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Gelflings

Gelflings are a peaceful elven-like race that once inhabited large cities in the world of Thra. They mastered many aspects of magic, including the ability of prophecy. The name "Gelfling" is a transliteration of Ghel-lflainnk, which means "those who live without knowledge of the future". This is due to their innocence and naïvety.

They rebelled against those they once considered as their lords, the Skeksis, who started capturing them to extract their life essence. Gelflings were then hunted down to extinction by the Skeksis when a prophecy revealed that one of them would make the Crystal whole again and put an end to their reign. Only two Gelflings are known to have survived the genocide — Jen and Kira.

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In General

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aureyal.png

Seven clans. Seven fires. Joined as one in the cause of unity.

Alien Blood: The death of All-Maudra Mayrin seems to indicate Gelfling blood is pink. However, all of the comics depict their blood as deep red like that of humans.
Bizarre Sexual Dimorphism: Female Gelflings have fairy wings while males don't.
The Clan: At the time of Age of Resistance, Gelfling society is formed of several clans.
Dying Race: Due to the genocide the Skeksis carried out on the race, Jen and Kira are the only known survivors by the time of the film.
Fantastic Racism: Before they united against the Skeksis, the Gelfling clans distrusted each other, with the possible exception of those who sent guards to the castle (the guard included, at the very least, Vapra, Stonewood, Spriton and Drenchen Gelflings who got along well with each other, though perhaps that's more owed to the discipline and camaraderie required for the job). One example of this racism is the time Juni, a Vapra Gelfling was sentenced to the Order of Lesser Service (Gelfling community service) after her parents caught her dating a Spriton Gelfling.
- The Grottan arguably get hit with this the worst, since they are the most isolated of all the clans whereas the other six clans still maintain contact in some form (like through trading). Their Maudra is even the only one that doesn't show up for the coronation of Seladon, and judging by Seladon's reaction this is common for the Grottan.
- They even look down on Pod People, with Duadran, the head of the Order of Lesser Services calling them the most filthy creatures on Thra. Although given the Podlings in question were actively playing in the mud, this may have been meant literally.
Horse of a Different Color: They domesticated Landstriders and used them as mounts.
Matriarchy: Of an "Enlightened Matriarchy" type. Because only female Gelflings have fairy wings and thus can fly, Gelfling society is matriarchal - each of the clans are ruled by a Maudra, while the All-Maudra, the equivalent of The High Queen, rules over all. They even worship a goddess in Mother Aughra. However, males are treated as equal in Gelfling society and outside of leadership positions, they have the same rights and job opportunities as their female counterparts.
Most Writers Are Human: As Gelflings are the protagonists of both the 1982 film and Age of Resistance, and thus the characters the audience is most meant to emphasize with. Gelflings are by far the most human-like of Thra's exotic races.
Our Elves Are Different: They are essentially fantasy elves being gracile, long-eared humanoids in close touch with their world and magic. The seven old clans were also divided among High Elf and Wood Elf analogs. They are "the proud Vapra" who lived in a mountain city, "the fierce Stonewood" who lived in a forest, "the gentle Grottan" who lived in underground caves, the amphibious Drenchen who lived in a swamp, the agricultural Spriton who lived in grasslands, the sea-faring Sifa who lived on a coastline, and the death worshipping Dousan who lived in the Crystal Desert.
Our Fairies Are Different: All female Gelflings have fairy wings.
Telepathy: Two or more Gelflings can "dreamfast" (read each other's mind) by touching their hands. They cannot pass on anything they saw in another dreamfast, only their own memories; this limitation drives a lot of the plot in the series.
Winged Humanoid: Female Gelflings, as noted.

The Dark Crystal era

Jen

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jen_5.jpg

Performed by: Jim Henson (puppetry), Kiran Shah (body double)

Voiced by: Stephen Garlick (English), Vincent Ropion (European French)

Appears in: The Dark Crystal | The Power of the Dark Crystal

A Gelfling orphan who was saved from the genocide the Skeksis carried out on his race and raised by the Mystics. Upon dying, the Master of the Mystics sends him on a dangerous journey to find the missing shard of the Crystal and heal the Crystal before the Great Conjunction can grant eternal life to the Skeksis and allow their tyranny over Thra to last forever.

The Chosen One: The Mystics are convinced that Jen is the prophesized Gelfling who will heal the crystal.
Conveniently an Orphan: Since his parents were killed by the Skeksis, he was raised as an orphan.
Genocide Survivor: One of two Gelflings that survived the genocide of their race.
Happily Adopted: After his clan was slaughtered, the Mystics raised him. He kept happy memories of being raised by the Mystics, such as them giving him a bath as a baby or being educated by the Master.
Improvised Weapon: Having no weapon whatsoever, he uses the shard of the Crystal to defend himself.
Interspecies Adoption: He, a Gelfling, was adopted and raised by the Mystics.
It Sucks to Be the Chosen One: After the Garthim raid the Podling village and capture a bunch of Podlings to enslave them at the castle, he comes to think it all happened because of himself and his quest to restore the Crystal, and throws the shard of the Crystal away in a fit of anger. Then he and Kira find the shard in the middle of ancient Gelfling ruins the next morning, Jen reads the prophecy on a wall and comes to terms with it, seconds before the Chamberlain enters the scene.
Last of His Kind: He (and the viewer) thought he was the last of the Gelflings... until he met Kira.
Long-Haired Pretty Boy: He has long hair, and Gelflings are the prettiest looking humanoids on Thra.
Magical Flutist: His flute proves to be occasionally useful, such as when he has to choose the right shard to restore the Dark Crystal. Said shard magically radiates when he plays his flute.
Non-Action Guy: By no means has he been trained for the kind of perilous journey the Mystics send him on, for the reason that the Mystics are themselves pacifists and Extreme Doormats and mainly raised him like the erudites they are. He owes his survival against the Garthim to his relatively small size and it is not sure how far he could've managed to go without the help of Kira.
Offered the Crown: The urSkeks basically left him in charge of the castle and the Crystal after he restored the latter. He became king, with Kira as queen, as shown by the comics The Power of the Dark Crystal.
Parental Abandonment: His parents were killed by the Skeksis.
The Protagonist: He's the main focal character in The Dark Crystal.
Thinking Out Loud: From the moment he leaves the valley of the Mystics to his encounter with Aughra, he speaks in his thoughts.
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: In the novelization, he hates the color black, as it reminds him of the Garthim.

Kira

Performed by: Kathryn Mullen (puppetry), Kiran Shah (body double)

Voiced by: Lisa Maxwell (English), Dorothée Jemma (European French)

Appears in: The Dark Crystal | The Power of the Dark Crystal

A Gelfling orphan who was raised by Podlings after her clan was slaughtered by the Skeksis. She encounters Jen and decides to accompany him in his quest to heal the Crystal.

Achey Scars: Her getting stabbed by skekZok seems to have left a permanent scar even after her resurrection, as she can still occasionally feel pain from it in The Power of the Dark Crystal.
Back from the Dead: In the climax, she is stabbed by skekZok the Ritual-Master after throwing the shard of the Crystal to Jen and dies. She is then revived by the urSkeks after Jen restores the Crystal.
Badass Adorable: She's adorable and very resourceful, not to mention her beastmaster ability.
The Beastmaster: She can communicate with animals, and even order them to attack, as the Skeksis Scientist finds out the hard way when trying to extract her life essence.
Book Dumb: She is nobody's fool, but she never learned to read.
Conveniently an Orphan: Like Jen, she was also raised as an orphan when her parents were killed.
Cunning Linguist: Having been adopted and raised by the Podlings, she learned their language and speaks it fluently, in addition to the Gelfling language.
Friend to All Living Things: She lives in harmony with nature, communicates with animals and cares about them.
Genocide Survivor: Along with Jen, she survived the genocide of her kind.
Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: She has blonde hair, and is a caring friend to Jen, as well as a loving owner of Fizzgig.
Happily Adopted: After her clan was captured by the Garthim and slaughtered by the Skeksis, a clan of Podlings adopted and raised her. She kept happy memories of being raised by the Podlings just like Jen kept happy memories of being raised by the Mystics.
Interspecies Adoption: She, a Gelfling, was adopted and raised by the kindly Podlings.
The Lancer: She becomes Jen's close companion.
Last of Her Kind: She thought she was the last of the Gelflings, until she met Jen.
Never Learned to Read: Illiterate to the point where she's unfamiliar with the concept of literacy, as Jen has to explain to her what writing is.
Nice Girl: She's a kind and helpful soul.
Offered the Crown: The urSkeks basically left Jen in charge of the castle and the Crystal after the latter was restored. Jen became king and Kira became queen, as shown by the comics The Power of the Dark Crystal.
Raised by Wolves: She was raised by the Podlings and partly grew up in the wilderness, learning how to talk to animals.
Rapid Aging: After getting some drops of her essence drained before the draining machine gets stopped thanks to the animals jumping at the Skeksis Scientist, she appears slightly older than before, being weakened and looking paler. She gets her essence back, but not all the effects are reversed. Her later resurrection by the urSkeks heals her back to normal.
Singing Voice Dissonance: Her singing voice is noticeably more adult-sounding than her usual childish tone.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance era

Main Gelfling Protagonists

Brea

Clever Brea

Performed by: Alice Dinnean

Voiced by: Anya Taylor-Joy

Appears in: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

A princess of the Vapra Clan, with an obsession for learning. Though her questioning of the Skeksis' increasingly cruel rule over Thra is shut down by her family, her pursuit of the truth leads her towards many secrets hidden right under her nose.

Annoying Younger Sibling: She comes off as this especially for Seladon, who believes she's been spoiled and thus, doesn't take her royal duties seriously.
The Baby of the Bunch: As the youngest of her sisters she has more freedom, but is not always taken seriously.
Badass Bookworm: She's obsessed with learning, willing to go anywhere for answers, even places that are said to be cursed, such as the Circle of the Suns, which is where she went along with Deet and Rian. She also fought in the Second Battle of Stone-in-the-Wood.
Braids of Action: Wears two braids in the front, although she's more of a Non-Action Guy she does help her friends by using her knowledge.
Break the Cutie: She became devastated after seeing her mother get murdered by the General right in front of her, getting blamed by Seladon for it, and being unable to attend her funeral, all in one day.
Cute Bookworm: She's a lovely young princess who's also very educated and scholarly.
Establishing Character Moment: When the librarian gets her books and then she asks if he had a copy of another book she wanted to read. Once Tavra arrives and notifies her that she'd be able to attend the ceremony, Brea giddily wonders if she'd be able to ask the lords the many questions she has. This highlights not only her lust for knowledge but also her wanting to understand the world around her and her wanting to come to her own conclusions based on what she learns.
Fire-Forged Friends: She calls Deet a true friend after the other Gelfling suggests they hold their own funeral for the All-Maudra since they couldn't be by her body.
Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: She comes off as irresponsible to Seladon who scoffs at all the time she spends reading and not actually dedicating herself to her duties as a princess. However, her lust for knowledge ends up helping her realize the Skesis are not the benevolent rulers everyone believes them to be and get the upper hand in certain situations due to what she read. Seladon, on the other hand, blindly believed in the skekSis no matter what they did or acknowledge what she did was wrong.
Good Is Not Soft: While she's generally kind and polite, when pushed into a corner, Brea can be quite clever in those situations as she turns them in her favor. Examples are when she switches her drugged drink with Cadea and impresses Rek'yr enough that he grants them a ride through the desert.
Cadea: Did, um... did you drink your tea yet?
Brea: No. You did.
Cadea: You switched our drinks?!
Brea: I guess soothsayers can't see everything.
Innocently Insensitive: Even as well as she means, a lifetime of royal privilege has left her with some preconceptions about the different clans she has to work to unlearn.
It's All My Fault: After the General kills her mother and Seladon blames her, Brea blames herself for the rest of the season.
"Not So Different" Remark: Tavra points out that she has many similarities to her sister Seladon, which Brea balks at. These include being strong-willed and speaking her mind.
Parental Favoritism: Her mother definitely spoiled Brea more than her other sisters, which Seladon never hesitates to call out on.
Royals Who Actually Do Something: Despite everyone else's skepticism, she's willing to fight against the Skeksis when she realizes the horrible things they've done to the Gelflings.
Seeker Archetype: Part of why she's a Badass Bookworm is her endless search for answers and knowledge. After her Broken Pedestal moment with the Skeksis and her mother on tithing day, she becomes dedicated to learning and exposing what the Skeksis really are. In her own words, "I seek only the truth."
Shipper on Deck: Brea is implied to be this for Rian and Deet, as she's drawn their likeness in her journal.
Ship Tease: A little bit with Rek'yr. She's flattered by his words and finds the bone necklace he gives her charming.
Strong Family Resemblance: She looks similar to her mother and wears her hair similarly to her sisters.
Town Girls: Brea is the neither to Seladon’s femme and Tavra’s butch.
Tuckerization: Brea is likely named for La Brea Avenue of Los Angeles where offices for Jim Henson Studios still remain.
Two Girls to a Team: Brea and Deet are this for the main team.

Deet

Deethra / "Deet"

Gentle Deet

Performed by: Beccy Henderson

Voiced by: Nathalie Emmanuel

Appears in: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

An animal caretaker from the Grottan Clan. She experiences a vision by touching Vliste-Staba, the Sanctuary Tree located in the Mountains of Grot.

Adaptational Late Appearance: Because Deet hadn't been created as part of the early treatment the novels were based on, she is quickly thrown into the last chapters of Flames of the Dark Crystal accompanying Rian and the Dual Glaive with fellow Grottan Amri having to quickly introduce her to Naia and Kylan.
All-Loving Hero: You'll be hard-pressed to find a more loving, gentle and compassionate character in the Dark Crystal universe.
Amazing Technicolor Population: Unlike other Grottan Gelflings, her skin is a light shade of green.
Beware the Nice Ones: The friendly and chipper Deet harnesses the power of the Darkening to absolutely annihilate skekLach.
Big Sister Instinct: To her little brother Bobb'N, where she refuses to hurt him or believe he's been twisted under the control of the Arathim. This ends up later convincing the Arathim to join the Gelflings against the Skeksis.
Blessed with Suck: The Sanctuary Tree gives her the ability to channel energy in order to control the Darkening, which heals the Nurlocs in the caves and saves her friends during the battle against the Skeksis, but at the cost of it giving her Volcanic Veins and making her a Walking Wasteland.
Break the Cutie: After she absorbs way too much of The Darkening and becomes a Walking Wasteland, she's forced to leave behind her newfound friends for their safety. The look on her face as she gives one last look at Rian is simply heartwrenching.
The Chosen One: The Sanctuary Tree chooses her to warn the surface Gelflings of the Darkening that ravages the Caves of Grot. Later, he gives her his ability to see visions and channel energy.
The Cutie: Not only is she cute as a button, her boundless curiosity, little quirks, slight naivete and cheerful demeanor make her totally endearing.
Dude Magnet: Downplayed, but of the main male characters she captures the attention of both Hup and Rian.
Expy: Of all of Age of Resistance's main Gelflings, she's clearly modeled the most after Kira. They both have long platinum hair, are a Friend to All Living Things and Speaks Fluent Animal, and are in a Ship Tease with a brown-haired Gelfling lad who functions as The Hero.
Fish out of Water: She's spent her whole life underground and takes some time getting used to the surface world.
Friend to All Living Things: Deet starts her journey as an animal caretaker in the Grottan caves. Being attacked by Darkening-affected creatures does nothing to quell her love for animals, which continues even after she reaches the surface. Whenever she can, she tries to befriend all the creatures she meets. Which makes her becoming a Walking Wasteland after absorbing the Darkening to save her friends all the more tragic.
Deet: (running from a Spitter) I used to get along with animals!!
Glowing Eyes of Doom: When she harnesses the Darkening, her eyes have a purple glow to them.
Incorruptible Pure Pureness: She's sweet and gentle to a fault and seemingly incapable of any ill intent.
Irony: Tragic example. Deet is a Friend to All Living Things, and the sweetest and gentlest of the main characters. By absorbing the Darkening to save her friends, she becomes a Walking Wasteland that will rot any living thing she comes in contact with.
Meaningful Name: Her full name includes the name of the world. Given her Friend to All Living Things status, it's hard to see that as a coincidence.
Nice Girl: Easily the nicest Gelfling in the series.
Only Known by Their Nickname: Deet is actually her nickname. Her full name is Deethra.
Only One Finds It Fun: She's the only one to enjoy the Wanderer and the Heretic's opera and applauds at the end of the show.
The Pig-Pen: Apparently in the Caves of Grot, bathing is seen as a purely optional pastime.
Seladon: When was the last time you washed your hands?
Deet: Why would I ever wash my hands?
Practically Different Generations: She appears to be much older than her little brother Bobb'N. Their exact ages aren't given, but Deet appears to be in her late teens or early twenties by human standards, while Bobb'N is clearly a child who is only just learning to talk properly and still uses Baby Talk at times. As a result, she is very protective of him.
Pre-Mortem One-Liner: "Get away... from my FRIENDS!!!"
Seers: She experiences visions of the future thanks to the Sanctuary Tree.
She Cleans Up Nicely: Technically it's a disguise, but Deet dresses in some elegant finery to get an audience with the All-Maudra and looks rather nice. Unfortunately, Seladon sees right through the disguise instantly.
Ship Tease: With Rian, with Hup even shaking his head in annoyance when the two share a smile between each other by the fire as they sing a song for Brea's mother. In the documentary The Crystal Calls, co-executive producer Blanca Lista stated that they also wanted to make sure that at the core of the story, there was a love story between Rian and Deet.
Speaks Fluent Animal: She can talk to all the creatures on Thra.
Took a Level in Badass: After absorbing the essence of the Sanctuary Tree, Deet is able to harness and channel energy in order to control the Darkening—which she does. Violently.
Two Girls to a Team: Deet and Brea are this for the main team.
Unkempt Beauty: She wears her hair in loose, messy braids and is implied not to bathe much (if ever), but she's still very pretty and charming. Hup and Rian, at least, always think she's beautiful.
Volcanic Veins: When she harnesses the power of the Darkening in order to attack the Skeksis and protect her friends.
Walking Wasteland: After absorbing the power of the Darkening to protect her friends, any life around her withers and dies. She's forced to leave her friends in order to protect them.
You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Deet, after Hup tells her he can't be a Paladin if he couldn't save Rian from skekMal the Hunter, tells him he's already on his way to being a Paladin. After all, he saved her from the Spitter Arathim, the two bully Stonewood Gelflings and the gobbles.

Rian

Brave Rian

Performed by: Neil Sterenberg

Voiced by: Taron Egerton

Appears in: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

A Crystal Castle guard from the Stonewood Clan.

Aerith and Bob: Rian's name looks like it comes from Earth rather than Thra. It's pronounced 'Ree-an', however, rather than like 'Ryan'.
Amazon Chaser: He falls for Mira, whom he tries to impress when they spar and she ends up beating him every time before it ended in their First Kiss.
Big Brother Instinct: He seems to slowly become this for Brea, with the two bonding over the death of their parents and he warns her to stay away from Rek'yr because his clan worships death. In one scene where Rek'yr and Brea are standing close together, Rian can be seen standing off to the side looking disapproving.
Big "NO!": He gets multiple ones in the first season, one from watching Mira's essence being taken and the last bits drunken by Chamberlain and the other from watching his father perform a Heroic Sacrifice to keep the Hunter away from his son.
Break the Cutie: When we first meet him he's a playful, wide-eyed fledgling soldier. Seeing his girlfriend die, being framed for her murder her by her murderers, and having every single other Gelfling, including his father think he's gone sick in the brain, really took a mental toll on him. He also becomes saddened by his father's heroic sacrifice to save him from the Hunter.
Calling the Old Man Out: He does this to his father when he, Maudra Fara, and the Stonewood guards refuse to believe Rian's (true) claims of the Skeksis not being benevolent rulers.
Rian: Listen to me, all of you. The Skeksis are murderers!
Ordon: Enough, Rian! As your captain, I'm ordering you to return with me to the castle.
Rian: You are my father. Why don't you ever believe me?
Chick Magnet: He was with Mira, has Ship Tease with Deet, at a Podling bar a female Podling tries to ask Rian for a dance and later on an old lady Podling buys Rian a drink.
Commonality Connection: He bonds with Brea over their troubled relationship with their parents who have both died, during Brea's mother's funeral.
Despair Event Horizon: Crosses this briefly, thanks to a Breaking Speech from skekSil The Chamberlain. Thankfully, getting saved by Gurjin and Naia snapped him out of it, but the speech still heavily affected him, and even after being saved convinced him that he's Tired of Running.
Distressed Dude: Caught by the Hunter, and only saved from a gruesome end by the Chamberlain stepping in. He's later rescued from the Chamberlain by Gurjin and Naia.
Expy: He's pretty clearly modeled after Jen. A strapping young Gelfling lad with long brown hair who is functionally The Hero yet often needs help from the female Gelfling(s) he travels with, and is in a Ship Tease with a white-haired female Gelfling who is a Friend to All Living Things and Speaks Fluent Animal. All that said, he's much more effective in combat than Jen.
Facial Markings: It's not usually obvious due to his hairstyle, but his forehead is green. He shares this with Maudra Fara, so it seems to be a common trait of the Stonewood Clan.
The Hero: He discovers the true colors of the Skeksis, starts the Gelfing Resistance, and unites the seven clans.
Heroes Prefer Swords: During fights, he can be seen wielding a sword. In the finale, he wields the Dual Glave.
It's Personal: His reason for wanting to rebel against the Skeksis is because they used his girlfriend Mira in their first experiment and extracted her life essence, effectively killing her.
Long-Haired Pretty Boy: He is young, attractive, and has long hair and blue eyes.
Official Couple: With Mira; they don't stay that way for long.
Ship Tease: He shares some moments with Deet, like sharing warm smiles by the fire as they sing All-Maudra Mayrin a song and especially when she decides to introduce him to her family. In the documentary The Crystal Calls, co-executive producer Blanca Lista stated that they also wanted to make sure that at the core of the story, there was a love story between Rian and Deet.
Survivor Guilt: The Chamberlain hits hard on this aspect of his character, pointing out that he'd run when Mira was being drained, when Gurjin was held captive, and when his father died protecting him.
Chamberlain: Fine! Go then. Run. Have your war! But it will be on Rian's head when all Gelfling die because you chose to run. Again.
"The Reason You Suck" Speech: Tries giving one of these to skekSil, on how the Skeksis are evil for draining Mira to preserve their own lives, and that skekSil's retort of "It's natural for things to consume other things to survive" doesn't apply because "there was nothing natural about what (they) did." Unfortunately, considering this was skekSil he was trying to tell this speech to, this doesn't end well for Rian.
Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Arguably, Rian is the manly man to Kylan’s sensitive guy and the sensitive guy to Gurjin’s manly man.
Tired of Running: He has enough of running away by the end of Season 1 (though he didn't have much choice in the situations where he had to run, skekSil the Chamberlain just played with his Survivor's Guilt).
Tragic Keepsake: The bottle containing Mira's essence. Rian eventually loses the bottle for good when the Chamberlain catches him and steals it. As if this wasn't enough, skekSil then proceeds to drink Mira's essence and then smash the empty bottle all right in front of Rian! Just to be an ass which breaks Rian even further than already.
Trauma Conga Line: His girlfriend dies, he's framed for her death, his father turns on him, then dies trying to save him, only for Rian to be captured immediately afterwards. All of that was within the first four episodes.
"Well Done, Son" Guy: Spending his whole life with a Living Legend for a father has naturally given him a bit of a complex, and at the show's start he's obsessed with making his own mark, even if it means forgoing his father's help.

Vapra Clan

In General

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vapra_symbol.png

The Vapra Clan were the leaders of the other Gelfling clans. Dwelling in cliffside villages, the women of the clan were known for their white hair and shining wings and specialized in using light magic for stealth.

The Beautiful Elite: Vapra clan members are the most fashionable and beautiful of the Gelflings, as well as the race's scholars and seemingly the main providers of All-Maudras.
Pimped-Out Dress: They have the most elegant and showy dresses. Hup steals one for Deet to improve her chances to have an audience with the All-Maudra Mayrin.
Praetorian Guard: The All-Maudra has her own elite guard corps, the Paladins.

All-Maudra Mayrin

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/all_maudra.jpeg

Proud All-Maudra

Performed by: Louise Gold

Voiced by: Helena Bonham Carter

Appears in: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

The queen of the Vapra Clan, leader of all Gelfling Clans and the mother of Seladon, Tavra and Brea.

Alien Blood: When she's struck down by the General, she bleeds pink blood.
Arbitrary Skepticism: She dismisses Brea's warnings as nonsense, claiming that Brea has "read too many stories".
Belligerent Sexual Tension: In the comics with a Sifa sailor named Kam’Lu.
Braids of Action: She deals with the going ons of all the clans, has the last say, and wears a braid on the back of her head.
Broken Pedestal: Brea is shocked to learn that Mayrin is bribed with trinkets from the Skeksis' tithes.
Cool Crown: She wears a pointed yet elegant-looking crown. After an All-Maudra's death, each tip of the crown has to be sent to a Maudra, then all Maudras must gather to reassemble it and crown the new All-Maudra.
Dying Moment of Awesome: She is cut down by skekVar after finally standing up to her "lords".
Freudian Slip: At one point, she laments that she sent her daughters away... while Seladon is standing right there. Seladon points this out, and Mayrin waves her away.
Heel Realization: She is ultimately willing to hear out Brea's pleas and when given a revelation by Aughra, is convinced to stand up to the Skeksis.
The High Queen: Of the Vapra Clan and by extension, all Gelflings.
Informed Flaw: Seladon complains that Mayrin spoils Brea and plays favorites. From what we do see, Mayrin doesn’t act like a doting parent towards any of her children. If anything, she’s quick to dismiss Brea when she admits her suspicions about the Skekis and promptly assigns her to community service after a diplomatic incident with the Sifa.
Kick the Dog: She is unsympathetic to the plight of a pair of poor farmers who cannot make the Skeksis' tribute. She allows the Scroll-Keeper to shame them into giving up a necklace that has great personal significance to the farmer's family. Later she's seen wearing it, having accepted it as a gift from the Skeksis with no intention to return it to the impoverished people it was taken from. The act causes Brea to lose faith in her mother and when Mayrin makes her Heel–Face Turn she cites the bribes she willingly took from the Skeksis as a failure on her part to be a good ruler.
Parental Favoritism: Doesn't seem to recognise how her behaviour has convinced Seladon she's the least favourite daughter.
Parents as People: As Seladon states, Mayrin is a queen first and a mother second. She tries to impart her values to her daughters and steer them on the right path but often clashes with Brea and puts so much pressure on Seladon to follow in her footsteps. At times it's up to Tavra to keep the family together.
Pet the Dog: Having discovered the truth of the Skeksis' dealings, anyone would understand her attention and efforts being fixated on dealing with that. She nonetheless genuinely and tenderly grants Hup, a Podling - a species seen as little better than slaves, even by Gelfling, the title of Paladin of Ha'Rar, realising his life's dream.
Puppet Queen: For the Skeksis, who truly rule Thra and whom Mayrin serves.
Mayrin: I...am the All-Maudra!
The General: You are All-Maudra because we allow you to be All-Maudra!
Proper Lady: Gracious, polite and adheres to ceremony.
Psychological Projection: It's strongly implied she's so hard on Seladon and insists she put her duties as All-Maudra and service to the Skeksis above all else, even her own family, because deep down she knows the Skeksis are wrong to wring tithes from starving Gelflings and has reservations about helping them, so she tries so hard to convince Seladon that she must maintain these duties and loyalty at all cost partly to convince herself that she must keep going what she's doing.
Strong Family Resemblance: Shares some similar features to her three daughters.
Reasonable Authority Figure: Mayrin shows traits of this when Brea introduces her to Lore and later makes Hup a paladin on the spot.
Redemption Equals Death: She gets murdered by the General when she stood up to him and the Ritual Master while acknowledging that she hasn't been a good ruler to her people.
Verbal Backspace: At one point, she laments that she sent her own daughters away... while Seladon is standing right there. When Seladon calls her out, Mayrin curtly replies, "You know what I mean."
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: After Aughra shows her and the others the future of Thra, she goes against the Skeksis. However, this leads to the General cutting her down and she dies soon afterward.

Tavra

Katavra of Ha'rar / "Tavra"

Performed by: Neil Sterenberg

Voiced by: Caitríona Balfe

Appears in: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

The middle sister of Brea's family, and a fierce warrior.

The Ace: In the YA novels, admired by all the POV characters for her warrior skills and flying abilities. Also considered by other characters to be the best suited of all her sisters to be All-Maudra If only she wasn’t trapped in the body of a spider.
Action Girl: She's the warrior of her three sisters, carries a sword, and badly wounds skekVar in a straight-up fight. She might even have killed the General outright had the Chamberlain not stabbed her In the Back as she closed in for the kill.
Big Sister Instinct: Is very protective of her sisters, trying to get them to relax or offering them some advice.
Braids of Action: Wears two braids in the front like her sisters.
Body Swap Her mind bonded with the Hive Mind of the Arathim Ascendancy.
Character Tic: She tends to go very quiet when she hears her sisters say something she doesn't agree with (usually about the other), and they both quickly pick up on it and demand to know what she really thinks.
Chronic Hero Syndrome: Everything that happened to her on the show, getting captured by the Skeksis, getting chosen to join with the Arathim, and fatally stabbed was the result of her confronting the Skeksis, rather than just trying to get out of the castle any way possible.
Cool Big Sis: Brea definitely sees Tavra in this light, even calling her a "great warrior" when talking to the Skesis. Also when she finds out Brea left the Order of Lesser Service to look for answers, she lets her do so.
Dating What Daddy Hates: The All-Maudra did not approve of her relationship with a Sifa.
Died in Your Arms Tonight: She dies being cradled by her two sisters crying over her body.
Emergency Transformation: Was transformed into an Arathim when she was dying in the books. Hinted to be the same case in the series.
Grand Theft Me: Is controlled by the Arathim Ascendacy. Even after the Arathim's Heel–Face Turn she remains bonded when the others are freed because she has been connected to the Arathim for too long.
Heroes Prefer Swords: She's seen carrying and brandishing a sword.
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: The Chamberlain kills her as she attempts to strike down the General.
King Incognito: In the first novel, she pretends she is a simple soldier only for her lineage to be revealed at the end of the novel. Played With in the second novel when her frequent boasts about her lineage tip off the characters that something is wrong with her.
Known Only by Their Nickname: Tavra is short for Katavra, according to J. M. Lee's books.
Not So Above It All: She likes to joke that she's the "fun one", which usually brings a smile to her sisters' faces.
Official Couple: With Onica in the YA novels.
One-Steve Limit: Tavra was also the name of a Gelfling who befriended Aughra's son Raunip in the Creation Myths comics, although it's not much of a problem if one only goes by the live-action puppet entries of the franchise.
Sibling Yin-Yang: Tavra has remarked on how similar Brea and Seladon are; they're both strong willed, quick to anger, and always ready to speak their mind. Tavra, in contrast, is much more stoic and pensive; her sisters often confide in her while they fight with each other.
Something Only They Would Say: After she's possessed by the Arathim Ascendancy but claims to retain some independent thought, Seladon doesn’t quite trust her until she says, "I'm the fun one." She realizes it really is Tavra and embraces her.
The Stoic: She comes across as this towards people who aren't that close to her, and is not as outgoing as her sisters. However, she does like to joke that she's the "fun one" to Brea and Seladon.
Strong Family Resemblance: Has her mother's facial features and styles her hair similarly to her sister Brea.
Thicker Than Water: She says something on the lines of this to Brea who complains about Seladon always being mean to her.
Tavra: The bonds of sisterhood can be tested... But never broken.
Town Girls: Tavra is the butch to Seladon’s femme and Brea’s neither.
Uptown Girl: As princess and second in line for the throne, Tavra is this for Onica.
Wise Beyond Their Years: Even though Seladon is the eldest, she still listens to Tavra's advice when given, and Tavra can tell how her sisters truly feel, as well as how similar the two are despite their arguments. Out of her other sisters, she's the most grounded.

Seladon

Loyal Seladon

Performed by: Helena Smee

Voiced by: Gugu Mbatha Raw

Appears in: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

Brea's eldest sister, and heir-apparent to the crown of the All-Maudra.

Big Sister Bully: She doesn't approve of anything that her younger sister Brea does, and is always eager to point out how she never takes things seriously. Brea has to confide in Tavra about Seladon always picking on her.
Blind Obedience: To the Skeksis until she finds out who they really are herself.
Braids of Action: Like her other sisters, she wears two braids in the front.
Break the Haughty: Almost as soon as she comes into power, the Skeksis mercilessly disabuse her of the notion that they're the benevolent protectors they've always claimed, humiliating her and stripping her of her robes before hurling her in prison and leaving her traumatized. She later laments she should have died rather than Tavra.
Cool Crown: As part of her Evil Costume Switch, Seladon forges herself a new crown modeled after the Skeksis' castle. skekSo the Emperor smashes it while the other Skeksis mock her.
Desecrating the Dead: Rather than giving her mother a proper burial with the necessary funeral rites, Seladon has Mayrin's body burned on a pyre to make an example of her treason against the Skeksis.
Even Evil Has Loved Ones: When the Skeksis reveal their true colors and that they intend to drain the essence of all the Gelflings, regardless of loyalty, Seladon desperately asks that they at least spare her sisters. It dosen't work, but it shows that even at her worst, she does still care about Brea and Tavra.
Evil Costume Switch: Seemingly to emulate the Skeksis she puts on a Maleficent-like attire which they later rip off of her.
Fatal Flaw: Thanks to her believing her mother loves her less than she loves Tavra and Brea along with the pressure of her lessons of being All-Maudra, Seladon's loyalty isn't to Thra, but to the status quo that the Skeksis are the true rulers. It's only after Tavra dies that she finally sees the error in her judgement.
Face–Heel Turn: Seladon turns on Brea and her mother when Aughra joins the Gelflings' Dreamfast to connect everyone on what is actually happening, because she refuses to accept that the Skeksis are not the benevolent but firm lords she was always taught. She betrays the fledgling resistance to the General and Ritual Master when they arrive to collect Gelflings to be harvested for essence, and rejects the other Maudras when they try to reason with her after her mother's death.
Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Out of her two sisters, she's tasked with becoming the next All Maudra, and she definitely does not let Brea go without a day of pointing out how she wastes her time at the library. However, Brea's time in the library makes her a seeker and thus finds out that the skekSis aren't benevolent rulers and joins the Gelfing Resistance while Seladon's blind faith in the Skeksis makes her believe everything they do is right. To the point where she ratted out her mother, Brea, Deet, and Hop to the General and Ritual Master. She also blamed others for her wrongdoings.
Good Girl Gone Bad: She starts out as well-intentioned and dutiful, dedicated to being the perfect princess and desperately seeking her mother's approval. Finding out that everything she was raised to believe is a lie and seeing her mother violently killed for standing up to the Skeksis doesn't do wonders for Seladon; she goes into denial, insisting her mother and sisters are traitors, and fervently supporting the Skeksis. She becomes outwardly colder and more ruthless, and gets an Evil Makeover to match. Even when faced with undeniable proof the Skeksis care nothing for the Gelfing, she tries to negotiate sacrificing a few Gelfing to spare the rest, rather than oppose them. By the end, she finally snaps out of it and joins her sisters in fighting the Skeksis.
Hates Their Parent: Seladon resents her mother for saddling her with a lot of royal duties and ignoring her in comparison to her sisters. This eventually culminates in her usurping the throne by selling her out as a traitor to the Skeksis and burning her corpse out of spite.
Heel–Face Turn: Once she finally comes to realize what the Skeksis truly are, and just how wrong she was about them, Seladon staunchly sides with the rebels and actively fights in the first major battle of the Resistance at Stone-in-the-Wood.
Horrible Judge of Character: Almost to I Reject Your Reality levels. No matter how much evidence to the contrary presents itself, including the Skeksis straight-up telling her that they're wiping out the Gelfling, Seladon remains convinced that the Skeksis are the good guys and the Gelfling deserve it. It takes until almost the end of the first season for her to finally recognize the truth.
I Have No Son!: She disregards Brea as her sisiter after she turns on the Skeksis.
"You are no sister of mine!"
Ironic Echo: Repeats Aughra's line that she is "loyal" after she betrayed her mother and sister to the Skeksis, resulting in her mother's murder and her sister's imprisonment.
Knight Templar: In her mind the Skeksis are just and pure and anyone who disagrees with them is a filthy dissenter. Too bad that the objects of her adoration themselves disagree with her.
Modest Royalty: Her outfit seems more modest compared to her sisters and her crown is a simple circlet, unlike her mother's more complex crown. Completely averted when she ascends the throne following her mother's death, fashioning a darkly elegant crown and gown more akin to the Skeksis' baroque outfits.
The Needs of the Many: Tries to use this trope to spare only the Gelfling loyal to the Skeksis. How does the Emperor respond? "Uh...no." By this point all Gelfling are fair game now.
Never My Fault: When the General murders Mayrin right in front of her, Seladon, who betrayed Mayrin and Brea by telling the General and Ritual Master about the resistance, told Brea it was her fault that their mother was killed. Even after the Skeksis reveal their true nature, Seladon continues to blame the Gelfling resistance for all that has happened. It's only when Tavra is dying that she finally acknowledges how wrong she was.
"Not So Different" Remark:
- Tavra notes to Brea that she and Seladon aren't as different as they believe each other to be. This is highlighted when the two sisters make note of Tavra's tic of trying not to speak even though she really wants to say something and both demand she let it out. They are also both strong-willed and speak their minds.
- When she tries to invoke The Needs of the Many to the Skeksis, they laugh that she's willing to kill her own kind to maintain her own power — maybe she would make a good Skeksis after all.
Please Spare Him, My Liege!: After first promising submission in exchange for peace and being denied, she then offers to send the originally-requested sacrifices so that the rest of the Gelfling may live. This is also turned down. In desperation, she begs that the Skeksis at least spare her sisters. The Emperor responds to every request with a casual "no".
The Quisling: Under Skeksis rule, all the All-Maudras have been used in this role, receiving benefits from the Skeksis while being used as a puppet ruler that helps keep the Gelflings in line, treated with pretend respect by the Skeksis but really held in contempt. Seladon takes it a step further, eagerly embracing the aesthetic of the Skeksis, holding them up as right in all things and being willing to sacrifice other Gelflings to appease them. Unfortunately for her, the position of All-Maudra had already outlived its usefulness as far as the Skeksis were concerned.
The Resenter: As the future All-Maudra, she's had a less forgiving upbringing than her sisters - Brea in particular. Her mother's perceived favoritism has led to her harbouring quite the grudge.
Strong Family Resemblance: She looks like her mother and sisters. This is brought up by the Skeksis who aren't sure which princess Seladon was, since they seem to all look alike (although some viewers interpret that line to be in reference to Gelflings in general).
Survivor's Guilt: Tavra's death deeply shakes Seladon, and finally forces her to confront her past actions and acknowledge just how wrong she was. She tearfully laments that she should have died instead, and this drives her Heel–Face Turn.
Town Girls: Seladon is the Femme to Tavra’s butch and Brea’s neither.
Undying Loyalty: She's blindly loyal to the Skeksis, and it takes her a while until she finally starts getting over it.
The Un-Favourite: What she believes herself to be. Seladon thinks her mother cares more for Brea and doesn't push too much on Tavra while she's trying her hardest to succeed her one day. Seladon even lampshades this at one point after the group dreamfast.
Mayrin: Seladon, I don't see—
Seladon: ME! You never see me!
"Well Done, Daughter!" Girl: She feels her mother never notices or appreciates all the hard work she puts in to follow in her footsteps as All-Maudra. Part of the reason she betrays her mother and sister to the Skeksis is to receive the affection and praise from them that she never got from her mother. Even after the Skeksis murder her mother, she remains blindly loyal to them due to the scraps of kindness and recognition they showed her at the time.
You Never Did That for Me: As shown in the above tropes, Seladon often complains to her mother how she's given more tough love compared to her younger sisters.

Mira

Performed by: Helena Smee

Voiced by: Alicia Vikander

Appears in: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

A Crystal Castle guard and Rian's girlfriend.

Action Girl: Always itching for an adventure, sparred regularly with Rian and takes initiative in situations others deem too dangerous.
Braids of Action: Wears two braids in the front of her face and in the back.
Collateral Angst: She becomes the victim of the Skeksis Scientist's first experiment in the Crystal's ability to absorb life essence, fueling Rian's revenge against the Skeksis.
Heroes Prefer Swords: She wears a sword on her side.
Love Interest: Of Rian but she ends up dying in the very first episode.
No Body Left Behind: After the Skeksis use her for their first experiment and drain her of her essence, she disappears in a flash of light and is no more.
Sacrificial Lion: Her death shows how desperate the Skeksis are to cling to their ill-gotten immortality, and the lengths they'll go to keep it.
Small Role, Big Impact: She's introduced in the first episode as Rian's girlfriend and gets killed at the end when the Scientist uses her for the first life-essence-draining experiment.
We Hardly Knew Ye: All we know about Mira is that she's Rian's girlfriend, she's Vapran and joined the Crystal Guard. She's killed off in the same episode she's introduced.

The Librarian

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/librarian.jpeg

Performed by: Kevin Clash

Voiced by: Toby Jones

Appears in: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

A member of the Vapra Clan who works in the Library in Ha'rar.

Badass Bookworm: In lieu of the royal family, he takes command of the Vapra Clan and leads their army to Stone-in-Wood to aid the resistance against the Skesis.
Bookworm: Spends his time in his house putting his books in order and helping Brea in her research.
Dark and Troubled Past: He traveled with the Sifa in his youth, and speaks very darkly of something that happened during that time. Whatever it was, Cadia still wants nothing to do with him.
Intergenerational Friendship: With Brea.
No Name Given: He's never addressed by his name.
Properly Paranoid: He feels that all of Brea's questions are only going to lead to trouble, and warns Cadea not to pull anything. Brea's lust for the truth does get her into trouble with the Skesis, and Cadea does try to drug Brea into forgetting the meeting they were having.
What the Hell, Hero?: He is openly critical of Seladon for not only ignoring the funeral rites for her mother but further seeking to insult her by burning the body. While the character has just undergone a Face–Heel Turn, the Librarian at that point was still under the impression she was a good person.

Juni

Performed by: Beccy Henderson

Voiced by: April Hughes

Appears in: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

An acquaintance of Brea in the Order of the Lesser Service.

Fangirl: She's pretty excited to be meeting someone of Royalty.
Motor Mouth: She talks at a fast speed.
Star-Crossed Lovers: Her parents sent her to the order for liking a boy who came from a different clan.

Barfinnious

A former paladin who retired and became a bard after one particular mission during the Arathim Wars. He later befriends Hup and the two go on a quest to save a village from a monster.

The Bard: He became one after his retirement from the paladins.
Fake Ultimate Hero: What he ultimately reveals himself to be to Hup. It turns out that he never saved anyone in the Spitter cave. Instead, he was the one who got saved by the Vapran princess he was supposed to rescue. Ashamed of this failure, he quit the paladins.
What the Hell, Hero?: Hup gives him one of these after he reveals he's nothing but a liar and a coward. Hup tells him that he is no hero. Heroes are supposed to help people up, not bring them down!

Stonewood Clan

In General

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/stonewood_symbol.png

Dwelling in Stone-of-the-Wood within the Dark Forest, the Stonewoods were known for their bravery, with the ancient Gelfling culture hero Jarra-Jen being one of their most well known members.

Proud Warrior Race: The Stonewoods are among the most martial-inclined of the Gelflings, to the point of providing a significant number of guards and commanders of the guard to the castle of the Crystal and having the only warrior Maudra.

Ordon

Captain Ordon

Performed by: Dave Chapman

Voiced by: Mark Strong