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Between the Dark Crystal movie and the new Netflix series, the Skeksis’s origin became confusing to me.

In the movie, it was stated that Skeksis came from a great conjunction, splitting up from a different being, the urSkeks. which created the mystics as well.

In the series, it was stated that Skeksis are aliens that just showed up and started making a mess of things. These also are a different group of Skeksis that are in the movie (except for a few notable, like Chamberlain).

Which of these is true/canon?

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  • 2
    I would imagine both are true and they are set in their own separate universes, however, I have never seen either.
    – TheLethalCarrot ♦
    Commented Sep 6, 2019 at 15:32
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    is "Skeksis are aliens" stated as omniscient fact, or only what is believed in-universe? I'm surprised if the former because it completely changes the point of the setting.
    – OrangeDog
    Commented Sep 6, 2019 at 15:37
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    I had the same question about 5mn into the first episode @OrangeDog - it clearly states that the Skeksis came from outside Thra. I didn't think to come ask here because I figured it would be sorted out by the end of the series (which I haven't finished yet)
    – NKCampbell
    Commented Sep 6, 2019 at 16:00
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    not sure why this is getting POB close votes. From at least the first episode of this new prequel series, there is an apparent clear contradiction as to the origin of the Skeksis (as given in the original film). This is answerable one way or the other
    – NKCampbell
    Commented Sep 6, 2019 at 17:05
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    @NKCampbell Production staff of which? In spite of some familial connections, the two works have no creative staff in common. Frank Oz's idea of what is the "truth" of the matter is probably irreconcilable with that of Jeffrey Addiss.
    – Buzz
    Commented Sep 8, 2019 at 2:01

1 Answer 1

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As to the origin of the Skeksis, The Dark Cyrstal and Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance seem to agree. In episode 7, the Heretic and Urgoh put on a puppet show explaining the origin of the Skeksis and Mystics, and it's essentially the same: that the Skeksis and Mystics were once one as the UrSkeks, and they need to be re-joined.

As for the Skeksis that appear in Age of Resistance, it's been established canon from The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths, that there were originally 18 UrSkeks that came to Thra, but 8 ended up dying before The Dark Crystal, with two being killed very soon after the Great Division. (Though as many as 21 different Skeksis names have been listed in the various media.) So if Age of Resistance is closely following the established canon (though already there is evidence of some deviation), we can expect to see at most 16 Skeksis. Some Skeksis that appeared in The Dark Crystal have not appeared in Age of Resistance, as of the first season, but are definitely around somewhere, as they are mentioned in dialog in episode 10, along with skekLi the Satirist and skekSa the Mariner who only have appeared in the graphic novels.

Those that appear in both The Dark Crystal and Age of Resistance:

  • skekso the Emperor
  • skekSil the Chamberlain
  • skekZok the Ritual Master
  • skekTek the Scientist
  • skekAyuk the Gourmand
  • skekEkt the Ornamentalist
  • skekOk the Scroll Keeper

The following Skeksis appear in Age of Resistance but not The Dark Crystal, though most or all were previously named in some of the various other media:

  • skekVar the General
  • skekLach the Collector
  • skekMal the Hunter
  • skekGra the Conqueror / the Heretic

Those that appear only in The Dark Crystal:

  • skekUng the Garthim Master
  • skekNa the Slave Master
  • skekShod the Treasurer
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  • From wikipedia the other 4 (to make 18 total) are skekLi the Satirist and skekSa the Mariner (or the Captain) both of whom are mentioned in Age of Resistance, and skekHak (the Carpenter as an urSkek) and skekYi (role unknown). The latter 2 are killed immediately after the split.
    – StarHawk
    Commented Sep 6, 2019 at 17:16

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