A Reminder Of What "The Dark Crystal" Is About Before The New Netflix Show Drops

    Get ready for Netflix's new series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

    Jenna Guillaume
    by Jenna Guillaume

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    More than 30 years after the release of cult classic The Dark Crystal, Netflix is about to drop a prequel called The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

    Netflix

    It's a beautiful 10-episode series that follows a team of heroes in their desperate attempt to save their world. You don't need to have seen the original movie to enjoy it, but if you haven't (or it's been awhile), here's a little info that might come in handy...

    The world of The Dark Crystal is called Thra, a planet that orbits three suns.

    Universal Pictrues

    In The Dark Crystal movie, Thra is a shadow of its former self because the crystal at its heart – the Crystal of Truth – has been corrupted and cracked, turned into the Dark Crystal.

    Netflix

    In Age of Resistance, we see the early stages of Thra's decline.

    The crystal has been corrupted by the Skeksis, who rule over Thra from the Castle of the Crystal and embody everything that is bad and selfish.

    Universal Pictures

    The Skeksis use the crystal to keep themselves alive, harnessing its power to drain the essence of the inhabitants of Thra for them to consume.

    One of the main Skeksis in both the movie and the series is skekSil, also known as the Chamberlain. He's a manipulative official who wants power for himself.

    Universal Pictures

    The Emperor, skekSo, holds ultimate power over the land in Age of Resistance.

    Netflix

    By the time we see him in the movie, he has significantly declined himself, to put it mildly.

    The General is in charge of the army, and is the Chamberlain's main rival for power.

    Netflix

    The Scientist, skekTek, is the Skeksis who invents the machine that harnesses the power of the crystal in order to drain the essence of Thra's lifeforms.

    Netflix

    Existing in direct opposition to the Skeksis are the Mystics, also known as urRu.

    Universal Picture

    They're wise and harmonious but ultimately pretty powerless, staying hidden in their valley. For this reason, they don't play a huge part in the TV series, although they are a bit more prominent in the movie, as the protagonist Jen is raised by them.

    Every Mystic has a Skeksis equivalent because, as the movie reveals, they are each actually two halves of the same creature – the urSkeks. The urSkeks were divided into the Mystics and the Skeksis as a result of the crystal. The two races are spiritually connected, and when a Skeksis is injured or killed, their Mystic counterpart is also wounded/obliterated – and vice versa.

    The native inhabitants of Thra are the Gelflings.

    Universal Pictures

    Gelflings have some powers – notably they can "dreamfast", that is share memories, thoughts and feelings via touch. Female gelflings also have wings.

    The Skeksis hate the Gelflings, capturing and draining their essence with the crystal and eventually wiping them out after a prophecy predicts that a Gelfling will bring an end to Skeksis rule.

    In the movie, Kira and Jen are, to their knowledge, the only two Gelflings in Thra who have survived the Skeksis.

    Universal Pictures

    Kira was raised by Podlings after being hidden from the Skeksis by her mother. She has the ability to talk to animals. Jen was rescued and raised by the Mystics and is sent on a quest to heal the crystal.

    Age of Resistance takes place at a time when Gelfling society is still thriving, divided into seven clans.

    Netflix

    In the show, the Gelflings believe the Skeksis to be benevolent rulers who are taking care of the crystal and all of Thra. Until a few key players discover the truth...

    Rian is a Gelfling guard in the Castle of the Crystal. He's one of the first to learn what the Skeksis are up to with the crystal.

    Netflix

    Brea is a princess – the youngest of three sisters – with a passion for learning. She gets a vision about the Skeksis and the crystal that puts her on the path to the truth.

    Netflix

    Deet is a Gelfling from the underground Grottan clan who cares for animals and is chosen by the magical Sanctuary Tree to find a way to heal Thra.

    Netflix

    Gelflings aren't the only native inhabitants of Thra – there are also the Podlings, who are a joyful race that have the ability to speak to animals.

    Universal Pictures

    There are no significant Podling characters in the movie, but in Age of Resistance there's Hup, an ambitious Podling who can speak some Gelfling and befriends Deet.

    Netflix

    Then there's Aughra, a main character in both the movie and the show. She's an oracle with a deep connection to Thra.

    Universal Pictures

    Even though you know the ultimate fate of the Gelflings and Skeksis from the movie, Age of Resistance is still incredibly compelling. You learn how things unfolded, and get to see a wonderful group of characters lay the path that Jen and Kira tread in the movie.

    Netflix

    You can catch The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance on Netflix Globally this Friday, August 30.