by Jonathan Klotz
| Published
If you ask a casual Highlander fan what the worst part of the series is, they'll say Highlander II. If that's the answer, I guess they didn't see it Highlander: Sourcethe 2007 SyFy made-for-TV original that should have been better known. Both films made some disastrous mistakes, but in between the release of each came a spin-off that, on paper, sounds downright crazy: a cartoony Highlander set in the distant, post-apocalyptic future with no gore but still involving implied beheadings.
Highlander: The Animated Series It aired for 40 episodes, and despite the crazy concept, it was ahead of its time with better characterization than the live-action films.
Immortals after the apocalypse
Highlander: The Animated Series It follows Quentin Macleod (“Same Clan, Different Style”) centuries after a meteorite struck Earth and wiped out nearly all life, prompting the Immortals to change their mission from fighting for the “prize” to preserving human knowledge. They called themselves Jettators, and specialized in various aspects of knowledge, from history to nuclear energy, which could be transmitted through bloodless acceleration without decapitation. Kortan, one of the immortals, refused the oath and ruled the wastelands as a tyrant, beheading the other immortals according to the ancient ways, but he was destined to be defeated by the Highlander.
This shouldn't work; After all, the basic principle of the Highlander Rules is “there can only be one,” however Highlander: The Animated Series It's entirely based on, “What if we worked together for the greater good?” It works because even the good guys aren't perfect, and most of the bad guys either have sympathetic backgrounds or end up being morally ambiguous. The cartoon is not shy about muddying the waters between good and evil.
Shades of gray in an animated series
Malone, Kurtan's wild sidekick, is the one who stayed with me because after watching him be a constant annoyance for several episodes, we finally see his origin and how he went crazy. It's a dark episode and turns one of the most annoying characters with his annoying laugh into a tragic figure. Highlander: The Animated Series He never shies away from the tragic backstory, right down to Immortal Shepard, with the knowledge of the satellites, who chooses a life of exile because he blames himself for the meteor that struck the planet.
The rise and fall of the Highlander
Highlander: The Animated Series It aired in conjunction with the popular TV series, starring Adrian Paul as Duncan Macleod, in what we can now acknowledge was a golden age for the adventure franchise. after Highlander: Endgame It bombed in theaters and Source It was disowned by everyone involved, and the franchise went into hibernation almost as soon as it aired. until Henry Cavillliving the dream of nerds everywhere, has been attached to the remake that's been in production for what feels like forever, and we still know next to nothing about it.
Although the franchise has seen better days, Highlander: The Animated Series Available on multiplayer My neighbor Today's platforms, incl peacock, tubes, Pluto TVand Amazon Free. No prior knowledge of the franchise is needed to enjoy it as it ignores all the rules of the original film and live-action series, making it a great entry point for new fans.
If you're a disappointed fan of the series, it's also a breath of fresh air, showing how deep (for an after-school anime) the story of Immortals and The Source can be, with plenty of room for great characters. And of course the amazing soundtrack.
