By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
If you ask an average Highlander fan what the worst part of the series is, they’ll say Highlander II. If that’s the answer, I think they haven’t seen Highlander: The Source, the 2007 made-for-TV SyFy original that should have known better. Both films made some disastrous missteps, but in between the release of each of them came a spin-off that, on paper, sounds absolutely insane: a Highlander cartoon set in the post-apocalypse far future with no blood but still included implied beheadings.
Highlander: The Animated Series aired for 40 episodes, and despite the insane concept, it was ahead of its time with better characterization than the live-action movies.
Immortals After The Apocalypse
Highlander: The Animated Series follows Quentin Macleod (“Same clan, different vintage,”) centuries after a meteor struck Earth and wiped out almost all life, which caused the Immortals to change their mission from fighting for “the Prize” to preserving the knowledge of humanity. Calling themselves Jettators, they specialized in different aspects of knowledge, from history to nuclear power, which could be passed on through a non-bloody Quickening with no beheadings. One of the Immortals, Kortan, refused the Oath and ruled over the wastelands as a tyrant, beheading other Immortals in accordance with the old ways, but he was destined to be defeated by The Highlander.
This should not have worked; after all, the central tenet of the Rules of Highlander is “There Can Be Only One,” but Highlander: The Animated Series is based entirely around “What if we work together for the greater good?” It works because even the good guys aren’t perfect, and most of the bad guys have either sympathetic backgrounds or wind up being morally ambiguous. The cartoon doesn’t shy away from muddying the waters between good and evil.
Shades Of Grey In A Cartoon Series
Malone, the wild sidekick to Kortan, is the one that has stayed with me because after watching him be a constant annoyance for multiple episodes, we finally see his origin and how he went crazy. It’s a dark episode and turns one of the most annoying characters and his annoying laugh into a tragic figure. Highlander: The Animated Series never shies away from the tragic backstory, right down to the Immortal Shepard, with the knowledge of satellites, choosing a life of exile because he blames himself for the meteor that struck the planet.
The Ups And Downs Of Highlander
Highlander: The Animated Series aired concurrently with the famed television series, starring Adrian Paul as Duncan Macleod, in what we can acknowledge now was a golden era for the adventure franchise. After Highlander: Endgame bombed in theaters, and The Source was disowned by everyone involved, the franchise went into hibernation as soon as it aired. Until Henry Cavill, living the dream of nerds everywhere, was attached to the remake that’s been in production for what feels like forever, and we still know nearly nothing about it.
Though the franchise has seen better days, Highlander: The Animated Series is available on multiple streaming platforms today, including Peacock, Tubi, Pluto TV, and Amazon Freevee. No prior knowledge of the franchise is required to enjoy it since it discards all the rules of the original movie and live-action series, which makes it a great entry point for new fans.
If you’re a disillusioned fan of the franchise, it’s also a breath of fresh air, showing how, when done right, the tale of Immortals and The Source can be deep (for an afterschool cartoon), with plenty of room for great characters, and of course, an amazing soundtrack.