A thousand years ago on the planet Thra, two new races appeared when a Shard was shattered from the Crystal of Truth: the cruel Skeksis, who use continued corruption of the Crystal to extend their lives, and the gentle urRu, more commonly known as Mystics, who make their home in the Valley of Stones to await their destiny. The leader of the Mystics, the Master UrSu, raises a young Gelfling named Jen whose clan were slaughtered by the Skeksis. As the Great Conjunction of Thra’s three suns draws near, a dying UrSu instructs Jen to fulfil a prophecy to heal the Crystal by first retrieving the Shard from Aughra. As UrSu passes, the Skeksis’ Emperor, skekSo, also dies, leaving the position for the leader vacant. The Chamberlain, skekSil, and the Garthim Master, skekUng, challenge each other in a “Trial by Stone” for succession, resulting in skekUng defeating skekSil. SkekSil is stripped of his robes and banished, while skekUng is proclaimed the new emperor. When the Skeksis learn of Jen’s existence, they send their army of giant crab-like Garthim to capture him, with the cunning skekSil following. Jen meets Aughra and enters her orrery, which she uses to predict the heavens, and she explains about the Conjunction before having Jen select the correct Shard. Before Aughra can explain Jen’s mission, the Garthim arrive and destroy the orrery, taking Aughra prisoner as Jen flees. Hearing the call of the Crystal, the Mystics leave their valley to return to the Castle of the Crystal. On his journey through a forest swamp, Jen meets Kira, another surviving Gelfling. The two learn more about each other when they accidentally “dreamfast”, sharing each other’s memories. They stay for a night with the Podlings who raised Kira, only for them and Kira’s pet Fizzgig to flee when the Garthim raid the village. They are nearly caught, but skekSil intervenes, keeping the Garthim from pursuing them. Jen and Kira discover a ruined Gelfling civilization with ancient writing describing the prophecy: “When single shines the triple sun, what was sundered and undone shall be whole, the two made one by Gelfling hand or else by none.” They are interrupted by skekSil, who reveals the prophecy was the reason for the Gelfling genocide while trying to trick them into coming with him to the castle. But the Gelflings run off and reach the castle on Landstriders, intercepting the Garthim that attacked Kira’s village. While trying to free the captured Podlings, Kira, Jen, and Fizzgig descend to the Castle’s dry moat (revealing Kira has wings) and use the catacombs to gain access. But they are intercepted by skekSil, who attempts to drag them to the other Skeksis when they refuse him further. Jen stabs skekSil’s hand with the Shard in defiance (which leads to his Mystic counterpart, urSol, to receive a similar wound on his), and skekSil, in a fit of rage, buries Jen in a cave-in and takes Kira. SkekSil is reinstated as Chamberlain and gives Kira to the Scientist, skekTek, to be drained of her life essence for the Skeksis to drink and regain their youth. Aughra, imprisoned in the Scientist’s laboratory, tells Kira to call the captive animals for help; they break free in response and free Kira while causing skekTek to fall down the crystal shaft to his death. At that moment, his Mystic counterpart, urTih, vanishes in a burst of flame. Aughra frees herself soon after Kira leaves and before Jen arrives. The three suns begin to align as the Gelflings reunite at the Crystal Chamber and the Skeksis gather for the ritual that will grant them immortality. When they are discovered and the Garthim attack, Jen leaps onto the Crystal but drops the Shard. Kira takes it after Fizzgig is thrown down the shaft by skekUng, but is saved by Aughra shortly after. Kira throws the Shard back to Jen and is fatally stabbed by the Ritual-Master, skekZok. The heartbroken Jen plunges the Shard into the Dark Crystal, fulfilling the prophecy. The Garthim disintegrate and the Podling slaves regain their essence while the dark stone covering the Castle crumbles away to reveal a crystalline structure. The urRu arrive and use the Crystal to merge themselves and the Skeksis into the beings they once were: the angelic urSkeks. The urSkeks’ leader explains to Jen they had mistakenly shattered the Crystal 1,000 years ago, splitting them into two races and decimating Thra, and that Jen’s courage and Kira’s sacrifice have restored them. The urSkeks revive Kira in gratitude and then ascend to a higher level of existence, leaving the Crystal of Truth to Jen and Kira on the now-rejuvenated Thra.
