Kira

Creation

Kira was created by Jim Henson and Frank Oz for the 1982 film The Dark Crystal. Kira was controlled by Kathryn Mullen, Kiran Shah was the body of Kira and she was voiced by Lisa Maxwell.

History

Origin

Surviving the Garthim attack organized by the cruel Skeksis to extinct the Gelfling race as they feared the Gelflings would destroy them due to a crucial prophecy that threatened the Skeksis reign. However, thanks to Kira's mother by hiding her into a hollow tree stub just before she was brutally murdered by the fierce Garthim, Kira was unharmed. Left to fend for herself, until she stumbled upon help and was taken in by the tribe of the friendly little Podlings and raised by her adoptive foster mother Ydra.

The Dark Crystal

One day, while accompanied by her pet and sidekick, Fizzgig, stumble upon the last surviving Gelfling boy Jen. At first, the two are astonished with one another as both of them believed that they were the only living Gelfling in existence. Sheltering Jen in the Podling village, but the village is raided and destroyed by Garthim soldiers. Jen and Kira fled and find the "Houses of the Old Ones", there they discovered the Wall of Destiny. It is only in that moment that Jen and Kira truly understood the Prophecy; they must take the True Shard to the Castle before the Great Conjunction and heal the Dark Crystal.

If not the prophecy is ruined and Skeksis rule and live forever. With the help of Kira, Jen sets out on a dangerous quest to bring their fragile world to its proper order once again as Gelflings are the destined rulers of the land. Thus, ridding evil and fathom from all the land once and for all. SkekSil confronted them at the Wall of Destiny, attempting to "make peace," but Kira kept her wits and the pair of Gelfling fled to the Hill of the Landstriders. Kira summoned a pair of landstriders to help them on their quest. With the landstriders’ help, they swiftly rode to the Castle, fighting off the Garthim raiders, and sneaking into the Castle through the Teeth of Skreesh.

Chamber of Life

Kira was then captured by SkekSil and he presented her as a hostage to skekUng, the newly crowned Emperor. Because of this deed, SkekSil was then reinstated as Chamberlain. Kira was then taken to the Chamber of Life by skekTek and drained of her essence. Aughra, who was captured during the raid on her Observatory, was also imprisoned in the Chamber of Life (as skekTek sought to drain her essence as well). She urged Kira to fight the effects of the Dark Crystal and Kira did, calling out to the imprisoned animals in the Podling tongue and inciting them to escape their cages and free her.

In the chaos, skekTek was thrown into the shaft below the Dark Crystal and fell down into the Lake of Fire. UrTih, his urRu counterpart, sympathetically died in a flash. Kira, now free of her bonds, fled to the Crystal Chamber.

Her Sacrifice

The Skeksis, Mystics and Gelfling all converged in the Crystal Chamber as the three suns aligned overhead. The Skeksis spotted Kira and Jen and called on the Garthim to attack. As Jen tried to escape a Garthim attack, he jumped onto the Dark Crystal and dropped the shard. Kira picked up the shard to keep it from the Skeksis, and then sacrificed herself to give the shard to Jen so he could heal the Crystal. Kira was then mortally wounded by skekZok.

Because of her sacrifice, Jen was able to heal the Crystal and the urRu and Skeksis are reunited into the urSkeks. The grateful urSkeks restored Kira’s life and departed for their home through the pure Crystal. And with the healing of the Crystal so, too, was Thra healed. The wasteland receded and turned green and vital once again.

Personality

Kira is a kind, gentle and sweet young girl who grew into a passionate individual filled with life and compassion.

Skills and Abilities

Taught by the Podlings and seemingly educated in their ways, Kira learned how to talk with the flowers and speak the language of all the living things. Unlike male Gelflings, Kira bares a beautiful pair of wings on her back which allows her to fly.