Explaining the Skeksis/Crystal Relationship (Dark Crystal Explained) 

That shoutout to Jim Henson rugged at the old heartstrings. This was his love child. A story that held his focus over other successful projects such as fraggle rock.

I can’t believe that the show has been canceled. I’ll be sad forever if we never again see any more Dark Crystal on TV.

4:43 "find out about that in season 2" ...if only my friend...if only

As with all of my topic-explained videos, the information i've gathered is to the best of my current knowledge. This is a subject widely discussed by all fans, especially new, and i know many of you have your own ideas and theories when it comes to certain elements. So please feel free to leave all of your thoughts and ideas. Share your opinions and get a good discussion going! And don't forget about my new Patreon campaign! When i reach my first $25, i will be starting work on my narration of the Dark Crystal novel. If haven't yet, please consider donating, only $1 a month! Also, i literally can't believe we're closing in on 10K subscribers already! That is insane. Hasn't even been a year yet, and already all of you have bloomed this community into a massive Sanctuary Tree flower! So here's the new goal: Let's see if we can reach 10K subscribers by my 1 year anniversary on September 7th! I was planning on doing a Q&A/Giveaway anyway, but it would be so amazing if we could also celebrate that magic number. So keep sharing and spreading the word my friends, you give me power! Stay safe and well all. For Thra, For Jim!

From The World of the Dark Crystal (2003), but i recall reading that urSu let his health deteriorate and die at the start of The Dark Crystal to set in motion Jen's quest. This seems to imply that if anything, the urRu were the ones who extended the life of the themselves (and thus the Skeksis). Granted this information is coming from before AoR, so canon might have changed. Awesome video as always!

So, if I am understanding this explanation correctly, the Crystal and Gelfling essence doesn't really do much for the Skeksis. The ones that take part in the ceremonies and the consumption of essence seem far more deteriorated than those that don't live at the castle. Perhaps it could be that the residents of the Castle of the Crystal overindulge so much in virtually every aspect of their lives that that is what causes them to greater feel the effects of aging and infirmity. skekGrah, skekMal and skekSa choose to live less excessively, and exercise more (especially Mal with hunting and Sa with exploring) so maybe that keeps them in better health. I don't know if this theory holds any water, it's just something that flew into my mind randomly. Sorry for commenting so late on this one. Saw the video the day it became available but I was (and still am) dealing with a rather heavy personal loss. Good content DwM. As is the norm.

I totally get this. I remember my father taking me to a movie theater to see the original. It was quite impressive. Our culture in the USA could be dieing. We are all locked in the castle. This imagined world which is so vital to military strategy in whom they are appointing as leaders overall.

Excellent theory and explanations. Thanks!

I think SkekMal, SkekSa, and SkekGru where the wisest of the Skeksis. They sure show it with their life styles.

Man, I am feasting on these videos.

We need more of this series.

After watching Age of Resistance, I started to think the Ceremony of the Crystal was a way to empower themselves through the darkening. I'm just loving all the conversation this video's generating, thanks for this!

Been looking forward to the next vid

Thank you so much! You really helped me with a problem that I've had with this! You are amazing! Keep it up!

Thank you so much for this yet another amazing video! 🤩

6:18 interesting that the the Mystics had accepted dying on Thra. My interpretation was they were actually holding out for the Conjunction just like the Skeksis, but unlike the Skeksis they wanted to reunite into the UrSkeks and return 'home', whereas the Skeksis selfishly wanted to stay and rule Thra forever.

Very fascinating and intriguing! Thank you for sharing! 👍🏻

Or perhaps they also are inmortal, but not eternaly young. Not knowing anything of their own species, as Aughra said, so only knew is almost all beings around them age, and then die. That's what scared them.

This video (although not in these exact words) says that the UrSkeks lived as long as they did because they were divided into UrRu and Skeksis. I believe that as UrSkeks, they were immortal, due to their spirit-like appearances. When they were rent asunder, it’s true that both halves were fit to live a long time, but still they were spirit like as a whole and flesh/bones as split beings. Plus, by dividing themselves in half (although it was a mistake) made them twice as vulnerable, because they are two halves trapped in separate bodies. And as we know, whenever either half dies, the other one dies as well. So again, I see where the narrator is coming from with his thought on the Great Division prolonging the lives of the UrSkeks, but because of what I just said, I have to disagree with him on that one. Also, I noticed that the look of the Skeksis did not change on the show when they consumed essence of Gelfling, while it did in the film, (however briefly) when SkekUng consumed the Podling essence. This is interesting because Gelfling essence is the best essence, while Podling essence only had very brief effects.

I love your videos

Wait, there is a confirmed season 2 !?!?!

The Skekses reminds me of many People today who overeat, smoke and indulge in alchohol and drugs yet except to live for extra 20 years. The Ur/Mystics were more intuned natural living and healthy lifestyle. They accepted eventually all living creatures die, so were not afraid of passing on next phase.

Amazing video!

Season two?! I hope there will be one!!! Excellent video.

I like this channel. Is it possible to make a video about the other creatures, such as Makrak or Gruenak? That would be really interesting!

Interesting theory, though it's always been my headcanon that the crystal ceremony allowed them to undo all the damage their constant feasting and decadent lifestyle did to them, whereas SkekMal, SkekGra, and SkekSa lived much more wholesome, active lives and, therefore, were much healthier. It's not so much their lives they were committing atrocities to preserve, but their lifestyle.

I think the problem with the skeksis is that they fear and hated death, but never tries to escape that fear and live happily, every murder, every sin that caused by the skeksis, it’s just so they will live longer but they need sacrifices. If they escape their fear, and fix everything up,they can get back being the Urskeks.

This is my third time watching season 1 of the dark crystal. I am obsessed.

So Skekmal survives because of his very passionate and active lifestyle, Skeksa lives freely unthethered sailing the seas, And Skegra survives just fine cause he's always high. XD

First! I love your videos ☺

pretty cool bro. With pizza parties today this subject more relevant than ever.

I love your video and show very interesting things about this beautiful and original universe. The Skeksis who live at the Crystal Castle are a methaphore to the people who live all the time at home and who do nothing while the Skeksis who live outside represent the people who care about their physical health.

The Trial by Stone Podcast has release images for the Dark Crystal Bestiary book due to come in October, and has given a bio on urSen the Monk, as well the concept of his unused design. Is really sad: he chose to also leave the valley, according to urSol the Chanter, he saw a vision of his death and move to a cave on the outskirts of the valley region to await his fate in the last Thrines of his life.

Kinda funny that the once that aren't doing the rituals or staying at the castle seems to be the healthiest and most active

I don't want to seem unappreciative, but you have a whole lot of incorrect information in this video. The notion that the Skeksis's use of the crystal is largely a placebo effect is absurd! The Skeksis have command of the Crystal - this is the reason why they are called "Lords of the crystal"....in other words, the crystal does exactly what they tell it to do (u can recall the scene where the scientist screams commands at the crystal when it begins to take his essence, but it doesn't let him go and that's because he has the machines on it, requiring the Chamber to turn it off). The Skeksis have spent nearly 1000 trine commanding the crystal to give them it's power or to command it to use its abilities to suck power from elsewhere, all the while enriching themselves. The Skeksis have aged over time as a result of the fact that the Crystal's power has itself been dwindling over time. Although the TV show has not gotten into it, it is the great conjunctions that replenish the powers of the crystal every 1000 years. The skeksis want to do two things: they want to take the power of the great conjunction into themselves in order to live forever.....they also want to use the great conjunction to split their life force away from that of the Mystics/Urru.

Please do a video where you explain how the Skeksis are able to use the Crystal during the Ceremony of the Sun in the original movie…yet it doesn’t work for them in Age of Resistance. I never understood why they use it in the prologue of the movie if it doesn’t give life anymore.

Now I want to when does the movie take place like what are alive by then

I have a theory that Skekeer is banished from the Skeksis home planet and arrives on Thra during the garthim wars and becomes spy master because there were only 18 urskeks

Season 2 was green lit I think

😍👍

I feel like an aging Skeksis every Monday morning, lmao.

First for first time

New to the channel so idk if you've talked about this yet but I have some questions I didnt know if anyone had answers to? Since skekSo has been experimenting with the darkening would the damage its caused on his body do the same to urSu? Like when the arrows hit skekMal, urVa could feel them too. My other question is, since the mystics don't seem to do anything to prolong their lives, are they just aware that the Skeksis are trying to prolong theirs and just ride that wave? Or could a mystic die of old age and the Skeksis counterpart dies with it? I hope that made sense😬

What happened to the essence of the dead Gelfling when the Ur-Skeks where returned to their home?

I heard a theory that Jen and Kira are brother and sister. The father is Rian and Brea is the mother, the theory is at the end of the Garthim war they were separated forced to go different directions. What do you thank?

Sorry, what I meant to say was which skeksis are you doing next, please tell me or I shall die like SkekSo

Why don't you do a bio of skekgra and skekshod

Does anyone know when the second season of AoR premieres???

I just heard that there will be a season 2.

I always figured the crystal acted more like a placebo and made them think it was extending their lives but was in actuality degrading them.

How long, in years, is 1000 trine?

Who is the next skeksis biography you are doing next, please tell me or I shall die like SkekSo.

Sooooooo...........dowe get a prize for finding out the puzzle? Lol jk though would be suprise if it was, like a prize to be the next voice actor of new/old characters in age of resistance S2 or something else