Even though this movie terrified me as a child, UrSu passing away always saddens me as well. I look back on this film as an adult, and I laugh at what scared me as a kid and marvel at the mastering of the puppetry.

The death of UrSu (Mystic Master) gets me every time.

The part where the Podling is shackled to the chair and his life essence is drained upset me as a kid. The way his body withers and his eyes go dead. Then a moment later the Skesis drinks it! Pretty ghastly stuff.
Why do people so frequently get told to "read the book" on a
movie
database?

I was really upset when the landstriders die. When kira calls them THREE come to her. It looks like two parents and their single offspring. I don't know if the child offspring travels with them or not but it either dies or is orphaned. Also I remember thinking that Kira and Jen don't seem to care very much about it. I know they have MORE PRESSING ISSUES and so that gives them a pass, but in 1982 I was like wow they do not seem very sad about it.

I agree with all those scenes combined, with the dark themes it drew us more closer to the movie and let us know how real it is, especially when it's the death of an innocent creature.
But the most heart-breaking, the most believable, the most tear-jerking part of the movie to me was the Death of Kira.
"You have to heal thethe dark crystal" -Kira

I haven't seen this film since i was little,but i remember it being sad and very scary.

I would have mentioned all these scenes. I REALLY hated the landstrider death as a kid. Totally unnecessary touch of darkness.
Another freaky one for me was when the Skeksis turned on the one that got banished and started ripping away at his clothes. That banished one's voice was creepy.
Now that I think of it, his character was a total shout out (rip-off?) to Gollum.

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