Any Highlander fans out there? I have some questions.

[thefourthvine]

Do you know HL? I need some help from people who have seen Highlander canon. Here's what I'd like to know:

1. What are all the ways to permanently kill an immortal? I know cutting off heads, but is there anything else? And is it different the first time they die? And does it matter if the whole head doesn't come off - like, can they come back if the neck is only mostly severed?
   
   
2. What happens the first time they (don't) die? I mean, they think they're mortal for a period of time, right? And then they die, except they don't, and they say, "Whoa, dude. I must be immortal, because that sure as shit should've killed me." (Although I think most people would assume the injury or whatever just hadn't been as bad as they thought, so - do some of them have to die a lot before they figure it out?) But I'm a little foggy on the whole deal, frankly. Do they have to be buried and then rise again, like vampires? Or is it more of an instantaneous thing?
   
   
3. What happens if you shoot an immortal (who has already done the first not-death, if that matters) in a way that would kill a human but won't kill him? (Like, gaping chest wound, something like that.) I'm pretty sure he has at least a period of, shall we say, limited activity, but how long is he down for? And exactly how limited is his activity? And what happens - like, do the wounds visibly close over and heal, or does he just suddenly sit up all better, or what?

As much detail as you've got, that's how much I'd like.

And if you know any sources for getting this kind of information without bugging my friends list - like, a Highlander encyclopedia or whatever - I would love to know about it.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Isn't it true that when Duncan first met Methos, he was pretending not to be immortal?

Yes, Methos -or actually ALL immortals- pretend not to be: in fact most mortals are not aware that such a thing as immortals exist.

But an immortal cannot fool another immortal for a second because there is a sort of directional 'buzz' which alerts them to the presence of another immortal. The distance and advance notice they get is a function of the age or strength of the other immortal (which depends on how many head they've taken and the needs of the plot). An immortal can also tell the weaker buzz of a pre-immortal, by the way.

So no, MacLeod knew immediately -a few seconds before they greet each other for the first time- that Methos was an immortal, but he had been prepared to meet a mortal, because he was given Methos' mortal alias and the belief that he was mortal by someone who was supposed to know who is and who isn't an immortal; the whole 'Watcher' concept was part and parcel of the TV series and appeared nowhere in any of the movies until the last one, 'Endgame'.

Also, regarding your other question, regarding the conditions of their 'first death; which are required to make them immortal, I don't think it was ever explicitly stated, but since immortals keep the age of their first death for the rest of their immortal life, there is an assumption that the first death has to be violent and premature: if they die of old age or illness, they are not yet immortal per se, and therefore die normally like mere mortals. Being a pre-immortal seems to be a potential only which confers no advantage except the possibility of becoming an immortal if killed violently).

There is more than instance when an immortal killed a pre-immortal to ensure they wake up immortal (several stories cover this and both MacLeod and Methos have done it in canon by the way, not just villains. but let's not get side-tracked into the question of whether Methos is a bad guy or not right now... )

Regarding how long immortals seem dead until they revive when they are killed in some othe4r way than by decapitation, and how severe an injury has to be for them to really die, I see you have had several answers to this one already and they are all correct, particularly in their emphasis on the fact that the recovery time of their temporary 'deaths' is mostly dictated by the plot: that is the kind of sterling and consistency you get on the 'Highlander, the series' show!

:)

But I must say it is particularly encouraging to see that your readership is so full of true HL fans!

[(Anonymous)]

Argh. Typos make my reply next to incomprehensible!

Also, regarding your other question, regarding the conditions of their 'first death; which are required to make them immortal, I don't think it was ever explicitly stated, but since immortals keep the age of their first death for the rest of their immortal life, there is an assumption that the first death has to be violent and premature: if they die of old age or illness, they are not yet immortal per se, and therefore die normally like mere mortals. Being a pre-immortal seems to be a potential only which confers no advantage except the possibility of becoming an immortal if killed violently).

There is more than instance

Also, regarding your other question, regarding the conditions of their 'first death' which are required to make them immortal, I don't think it was ever explicitly stated, but since immortals keep the age of their first death for the rest of their immortal life, there is an assumption that the first death has to be violent and premature: if they die of old age or illness, they are not yet immortal per se, and therefore die normally like mere mortals. Being a pre-immortal seems to be a potential only which confers no advantage except the possibility of becoming an immortal if killed violently.

There is more than one instance

*my original reply probably still contains dozens of typos, but hey, as long as you can guess what this illiterate person is trying to say, I'm counting this as a win anyway... *