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General Taligaro, mostly simply known as Taligaro, is one of the main antagonists (alongside Akivasha) of 1997 fantasy film Kull the Conqueror. He's a warlord, who initally teaches Kull how to fight, but is a cruel and power-hungry villain. He was played by Thomas Ian Griffith.
Biography[]
One day, Kull, a barbarian from distant Atlantis who earned fame as a pirate and adventurer, decided to hire himself into the Dragon Legion of the Valusian general Taligaro. After passing all the tests, including joint training with the legionnaires, Kull loses to Taligaro in a blindfolded sword fight, since in the general's opinion, Kull is not capable of fighting like a "civilized" man. At this moment, a messenger from the palace reports that King Borna has gone mad and killed his heirs. Taligaro arrives at the palace, where the mad king says that one of his sons wanted to take the throne and Borna saved the kingdom from "future disappointment." Taligaro enters into a battle with Borno, which Kull also enters, accidentally mortally wounding the king. Taligaro asks Kull to hand over the crown that is rightfully his, but neither he nor anyone else can hold onto it (during the battle, the crown fell into the scattered coals). Borna, just before his death, hands it over to Kull and calls it his, "if she can hold it." The Royal Eunuch, referring to ancient laws, says that with this gesture, Borna made Kull his successor. Taligaro and the others are forced to acknowledge the barbarian king. The next day, during the coronation, an attempt is made on Kull's life, but Kull is able to fight back the assassin and is killed by Taligaro, who sent him along with the conspirators, although it was said that they were sent from the state of Commoria, hostile to Valusia. At night, the conspirators are gathered at the gates of the Acheron Monument by the warlock Enaros, an adept of the Cult of Akivashi. He offers the conspirators to participate in a plan more sophisticated than a banal murder - to revive the Witch Queen of Acheron and offer her to Kull as a bride in order to use her to destroy the barbarian king. Enaros revives Akivasha, following the instructions of an ancient scroll, and she restores the burned face of her adept, while launching the mechanism of the new coming of demons into the world. Akivasha, introducing herself as the niece of one of the conspirators, bewitches Kull and he does not listen to the warnings of Zareta. At night, Akivasha stuns Kull, but presents him as dead. Zareta is named as the culprit of the murder. Kull manages to escape and save Zareta. Zareta's brother, a priest named Ascalante, who was previously saved by Kull from a beating, comes to their aid. Talegaro, who still does not recognize Kull as the true king (despite Ascalante's warnings), sets off in pursuit of the fugitives. Meanwhile, Kull overthrows a ship where the merchant Juba wanted to sell him for a reward. Having reached the Island of Ice, Kull, Zareta, and Ascalante find the Breath of Valka, a magical wind that turns everything it touches to ice. Ascalante translates an ancient prophecy that says that the chosen one will bear the power of Valka and be able to extinguish the Flame of Acheron. Zareta realizes that only she can approach the source of the wind, a huge face carved in stone by Valka, and asks the god to give her its power to help Kull. All this is interrupted by the arrival of Taligaro and his men. During the battle, Ascalante is wounded, and Zareta is kidnapped by Taligaro, who himself wants to use Valka's power against Akivasha and gain the coveted throne of Valusia. Ascalante dies from his wounds and the Breath of Valka that had previously affected him. Kull, realizing that his fate is now tied to Zareta and Valusia, takes a battle axe and breaks Valka's face, thereby getting out of the cave. By the time Kull returns to Valusia, a bloody eclipse begins and Akivasha begins to acquire a demonic appearance. In the Acheron Monument, a battle between Kull and Taligaro takes place, in which Akivasha finally becomes a demon in parallel, but the power in Zareta could not extinguish the flame. Zareta mentions the prophecy of the "kiss" and Kull, having taken Valka's power from Zareta, kisses Akivasha, thus releasing Valka's Breath into the Flame of Acheron, preventing the coming of the demons and finally destroying the Witch Queen. Taligaro threatens to kill Zareta if Kull does not give him the crown. Using a trick, Kull punches the general in the chest, saying that "this is how barbarians fight."
Personality[]
At first glance, Taligaro seems like an ordinary warlord of his time, tough but fair. But it soon becomes clear that he wants the throne of Valusia and is ready to do anything to get it. His relationship with Akivasha is only pragmatic, he contacts her only to get rid of Kull. Then he wants to get rid of Akivasha herself and sit on the throne of Valusia.