Cassandra (Highlander)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Alias | The witch of Donan Woods |
| Race | Human, Immortal |
| Gender | Female |
| Hair color | Brown |
| Eye color | Gray |
| Age | c.3000 |
| Affiliations | Duncan MacLeod, Methos |
| Past affiliations | The Four Horsemen, Roland Kantos |
| Mentors | Hijad |
| Pupils | Roland Kantos |
| Status | Alive |
| Portrayed by | Tracy Scoggins |
| First appearance | Prophecy |
| Seasons | 5 |
Cassandra is a fictional character from the universe of Highlander: The Series, portrayed by actress Tracy Scoggins. She is an Immortal.
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Although only appearing three times as a guest star, Cassandra turned into one of the most familiar characters in the Highlander universe. She provided an interesting background character, especially as Duncan MacLeod's love interest and friend with mystical capabilities. Not to mention carrying an important dark secret about Methos. Also, she was the first Immortal Duncan MacLeod ever knew. It was initially intended that she would appear only once as the "lover of the week" for Duncan MacLeod, but the writers saw potential in creating an interesting storyline which influenced the dynamic of the series.
[edit] History
Cassandra was born in the Bronze Age, and brought up as a healer by a medicine man named Hijad. Her village was plundered and raped by The Four Horsemen, Kronos, Methos, Silas and Caspian. Cassandra, and everyone else in her village, were killed during this attack. She woke up as an Immortal. Cassandra became property of The Horsemen, but grew fond of Methos, as Methos grew fond of her. (According to Methos, Cassandra had a Stockholm Syndrome). When Kronos wanted her, Methos let him take her. Feeling betrayed, she then stabbed Kronos and ran away.
When Duncan MacLeod was only a child, he heard rumors about a strange witch that lived deep in the forest known as "The Witch of Donan Woods" whom people feared because of her strange mystical powers. Duncan and his friend Robert were deep in the forest when a white wolf appeared and captured Duncan. Duncan woke up in a strange hut with Cassandra who claimed that she was 'older' than the rest of the villagers, and said that the rumors about her were true. She also knew Connor MacLeod, a legendary Immortal. Cassandra told him a vision about the future concerning him and an Immortal named Roland Kantos:
- "The prophecy tells of a Highland foundling, born on the Winter Solstice, who passes through darkness into light and survives to challenge the voice of death. An evil one will come, to vanquish all before him. Only a Highland child, born on the Winter Solstice, who has seen both darkness and light, can stop him. A child, and a man."
Duncan was returned to his family unharmed, and he was bewildered when he couldn't find Cassandra's hut anymore. Duncan realized that the woman actually was the white wolf.
After nearly 400 years, Cassandra finally found Duncan, because the prophecy was about to be fulfilled. Roland Kantos had come to find Duncan, and Cassandra was there to warn him about Roland's "abilities". Apparently Kantos was once a student of Cassandra, who had tried to kill her after learning some magic. He could persuade others to obey him by using his voice, like an advanced hypnosis, a power of suggestion. Duncan nearly got his head cut off by Kantos because of this, but Cassandra screamed like a banshee and neutralized his power, giving them time to run away. Cassandra tricked Duncan to hide in the cemetery, which was holy ground. In there, Cassandra guided Duncan and explained about the prophecy which somehow brought him back to his childhood. Duncan saw his younger self and had a conversation with him about his life and the future. Duncan asked his younger-self how to beat his powerful enemy, which young Duncan only replied, "Don't listen to him." Later, after being kidnapped by Roland, he and Duncan fought, and Duncan came out the victor, with a little help from candlewax in his ears to block out Roland's magic.
Cassandra would return a few months later to reveal the origin of the Four Horsemen and Methos' real history. After trying to find Kronos, and seeing Methos again, Cassandra would be kidnapped by the Horsemen. In a strategy set out by Methos, Duncan was able to kill Kronos and Caspian, while Methos finished Silas, (who was his only real friend in the horsemen), and Cassandra was freed. Cassandra still lives to this day.
[edit] Power
Her abilities were rather ambiguous. It was not clear what kind of mystical powers Cassandra possessed. She was mostly a healer, using roots and other natural resources. She seemed able to control others by the means of hypnosis, could metamorph into a white wolf and she could even make her hut disappear. She also could scream like a banshee to neutralize other people's power. She was a rare Immortal who seemed to have magical powers, or she wanted everyone to think that. Immortals were usually just regular human beings who could not die except by losing their heads and recovered from any kind of wounds except losing limbs, but did not possess magical powers.
[edit] Appearances
Episodes - Prophecy, Comes A Horsemen, Revelation 6:8
