SkekMal is one of the major antagonists in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. He is one of the Skeksis sent down to hunt down Rian, a Gelfling framed for murdering his girlfriend, Mira.
His counterpart among the Mystics is UrVa the Archer.
He was voiced by Ralph Ineson and puppeteered by Kevin Clash.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance[]
SkekMal is summoned by the Chamberlain skekSil to the Castle. He requested to skekSil of his new “prey”, and the latter tasks him to capture the Gelfling Rian (one of the three main protagonists); the Hunter agrees to pursue Rian and leaves.
He later finds Rian and Ordon, the Gelfling’s father, through their footprints and proceeds to chase the pair down, pursuing Rian to be cornered behind a pit of gobbles. A duel ensues soon after, with skekMal attempting to push the Gelfling into the pit, not long before Ordon strikes from above and damaging skekMal’s mask. The Skeksis, using his second pair of arms with knives, continues the fight. However, Rian and Ordon managed to fend off the Hunter.
SkekMal, seconds before landing on the gobbles, drags the latter with him and they both were overwhelmed by the creatures, consumed by them. He was assumed dead by Rian, Deet, and Hup. As Hup and Deet comforted Rian, SkekMal suddenly emerged from the hobbles and kidnapped Rian while Deet and Hup watch helplessly as he disappears into the night.
SkekMal takes Rian to a secluded area of the woods, preparing to kill him and make the Gelfling’s skull. However, all of the sudden, skekSil appears to skekMal and insisted Rian be taken before skekSo alive because of the former's desire for his seat near the Emperor back. skekMal scoffs in response at skekSil “hunting” after a chair, though the latter is quick to correct that he hunts after power. The Hunter eventually handed Rian over to the Chamberlain, but only if the Gelfling is brought back to him, to which skekSil agrees.
Though skekSil was nearly successful in taking Rian back to the castle, he was rescued by Naia and Gurjin. skekMal continued his hunt for the Gelfling.
Following Rian's escape from the Chamberlain and then venture to the Circle of the Suns in the Crystal Sea, the Gelfling and his group were spotted by skekMal in the desert, who later followed in their direction. By forcing one of the Dousan Gelfling who helped the group find their location, the Hunter reaches to the Circle and unleashed an attack while attempting to retrieve Rian. It is not until at the exact moment his Mystic counterpart UrVa intervenes by shooting two arrows at skekMal, injuring him and also harming UrVa due to their connection. Despite the wounds he received, skekMal managed to capture Brea before fleeing back to the Castle of the Crystal and placing her in a cage.
He later runs in carrying the cage to the throne room and, releasing the chain connected to the cage, soon faints because of his injuries much to the other Skeksis' shock. Desperate, they had skekTek the Scientist try to bring skekMal back alive with the only way being Gelfling essence.
However, Aughra enters the Scientist's lab and tells the Skeksis emperor skekSo that skekMal cannot be revived by Gelfling essence but offers her own in exchange for releasing the Gelflings, including Brea, Seladon and Fara, they had imprisoned. skekSo agrees but he secretly orders skekVar (and skekLach) to kill them before the Gelfling leave. However, when Aughra's essence does not immediately wake skekMal, the skeksis assume he is dead and have his body displayed up near the Emperor's throne. As skekTek is left alone in the castle, SkekMal immediately awakens from unconsciousness and orders skekTek to tell him where Rian is. skekTek answers that he and the other Gelflings are fighting the Skeksis in Stone-in-the Wood.
As Rian is fighting skekSil, skekMal suddenly grabs Rian and holds him captive, causing the other Gelflings to cease fighting and beg for skekMal to let him go. He attempted to murder Rian for the last time before an awakened UrVa commits suicide from afar, preventing skekMal from finishing the kill and also ending his life for good with the revival of Aughra.
Trivia[]
- Fans and critics alike have compared SkekMal to a horror movie villain who keeps coming back to torment the protagonists and with a thirst for revenge while also scaring the audience.
- He has only loyalty to himself and doesn't fear death like his companions, so he doesn't need the Crystal energies or the Gelfling essence.
- SkekMal is considered one of the most darkest darkest Skeksis due to his bloodthirsty nature, his gruesome ways, and because all the other Skeksis are terrified of him, along with SkekSil and SkekSo.
