Garthim guarding the entrance to The Castle of the Crystal.
No Gelfling ever escaped from my deadly Garthim.
The Garthim are artificial lifeforms created by SkekTek from grafting the corpses of a Gruenak and an Arathim and animating them with the The Dark Crystal to serve the Skesis as an obedient army to contend with the Gelflings. But when the Skesis learn of the prophecy revealing that a Gelfling would reverse The Great Division, the Garthim are repurposed as an extermination force to wipe out the Gelflings out.
Appearance
Possessing the Arathim's black-carapace and trace elements of the Gruenaks' limbs and head shape, the Garthim resemble a flea-like composite of the two species armed with powerful claws and monstrous strength which allows them to smash through stone walls and destroy anything regardless of its construction, including Aughra's Orrery.
History
The first Garthim SkekTek created was from combining various Arathim corpses on orders for skekSo to create an army for the Skesis to use against the rebellious Gelflings. skekTek only managed to complete his mission after using the lifeless body of a Gruenak slave he killed to complete the artificial creature.
The Garthim's sole purpose was destruction, and would follow orders from their Skeksis overlords without question. It was unknown whether or not they could kill a Skeksis if ordered to do so by another, but skekUng planned to test this when he suspected skekTek of betrayal. They could also be controlled by the urRu to a limited extent.[2] Aughra expressed doubt as to whether or not they were truly killable,[3] though the Gelfling Lahr discovered that they could be defeated by stabbing at weak points in their armor.[4] They were implacable enemies of the Landstriders which, although vastly outnumbered and outmatched in physical strength, could use their speed to swiftly cripple the Garthim.[3]
More Garthim are eventually made before being purposed by skekUng as an extermination force to drive the Gelflings into extinction upon learning the prophecy. When not in battle, the Garthim served as sentries in the corridors and pits of The Castle of the Crystal, motionless until given a command.[2] When Jen healed the Crystal, and purged it of darkness, the Garthim are reduced into heaps of empty shells.[2]
But Jen later learns he can use skekUng's Garthim staff to reanimate the Garthim and place them under his command. When the Second Great Division occurred and the Skesis were freed, Jen used the Garthim to apprehend the unruly creatures to restore order in his court.[5]
Trivia
- In The World of the Dark Crystal, with skekUng playing a role in their creation, skekTek is mentioned to have apparently designed the Garthim after sea creatures native to the urSkek homeworld.[3]
- The word "Garthim" is a plural noun, with no singular.[2]
References
- ↑ Henson, J. & Oz, F. (dir.); Henson, J., Kurtz, G. & Lazer, D. (prod.); Henson, J. & Odell, D. (writ.) (December 17, 1982). The Dark Crystal (Motion picture). New York City, NY: Jim Henson Productions.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Smith, A. C. H., & Odell, D. (1982). The Dark Crystal. Holt, Rinehart and Winston . ISBN 0030624363
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Froud, B. & Llewellyn, J. J., (2003) The World of the Dark Crystal. Pavilion Books. ISBN 1-86205-624-2
- ↑ Kessel, B. R. & Arnhold, H. (2007) Legends of the Dark Crystal Volume 1: The Garthim Wars. TokyoPop. ISBN 1598167014
- ↑ by Spurrier, S. (Author), Matthews, K. (Illustrator), Matthews, N. (Illustrator)The Power of the Dark Crystal Issue 3. BOOM! - Archaia. ASIN: B06VTKX77Y
External Links
Garthim on the Muppet Wiki