All the hunters, warriors, now their strength is my own.
skekMal[1]
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, as his true loyalty was only to himself. He did not share his comrades' love of political intrigue, developing instead a fanatical obsession with hunting worthy prey,[2] taking their remains as trophies, which he believed conferred him their strength.[1] 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.
Biography
In his youth, skekMal was considered the most beautiful of the Skeksis by Aughra.[3] He established his main hunting grounds in the Endless Forest,[2] though he occasionally ventured into the Crystal Desert with help from Rek'yr, who later vowed to never accompany him again.[4]
After Rian escaped with proof that the Skeksis were draining Gelflings for their essence, skekMal was summoned by skekSil to hunt him down,[2] 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.[1] 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.[4] 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 urVa regained consciousness and took his own life to end his Skeksis counterpart for good, restoring Aughra.[5]
Non-canon 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. Not knowing he was a Skeksis, Spriton song tellers narrated of how Jarra-Jen once encountered and escaped the hunter. Kylan himself was made an orphan and adopted by Maudra Mera after the hunter killed his parents.
Gallery
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "She Knows All the Secrets" The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Netflix. August 30, 2019
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "The First Thing I Remember Is Fire" The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Netflix. August 30, 2019
- ↑ "The Crystal Calls" The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Netflix. August 30, 2019
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Time to Make...My Move" The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Netflix. August 30, 2019
- ↑ "A Single Piece Was Lost" The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Netflix. August 30, 2019
