- “Between SkekUng the Garthim-Master and SkekSil the Chamberlain there was bitter rivalry, for SkekSil hoped his smiling poison and suspicious craft would lead him, not SkekUng, to succeed to the Emperor's glory. Both were deceived.”
- ―The World of the Dark Crystal
SkekSil is the central antagonist of The Dark Crystal franchise. He is one of the two main antagonists of the original film and The Power of the Dark Crystal, a minor antagonist in Beneath the Dark Crystal, and the secondary antagonist of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. He is also a major antagonist in the non-canon comics, Legends of the Dark Crystal and The Dark Crystal young adult novels.
SkekSil is known as the Chamberlain and the spiritual counterpart to the urRu, UrSol. He is the chief secretary of state and was the next in line to be the emperor until SkekUng took over instead. Infamously known for his whimpering and his idea to drain Gelfling essence, SkekSil stops at nothing to attain the power and immortality he craves for, even if it means manipulating others to turn against each other and killing his own kind.
In the original film, SkekSil is performed by Frank Oz, with Barry Dennen providing his voice. In the 2019 Netflix prequel series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, he is performed by Warrick Brownlow-Pike with Simon Pegg providing his voice,
Background[]
Once the UrSkek known as SilSol who attempted to cleanse his soul with the Crystal of Truth, he was instead split into two beings: the Skeksis SkekSil and the Mystic UrSol.
Two of the Skeksis were killed and the Crystal was cracked by one of the Skeksis and causing a shard from the Crystal to break off. SkekSil rejected the Mystics, who went to live in hiding in the Valley of the UrRu. Following this, SkekSil was made the Skeksis' Chamberlain and was among the vilest Skeksis who was infamously known for his manipulative and power-hungry nature. When SkekGra and his Mystic counterpart UrGoh saw visions of them being one day reunited, the duo tried to convince SkekSil and the other Skeksis and Mystics but they refused to listen. They were casted out and went to live in the Crystal Desert.
SkekSil and his fellow Skeksis began ruling over Thra and began calling themselves the Lords of the Crystal after Aughra entrusted the Crystal to the Skeksis. They began extracting power from the Crystal when the three Suns headed over the Crystal and beamed into the Skeksis eyes so they may replenish themselves and cheat death again.
Personality[]
- “This is what I do. I plant stories in ground, watch grow into truth.”
- ―SkekSil's true personality
Evil, cruel, and sadistic, the Chamberlain SkekSil was greedy, selfish, and manipulative, being a representation of all the dark and evil qualities of the UrSkek SilSol, The other Skeksis found his whimpering annoying, especially SkekUng. Several of them wished him dead, with most of the Skeksis' hopes SkekMal, would skin him alive. SkekSil could easily be sadistic as he was clever because he drank the vial containing Mira's essence in front of the her boyfriend, Rian while cackling. This seems to have come to a greater extent because, by the time of the original film he threw Jen across the room in the catacombs when he took Kira hostage and mercilessly killed Kensho.
One of his greatests forms of manipulation was through his conversations to his with others, and most if not all of the individuals around him would fall victim to this. He had once helped SkekTek find a way to take the essence from the Crystal of Truth, which he would use to his advantage. In the following episode, he managed to manipulate the entire room of Skeksis that it was SkekTek's fault that Rian escaped from the castle. SkekSil tried to do his manipulation skills on both Jen and Kira, but unlike the others, neither Gelfling believed him. He nearly succeeded in getting Rian to deter from his devotion to avenging Mira and using his survivor's guilt against him before the siblings Naia and Gurjin rescued him. SkekSil once saved SkekVar from Tavra by killing the poor Gelfling girl and giving him a bottle of Gelfling's essence and earned his trust. However, SkekSil hunted for the power he sought and manipulated events to fight Rian, who managed to wound SkekVar in a duel. When they were alone, SkekSil took advantage of Rian's deathly blow and stabbed SkekVar in the back after the Second Battle of Stone in the Wood on revenge for taking his sweet next to the Emperor SkekSo.
Appearances[]
The Dark Crystal[]
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance[]
In the prequel series, SkekSil is revealed to be more nasty as he is in the original film. He was puppeteered by Warrick Brownlow-Pike and Katherine Smee and voiced by Simon Pegg.
End. Begin. All the Same[]
SkekSil joined his fellow Skeksis in the Crystal chamber, where they replenish their immorality to cheat death yet again. However, they found that the Crystal was failing then once again, because they still had not felt any different from when they started. SkekSo, tired of hearing them squabble assures the fellow Skeksis, including SkekSil, that the Scientist, SkekTek was working on something to save their lives yet again. Though he told the others to return to their duties, SkekSil stayed behind and eavesdropped on SkekSo and SkekTek's conversation. When he heard that SkekTek hasn't actually found anything that will solve their problems, SkekSil plans to use this to his advantage. Going into SkekTek's lab, SkekSil pulled the trigger that had activated the Crystal draining skekTek of his essence. SkekSil helps inspire skekTek to take essence from the Gelflings of Thra and use it to replenish themselves again. When skekTek calls for everyone, SkekSil assures his fellow Skeksis that skekTek found something useful. They use the Gelfling Mira, whose essence is taken from the Crystal and she subsequently dies. SkekSil and the others drink Mira's essence and are able to be stronger again. SkekSil saw skekTek put it in a bottle and had it locked away for further studies. As they celebrate, a tear from Rian lands on SkekZok’s head, causing the Skeksis suddenly aware of his presence. Luckily Rian is able to escape. With SkekSo very alarmed, SkekSil assured the emperor that none would believe Rian because the Skeksis are able to manipulate others and that Gelflings wanted to be ruled.
Nothing Is Simple Anymore[]
After finding out that Rian still had escaped, SkekSil entered an argument with SkekVar, who left to find Rian, whom they considered a traitor now. He attempted to cheer up SkekSo by having the Podlings play music for him.
Later, SkekSil snuck into the scientist's lab and attempted to steal the essence that SkekTek kept on his cabinet while he was unaware of the presence of Rian and Gurjin underneath the table. However, he saw that the Scientist put a locksnake on the door knobs and SkekSil proceeded in eating it and taking the vial of Mira's essence. skekTek catches SkekSil in his lab, where he feigns interest in the scientist working on repairs. Despite SkekSil hiding the essence and trying to leave with it, SkekTek caught the Chamberlain and would have believed in his lies that the Gelflings took it because SkekTek sees the bits of the locksnake in SkekSil's teeth. Before the argument escalated, the two Skeksis caught the scent of Rian and Gurjin.
In a small scuffle, SkekSil dropped the essence, leading Rian to grab it. Due to their smaller sizes, Rian and Gurjin dodge the Skeksis' attempts to grab them and escape with the essence. However, SkekSil took Gurjin hostage while SkekTek appeared on the other side and Rian found himself surrounded by his enemies. SkekSil attempted to persuade the young Gelfling they were not going to hurt him and to give up and have over the essence, but Gurjin told Rian not to listen, as it was a trick. Instead, the Gelfling that SkekSil held hostage stabbed the Chamberlain in the side, enough to let him get his guard down and let Rian run past SkekSil, who, despite trying to grab Rian, only managed to grab a scrap of his clothing.
SkekSil was later blamed by SkekTek for letting Rian escape and failing to capture him to the fellow Skeksis. However, SkekSil managed to turn the tables and convinced SkekSo that it was all SkekTek's fault instead and announces that they still have Gurjin. They go to have him punished. Ordon, Rian’s father enters to know what happened to his son while he was away. SkekSil fed Ordon lies that Rian and Gurjin conspired against the Skeksis, and when Mira found out, Rian murdered her. When Ordon said he could dreamfast with Rian, the Chamberlain lied and said that Rian was mad and that the madness spreads by dreamfasting. Convinced his son was not in his state of mind, Ordon agreed to find Rian and then bring him back to the castle with the vial he stole. After Ordon left, SkekSil said that once the essence and Rian were found, they would drain them both of their essence.
What Was Sundered and Undone[]
Following the humiliation of skekTek, who lost his eye because of SkekSil's manipulation, the Chamberlain approached skekTek and offered him two Gruenaks as servants after sowing their mouths shut. skekTek took the slaves and said that it was a start for him and SkekSil. He later went to Gurjin and revealed what happened to SkekTek the night before: his eye was eaten by a peeper beetle, a bug that has a taste for eyes. SkekSil tells Gurjin that if they do that to Skeksis, then what would they have in store for Gelfling. He pressures Gurjin to tell him where Rian had gone; however, Gurjin refused to give up his best friend. Enraged, SkekSil left the peeper beetle there and warned him to think of his actions.
The First Thing I Remember is Fire[]
While the Skeksis were feasting, SkekSil and SkekVar entered an argument on how to deal with Rian and the other Gelflings. Irritated, SkekSo replaced SkekSil with SkekVar as his new counsel, where the General dishonored SkekSil and stepped on his hand. Humiliated, SkekSil began to conspire on how he could get back in the emperor's good graces. He thought to capture and use Rian for his own agenda. SkekSil summoned SkekMal to the castle, the hunter returned and asked SkekSil who his Target is and the Chamberlain reveals it to be the Stonewood warrior. Insulted, SkekMal tried to leave but SkekSil revealed that Rian was a threat and carried essence with him. Now intriguing SkekMal that Rian would make a trophy, he gave SkekMal a scrap of Rian’s cloth and sent the deadly Skeksis went to hunt the Gelfling down. For unknown reasons, SkekSil became aware of Ordon's sacrifice and would later use this against Rian at a later time.
She Knows All the Secrets[]
Before SkekMal gave a deathly blow to Rian, the Chamberlain suddenly appeared and yelled for the Hunter to stop, as he needed to bring Rian to the Emperor back alive to get back in power. Insulted, SkekMal refused because SkekSil was hunting a throne instead but the Chamberlain was hunting for power. SkekSil promises to return Rian after he has gotten his throne back and the General is humiliated, to which SkekMal agrees. However, he threatens the Chamberlain with death if he is denied Rian's tongue. Now alone with a helpless Rian, SkekSil steals the vial of Mira's essence and consumes it while cackling and taking advantage of Rian's inability to stop him and taking pleasure in his suffering. Finishing the bottle, SkekSil throws the bottle on the floor and steps on it, taking away Rian's only proof of the Skeksis' crimes.
On their way back to the Castle, SkekSil told Rian that any attempts to escape would be pointless. However, Rian refuses to allow the Chamberlain to manipulate him and warns SkekSil to just kill him now and get it over with. However, the Chamberlain refuses because he needs Rian alive to stop the war before it starts. Angrily, Rian refused because he wanted the world to know that the Skeksis were evil, which intrigued SkekSil as he wondered why Skeksis were evil. Rian explained it was because of what they did to Mira.
However, SkekSil disagreed and said it was only natural, as everything kills to survive. Death was unnatural to Skeksis because they conquered it and SkekSil told Rian that if their roles were reversed, then Gelfling would do the exact same thing. When Rian insisted, they were nothing alike, SkekSil brought up that Rian did only one thing when his friend was being drained and his Drenchen friend was captured: he ran. Rian tries to protest there was nothing he could do for Mira and that Gurjint told him to run, as SkekSil adds. The Skeksis lord adds that Rian's own father had sacrificed himself so his son could survive and save himself. Rian, upset, says that he tried but that he couldn't save his father, and SkekSil, satisfied, tells Rian that he couldn't save any of them but adds that maybe Rian can save the rest.
SkekSil continued pressuring Rian to tell the "truth" about Mira and admit he murdered her. Rian was still upset and refused because SkekSil did not care about Gelfling, which the Chamberlain denies and that he is the only reason why Gelflings are still alive, but Rian refuses because lying would lead to the Gelflings remaining slaves. SkekSil twists Rian's words and tells him that Gelflings are not slaves if they are not aware of it and calls the Gelfling the Skeksis' pets because they are immortal while Gelflings live for a couple of trine, and says Skeksis are to Gelflings as crawlies are to Gelfling. SkekSil also cannot promise to cease the draining of Gelfling if Rian does what he wants, leading Rian to refuse. The Chamberlain, annoyed, shouts that if there is a war, then the Gelfling did not stand a chance, with Rian insisted that the Gelflings would win such a war. Fed up with Rian's defiance, SkekSil stopped the carriage and cut the ropes restraining the Gelfling. SkekSil opened the carriage door and invited Rian to leave but warned that it would be on Rian’s head when all Gelfling die because he chose to run again. Rian hesitates and decided to stay. Satisfied, SkekSil is glad to have finally meet a Gelfling with sense and starts the carriage back up.
However, before they got to the castle Gurjin and Naia intercepted the Chamberlain's carriage and rescued Rian and they fled on the Armalig while the Chamberlain shouted for them. Having no way to using Rian to get his position back any time soon, SkekSil was forced to return to the castle on foot.
By Gelfling Hand[]
Time to Make...My Move[]
Prophets Don't Know Everything[]
The Crystal Calls[]
A Single Piece Was Lost[]
The Power of the Dark Crystal[]
Beneath the Dark Crystal[]
Other appearances[]
Gallery[]
Quotes[]
The Dark Crystal
The Power of the Dark Crystal
Beneath the Dark Crystal
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
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Trivia[]
- In the original script, SkekSil was called "Mal;" instead, it was reused for the Hunter's true name, SkekMal.
- SkekSil represents the deadly sin lust for his power-hungry nature and possibly envy, due to him being envious whenever someone has a higher power than him or takes his position, and would rather be SkekSo's number one instead of his number two henchman.
- Since SkekSil is responsible for the idea of draining the Gelfling race, he is the considered the overall secondary antagonist of The Dark Crystal franchise with SkekSo being the main antagonist who ordered the entire Gelfling race's complete extermination.
- SkekSil is one of the three Skeksis to be one of the darkest and most evil Skeksis in the series, along with SkekMal and SkekSo. His willingness to murder a Skeksis, SkekVar despite it being against the Skeksis' ideology and cruelly drinking Mira's essence in front of Rian while cackling to see his shouting.It is also due to his narcist personality.
- Most fans of the film and prequel series recognize him despite but being the main villain.
