The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a prequel to The Dark Crystal that features numerous characters from the original 1982 film. Louis Leterrier directs the Netflix series, which skillfully pays homage to its origins while also expanding the beautifully dark universe created by Jim Henson. After nearly 40 years, audiences can experience the beauty and danger of Thra once more.
Age of Resistance offers a glimpse of the Gelfling civilization in its prime with seven clans under the rule of the Skeksis overlords. A young Gelfling named Rian (Taron Egerton) discovers the Skeksis are abusing The Crystal of Truth to extend their own lives. He must rally the clans together and take a stand against the Skeksis before all of Thra is lost to The Darkening.
Age of Resistance features the three main protagonists Rian, Deet, and Brea as they come to terms with their unique roles in striving to fulfill the prophecy and save their kind from extinction. They will of course fail, but the show's focus is to explore what happened before the fateful events of The Dark Crystal. Numerous characters from the 1982 film appear in the Netflix prequel.
Voiced by Donna Kimball, Aughra was a wise, cantankerous witch with a thirst for knowledge and love for the creatures of Thra. Her gaze was always toward the skies and Thra's three suns. She was enthused with The Great Conjunction's mysteries and how the fate of all Thra is connected to it. The Great Observatory she used to study the stars with in The Dark Crystal is built for her by the Skeksis in Age of Resistance. After being given the observatory, she entrusted the Skeksis with the Crystal of Truth and became indirectly responsible for Thra's downfall. When Aughra exited the dream world, where she travels the universe, and returned to reality, she soon realized that the Skeksis were abusing the Crystal of Truth. Seeking to atone for her mistakes, she went to The Sanctuary Tree, hoping to find answers. There she was empowered by The Song of Thra, allowing her to communicate with the Gelfling heroes in Dreamspace.
From this moment onward, she helped them in any way she could. She even sacrificed herself in hopes of saving Seladon and the other Gelflings who are being held prisoner by the Skeksis in the castle. She struck a bargain with the Skeksis allowing them to drain her essence to save The Hunter in exchange for the Gelflings' freedom. After The Archer takes his own life during the second battle of Stone-in-the Wood, The Hunter also dies, and Aughra magically appears from his ashes. Hopefully, season 2 will provide some answers regarding her resurrection.
In The Dark Crystal, Aughra aided the protagonists. She distracted the Garthim, allowing Jen to escape her observatory. Later in the film, during her imprisonment, she witnessed Kira having her essence drained and reminded her to use her gift for speaking to animals. The imprisoned animals break free and helped Kira escape. After Aughra escaped from her cage, she sought out the Gelfling, and was pleased to know that the prophecy had been fulfilled.
The Emperor skekSo, voiced by Jason Isaacs in the prequel, is a ruthless ruler, obsessed with gaining immortality at any cost. In Age of Resistance, when the Skeksis' treachery was made known abroad, the Emperor allied with the Arathim to squash the threat of the Gelfling uprising. When his plan fails, he and some of the other Skeksis confronted the Gelfling rebels at the second battle of Stone-in-the-Wood.
In The Dark Crystal, the Emperor is seen at the beginning of the movie, lying in bed and wasting away while the onlooking Skeksis argued over who should take his place. Even at the brink of death, the Emperor clutched his scepter before turning into a crumbling pile of ash.
Mark Hamill voices skekTek the Scientist, in Age of Resistance. He was the sinister mastermind behind the creation of the Garthim army and a former friend of Aughra. Despite his callused reaction toward Aughra being drained of her essence, he expressed some empathy toward his caged pets. It's a rare moment that adds dimension to a seemingly heartless character.
In The Dark Crystal, skekTek perfects his essence draining contraption that's shown in its earlier stage of development in the prequel. The Skeksis scientist dies in the film when the Kira summons his laboratory animals to attack him.
Simon Pegg voices the manipulative and self-serving chamberlain skekSil, who knows no bounds when it comes to protecting his own interests in Age of Resistance. He advised The Emperor to frame Rian for Mira's death after he's caught spying from the ledge above. He can be credited with inspiring the scientist with the diabolical scheme of draining the Gelflings' essence and creating the Garthim army. The Chamberlain manipulated his kind as well as the Gelflings, and does the unthinkable even for a Skeksis — he killed one of his own.
Just as in the prequel, in the original film, skekSil used deceit, manipulation, and violence to pursue his own interests. He is one of several Skeksis vying for the Emperor's position. After being made an outcast at court, he forcefully brought Kira to the castle in hopes of regaining The Emperor's favor.
In Age of Resistance, Harvey Fierstein voices skekAyuk, the gourmand responsible for the Skeksis' meals. He mainly spends most of his time eating in the prequel series and The Dark Crystal. However he does patrol the castle's halls after Rian escapes in Age of Resistance, and supports his comrades in taking the Gelflings away to have their essence drained.
Alice Dinnean voices the Ornamentalist skekEkt, the Skeksis' garment maker. Though vain and self-centered, he accompanied his fellow Skeksis in the second battle at the Stone-in-the-Wood in Age of Resistance.
In The Dark Crystal, he doesn't display the same levels of bravery as he did in the prequel and screams dramatically when the Chamberlain brings Kira to the castle. He was given a more active role in the prequel series and doesn't fear the Gelflings as much at this point, but this is due to not having full knowledge of the prophecy.
In Age of Resistance, the Scroll Keeper skekOk is voiced by Neil Sterenberg. He visits Ha'rar to oversee the yearly tithing ceremony. Although he can be as cruel as any other of his kind, he shows some regard toward Princess Brea when she falls and nearly avoids being injured by the oncoming carriage. In The Dark Crystal he assists his comrades in doing whatever it takes to regain youth and remain in power.
Keegan-Micheal Key voices the Ritual Master skekZok, the Skeksis responsible for leading ceremonies, and advisor to the Emperor. The Ritual Master is third in line to the Skeksis throne. During the prequel, he deceived the All-Maudra Mayrin, claiming to need seven volunteers in defense against the Arathim. In reality, he was planning to take them to the castle to have their essence drained. In the series' finale, he joined his comrades in the second battle of Stone-in-the-Wood.
In The Dark Crystal, skekZok used political means to pursue power. He formed an allegiance with skekShod and skekAyuk. It was skekZok who summoned The Crystal Bats to locate Jen, and later in the film, he stabbed Kira, striving to prevent the prophecy's fulfillment at any price.
Fizzgig was the only known creature of his kind and Kira's pet in The Dark Crystal. Fizzgig bit skekUng when he attempted to grab the crystal shard, and was tossed into the pit below the crystal. He was later rescued by Aughra. In the Age of Resistance, all the furry dog-like creatures resembling the original Fizzgig are known as a unique species of animals. The Land Striders are another species in Age of Resistance, and are one of the few species that appear in both the original film and the series. They are featured as a mode of transportation.
Another species to be featured twice are The Garthim. The Garthims’ creation is attempted in the Age of Resistance by the Scientist, and he successfully creates an army to capture the Gelflings so they can be taken to the castle and be drained of their essence later on in the film. They are a form of servant to the Skeksis in The Dark Crystal.
Finally, the Podlings make an appearance in both the original film and the The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. They are unlike the aforementioned species because they are a unique and intelligent race, having their own villages and way of life. However, they are viewed as inferior by the Skeksis in the prequel series. They are featured as the Skeksis' servants in the castle during the film and series.
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