SkekUng
SkekUng was the Skeksis General (sometimes called the Garthim Master). He was the strongest and most violent of the Skeksis since their creation. He created the Garthim and used them as his soldiers to enforce the Emperor's will throughout Thra.
When the Emperor took ill days before the Great Conjunction, the General plotted to usurp the throne. His one and only challenger was the Chamberlain. The Chamberlain challenged him to Trial by Stone...a contest the General won using his tremendous strength. As his first official act as emperor he banished the ex-Chamberlain.
The General-Emperor's reign would last mere days. He grew increasingly impatient with the Scientist's inability to extract viable life essence from captured Podlings, and, when the former Chamberlain captured Kira, an act for which the General rewarded him with his old position back, the General listed to the Scientist that they should drain Kira's essence. The High Priest insisted they kill her instead. The General compromised: they would drain Kira's essence, and then kill her.
After sending the Scientist away with Kira, the General convened the Skeksis in their temple to await the Great Conjunction. In the meantime, Kira escaped and the Scientist was killed. The Skeksis' were never able to successfully attain immortality from the Conjunction, both because Jen restored the shard to the Dark Crystal, restoring it, and also because the Mystics appeared.
When the light from Thra's three suns shone through the Crystal of Truth, the Skeksis and the Mystics combined once more into their original, natural states. The General combined with his Mystic counterpart, Healer to form the UrSkek UngIm.
Comments
- SkekUng's precise title is debatable. In the end credits of The Dark Crystal he is identified as simply "General." However the novelization and comic book call him "Garthim Master." The easiest solution is that "General" is his rank while "Garthim Master" is his title. This article reflects the movie credits by calling him the General however.
