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The characters from the 1982
cult Cults are social groups which have unusual, and often extreme, religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals. Extreme devotion to a particular person, object, or goal is another characteristic often ascribed to cults. The term ...
fantasy film Fantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with fantastic themes, usually Magic (paranormal), magic, supernatural events, mythology, folklore, or exotic fantasy worlds. The Film genre, genre is considered a form of speculative fic ...
''
The Dark Crystal ''The Dark Crystal'' is a 1982 dark fantasy, dark fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. It stars the voices of Stephen Garlick, Lisa Maxwell (actress), Lisa Maxwell, Billie Whitelaw, Percy Edwards, and Barry Dennen. The film was prod ...
'' series were created by puppeteer
Jim Henson James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 â€“ May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, animator, actor, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide notability as the creator of the Muppets. Henson was also well known for creating ''Fraggle Rock'' ( ...
and concept artist
Brian Froud Brian Froud (born 1947) is an English fantasy illustrator and conceptual designer. He is most widely known for his 1978 book '' Faeries'' with Alan Lee, and as the conceptual designer of the Jim Henson films '' The Dark Crystal'' (1982) and ...
. Most of the information about specific characters and species names that were not mentioned in the film come from supplementary materials such as Froud's book '' The World of the Dark Crystal''. The series expanded into books, comics, artwork,
games A game is a Structure, structured type of play (activity), play usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an Educational game, educational tool. Many games are also considered to be Work (human activity), work (such as p ...
, and the 2019 prequel series '' The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance''.


Overview

* A dark grey cell indicates that the character did not appear or that the character's presence has yet to be announced. * A indicates a role as a younger version of character portrayed by another actor. * A indicates an uncredited role. * A indicates a cameo role. * A indicates a voice-only role. * An indicates an appearance through archival footage or stills. * An indicates the actor was part of the main cast for the season.


Major characters


Gelfling

The Gelfling are the central protagonists of ''The Dark Crystal'' franchise. They are slender, elvish
humanoid A humanoid (; from English ''human'' and '' -oid'' "resembling") is a non-human entity with human form or characteristics. By the 20th century, the term came to describe fossils which were morphologically similar, but not identical, to those of ...
s with protracted facial structures who originally populated most of Thra, having three long fingers and a thumb on each hand. Female Gelfling have
fairy A fairy (also called fay, fae, fae folk, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic, found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Cel ...
-like wings that can be folded to fit easily under their clothing, allowing them to safely glide down from high places, even with the added weight of a second Gelfling holding onto them. The
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
adaptation of the film states that in the past, females could fly, but the wings have become vestigial. Gelfling also possess an ability called "''dreamfasting"'' that allows them to psychically share thoughts, memories, and emotions through touch. The name "Gelfling" is a transliteration of ''Ghel-lflainnk'', which means "those who live without knowledge of the future". This is due to their innocence and naïvety. The Gelfling once had a flourishing civilization with a writing system similar to hieroglyphics, having relied on Aughra during the Age of Innocence before the urSkeks' arrival, which hastened their development while they venerated the aliens for their advancement. Initially, the Gelfling coexisted with the Skeksis before learning of their malevolent actions in using the Dark Crystal to drain the surrounding lands of their life essence to prolong their lives while using the extracted essence of their enslaved kinsmen for rejuvenation purposes. This started the events of '' The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'', which reveals that the Gelfling were organized as seven
matriarchal Matriarchy is a social system in which positions of power and privilege are held by women. In a broader sense it can also extend to moral authority, social privilege, and control of property. While those definitions apply in general English, ...
clans who made their homes in areas of Thra consisting of the Stonewood Clan, the Spriton Clan, the Vapra Clan, the Grottan Clan, the Drenchen Clan, the Sifa Clan, and the Dousan Clan. Each of the Gelfling Clans is led by a leader called a "Maudra" and the ruler of all the clans is named "All-Maudra". Eventually, the Gelfling learned that one among them was destined to find the Shard and restore the Crystal to its natural state alongside the urSkeks during an upcoming Great Conjunction. When the Skeksis learned of this, they attempted using fabrications to deter the Gelfling before resorting to genocide with the newly created Garthim. By time of the events of the first film, only Jen and Kira had survived one such massacre as the former seeks to fulfill the prophecy. At the end of the first film, the two are entrusted with the Crystal by the urSkeks. In the original film, it required four puppeteers to operate the Gelfling. In ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'', the Gelfling puppets require only two puppeteers thus permitting greater freedom of movement. Also, while the animatronic components of the original film's Gelfling puppets were controlled via cables, the mechanical parts of the new Gelfling were remotely operated via a modified
Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...
controller.


Jen

Jen is a young male Gelfling and the protagonist of the film, having been raised by the urRu Master urSu from infancy when his family was slaughtered by the Garthim. His upbringing by the lax urRu made him both deliberate and impatient. Jen wears a pale, cream-colored tunic. His skin has a brown complexion and his hair is dark with fair (almost silver) streaks, and grows to shoulder-length. He carries a flute around his neck, which he is shown playing at intervals, and an urRu token known as a ''firca''. His creature and costume design were provided by Brian Froud and his designer and fabrication supervisor was Wendy Midener.


Kira

Having escaped the slaughter of her people when hidden by her mother in a hollow tree trunk, Kira ended up wandering into a Podling village and was adopted by them. Taught by the Podlings, Kira learned to converse with wild animals and is given to wandering the swamps outside the Podling village, accompanied by Fizzgig. She is soft-spoken and gentle as a rule. Kira wears a golden-brown dress and a brown cloak. She has a fair complexion; her hair is long and fair, almost white; and she is always barefoot. As a female Gelfling, Kira has segmented
fairy A fairy (also called fay, fae, fae folk, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic, found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Cel ...
or
butterfly Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...
-like wings that she can fold down her back: a physical feature not shared by male Gelflings. Although not shown in flight, she is twice seen using these wings to slow a fall. Kira was designed by Wendy Froud (Nee Midener) and her design and fabrication supervisor was also Wendy Midener.


Vapra Clan

The Vapra Clan are a Gelfling clan that reside in the city of Ha'rar within the snowy high
mountains A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher ...
and appear in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'', having ruled the other Gelfling tribes for ages. They are experts on camouflage. Among the known members are: * Brea (performed by
Alice Dinnean Alice Dinnean (born May 23, 1969) is an American puppeteer, writer and voice actress who works at The Jim Henson Company. Dinnean has performed on many children's television shows such as '' The Puzzle Place'', ''Sesame Street'', ''Big Bag'', '' ...
, voiced by
Anya Taylor-Joy Anya-Josephine Marie Taylor-Joy (; born 16 April 1996) is an actress. Born in Miami and raised in Buenos Aires and London, she left school at the age of 16 to pursue an acting career. After a series of small television roles, her Breakthrough ...
) - Princess of the Vapra Clan, Maudra Mayrin's youngest (third-born) daughter, and one of the main protagonists of ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance''. * All-Maudra Mayrin (performed by
Louise Gold Louise Gold (born 1956) is an English puppeteer, actress and singer. Her long career has included puppetry on television and roles in musical theatre in the West End, as well as other television, film and voice roles. Gold was raised in London ...
, voiced by
Helena Bonham Carter Helena Bonham Carter (born 26 May 1966) is an English actress. Known for her roles in Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters and independent films, particularly period dramas, List of awards and nominations received by Helena Bonham Carter ...
) - Queen of the Vapra Clan and mother of Brea, Seladon, and Tavra. When Mayrin confronts the Skeksis about their lies, she is killed by skekVar. * Seladon (performed by Helena Smee, voiced by
Gugu Mbatha-Raw Gugulethu Sophia Mbatha-Raw, MBE (; born 21 April 1983) is an English actress. She began acting at the National Youth Music Theatre and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and gained acclaim for her roles as Juliet in ''Romeo and Juliet'' and O ...
) - First-born daughter of Maudra Mayrin, she succeeds her mother as All-Maudra of the Gelfling. Seladon denied any Skeksis wrongdoing, until she learned the truth herself. * Tavra (performed by Neil Sterenberg, voiced by Caitriona Balfe) - Born Katavra, she is a Vapra Paladin who is Maudra Mayrin's second-born daughter. After stabbing skekVar, Tavra is fatally stabbed by skekSil and dies in the presence of her sisters. *
Librarian A librarian is a person who professionally works managing information. Librarians' common activities include providing access to information, conducting research, creating and managing information systems, creating, leading, and evaluating educat ...
(performed by
Kevin Clash Kevin Jeffrey Clash (born September 17, 1960) is an American puppeteer, director and producer best known for puppeteering Elmo on ''Sesame Street'' from 1985 to 2012. He also performed puppets for ''Labyrinth'', ''Dinosaurs'', '' Oobi'', and vari ...
, voiced by
Toby Jones Toby Edward Heslewood Jones''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com (born 7 September 1966) is an English actor. He is known for his extensive character actor roles on stage and screen. From 1989 ...
) - Overseer of the Vapra Citadel library. * Mira (performed by Helena Smee, voiced by
Alicia Vikander Alicia Amanda Vikander (; ; born 3 October 1988) is a Swedish actress. List of awards and nominations received by Alicia Vikander, Her accolades include an Academy Award and nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and three British Academy Film ...
) - Crystal guard who was in a relationship with Rian until she was killed for her essence by Skek-Tek. * Daudran (performed by Olly Taylor, voiced by Dustin Demri Burns) - Overseer of the Order of Lesser Services.


Stonewood Clan

The Stonewood clan are a Gelfling clan that reside in the village of Stone-in-the-Wood within the Dark Wood and appear in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance''. They are strong and proud and most of them are employed as Crystal Guards at the Castle of the Crystal. The Stonewood Clan are also expert cobblers and farmers. Originally they were called the
Woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with woody plants (trees and shrubs), or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the '' plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunli ...
Clan or Woodland Folk. Among the known members are: * Rian (performed by Neil Sterenberg, voiced by
Taron Egerton Taron Egerton ( ; born 10 November 1989) is a Welsh actor. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he performed in stage plays before gaining recognition for his starring role as a spy in the action comedy films '' Kingsman: Th ...
) - A member of the Stonewood Clan and one of the main protagonists of ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'' who was part of the Crystal guard until he witnessed his girlfriend Mira's murder by the Skeksis' hands so they could drain her essence in order to cheat death. This leads to him ultimately uniting the Gelfling people against the Skeksis. * Maudra Fara/The Rock Singer (performed by
Alice Dinnean Alice Dinnean (born May 23, 1969) is an American puppeteer, writer and voice actress who works at The Jim Henson Company. Dinnean has performed on many children's television shows such as '' The Puzzle Place'', ''Sesame Street'', ''Big Bag'', '' ...
, voiced by
Lena Headey Lena Kathren Headey ( ; born 3 October 1973) is an English actress. She gained international recognition and acclaim for her portrayal of Cersei Lannister on the HBO fantasy drama series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), for which she received ...
) - The leader of the Stonewood Clan at the beginning of ''Age of Resistance''. At first, she was reluctant to hear Rian's claim of what the Skeksis are planning until word of mouth reached Stone-in-the-Wood. After Mayrin was killed by skekVar, Fara and Laesid would not accept Seladon as the All-Maudra as Fara challenged her for the title in a trial by air. In a Skeksis-inspired outfit, Seladon defeated Fara who left with Laesid while the other Maudras bowed to Seladon. She dies during her people's first battle with the Skeksis where she threw herself in front of skekOk's blade to protect Seladon. * Ordon (performed by Dave Chapman, voiced by
Mark Strong Mark Strong (born Marco Giuseppe Salussolia; 5 August 1963) is a British actor best known for his film roles such as Prince Septimus in '' Stardust'' (2007), Archibald in '' RocknRolla'' (2008), Lord Henry Blackwood in ''Sherlock Holmes'' (200 ...
) - A member of the Stonewood Clan, captain of the Crystal Guard, and Rian's father. The Skeksis later sent Ordon to retrieve Rian. When he learns the truth, he helps Rian even when skekMal attacks. Ordin sacrifices himself in an attempt to save his son from skekMal by knocking him into the Gobbles.


Grottan Clan

The Grottan Clan, named after the Caves of Grot, are a secretive Gelfling clan that reside in the
Cave Caves or caverns are natural voids under the Earth's Planetary surface, surface. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. Exogene caves are smaller openings that extend a relatively short distance undergrou ...
of Obscurity, their tribe long thought to be extinct due to their isolation from most of Thra. The Grottan Clan have large ears and big eyes to help them move around in the dark, but are sensitive to sunlight causing them to wear special blindfolds to filter the light. They appear in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance''. Among the known members are: * Deet (performed by Beccy Henderson, voiced by
Nathalie Emmanuel Nathalie Joanne Emmanuel (born 2 March 1989) is a British actress. Emmanuel began her acting career appearing in theatre in the late 1990s, acquiring roles in various West End theatre, West End productions such as the Musical theatre, musical ' ...
) - One of the main protagonists of ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance''. Born Deethra, she is the animal carer of the Grottan Clan who learned of the Darkening from Vliste-Staba and helped in the rebellion's formation. * Maudra Argot the Shadow Bender (performed and voiced by
Louise Gold Louise Gold (born 1956) is an English puppeteer, actress and singer. Her long career has included puppetry on television and roles in musical theatre in the West End, as well as other television, film and voice roles. Gold was raised in London ...
) - The leader of the Grottan Clan. After sending Deet on her quest, Argot was the only Maudra that didn't accept Seladon's invitation to her coronation. * Mitjan (performed by
Victor Yerrid Victor Yerrid (born November 13, 1971) is an American actor and puppeteer for the Jim Henson Company and has performed Muppet characters in many films, television commercials and television shows. He is best known in the Muppet World for his wor ...
, voiced by
Charlie Condou Charlie Condou (born 8 January 1973) is a British actor, columnist and LGBT rights activist. Condou secured a series of television movie roles during his teenage years in the 1980s. He later had guest roles in British television series during the ...
) - The father of Deet, partner of Lath'N, and member of the Grottan Clan. * Lath'N (performed by Warrick Brownlow-Pike, voiced by
James Dreyfus James Louis de Zogheb Dreyfus (born 9 October 1968) is an English actor most notable for roles on television sitcoms '' The Thin Blue Line'' as Constable Kevin Goody, and '' Gimme Gimme Gimme'' as Tom Farrell. Dreyfus is most recently known for ...
) - The father of Deet, partner of Mitjan, and member of the Grottan Clan. * Bobb'N (performed by
Alice Dinnean Alice Dinnean (born May 23, 1969) is an American puppeteer, writer and voice actress who works at The Jim Henson Company. Dinnean has performed on many children's television shows such as '' The Puzzle Place'', ''Sesame Street'', ''Big Bag'', '' ...
, voiced by Beccy Henderson) - The brother of Deet and member of the Grottan Clan.


Drenchen Clan

The Drenchen Clan are an amphibious Gelfling Clan that live in the
Swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...
s of Sog. They appear in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'' where their town of Great Smerth is named after the enormous tree that is in the center. The Drenchen Clan have gills that enable them to survive underwater and the females use their wings like fish fins to swim. They are also powerful in combat and take pride in it. The Skeksis could not keep track of the Drenchen Clan's location in their consensus. Among the known members are: * Maudra Laesid (performed by Warrick Brownlow-Pike, voiced by
Nimmy March Lady Naomi Anna Gordon-Lennox (born March 1962), known as Nimmy March, is an English actress. Background March's biological parents were a father from Lesotho and an English mother. As an illegitimate child, she was abandoned by her birth mother ...
) - The leader of the Drenchen Clan and the mother of Gurjin and Naia. Following Mayrin's death, she and Fara would not accept Seladon as the All-Maudra. * Gurjin (performed by Dave Chapman, voiced by Harris Dickinson) - A Crystal guard who is Rian's best friend. * Naia (performed by Beccy Henderson, voiced by
Hannah John-Kamen Hannah Dominique John-Kamen (born 7 September 1989) is an English actress. She is known for her television roles in ''Black Mirror'' (2011–2016), '' Killjoys'' (2015–2019), ''Brave New World'' (2020), and Netflix miniseries '' The Stranger' ...
) - The daughter of Laesid and Gurjin's twin sister who is next in line to become Maudra. She and Kylan were originally hunting Rian until he persuaded them to hear him out and dreamfast with him. Naia later frees Gurjin from his imprisonment.


Sifa Clan

The Sifa Clan are a
sea A sea is a large body of salt water. There are particular seas and the sea. The sea commonly refers to the ocean, the interconnected body of seawaters that spans most of Earth. Particular seas are either marginal seas, second-order section ...
-faring Gelfling Clan that appear in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance''. They reside in coastal villages along the Silver Sea where they work as
fishermen A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishers and fish farmers. Fishermen may be professional or recr ...
and
sailor A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. While the term ''sailor'' ...
s. Among the known members are: * Maudra Ethri (performed by
Louise Gold Louise Gold (born 1956) is an English puppeteer, actress and singer. Her long career has included puppetry on television and roles in musical theatre in the West End, as well as other television, film and voice roles. Gold was raised in London ...
, voiced by Beccy Henderson) - The leader of the Sifa Clan. * Cadia (performed by Olly Taylor, voiced by
Eddie Izzard Suzy Eddie Izzard ( ; born Edward John Izzard, 7 February 1962) is a British stand-up comedian, actor and activist. Her comedic style takes the form of what appears to the audience as rambling whimsical monologues and self-referential pantomi ...
) - The most well-respected soothsayer of the Sifa Clan. He tried to erase the memory of Brea with tea spiked with Nulroot when she came asking for information about a symbol, only for Brea to switch the cup, causing him to lose his memory. Seladon tried to work to regain Cadia's memory. * Onica (performed by
Louise Gold Louise Gold (born 1956) is an English puppeteer, actress and singer. Her long career has included puppetry on television and roles in musical theatre in the West End, as well as other television, film and voice roles. Gold was raised in London ...
, voiced by
Natalie Dormer Natalie Dormer (born 11 February 1982) is an English actress. Best known for her versatility, her roles in period films, blockbusters, independent films, as well as her work on prominent television series. Her accolades include winning an Empi ...
) - A member of the Sifa Clan and the daughter of Cadia. After Cadia lost his memory thanks to Brea's trick, Onica gave Brea the information she needed. As Cadia still has no memory during his meeting Seladon, Onica had to be sworn in as the new Elder of the Sifa Clan. * Red-Haired Paladin (performed by Warrick Brownlow-Pike) - A Gelfling Paladin who was responsible for telling the Crystal Guards the truth about what happened to Mira after Dreamfasting with Rian.


Dousan Clan

The Dousan Clan are an elusive Gelfling Clan that reside on the Crystal Sea
desert A desert is a landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions create unique biomes and ecosystems. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one-third of the la ...
. They appear in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance''. The Dousan Clan navigate the sands of the Crystal Sea by riding Crystal Skimmers, gather at an
oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentOlly Taylor, voiced by
Theo James Theodore Peter James Kinnaird Taptiklis (born 16 December 1984) is an English actor. He gained recognition for playing Tobias Eaton in '' The Divergent Series'' film trilogy (2014–2016). He has starred in the horror films '' Underworld: Awak ...
) - A member of the Dousan Clan.


Spriton Clan

The Spriton Clan are a war-like Gelfling clan that appear in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance''. They are a farming community that live on the southern
plain In geography, a plain, commonly known as flatland, is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and ...
s of Thra and are a rival of the Stonewood Clan. The Spriton Clan reside in Sami Thicket, but mostly are in other parts of Thra trading items with its other inhabitants. Agriculture and creature husbandry are also part of their lives. Among the known members are: * Maudra Mera (performed by Neil Sterenberg, voiced by
Nina Sosanya Oluwakemi Nina Sosanya (born 6 June 1969) is an English stage, television, film, and radio actress, and narrator. She is most notable for her roles in ''Teachers'', '' W1A'', and '' Last Tango in Halifax''. Early life and education Oluwakemi N ...
) - The leader of the Spriton Clan. * Kylan (performed by
Victor Yerrid Victor Yerrid (born November 13, 1971) is an American actor and puppeteer for the Jim Henson Company and has performed Muppet characters in many films, television commercials and television shows. He is best known in the Muppet World for his wor ...
, voiced by Shazad Latif) - The song teller of the Spriton Clan. He and Naia were originally hunting Rian until he persuaded them to hear him out and dreamfast with him. * Jul - A member of the Spriton Clan. * Tolyn (voiced by Jack Myers) - Second-in-command of the Crystal Guard and a member of the Spriton Clan. He is Rian's arch-rival and the only guard who hates him. Tolyn was the one who told the Skeksis of the Crystal Guard's uprising, though they drained his essence anyway.


Fizzgig

Described as "a friendly
monster A monster is a type of imaginary or fictional creature found in literature, folklore, mythology, fiction and religion. They are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive, with a strange or grotesque appearance that causes Anxiety, terror ...
" in the initial draft of the screenplay, the character of Fizzgig is the pet of Kira: resembling a
dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. ...
in voice and manners, but unlike a dog in that his facial features are tiny and his entire body is represented by a brown/red/gray ball of fur. Fizzgig moves by rolling, though he does appear to have at least two legs. His mouth, when open, appears to encompass most of his size and possesses two sets of sharp teeth. He is fiercely loyal to Kira, has an aggressive temper, and is wary of unfamiliar things. Fizzgig is at first wary of Jen, but becomes his friend. Fizzgig later made a cameo in the ''
Fraggle Rock ''Fraggle Rock'' (also known as ''Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock'' or ''Fraggle Rock with Jim Henson's Muppets'') is a children's Musical film, musical Fantasy film, fantasy television comedy, comedy puppet television series about interconnected so ...
'' episode "Gobo's Discovery", as one of the background cave creatures. Fizzgig was designed by Brian Froud and his design and fabrication supervisor was Rollie Krewson. In relating media and prequels, Fizzgig is the name of the species as well. Fizzgig is the only major character represented in the film by a puppet with immobile eyes. ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'' featured a named Fizzgig. * Baffi (performed by Dave Goelz) - An eyepatch-wearing Fizzgig that is owned by Maudra Fara.


Aughra

Aughra, Keeper of Secrets and revered by the Gelflings as Mother Aughra, is an
oracle An oracle is a person or thing considered to provide insight, wise counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. If done through occultic means, it is a form of divination. Descript ...
who is actually an emanation of the planet Thra created long ago with the task of observing for the planet until she is reabsorbed back into it, having the ability to command plants and remove her eyes for an extended view of her surroundings. Aughra served in guiding the early Gelflings before the first Great Conjunction. While intersexed, Aughra is mostly female as her masculine side was burned along with her right eye as the result of directly witnessing the Great Conjunction up close. But she was saved from death by the urSkeks with their member TekTih teaching her of the inner workings of the universe while creating her observatory home on top of a mountain known as High Hill, Aughra providing information on Thra in return. Present at the second Great Conjunction that splintered the urSkeks, Aughra attempted to calm down the nascent Skeksis before they cracked the Crystal of Truth and tricked her into entering a deep slumber to see the universe before she reawakens during the events of ''Age of Resistance''. Upon learning what the Skeksis have done, Aughra regrets leaving Thra to them as she allies herself with the Gelflings during their rebellion. In the aftermath of the Garthim War, Aughra keeps the Shard safe in her observatory until Jen arrived to obtain it, but the Garthim destroy Aughra's home while attempting to capture Jen, bringing her to the Castle where she rebukes the Skeksis before being locked away in skekTek's Chamber of Life until she is freed and witnesses the urSkeks' restoration. Aughra makes a return appearance in the comic book sequel to ''The Dark Crystal'', titled ''
The Power of the Dark Crystal ''The Power of the Dark Crystal'' is a 2017 comic book limited series that is a sequel to 1982 film ''The Dark Crystal''. This series has a sequel, '' Beneath the Dark Crystal''. Conception For decades, a sequel for the 1982 film ''The Dark Crys ...
''. In the film, Aughra is portrayed primarily by
Frank Oz Frank Richard Oznowicz (born May 25, 1944), known professionally as Frank Oz, is an American puppeteer, filmmaker and actor. He is best known for his involvement with Jim Henson and George Lucas through ''The Muppets'', ''Sesame Street'', and '' ...
in costume. Oz also voiced Aughra originally (similar to a combination of
Fozzie Bear Fozzie Bear is a Muppet character from the sketch comedy television series ''The Muppet Show'', best known as the insecure and comedically fruitless stand-up comic''.'' Fozzie is an orange-brown bear who often wears a brown pork pie hat and a ...
,
Yoda Yoda () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He is a small, green humanoid alien who is powerful with the Force. He first appeared in the 1980 film '' The Empire Strikes Back'', in which he is voiced and puppeteered by F ...
, and
Miss Piggy Miss Piggy is a The Muppets, Muppet character known for her Breakthrough role, breakout role in the sketch comedy television series ''The Muppet Show''. She is notable for her temperamental diva superstar personality, her tendency to use French l ...
); but her lines were redubbed by
Billie Whitelaw Billie Honor Whitelaw (6 June 1932 – 21 December 2014) was an English actress. She worked in close collaboration with Irish playwright Samuel Beckett for 25 years and was regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of his works. She was als ...
. Aughra appears in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance''. She awakens from her journey to find that the Skeksis have corrupted Thra. She gave up her life essence to help the Skeksis heal skekMal. When urVa jumps to his death, skekMal dies and Aughra is reconstituted. Her designer was Brian Froud and her design and fabrication supervisor was Lyle Conway. The fabrication team for Aughra included: David Barclay, Jeremy Hunt, Paul Jiggins, Graeme Galvin, and Steve Court.


Skeksis

The Skeksis are the central antagonists of ''The Dark Crystal'' franchise: the ten dark versions of the ten "good" urRu/Mystics (see below). The word "Skeksis" serves as both singular and plural form for this species, with the singular pronounced and the plural . They are described by concept artist Brian Froud as "part
reptile Reptiles, as commonly defined, are a group of tetrapods with an ectothermic metabolism and Amniotic egg, amniotic development. Living traditional reptiles comprise four Order (biology), orders: Testudines, Crocodilia, Squamata, and Rhynchocepha ...
, part
vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to Nort ...
, part
dragon A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...
". Like their urRu counterparts, they have four arms; but in the Skeksis the two lower arms have become weak and atrophied, and are rarely seen. The Skeksis have kept themselves from dying of old age by draining the vitality from other beings. In the film, the Skeksis are represented by full-bodied puppets engineered under the direction of Jim Henson. Henson has said that in the development of the Skeksis, the creators drew inspiration from the
Seven deadly sins The seven deadly sins (also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins) function as a grouping of major vices within the teachings of Christianity. In the standard list, the seven deadly sins according to the Catholic Church are pride, greed ...
, in that each Skeksis represents a different kind of evil, such as cruelty, selfishness, greed, unchecked ambition, treachery, and wrath. The Skeksis were full-bodied puppets operated in a very similar way to Big Bird. The puppeteer's secondary arm was in the arm of the Skeksis and the puppeteer's primary arm was held up over the puppeteer's head and the hand operates the jaw. A monitor inside the suit allowed the puppeteer to see. * skekSo the
Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
(performed by Jim Henson in the film, Dave Chapman in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'', voiced by
Jerry Nelson Jerry Nelson (July 10, 1934 â€“ August 23, 2012) was an American puppeteer, best known for his work with The Muppets. Known for his wide range of characters and singing abilities, he performed Muppet characters on ''Sesame Street'', ''The M ...
in the film,
Jason Isaacs Jason Isaacs (born 6 June 1963) is an English actor. He is best known for his portrayal of D.J. in ''Event Horizon'' (1997), Ronald Quincy in ''Armageddon'' (1998), Colonel William Tavington in '' The Patriot'' (2000), Michael D. Steele in '' ...
in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'') - The arrogant, greedy, maniacal, and cold leader of the Skeksis. He dies and rots as a result of too much exposure to the Darkening. * skekZok the Ritual-Master (performed by Jim Henson in the film,
Victor Yerrid Victor Yerrid (born November 13, 1971) is an American actor and puppeteer for the Jim Henson Company and has performed Muppet characters in many films, television commercials and television shows. He is best known in the Muppet World for his wor ...
in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'', voiced by Jerry Nelson in the film,
Keegan-Michael Key Keegan-Michael Key (born March 22, 1971) is an American comedian, actor, producer, and writer. He and Jordan Peele co-created and co-starred in the sketch series '' Key & Peele'' (2012–2015) for which he received one Primetime Emmy Award from ...
in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'') - The pompous and gruff
high priest The term "high priest" usually refers either to an individual who holds the office of ruler-priest, or to one who is the head of a religious organisation. Ancient Egypt In ancient Egypt, a high priest was the chief priest of any of the many god ...
of the Ceremony of the Sun and second to the Emperor in power, governing the others through prophecies and rites invented by himself. * skekUng the Garthim-Master (performed by
Dave Goelz David Charles Goelz ( born July 16, 1946) is an American puppeteer and actor known for his work with the Muppets. He is best known for performing the characters Gonzo the Great, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Zoot, and Beauregard. He joined Jim Hens ...
in the film, assisted by Rollie Krewson in the film, voiced by
Michael Kilgarriff Michael Kilgarriff (born 16 June 1937) is a British actor, author and pianist from Brighton. As an actor, he is well known for his rich voice and height. His film and television roles include ''The Dark Crystal'' (1982) as the General, and th ...
in the film) - The strong, aggressive and power-hungry
general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...
who succeeds skekSo as Emperor and commands the Garthim. He represents the Deadly Sin of Wrath. * skekSil the Chamberlain (performed by Frank Oz in the film, Warrick Brownlow-Pike in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'', stunt performed by
Kiran Shah Kiran Jethalal Shah (born 28 September 1956) is a Kenyan actor and stunt double. Shah was born in Nairobi, Kenya to an Indian family. He lived in Kenya until he was twelve years old, when he moved to India with his family. While living in Ind ...
in the film, voiced by
Barry Dennen Barry Dennen (February 22, 1938 – September 26, 2017) was an American actor and writer. He is best known for playing Pontius Pilate on the original 1970 recording of ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' as well as the subsequent 1971 stage musical and 1 ...
in the film,
Simon Pegg Simon John Pegg (; born 14 February 1970) is an English actor, comedian and screenwriter. He came to prominence in the UK as the co-creator of the Channel 4 sitcom ''Spaced'' (1999–2001), directed by Edgar Wright. He and Wright co-wrote the ...
in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'') - A Skeksis who was to be the next in line to the throne. Exiled after skekUng successfully challenged his claim to the throne. skekSil was later reinstated after he captures Kira. He is sly and speaks in a wheedling voice that the other Skeksis find annoying, especially skekUng who calls him a "whimpering worm." He represents the Deadly Sin of Envy. * skekTek the
Scientist A scientist is a person who Scientific method, researches to advance knowledge in an Branches of science, area of the natural sciences. In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engag ...
(performed by
Steve Whitmire Steven Lawrence Whitmire (born September 24, 1959) is an American puppeteer, known primarily for his work on '' The Muppets'' and ''Sesame Street''. Beginning his involvement with the Muppets in 1978, Whitmire originated the roles of Rizzo the R ...
in the film, Olly Taylor in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'', voiced by Steve Whitmire in the film,
Mark Hamill Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor. He is best known for starring as Luke Skywalker in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, and the Joker (character), Joker in various animated DC Comics projects, starting with ''Batm ...
in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'') - A
scientist A scientist is a person who Scientific method, researches to advance knowledge in an Branches of science, area of the natural sciences. In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engag ...
performing unspecified deadly experiments on animals, and deriving essence from Gelflings and Podlings to rejuvenate his compatriots. He sports a telescopic eye as a result of having his eye being eaten by a Peeper Beetle after being framed by skekSil for letting Rian escape with Mira's essence, a prosthetic arm and leg, a transparent tube replacing one of his jugular veins so he can study his own blood circulation, and can occasionally be seen leaning on a cane. He fell into the fiery pit to his demise by his prisoners at the behest of Kira and Aughra organizing an animal
rebellion Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...
. Despite performing experiments on animals, he had one small bird-like creature he genuinely loved. * skekAyuk the
Gourmand A gourmand is a person who takes great pleasure and interest in consuming particularly good food and drink. ''Gourmand'' originally referred to a person who was "a glutton for food and drink", a person who eats and drinks excessively. Etymolo ...
(performed by
Louise Gold Louise Gold (born 1956) is an English puppeteer, actress and singer. Her long career has included puppetry on television and roles in musical theatre in the West End, as well as other television, film and voice roles. Gold was raised in London ...
in the film and ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'', voiced by Thick Wilson in the film,
Harvey Fierstein Harvey Forbes Fierstein ( ; born June 6, 1952) is an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter, known for his distinctive gravelly voice. He gained notice for his theater work in '' Torch Song Trilogy'', winning both the Tony Award for Best ...
in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'') - Commander of slaves where he has them create complex meals for the Skeksis while also organizing the Skeksis banquets. He represents the Deadly Sin of Gluttony. * skekNa the Slave-Master (performed by
Mike Quinn Michael Patrick Quinn (born April 15, 1974) is an American former professional football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans, and Denve ...
in the film, voiced by David Buck in the film) - The abusive and cold hearted Slave-Master who oversees the enslaved Podlings at the Castle. He has a hook for a left hand and an eyepatch over his right eye. Later books retconned skekNa's history with him having been a Spy-Master before becoming the Slave-Master. * skekOk the Scroll-Keeper (performed by
Bob Payne Bob Payne is an American retired puppeteer and puppet builder. He is also known as Robert Payne and Bobby Payne. History Payne, a native of Washington, D.C., was a college friend of Jim Henson and Jane Henson. He first worked with them on Jim H ...
in the film, Neil Sterenberg in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'', voiced by John Baddeley in the film, Neil Sterenberg in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'') - The smallest and weakest of the Skeksis, who preserves inaccurate records of their history while working as their
historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...
. * skekShod the
Treasurer A treasurer is a person responsible for the financial operations of a government, business, or other organization. Government The treasury of a country is the department responsible for the country's economy, finance and revenue. The treasure ...
(performed by
Tim Rose Timothy Alan Patrick Rose (September 23, 1940 â€“ September 24, 2002) (unofficial website by long-term correspondent of Rose's) was an American singer and songwriter who spent much of his life in London, England, and had more success in E ...
in the film, voiced by Charles Collingwood in the film) - The court treasurer whose vocabulary is so limited, the only way he got his ways was extravagant bribery. He represents the Deadly Sin of Greed. * skekEkt the Ornamentalist (performed by Brian Muehl in the film,
Alice Dinnean Alice Dinnean (born May 23, 1969) is an American puppeteer, writer and voice actress who works at The Jim Henson Company. Dinnean has performed on many children's television shows such as '' The Puzzle Place'', ''Sesame Street'', ''Big Bag'', '' ...
in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'') - One of the vainest Skeksis who designs and makes their garments. He is also in charge of selecting Podlings for the choir. skekEkt represents the Deadly Sin of Vanity. The series prequel ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'' introduced new Skeksis characters who appeared in other media. * skekLach the Collector (performed by Helena Smee, voiced by
Awkwafina Nora Lum (born June 2, 1988), known professionally as Awkwafina (), is an American actress, comedian and rapper. She rose to prominence in 2012 when her rap song "My Vag" became popular on YouTube. She then released her debut album, ''Yellow Ra ...
) - A sickly-looking Skeksis who serves as census taker before being killed prior to the Garthim War, having been portrayed in the ''Legends of the Dark Crystal'' manga as a schemer taking Gelfling essence behind skekSo's back and extorting skekTek to keep his silence. In ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'', he accompanied skekOk to Ha'rar to claim tribute from the Vapra Clan. His death is further detailed where Deet redirects the Darkening unleashed by skekSo which caused skekLach to explode. * skekVar the General (performed by
Kevin Clash Kevin Jeffrey Clash (born September 17, 1960) is an American puppeteer, director and producer best known for puppeteering Elmo on ''Sesame Street'' from 1985 to 2012. He also performed puppets for ''Labyrinth'', ''Dinosaurs'', '' Oobi'', and vari ...
and Katherine Smee, voiced by
Benedict Wong Benedict Wong (born 3 July 1971) is an English actor. He began his career on stage before starring in the film '' Dirty Pretty Things'' (2002), which earned him a British Independent Film Award nomination, and the BBC sitcom '' 15 Storeys High ...
) - A Skeksis who serves as skekUng's predecessor in military matters before he was slain by skekSil, having first appeared in the ''Legends of the Dark Crystal'' manga. In ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'', skekVar and skekSil competed for skekSo's favor. skekVar's death is further detailed where skekSil sets up skekVar to fall in battle against Rian which disappointed skekSo. When skekSil checks up on a wounded skekVar, he kills him. Following a retreat from Stone-in-the-Wood, skekSil states to skekSo that he died from his injuries when skekSo asks where he is. * skekMal the
Hunter Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, ...
(performed by
Kevin Clash Kevin Jeffrey Clash (born September 17, 1960) is an American puppeteer, director and producer best known for puppeteering Elmo on ''Sesame Street'' from 1985 to 2012. He also performed puppets for ''Labyrinth'', ''Dinosaurs'', '' Oobi'', and vari ...
, in-suit performed by
Nick Kellington Nicholas Chee Ping Kellington (born 5 June 1975) is a British actor and musician. He is best known for his roles in children's television series, the new ''Star Wars'' films and '' The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance''. His television acting caree ...
, voiced by
Ralph Ineson Ralph Michael Ineson ( ; born 15 December 1969) is an English actor and narrator. Ineson's notable film roles include Amycus Carrow in the final three ''Harry Potter'' films (2009–2011), William in '' The Witch'' (2015), the title characte ...
) - A wild and bloodthirsty Skeksis with retractable arms who debuted in the ''Dark Crystal Author Quest'' novel. In ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'', skekMal is summoned by skekSil to hunt down Rian. He survives Ordon's sacrificial attempt to stop him with ravenous Gobbles. During the Gelflings' search for the Dual Glave, skekMal ambushes them and is mortally wounded by urVa. Aughra offers her lifeforce in order to save skekMal's life. During the next fight with the Gelflings in the Stone-in-the-Wood, skekMal awakens, makes his way to Stone-in-the-Wood, and fights Rian where he breaks the Dual Glaive that Rian was wielding. He is killed when urVa jumps off the Circle of Suns causing Aughra to be reconstituted. * skekGra the Heretic (performed by Damian Farrell, voiced by
Andy Samberg Andy Samberg (born David A. J. Samberg; August 18, 1978) is an American comedian, actor, musician, writer and producer. He is a member of the comedy music group the Lonely Island, along with childhood friends Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone. ...
) - Formerly skekGra the Conqueror, he was the Skeksis who defeated the other races for the Skeksis and first appeared in the ''Dark Crystal Author Quest'' novel. After having a vision of Thra and realizing the error of the Skeksis' ways, skekGra was banished and came to live with his urRu counterpart urGoh the Wanderer. The pair of them took it upon themselves to find and safeguard the Shard until it could be properly used. In ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance,'' skekGra and urGoh gave the Shard to the Gelflings. In Archaia Comics ''the Dark Crystal: Creation Myths'' 2, two Skeksis are seen: * skekHak the Machinist and skekYi the Deceased - They were two Skeksis seen at the end of Volume 2 of The Dark Crystal Creation Myths who died immediately after the botch division of the urSkeks. When one of the Skeksis goes rogue in the Crystal Chamber, it proceeds to kill two urRu: one is choked to death, while the other is thrown into the fire Shaft under the Crystal, leading to the deaths of their Skeksis counterparts. skekHak came from the urSkek Architect HakHom, while skekYi came from the urSkek YiYa, whose position is unknown. In the ''Dark Crystal Author Quest'' novels, two more Skeksis appeared. Both were referenced in the ninth episode of ''Age of Resistance'': * skekSa the Mariner - Also known as the Captain; appears as a major character in the J.M. Lee novel Tides of the Dark Crystal, and is described as female, despite the fact the urSkeks (and therefore the Mystics and the Skeksis) are gender-less creatures. "She" was mentioned by skekZok as being good in a fight. * skekLi the Satirist - The Skeksis who wrote satire stories for the enjoyment of the Skeksis and was the main antagonist of the J.M. Lee novel Song of the Dark Crystal. skekOk inquired as to his whereabouts in ''Age of Resistance''. In Tokyopop's OEL manga ''Legends of the Dark Crystal'' vol. 1 and 2, two more Skeksis are introduced. Since later novels and the TV series, these characters are no longer canon: * skekEer the Spy-Master - He is an ally of skekVar, along with the Mariner. Due to being removed from canon, his position is revealed to have been skekNa's before the Skeksis needed slaves. * skekCru the
Mariner A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. While the term ''sailor' ...
- He is an ally of skerVar and skekEer the Spy-Master. Due to the novels, the Mariner has been retconned as female and renamed SkekSa.


urRu/Mystics

More commonly known as the "Mystics", the urRu are benign counterparts of the
Skeksis The Skeksis are a fictional species that serves as the main antagonists in the 1982 film ''The Dark Crystal'' and its related franchise. The word "Skeksis" serves as both singular and plural form for this species, with the singular being pronounc ...
and embody the urSkeks' redeeming qualities yet are mostly indifferent and rarely act. After two of their own are killed by a rogue Skeksis, they learn that they are still linked with their counterparts, and most of the urRu take refuge in the Valley of the Standing Stones, leaving the Skeksis to their devices. While initially lean and fairly agile creatures, nearly identical to the Skeksis, the urRu aged differently from their counterparts as they began using walking sticks to move around while gradually losing their memories. During the course of the film, after urSu allowed himself to die to place the remaining nine Skeksis into disarray, urZah leads the urRu towards the Castle to fulfill the prophecy and merge with their Skeksis counterparts back into the urSkeks. The urRu have four arms, elongated heads, white hair, and tails, in a manner that concept artist Brian Froud described as being "... between a
dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. ...
and a
dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...
". * urSu the Master (performed by
Brian Muehl Brian Giuseppe Meehl (also known as Brian Muehl; born August 24, 1952), is an American puppeteer and writer. He worked on ''Sesame Street'' and ''The Muppet Show''. He has written several novels for young adults, including ''Out of Patience'' and ' ...
) - The leader of the urRu, Jen's mentor, and fatherly figure. He allows himself to die of old age by vanishing, after charging Jen with the task of healing the Dark Crystal. By dying, he causes the death of the Skeksis Emperor, weakening the Skeksis by the ensuing struggle for the throne. * urZah the Ritual-Guardian (performed by Brian Muehl, voiced by Sean Barrett) - He is the Mystics' ritualist and would make the sand paintings of prophecy for the Mystics by pouring out the colored sands while the others chanted. He would comb and brush the sands of amethyst, opal, agate, onyx, and chalcedony to build the forms of spiral energy. He speaks more freely than the other urRu, but in riddles. Deep meditation leaves spirals in all his body, not just in his face. * urIm the Healer (performed by David Greenaway) - He is the Mystic
Healer Healer may refer to: Conventional medicine *Doctor of Medicine *Health professional Alternative medicine * Faith healer * Folk healer * Healer (alternative medicine), someone who purports to aid recovery from ill health * Spiritual healer F ...
and became the new leader of the Mystics as the consequence of the ascension of his counterpart skekUng to the throne. * urSol the Chanter (performed by Simon Williamson) - He is described as capable of two voices: one deep and the other light, whereof each can alter reality. He is the counterpart of skekSil the Chamberlain, considered by Aughra as a rogue and impatient by urRu standards. Compared to the other Mystics, urSol takes a more active role in the comic book sequel ''
The Power of the Dark Crystal ''The Power of the Dark Crystal'' is a 2017 comic book limited series that is a sequel to 1982 film ''The Dark Crystal''. This series has a sequel, '' Beneath the Dark Crystal''. Conception For decades, a sequel for the 1982 film ''The Dark Crys ...
'' as he secretly gifted Aughra with a means of summoning a creature from the urSkeks' homeworld to aid the Gefling against the Skeksis. He subsequently died when skekSil was destroyed by the Crystal reforming itself as the Prism, with both their spirits residing within it. * urTih the
Alchemist Alchemy (from the Arabic word , ) is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practised in China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe. In its Western form, alchemy is first ...
(performed by Toby Philpott) - He was described as a manipulator of states of matter. urTih spontaneously combusts when his Skeksis counterpart skekTek falls to his death in a fiery pit. * urAmaj the
Cook Cook or The Cook may refer to: Food preparation * Cooking, the preparation of food * Cook (domestic worker), a household staff member who prepares food * Cook (profession), an individual who prepares food for consumption in the food industry * C ...
(performed by Hugh Spight) - The cook of the urRu. * urNol the
Herbalist Herbal medicine (also called herbalism, phytomedicine or phytotherapy) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. Scientific evidence for the effectiveness of many herbal treatments ...
(performed by Swee Lim) - urAmaj's companion and a master of using herbs. * urAc the
Scribe A scribe is a person who serves as a professional copyist, especially one who made copies of manuscripts before the invention of Printing press, automatic printing. The work of scribes can involve copying manuscripts and other texts as well as ...
(performed by Hus Levant) - He is a chronicler of the "simpler thoughts" of his compatriots. * urYod the Numerologist (performed by Robbie Barnett) - He is the
timekeeper A timekeeper is a person that measures the passage of time. They may have additional functions in sports and business. Description A timekeeper is a person who measures time with the assistance of a clock or a stopwatch. Functions Sports In ...
and
mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, mathematical structure, structure, space, Mathematica ...
among the urRu. He was shown teaching Jen. * urUtt the
Weaver Weaver or Weavers may refer to: Activities * A person who engages in weaving fabric Animals * Various birds of the family Ploceidae * Crevice weaver spider family * Orb-weaver spider family * Weever (or weever-fish) Arts and entertainmen ...
(performed by John Pierre Amiel) - The maker of the urRu's robes. * urVa the Archer (performed by Olly Taylor, voiced by
Ólafur Darri Ólafsson Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (born 3 March 1973) is an Icelandic and American actor, screenwriter, and producer, known for his roles in films such as ''Children'', '' The Deep'', '' The Secret Life of Walter Mitty'', and '' Eurovision Song Contest: ...
) - A skilled master of
martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...
including
archery Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a Bow and arrow, bow to shooting, shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting ...
, and the counterpart of skekMal the Hunter who appears in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance''. He helps Aughra regain her connection to Thra. urVa later sacrificed himself to stop skekMal from murdering more Gelflings by jumping from the Circle of Suns where he faded away before hitting the ground. * urGoh the Wanderer (performed by Olly Taylor, voiced by
Bill Hader William Thomas Hader Jr.''Finding Your Roots'', January 26, 2016, PBS. (born June 7, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and director. He was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 20 ...
) - A slow-talking Mystic who once traveled around the world and is skekGra the Heretic's counterpart. He is depicted in Volume 3 of Creation Myths to save Podling leader Kotha after her village was attacked by creatures that came from the deep caverns of Thra and guide Raunip and a girl Gelfling, Thall, to the Valley of the Mystics. He provides help to find a new home for the underground beasts in the land of fire. Appearing in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'', urGoh lives with skekGra in self-imposed exile in the Crystal Desert as the two desire to merge back into GraGoh and gave the Gelflings the Shard. * urMa the Peacemaker - A Mystic who was skilled in Diplomacy and skekVar's counterpart. Killed as a result of skekVar's murder by skekSil. * urSen the
Monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...
- A Mystic and skekLach's counterpart who died when skekLach was destroyed by the Darkening that Deet redirected at him. First appeared in Tokyopop's OEL manga ''Legends of the Dark Crystal'' as its narrator. In Archaia Comics ''The Dark Crystal: Creation Myth Volumes 2 and 3'', four new Mystics were introduced: * urHom the Carpenter and urYa the Departed - They were two urRu that appeared at the end of volume 2 of Dark Crystal Creation Myths, and were killed by a rogue Skeksis after the botched division. One was choked while the other thrown into the fire Shaft under the Crystal, killing their Skeksis counterparts in the process. urHom came from the urSkek Architect HakHom, while urYa came from the urSkek YiYa, whose position is unknown. Their deaths helped establish to Aughra the connection that existed between the Skeksis and Mystics. In the ''Dark Crystal Author Quest'' series by J.M. Lee, three new canonical urRu are introduced and one appearing in the Netflix series ''The Dark Crystal Age of Resistance''.The Gelfling Gathering - Author's Resource * urSan the Swimmer - A skilled Swimmer and counterpart to skekSa the Mariner. * urLii the Storyteller - An urRu skill in storytelling, and was the counterpart of skekLi the Satirist.


urSkeks

The urSkeks are the beings from which the urRu and the
Skeksis The Skeksis are a fictional species that serves as the main antagonists in the 1982 film ''The Dark Crystal'' and its related franchise. The word "Skeksis" serves as both singular and plural form for this species, with the singular being pronounc ...
are derived, depicted as tall, luminescent beings of vaguely Gelfling-like shape. They sported large craniums and slim bodies. As revealed in ''The World of the Dark Crystal'', their people considering both their moral imperfections and attempt of manipulating their homeworld's Crystal intolerable, the eighteen urSkeks were banished to Thra through the Crystal of Truth until they have learned to master their dark aspects. Once on Thra, presenting themselves as "light bringers", the urSkeks spend the next thousand years hastening the development of the planet's people while exploiting Aughra's interest in the universe to acquire the Crystal of Truth from her. By the time of the second Great Conjunction, the urSkeks created a mirror network around the Great Crystal to trap the light of the next Great Conjunction for their use in returning to their world while purging their imperfections. But the attempt failed and resulted in the Crystal of Truth becoming the Dark Crystal and splintered the urSkeks into the urRu and the Skeksis, each member being spiritually linked to his counterpart. If any member of either species is wounded or killed, an equivalent suffers the same in the other. By the events of the film, the others having died of various causes, only eight of the urSkeks are reformed before they depart Thra soon after. In between TokyoPop's ''Legends of the Dark Crystal'', Archaia Comics ''The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths'' and ''Dark Crystal Author Quest'', various Skeksis and Mystics were introduced which provides the identities of some of the deceased urSkeks (Skeksis/urRu), but thanks to ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'', alongside the J.M. Lee novels, these are the canon 18 UrSkeks: * UngIm (voiced by
Joseph O'Conor Joseph O'Conor (14 February 1916 – 21 January 2001) was an Irish actor and playwright. Early years O'Conor was born in DublinAlan Strachan ''The Independent'', 2 February 2001Stephen GilbertObituary ''The Guardian'', 25 January 2001 on ...
) - The original form of the Garthim-Master skekUng and the Healer urIm, the leader of the urSkeks and their representative. * SoSu - The original form of the Emperor skekSo and the Master urSu, he is the leader of the urSkeks. He is among the urSkeks not to be restored as the result of his divided selves dying of old age. * TekTih - The original form of the Scientist skekTek and the Alchemist urTih, Aughra's mentor who helped built her observatory and taught her to understand the stars while she provided him with knowledge of Thra's minerals and metals. He is among the urSkeks not to be restored as the result of skekTek falling to his death to the fiery pits deep beneath the Dark Crystal which also resulted in urTih bursting into flames while reaching the Crystal Castle. * SilSol - The original form of the Chamberlain skekSil and the Chanter urSol. * ZokZah - The original form of the Ritual-Master skekZok and the Ritual-Guardian urZah. * AyukAmaj - The original form of the Gourmand skekAyuk and the Cook urAmaj. * NaNol - The original form of the Slave-Master skekNa and the Herbalist urNol. * OkAc - The original form of the Scroll-Keeper skekOk and the Scribe urAc. * ShodYod - The original form of the Treasurer skekShod and the Numerologist urYod. * EktUtt - The original form of the Ornamentalist skekEkt and the Weaver urUtt. * VarMa - The original form of the General skekVar and the Peacemaker urMa. He is among the urSkeks not to be restored as the result of skekVar being murdered by skekSil years before the events of the film. * LachSen - The original form of the Collector skekLach and the Monk urSen. He is among the urSkeks not to be restored as the result of skekLach being obliterated by Deet years before the events of the film. * MalVa - The original form of the Hunter skekMal and the Archer urVa. He is among the urSkeks not to be restored as the result of urVa committing suicide to end skekMal's rampage years before the events of the film. * GraGoh - The original form of the Conqueror skekGra and the Wanderer urGoh, the two seeking to be rejoined into their true self. * LiLii - The original form of the Satirist skekLi and the Storyteller urLii. * SaSan - The original form of the Mariner skekSa and the Swimmer urSan. * YiYa - The original form of skekYi and urYa. His position is unknown and right after the division, his split personas were the first to be killed by a rogue Skeksis who strangled urYa. * HakHom - The original form of skekHak and urHom. His position was an Architect and right after the division, his split personas were the second pair to die by a rogue Skeksis who threw urHom down the Shaft.


Podlings/Pod People

The Podlings, also known as the Pod People, are a species of gentle "earth-people" native to Thra and affiliated with the Gelflings, named for the giant seed-pods in which they live. In their own language, they referred to themselves as ''apopiapoiopidiappididiapipob'', which translated as "master gardeners who live in bulging plants." The Podlings are
dwarf Dwarf, dwarfs or dwarves may refer to: Common uses *Dwarf (folklore), a supernatural being from Germanic folklore * Dwarf, a human or animal with dwarfism Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Dwarf (''Dungeons & Dragons''), a sh ...
-like in stature yet with very rounded, circular-shaped, bulbous potato-like heads and small round eyes. They have a love of music and parties. In tune with nature, they can speak to Thra's wildlife and Kira was taught this skill by her adoptive mother Ydra. With ''The World of the Dark Crystal'' revealing that many were initially lured to the Castle, the Podlings were abducted from their homes by the Garthim so that skekTek can extract their vital essence for a youth serum reserved for the Emperor. While the serum's effects are temporary compared to the essence extracted from Gelflings, the process turns the Podlings into aged and mindless slaves who submit to the Skeksis' commands. At the end of the film, the enslaved Podlings are restored to their original selves. The unnamed Podlings in the film are performed by Dave Goelz, Jim Henson, and Frank Oz and voiced by
Barry Dennen Barry Dennen (February 22, 1938 – September 26, 2017) was an American actor and writer. He is best known for playing Pontius Pilate on the original 1970 recording of ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' as well as the subsequent 1971 stage musical and 1 ...
, Patrick Monckton, and Sue Weatherby. The creature and costume designs for the Podlings were done by Brian Froud and the design and fabrication supervisor was Sherry Amont. The design and fabrication team for the Podlings consisted of
Bob Payne Bob Payne is an American retired puppeteer and puppet builder. He is also known as Robert Payne and Bobby Payne. History Payne, a native of Washington, D.C., was a college friend of Jim Henson and Jane Henson. He first worked with them on Jim H ...
, Amy Van Gilder,
Mike Quinn Michael Patrick Quinn (born April 15, 1974) is an American former professional football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans, and Denve ...
, Cheryl Henson, Marianne Harms, Nick Forder, Sarah Monzani, Peter Saunders, and Debbie Coda. Polly Smith, Barbara Davis, and Ellis Duncan were associate costume designers. There have been some named Podlings: * Hup (performed by Victor Yerrid) - A Podling in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'' who carries a large wooden spoon like a sword and aspires to be a Paladin, becoming Deet's friend and joining her quest. The comic book side story reveals Hup was previously a cook in at a Spriton inn before he was driven from Sami Thicket for striking the visiting skekShod for repeatedly complaining about the swamp water soup's quality. * Ydra - A Podling who raised Kira. ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'' also features some unnamed Podling servants (performed by Warrick Brownlow-Pike and
Louise Gold Louise Gold (born 1956) is an English puppeteer, actress and singer. Her long career has included puppetry on television and roles in musical theatre in the West End, as well as other television, film and voice roles. Gold was raised in London ...
) that work for the Skeksis.


Garthim

The Garthim are
crustacean Crustaceans (from Latin meaning: "those with shells" or "crusted ones") are invertebrate animals that constitute one group of arthropods that are traditionally a part of the subphylum Crustacea (), a large, diverse group of mainly aquatic arthrop ...
-like creatures that skekTek animated with the Dark Crystal to serve the Skeksis as their enforcers following the Gelfings' war declaration, each pieced together from the corpses of the
spider Spiders (order (biology), order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude spider silk, silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and ran ...
-like Arathim and the humanoid Gruenaks in a form resembling
sea creatures Marine life, sea life or ocean life is the collective ecological communities that encompass all aquatic animals, aquatic plant, plants, algae, marine fungi, fungi, marine protists, protists, single-celled marine microorganisms, microorganisms ...
native to the urSkeks' world. The creation of the Garthim, as depicted in the first-season finale of ''Age of Resistance'', led to the massacre of the Gelflings in the event referred to as the Garthim War. In the film, some are sent to capture Jen and end up bringing Aughra instead. The Garthim are instantly destroyed when Jen restored the Crystal, causing them to crumble along with the Skeksis architecture covering the Castle. In ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'', their origins are shown at the end of the first season as skekTek reveals the first Garthim (performed by Daniel Dewhirst) following the fight at Stone-in-the-Wood. The conceptual designer for the Garthim was Brian Froud, who claimed to have had a fascination with
lobster Lobsters are Malacostraca, malacostracans Decapoda, decapod crustaceans of the family (biology), family Nephropidae or its Synonym (taxonomy), synonym Homaridae. They have long bodies with muscular tails and live in crevices or burrows on th ...
s, and Fred Nihda as the design and fabrication supervisor. As the suits were so heavy and prone to overheating, special harnesses were constructed to lift the performers in the Garthim suits and give them time to recover in between takes.


Raunip

Known as the "Son of Aughra", Raunip was born from the organic material of a meteorite that landed on Thra which Aughra brought to life. Unlike the more reserved Aughra, Raunip is more outgoing and with an adventurous curiosity, allowing him befriend Gelfings and other members of Thra's races. But Raunip earned the urSkeks' ire, his distrust of them playing a factor in the events that splintered the urSkeks into the Skeksis and the urRu/Mystics. Helping Aughra search for the lost shard, fruitlessly gathering similar shards, Raunip learned the Skeksis have enlisted the Gelflings to repel the invading Makrak horde in his absence. Raunip attempted to convince the Gelfling elder Carn of not trusting the Skeksis, only to be rebuffed and accused of abandoning the Gelflings in their time of need. Raunip left Carn's village with her daughter Thall, who shared his suspicion over the Skeksis' motives. Taken to Valley of the urRu by urGoh where he is reunited with Kotha, Raunip tried convincing the urRu to stop the Skeksis from taking the Gelfling to war. When the Makraks reached the Valley the following day, Kotha's translation of their language allows Raunip to understand that Makraks were forced from their underground home with the destruction they caused motivated by fear of the surface world. While the urRu convinced the Skeksis to not exterminate the Makraks, Raunip participated in the peace talks and suggested their relocation to the region known as the Field of Fire. Raunip offered himself to guide the Makraks, knowing that he would never return or survive the journey despite receiving protective clothing and amulets from Thall. After bidding farewell to Aughra, who wept silently after he left, Raunip succeeds in his mission despite half of his face burnt and on the verge of death. He was last seen with a Fizzgig whom he recounting his tale to, resolving to live as long as he can while hoping to be remembered by those he left behind.


U-mun/Firelings

The Firelings, also known as the U-Mun, are an offshoot of the Gelfling race that reside in the underground region of Mithra where they are ruled by a council of three Ember Queens. Descended from Gelfling exiles that came to Mithra during the Age of Division, resembling Gelflings enveloped in flame, the Firelings adapted to their environment with their physiology altered to the point that they are unable to survive on Thra's surface without assistance and with exposure to water weakening them. While they resemble Gelflings, the female Firelings lack wings and the older members of the race had fin-like ears and sported a pair of antennae on their foreheads. Firelings also possess an ability similar to dreamfasting called "firefasting", that enabled them to learn of events and emotions from the past through flame.


Thurma

Thurma was a female Fireling who lived during the Age of Power. She was the heir of one of Mithra's Ember Queens and the first Fireling to leave her homeland since the race's creation, heading to Thra's surface world in a misguided quest to retrieve a shard from the Crystal in order to stop the Great Dim. Her efforts resulted in a brief return of the Skeksis and Mystics while learning her race's true origins through her relationship with the Gelfling Kensho. Her return home after the crisis saw her confront Nita, a rival claimant to her position as Ember Queen, though the two eventually joined forces in order to stop the Fire That Stays from finishing what the Great Dim had started. She subsequently ruled Mithra jointly with Nita and Fiola.


Myth-Speaker

The Myth-Speaker (voiced by
Sigourney Weaver Susan Alexandra ( ; born October 8, 1949), better known by her stage name Sigourney Weaver, is an American actress. Prolific in film since the late 1970s, she is known for her pioneering portrayals of action heroines in Blockbuster (entertainme ...
) is the narrator of ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance''.


Vliste-Staba

Vliste-Staba (voiced by Theo Ogundipe) is a Sanctuary Tree that appears in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'' and makes it home in Grot, being one of the many Great Trees that held the Darkening at bay for a millennia before it became too strong for them to subdue thanks to the Skeksis' experiments with the Dark Crystal. When the tree's death occurs, Vliste-Staba gives Deet the ability to absorb the Darkening into herself to purify the infected.


Lore

Lore (performed by Damian Farrell) is a sentient rock construct created by skekGra and urGoh. Debuting in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'', skekGra and urGoh placed him in a chamber beneath the Vapra Clan's throne room to await the Gefling that would revive him. Lore is awakened by Brea in "The First Thing I Remember is Fire," playing skekGra's recording to explain himself as her guide and protector in her journey to Circle of the Suns. Once Lore accomplishes his mission, Lore is deactivated by skekGra and remains in the Circle of the Suns for the duration of the first season.


Arathim

The Arathim are a
spider Spiders (order (biology), order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude spider silk, silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and ran ...
-like race that appear in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'', all connected by a hivemind known as the Ascendency. The Arathim initially lived in the Caves of Grot until the Skeksis drove them into the wilds for refusing to submit and fought the Gelflings in many conflicts. The Arathim eventually become the Gelflings' allies in their rebellion against the Skeksis, who respond by having skekTek graft some Arathim corpses with the remains of one of his Gruenak slaves to create the first Garthim.


Minor species


Crystal Bats

The Crystal
Bat Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...
s are winged bat-like creatures with stick-like bodies which serve as spies for the Skeksis. Two are seen spying on Jen and Kira. According to '' The World of the Dark Crystal'' by Brian Froud, the Crystal Bats were bred by the Skeksis to carry lenses of artificial Crystal that relay whatever they see to the Dark Crystal.


Landstriders

Landstriders are quadrupeds native to the forests of Thra, having white skin, vaguely
sloth Sloths are a Neotropical realm, Neotropical group of xenarthran mammals constituting the suborder Folivora, including the extant Arboreal locomotion, arboreal tree sloths and extinct terrestrial ground sloths. Noted for their slowness of move ...
-like faces, long
rabbit Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also includes the hares), which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated ...
ear-like appendages, and extremely long and powerful limbs with which they move very fast over vast distances. They are ridden by Jen and Kira in the film, and identified by Froud as regular mounts of Gelflings. Landstriders are very tough and their limbs can be used as formidable weapons as seen when they, Jen, Kira, and Fizzgig are attacked by the Garthim. One Landstrider is taken down while another falls off the cliff with a Garthim. As a result, Landstriders are perhaps the only natives of Thra able to oppose the Garthim. A dead Landstrider's flesh is highly prized for the Skeksis. In the production of ''The Dark Crystal'', the Landstriders were performed by professional stiltwalkers operating on four stilts like Robbie Barnett, Swee Lim, and Hugh Spight. A digitally-erased safety wire, pulley system, and the associated crane were used to help perform the Landstriders so that the performer will not accidentally fall and hurt their necks. ''The World of The Dark Crystal'' revealed that Robbie Barnett helped to conceive the Landstriders due to him being an expert at stiltwalking as well as the safety information that Jim Henson revealed to make sure the Landstrider performers do not get hurt. The Landstriders appear in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance''. Ordon and some Crystal Guard members rode some Landstriders when escorting skekOk and skekLach to Ha'rar. The Landstriders also took the brunt of the Darkening.


Nebrie

The Nebrie are large
amphibian Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniote, anamniotic, tetrapod, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class (biology), class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all Tetrapod, tetrapods, but excl ...
s apparent in marshes and swamps. Although they appear menacing, the Nebries are not especially aggressive and appear to be
vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...
. A Nebrie infant is seen roasted on the dining table of the Skeksis in the Castle of the Crystal, and the novel depicts Nebries as the Skeksis' food of choice. The Nebrie was designed by Brian Froud and the design and fabrication supervisors were Tim Miller and John Coppinger.


Gruenaks

The Gruenaks are a race of Gelfling-size brutes with superhuman strength and mechanical minds that have been driven to near extinction. In the first season of ''Age of Resistance'', skekSil provided two known Gruenak survivors (performed by
Kevin Clash Kevin Jeffrey Clash (born September 17, 1960) is an American puppeteer, director and producer best known for puppeteering Elmo on ''Sesame Street'' from 1985 to 2012. He also performed puppets for ''Labyrinth'', ''Dinosaurs'', '' Oobi'', and vari ...
and Neil Sterenberg) with stitched mouths to assist skekTek in repairing his essence extraction machine and improve on it. The two Gruenaks were also manipulated by skekSil with the promise of their freedom, openly rebelling when skekSil revealed to them he had no intention of setting them free in the immediate future. This resulted with the Gruenaks being killed by skekTek, who threw one down the Crystal Shaft and then used the other's corpse after beating him to death in the creation of the Garthim.


Other life forms

Both the film and ''Age of Resistance'' depict the wildlife of Thra. Among these creatures are
plant Plants are the eukaryotes that form the Kingdom (biology), kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly Photosynthesis, photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with c ...
s able to fly; flowers able to retract their petals; thick tree-like stalks that expand and compress; mobile vine-like or grass-like creatures;
rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and Mandible, lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal specie ...
-like animals; and
bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...
s with a large
horn Horn may refer to: Common uses * Horn (acoustic), a tapered sound guide ** Horn antenna ** Horn loudspeaker ** Vehicle horn ** Train horn *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various animals * Horn (instrument), a family ...
instead of a
beak The beak, bill, or rostrum is an external anatomical structure found mostly in birds, but also in turtles, non-avian dinosaurs and a few mammals. A beak is used for pecking, grasping, and holding (in probing for food, eating, manipulating and ...
. * Armaligs:
Pillbug Armadillidiidae is a family of woodlice, a terrestrial crustacean group in the order Isopoda. Unlike members of some other woodlice families, members of this family can roll into a ball, an ability they share with the outwardly similar but unr ...
-like creatures that the Skeksis use as the wheels of their carriages. * Crystal Skimmers: Large flying
stingray Stingrays are a group of sea Batoidea, rays, a type of cartilaginous fish. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae (deepwate ...
-like creatures that serve as the Dousan Clan's mode of transportation across the Crystal Sea. * Gobbles: An assortment of carnivorous plants that will gobble up whoever falls into them and drag them below the liquidy surface that they stick out of. Some Gobbles surround a gigantic ambush predator which snares prey that wander into its mouth. * Locksnake: The Locksnake is a type of small golden snake that is used to lock doors as seen in ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance''. skekTek used a Locksnake to lock up a vial containing Mira's essence in a cabinet for safekeeping. The Locksnake was later eaten by skekSil. * Nurloc:
Worm Worms are many different distantly related bilateria, bilateral animals that typically have a long cylindrical tube-like body, no limb (anatomy), limbs, and usually no eyes. Worms vary in size from microscopic to over in length for marine ...
-like creatures native to the Caves of Grot. * Peeper Beetles: The Peeper Beetles are a type of Thra beetle native to the Crystal Desert which feed on soft flesh, preferring eyes. In ''The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance'', one Peeper Beetle is kept and starved by the Skeksis for use in their disciplinary actions with skekTek losing his right eye during one such occasion.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Characters And Races Of The Dark Crystal Fantasy creatures Speculative fiction film characters lists The Dark Crystal