SkekMal

skekMal
General Information
Species	Skeksis
Occupation	Hunter
urRu counterpart	urVa
Era(s)	Great Division Gelfling resistance
Residence	Castle of the Crystal
Death	Killed by urVa
Puppeteer/Animator	Kevin Clash Nick Kellington (body suit performer)
Voice	Ralph Ineson
Appeared in	Shadows of the Dark Crystal Flames of the Dark Crystal The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

All the hunters, warriors, now their strength is my own.

skekMal

SkekMal was the Skeksis' Hunter and counterpart to urVa the Archer.

Personality

While skekMal was on good terms with skekSo, the other Skeksis feared him due to his extremely violent nature. As his true loyalty was only to himself, skekMal did not reside in the Castle of the Crystal, preferring instead to live in the wild. He did not share his comrades' love of political intrigue, developing instead a fanatical obsession with hunting worthy prey, taking their remains as trophies, which he believed conferred him their strength. He took pride in being the strongest, fastest, and most athletic of the Skeksis and, despite Skeksis law prohibiting the murder of other Skeksis, skekMal was not afraid to threaten his comrades if they interfered in his hunts. Like most Skeksis, he believed Gelfling were inferior to him due to how weak they were in comparison, and considered them such easy prey that hunting them was not worth it unless they proved to be a true danger.

He also did not share his brethen's extreme fear of death as he didn't use the energy of the Crystal or other means to extend his life and remained proud and defiant when seemingly being about to be eaten by Gobbles and continued to carry Brea to the castle despite being on the verge of death after having been shot by the Archer.

Biography

In his youth, skekMal was considered the most beautiful of the Skeksis by Aughra. He established his main hunting grounds in the Endless Forest, though he occasionally ventured into the Crystal Desert with help from Rek'yr, who later vowed to never accompany him again.

After Rian escaped with proof that the Skeksis were draining Gelflings for their essence, skekMal was summoned by skekSil, having been replaced at skekSo's side by skekVar, to hunt him down, and managed to capture him, killing his father Ordon in the process. He was later convinced by the Chamberlain to give him temporary custody of the Gelfling for his own agenda. When Rian escaped, skekMal renewed his pursuit of the Gelfling to the Crystal Desert where, at the Circle of the Suns, he injured both skekGra and urGoh, but got fatally wounded by his counterpart, urVa, while abducting Brea to bait Rian to pursue him. He was restored to life when Aughra offered her essence, but skekMal inevitably met his end at the Second Battle of Stone-in-the-Wood when, while gloating about conquering death and that "nothing can stop the hunt," and attempting to kill Rian once more, urVa regained consciousness and took his own life to end his Skeksis counterpart for good, restoring Aughra.

Other appearances

In J.M. Lee's Shadows of the Dark Crystal, skekMal is a figure of legend among the Spriton, who used the hunter's reputation to frighten children into behaving. Spriton song tellers narrated of how Jarra-Jen once encountered and escaped the Hunter, not knowing he was a Skeksis. Kylan himself was made an orphan and adopted by Maudra Mera after the hunter killed his parents.

Gallery

External Links

• skekMal on the Muppet Wiki
•  {{{4}}} in The Dark Crystal - Encyclopedia