We are back with another Marvelous Video, and this time we will be looking at a different origin tale. King Grayskull from the He-Man universe is the topic at hand.
In 1983, He-Man made his television debut. It was actually pretty fantastic. Netflix recently launched an animated project that is a direct sequel to that show.
We shall therefore talk about King Grayskull’s ancestry in this video. So relax and enjoy some nibbles while getting ready to be amazed.
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Grayskull Origin
Did you know that He-Man was initially designed as a figure in a line of action figures? Roger Sweet, the character’s creator, made it a point to make the character abstract and all-encompassing so that he would work in any situation or genre. Sweet chose the moniker “He-Man” as well due to its universal appeal. When Mattel was given the choice to select from three potential figure variants, including a soldier, a spaceman, and a barbarian, which gained the most popularity as a result of the comic novels that gave rise to the fantastical realm of Eternia, the character’s current appearance was created.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, a new He-Man cartoon series produced in 2002–2003 by Mike Young Productions, was created to coincide with a new model of action figures based on the original toyline. The Masters of the Universe saga was recounted in this series, where we are introduced to King Grayskull for the first time.
King D’Vann Grayskull, also known as King Grayskull is Prince Adam and Princess Adora’s ancestor and the planetary ruler of Eternia.
He was introduced in the second season of the show, titled “The Power of Grayskull”
The episode begins with Prince Adam waking up from a dream depicting Hordak, the Snake Men, and a warrior that resembles He-Man. He travels to Castle Grayskull to speak with the Sorceress about his weird dream. Hordak orders Skeletor to return to his previous sanctuary to release him from Despondos, the dimension where he is imprisoned. He must pay this penalty for Hordak saving his life so many years ago.
The Sorceress informs Adam that the warrior he saw in his dream was King Grayskull, a former king of Eternia and the current lord of Castle Grayskull. He was married to Veena, the first Sorceress, and was a strong and valiant warrior. In a recent fight with the Snake Men, Grayskull had lost his sword, and he was now looking for a way to defeat Hordak. The Snake Men had been exiled by Hordak, who wanted to take over Eternia at all costs.
The Oracle of Zalesia set him on a journey when he discovered the peculiar creature that put his courage, knowledge, kindness, and strength to the test. Veena instructed King Grayskull to consult the Oracle for guidance. Grayskull found that the Oracle had already arrived when he at last ascended Mount Imperium.
When he got over his shock, he gave him his missing sword and told him that Grayskull’s actual strength had always been within him. The Oracle continued by saying that Grayskull wouldn’t make it through the impending conflict with Hordak. Without dread, Grayskull accepted his fate and came back to protect Eternia.
Hordak and his soldiers made their way to Castle Grayskull. King Grayskull’s gigantic lion (Battle Lion) swiftly destroyed the warriors, and Grayskull easily overcame Hordak’s generals. The two adversaries squared off, but Hordak pushed him back, unleashing his entire might. He directed his wizards to open a portal to Despondos so he could transport King Grayskull there.
Grayskull summoned the strength inside himself, declaring that he possessed the ability to keep Castle Grayskull from entering Despondos. Grayskull reversed the enchantment with the Sword of Power, and the gateway pulled in all of Hordak’s armies. Hordak’s corporeal body was destroyed, but he transformed into a ghostly form and sailed directly over King Grayskull on his route to Despondos, promising to return again in the future.
Hordak had been defeated but at a cost. Hordak had dealt King Grayskull a mortal blow, so he entrusted his authority to his servants, who created the Council of the Elders. He then gave his sword to Veena so that when the time came, a great warrior may wield it against evil. The Sorceress vowed to protect it until the day she had to relinquish her post to someone. The spirit of King Grayskull then passed into the Sword of Power, and he died in the company of everyone who loved him.
The transformation cry “By the power of Grayskull!” was used because King Grayskull put his magical energies into his Abilities Sword after he died, which eventually served as the foundation for He-Man’s power. To preserve the sword and Grayskull’s heritage, Veena assumed the role of the first sorceress, and his counselors established themselves as the Council of Elders.
That was it, in the first installment not much was known about King Grayskull except this as he only made a single appearance in the entire series.
Did you know, that King Grayskull’s design was based on an early prototype for He-Man himself? The only difference between the two is that King Grayskull had longer hair than He-Man.
In 2021, in Netflixs’ Masters of the Universe: Revelation episode “The Forge in the Forest of Forever,” King Grayskull was contacted in Preternia, Eternia’s heaven-like afterlife. He offers the primary characters instruction and encouragement, allowing them to return to Eternia. His character design is similar to his 2002 look, except that he is Black, a modification done to distinguish him visually from He-Man.
At the beginning of the episode, Adam is in Preternia, the Eternian version of paradise, etching symbols onto an Orko headstone. Adam, Teela, and Evil-Lyn all pause before saying their final goodbyes to Orko. Adam calls out to the forest and requests that the area around the headstone be transformed. Through Moss Man, the grass around the gravestone’s base alters to look like that on Trolla.
Adam offers Teela his part of the sword after realizing that they are all bound in Preternia because it only enables entrance, not leave. According to Adam, there could still be a possibility for them to escape, so he and Teela set off in search of King Grayskull.
Teela and Adam encounter obstacles on their quest to locate the original He-Man. They are forced to engage in combat with several He-Man characters, including Vikor, King Grayskull, and Wun-Dar. King Grayskull informs the two that while everyone on Preternia chooses their shape, no one has ever employed a lower form before Adam’s arrival.
That night, gathering around a fire, King Grayskull provides a brief history of the Sword of Power, revealing that the Grayskull Castle was named after him (Duhhhh) and that there is a gateway in his tower that would allow them to depart the world. When questioned why he hasn’t returned from Preternia, Grayskull responds that he is dead and happy in Preternia, and that returning would be unnatural.
The party is able to convert the building into a forge, and they determine that Evil-Lyn will use the last ember to initiate a reactor in Roboto, which will serve as the forge’s main source; Roboto cautions everyone to escape to a safer distance if anything goes wrong.
Meanwhile, Adam approaches Teela and apologizes for lying about being He-Man. Teela explains that she needed time to digest Adam’s death and the deception. Adam wonders about the stability of Eternia’s magic and why she came to Preternia and eventually realizes that things are dying back home. Teela goes away, and Moss Man appears to speak with Adam. He informs Adam that he can go home, but he will never be able to return to Preternia.
Roboto succeeds in his ambition to consolidate the sword, but the sword triggers an explosion that kills him. King Grayskull initiates the portal on his way to the Grayskull Tower. Adam and the rest of the group return to Eternia. That’s the last we see of King Grayskull.
As you can see, there is not much to decipher from these appearances by King Grayskull. We know most about him in the Dark Horse Prequel Comic Book titled Masters of the Universe: Revelation No.1. His origin is narrated in great detail there.
King D’Vann Grayskull was training his young sons D’Are and Ro how to handle a sword 500 years before He-Man when the Snake Men assaulted the Hall of Wisdom, aided by their newest friend, the Orlax of Primeria. The Orlax grabbed little D’Are with one of its tentacles, forcing him to fall asleep quickly. Grayskull discovered that his blade was ineffective against the beast.
The Elders revealed to him that it existed in two separate dimensions at the same time and had to be inflicted in both dimensions simultaneously. Grayskull needed to create a new weapon with the aid of Trollan Magesmiths and a particular type of black ore collected from Scare Glow in the land of Subternia. By fusing the freshly formed sword with his own Preternian sword, he created the Sword of Power, which he and many other heroes of Eternia would use in the future. Grayskull eventually defeated the Orlax and severed the arm that held his kid.
Unfortunately, D’Are did not awaken from his nap. Veena Grayskull, Grayskull’s wife, recognized that he had not been poisoned, but that the Orlax’s touch had forged a mental link that was too strong for human minds to understand. She concluded that the Orlax was only attempting to communicate with them.
When the Orlax struck again, a future hero (He-Man) used his own sword to sever another of the creature’s tentacles. After discussing the Orlax, the Hero stated that King Grayskull might conceal the location of the Hall of Wisdom and encouraged young Ro to continue studying with his father. He then returned to his own time, carrying the second severed limb.
The Council of Elders used their magic to transform their Hall of Wisdom into a significantly more ominous-looking fortress with a helmeted skull on its exterior. This version was dubbed Castle Grayskull after D’Vann, an accolade that the hero openly considered questionable. Grayskull subsequently gave the Sword of Power to his son Ro, who went by the name He-Ro.
Grayskull was granted a spot in Preternia, as a prize for all of his heroic actions throughout his lifetime, where he was able to spend eternity alongside other heroes of Eternia, many of whom wore the Sword of Power after Grayskull and He-Ro.
After this, shortly, the incident that was shown in the episode titled “The Forge in the Forest of Forever” on Netflix took place.
What makes him so powerful?
King Grayskull possesses all the powers that He-Man Possesses like Super Strength, Super Durability, Super Agility, and Speed. King Grayskull gained immense superhuman strength and durability when he held the Power Sword and invoked the power of Castle Grayskull.
The Power Sword was nearly unbreakable and could absorb or shoot energy rays. Speaking of superpowers, Battle Lion was King Grayskull’s devoted feline friend, a battling armored lion on which he rode into battle. He possessed a keen sense of smell, which enabled him to follow trails and detect hostile odors. He also had a thunderous growl that frightened foes away. Battle Lion was also extremely powerful, with razor-sharp claws and fangs. He was also extremely agile, and able to leap high and far.
During the Great Wars against King Hssss and the Hordak Invasion Forces, King Grayskull rode into battle on Granger, a huge lygor prince from the Green Tiger Tribe. Granger was given to a young Grayskull as a cub in exchange for defending their house from an invasion by renegade Gar pirates, and grew up with him, loyally protecting Grayskull in times of peace and conflict. When evil attacks Eternia, Granger is strengthened by the Universe’s Power channeled through the Sword of He. He wears the enchanted armor of Battle Lion, which defends him from magical assaults. Battle Lion is King Grayskull’s valiant steed, faithfully bringing his lord into battle.
King Grayskull made his Television appearance twice. Once in the 2002 show and again once on Netflix a year back. Despite showing him a few times, he is still one of the most crucial characters from the He-Man Universe. If he were not there, then none of this would have been possible.
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