Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Alias | Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez |
| Race | Human, Immortal |
| Gender | Male |
| Hair color | Grey |
| Eye color | Brown |
| Age | 2437 (at time of death) (Highlander), 2920 (second death) (Highlander II) |
| Born in | 896 BC, Ancient Egypt (original birth date unknown) (Highlander II) |
| Affiliations | Connor MacLeod, The Kurgan, Katana |
| Past affiliations | Shakiko, Masamune, Charles V |
| Mentors | Nakano, Graham Ashe |
| Pupils | Otavio Consone, Connor MacLeod |
| Weapons | Katana |
| Status | Deceased (1542, 2024) |
| Killed by | The Kurgan |
| Portrayed by | Sean Connery |
| First appearance | Highlander |
| Movies | 1, 2 |
Ramírez is a character from the fictional universe of Highlander movies, portrayed by actor Sean Connery. He is an Immortal.
Although Ramírez only appeared in Highlander and Highlander II he was mentioned in Highlander: The Series making him also part of that universe.
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[edit] History
Tak Ne was born in Ancient Egypt in 896 BC, during the times of the Pharaohs, and died there too, crushed under the wheels of a runaway cart driven by a drunk rider. Death claimed him, but only briefly, and he returned to life to learn he was an Immortal, one of a number who walked the Earth, unable to truly die unless his head was separated from the rest of his body. As the following years turned into centuries, he learned the rules of the Immortals and The Game. He also learned that while many Immortals sought to live their lives without conflict with each other, at least until the Gathering which would trigger when only a few were left, there were some, such as the vicious Kurgan, who did not wish to wait, and actively hunted down their fellows to gain their Quickenings. He met The Kurgan in Babylon, Greece and China, the last time almost losing his head.
Tak Ne used his long life to travel and see the world, learning new things and marrying three times until he finally decided the grief of losing his loved ones was no longer worth it. Among his wives was Shakiko, a Japanese princess whose father, the great swordsmith Masamune gave Ramírez a "dragon head" katana in 593 BC. During this time, he also trained with the ancient Immortal Nakano, from whom he learned the art of Metallurgy.
By 1541, he was living in Spain, working as the Chief Metallurgist to King Charles V under the name Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez. While there he heard of a new Immortal who had turned up in the Highlands of Scotland, one who had been targeted by The Kurgan but had survived. He quit his post and travelled to Scotland, where he sought out this young Highlander, Connor MacLeod, and took him under his wing. He taught Connor the rules of the Immortals, giving him a much better chance to survive, and warned him of The Kurgan. In fact, the reason Ramírez had come to train Connor was because he had the potential to defeat the evil Immortal. One day, in 1542, while Connor was away hunting, the Kurgan returned. Though Ramírez had not been his intended victim, the Kurgan was not fussy; battle ensued, and while Ramírez nearly managed to decapitate his foe, he ultimately lost both the fight and his head. Connor buried Ramírez next to his home in Glencoe and, after Heather died, he started using his mentor's katana, since Connor's broadsword served as Heather's grave marker.
[edit] Resurrection
In 2024, Connor was an aging old man who had won The Prize, killing The Kurgan along the way. He had also learned the origin of the Immortals. They had been exiled from their society and had reborn as Immortals. The one that had exiled both Ramírez and Connor was the tyrannical ruler of their society General Katana. Katana, to avoid the risk of MacLeod returning to his world (as was his right for winning The Game), sent two henchmen, Reno and Corda, to kill MacLeod. They failed, which resulted in Connor's rejuvenation through the Quickenings that ensued. Also, during the Quickening, Connor summoned Ramírez, who was resurrected, now fully aware of his and all of the Immortals origins. Due to a magical bond Ramírez and Connor had created for themselves before both being reincarnated as Immortals, this caused Ramírez to be reconstituted, whole and undamaged on the spot where he had died. He tracked MacLeod down to New York, and helped him and Louise Marcus in their fight against Katana and the corrupt Shield Corporation. Ramírez eventually gave his life again to allow Connor and Louise to escape a trap.
Note: There are two different versions of Highlander II, and as a result, two different versions of the origin of the Immortals. In the theatrical version, the Immortals were once aliens from the Planet Zeist exiled to Earth. In the Director's Cut, they came from an ancient technologically advanced civilization.
[edit] Alternative Continuity
Ramírez was referenced a few times in Highlander: The Series, which means he belongs in the series continuity. Two characters that Duncan MacLeod met had previously met Ramírez. The first was Graham Ashe, an Immortal who had been Ramírez' mentor. The second was Otavio Consone, an Immortal who had was one of Ramírez' other students .
[edit] Animated series
In Highlander: The Animated Series, a similar but younger (looking) Immortal, Don Vincente Marino Ramírez, plays mentor to Connor's descendant Quentin MacLeod.
[edit] Appearances
Movies - Highlander, Highlander II
