I think listing them as a separate species in the "other characters" page makes sense. Unless someone has read The Power of the Dark Crystal and can confirm there are several individuals and trope it all heavily enough to make a separate page (that would be the best option).
Please note that the Wiki page is incorrect when it refers to the Firelings as a separate species. They are a lost clan of Gelflings, not an offshoot or subspecies.
Like the rest of the franchise, Power of the Dark Crystal is heavy with symbolism and metaphor. In Power's case, the theme at the centre is that things that appear to be different are often the same. This one theme runs through literally every single conflict or event that occurs. It's why the Gelfling were corrupt, why Jen used the scepter of the Garthim, why the characters made a distinction between Mithra and Thra. And in the context of the discussion, it is why there is a perceived difference both in and out of universe between the Firelings and the surface-dwelling Gelfling. And as proven in the story, it is false.
Throughout the story, we are initially told that the Firelings and Gelflings are different. Thurma is introduced as looking for the Gelfling, but is unaware of what they look like. The guards and acolytes at the Castle look down on her, and treat her like a monster. Kensho is the only one who twigs on that there may be more going on, but his lack of self-confidence and sense of shame get the best of him on more than one occasion.
As the story progresses, these barriers begin to be torn down. We see evidence that there is more to the story than we have initially been shown, and more than the characters knew. But it isn't until issue 10 (out of 12!) that the truth is finally revealed: There is no difference. There is no outer or inner world, and there is no division between the Firelings and the Gelfling. The Firelings are Gelfling. In the comic, this truth was a huge twist that completely re-contextualized the story.
Arguments have been made that the Firelings used to be Gelfling, but are no longer. Though I do not believe this to be the case, I would be willing to concede enough genetic difference to count as a subspecies. In either case, they are connected closely enough to the Gelfling as a whole that tropes involving them belong on the Gelfling page, not on the /other characters/ page.
Also, the fandom Wiki is itself a fanwork and prone to misinformation, and should not be considered as a source.
If they are put on the Gelfling page, they should be described at least as another species of Gelfling, in another folder. Even if they started out as lost tribe, they are now their own species. Their transformation does differentiate them enough from baseline Gelflings, even if they were once Gelfling themselves. They also have abilities and weaknesses other Gelflings do not.
There's something interfering with the links to the U-Mun wiki page. It also puts a backwards slash next to the single quote mark in "There's".
Edited by MarkLungo "But... nobody told me I needed a signature!"
https://darkcrystal.fandom.com/wiki/The_Dark_Crystal_Wiki
I copied the link again. See if this works? It's just to the wiki in general, though as stated above it might be incomplete. Edit: I tried the link again. It does not work if you click on it, but does work if you copy/paste to the browser. Don't know why it doesn't work by clicking on it.
Edited by itzshif
Links don't work on discussion pages, copy and past the URL.
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Should Firelings get their own page/folder? Based on the Wiki, they used to be Gelflings but are not anymore. They have a completely different physiology and culture, with only some remaining similarities like Firefasting=Dreamfasting. Other than that they are different, like different evolutionary lines. The wiki does not even list Firelings, also called U-Mun, as Gelflings and describe them as " relative appearance similar to the Gelfling race " and again were once Gelfling but not anymore. The wiki has this to say https://darkcrystal.fandom.com/wiki/U-mun
Edited by itzshif Hide / Show Replies