The Only Skeletor Explainer You Need Before The Masters Of The Universe Movie

He's big, he wears purple, and he's got a laugh that makes that of Mark Hamill's Joker seem boring. He's Skeletor, and, in the upcoming film "Masters of the Universe," he's going to become a thorn in the side of He Man (Nicholas Galitzine, Prince Henry in "Red, White and Royal Blue") once again. Want to know all about the famous villain before the movie hits theaters? Click our video above and get the skinny.

There have been many iterations of Skeletor over the years, and while fans might be most familiar with the version seen in the Filmation cartoon "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe," he initially reached consumers via a set of miniature comic books which were included with every He-Man figure. In them, Skeletor arrives at Castle Grayskull to claim half of the Power Sword, which will allow his people to conquer the land.

The Filmation show proceeded to change old skullhead's lore. His home planet is called Infinita and he's the apprentice of the warlord Hordak, who has conquered Etheria (a sister planet to He-Man's Eternia), where He-Man's twin sister, She-Ra, was spirited to as an infant. A bit of a bumbling lackey even at his most menacing in this continuity, Skeletor sets about taking Eternia for himself after he's left behind by a fleeing Hordak army.

There's a surprising hidden twist to Skeletor's story, one initially established in yet another companion comic book and then made official in Netflix's "Masters of the Universe: Revelation" and "Masters of the Universe: Revolution," a pair of animated sequel shows that carry on the story from "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe." Here, Skeletor is revealed to be Keldor, He-Man's uncle, who came into conflict with King Randor long ago.

The latest version of Skeletor will see the light of day on June 5, 2026 when "Masters of the Universe" reaches movie theaters. How different will he be from his cowardly counterpart? Judging by the trailer, it looks like this won't be your daddy's Skeletor. He actually looks menacing here, with his red eyes glowing beneath his hood and his ram-headed staff trailing purple smoke in his wake. His attacks look purposeful and strong in a way they never have previously.

According to the film's director Travis Knight, Skeletor voice actor Jared Leto was pretty much given free rein to shape the latest version of the character. "Jared approached us, because he loves Skeletor and has his own history with the character," Knight told Empire. "He wanted to swing for the fences. And ultimately we landed on something that I'm really happy with. Skeletor's kind of the embodiment of toxic masculinity."

Will Leto's version of Skeletor be scary enough to rattle the bones of moviegoers? Find out when "Masters of the Universe" opens nationwide this summer. In the meantime, make sure to check out Looper's video breakdown above so you're up to date on Skeletor's multifaceted backstory heading into the new film.