Count Tyrone Rugen is the villain of William Goldman's 1973 novel The Princess Bride. In Rob Reiner's 1987 movie adaptation, he was portrayed by Christopher Guest.
Tyrone Rugen had six fingers on one hand, and as a young man killed Inigo Montoya's father after refusing to pay the agreed price for a sword he made for him. When young Inigo challenged him to a duel, he handily defeated the boy, but let him live, scarring him on both cheeks to cure him of his "overactive sense of vengeance." Inigo then dedicated his life to taking revenge on "the six-fingered man" (he didn't know Rugen's real name.)
Years later, Rugen entered the service of Prince Humperdinck, functioning as his advisor, chief torturer, and royal inventor, who tested his devices on live prisoners thrown into the "Pit of Despair," Humperdinck's secret dungeon. His most nefarious invention was a machine that drained years of life away from its victims. This invention almost killed Westley, the true love of Humperdinck's bride-to-be, Buttercup, whom Humperdinck had imprisoned; it drained 50 years of his life away. It was only through the intervention of Inigo, his sidekick Fezzik, and Miracle Max, the former royal Miracle Man whom Humperdinck had fired, that Westley's life was restored.
Inigo finally met up with Rugen during the attack on Humperdinck's wedding celebration, and said the words he had waited to say for twenty years: "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." Rugen gravely wounded Inigo by stabbing him in the stomach, and gloated over his dying enemy as he saw the twin scars on his face and recognized him. Just as Rugen was about to deliver the fatal wound, however, Inigo recovered his strength and fought back, constantly repeating "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. prepare to die." Inigo scared and confused Rugen. When Rugen was disarmed Inigo told Rugen to beg to offer anything that he wanted. When Rugon asked Ingio what he wanted, Ingio responded "I want my father back you son of a bitch" then Ingio killed Rugon.
Fictional counts and countesses | Fictional murderers | Film villains | Literature villains
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"Count Rugen".
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