Mystics



The Mystics are a race of characters from the 1982 Creature Shop film The Dark Crystal.

At the last Great Conjunction, the urSkeks were divided into two races -- Mystics and Skeksis. The four-armed Mystics (also called urRu) took on the sorrows of the world. They inherited the mystical wisdom of the urSkeks, but were powerless to use it outside their own valley. Their hopes for redemption rested on Jen. There were originally eighteen Mystics, but by the time of the Great Conjunction when they rejoined the Skeksis, only eight remained.

The Mystic puppets are full body puppets, which are mainly operated by mimes and dancers. The operators have to crouch down on their haunches, with one arm stretched out in front to operate the jaw, while the other arm operates one of the puppets' front arms. Fine facial movements, such as blinking or moving eyes, were operated by another puppeteer by remote control.