Elf King



The Elf King is the mysterious, masked overlord and leader of the elves, who threatens the kingdom of Alledia in order to obtain the stonekeepers. He appears as a main antagonist in the graphic novel, Amulet by Kazu Kabuishi.

He guides his footsoldiers in pursuit of Emily Hayes, one of the few remaining stonekeepers, and his main goal is to use the power of the stones to obliterate the kingdom of Alledia. He will destroy and eradicate anything in his path to achieve this goal.

The Elf King is merely a heir to the throne, the mask being a symbol representing the kings before him (beginning with the former "Erlking"). As a result, many of said kings often wore the mask as a representative of their authority and to "carry the weight of their ancestors".

History
Little is known regarding the Elf King's past, but that he was a quiet one who grew up in a small elf village.

30 years prior to the events of Amulet, four young stonekeepers lost control of their given powers, as the stones possessed their minds and bodies, transforming them into colossal beasts that set the surface of Alledia aflame. Among them was the young elf that would eventually become the Elf King.

The other stonekeepers that hadn't been possessed, managed to fight against the monsters and the resistance was eventually able to stop them, except for the Elf King himself, who was severely altered by his transformation.

The elders were able to separate him from his stone, and despite his requests to be executed, imprisoned him in an attempt to cure his evil curse. As time progressed, he spoke only of his desire for power, and warned of dark days to come. He also told them that they would regret having kept him alive, and that he would show them why.

Leon Redbeard's father, one of the guards assigned to watch over his prison cell, was there the night the stone returned to help the boy escape. A massive explosion followed and Leon's father, along with the rest of the guards, were killed.

The Elf King's youngest son, Prince Trellis, recalled that he hardly seen his father's face as a child, but relayed that he had once snuck up to his chambers and witnessed him relieve his mask. According to him, the Elf King's true face appeared lifeless and deformed, leading Trellis to conclude that the entity within the Elf King's stone had somehow managed to resurrect his corpse.

Amulet
The Elf King is initially mentioned in "The Stonekeeper", but does not make any significant appearance until "The Stonekeeper's Curse". When Prince Trellis confronts Emily at the end of "The Stonekeeper", he attempts to persuade her into helping him destroy his father by holding her mother hostage, but flees when Emily threatens to destroy him with the power of her stone.

Trellis is captured by royal guards and sent back to the Elf King's palace, where the king is disappointed in his son's failure. The Elf King sends his second-in-command, Luger, to accompany Trellis and see to that he does not fail or rebel, giving Luger the option of killing the prince if he shows any disobedience.

By the end of "The Stonekeeper's Curse", Luger engages in a brief battle with Emily and Trellis atop Demon's Head Mountain, but ultimately fails when he is sent spiraling down a cliff. Subsequently, during "The Cloud Searchers", the Elf King sends a skilled assassin named Gabilan to take Luger's place in pursuit of Emily.

In "Prince of the Elves", the Elf King emerges from a carriage in the Ice Prison of Korthan, where Max Griffin introduces him to a giant mountain beast named Chronos encased in a glacier. Per agreement, the Elf King allows Griffin to unleash the beast and orders him to begin their march at the city of Frontera, as well as to leave no survivors behind.