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Steven Keane is an Immortal from England. Keane is the type of person who divides the world into black and white and has held a grudge for nearly 250 years because of this view of the world.
Steven Keane became Immortal in 1536 and met Sean Burns, an Immortal who taught Keane about his Immortality. Keane was living in England at the time of the Scottish Uprising of 1745 which culminated in the Battle of Culloden in 1746. He was good friends with Richard, Earl of Dunbar who was responsible for ordering bloody, suppressive campaigns against the Scots, leaving hundreds if not thousands dead. Duncan MacLeod, a Scottish Immortal who fought at the Battle of Culloden came to England to kill Dunbar in vengeance for the aftermath of Culloden. At first Keane thought the Highlander had come for his head, but MacLeod simply shot him, and then killed Dunbar. Keane had since held a grudge against MacLeod.
In 1779, in England, Keane spoke with Sean Burns, his mentor. Burns told Keane to let go of his grudge. Burns was good friends with MacLeod and convinced Keane not to hunt him down. That changed in 1996 when Keane was in France when MacLeod, under the influence of a Dark Quickening, beheaded Burns and Keane had found another reason to hate MacLeod.
Keane and Amanda
A year later, Keane was running a dance club in Paris and met Amanda, he abducted her to get to MacLeod. MacLeod spoke with Keane on holy ground, telling him he would not fight and urged him to let go of his grudge, but Keane would not listen. MacLeod felt guilty for what he had done and like Keane believed he was wrong: When confronted he told Methos, "I went after innocent men and slaughtered them." Methos, however, pointed out, "No, that's how Keane tells it. I want to know how you remember it. Because they weren't innocent, were they? They were murderers. They were the English bastards who destroyed your people, and they deserved to die, all of them. You wanted to kill, you killed them. You know, Keane is just like you. He wants to divide the world up into good and bad. Well, it's not that simple. We are all both — good and evil. We have rage and compassion. We have love and hate, murder and forgiveness."
Methos challenges Keane
When MacLeod ignored him and went to meet Keane anyway, so Methos simply shot him and met Keane in his place.
Methos tried to convince Keane to end his crusade: "Keane let him be." But Keane was too wrapped up in his vendetta, replying, "You try and stop me and I'll start with you."
Methos took the challenge and Keane lost badly. Methos was about to take Keane's head only to have MacLeod stop him, saying that if he beheaded Keane, MacLeod would challenge him next. Incredulous, Methos left MacLeod to him, to figure it out on his own.
Eventually, MacLeod agreed to meet Keane and on a rooftop, they finally fought one another and Duncan defeated Keane but spared his life, telling him to walk away, which Keane did.
In explaining why he had to face Keane without the help of his friends, MacLeod said: "I had to take responsibility for what I'd done.... I had to face him and fight the best fight of my life knowing he'd do the same. It's just the Fates that decide the winner."
MacLeod faces Keane
Methos was unimpressed with the logic, "Trial by combat. Whoever survives is proved right in the eyes of the law."
Weapon[]
Keane's weapon of choice was a 1733 Prussian Cavalry Sword with a half basket guard. It had been a gift from Richard Dunbar, Earl of Rosemont.