ostrogoths, played an important role in the fall of the Roman Empire and the emergence of Medieval Europe....
, and Visigoths in attacking Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and other Roman settlements, also fighting with the Goths against the Huns
Huns
The Huns were a group of nomadic people who, appearing from east of the Volga River, migrated into Europe c. AD 370 and established the vast Hunnic Empire there. Since de Guignes linked them with the Xiongnu, who had been northern neighbours of China 300 years prior to the emergence of the Huns,...
. He would then later ally himself with the Huns directly, fighting alongside Attila
Attila the Hun
Attila , more frequently referred to as Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in 453. He was leader of the Hunnic Empire, which stretched from the Ural River to the Rhine River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea. During his reign he was one of the most feared...
, around the year 453. From the fifth to thirteenth centuries, the Kurgan would spread terror with the Tartars of the Gobi and ancient Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, as well as with Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
raiders and the Mongol horde of Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
.
Highlander II: The Quickening
In the final shooting draft of the Highlander II: The QuickeningHighlander II: The Quickening
Highlander II: The Quickening is the second installment to the Highlander film series, released on January 31, 1991.-Plot:In August 1994, news broadcasts announce that the ozone layer is fading, and will be completely gone in a matter of months. In Africa, millions have perished from the effects of...
screenplay, it was revealed that the Kurgan was in fact originally sent from the planet Zeist to Earth by General Katana in order to hunt down Connor MacLeod
Connor MacLeod
Connor MacLeod, also known as The Highlander, is a fictional character in the Highlander film series, as well as the television programs Highlander: The Series, and Highlander: The Animated Series...
and Ramirez
Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez
Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez is a character from the fictional universe of Highlander movies, portrayed by actor Sean Connery. He is an Immortal....
before either of them could win "The Prize," and therefore return to Zeist. The scene was scheduled for filming, and actor Clancy Brown
Clancy Brown
Clarence J. "Clancy" Brown III is an American actor and voice actor. He is known for his roles in live action as The Kurgan in the cult classic film Highlander, Byron Hadley in the award-winning The Shawshank Redemption, Brother Justin Crowe in HBO's critically acclaimed Carnivàle, and Career...
contacted about reprising his role in the sequel, but Brown declined.
Highlander: The Series
In Highlander: The SeriesHighlander: The Series
Highlander: The Series is a fantasy-adventure television series featuring Duncan MacLeod of the Scottish Clan MacLeod, as the Highlander. It was an offshoot and another alternate sequel of the 1986 feature film with a twist: Connor MacLeod did not win the prize and Immortals still exist post-1985...
, the Kurgan's death effectively kicked off the beginning of the Gathering. The Kurgan is mentioned in the episode "The Watchers".
After Darius
Darius (Highlander)
Darius is a fictional character from Highlander: The Series, portrayed by actor Werner Stocker. He first appeared in the season one episode "Band of Brothers" and is featured in four subsequent episodes of the same season, as well as in one Highlander novel...
's death in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, in 1993, Duncan MacLeod returned to Seacouver
Seacouver
Seacouver, Washington is a fictional city in the Highlander universe. The city of Seacouver appears in the first 5 seasons of Highlander: The Series, and is best known as the home of Duncan MacLeod and several other Immortals, as well as many Watchers. The city's name is a portmanteau for a...
to learn more about the Watchers
Watcher (Highlander)
Watchers are a secret organization that watches the Immortals in the Highlander: The Series and all subsequent related series and movies.They were introduced in the season 1 finale as a cliffhanger for the following season...
, and the Hunters. His investigation led him to Joe Dawson, a Watcher, who had no alternative but to tell him who they were. To exemplify the Watchers' knowledge, Dawson showed Duncan his fellow Clansman Connor's, the Kurgan's, and his own personal databases. Among other Immortals listed as being slain by the Kurgan in this database were Ivan Trotski and Flavio Parocchi. In contrast to the Kurgan's background in the film continuity, the series portrays the Kurgan as being much younger, having received his immortality in 1453 (according to the screen display that Joe shows Duncan). According to Dawson, Connor MacLeod did the world "a big favor" by killing the Kurgan.
In the Watcher Chronicles DVD supplements, it's also mentioned that from 1981 to 1985, the Kurgan was watched by future leader of the Hunters, James Horton.
Highlander: Way of the Sword
Highlander: Way of the SwordHighlander: Way of the Sword
Highlander: Way of the Sword was a four-issue, monthly comic book limited series published by Dynamite Entertainment from 2007 to 2008. It was Dynamite's second Highlander comic, which followed the publisher's previous 13-issue miniseries, which was published from 2006 to 2007.-Plot:It is inspired...
, published by Dynamite Entertainment
Dynamite Entertainment
Dynamite Entertainment is an American comic book company that primarily publishes licensed franchises of adaptations of other media. These include adaptations of film properties such as Army of Darkness, Terminator and RoboCop, literary properties such as Zorro, Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, Alice in...
, further expands on Kurgan's life and gives him more encounters with Connor.
In the year 476 BC, allying himself with the Persians as part of a special fighting unit, Kurgan took part in the Battle of Plataea
Battle of Plataea
The Battle of Plataea was the final land battle during the second Persian invasion of Greece. It took place in 479 BC near the city of Plataea in Boeotia, and was fought between an alliance of the Greek city-states, including Sparta, Athens, Corinth and Megara, and the Persian Empire of Xerxes...
in ancient Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. During the battle, he faced off with a Sparta
Sparta
Sparta or Lacedaemon, was a prominent city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the banks of the River Eurotas in Laconia, in south-eastern Peloponnese. It emerged as a political entity around the 10th century BC, when the invading Dorians subjugated the local, non-Dorian population. From c...
n warrior who wielded a katana made by the master swordsmith Masamune, strong enough to shatter Kurgan's blade. He escaped by falling down a cliff, and was borne away by the flow of the battle. From this experience, Kurgan learnt the value of steel and a well-crafted blade. The Spartan warrior fought in the battle was revealed to be fellow Immortal Tak Ne
Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez
Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez is a character from the fictional universe of Highlander movies, portrayed by actor Sean Connery. He is an Immortal....
, later known as Ramírez. Kurgan would also encounter him in Babylonia
Babylonia
Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia , with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as a major power when Hammurabi Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as...
and ancient China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
before their final confrontation in Scotland.
Kurgan would join the naval forces of Napoleon Bonaparte of France in 1804, and while serving aboard one ship, would run into Connor MacLeod serving aboard the H.M.S. Victory under Admiral Nelson. MacLeod was able to fatally stab Kurgan, but before he could behead him, a mainmast fell, and the two were separated. Moreover, MacLeod’s weapon became lodged in the Kurgan’s body. The ship sank, taking Kurgan to the sea’s bottom, where he revived and claimed the Masamune katana as his own.
After these events, Kurgan would return to his native Russia, pillaging alongside the Cossacks near the end of the nineteenth century. During the First World War, in 1918 Galluzo, Italy, Kurgan hired two gypsy women, Natasha and Stasya, to lure Francesco, an Immortal monk, from holy ground with the promise of sexual favors. Once the monk left holy ground, Kurgan challenged him, and quickly took his head. Afterwards, he had his way with the two women. While Kurgan slept, Stasya managed to steal MacLeod's Masamune katana in payment for services rendered, but left Kurgan his claymore.
During the 1960s during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, Kurgan entered into an unholy partnership with the government of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
to create a genetically engineered army of mortal super-soldiers purportedly loyal to the U.S.S.R., but in fact created to aid Kurgan in his quest for "The Prize" – men possessing greatly slowed metabolism and aging, as well as superior fighting and swordsmanship abilities. Kurgan and these soldiers would confront Connor MacLeod and a group of other fellow Immortals in the year 1964, with Kurgan himself gravely (yet temporarily) wounded during the battle, allowing Connor and the others to escape with their lives.
These devoted followers of Kurgan would continue to remain active for decades, even following his death in New York City in 1985, seeking to destroy MacLeod for his actions in the first Highlander film. Kurgan's influence would continue to be felt in the world for some time to come – Connor MacLeod received a "Dark Quickening" from his enemy, resulting in the deaths of several innocent Immortals at Connor's hands in early 1987, until Duncan MacLeod
Duncan MacLeod
Duncan MacLeod is a fictional character from the Highlander multiverse. Duncan MacLeod serves as the protagonist for the TV continuation of the Highlander franchise, which comprises Highlander: The Series and its spin-off movies, Highlander: Endgame and Highlander: The Source...
aided in purging Kurgan's last influences from his cousin's tortured psyche.
Known Quickenings of The Kurgan
The Kurgan was one of the most powerful Immortals on the planet and killed his opponents like a savage. Here is a list of some of his known quickenings from the original movie, novelization, TV series and comic books.- The Bedouin, unknown (Novelization)
- Ivan Trotski, 1472 (The Watchers)
- The Mongol, 1535 (Novelization)
- Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez, 1541 (Highlander)
- Flavio Parrochi, 1664 (Novelization/The Watchers)
- Francesco, 1918 (Highlander: Way of the Sword)
- Osta Vasilek, 1985 (Highlander)
- Yung Dol Kim, 1985 (Highlander)
- Sunda Kastagir, 1985 (Highlander)