King D'Vann Grayskull

King D'Vann Grayskull (aka D'Vann Grayskull or King Grayskull) was a character first introduced in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. He was planetary monarch of Eternia and ancestor of Prince Adam and Princess Adora.

2002 TV series


Castle Grayskull was once home to King Grayskull, an ancestor of Prince Adam. King Grayskull waged battle against threats to Eternia such as the Snake Men and The Horde, commanded by the tyrannical Hordak. During his lifetime, King Grayskull ruled with wisdom and compassion, alongside his wife, Veena. King Grayskull rode a powerful steed named Battle Lion.

During a climactic battle outside of Castle Grayskull, Hordak attempted to open a portal to Despondos to destroy his hated enemy. King Grayskull, summoning all of his strength, turned the portal on Hordak and his army, casting them into the void around Grayskull and trapping them in the dimension of Despondos. In doing this, he sacrificed his life to keep Eternia safe.

Upon his death, King Grayskull transferred his mystical energies into his Power Sword, which later formed the basis for He-Man's power, thus the transformation cry "By the power of Grayskull!". Veena became the first Sorceress, his advisers became the Council of Elders, and they dedicated themselves to the protection of the sword, and Grayskull's legacy.

Behind the Scenes

 * The design for King Grayskull was actually an early design for the 2002 He-Man figure, which ultimately went unused. The producers of the Mike Young Productions animated series liked the design so much that they decided to create an episode around the figure, leading to him becoming He-Man's ancestor.
 * Cam Clarke's voice was pitched down slightly to make King Grayskull sound more mature than He-Man.
 * *An action figure of King Grayskull was released as one of the first figures in the Masters of the Universe Classics line in 2008 as a San Diego Comic-Con exclusive and was also available in a limited bronze 'statue' variant. Two more variants followed: a redesigned version in 2010 and a glow-in-the-dark Spirit of King Grayskull in 2015.

Masters of the Universe Classics (2008)
The Masters of the Universe Classics King Grayskull figure included a short character biography in the Classics continuity, blending elements from the 2002 series as well as other sources:

"Long before Prince Adam™ held the Sword of Power™ to become He-Man®, his ancestor, King Grayskull™ defended Eternia™ from evil. Heroically mastering the secret power of his sword, Grayskull™ fought side-by-side with the cosmic warrior He-Ro against both the evil Hordak and King Hssss™. Although Grayskull™ eventually fell before Hordak’s magic, he was able to preserve his powers inside the sword; so that one day his descendants could reclaim the power and call upon Grayskull's name whenever evil threatens the peace of Eternia. To this day, Grayskull's spirit remains hidden away deep inside the castle which will forever bear his name."

Action Figure
At the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con, Mattel offered an exclusive King Grayskull figure, due to fan requests. However, as the figure served to launch Mattel's new Masters of the Universe Classics collector toyline. He's depicted more in the style of the other forthcoming Classics figures rather than that of the 2002 toyline. This resulted in more standardized body proportions than his enormous cartoon physique, although it is still slightly taller than the 2002 He-Man figure. Furthermore, his Power Sword accessory uses the design from the original 1980s version of MOTU (in which his character did not exist) rather than the larger, more mechanized 2002 design. He does, however, feature the correct "Asterisk/letter-H" chest emblem rather than the classic Maltese cross.

The figure was packaged in an elaborate box that can be unfolded to create a simplified cardboard playset of Castle Grayskull. The figure included behind the drawbridge which, when opened, triggers a strobe to simulate lightning and a sound recording of the famous catchphrase "I have the power".

King Grayskull's production run included a chase variant of the figure cast in a uniform bronze color to emulate the statue which Prince Adam first viewed. An additional ultra-rare "Spirit of Grayskull" variant in translucent blue was given as a gift to Mattel's team that worked on the new toyline. Only two copies were available to the general public: one was raffled at San Diego Comic-Con, the other will be auctioned to raise money for children affected by AIDS through the Dream Halloween charity event.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2002)
Season Two
 * 35. The Power of Grayskull