Skar King
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The war with the Apes nearly destroyed Godzilla. But after a great battle, he imprisoned the apes in a fiery realm of 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 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.[13] Product descriptions for Playmates' Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire toyline frequently dropped the "the" before his name,[14] and it is applied inconsistently in the film itself. According to designer Jared Krichevsky, the Skar King's name was different when he was working on his design, although he did not reveal what the name was.[15]
Development
The Skar King was inspired by the villainous railroad conductor Shack from the 1973 film Emperor of the North Pole.[3] Initially conceptualized with an Autodesk Mudbox sculpt resembling an orangutan, his body was reshaped to contrast with Kong, becoming lanky and agile. At one time he was bald, but the animators wanted to avoid making him look too elderly. Animation supervisor Ludovic Chailloleau highlighted his distinctiveness from Kong, stating, "He's always very sneaky. He’s not frontal like Kong. He’s more asymmetrical in the way he moves." His arms became so long that they required careful biomechanical adjustments to ensure realistic movement. Motion capture performers for the Skar King wore prosthesis on their arms to convey his reach.[16] Skar King designer Jared Krichevsky has given insight about the Skar King's design development. Krichevsky's first passes had Skar King with radically different hairstyles and levels of fur.[17] Since he was created to be the polar opposite of Kong, he was given a lanky body to contrast with the former's musculature and stockiness, which was inspired by hairless apes and gibbons.[17][18] To match his personality, Krichevsky designed his face in a way that made the ape look unpredictable and psychopathic, which also contrasted with Kong's kinder influence.[19] The Skar King's "mutton chop"-like fur on his face was inspired by those of Warbat designer Matt Millard.[20]
The first fight between Kong and the Skar King was inspired by a scene in Emperor of the North Pole where A-No.-1 and Shack fight with a fire axe and chains, respectively.[21] Visual effects supervisor Kevin Smith described the animation of the Skar King's Whipslash weapon as one of his team's greatest challenges on the film; as it had over 100 moving parts, its motion was difficult to automate.[16]
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,[22] on his right shoulder, like a sash.
Personality
The Skar King is a sadistic dictator. He takes pleasure in abusing his subjects: Suko, the other Great Apes, and Shimo. Capricious with his punishments, he spared Suko his wrath when 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 harem and children, who cowered in fear when he flung food in their direction. Upon meeting Kong, he laughed at his titanium tooth and encouraged his subjects to join in.
The Skar King prefers ample reinforcements in battle. Even when he challenged Kong to single combat, he called upon Shimo to intervene as soon as the ape Titan seemingly gained the favor. Though Godzilla kept Shimo away from Kong during their battle in Hollow Earth, the Skar King repeatedly directed her to attack Kong when the fight moved to Rio de Janeiro.
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. At some point during his confinement, the Skar King 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 had 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 the 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, while Suko kicked One-Eye to his demise.
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. The Skar King, after taking a moment to look at the sun, ordered Shimo to begin freezing the atmosphere and the city with her Frost Bite Blast. Before they could cause more havoc, Kong arrived and punched his rival in the face. knocking out a tooth. The 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. The 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.
The Skar King tried taking Suko hostage, but Kong punched him while he was looking at Shimo, freeing the young ape. Kong threw the 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,[23] which is made from the spine of a Warbat[24] 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.
In Godzilla Battle Line, the Skar King uses the Whiplash to pull opponents towards him.
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 Skar King’s control. The novelization of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire suggests that this crystal was broken off from Shimo's back spines.[25]
Battle axe
After relieving Kong of his axe, Skar King used it to shatter the frozen-over Iwi barrier, and 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, Skar King lost his hold 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, being able to leap a great distance all the way from his cave’s perch to the floor of his kingdom. During his first battle against Kong, he dodged three swings of his axe before kicking him in the jaw, managing to (briefly) knock him down. After disarming Kong with the Whipslash, he easily leapt over him to strangle 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 was still alive after being completely frozen over 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.
Weaknesses
The Skar King relies on his intelligence and agility in combat, lacking the strength or resilience of Godzilla or Kong. During their first battle, Kong overpowered him, flipping him over his shoulders and picking him up again to slam him into the ground. Following this, the Skar King immediately summon Shimo to continue the fight. He was unable to mount an effective defense against Godzilla, who caught the first swing of his Whipslash in his jaws, then tugged on it to throw him and chased him through Rio de Janeiro with atomic breath. His reliance on Shimo for stronger foes, as well as his use of a crystal to cause her pain unless she obeyed his commands, proved to be his undoing. After Suko shattered the crystal, Shimo soon turned against her former master.
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 III (2023; added in 2024) - Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S [Scorch Skin and miscellaneous non-physical appearances]
- Godzilla Battle Line (2021; added in 2024) - Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows
"Intimidating Stare" photo in Lords Mobile
The Skar King in Lords Mobile's "Discover a New Empire" event
Godzilla Battle Line
- Stars: ★★★★
- Energy cost: 6
- Attack speed: 2.6 seconds
- Target: Leader/Ground/Aerial/Facility
- Movement speed: 12
- Search range: 100
- Reach: 60
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When Attacking |
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Battle line
Books
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire - The Official Movie Novelization
The Skar King selected Suko to join his elite red-stripe forces after the former sensed when the sinkhole leading out of the Subterranean Realm opened up. They explored the upper layer of Hollow Earth with three other Great Apes - One-Eye, Stone Fist, and Catcher - destroying Monarch Outpost One and discovering signs of Kong's presence. After they returned to the Subterranean Realm, the Skar King departed back to the Living Caves, leaving the rest of the apes to lie in wait for Kong.[26] On the night of Outpost One's destruction, Jia had a vision of the Skar King.[27]
The Iwi writings translated by Dr. Ilene Andrews revealed that Godzilla waged war with the Skar King alongside other Titans that were loyal to him. They also described the Skar King as two-faced: while he told the Great Apes they would rule the surface together, he really sought the destruction of all that he hated - which was everything.[28]
After learning of the portals guarded by the Iwi, the Skar King took almost every male ape under his command with him to invade the surface. He was also noted to have "many wives," who were moved even further underground when he departed.[29] Suko assumed that one of the female apes in the Skar King's harem was his mother, and once hoped the Skar King, the only other Great Ape with reddish fur, would acknowledge him as his son.[30]
Gallery
- Main article: Skar King/Gallery.
Roar
The Skar King's roars are not unlike those of Kong. One of his roars was previously used by Megatron in Transformers: The Last Knight (2017).
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In other languages
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Japanese
Mandarin Chinese
Hungarian
European Spanish
Trivia
- The Skar King and other Great Apes are the first simian monsters faced by King Kong in a live-action film. They are also Kong's first opponents in any media to be members of his species.
- The Skar King is the first main antagonist of a Monsterverse film to be a definitive mammal. He is not the first mammalian Monsterverse antagonist overall, however, as he is preceded by Camazotz from Kingdom Kong.
- 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.[32] The "Meet The Titans" section on the film's Prime Video rental page additionally states that he "leav[es] a menacing bloody handprint as his calling card across the history of the Monsterverse."[33]
- The Giant and 6" Skar King figures by Playmates are designed to hold the Whipslash by a handle, instead of by the jaw.
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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]
Bibliography
- Keyes, Greg (23 April 2024). Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire - The Official Movie Novelization. Titan Books. ISBN 978-1803368108.
- Vaz, Mark Cotta (13 May 2014). Godzilla: The Art of Destruction. Insight Editions. ISBN 1608873447.
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