The Warlord

Lore & Background

The Warlord is a malevolent entity whose goal is to spread war through the galaxy, enabling him to rule over the remains that survive. He moved against the Legions of Moros because he perceived them as the greatest threat to his plan. The Warlord's agents include the shadowy force known as the Deathwing, which operates under a leader called 'The One.' The Warlord is responsible for the destruction of Moros, using a radiation bomb that left the entire planet covered with an unknown type of radiation. The Overseers, a group with a network of satellites that give an overview of all events throughout the galaxy, are the ones who inform Keill of the Warlord's existence and motives.

In Their Own Story

Keill Randor, the last survivor of Moros, learns of the Warlord from the Overseers after being healed of radiation sickness. The Overseers' leader, Talis, explains that the Warlord destroyed Moros because the Legions were the greatest threat to his plan to spread war and rule the galaxy. Keill then agrees to collaborate with the Overseers and his telepathic avian companion Glr to find and destroy the Warlord. Throughout the subsequent books—*Deathwing Over Veynaa* and *Day of the Starwind*—Keill fights against the Warlord's agents, including the Deathwing and its leader 'The One,' but the Warlord himself never appears directly in the narrative.

Reader's Guide

The Warlord is the overarching antagonist of the Last Legionary series, though he never appears directly in the books. He is introduced in *Galactic Warlord* (1979) through the exposition of the Overseers. His agents include the Deathwing, a shadowy force, and its leader 'The One,' who is revealed in *Day of the Starwind* to be a golden cyborg named Altern. The Warlord's weapon of choice is a radiation bomb, which he used to destroy Moros and which appears again in *Deathwing Over Veynaa*. Keill Randor's quest for vengeance against the Warlord drives the plot of the series, but the Warlord's ultimate fate is not resolved within the five books.

Did You Know?

• The Warlord is never directly encountered by Keill Randor in any of the five books.
• The Warlord's destruction of Moros is the inciting event of the series, occurring at the beginning of *Galactic Warlord*.
• The Warlord's agents include the Deathwing, whose leader is known as 'The One.'
• The radiation bomb used by the Warlord on Moros is also used in *Deathwing Over Veynaa* to threaten the planet Veynaa.
• The Overseers describe the Warlord as a 'malevolent entity' whose sole aim is to spread war through the galaxy.