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Castle Grayskull may be the most iconic castle in all of fantasy. With its terrifying skull shaped appearance and ominous “jaw-bridge”, there is arguably nothing more hauntingly memorable as Eternia’s “Fortress of Mystery and Power”, a structure that uniquely inspires as much wonder as it does horror.
As wonderfully terrifying as Castle Grayskull was, when watching the classic Filmation 1983 series “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe”, there was something even more horrific than the actual Mattel playset had ever provided. In the Filmation cartoon, many fans noticed that Castle Grayskull appeared to have creepy, boney, spider-like leg appendages and a twisted spine!
These extra elements to the Castle Grayskull playset added another level of mystery, and gave some imaginative viewers the impression that this home to the Sorceress could be much more than just a magical fortress!
Could it be possible that Castle Grayskull had previously been a living creature many centuries ago, a gigantic being that perched itself upon a rocky formation above an abyss only to breathe its last breath and die? And as this creature’s flesh decayed away, does only its fossilized skeleton remain? It was a wonderful idea for viewers to hypothesize.
Of course, speculative fans later learned that Castle Grayskull was not once a living thing, thanks to the 1982 classic Filmation series bible by Michael Halperin (and by watching the follow-up series “Masters of the Universe: Revelation”.) Fans discovered that Castle Grayskull was actually a transfiguration to disguise the Hall of Wisdom, in an effort to scare and thwart evildoers from seeking and obtaining its true secrets. And a castle that looks like an evil dead monstrous entity would definitely do the trick!
So naturally when “Masters of the Universe: Revelation” went into production as a follow-up to the classic 1983 syndicated show, the creators carried this vision of Castle Grayskull to the 2021 series.
In the recently released “The Art of Masters of the Universe: Revelation” book by Dark Horse Publishing, concept art was shared, detailing the skeletal exterior. And this time while those spider-like appendages were still there, they were less protruding and expressed with a tighter foundational grip.
And once again, Castle Grayskull creepily looked like a monster perched upon a rock, possibly with a tail.
Some of Castle Grayskull’s skeletal vertebrae can be seen from inside the castle as well, evident in scenes like when Skeletor, Evil-Lyn and Faker attack the Sorceress.
The vertebrae of the castle can also be seen in background art, shared by Powerhouse Animation Studios
It’s wonderful how “Masters of the Universe: Revelation” stayed so true to the classic Filmation series that made so many of us fans.
Well there you have it. Do you like this incarnation of Castle Grayskull? Be sure to register and comment below, and keep coming back to ForEternia.com for all the latest news, behind-the-scenes pieces and lore articles!
Until next time!
Excellent article and thank you. I learn so much here.