Keill Randor
Encyclopedia
Keill Randor is a fictional character, the protagonist
of Douglas Hill
's science fiction
quintet for young adults, The Last Legionary. He is the last surviving inhabitant of a planet named Moros.
Randor lives within our galaxy at an intermediate time in the distant future, where interstellar travel has become commonplace. Although no other sentient races were found during Earth's push out to the outer reaches of the galaxy, many planets were colonized, and some, due to environmental conditions, caused subtle altering of the human form - these people are known as the 'altered races'. Keill, however, is outwardly humanoid
.
Randor's people were hardened over generations by their inhospitable planet, which (combined with rigorous combat and martial arts
training) resulted in them exhibiting speed, reflexes, strength, and fighting abilities all at the very upper limit of human ability and Randor himself is one of the most skilled amongst them, twice winner of the planetwide martial arts contest, a feat bettered by only one other legionary in the history of the contest. The people of Moros acted effectively as mercenaries; however they were careful to only offer their services to clients fighting in self-defense.
Randor's home planet Moros was covertly attacked by an entity known only as 'The Warlord', seeking to wreck the galaxy through a carefully orchestrated campaign of formenting war between all of the planets then rising to rule over the ruins. Seeing the Legions of Moros as a potential threat due to their stance of aiding planets under attack and fearful that they might discover his design and move against him, the Warlord unleashes a deadly new isotope of radiation hidden inside a shipment of grain. The radation wipes out all life on the planet and in orbital space leaving Randor as the lone survivor, albeit with a lesser exposure to the radiation that gives him only a limited time to live.
Searching for the perpetrators of the attack, Randor comes into contact with a group known as 'The Overseers' who are the only group aware of the Warlord's existence and plans but lack the influence or power to directly oppose him. Initially reluctant, Randor agrees to work as The Overseers' agent, after they cure his thought to be incurable radiation poisoning by replacing his irradiated bones with a new unbreakable skeleton
made of an advanced organic alloy. Together with a telepathic alien companion named Glr, who acts as backup and as a communications link with the secretive Overseers, Randor embarks on a dangerous mission to avenge his people and bring down the Warlord before he can destroy the galaxy.
Randor appears in the following novels:
of the future.
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of Douglas Hill
Douglas Hill
Douglas Arthur Hill was a Canadian science fiction author, editor and reviewer. He was born in Brandon, Manitoba, the son of a railroad engineer, and was raised in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. An avid science fiction reader from an early age, he studied English at the University of Saskatchewan...
's science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
quintet for young adults, The Last Legionary. He is the last surviving inhabitant of a planet named Moros.
Randor lives within our galaxy at an intermediate time in the distant future, where interstellar travel has become commonplace. Although no other sentient races were found during Earth's push out to the outer reaches of the galaxy, many planets were colonized, and some, due to environmental conditions, caused subtle altering of the human form - these people are known as the 'altered races'. Keill, however, is outwardly humanoid
Humanoid
A humanoid is something that has an appearance resembling a human being. The term first appeared in 1912 to refer to fossils which were morphologically similar to, but not identical with, those of the human skeleton. Although this usage was common in the sciences for much of the 20th century, it...
.
Randor's people were hardened over generations by their inhospitable planet, which (combined with rigorous combat and martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
training) resulted in them exhibiting speed, reflexes, strength, and fighting abilities all at the very upper limit of human ability and Randor himself is one of the most skilled amongst them, twice winner of the planetwide martial arts contest, a feat bettered by only one other legionary in the history of the contest. The people of Moros acted effectively as mercenaries; however they were careful to only offer their services to clients fighting in self-defense.
Randor's home planet Moros was covertly attacked by an entity known only as 'The Warlord', seeking to wreck the galaxy through a carefully orchestrated campaign of formenting war between all of the planets then rising to rule over the ruins. Seeing the Legions of Moros as a potential threat due to their stance of aiding planets under attack and fearful that they might discover his design and move against him, the Warlord unleashes a deadly new isotope of radiation hidden inside a shipment of grain. The radation wipes out all life on the planet and in orbital space leaving Randor as the lone survivor, albeit with a lesser exposure to the radiation that gives him only a limited time to live.
Searching for the perpetrators of the attack, Randor comes into contact with a group known as 'The Overseers' who are the only group aware of the Warlord's existence and plans but lack the influence or power to directly oppose him. Initially reluctant, Randor agrees to work as The Overseers' agent, after they cure his thought to be incurable radiation poisoning by replacing his irradiated bones with a new unbreakable skeleton
Skeleton
The skeleton is the body part that forms the supporting structure of an organism. There are two different skeletal types: the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, and the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside the body.In a figurative sense, skeleton can...
made of an advanced organic alloy. Together with a telepathic alien companion named Glr, who acts as backup and as a communications link with the secretive Overseers, Randor embarks on a dangerous mission to avenge his people and bring down the Warlord before he can destroy the galaxy.
Randor appears in the following novels:
- Young Legionary (prequel)
- Galactic Warlord
- Deathwing Over Veynaa
- Day Of The Starwind
- Planet Of The Warlord
Literary significance & criticism
Keill Randor has been described as the cybernetic Bruce LeeBruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
of the future.