Koshchei ( rus, Коще́й, r=Koshchey, p=kɐˈɕːej), also Kashchei ( rus, Каще́й, r=Kashchey, p=kɐˈɕːej), often given the epithet "the Immortal", or "the Deathless" (), is an archetypal male antagonist in

Russian folklore The Russian folklore, i.e., the folklore of Russian people, takes its roots in the pagan beliefs of ancient Slavs and now is represented in the Russian fairy tales. Epic Russian bylinas are also an important part of Slavic paganism. The oldest ...

. The most common feature of tales involving Koschei is a spell which prevents him from being killed. He hides "his death" inside nested objects to protect it. For example, his death may be hidden in a needle that is hidden inside an egg, the egg is in a duck, the duck is in a hare, the hare is in a chest, the chest is buried or chained up on a faraway island of

Buyan In Russian folklore, Buyan (), sometimes transliterated as Bujan, is a mysterious island in the ocean with the ability to appear and disappear with the tide. The island is found in '' byliny'' and '' skazki''. It gained wider recognition after a ...

. Usually he takes the role of a malevolent rival figure, who competes for (or entraps) a male hero's love interest. The origin of the tales is unknown. The archetype may contain elements derived from the 12th-century pagan Cuman-Kipchak (Polovtsian) leader Khan Konchak, who is recorded in ''

The Tale of Igor's Campaign ''The Tale of Igor's Campaign'' or ''The Tale of Ihor's Campaign'' () is an anonymous epic poem written in the Old East Slavic language. The title is occasionally translated as ''The Tale of the Campaign of Igor'', ''The Song of Igor's Campaign'' ...

''; over time a balanced view of the non-Christian Cuman Khan may have been distorted or

caricature A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, ...

d by Christian Slavic writers.

Historicity and folk origins

By at least the 18th century, and likely earlier, Koschei's legend had been appearing in Slavic tales. For a long period, no connection was made with any historical character.

Origin in Khan Konchak

The origin of the tale may be related to the Polovtsian (

Cuman The Cumans or Kumans were a Turkic nomadic people from Central Asia comprising the western branch of the Cuman–Kipchak confederation who spoke the Cuman language. They are referred to as Polovtsians (''Polovtsy'') in Rus' chronicles, as " ...

) leader Khan Konchak, who dates from the 12th century.Konchak is an important antagonist in the

Tale of Igor's Campaign ''The Tale of Igor's Campaign'' or ''The Tale of Ihor's Campaign'' () is an anonymous epic poem written in the Old East Slavic language. The title is occasionally translated as ''The Tale of the Campaign of Igor'', ''The Song of Igor's Campaign'' ...

In ''

'' Konchak is referred to as a koshey (slave).In

Leonard A. Magnus Leonard Arthur Magnus, Bachelor of Laws, LL.B. (December 12, 1879 – September 11, 1924) was a British scholar and translator, with interests in Russian literature, as well as the author of a novel of utopian fiction. Konchak is thought to have come/returned from Georgia (the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...

) to the

steppe In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without closed forests except near rivers and lakes. Steppe biomes may include: * the montane grasslands and shrublands biome * the tropical and subtropica ...

; by he is described in Russian chronicles as a leader of the

Polovtsi The Cumans or Kumans were a Turkic people, Turkic nomadic people from Central Asia comprising the western branch of the Cumania, Cuman–Kipchak confederation who spoke the Cuman language. They are referred to as Polovtsians (''Polovtsy'') in Ru ...

, and as taking part in an uprising. There is not enough information to reconstruct further details of Konchak's appearance or nature from historical sources; though unusual features or abnormalities were usually recorded (often as epithets) by chroniclers, none are recorded for Konchak. The legendary love of gold of Koschei is speculated to be a distorted record of Konchak's role as the keeper of the Kosh's resources. Koschei's epithet "the immortal" may be a reference to Konchak's longevity. He is last recorded in Russian chronicles during the 1203 capture of Kiev, if the record is correct this gives Konchak an unusually long life – possibly over 100 years – for the time this would have been over six generations. Koschei's life-protecting spell may be derived from traditional Turkic amulets, which were egg-shaped and often contained arrowheads (cf. the needle in Koschei's egg). It is thought that many of the negative aspects of Koschei's character are distortions of a more nuanced relationship of Khan Konchak with the Christian Slavs, such as his rescuing of Prince Igor from captivity, or the marriage between Igor's son and Konchak's daughter. Konchak, as a pagan, could have been demonised over time as a stereotypical villain.

Naming and etymology

In the ''

Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language The ''Explanatory Dictionary of the Living Great Russian Language'' (), commonly known as ''Dal's Explanatory Dictionary'' (), is a major explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. It contains about 220,000 words and 30,000 proverbs (3rd edi ...

'' of

Vladimir Dahl Vladimir Ivanovich Dal (, ; 22 November 1801 – 4 October 1872) was a Russian lexicographer, speaker of many languages, Turkologist, and founding member of the Russian Geographical Society. During his lifetime he compiled and documented the o ...

, the name ''Kashchei'' is derived from the verb "kastit" – to harm, to dirty: "probably from the word "kastit", but remade into koshchei, from 'bone', meaning a man exhausted by excessive thinness". ("Bone" here is in Russian .) Vasmer notes that the word ''koshchei'' has two meanings that have different etymologies: "thin, skinny person, walking skeleton" or "miser" – the origin of the word "bone"). Old Russian "youth, boy, captive, slave" from the Turkic ''košči'' "slave", in turn from ''koš'' "camp". Koschei, as the name of the hero of a fairy tale and as a designation for a skinny person, Max Vasmer in his dictionary considers the original Slavic word (homonym) and associates with the word bone (common Slavic *''kostь''), that is, it is an adjective form ''koštіі'' (nominative adjective in the nominative case singular), declining according to the type "God". Numerous variant names and spellings have been given to Koschei; these include ''Kashchei'', ''Koshchai'', ''Kashshei'', ''Kovshei'', ''Kosh'', ''Kashch'', ''Kashel'', ''Kostei'', ''Kostsei'', ''Kashshui'', ''Kozel'', ''Koz'olok'', ''Korachun'', ''Korchun bessmertnyi'', ''Kot bezsmertnyi'', ''Kot Bezmertnyi'', ''Kostii bezdushnyi''; in

bylina A (, ; ), also popularly known as a ''starina'' (), is a type of Russian oral epic poem. deal with all periods of Russian history. narratives are loosely based on historical fact, but greatly embellished with fantasy or hyperbole. or ...

s he also appears as ''Koshcheiushko'', ''Koshcheg'', ''Koshcherishcho'', ''Koshchui'', ''Koshel''. The term ''Koshey'' appears in Slavic chronicles as early as the 12th century to refer to an officer or official during a military campaign. Similar terms include the Ukrainian (Koshovyi) for the head of the 'Kish' (military) (see also

Kish otaman Kish may refer to: Businesses and organisations * KISH, a radio station in Guam * Kish Air, an Iranian airline * Korean International School in Hanoi, Vietnam People * Kish (surname), including a list of people with the name * Kish, a former ...

). In

Old Russian Old East Slavic (traditionally also Old Russian) was a language (or a group of dialects) used by the East Slavs from the 7th or 8th century to the 13th or 14th century, until it diverged into the Russian and Ruthenian languages. Ruthenian even ...

'Kosh' means a camp, while in

Belarusian Belarusian may refer to: * Something of, or related to Belarus * Belarusians, people from Belarus, or of Belarusian descent * A citizen of Belarus, see Demographics of Belarus * Belarusian language * Belarusian culture * Belarusian cuisine * Byelor ...

a similar term means 'to camp' and in

Turkic languages The Turkic languages are a language family of more than 35 documented languages, spoken by the Turkic peoples of Eurasia from Eastern Europe and Southern Europe to Central Asia, East Asia, North Asia (Siberia), and West Asia. The Turkic langua ...

a similar term means 'a wanderer'. The use as a personal name is recorded as early as the 15th century on Novogrodian

birch bark manuscript Birch bark manuscripts are documents written on pieces of the outer layer of birch bark, which was commonly used for writing before the mass production of paper. Evidence of birch bark for writing goes back many centuries and appears in various c ...

s. In ''The Tale of Igor's Campaign'' a similar sounding term is used, recorded being inscribed on coins, deriving from the Turkic for 'captive' or 'slave'. The same term also appears in the

Ipatiev Chronicle The ''Hypatian Codex'', also known as Hypatian Letopis or Ipatiev Letopis, is a compendium of three Rus' chronicles: the ''Primary Chronicle'', ''Kievan Chronicle'' and '' Galician-Volhynian Chronicle''. It is the most important source of histori ...

, meaning 'captive'. A second mention of the term is made in ''The Tale of Igor's Campaign'' when Igor is captured by the Polovtsi; this event is recorded as a riddle: "And here Prince Igor exchanged his golden saddle of a prince for the saddle of a Koshey (slave)." Nikolai Novikov also suggested the etymological origin of ''koshchii'' meaning "youth" or "boy" or "captive", "slave", or "servant". The interpretation of "captive" is interesting because Koschei appears initially as a captive in some tales.

In folk tales

Koschei is a common villain in east-Slavic folk tales. Often tales involving him are of the type AT 302 "The Giant Without A Heart" (see Aarne–Thompson classification systems). He also appears in tales resembling type AT 313 "The Magic Flight". He usually functions as the antagonist or rival to a hero. Common themes are love and rivalry. The typical feature in tales about Koschei is his protection against death (AT 302). To kill him you must find his death which is hidden inside an egg. The egg is hidden inside various animals, and which are then protected by containers or in remote places. In other tales, Koschei can cast a sleep spell that can be broken by playing an enchanted

gusli The ''gusli'' (, , , ''husla'') is the oldest East Slavic multi-string plucked instrument, belonging to the zither family, due to its strings being parallel to its resonance board. Its roots lie in Veliky Novgorod in the Novgorodian Republic. ...

. Depending on the tale he has different characteristics: he may ride a three- or seven-legged horse; may have tusks or fangs; and may possess a variety of different magic objects (like cloaks and rings) that a hero is sent to obtain; or he may have other magic powers. In one tale he has eyelids so heavy he requires servants to lift them (cf. the Celtic

Balor In Irish mythology, Balor or Balar was a leader of the Fomorians, a group of malevolent supernatural beings, and considered the most formidable. He is often described as a giant with a large eye that wreaks destruction when opened. Balor takes ...

Ysbaddaden ; "Ysbaddaden, Chief of Giants" (from roots meaning " hawthorn" or "infertile" - or perhaps implying both meanings), is the primary antagonist of the Welsh romance '' Culhwch and Olwen''.Helmut Birkhan: Kelten. Versuch einer Gesamtdarstellung i ...

, or Serbian Vy). The parallel female figure,

Baba Yaga Baba Yaga is a female character (or one of a trio of sisters of the same name) from Slavic folklore who has two contrasting roles. In some narratives, she is described as a repulsive or ferocious-looking old woman who fries and eats children, ...

, as a rule does not appear in the same tale with Koschei, though exceptions exists where both appear together as a married couple, or as siblings. Sometimes, Baba Yaga appears in tales along with Koschei as an old woman figure, such as his mother or aunt. The_Red_Fairy_Book-045

"Marya Morevna"

In the tale, also known as "

The Death of Koschei the Deathless The Death of Koschei the Deathless or Marya Morevna () is a Russian fairy tale collected by Alexander Afanasyev in ''Narodnye russkie skazki'' and included by Andrew Lang in ''The Red Fairy Book''. The character Koschei is an evil immortal man w ...

Ivan Tsarevitch Ivan Tsarevich ( or Иван-царевич) is one of the main heroes of Russian folklore, usually a protagonist, often engaged in a struggle with Koschei. Along with Ivan the Fool, Ivan Tsarevich is a placeholder name, meaning "Prince Ivan ...

encounters Koschei chained in the dungeon of Marya Morevna (Ivan's wife). He releases and revives Koschei, but Koschei abducts Marya. Ivan tries to rescue Marya several times, but Koschei's horse is too fast and he easily catches up with the escaping lovers. Each time Koschei's magical horse informs him that he could carry out several activities first and still catch up. After the third unsuccessful escape, Koschei cuts up Ivan and puts his body parts in a barrel which he throws into the sea. However, water of life revives Ivan. He then seeks out

to ask her for a horse swifter than Koshei's. After undergoing several trials he steals a horse and finally successfully rescues Marya.

"Tsarevich Petr and the Wizard"

Tsar Bel-Belianin's wife the Tzaritza is abducted by Koschei (the wizard). The Tsar's three sons attempt to rescue her. The first two fail to reach the wizard's palace, but the third, Petr, succeeds. He reaches the Tzaritza, conceals himself, and learns how the wizard hides his life. Initially he lies, but the third time he reveals it is in an egg, in a duck, in a hare, that nests in a hollow log, that floats in a pond, found in a forest on the island of Bouyan. Petr seeks the egg, freeing animals along the way – on coming to Bouyan the freed animals help him catch the wizard's creatures and obtain the egg. He returns to the wizard's domain and kills him by squeezing the egg – every action on the egg is mirrored on the wizard's body.

"The Snake Princess"

In "The Snake Princess" (Russian "Царевна-змея"), Koschei turns a princess who does not want to marry him into a snake.

Ivan Sosnovich

Koschei hears of three beauties in a kingdom. He kills two and wounds a third, puts the kingdom to sleep (petrifies), and abducts the princesses. Ivan Sosnovich (Russian ''Иван Соснович'') learns of Koschei's weakness: an egg in a box hidden under a mountain, so he digs up the whole mountain, finds the egg box and smashes it, and rescues the princess.

Similar folklore figures

The Serbian

Baš Čelik ''Baš Čelik'' (, ), meaning "head of steel", from Turkish language, Turkish ''baş'' for "head" and ''çelik'' for "steel", is a Serbian language, Serbian fairy tale, collected by Vuk Karadžić. It is similar to the Brothers Grimm's "The Cryst ...

(Head of Steel); Hungarian 'Lead-Headed Monk'; and Slovak 'Iron Monk' also all hide their weakness inside a nested series of animals.

In works of fiction

Koshchei is mentioned as a miser in the prologue

Pushkin Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin () was a Russian poet, playwright, and novelist of the Romantic era.Basker, Michael. Pushkin and Romanticism. In Ferber, Michael, ed., ''A Companion to European Romanticism''. Oxford: Blackwell, 2005. He is conside ...

Ruslan and Ludmila ''Ruslan and Ludmila'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform ) is a poem by Alexander Pushkin, published in 1820. Written as an epic literary fairy tale consisting of a dedication (посвящение), six "cantos" ( песни), and an epilogue ( ...

which describes wonders of the fairy-tale land of Lukomorye: "Там царь Кащей над златом чахнет" (There tsar Kashchei is languishing over gold).

Opera and ballet

* The villain in

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ( – 6 April 1971) was a Russian composer and conductor with French citizenship (from 1934) and American citizenship (from 1945). He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century c ...

's ballet ''

The Firebird ''The Firebird'' (; ) is a ballet and orchestral concert work by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It was written for the 1910 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes company; the original choreography was by Michel Fokine, who c ...

''. *

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov. At the time, his name was spelled , which he romanized as Nicolas Rimsky-Korsakow; the BGN/PCGN transliteration of Russian is used for his name here; ALA-LC system: , ISO 9 system: .. (18 March 1844 – 2 ...

wrote an opera involving Koschei, titled ''Кащей бессмертный'', or '' Kashchey the Deathless''.

Film

*'' Kashchey the Immortal'', Russian '' Кащей Бессмертный'', 1945 B&W fantasy directed by

Alexander Rou Alexander Arturovich Rou (; – 28 December 1973) was a Soviet film director. He directed a number of children's fantasy films, based mostly on Russian folklore that were highly popular and often imitated in the Soviet Union. Rou received t ...

, with Georgy Millyar as Koschei. * '' Fire, Water, and Brass Pipes'', Russian ''Огонь, вода и… медные трубы, Ogon'', 1968 fantasy directed by

, with Georgy Millyar as Koschei. * '' New Year Adventures of Masha and Vitya'', Russian ''Новогодние приключения Маши и Вити'', 1975 children's film. * ''

Beloved Beauty ''Beloved Beauty'' (, Krasa nenaglyadnaya) is a 1958 feature-length stop motion-animated film from the Soviet Union. The film, which was made at the Soyuzmultfilm studio, is based on Russian folk tales. Plot Once upon a time, there were a Tsar ...

'', Russian Краса́ ненагля́дная, 1958 stop-animated film. * '' Along Unknown Paths'', Russian ''Там, на неведомых дорожках'', 1982 children's fantasy. Aleksandr Filippenko as Koschei. * '' After the Rain, on Thursday'', Russian '' После дождичка в четверг'', 1985 musical children's fantasy.

Oleg Tabakov Oleg Pavlovich Tabakov (; 17 August 1935 – 12 March 2018) was a Soviet and Russian actor and the Artistic Director of the Moscow Chekhov Art Theatre. People's Artist of the USSR (1988). Biography Tabakov was born in Saratov into a family of do ...

as a postmodern,

deconstructed Deconstruction is a philosophical theory. Deconstruction or Deconstructed may also refer to: Music Albums * ''Deconstructed'' (Bush album), a 1997 compilation album * ''Deconstructed'' (EP), an EP by Kesha * ''Deconstructed'' (Steve Swallow a ...

version of Koschey. * '' Sitting on the Golden Porch'', 1986 fairy tale film directed by

Boris Rytsarev Boris Vladimirovich Rytsarev (; 30 June 1930 in Moscow – 25 November 1995 in Moscow) was a Soviet and Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and depe ...

. * ''

Lilac Ball ''Lilac Ball'' (or ''The Purple Ball''; ) is a 1988 Soviet science-fiction children's film starring Natalya Guseva as Alisa Selezneva, a character she had previously played in the TV miniseries '' Guest from the Future''. Plot Alisa Seleznyova, ...

'', Russian '' Лиловый шар'', 1987 science fiction. * '' The Book of Masters'', Russian ''Книга Мастеров'', 2009 fantasy. * '' The Last Warrior'', Russian ''Последний богатырь'', 2017 fantasy. One of the few versions in which Koschey is not a villain. * '' Sisu'', Finnish 2022 movie involving a backstory where the seemingly immortal protagonist Aatami Korpi (played by Jorma Tommila) was dubbed Koschei by the Soviet soldiers. * '; Russian title: ''Кощей. Похититель невест'', "Koshchey. A Bride Snatcher", is a 2022 Russian animated film with Koschei as a protagonist who gets redeemed for true love.

Television

*In ''

Little Einsteins ''Little Einsteins'' is an American Animated series, animated children's television series developed by Douglas Wood (writer), Douglas Wood and based on the Baby Einstein line of videos. Produced by The Baby Einstein Company (at the time owned ...

'', Katschai is a nesting doll who tried to steal the music power from the magical

Firebird Firebird and fire bird may refer to: Mythical birds * Phoenix (mythology), sacred firebird found in the mythologies of many cultures ** Fenghuang, sometimes called Chinese phoenix * Vermilion bird, one of the four symbols of the Chinese constella ...

. Katschai used animal nesting dolls to try to stop the Little Einsteins team from getting to the Firebird which Katschai had locked up at the top of a building in Russia. *In the US television series "

Grimm Grimm may refer to: People * Grimm (surname) * Brothers Grimm, German linguists ** Jacob Grimm (1785–1863), German philologist, jurist and mythologist ** Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859), German author, the younger of the Brothers Grimm * Christia ...

", in episode 9 of season 3, Koschei is the main guest character. (see Red Menace (Grimm))

Novels and comics

* In

Mendele Mocher Sforim Mendele Mocher Sforim (, ; lit. "Mendele the book peddler"; January 2, 1836, Kapyl – December 8, 1917 .S. Odessa), born Sholem Yankev Abramovich (, ) or S. J. Abramowitch, was a Jewish author and one of the founders of modern Yiddish and Heb ...

's allegorical Yiddish novel ''Di Klatsche'' (The Nag; 1873), Koschei appears to the protagonist Srulik in the form of a wolf. * In Sarah J Maas's ''

A Court of Silver Flames ''A Court of Thorns and Roses'' is a fantasy romance series by American author Sarah J. Maas, which follows the journey of 19-year-old Feyre Archeron after she is brought into the faerie lands of Prythian. The first book of the series, ''A Court ...

'', Koschei the Deathless is the name given to an ancient being trapped by a spell in a lake and is believed to be a death god like his siblings mentioned in the previous books. * In

James Branch Cabell James Branch Cabell (; April 14, 1879 – May 5, 1958) was an American author of fantasy fiction and ''belles-lettres''. Cabell was well-regarded by his contemporaries, including H. L. Mencken, Edmund Wilson, and Sinclair Lewis. His work ...

's '' Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice'', and in Robert A Heinlein's retelling of the story '' Job: a Comedy of Justice'', Koshchei the Deathless appears as the most supreme being who made things as they are and is therefore universally unappreciated before Jurgen's kind words are spoken. * In Alexander Veltman's ''Koshchei bessmertny: Bylina starogo vremeni'' (''Koshchei the Immortal: A Bylina of Old Times'', 1833), a parody of historical adventure novels, the hero, Iva Olelkovich, imagines that his bride has been captured by Koschei. *

Mercedes Lackey Mercedes Ritchie Lackey (born June 24, 1950) is an American writer of Fantasy literature, fantasy novels. Many of her novels and trilogies are interlinked and set in the world of Velgarth, mostly in and around the country of Valdemar (fictional co ...

's novel of Stravinsky's ''Firebird'' features Katschei as the main villain, retelling the classic tale for a modern audience. *

Catherynne Valente Catherynne Morgan Valente (born May 5, 1979) is an American fiction writer, poet, and literary critic. For her speculative fiction novels she has won the annual Otherwise Award, James Tiptree, Jr. Award, Andre Norton Award, and Mythopoeic Award ...

's novel '' Deathless'' is a retelling of the Koschei story set against a backdrop of 20th-century Russian history. * In the 1965 science-fiction '' Monday Begins on Saturday'' by

Arkady and Boris Strugatsky The brothers Arkady Strugatsky (28 August 1925 – 12 October 1991) and Boris Strugatsky (14 April 1933 – 19 November 2012) were Soviet and Russian science-fiction authors who collaborated through most of their careers. Their notable works in ...

, he is one of the creatures held in the NIIChaVo institute. * Koschei appears as a character in John C. Wright's "War of the Dreaming" novels. He offers to save the hero's wife, if the hero will agree to take the life of a stranger. * Koschei appears as a slave to

in the

Hellboy Hellboy is a superhero created by Mike Mignola and appearing in comic books published by Dark Horse Comics. The character first appeared in ''San Diego Comic-Con Comics'' #2 (August 1993), and has since appeared in various miniseries, one-shots ...

comic book series, first appearing in '' Hellboy: Darkness Calls''. Koschei's origin story is later revealed in backup stories to single issues of '' Hellboy: The Wild Hunt''. The story is also collected in '' Hellboy: Weird Tales'' and expanded upon in ''Koshchei the Deathless''. A sequel series, ''Koshchei in Hell'' later appeared in 2023. ** Koschei also appears in DC Comics '' The Sandman: Fables and Reflections''. * In the webcomic '' PS238'' by Aaron Williams, the child hero 84 is currently trapped in Koschei's egg, trying to find the "eye", and in doing so, will become his new Champion of Earth to battle from now on. * Koschei is the primary antagonist in Marina Frants' short fiction piece "Death Becomes Him", the sequel to "A Bone to Pick". *

Katherine Arden Katherine Arden Burdine (born 1987), best known by her pen name Katherine Arden, is an American novelist. Known primarily for her ''Winternight'' trilogy of fantasy novels, which are set in medieval Russia and have garnered nominations for Hug ...

's novel, The Girl in the Tower, features Kaschei as the main antagonist. It is the second book in the Winternight trilogy, which is inspired by various Russian folktales. * In Alix E. Harrow‘s novel, The Once and Future Witches, Koschei the Deathless appears as a wicked witch in an old Russian witch tale. * "Koschei" appears as the real name of the Master in the

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

spin-off novels, Divided Loyalties and The Dark Path. * Olivie Blake’s novel One For My Enemy centers around a conflict between rivaling Russian families, headed by a matriarch known as Baba Yaga and a patriarch known as Koschei respectively.

Games

* In the fantasy tabletop role-playing game ''

Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) originally created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical ...

'', he is the inspiration for the demon lord Kostchtchie, published 1983 in ''

Monster Manual II ''Monster Manual II'' is the title shared by two hardback rulebooks published for different versions of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy roleplaying game. ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' ''Monster Manual II'' was a 160-page hardcover ...

''. * Koschei appears as a character in the

MMORPG A massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a video game that combines aspects of a role-playing video game and a massively multiplayer online game. As in role-playing games (RPGs), the player assumes the role of a Player charac ...

RuneScape ''RuneScape'' is a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by Jagex, released in January 2001. ''RuneScape'' was originally a browser game built with the Java (programming language), Java progr ...

'', under the name "Koschei the Deathless". * In the video game series '' The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing'', the Death of Koschei is a key plot item in the second game. In the third game, recurring supporting character Prisoner Seven is revealed to be Koschei the Deathless, and becomes the main antagonist. * In the video game '' Shadowrun: Hong Kong'', the supporting character Racter has a drone named 'Koschei', which later in the game can gain an upgrade named "Deathless" that makes the drone unkillable. * In the computer game '' Dominions 4: Thrones of Ascension'', Koschei appears as a hero character for Bogarus, a faction inspired by medieval Russia and Slavic mythology. * The legend of Koschei the Deathless serves as an inspiration for the narrative of ''

Rise of the Tomb Raider ''Rise of the Tomb Raider'' is a 2015 action-adventure game developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Microsoft Studios and Square Enix. The game is the eleventh main entry in the ''Tomb Raider'' series, the sequel to 2013's ''Tomb Raid ...

''. * In the digital card game '' Mythgard'', "Koschei, the Deathless" appears as a mythic minion in the Dreni faction. * In the video game ''

Arknights ''Arknights'' is a free-to-play tactical RPG/tower defense mobile game developed by Hypergryph. It was released in China on 1 May 2019, in other countries on 16 January 2020, and in Taiwan on 29 June 2020. ''Arknights'' is available o ...

'', the duke of Ursus (a fictional country based on Russia) is named Kaschey, and is hinted to possess the main antagonist after being killed by her. * Koschei is a playable piece in Mantic Games' ''Hellboy: The Board Game''. * In the MMORPG ''

Tibia (video game) ''Tibia'' is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game, multiplayer online role-playing game (Massively multiplayer online role-playing game, MMORPG) released in 1997, developed and published by CipSoft. It is one of the earliest and long ...

'', there is a

Lich In fantasy fiction, a lich () is a type of undead creature with magical powers. Various works of fantasy fiction, such as Clark Ashton Smith's " The Empire of the Necromancers" (1932), had used ''lich'' as a general term for any corpse, animat ...

boss named "Koshei The Deathless" who hides his soul in 4 pieces of an amulet that are scattered around the gameworld. * Koschei appears as an NPC in the

roguelike Roguelike (or rogue-like) is a style of role-playing game traditionally characterized by a dungeon crawl through procedurally generated levels, turn-based gameplay, grid-based movement, and permanent death of the player character. Most ro ...

action RPG '' Moon Hunters''. * In the modern

Battle royale game A battle royale game is an online multiplayer video game genre that blends last-man-standing gameplay with the survival, exploration, and scavenging elements of a survival game. Battle royale games involve dozens to hundreds of players, who ...

" Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0", Within the "DMZ" game mode, there resides a post-soviet facility known as the "Koschei Complex", named after the tale of Koschei.

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* {{Slavic mythology Fairy tale stock characters Fictional immortals Male villains Russian folklore characters Slavic folklore characters