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George Gordon Byron (also known as Lord Byron). In the Highlander universe, Lord Byron was a poet in the 19th century, turned rock star in the 20th. In 1815, after committing suicide and reviving as an Immortal,
Byron in 1816
Byron was found by Methos who became his mentor and friend.
The following year, he and Methos, Claire Clairmont, and the Shelleys agreed to meet in Switzerland in a house Byron had rented for the season. They encountered Hans Kershner, and Byron told Methos that he slept with Hans's wife. After a brief chase, Kershner's carriage turned over, tumbling him to the ground.
Later Byron, Methos, Mary Shelley, Claire, and Percy Shelley were having a party and the famous challenge for a ghost story from each of the guests was issued. The next night, Hans came to Byron's house to challenge him. Methos told his student he wasn't ready yet, but Byron would not be restrained. Mary watched the fight, until Kershner finally ran Byron through. But Byron yanked a hidden sword from his cane and stabbed Kershner, then beheaded him with his primary blade.
Mary ran forward, shocked, as Methos caught Byron's body and lowered him to the ground. Then he grabbed her and pulled her back away from the body as the Quickening began. Mary watched, terrified, as lightning crawled over Byron's body, making his limbs twitch and lift. The Quickening faded, and Byron revived, alive again as Mary and Methos watched. She demanded an explanation, and Methos told her that they are immortal, but that it must remain a secret. Mary understood instantly: "Or you would be hunted." Methos agreed: "For the perversion of nature that we are."
Mary's compassion was roused, "Poor tormented creature. The sad hero of a never-ending story. Resurrected by lightning to eternal life. To eternal loneliness." From this beginning came the inspiration for her masterpiece, Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus.
Byron in the present day
By 1997, Byron was a rock star who used any and all drugs to excess in order to stave off boredom. He ran into Methos and Duncan at a club, and met Mike Paladini, a guitarist and protege of Joe's. Joe was amazed that Byron was the actual Lord Byron, and that Methos had never mentioned him. Byron acted as a Siren song to Mike, however, and the young guitarist followed him home to become immersed in Byron's catastrophic drug habits, which killed Mike within days. Furious with the reckless waste of life and talent, MacLeod was determined to challenge Byron.
Methos met Byron in his dressing room and warned him that MacLeod was coming for him, and advised him to skip town, but Byron refused. Methos then tried to convince MacLeod not to destroy Bryon, "Mac, wait! Think. Think about the poetry. Think about the music that he's made. Think about the music that he will still make. You're going to kill all that as well?" MacLeod's only response was "And what about Mike? What music could he have made?" Methos could not answer, and stepped aside.
Byron accepted MacLeod's challenge, and in the cellars of the venue, he lost his head to the highlander. Methos, unhappy, acknowledged that "His life had become one long tragedy." To which Duncan replied, "We all know how those end."
As the episode ended, we hear Byron's final epitaph. "My task is done, my song has ceased, my theme has died into an echo. It is fit".
Weapon[]
Byron's weapon of choice was a German sabre, with a brass hilt and stirrup guard, gifted to him by his mentor, Methos. It was light and quick, and served as his primary weapon. In reserve, he kept a a sword cane, the cane concealed a thin, needle-like sword which he would draw when in difficulty from his opponent.
Miscellaneous Information[]
The music in the episode attributed to Byron and his band, was actually provided by Marcus Testory (who played Caspian) and his band M.E.L.T.