If you’re an ’80s baby, you’ll recognize the Skeletor character from your nightmares: a blue-faced, cloaked, creepy sorcerer that haunted your childhood heroes.
Now, this skull-faced villain has made a comeback, not just in nostalgia but as a wildly popular meme. His sinister chuckle, 2D moves, and knack for unusual facts have turned him into an internet sensation, with memes capturing his iconic presence and adding a humorous twist to this once-terrifying character.
Who Is Skeletor From The Skeletor Meme?
As part of a TV cartoon series in the ’80s, Skeletor was the nemesis of He-Man and She-Ra and the main antagonist in the “He-Man Masters Of The Universe,” a franchise created by toy manufacturer Mattel.
The skull-faced sorcerer first appeared in a minicomics series with the 1981–1983 line of “Masters Of The Universe” toys. When the minicomics series and toys gained popularity, Mattel created the cartoon version in 1983 with animation house Filmation Associates. The series ran from 1983 to 1985.
Skeletor appeared in 71 of the 130 episodes of the 1980s He-Man cartoon and 9 of the 93 episodes of the She-Ra spin-off. Across all the eps, he came with his sinister plots to know the secrets of Castle Greyskull, which he believed would allow him to rule Eternia.
After a Masters film adaptation in 1987 and the further growth of the “Masters Of The Universe” franchise, the ‘80s cartoon saw continuity in a 1990 cartoon reprisal. While the “New Adventures of He-Man” was similar to the original Filmation cartoon in story and plot, Skeletor was portrayed differently this time. He possessed a sarcastic sense of humor and often joked and laughed.
Image credits: m.imdb.com
Image credits: m.imdb.com
Later, in 2002, the following animation series of the Masters franchise showed Skeletor as a bully towards his minions. He used his mighty abilities and wicked wit to threaten his followers or to silence them.
Image credits: m.imdb.com
Consequently, DC Comics picked up the animation in 2012 and retained Skeletor as the main antagonist of the Master’s universe.
Image credits: dc.com
It was then followed by the 2021 CGI He-Man cartoon reboot, which showed a familiar Skeletor, albeit in a more dynamic animation render.
Image credits: m.imdb.com
Skeletor’s Appeal
Through the decades, Skeletor has remained a worthy adversary of the Master heroes. His revenge plots and savage strategies were punctuated with wicked humor and stinging honesty.
Unsurprisingly, the character eventually made the jump from cartoons into memes. For the older lot, Skeletor memes became nostalgic reminders of childhood, while the younger generation became intrigued with the ironical wisdom-dropping villain.
Skeletor fits in meme culture, where self-deprecation and patronizing insults are fodders for engagement. From the animated versions to meme incarnations, Skeletor had an enigmatic appeal, making him a favorite villain.
As Nick Steinberg writes in the 2018 feature for The Gamer, it was mainly because Skeletor remained hilarious and showed continuous flashes of humanity to endear himself to viewers (1).
Robb Pearlman, author of the book “What Would Skeletor Do?”, confirms the character’s appeal. In an interview with Inside Edition posted on YouTube on July 30, 2019, Pearlman says that Skeletor isn’t your ordinary villain because he can spew out nuggets of wisdom: “He has something to say if you want to actually listen to what it is. Everyone can learn something from Skeletor.”
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HekXCd-kzeM[/embed]
Skeletor’s First Online Cameos
This portrayal of Skeletor as a surprising source of wisdom became the foundation of his popularity on the web. The skull-faced sorcerer first hit the web doing precisely that — pointing out disturbing truths. We see his first appearance on the Sinister Skeletor page. The page’s initial post was uploaded on July 7, 2021.
Since its launch, Sinister Skeletor’s Facebook page has logged 17,000 likes and gained 25,000 followers. The page eventually expanded to Reddit, extending its reach even further. The Facebook and Reddit pages are self-proclaimed “pages of memes made from the power of darkness, evil, and laughter.”
Image credits: Sinister Skeletor
Sinister Skeletor created the format (of Skeletor Meme) where Skeletor cites a disturbing fact. In the second frame, he runs off, saying his favorite catchphrase since 1980: “Until we meet again!”
Image credits: Sinister Skeletor
The Spread Of The Skeletor Meme
Much like the cartoon’s variations through the decades, Skeletor memes transformed and evolved as they spread across various platforms.
Image credits: Goobasaurus_Rex
Image credits: Boomdaddy49
Image credits: 9Coffee_Mug9
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Image credits: thatoneguy9574
Most variations featured a modified version of Sinister Skeletor’s structure or Skeletor facts, often emphasizing a disturbing truth before humorously showcasing the villain’s clumsy departure from the scene.
On January 29, 2023, TikTok creator @Kayden used the meme to highlight some unsettling school facts via a video version of the Skeletor meme. Since its first appearance online, the post has gained 3 million views and 574,200 likes.
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@kayden._heheha/video/7193999088470281478?_r=1&_t=8o8uWSFfpCi[/embed]
@Kayden made the initial upload as part of a series of three Skeletor posts using different clips from the cartoon. The third post of this series, posted on January 30, 2023, zoomed past the first two and garnered the top spot with 3.8 million views and 792,700 likes.
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@kayden._heheha/video/7194128652366368006?_r=1&_t=8o8ud4dgtux[/embed]
TikToker @isaakwells utilized a similar format, with Skeletor talking in his sinister tone and evil-pitched voice while spilling some uncomfy truth. After dropping a fact bomb, Skeletor then makes a signature exit. One of the creator’s top posts in this format was uploaded on August 19, 2023. It has been viewed 3.8 million times and has received more than 500,000 likes.
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@isaakwells/video/7269026238226844970?_r=1&_t=8o93i3luT5D[/embed]
Skeletor Meme Lives On
After his reincarnation as a meme and the subsequent hype around it, Skeletor proved that while he may not have succeeded in ruling Eternia, it was enough to leave a mark on the social space.
The character’s prominence is living proof he isn't done yet. In fact, it’s reasonable to assume that Skeletor is like a zombie who keeps coming back, no matter what. According to Monster Wiki, Skeletor is “undead” because his head is merely a hollow skull, and his life is sustained through the power of magic (2). Makes sense.
References
- Nick Steinberg. “He-Man: 25 Strange Things About Skeletor Only True Fans Will Know.” The Gamer, November 29, 2018. | https://www.thegamer.com/he-man-skeleton-tidbits-fans-know/
- “Monster Wiki. “Skeletor.” Monster fandom, 2018. | https://monster.fandom.com/wiki/Skeletor#:~:text=However%2C+he+has+also+been,life+is+sustained+through+magic.