History Characters / TheDarkCrystal

* BizarreSexualDimorphism: [[spoiler:Female Gelflings have fairy wings; males don't.]]

The Mystics are peaceful crouching, bipedal creatures with 4 fully-functional arms and long necks covered with a mane of hair, ending in a triangular head with an extremely wrinkled face. They have long tails that drag on the ground, and only stand up to their full height at the Great Conjunction. According to the novelization, urRu means: "The old and wise ones." [[spoiler:They are actually spawn of the [=UrSkeks=] species and lost control of Thra in a tumultuous conflict with the Skeksis who also spawned from [=UrSkeks=] during the burning light emitted from the Crystal during the last Great Conjunction]].

[=Urlm=] is the Mystics' Healer and counterpart to the Garthim Master. [[spoiler:[=UrIm=] could still perceive the corona of the [=UrSkeks=] flowing in the Mystics, though the Great Division had unbalanced it]]. urIm sought to restore this balance by using amulets, baths and acupuncture. With his right hands, he made patterns in the air to restore the fires of the soul, with his left hands he made patterns in water to reduce them. He neglected all music, save for that of the death trance.

[=UrTih=] was the Mystic Alchemist, and counterpart to [=SkekTek=] the Skeksis Scientist. He wore a bandana, and his right front arm and leg were artificial limbs of wood. He was forever lost in his alchemical experiments, constantly seeking to change the forms of substances. He approached his work with humility, as he knew that he could never create anything that was nature's work. [[spoiler:urTih ultimately never managed to merge with his Skeksis counterpart, having suffered an untimely death when [=SkekTek=] fell to his fiery death in the Chamber of Life]].

* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:When [=SkekTek=] dies, [=UrTih=], as the other half of their shared [=UrSkek=] soul, dies as well.]]
* NoBodyLeftBehind: [[spoiler:He spontaneously combusts when his Skeksis counterpart falls into the pit beneath the Dark Crystal.]]

[=UrYod=] the Numerologist kept track of time with moving strings of stones. [[spoiler:Before the Urskeks' division, he aided Aughra with the Observatory.]] He is the Mystic counterpart of [=SkekShod=] the Skeksis Treasurer.

The Skeksis are vulture-like humanoids who took control of Thra after a tumultuous conflict with the Mystics. [[spoiler:Both species spawned from the [=UrSkeks=] during the burning light emitted from the Crystal during the last Great Conjunction]]. When prophecies revealed that the Skeksis tyranny would end when the missing shard of the Dark Crystal is one day found and restored by the Gelfling people, they took the Gelfling tribe by force. With the help of their Garthim warriors they managed to kill all but two survivors, Jen and Kira.

* AxCrazy: [[spoiler:He kills Kira in a fit of anger due to his overzealous obsession to kill the Gelflings.]]

* HeroKiller: [[spoiler:Mortally wounds Kira in the climax.]]

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler:His actions causes the downfall of the empire, through killing Kira, giving Jen the resolve to heal the Crystal.]]

* NiceJobFixingItVillain: [[spoiler:If he hadn't decided to kill Kira, Jen would've probably not had the necessary anger to inject the shard back into the Crystal.]]

A race of creatures not native to Thra and born of the Crystal before it was shattered. They were noble beings shining with an inner light, however, in attempting to perfect themselves, they instead tore themselves apart to become two distinct races, [[spoiler:the Mystics and the Skeksis]].

* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: [[spoiler:At the end of the film, they ascend to the skies after being combined.]]
* EtherealChoir: They start chanting upon being restored to their former selves. [[spoiler:It's probably the way they resurrect Kira.]]
* FusionDance: [[spoiler:The surviving urRu and Skeksis are rejoined into their original Urskek forms at the end]].

* OnlySixFaces: Double subverted. Compared to the Skeksis who all have unique traits, the Mystics are harder to tell apart unless you look very closely at their faces and clothes. Could be related to their lack of assertiveness - they just don't care enough to distinguish themselves, while the aggressive Skesis treasure their independence and take pains to set themselves apart from one another.

* TheExile: For a majority of the film, he is exiled by the Skeksis after being defeated by [=SkekUng=]. At least until he regains it by offering Kira to regain his status.

%%* TheRival: To the General, for the throne.
* SissyVillain: Downplayed. Not as much as [=SkekEkt=] though.

** He tried to take the scepter from the Emperor while he was on his death thralls. [[DefiantToTheEnd Needless to say, the latter didn't like that]].
* VerbalTic: That ungodly humming.

* LifeOfTheParty: They love to throw a party and dance.

A race of creatures not native to Thra and born of the Crystal before it became dark. They were noble beings shining with an inner light, however, in attempting to perfect themselves, they instead tore themselves apart to become two distinct races, [[spoiler:the Mystics and the Skeksis]].

* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: [[spoiler:At the end of the film, they ascend to the skies after being combined]].

%%* LightEmUp
%%* LightIsGood
%%* LongLived
* {{Precursors}}: They existed long before they separated themselves into the Mystics and the Skeksis.
%%* NoBiologicalSex
* OurAngelsAreDifferent: Angelic creatures and EnergyBeings.

* CreepyLongFingers: All of them.

* EvilMakesYouUgly: They don't age well.

* FeatheredFiend: Technically not feathered, but they're birds all the same.
* ImmortalitySeeker: They do this via life extensions by extracting Podling and Gelfling energy, but apparently the Dark Crystal's final Great Conjunction would've made them immortal.

* JabbaTableManners: Except for the Ornamentalist. Some of the things they eat aren't dead yet.

* MultiArmedAndDangerous: They share this trait with the Mystics, but thankfully theirs is atrophied.
* NonActionBigBad[=s=]: The Garthims do all the dirty work for them, despite having tremendous strength.
* ObviouslyEvil: [[AllThereInTheManual Not in the beginning]], but by the film, they all are.

* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: Concept artist Creator/BrianFroud claims the Skeksis are made to look "part reptile, part predatory bird, part [[OurDragonsAreDifferent dragon."]]

* BigEater: He is a glutton who loves to eat foods.

This race was once a great elven-like race on the world of Thra. They had created large cities and had mastered many aspects of magic, including the ability of prophecy. They were also a peaceful race who opposed the Skeksis, who exterminated them when a prophecy revealed a Gelfling would repair the Crystal and put an end to their reign.

!The [=UrSkeks=]

!![=UrSkeks=]
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Urskeks_4178.jpg]]

->'''Voiced by:''' Joseph O'Conor

A race of creatures not native to Thra and born of the Crystal before it became dark. They were noble beings shining with an inner light, however, in attempting to perfect themselves, they instead tore themselves apart to become two distinct races, [[spoiler:the Mystics and the Skeksis]].

* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: [[spoiler:At the end of the film, they ascend to the skies after being combined]].
* FusionDance: [[spoiler:The surviving urRu and Skeksis are rejoined into their original Urskek forms at the end]].
%%* LightEmUp
%%* LightIsGood
%%* LongLived
* {{Precursors}}: They existed long before they separated themselves into the Mystics and the Skeksis.
%%* NoBiologicalSex
* OurAngelsAreDifferent: Angelic creatures and EnergyBeings.
[[/folder]]

!The Mystics

[[folder:In General]]
!!The urRu / The Mystics
[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/PDVD_811_6205.jpg]]

The Mystics are peaceful crouching, bipedal creatures with 4 fully-functional arms and long necks covered with a mane of hair, ending in a triangular head with an extremely wrinkled face. They have long tails that drag on the ground, and only stand up to their full height at the Great Conjunction. According to the novelization, urRu means: "The old and wise ones." [[spoiler:They are actually spawn of the [=UrSkeks=] species and lost control of Thra in a tumultuous conflict with the Skeksis who also spawned from [=UrSkeks=] during the burning light emitted from the Crystal during the last Great Conjunction]].
----

!Other characters

[[folder:Aughra]]
!! Aughra
[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Aughra_photo_541.jpg]]
->'''Performed by:''' Frank Oz, Kiran Shah, Mike Edmonds
->'''Voiced by:''' Billie Whitelaw

She is the very essence of the world of Thra itself. An old hermit woman with a gorilla-like face who lives in a brain-shaped observatory atop a mountain, Aughra is wise and experienced enough to know the joy of the world before the takeover by the Skeksis.

!! [=UrYod=] the Numerologist

!! [=UrUtt=] the Weaver

[[folder:The Skeksis]]

!! [=SkekSo=] the Emperor

! [=SkekUng=] the General / the New Emperor

%%* TheRival: To the Chamberlain, for the throne.

!! [=SkekSil=] the Chamberlain

The chief Secretary and second in line to the throne. After the death of the Emperor, his greed for power led to a challenge by the General, when he decided to crown himself the new self-appointed emperor. Without hesitation, [=SkekUng=] confronted him and issued the challenge for supremacy. The Chamberlain responded by declaring the challenge be a Trial by Stone. After the duel, the Chamberlain was outcasted as punishment for losing to the new emperor.

!! [=SkekTek=] the Scientist

!! [=SkekAyuk=] the Gourmand

!! [=SkekEkt=] the Ornamentalist

!! [=SkekNa=] the Slave Master

!! [=SkekZok=] the Ritual Master

!! [=SkekOk=] the Scroll Keeper

----

!! The Garthims

The loyal soldiers of the Skeksis. They appear to be Golem-like creatures that are animated through the power of the Dark Crystal. When the dark power of the Crystal was healed the Garthim fell apart to reveal nothing but hollow shells. They were probably created by the Skeksis themselves after the shattering of the Crystal to serve and protect them. They were used to carry out genocide against the Gelfling race.

[[folder:Other characters]]

* AmbiguousGender: The character is meant to be a combination of male and female genders. She sounds like a bossy old battleaxe of a grandmother and visibly has breasts.

!! The Podlings

%%* ActualPacifist

%%* FriendToAllLivingThings

%%* NiceGuy

[[AllThereInTheManual The individual names of the Mystics and Skeksis come from the novelisation]].

[[folder:The Gelflings]]

They were once a great elven-like race on the world of Thra. They had created large cities and had mastered many aspects of magic, including the ability of prophecy. They were also a peaceful race who opposed the Skeksis, who exterminated them when a prophecy revealed a Gelfling would repair the Crystal and put an end to their reign.

%%* BadassAdorable

%%* BookDumb

%%* FriendToAllLivingThings

[[folder:The [=UrSkeks=]]]

[[folder:The urRu (a.k.a. Mystics)]]

!! [=UrSu=] the Master

!! [=UrIm=] the Healer

!! [=UrSol=] the Chanter

!! [=UrZah=] the Ritual Guardian

! [=UrTih=] the Alchemist

! [=UrNol=] the Herbalist

!! [=UrAmaj=] the Cook

* OneNoteCook: As Jen notes, he is unable to cook Gelfling, implying that he knows how to make Mystic food.

!! [=UrAc=] the Scribe

* GoodCounterpart: To [=SkekOk=].

* BigBad: Prior to his death, he serves as the main antagonist of the film.

-->'''Emperor''': Mine! Ehh-ehh Mine! Not! I-I-I-I am still Em... Pe... Ror... I... (dies)

* NoBodyLeftBehind: They die more gracefully then the Skeksis.

* GrumpyOldWoman: She sounds like a bossy old battleaxe of a grandmother

They were once a great elven-like race on the world of Thra. They had created large cities and had mastered many aspects of magic, including the ability of prophecy. They were also a peaceful race who opposed the Skeksis, who carried on a genocide against them.

* HappilyAdopted: After his clan was killed, the Mystics raised him as their own.

Character sheet for the ''Film/TheDarkCrystal''. [[AllThereInTheManual The individual names of the Mystics and Skeksis come from the novelisation]].

%%* BewareTheNiceOnes

%%* RidiculouslyCuteCritter

* AllAnimalsAreDogs: It behaves like a dog.

%%* AnimatedArmor

* EmptyShell: At the end of the film, [[spoiler:they disintegrate into shells]]

* AmbiguousGender: The character is meant to be a combination of male and female genders. She sounds like a bossy old battleaxe of a grandmother.

%%* GrumpyOldWoman

* KidnappedScientist: She gets kidnapped by the Garthim after they raid her home.
%%* OmnidisciplinaryScientist

Kira's furry pet.

%%* AllAnimalsAreDogs

%%* TeamPet

%%* GiantEnemyCrab

%%* AncientKeeper
%%* CloudCuckooLander

%%* {{Cyclops}}
* DarkIsNotEvil: She may be a menacing hermit with a gorilla-like face, but she is one of the good guys.

%%* TheHermit

* Really700YearsOld: As the ExpandedUniverse clarifies, she's in fact almost ''three thousand years old,'' having lived through the first two Great Conjunctions and seen all the eras of the Urskeks, Skeksis and Mystics (and all the terror, bloodshed and sorrow) firsthand. By the end of the movie, she's lived through the third Great Conjunction and has officially hit the 3000 mark.

* OnlySixFaces: Double subverted. Compared to the Skeksis who all have unique traits, the Mystics are harder to tell apart unless you look very closely at their faces and clothes.

* AlienBlood: They bleed purplish-red blood, as evident by SkekTek's transparent tubes in place of veins which show his blood circulation, and when Jen cuts SkekSil's hand with the shard.