Duncan MacLeod
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Alias | Highlander, Mac |
| Race | Human, Immortal |
| Gender | Male |
| Hair color | Black |
| Eye color | Brown |
| Age | 414 |
| Born in | December 21, 1592, Glenfinnan, Scotland |
| Immortality | 1622 |
| Affiliations | Clan MacLeod, Kate MacLeod, Amanda, Joe Dawson, Methos |
| Past affiliations | Clan MacLeod, Little Deer, Randi McFarland, Darius, Tessa Noël, Hugh Fitzcairn, Charlie DeSalvo, Anne Lindsey, Sean Burns, Maurice, Richie Ryan, Connor MacLeod |
| Mentors | Connor MacLeod, Hamza el Kahir, Graham Ashe, Hideo Koto, May-Ling Shen, Otavio Consone |
| Pupils | Felicia Martins, Devon Marek, Jean-Philippe de Lefaye III, Amber Lynn, Gregor Powers, Richie Ryan, Michelle Webster, Claudia Jardine, Danny Cimoli |
| Weapons | Clan MacLeod claymore, basket-hilt claymore, sabre, katana, Charles III sword, Indian spear |
| Watchers | See Below |
| Status | Alive |
| Portrayed by | Adrian Paul, Jeremy Beck |
| First appearance | The Gathering |
| Movies | 4, 5 |
| Seasons | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
Duncan MacLeod, also known as the Highlander, is a fictional character from the Highlander (series) universe. A successor to Connor MacLeod, the main character of the Highlander movies, Duncan MacLeod serves as the protagonist for Highlander: The Series and its spinoff movies, Highlander: Endgame and Highlander: The Source. An Immortal, he is portrayed by actor Adrian Paul.
Highlander: The Series were originally created to carry on directly from the movies with Paul playing the same character Christopher Lambert had played in the movie, but early in development, Paul requested that a new character be created to avoid direct comparisons with Lambert and to allow him to develop his own character.[citation needed] Consequently, Duncan MacLeod is introduced in the pilot episode as Connor MacLeod's clansman and pupil, and the series focuses on his own life over four centuries.
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[edit] Life
The Series does not tell Duncan's story in chronological order. Instead, the primary sequence of events is set in a present time which actually corresponds to the years during which the six seasons were filmed, i.e. 1992-1998, and extensive use of flashbacks is made to show Duncan's memories and their implications in present time.
It is established in the pilot episode "The Gathering"[1], set in 1992, that Duncan is almost 400 years old and thus was born in 1592 during a battle in Glenfinnan, Scotland to a Boer woman who had been part of an army engaged in attacking the Scottish Highlands.[citation needed]
In the second episode, "Family Tree", Duncan's father and Chieftain of Clan MacLeod Ian MacLeod states that the newborn Duncan was a foundling given to his wife Mary to replace the stillborn son she had delivered, and raised to be his successor.
The same episode also shows how Duncan is brought home fatally wounded in battle, dies in front of his father and awakens with his wounds completely healed. Because his family believes his resurrection is a sign of witchcraft, he is cast out from his clan after being disowned by his adoptive father.[2] The Watcher Chronicle of this episode states that it happens in 1622 during a dispute with the Clan Campbell.[3]
In "The Gathering", Duncan and Connor MacLeod explain how Connor, who had undergone a similar ordeal in 1536, found Duncan in 1625[4], told him about his immortality and became his mentor.[1]
The Series' various flashbacks show Duncan live through many adventures across four centuries, including visiting Renaissance France[citation needed] and Italy ("The Hunters"), traveling to China ("The Road Not Taken")[5], witnessing the French Revolution[citation needed], becoming a Sioux warrior ("The Gathering")[1], fighting in World War I ("For Tomorrow We Die") and II ("Mortal Sins"), and generally fighting for justice against evil. In 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo, he meets Immortal Darius who has rejected war, and never fights in war as a soldier again.[citation needed] The Series especially focuses on adventures shared with friends Amanda and Hugh "Fitz" Fitzcairn.
During his life, Duncan meets and learns many things from many people that mold him to become a great Immortal. He meets many other Immortals: some become mentors, some become friends and some become enemies. Beginning as a reckless, uneducated, and somewhat arrogant man, he gradually changes and matures as he travels the world until he becomes the wise, educated and compassionate character of present times. He is an expert in many subjects, fluent in many languages (Gaelic, English, French, Italian, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, German, and Arabic) and skilled in many forms of martial arts. He has had many occupations including soldier, bodyguard, newspaper editor, World War I ambulance driver, chauffeur, and World War II Resistance fighter. More recently he is an antiques dealer, a dojo owner and a part-time History teacher.
1992-1998 is a critical period for Duncan. Being the years during which the Series was filmed, they are also the years in which the Series' "present time" is set and thus depict many important events in his life. The pilot episode "The Gathering" shows Duncan returning to The Game after a period of semi-retirement with his girlfriend Tessa Noël and a meeting with clansman and mentor Connor MacLeod[1]. Across the Series Duncan meets many old friends and enemies again, many old debts are repayed between them and Duncan kills many Immortals. He loses people he cares about, including Tessa, the love of his life ("The Darkness"), Immortal friends Darius ("The Hunters") and Hugh Fitzcairn ("Star-Crossed"), and mortal friend Charlie DeSalvo ("Brothers in Arms"). He befriends Richie Ryan ("The Gathering")[1], mentors him after his First Death "(The Darkness)" and teaches him the ways of the Immortals, then accidentally kills him in 1997 ("Archangel"). He meets Joe Dawson, who reveals to him that there is an organization known as The Watchers who secretly observes all Immortals ("The Watchers"). He also meets Methos, the legendary oldest Immortal ("Methos"), and eventually defeats the demon Ahriman ("Armageddon").
Because Highlander was a syndicated series including European producers[citation needed], the first part of each season was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia and the second part in Paris, France. This is why Duncan travels back-and-forth every six months.
In Highlander: Endgame, it is revealed that Immortal Jacob Kell has spent the last four centuries killing all people close to Connor MacLeod because Connor had killed Kell's adoptive father. He also gathered a posse of Immortals who would overpower other Immortals, allowing Kell to then enter and take their heads. In 1992, Connor hid in a place called The Sanctuary, where Immortals were protected from The Game by the Watchers. Ten years later, in 2002, Kell attacked the Sanctuary, and Connor was believed to be dead along with the other Immortals sheltered there. Duncan has visions of this evil act and investigates. He discovers Connor had been spared by Kell, so as to make his life even more of a misery. Kell wants to kill Duncan only to agonize Connor further, and given the number of Quickenings he has received, he would succeed in doing so. Therefore, Connor forces Duncan to kill him, to absorb his power, thereby enabling Duncan to defeat Kell. Duncan once again has to lose a friend but in the end he understands that Connor's death was necessary and it was the only possible way for him to kill Kell. Duncan buried Connor in the Scottish Highlands, in Glencoe, next to his first wife Heather's remains.
In Highlander: The Source, Duncan, Methos and Joe look for the source of the first Immortal.
For an accurate account of Duncan's life, see Duncan MacLeod Timeline.
[edit] Alternative life
In the last ever aired Highlander episode, the "To Be/Not To Be" two-parter, Joe and Amanda are kidnapped by Immortal Liam O'Rourke. Duncan is killed while trying to rescue them. While he is temporarily incapacitated, MacLeod dreams that Fitzcairn is his guide in alternate reality where he was never born. Amanda is still a thief but is now also a murdering "Black Widow." She is abruptly killed by the Watchers, who have all begun killing Immortals since Horton was never stopped. Tessa is alive but unhappy, having abandon sculpting. She is now a wife and a mother, but is living her life without passion. Fitz has been deceased since 1720, having been executed for his attempt at blowing up Westminster Abbey. Joe is a bitter old man since MacLeod was never around to have inspired him to believe in the goodness of people, enabling Horton to wrest control of the Watchers from him. Many of his enemies are still alive, including the Four Horsemen. Without MacLeod's influence, Methos, who still masqueraded as Watcher Adam Pierson, has returned to his evil ways and reunites the Horsemen after his mortal fiancee is killed by Horton when she reveals that "Adam" is also Immortal. Richie still alive, and is found after his First Death by Methos. He becomes one of the Horsemen after Caspian and Silas are killed by the Watchers. When Richie is unable to kill Dawson in recompense, Methos takes his head. Duncan tries to intervene in everything, even killing this alternate Methos for killing Richie. Fitz explains that in this world he cannot make a difference, but in his own, he can, and he does. MacLeod revives, realizing that his life has affected the people he cares about, and decides, albeit reluctantly, to continue to play The Game. This episode was presumably inspired by Frank Capra's film It's a Wonderful Life (1946) in which everyday man George Bailey is shown by his guardian angel Clarence what life would have been without him.
[edit] Characteristics
[edit] Personality and traits
Duncan is portrayed as being tall, thin and brown-haired. Like all Immortals, his ageing process stopped at the moment of his First Death when he was 29. Thus he's been looking like a man in his early thirties for four hundred years and will do so until, if ever, he is beheaded. His injuries heal very quickly[6] and when he dies, he revives some time later fully healthy again.
Duncan was raised to be the next chieftain of his clan and this fact influenced his personality. He has a strong moral conscience and a sense of nobility; he protects the weak and innocent and punishes the evildoers. He is known to be very loyal. He is referred to by more than one character as a "Boy Scout" and tends to see things in terms of black and white, being often criticized - sometimes in jest, sometimes not - for his rigid sense of honor and his determination to intervene in events that often place him in danger. He feels responsible for others and when he thinks people died because of him, he feels he has to avenge them. He mentors new Immortals even when he has doubts about them.[7] Like all Immortals, he is unable to have children but he likes them and takes care of those he meets. He is very respected by both mortals and Immortals and considered by some to be one of the prime contenders for The Prize[citation needed].
Duncan enjoys life. As Connor said, he has "all the fun and most of the good women".[1] Although he is a womanizer, he shares his life with a few women he grows to love. Those who are mortal, he remains loyal to their memories and cherishes the moments he had with them. He is perfectionist and keen to learn new things, be it reading, playing Shakespeare or fighting skills (see below). He is cunning and very difficult to catch because he has experienced most of everything life has to offer. He has a very good memory and can remember things that happened centuries ago.
As an Immortal, Duncan takes The Game with a grain of salt. He fulfills his duty and defends his head when he is challenged but he is not bloodthirsty and occasionally spares his opponents, especially female Immortals. Indeed, he does not hunt other Immortals for their heads, but he fights evil ones if they attack people he cares about. As he tells Alexei Voshin, "if you harm people I care about, I'll send you to hell the hard way".[8] Unlike Connor, for example, he does not consider The Game his primary purpose in life and sometimes retires from it.
Duncan is not prejudiced against mortals (Indeed, despising mortals is an attribute of most evil Immortals). Being four hundred years old, he has seen dozens of them age and die and thus accutely, and sometimes bitterly knows how fragile they are. "I have mourned more friends than I can count. Death is part of my life."[9] For this reason, he protects them especially from evil Immortals and from the dangerous consequences The Game can have for them. He feels they have nothing to do with it[1] and should not suffer from it. He doesn't usually tell them about his immortality except when he trusts them with his life.[10] He never gets used to death, especially the death of his lovers. As he tells Tessa : "No matter how many years go by. Or how many times you say goodbye to those you care most about, when they leave, you..." [Tessa: "Die..."] "...yes. When they die, you're naked and alone."[1] But it never prevents him from involving himself in life again.
After becoming a mentor to Richie, he matures into something of a father-figure, with a stronger, more confident outlook on life. After Richie's death, he becomes a darker, brooding character accutely aware of the fragility of life and his participation in The Game decreases.
Despite the fact that he was exiled from his own clan after his First Death in 1622, he remains proud of, and faithful to, his Scottish heritage. He usually introduces himself to other Immortals as "Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod" and fought for Scottish independence whenever he could, including the Battle of Culloden in 1746 ("Take Back the Night"), eventually trying to steal the Stone of Scone in 1950 ("The Stone of Scone").
[edit] Fighting skills
Duncan considers himself "an old soldier"[11] and fighting has been part of his life since the beginning, when he was raised to be a warrior. Being a perfectionist, he always seeks to improve himself and never misses an occasion to learn new skills. He first learned swordsmanship (he can fight with both hands), then discovered martial arts during his travels in East Asia. His sword is a katana, featuring a Dragon's Head, which was given by Samurai warrior Hideo Koto over 200 years ago during his travellings to Japan. Duncan should have inherited the Claymore of his (adoptive) father, Chieftain of the Clan MacLeod, but because he was exiled the sword was instead kept within the clan.
[edit] Quotes
- (Repeated line) "I am Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod."
- (Repeated line) "There can be only one."
- "It's over when I cut off your head !"
- "Good skin health's in my family. Nothing I can do about it."
- "You want someone younger ? Not exactly hard to find."
- "Well, that's your statement. My statement is more : 'I'm just passing through'."
- "Hope doesn't conquer a superior adversary!"
- "It’s funny what will drive men to their deaths."
- "What, it's a team sport now?"
- "With time anything can be forgiven, you taught me that."
- "That's one blessing of Immortality - there's always tomorrow. Even for us."
- "Our bonds are all that hold us in this world. Don't break this one."
- "Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it."
- "There is no justice. Only mercy."
[edit] Duncan MacLeod in The Game
In the TV series continuity, Duncan is the favourite to win The Prize. In Highlander: Endgame it is established that Duncan has taken 176 heads. Here's the list of all of Duncan's known Quickenings:
- Timothy of Gilliam1, 1625 ("Archangel")
- Unknown British Soldier2, 1632 (Scotland The Brave)
- Nerissa, 1632 (The Element Of Fire)
- Michel de Bourgogne, 1670 ("Unholy Alliance")
- Charles Browning of York, 1730 ("Counterfeit")
- Nasiradeen Satish, 1781 (The Path)
- Violane Armand, 1842 (Shadow Of Obsession)
- Danny O'Donal, 1889 (White Silence)
- Khordas, 1897 (The Element Of Fire)
- Aziz Mirza Bey, 1917 (Scimitar)
- Farid Al'Zafir ibn Muhunnad, 1917 (Scimitar)
- Marcus Korolus, 1925 ("See No Evil")
- Richard Tarsis, 1930 ("Reasonable Doubt")
- Slan Quince, 1992 ("The Gathering")
- Howard Crowley, 1992 ("Innocent Man")
- Caleb Cole, 1992 ("Mountain Men")
- Alexei Voshin3, 1992 ("The Sea Witch")
- Walter Reinhardt, 1992 ("Revenge Is Sweet")
- Andrew Ballin, 1993 ("Eyewitness")
- Grayson, 1993 ("Band Of Brothers")
- Christoph Kuyler, 1993 ("For Evil's Sake")
- Carlo Sendaro4, 1993 ("Saving Grace")
- Gabriel Piton, 1993 ("Eye of the Beholder")
- Alfred Cahill, 1993 ("Avenging Angel")
- Michael Moore, 1993 ("Turnabout")
- Anthony Gallen, 1994 ("Epitaph for Tommy")
- Thommy Sullivan, 1994 ("The Fighter")
- Xavier St. Cloud, 1994 ("Unholy Alliance Part 2")
- Nicholas Ward, 1994 ("The Vampire")
- Drakov, 1994 ("Warmonger")
- Nefertiri, 1994 ("Pharoah's Daughter")
- Luther, 1994 ("Legacy")
- Martin Hyde, 1994 ("Prodigal Son")
- Michael Kent, 1994 ("The Samurai")
- Kern, 1994 ("Line of Fire")
- Paul Karros, 1994 ("The Revolutionary")
- John Durgan, 1994 ("The Cross of St. Antoine")
- Axel Whittaker, 1994 ("Rite of Passage")
- Brian Cullen, 1994 ("Courage")
- John Garrick, 1994 ("Shadows")
- Peter Matlin, 1994 ("Blackmail")
- Lyman Kurlow, 1994 ("Blackmail")
- Michael Christian, 1995 ("They Also Serve")
- Ernst Daimler, 1995 ("Mortal Sins")
- Lucas Kagan, 1995 ("Reasonable Doubt")
- Kalas, 1995 ("Finale Part 2")
- Kanwulf, 1995 ("Homeland")
- Andrew Cord, 1995 ("Brothers in Arms")
- Tyler King, 1995 ("The Innocent")
- Peter Kanis, 1995 ("Leader of the Pack")
- Terence Kincaid, 1995 ("Reunion")
- Simon Killian, 1995 ("The Colonel")
- Paul Kinman, 1995 ("Reluctant Heroes")
- Kamir, 1995 ("The Wrath of Kali")
- Annie Devlin, 1996 (Scotland the Brave)
- James Douglas, 1996 (Scotland the Brave)
- James Coltec, 1996 ("Something Wicked")
- Sean Burns, 1996 ("Deliverance")
- Damon Case, 1996 ("The Immortal Cimoli")
- Morgan D'Estaing, 1996 ("Double Jeopardy")
- Avram Mordecai, 1996 (Highlander: Zealot)
- Jacob Galati5, 1996 ("One Minute to Midnight")
- Roland Kantos, 1996 ("Prophecy")
- Haresh Clay, 1996 ("The End of Innocence")
- Johnny 'K' Kelly, 1996 ("Glory Days")
- Gerard Kragen, 1996 ("Haunted")
- Taro Honda, 1996 (Measure of a Man)
- Niccolò Machiavelli, 1996 (Measure of a Man)
- Gavriel Larca, 1996 ("Little Tin God")
- Ingrid Henning, 1997 ("The Valkyrie")
- Caspian, 1997 ("Revelation 6:8")
- Kronos6, 1997 ("Revelation 6:8")
- Callestina, 1997 (Shadow of Obsession)
- Otavio Consone, 1997 ("Duende")
- Lord Byron, 1997 ("The Modern Prometheus")
- Richie Ryan, 1997 ("Archangel")
- Devon Marek, 1998 ("Black Tower")
- Liam O'Rourke, 1998 ("Not To Be")
- Connor MacLeod, 2002 (Highlander: Endgame)
- Jacob Kell, 2002 (Highlander: Endgame)
1Gilliam beheads himself. Duncan's first Quickening.
2Duncan's first beheading.
3Beheaded by a propeller blade.
4Beheaded by a train.
5Beheaded by Watcher Jack Shapiro.
6Double Quickening with Methos who beheaded Silas at the same time.
[edit] Watchers
Here's a list of all of Duncan's known Watchers:
[edit] Appearances
Movies - Highlander: Endgame, Highlander: The Source
Episodes - "The Gathering", "Family Tree", "The Road Not Taken", "Innocent Man", "Free Fall", "Bad Day in Building A", "Mountain Men", "Deadly Medicine", "The Sea Witch", "Revenge is Sweet", "See No Evil", "Eyewitness", "Band of Brothers", "For Evil's Sake", "For Tomorrow We Die", "The Beast Below", "Saving Grace", "The Lady and the Tiger", "Eye of the Beholder", "Avenging Angel", "Nowhere to Run", "The Hunters", "The Watchers", "Studies in Light", "Turnabout", "The Darkness", "Eye for an Eye", "The Zone", "The Return of Amanda", "Revenge of the Sword", "Run for Your Life", "Epitaph for Tommy", "The Fighter", "Under Color of Authority", "Bless the Child", "Unholy Alliance", "Unholy Alliance Part 2", "The Vampire", "Warmonger", "Pharaoh's Daughter", "Legacy", "Prodigal Son", "Counterfeit", "Counterfeit Part 2", "The Samurai", "Line of Fire", "The Revolutionary", "The Cross of St. Antoine", "Rite of Passage", "Courage", "The Lamb", "Obsession", "Shadows", "Blackmail", "Vendetta", "They Also Serve", "Blind Faith", "Song of the Executioner", "Star-Crossed", "Methos", "Take Back the Night", "Testimony", "Mortal Sins", "Reasonable Doubt", "Finale", "Finale Part 2", "Homeland", "Brothers in Arms", "The Innocent", "Leader of the Pack", "Double Eagle", "Reunion", "The Colonel", "Reluctant Heroes", "The Wrath of Kali", "Chivalry", "Timeless", "The Blitz", "Something Wicked", "Deliverance", "Promises", "Methuselah's Gift", "The Immortal Cimoli", "Through A Glass, Darkly", "Double Jeopardy", "Till Death", "Judgement Day", "One Minute to Midnight", "Prophecy", "The End of Innocence", "Manhunt", "Glory Days", "Dramatic License", "Money No Object", "Haunted", "Little Tin God", "The Messenger", "The Valkyrie", "Comes a Horseman", "Revelation 6:8", "The Ransom of Richard Redstone", "Duende", "The Stone of Scone", "Forgive Us Our Trespasses", "The Modern Prometheus", "Archangel", "Avatar", "Armageddon", "Sins of the Father", "Diplomatic Immunity", "Patient Number 7", "Black Tower", "Unusual Suspects", "Justice", "Deadly Exposure", "To Be", "Not To Be"
Books - The Element of Fire, Scimitar, Scotland the Brave, Measure of a Man, The Path, Zealot, Shadow of Obsession, The Captive Soul, White Silence, An Evening at Joe's
[edit] Trivia
- He drove a black 1964 Ford Thunderbird Convertible when he was in Seacouver. In Paris, he drove a black 1968 Citroën DS. In 1998, he traded in the Citroen and purchased a green 1997 Range Rover.
- The character 'Duncan MacLeod' was ranked #11 in TV Guide's list of the "25 Greatest Sci-Fi Legends" (1 August 2004).
- Unlike many Immortals, he never seems to use aliases.
- Duncan, on occasion, passes himself off his own son/grandson named after his "father"/"grandfather." In one episode he uses make-up to appear 20 years older when he has to do business with people he had known in the 1970's.[citation needed] Duncan also moves around every few years, keeps a low profile, and has been shown to be an expert at computer hacking and altering official records. These aspects were written into the series to explain how Duncan remains undetected.
- A cocktail was named after Duncan MacLeod.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Episode "The Gathering", in Highlander: The Series (season 1) (DVD, Davis-Panzer Productions, 2001), disc 1.
- ^ Episode "Family Tree", in Highlander: The Series (season 1) (DVD, Davis-Panzer Productions, 2001), disc 1
- ^ Episode "Family Tree", Bonus Material, Watcher Chronicle, article: Duncan MacLeod-1622, in Highlander: The Series (season 1) (DVD, Davis-Panzer Productions, 2001), disc 1.
- ^ The date is from the Watcher Chronicle in Highlander: The Series (DVD, Davis-Panzer Productions, 2001), disc 1, episode "The Gathering", bonus materials.
- ^ Episode "The Road Not Taken", in Highlander: The Series (season 1) (DVD, Davis-Panzer Productions, 2001), disc 1
- ^ See an example of Quickening healing an injury in the episode "Deadly Medicine", in Highlander: The Series (season 1) (DVD, Davis-Panzer Productions, 2001), disc 3.
- ^ Episode "Free Fall", in Highlander: The Series (season 1) (DVD, David-Panzer Productions, 2001), disc 2.
- ^ Episode "The Sea Witch", in Highlander: The Series (season 1) (DVD, Davis-Panzer Productions, 2001), disc 3.
- ^ Episode "The Hunters", in Highlander: The Series (season 1) (DVD, Davis-Panzer Productions, 2001), disc 8.
- ^ Episode "Revenge is Sweet", in Highlander: The Series (season 1) (DVD, David-Panzer Productions, 2001), disc 4.
- ^ episode "Bad Day in Building A", in Highlander: The Series (DVD, Davis-Panzer Productions, 2001), disc 2.
[edit] External links
- Highlander: Endgame at the Internet Movie Database
- Highlander: The Source at the Internet Movie Database
- Highlander: The Series at the Internet Movie Database
- The Nitpicker's Guide to Highlander
- Highlander Page for Beginners
- The shows & movies summed up
