Kull the Conqueror
Kull the Conqueror, also known as Kull of Atlantis, is a fictional character created by American author Robert E. Howard as a brooding barbarian warrior and king set in a prehistoric, pre-human era known as the Thurian Age.[1] Originating from the island of Atlantis, Kull is depicted as a towering, muscular figure with dark hair and piercing gray eyes, orphaned young after a great flood and raised by a rival tribe before being exiled for showing mercy to a woman.[2] His life takes him through paths of piracy, gladiatorial combat, and military service, culminating in his ascension to the throne of the ancient kingdom of Valusia by slaying its tyrannical ruler.[1] Unlike more impulsive heroes, Kull is portrayed as introspective and philosophical, often pondering the nature of reality, kingship, and justice while wielding immense physical prowess in battle.[2] Howard introduced Kull in the short story "The Shadow Kingdom", published in Weird Tales magazine in August 1929, marking one of the author's earliest forays into sword-and-sorcery fantasy.[1] Only three Kull stories appeared during Howard's lifetime—"The Shadow Kingdom," "The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune" (1929), and "Kings of the Night" (1930)—with several others remaining unpublished until after his death in 1936, including the influential "By This Axe I Rule!", elements of which Howard later repurposed for his more famous character, Conan the Barbarian.[1] In these tales, Kull confronts serpentine shape-shifters, sorcerers, and existential threats to his rule, embodying themes of barbarism versus civilization and the burdens of power.[2] The character's chronology places him millennia before Conan, with Atlantean survivors said to evolve into the Cimmerians of the Hyborian Age.[2] Kull's legacy extends into comics and film adaptations that expanded Howard's vision. Marvel Comics launched the Kull the Conqueror series in 1971.[3] The series, scripted by Roy Thomas and illustrated by artists like Marie Severin, portrayed Kull as a time-displaced warrior interacting with the Marvel Universe.[4] Subsequent publishers such as Dark Horse Comics (2006–2011) and IDW Publishing (2017) produced further comic runs faithful to the original stories.[5][6] In 1997, the live-action film Kull the Conqueror, directed by John Nicolella and starring Kevin Sorbo as the titular hero, loosely adapted Howard's works; in the plot, Kull becomes king of Valusia only to battle a resurrected evil sorceress, Akivasha, played by Tia Carrere, in a tale blending action, fantasy, and humor.[7] Though critically mixed, the movie highlighted Kull's heroic archetype as a just ruler fighting ancient evils.[8]Background and development
Literary origins
Kull, a barbarian warrior from Atlantis who becomes king of Valusia, was created by American author Robert E. Howard in the mid-1920s. The character's first appearance came in the unpublished story "Exile of Atlantis," written around 1925, which depicts Kull's early life among the tribes of prehistoric Atlantis. Howard's first published Kull tale, "The Shadow Kingdom," appeared in the August 1929 issue of Weird Tales magazine, introducing the core narrative of Kull as a suspicious monarch uncovering serpentine shape-shifters infiltrating his court.[9][10] The Kull stories explore recurring themes of barbarism versus the decadence of civilization, the lurking presence of ancient, pre-human evils, and the mythical lost continent of Atlantis as a primal setting. In tales like "The Shadow Kingdom," Howard contrasts Kull's raw, instinctual worldview with the corrupt, intrigue-filled courts of advanced societies, often portraying civilization as a veneer hiding monstrous threats from forgotten eras. These elements reflect Howard's fascination with prehistoric myths and the tension between savage vitality and societal decay.[11][12] Howard wrote approximately a dozen Kull stories between 1925 and 1930, though only three were published during his lifetime in Weird Tales. The majority remained unpublished until the 1960s, when they were collected in anthologies such as King Kull (1967) by Lancer Books, edited by Lin Carter, which assembled ten stories and fragments to revive interest in Howard's pre-Conan fantasy works. Subsequent editions, like Kull (2006) from Del Rey, included additional drafts and essays on the character's development.[13][11] Kull served as a precursor to Howard's more famous character, Conan the Barbarian, with shared thematic and universal elements in Howard's fictional prehistory; notably, Conan's debut story "The Phoenix on the Sword" (1932) was a direct rewrite of the unpublished Kull tale "By This Axe, I Rule!" The Kull saga established Howard's sword-and-sorcery style, influencing the Hyborian Age chronicles that followed. In the United States, the original 1929-published Kull stories entered the public domain on January 1, 2025, allowing unrestricted use of those specific works.[14][15]Pre-production
The pre-production of Kull the Conqueror originated as plans for a third installment in the Conan film series, intended to star Arnold Schwarzenegger in the lead role following Conan the Barbarian (1982) and Conan the Destroyer (1984).[16] However, the project shifted after complications arose from rights issues surrounding Red Sonja (1985), which had featured Schwarzenegger in a supporting role and created licensing entanglements with the Conan properties.[17] Additionally, Schwarzenegger's commitment to Batman & Robin (1997) made him unavailable, prompting producer Raffaella de Laurentiis—who had overseen the earlier Conan films under her father Dino de Laurentiis—to pivot to an alternative Robert E. Howard character.[16][17] In 1995, Universal Pictures acquired the project, marking a key step in its development toward production.[17] Screenwriter Charles Edward Pogue was brought on to adapt Howard's Conan novel The Hour of the Dragon (1935), repurposing its plot—originally rejected as a Conan script—for the protagonist Kull of Atlantis, a precursor character to Conan in Howard's fictional timeline.[16] Director John Nicolella, known for action-oriented television work, was attached to helm the film, while de Laurentiis continued as producer, leveraging her experience from the Conan franchise to guide the adaptation.[16] By 1996, the production budget was established at $30 million, reflecting Universal's investment in a mid-tier fantasy spectacle.[18] A pivotal change during pre-production was the renaming of the film from Conan the Conqueror to Kull the Conqueror, undertaken to circumvent ongoing licensing conflicts with the Conan intellectual property held by other entities.[17] This adjustment allowed the project to proceed independently while retaining core elements of sword-and-sorcery adventure inspired by Howard's pulp fiction.[16]Production
Casting
Kevin Sorbo was selected to portray the titular barbarian warrior Kull, capitalizing on his rising fame from the television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, which had established him as a charismatic action hero capable of blending physical prowess with lighter dramatic elements.[7] This casting decision aimed to leverage Sorbo's television audience to broaden the film's marketability in the fantasy genre, positioning Kull the Conqueror as his first major leading role in a feature film during a hiatus from the show.[19] To prepare for the role, Sorbo underwent two months of horse-riding lessons prior to production, as he had limited prior experience with equestrian skills essential for the character's nomadic warrior background.[20] Tia Carrere was cast as the seductive sorceress Akivasha, drawing on her established action credentials from roles in films like Wayne's World (1992) and True Lies (1994), which showcased her ability to combine allure with physical intensity suitable for the film's antagonistic supernatural elements.[7] Thomas Ian Griffith joined as the scheming General Taligaro; he had initially auditioned for the lead role of Kull but was deemed unsuitable by producers, leading to his reassignment to the villainous part, where his martial arts background enhanced the character's confrontational presence.[20] The supporting cast included Litefoot (Gary Davis) as the priestly Ascalante, Karina Lombard as the prophetic Zareta, and Douglas Henshall as the noble Ducalon, members of the royal entourage whose roles added layers of intrigue and alliance dynamics to the narrative.[21] Harvey Fierstein was chosen for the comic relief role of Juba, the opportunistic merchant-pirate, an inspired but ultimately underutilized selection that introduced campy humor to contrast the film's sword-and-sorcery tone.[21] This choice drew criticism for injecting anachronistic, effeminate wit into the otherwise pulpy fantasy setting, potentially diluting the genre's gritty market appeal and clashing with the era's expectations for straightforward heroic adventures.[22]Filming
Principal photography for Kull the Conqueror took place from August 6 to October 30, 1996, primarily in Eastern Europe to evoke the mythical realms of Valusia and Atlantis.[23] The production utilized historic sites in Slovakia, including Červený Kameň Castle and Spiš Castle for the grand palace interiors and exteriors of Valusia, as well as Devin Castle near Bratislava and the High Tatras mountains for rugged outdoor sequences. Coastal and island scenes depicting the lost city of Atlantis were captured in Croatia at Kornati National Park and Murter Island, providing dramatic seascapes and ancient ruin backdrops. Additional filming occurred at Koliba Studios in Bratislava for controlled interior sets.[23][24] Rodney Charters served as director of photography, emphasizing practical effects and location shooting to craft the film's gritty, sword-and-sorcery visual style, with minimal reliance on CGI for the dynamic sword fights and fantastical creature elements.[25][26] Special effects featured extensive prosthetics for the serpentine transformations and demonic entities, supervised by Richard Malzahn, blending practical makeup with some optical enhancements for supernatural sequences. Stunt coordination was handled by Paul Weston, who oversaw the elaborate fight choreography involving weapons and acrobatics across the varied terrains.[27][21][20] The $30 million production faced budget limitations that restricted elaborate set builds, relying heavily on existing European castles and natural landscapes to minimize construction costs. Harsh Eastern European weather during the late summer and fall shoots occasionally impacted outdoor scheduling, though the team adapted by prioritizing interior work at times.[18][28] In post-production, Dallas Puett handled editing to maintain a brisk pace for the action-driven narrative. Sound design incorporated layered atmospheric effects and Joel Goldsmith's orchestral score to heighten the horror-tinged fantasy elements drawn from Robert E. Howard's source material.[26][27][25]Narrative and characters
Plot
The film opens with Kull, a barbarian warrior from Atlantis who has spent five years as a slave, arriving in the kingdom of Valusia and rising through the ranks of the army to become a captain in the elite Dragon Guard.[8] During a private audience, the mad King Borna, having slain his own heirs to thwart succession plots, attacks Kull in a fit of rage but is killed by him in self-defense. With no legitimate successors remaining, the nobles reluctantly crown the outsider Kull as the new king of Valusia. To solidify his rule and gain legitimacy among the aristocracy, Kull agrees to marry a noblewoman from a prominent family.[25][29] As king, Kull implements reforms promoting freedom, tolerance, and the abolition of slavery, which infuriates the corrupt nobles, including General Taligaro and the king's cousin Ducalon, who view him as an uncivilized barbarian unfit to rule.[8] These conspirators, seeking to restore their power, enlist the sorcerer Enaros, who performs a dark ritual in a forbidden temple to resurrect Akivasha, the ancient sorceress queen of the demonic kingdom of Acheron who ruled over 3,000 years earlier and was defeated by the god Valka.[25] Akivasha is resurrected into the body of a young woman selected as Kull's bride-to-be, whom she then impersonates to seduce and marry him, using her dark magic during their wedding night to poison him with a cursed kiss that simulates death, allowing the nobles to declare him deceased and install her as the puppet queen while she plots to conquer the world.[30][29] Kull is secretly rescued from cremation by Zareta, the fortune teller who foresees his survival, and Ascalante, a devotee and priest of Valka whom Kull had previously freed from slavery. Later, they enlist the aid of Juba, the eunuch court advisor. The group learns that Akivasha's immortality can only be broken by the Breath of Valka, a sacred dagger forged by the god and hidden on the Isle of Ice in the frozen north, capable of slaying her and her undead minions. Exiled and pursued by Taligaro's forces and Akivasha's demonic servants, Kull, Zareta, Ascalante, and Juba embark on a perilous quest northward, seizing a ship after outwitting Juba's men and battling Akivasha's demonic servants in a series of skirmishes that test Kull's barbarian prowess and resolve.[31][7] The climax unfolds during Akivasha's ritual under a solar eclipse to fully revive her fiendish army in Acheron's subterranean temple, where Kull confronts Akivasha and her conspirators. After defeating Taligaro in single combat and overcoming the undead hordes, Kull retrieves the Breath of Valka and stabs Akivasha through the heart, destroying her and causing the temple to collapse as her dark magic unravels. Returning to Valusia triumphant, Kull reclaims the throne, executes the remaining traitors, destroys the ancient Tablets of the Law to abolish slavery, marries Zareta, and recommits to his vision of a just kingdom free from corruption and tyranny, emphasizing purity and honor over the nobles' decadence.[25][30] The 95-minute runtime is structured in three acts, with the first establishing Kull's ascension roughly 30 minutes in, the assassination attempt and fake death marking the transition to the second act around the 45-minute point, and the quest building to the climactic confrontation in the final third.[7][29]Cast
The principal cast of Kull the Conqueror features Kevin Sorbo in the lead role, supported by a mix of established character actors and rising talents portraying the film's ensemble of warriors, nobles, and mystical figures in the ancient kingdom of Valusia.[27]| Actor | Role | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Kevin Sorbo | Kull | An Atlantean barbarian warrior who ascends to become king, serving as the heroic protagonist driven by honor and strength.[8][7] |
| Tia Carrere | Akivasha | An ancient, resurrected sorceress who embodies seduction and vengeful power as the central antagonist.[25][7] |
| Thomas Ian Griffith | General Taligaro | A cunning and ambitious high-ranking military officer in the Valusian court.[7][32] |
| Litefoot | Ascalante | A resourceful former slave and priest of Valka, serving as a key ally to the protagonists with his wit, loyalty, and faith.[7][31] |
| Karina Lombard | Zareta | A street-smart fortune teller who aids the hero with her divination skills and boldness.[7][33] |
| Harvey Fierstein | Juba | An eccentric court advisor and eunuch who offers humorous counsel and logistical support.[7][33] |