Would anyone really want to live forever? Well, this group didn’t get to make the choice for death’s sweet release vs life’s everlasting pain. From fiction to folklore, this list is a compilation of those given the everlasting gift of life – the top 10 immortals.
10. Shadow the Hedgehog
How is he an immortal? He is an artificially created life form.
Shadow was ranked as the second best Sonic character – beaten only by Sonic himself. Shadow is Sonic’s black and red-colored antithesis first appeared in Sonic Adventure 2, but has gone on to appear in many Sonic spin-offs, as well as his own game. His nickname of ‘The Ultimate Life Form’ is not without merit, as unlike Sonic, Shadow is both ageless and immortal.
9. Merlin
How is he an immortal? His father was an incubus, a demon in male form, who had sexual intercourse with his mortal mother.
Merlin is an infamous immortal, who has appeared in various folklore, fairy tales and films. The permanently ancient warlock originates in Old English history, and is most popularly associated with King Arthur, the Lady of the Lake and the Knights of the Round Table.
8. Leonard “Live Forever” Jones
How is he an immortal? He wasn’t, but he ran his political campaign on that platform so he makes the list for his sheer testicular fortitude.
Leonard is the non-fictional, and unfortunately unsuccessful immortal in this list. The eccentric American, who was born in Kentucky in 1797, repeatedly ran for President of the United States and Governor of Kentucky, citing his self-proclaimed immortality as his platform. According to Mr. Jones immortality could be achieved through prayer and fasting. I guess he didn’t do enough of either. He died from Pneumonia on August 30, 1868.
7. Ra’s Al Ghul from Batman
How is he an immortal? He must immerse himself in a Lazarus Pit, a chemical pit bubbling up to the Earth’s surface, which is restorative pool that will heal him, even if nearly dead.
This villain is a DC Comics creation introduced in Batman #232, “The Demon’s Daughter”, back in June 1971. Since then, he’s appeared in various medias, fighting against Superman in comics, and in Batman Begins, played by Liam Neeson, to name but two. Al Ghul’s immortality is the bane of The Dark Knight, especially considering he is one of the few to know his true identity.
6. Hidan from Naruto
How is he an immortal? Hidan is a member of a religious order that denies the physical world as imperfect because it must decay and die. He used the knowledge revealed in his religion to surpass the physical world and exist in a pure spiritual state.
Naruto is a very popular Japanese manga series adapted to anime. The eponymous protagonist, Naruto the Ninja, often has run-ins with the super-powered immortal Hidan. Hidan not only has the gift of eternal life, but also the ability to reflect any harm done to him onto his opponent. The blatant sadist takes great pleasure in wounding himself, to watch the harm done against his foe.
5. Q from Star Trek
How is he an immortal? His race is omnipotent and immortal – he is a god of sorts, or so it is suspected.
Q is a long-running Enterprise character, whose sole purpose is to wind up anyone that he comes across, including Picard, his crew, and even the Klingons. Not only is the mischievous Q immortal, but he also hails from a whole race of like-minded hyper-intelligent beings – The Q Continuum – who make regular appearances throughout the Star Trek series.
4. Claire Bennett
How is she an immortal? Claire was born with the innate super-power (mutant ability) to heal and regenerate.
Claire Bennett is one of the newest additions to the world’s immortals. She first appeared in the hit series “Heroes” in “Genesis”, when her and a friend make a video diary of her amazing ability to regenerate and live through various fatal incidents. As the show goes on, Claire soon develops the ability to stop feeling pain altogether.
3. Jason Voorhees
How is he an immortal? It has been hypothesized that is love for his mother is so strong that he resists death itself. But no reason has been given. I believe sequels are the real reason.
Jason – and his legendary hockey mask – are icons every horror film fan knows and loves. And whether you love or loathe those icons, they certainly wouldn’t be about if Jason wasn’t graced with immortality. Since his first appearance in Friday the 13th, poor Jason has been macheted, axed in the head, drowned, melted away by toxic waste and even cremated, yet he just keeps coming back. It wouldn’t be much of a movie without him though, would it?
2. Duncan MacLeod from Highlander
How is he an immortal? He simply is an immortal, born that way unto a race of immortals.
The Highlander, played by British actor Adrian Paul, was the star of the long-running series and movies of the same name. The show follows MacLeod, a skilled Scottish clan swordsman and successor of Connor Macleod, over four centuries. Despite trying, his various foes, including the demon Ahriman, have never defeated him.
1. Wolverine
How is he an immortal? Wolverine’s mutant healing factor keeps him in perfect health and long-lived.
X-men legend Wolverine is about to get his own film, courtesy of Hugh Jackman and the movie moguls at Marvel Studios. The reason being is that Wolverine, or Logan as he’s otherwise known, stands out as one of the superior Marvel characters, thanks mainly to his superhuman healing abilities and deadly claws. Wolverine’s skeleton – and claws – are unbreakable, made from a fictitious metal called adamantium, meaning he is hell on wheels and an excellent fighter. The downside? He feels pain like mortals – especially when he extrudes those notorious claws.
His ability to heal from nearly any wound and his resistance to all disease have Wolverine at the top of this list for all time, as his life won’t come to an end as long as he can avoid being killed. Hmmm, maybe he won’t be on this list long after all.
by Katherine Watts
30 Comments
Albedo from Xenosaga!
Good list. I would like to add a few names; Thor, Hercules, Odin, & Zeus (Marvel), The Guardians of The Universe and Lobo (he died once, now neither Heaven or Hell want him back) (DC), Lt. Cmdr. Data (Star Trek — I know, he’s an artificial lifeform, still, he is a lifeform). I realize that this is a ‘Top Ten’ list, and is subjective, and not all these characters could be included. Very good list though.
Apocalypse from the X-men, had a Lazarus chamber that rejuvenated him, also the jedi and sith in star wars although they died, kept living as “force ghosts”.
well..Q should be #1 easily. he has the ability to move himself(and others)backwards and forwards in time, the ability to transport anywhere in the universe or take any form by just snapping his fingers.
also what about data? in nemesis he was killed but they found b-4(another android) prior to that and data copied himself onto b-4’s brain. he made a copy of himself and as a machine can live forever right?
Perhaps vampires don’t qualify to be in a list of immortals because they are not alive, they are undead. While the vampiric attack that makes them a vampire is fatal, they do not succumb to death.
Proof? Bram Stoker himself named Dracula as undead, and even considered the title “The Un-Dead” before naming his story “Dracula”, according to Wikipedia.
I’d give a place in this list to Captain Jack Harkness from “Doctor Who” and “Torchwood” who is restored to life and health after every fatal trauma, including being blown to smithereens.
SPOILER ALERT
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It is suggested but never confirmed that Jack’s countless rivivals cause him to evolve into The Face of Boe, ultimately living more than 5 billion years. At the last he willingly expends his life energy to preserve humanity without which sacrifice he would have undoubtedly lived to the last days of the universe.
END SPOILER ALERT
A special mention should go to Marvin the Paranoid Android from “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” who, although not actually a living thing, manages through excursions in time to become “thirty-seven times older than the Universe itself”.
Nicholas Flamel. He's supposedly found the sercret of creating gold from base metals and immortality.
He cares about these helpless mortals?
That shall be his undoing.
Father, forgive me. I am a worm.
I have something to say: it's better to burn out than to fade away!
From the dawn of time we came, moving silently down through the centuries. Living many secret lives, struggling to reach the time of the gathering, when the few who remain will battle to the last. No one has ever known we were among you…..until now.
I am Connor MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod. I was born in 1518 in the village of Glenfinnan on the shores of Loch Shiel. And I am immortal.
Old English? Old British more like. Or more specifically, old Welsh. Seriously though, it's the 21st Century, when are Americans going to learn that British and English aren't synonyms?
TV rocks!
WHY IS EDWARD NOT NUMBER ONE ON THE IMMORTALS LIST?!?!?! HE SHOULD ATLEAST BE ON THERE!
Thank you! 🙂
Because nobody likes Edward except teenage girls. Now go away and watch Twilight for the 876,0283,457th time on mute and say all the words for them like you know you would rather do than BREATHE.
This list is a great topic but it doesn't seem very well thought-out. Video game characters over literature characters, and a complete omission of Mythology of any kind, doesn't give the list much depth. Where is Dracula, where are Zeus and Odin?
Bry: In the movie that you are referring to, that was not actually Michael Myers. Michael switched the body with a janitor which explains why Michael was alive in the next film as well as why his sister felt uncertain about whom she just decapitated.
Error.
Hidan isn't immortal at all. It is further explained in the third official databook that was released by the author himself that Hidan was using a ritual that essentially zombified his body. The requirements for the ritual was to kill someone. If Hidan does not fulfill the ritual, he is rendered mortal and he dies.
Thus Hidan is confirmed officially dead as he was dismembered and buried in a pit by Shikamaru. His overconfidence relied on his partner, Kakuzu, actually defeating and disposing of the enemy and then retrieving him, but he did not consider the possibility that Kakuzu would actually be killed by Naruto and friends.
If anything, it's just temporary immortality or pseudo-immortality or self-zombification.
Micheal Myers….. in a movie i saw him get beheaded with an axe, and still manages to comeback.
Actually, Wolverine can die. He also ages, just really slow, he will die.
I agree with Top Tenz Master. I find it hard to believe there is a top ten list of immortals that lacked any of the famous vampires we know. Dracula, Lestat, even the popular Edward Cullen of today? I'm mystified.
AMEN!
Good job Susan 🙂
TopTenz, hi my name is Sam, I'm citing the pager for my sophomore research paper and I was wondering if you wouldnt mind giving me your last name, so that I can properly cite you in the paper. Toptenz Master doesn't look very professional. Thanks, and best wishes
In the chronology of the Highlander universe, Connor Macleod is older, born in 1518, while Duncan was born in 1592. Just saying, I would have gone with Connor.
Actually, Wolverine can die. He also ages, just really slow, he will die (if he was real I mean). This article isn't very accurate. TopTenz is also right, Duncan from Highlander was always fearfull of getting his head lopped off. Plus, what's the point in having a real person on this list who was by no means immortal or at least fun to read about?
Tadd, I believe Wolverine can be on this list. We don't know for sure if he will eventually die of old age. His healing factor may forever keep him alive. He may age but eventually it may stop or he may finally exist one step from death for eternity. Not the way I would want to spend eternity.
Michael Myers from Halloween???
Spencer- I disagree. I think all of the most of the members of this list can be killed. Duncan can have his head chopped off so he is near-invincible just like the rest. If you set Ra's Al Ghul on fire and he burns to ashes there won't be anything to hop into the pit.
Most immortals are only immortal if they take very good care of themselves. Even Dracula needs to avoid food heavy in garlic, a sunny day at the beach and wooden stakes in order to keep his immortal thing going.
um, for number 4 and number one u r confusing immortal with invincible. Immortal means you can never die…ever…you can never be killed and never die of old age. Invincible means you can't be killed but you can die of old age
No, it doesn't. You're wrong.
Actually Claire can never die because her cells stopped aging completely after a while. You can only turn her off temporarily by inserting something into the back of her skull precisely unless you are Peter Patrelli’s father and can take her ability away, then she is no longer immortal. And I agree that wolverine is not immortal because he ages and that is not something you find in any immortal being. On a side note, I believe #1 should have been captain Jack Harkness of Torchwood.
Only one big omission in my book – Dracula or some other vampire. He was immortal at the cost of his soul and his need to drink the blood of the living. Totally gross.