Kenny Kane

"I always knew this would happen, that he would come for me, in the night, that I would wake up to find him there."

- Maxwell Kane on his father.

Kenny "Killer" Kane is the main antagonist of the book Freak the Mighty and its film adaptation The Mighty, where he was portrayed by James Gandolfini.

Personality
Kenny Kane is only in the book for five chapters, but his presence looms over both the entire book and movie. Killer Kane has ruined Max's life and is the cause of almost all of his problems. Max also had a recurring nightmare that he would wake up to find his father standing there, meaning that even though Kenny is in prison, he still fears him and has been unable to find peace. Kenny also pretends to be innocent of murder, even though Max saw him kill his mother. Max not stopping his father kill his mother has left him with a deep feeling of survivor's guilt and regret. In the book, Kenny refers to his son as a "dumb animal" when he trips and gets a bloody nose. The best way to describe Kenny Kane is as a brute and complete monster who has no reservations about strangling someone with his bare hands, kidnapping people, violating parole or restraining orders or psychologically and physically abusing his own son.

Biography
Kenny's full name is Kenneth David Kane. He was a psychopathic murderer who killed his wife by strangling her to death in front of his son, Maxwell. Kenny went to prison and Max went to live with his grandparents, but he was still haunted by his father's past. The kids at school would chant "Killer Kane, Killer Kane, had a son who's got no brain", referencing Max's dyslexia. Max was later called into the school office where the principal informed him that Kenny has been released from prison on parole. Max practically had a nervous breakdown as a result of this news, but even though he was told that his father couldn't hurt him, Max was still uneasy. Max's grandfather cleaned his shotgun, against Max's grandmother's wishes, claiming that if Kenny entered his home, he was going to deliver some justice. That night, Max went to sleep and woke up, realizing that Kenny was quietly standing in the corner of his room, having sneaked in. Kenny forced Max to come with him, his intentions unclear. Kenny has violated his parole and is on the run from the police. Kenny goes to his old friends' house, Iggy and Loretta Lee, with whom he got into some trouble with when he was younger. Max knows them because he returned some lost money to Loretta earlier. When Kenny realizes that Loretta is attempting to help Max escape by giving him a tool to help untie his bonds, Kenny starts to strangle her. Max freaks out and rips off his bonds, confronting his father. The two fight, saving Loretta's life, but just barely. The police arrive at the scene and Kenny attempts to flee, but he is chased down and arrested. Because he not only violated his parole but also a restraining order and attempted murder, Kenny was returned to prison without possibility of parole and will be locked up for the rest of his life. After finally confronting his father, Max is able to overcome his guilt and fears and move on with his life.