So, I do recall the original dark crystal movie from the 80s I didn’t know much about it until I watched the netflix show from 2019 and I noticed the main enemy called Skeksis, giant evil birds… very very similar to Sketiis in WoW, does anyone know if WoW sort of borrowed / paid homage to Jim Henson’s the dark crystal, OR does the concept of an evil bird come from an older lore they both share?
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While I the similaries to the Skeksis in Dark Crystal especially in physical appearace.
The Arakkoa are a homage to the Aarakocra in the Forgottten Realms. WoW steals heavily from the lore of Forgotten Realms, almost verbatim. Since DnD and Forgotten Realms was first conceptualized in 1967 it’s a strong possiblity that Henson was influenced by it when he was mapping out Dark Crystal a decade later. Without a doubt that Jim Henson’s Dark Crystal infuenced a lot of modern fantasy as his Dark Crystal mythos and lore transcended the movie into popular fantasy subculture.
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Definitely. It is a reference. Not arrakoa in general; I’m sure that’s as Mithonic says. But Skettis for sure.
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I don’t think Jim Henson borrowed the idea for the Skeksis from the Aarakocra; bird people are not a unique concept to AD&D, and beyond “is bird, is person” the two are wildly different.
But the Aarakoa are absolutely a homogeny of the two. They resemble the Skeksis physically (in BC, while by WoD we saw models resembling each), but the old devs clearly played a lot of AD&D and took inspiration from the Aarakocra as well.
So, more of a “why not be both” creative origin.
The Dark Crystal’s aesthetics helped influence Nagrand(Mystics), Zangarmarsh(Mystics), Terokkar Forest(Skeksis, Aughra & Mystic territories and Podling Forests) and Blade’s Edge Mountain(Skeksis Territories)'s designs.
Hellfire Peninsula, Netherstorm, Shadowmoon Valley, Azuremyst Isles and Bloodmyst Isle all seem a bit Star Wars, Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica(original version) though that may be due to my lack of references to draw from.
The only time the Zones in WoW followed the Orc Aesthetic from Warcraft 1 and Warcraft 2 was in WoD and that was just Frostfire Ridge.
The other Zones of WoD went all The Dark Crystal except Tanaan Jungle and Gorgrond the first of which turned into a military warzone while the latter became Caveman Land.
The Dark Crystal is the inspiration of Nagrand(both of which reference the Mystics), Zangarmarsh(references the Mystics), Terokkar Forest(references the Skeksis), Blade’s Edge Mountains(references the Mystics), Talador(references the Mystics), WoD Shadowmoon Valley(references the Mystics), Spires of Arak(references the Mystics) and Ardenweald(references the Skeksis according to the Artists although I also see Gelfling references in the Night Fae).
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