51 GREATEST FICTIONAL BAD GUYS
#49. THE KURGAN from HIGHLANDER. Now, if you ask me (and I’m quite sure no one has… shame on you; you’re all dicks), the Kurgan had it right all along. Of course you can be friends with your competition, but let’s be frank: when your competitor’s entire destiny revolves around lopping off your goddamned head to collect your soul, it’s hard to justify including them on an eVite to your annual Christmas party.
The Kurgan’s appeal comes from Clancy Brown’s wild-eyed barbarism, and his contradictory nature of hating the game he plays while also willingly abiding by its rules. My favorite scene is the confrontation he has with Lambert in the church: the Kurgan is quick to mention they’re on neutral territory, but also more than happy to terrify a scared-shitless priest asking him to tone down the theatrics.
The Kurgan carries with him a blissful ignorance (or is it maniacal arrogance?). When his picture is plastered all over newspapers, his idea of being “in disguise” is merely shaving his head. Unfortunately, the weakest part of the character is his motive for the Prize. We’re told he wishes to plunge the world into eternal darkness. But that’s a pretty broad statement. He seems like a guy who’s ruled by his personal reptilian pleasures more than a long-term goal of tyranny. I would assume if he wanted to rule men, he would have done so by now.
Nonetheless, here’s to the Kurgan: your curse of Immortality may not have allowed you to father any children, but in your own way, your performance has fathered many, many imitations.
Kurgan: “I have something to say! It’s better to burn out than to fade away!”