Killconey was a male ferret resident of Mossflower Woods who was pressed under threat of death to join the horde of Cluny the Scourge when Cluny attacked Redwall Abbey. Although he was extremely garrulous, with a comical accent and a tendency to refer to his mother's sayings, he wasn't a fool. In fact, the outsider turned out to be very useful for Cluny in several schemes.
Killconey considered Scragg a good friend and a fine officer, mourning him after his apparent death from falling from a tree (he was actually murdered by Cheesethief). Killconey and Cheesethief were the only members of Cluny's horde who saw Asmodeus Poisonteeth and lived. The pair observed him pulling the carcass of Ragear away.
When Cluny was injured, Killconey referred him to Sela and Chickenhound. He was later in charge of the crew of weasels, stoats, and ferrets tasked with digging a tunnel into Redwall from the southwestern corner - though this plan was discovered and failed miserably, leading to the death of Darkclaw and many other horde members. During the largest battle of the Late Rose Summer Wars, Killconey, for a short while, took the position of "drummer-cum-soothsayer."
Killconey had some knowledge of leverage, and built Cluny a siege tower to enter Redwall from the back wall, though this scheme also failed to gain access to the Abbey. The incident shocked Cluny so much that for a short while, Killconey took control of the horde along with Darkclaw and Fangburn. In the final battle for Redwall, Killconey was used by Cluny as a living shield and slain from a sword swipe from Matthias that chopped him in half. His last action temporarily saved his leader's life.
Nelvana Redwall TV Series[]
Killconey from the Nelvana Redwall TV Series
In the Nelvana Redwall TV Series, Killconey joined Cluny to loot the Abbey and acts completely loyal to him, serving as the Scourge's personal spy. He displays the ability to cling onto walls and climb up towers, which he often uses for stealth. Though his friendship with Scragg isn't displayed due to the latter's reduced role, Killconey is shown to dislike Cheesethief due to his rudeness and disloyalty to Cluny.
In the episode Battle Plans, Killconey spies on Constance and Matthias, overhearing their plot to assassinate Cluny with a ballista. He also spies on Cheesethief's plan to assassinate Cluny and reports both events to the Scourge, allowing the rat leader to formulate a plan to use Cheesethief as a unwitting body double by telling Cheesethief that he is needed to review battle plans in his leader's tent. Killconey hires a magpie to scout the Abbey from above in The Visitor episode.
He is killed off-screen in The Final Conflict episode.
Trivia[]
- Killconey was the first ferret to be named in the Redwall series. His name means "one who kills rabbits," as "coney" is an old English word for "young rabbit."
- While never shown in a positive light, Killconey is never really shown to be sadistic and cruel, like many members of Cluny's army. This may be linked to his being forced into service under Cluny.
- In several printings of Redwall, Killconey is identified inconsistently throughout the text as either male or female. Brian Jacques confirmed that Killconey was male.
- Killconey is the only high ranked beast in Cluny's army that is not a rat.