“I AM NOT GOOD, OR NICE!”: Skeletor Explainer
Check out the lowdown on Skeletor, the iconic antagonist from the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series.
Masters of the Universe has been nerd gospel for nearly as long as there have been nerds. From calling on the power of Greyskull to putting on the nasally voice of the iconic villain, it has infiltrated every corner of pop culture. However, to pay homage to his voice, we must recognize the greatest evil Eternia has ever seen. I’m talking, of course, about Skeletor, the skull-faced thorn in He-Man’s side.
Skeletor’s look results from his Gar heritage, a race of demon-like extraplanar entities. Though he’s had several designs, Skeletor’s iconic look is known to longtime fans and brand-new initiates. His blue skin, purple armor, and skull face immediately evoke the feeling of a “villain.” While he isn’t the most successful villain in pop culture, his failures and infinitely quotable lines put him in the same class as Emperor Palpatine and the Joker.
Skeletor: The Early Years
Before Eternia was the high-tech fantasy land most fans know, it was a savage prehistoric realm. He-Man was the champion of a tribe of jungle-dwellers from the Stone Age, and the rest of the Eternian court was absent. Skeletor was an extradimensional being that got stuck in Eternia. He planned to open a portal to bring the rest of his kind to conquer Eternia. This motivated him to seek out the mystical powers of Castle Greyskull rather than just selfishness.
Skeletor and the rest of the MotU gang didn’t have a lot of story originally, as they were just action figures. All the stories we got came from mini-comics included with the figures. The comics were closer to storybooks, showing a large art piece with descriptive text at the bottom.
Skeletor and Fantasy Eternia
The Skeletor that most fans know and love showed up in the 1980s in the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon by Filmation. In this canon, he was not the primary antagonist at first. Instead, he was the lieutenant and student of Hordak, a high-ranking commander of the aptly named Evil Horde. When the Horde infiltrated Eternia, Hordak kidnapped Princess Adora, Prince Adam’s twin sister.
Hordak retreated to Snake Mountain, and Man-At-Arms and the Eternian Royal Guard captured Skeltor. They forced him to give up Hordak’s location, hoping to rescue the princess. When the heroes arrived, Hordak retreated into a portal with no destination, taking the princess and abandoning Skeletor.
Skeletor establishes himself as the primary antagonist of Eternia in Hordak’s absence, taking over Snake Mountain and assembling a team of minions. He plans to strike at the royal family of Eternia and conquer Castle Greyskull. Once the power is his, he plans to follow Hordak and get his revenge for being abandoned. From there, he would dethrone Horde Prime and conquer the entire universe. Though he is often seen as bumbling, he is actually an intelligent and capable foe. He-Man takes him very seriously, and it is usually through the efforts of his minions, rather than any failures of his own, that his plans are thwarted.
Skeletor appeared in 71 episodes of the original cartoon and 9 episodes of the She-Ra spin-off. He also appeared in several animated feature films.
Other Versions of Skeletor
After the original cartoon series, several new shows in the Eternia canon have shown slightly different Skeletors. In the Masters of the Universe live-action film in 1987, he is much more sinister and frightening, infiltrating the real world and unlocking the power of Greyskull before being thrown from a cliff by He-Man. In another canon, he was once a warrior named Keldor, believed to be the Eternian king’s lost brother. Keldor gained dark powers by summoning Hordak, becoming the warrior Skeletor.
The Men Behind the “MYEH!”
- Alan Oppenheimer played Skeletor in most animated media and is responsible for the iconic voice.
- Keith Scott, Jeff Bennett, and Bill Lobley have played Skeletor in various commercials.
- Campbell Lane played him in The New Adventures of He-Man
- Brian Dobson played him in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2002)
- Mark Hamill and William Shatner shared the role in Masters of the Universe: Revelation
- Benjamin Diskin played Skeletor in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2021)
- Scott Whyte played him during his cameo in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
Skeletor on the Tabletop
If you think you have what it takes to take down Skeletor (or maybe take command of him), you can pick up the Masters of the Universe: Clash for Eternia board game. The game pits the armies of Eternia against the Evil Horde. Which side will you choose? You can find the game at your LGS if that sounds up your alley.
