Skar King
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The war with the apes nearly destroyed Godzilla, and after a great battle, he imprisoned the apes in a fiery realm on Hollow Earth. Their false king remains obsessed with reaching the surface. The Iwi call him... the Skar King.
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The Skar King (スカーキング Sukā Kingu) is a simian Titan[5][1] who appeared as the main antagonist of the 2024 Legendary Pictures film Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
The ruthless and brutal ruler of the Great Apes, the Skar King once attempted to conquer the surface world, but was defeated and sealed away deep in the Hollow Earth by Godzilla. Over the ensuing millennia, the Skar King plotted his revenge, harnessing the power of the ancient ice Titan Shimo and controlling her using a crystal shard attached to his Whipslash. When Kong uncovered his fiery Hollow Earth kingdom in 2027, the Skar King stole his axe and used it to reach the Iwi's Hollow Earth city and its portals to the surface. However, Kong recruited Godzilla's aid and the two apex Titans challenged the Skar King's army with the aid of Mothra and a young ape named Suko. The battle eventually spilled into Rio de Janeiro, where Suko managed to destroy the Skar King's control shard and allow the freed Shimo to freeze him solid. With the Skar King's defeat, Kong returned to his kingdom with Shimo and Suko, taking his place as its new ruler.
Name
Perhaps coincidentally, Skar is a Scottish dialect word for "wild". The Skar King's name was revealed through a post by the official Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Instagram account on November 29, 2023.[10] Product descriptions for Playmates' Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire toyline frequently dropped the "the" before his name,[11] and it is applied inconsistently in the film itself.
Development
The Skar King was inspired by the villainous railroad conductor Shack from the 1973 film Emperor of the North Pole.[1]
Design
The Skar King's appearance somewhat resembles Kong's, but with proportions similar to a chimpanzee and red fur similar to that of an orangutan. He has a lanky build, with long arms and legs. Reddish fur covers the majority of his body, with the exceptions of his face, his scalp, and his extremities. He possesses light blue eyes, red war paint on his face, mutton chops, and a scar above his right eye. He wears the Whipslash, a weapon made from the bones of a Warbat,[12] on his right shoulder, like a sash.
Personality
The Skar King is a tyrannical ruler. He takes pleasure in abusing his subjects: Suko, the other Great Apes, and Shimo. Capricious with his punishments, he spared Suko his wrath with the Great Ape Gnarled Finger stepped between them, only to kick the elderly ape into a lake of lava. He even extends his cruelty towards his slaves and children, who cowered in fear as he flung food in their direction. Upon meeting Kong, he laughed at his titanium tooth and encouraged his subjects to join in.
Skar King prefers ample reinforcements in battle. Even when he challenged Kong to single combat, he called upon Shimo to intervene when the ape Titan proved dangerous.
Origins
At some point in ancient times, the ruler of the Great Apes, the Skar King, attempted to conquer the surface world. His lust for domination brought him and his kind into conflict with "The Monster Who Ate a Star," Godzilla, and the Great Apes went to war against the Titan. Skar King and his army almost claimed Godzilla's life, but the King of the Monsters sealed the Red-Haired Conqueror and the Great Apes deep in the Hollow Earth.
However, the evil Skar King would not lose his desire for conquest as time passed, and he waited deep in his lair plotting his revenge, all while ruling over the Great Apes with just as much ruthlessness as ever. The Skar King also claimed an ancient power in the form of the ice Titan Shimo, who he controlled with pain, forcing her to act as a weapon for him.
History
Monsterverse
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
In 2027, a trap set by Kong inadvertently exposed an entrance to the second layer of the Hollow Earth where Godzilla has sealed away the Skar King and his subjects in ancient times. Skar King soon emerged, destroying Monarch Outpost One and killing all inside, though a single security camera remained intact to record a glimpse of him. When Kong descended to the Skar King's territory, he was soon attacked by three of his Great Ape minions and the young Suko. Kong killed two of the adult apes, while the third escaped, and demanded that Suko lead him to the others. Though neither trusted the other at first, they had become friendlier by the time they reached Skar King's volcanic lair. At the same time, a small Monarch team discovered an Iwi city in Hollow Earth; there, Dr. Ilene Andrews translated their writings and learned of the Skar King's history and desire to conquer the surface world.
After Kong knocked out a guard for pummeling another ape, the Great Ape One-Eye alerted the Skar King to his presence, and he emerged from his chamber to take stock of the ape Titan. The other apes bowed before him and joined his laughter at Kong's titanium tooth, even a reluctant Suko. The Skar King nonetheless confronted the young ape, only for the Great Ape Gnarled Finger to defend Suko. The Skar King seemingly relented, then kicked Gnarled Finger into a lava lake. Suko cried out in sorrow, and the furious Kong bellowed a challenge to the tyrant. The Skar King proved a nimble opponent, his Whipslash possessing far greater range than Kong's battle axe. He disarmed Kong, then tried choking him out with the Whipslash. Kong flipped him over his shoulders and threw him back, prompting the Skar King to call upon his ultimate weapon: a chained reptilian Titan, Shimo, who towered over them both. He ordered her to attack Kong using the blue crystal at the end of his Whipslash, and though reluctant, she gave into the pain caused by the device. With no defense against her ice breath, Kong was forced to retreat with a frostbitten hand. The Skar King hoisted Kong's axe in victory and ordered a group of apes to give chase.
Kong and Suko killed all but one of the pursuing apes. The survivor, One-Eye, watched them pass through the Iwi's barrier and took note of the portals inside leading to the surface. He reported back to Skar King, who led him and four other apes off to war, riding atop Shimo. Kong left for the surface to recruit Godzilla, who had been accumulating power in anticipation of Skar King's return. The Iwi prepared to force together their two largest electromagnetic pyramids, which would unleash a brief antigravity shock wave when they collided. Skar King easily breached their barrier with the axe after Shimo weakened it with her ice breath, then had her freeze the gap between the pyramids to prevent them from touching. Their advance was delayed by a flock of Verticines, lured by Titan veterinarian Trapper Beasley in a camouflaged HEAV. Shimo froze the swarm, but the distraction bought enough time for Kong, Godzilla, and the Iwi's guardian Mothra to arrive. As Godzilla and Kong charged towards the Skar King and Shimo, the pyramids connected, and the Titans floated into the air. The Skar King again fought Kong, now using his own axe against him, but Kong held his own with the help of the B.E.A.S.T. Glove provided by Monarch. Despite the efforts of Godzilla and Kong, the Skar King and Shimo were able to reach the portal. Mothra prevented most of the Great Apes that came with them from following, with Suko killing One-Eye.
Godzilla, Kong, Skar King, and Shimo surfaced off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, with Shimo's presence causing the ocean around her to freeze solid. Skar King, after taking a moment to look at the sun, ordered Shimo to begin freezing the atmosphere and the city with her ice breath. Before they could cause more havoc, Kong arrived and punched his rival in the face. knocking out a tooth. Skar King spat out a tooth from the blow; Kong smiled smugly in response. He delivered a flying kick to Skar King, but Shimo blocked his next blow with a swing of her tail. After Godzilla engaged Shimo, Skar King threw the top of a building at Kong with the Whipslash, but he destroyed it with the B.E.A.S.T. Glove. He kicked Kong into Shimo, who again stymied Kong with her ice breath, his glove barely managing to block it. Godzilla interrupted the Skar King's gloating with a powerful blast of atomic breath. He dodged and tried retaliating with the Whipslash, but Godzilla caught it in his jaws, threw him, and bit off the tip, sending the crystal clattering to the ground. Skar King could only briefly recover it as Godzilla's atomic breath chased him through the city. He then tried to stop Kong from reaching the crystal, choking him from behind. Suko, who came through the portal after picking up Kong's axe, used the weapon to break the crystal, the ensuing shockwave staggering all five combatants.
Skar King tried taking Suko hostage, but Kong punched him while he was looking at Shimo, freeing the young ape. Kong threw Skar King to Godzilla, who tail whipped him back into Kong's waiting glove. Outmatched, he angrily attempted to get Shimo to attack. But she looked to Godzilla instead, and at his prompting turned on her former master, unleashing her ice breath on the helpless Skar King, freezing him solid. The Skar King glared at Kong hatefully before Kong slammed his ape rival's frozen body into the ground, shattering him into shards of ice.
Abilities
Whipslash
The Skar King possesses a giant whip called the Whipslash,[13] which is made from the spine of a Warbat[14] and ends with a glowing, light blue crystal. It is an extremely sharp weapon, able to slice through buildings and cut Kong's hand, although it was unable to break the evolved Godzilla's skin. It can also be employed to strangle opponents, as Skar King demonstrated during his first fight with Kong. Godzilla ultimately broke the Whipslash with a single bite.
The Skar King using the vertebrae in the Whipslash to cut Kong's hand
The Skar King using the Whipslash to lasso and swing a building
- Crystal
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He controls her with pain.
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The Skar King can use the crystal at the end of the Whipslash to command Shimo by pointing it towards a target. This process causes Shimo significant pain through unknown means until she obeys the command given to her, as she was seen slamming her head against the ground when he first used the crystal to command her to attack Kong. This crystal also doubles as a sharp weapon, as it lacerated Kong's hand. However, upon its destruction Shimo was freed from his control.
Battle axe
After relieving Kong of his axe, Skar King wielded it against him during their second confrontation in the Hollow Earth. Kong blocked his first swing with the B.E.A.S.T. Glove, however, and he switched back to the Whipslash. Following several blows from Kong's glove, he lost his grab on the axe and Kong recovered it.
Physical capabilities
Skar King possesses immense physical strength and speed, and was easily able to overpower the other Great Apes within his kingdom and establish a tyrannical regime. Other Great Apes stood little chance against him, demonstrated when he launched Suko's caretaker Gnarled Finger into the lava below with a single kick. However, he needed the range and flexibility of the Whipslash to stand up to Kong in single combat, while he was completely overwhelmed by Godzilla.
Despite his advanced age, Skar King displayed impressive athletic prowess. During his first battle against Kong, he dodged three swings of his axe before kicking him in the jaw. After disarming Kong, he easily leapt over him to strange him from behind. When fighting on the surface in Rio de Janeiro, he leapt through vast stretches of the city while avoiding Godzilla's atomic breath.
Intelligence
Much like Kong, the Skar King is intelligent enough to wield weapons, notably his Whipslash, which he uses very effectively in combat. He was able to direct an army of Great Apes to nearly kill Godzilla in ancient times, and still commanded their near-total obedience in the present day. His empire uses a form of sign language, which One-Eye used to explain to him that there was a portal near the Iwi city leading to the surface. In Rio de Janeiro, he tried using Suko as a hostage, knowing Kong was attached to the smaller ape.
Durability
The Skar King is capable of surviving a hit from Godzilla's atomic breath, albeit an indirect blast, with only slight burns on his fur, and lived through being completely frozen by Shimo's ice breath until Kong shattered him. He was also able to tolerate direct hits to the face from Kong using the B.E.A.S.T Glove.
Video games
- Lords Mobile (2016; added in 2024) - Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, iPadOS, Fire OS
- Call of Duty: Warzone (2020; added in 2024) - Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S [Scorch Skin and miscellaneous non-physical appearances]
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019; added in 2024) - Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S [Scorch Skin and miscellaneous non-physical appearances]
"Intimidating Stare" photo in Lords Mobile
Books
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire - The Official Movie Novelization
To be added.
Gallery
- Main article: Skar King/Gallery.
In other languages
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Japanese
Mandarin Chinese
Hungarian
European Spanish
Trivia
- The Skar King is the first simian monster faced by King Kong in a live-action film.
- The Skar King is the first main Monsterverse antagonist in a film to be a definitive mammal.
- The initial marketing for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire implied that the red handprints seen in Kong: Skull Island (2017) and in Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) belonged to the Skar King.[15]
References
This is a list of references for Skar King. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]
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