When Jim Henson set out to create The Dark Crystal back in 1982, he wasn't interested in replicating the success of his many famed puppets. In fact, Henson was determined to create a living, breathing and plausible world with its own diverse ecosystem, cosmological map, and unique animal species.

RELATED: 10 Best Episodes Of Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance, According To IMDb

He also had a keen interest on scaring children due to his belief that it was unhealthy for them to always feel safe and sheltered. As such, Henson and his team crafted a dark and frightening world that succeeded in its goal while creeping out the vast majority of audiences along the way. Here are the most creepy scenes from this cinematic puppet classic.

That Intro

The Crystal Castle in The Dark Crystal

The film kicks things off on a dark and ominous note from the moment the Universal logo crosses into view. Deep, lumbering brass notes and mystifying horns create a sense of immediate wonder, awe and foreboding as the first part of the Dark Crystal theme song rides a crest until the first shot of the Crystal Castle at night.

From there, the creepiness continues as dark clouds roll on the horizon and lightning strikes while the narrator delivers exposition about the world of Thra and the events which led to so much darkness. Henson wastes no time in establishing the bleak and chilling tone that would permeate the film.

The Replenishing

The Skeksis Reveal in The Dark Crystal

As the narrator continues the backstory, the scene shifts to the inside of the Crystal Castle where audiences catch the first glimpse of tall, gaunt beings dressed in tattered robes. As the camera pans behind them, their otherworldly forms can be seen in greater detail, but Henson stays back long enough for the narration to finish.

At that point, the mysterious Skeksis are revealed during their replenishment ritual as the camera profiles each of their faces. It's a clever way for parents to gauge how kids are handling what they're seeing on screen, but it's only a taste of the creepiness to come.

The Emperor's Death

The Emperor's Death in The Dark Crystal

This scene is widely considered to be the first true test for children. If they can make it through mentally unscathed, they can probably handle the rest of the film. It's here that the Skeksis have an opportunity to showcase who and what they are, how they behave, and just how malevolent they actually are.

Things get intense when the dying Emperor breathes his last breath and dies painfully before crumbling to dust before everyone's eyes. It's a potent and powerful scene that is loaded with more creep factor than most movies can generate within a 2 hour runtime.

The Garthim Reveal

The Garthim in The Dark Crystal

After the Chamberlain loses his Trial By Stone challenge to the General and is banished from the Castle, the rest of the Skeksis receive an alert from the Dark Crystal showing that a Gelfling lives and is now moving against them. This event runs parallel with a Harry Potter-like prophecy foretelling their downfall at the hands of a Gelfling.

RELATED: The 10 Best ‘80s Fantasy Films (according to IMDb)

Unwilling to allow the prophecy to come true, the Skeksis activate their dreaded henchmen the Garthim, an engineered crustacean-like species with large snapping claws and nearly impenetrable bodies. Their glowing purple eyes and menacing ticking sounds are creepy enough, to say nothing of their frightening mobility.

The Chamberlain Stalks Jen

The Chamberlain stalks Jen in The Dark Crystal

After visiting the home of Aughra (one of Jim Henson's most underrated creations), Jen correctly identifies a shard of the Dark Crystal that broke off a thousand years prior and set off the unfortunate chain of events that led to the rise of the Skeksis. It happens not a moment too soon as the Garthim locate Jen and attack him in Aughra's home, destroying it in the process.

Jen escapes by hurling himself out a window and tumbling down the mountainside before escaping into the underbrush. Unbeknownst to him, the banished Chamberlain stalks him in the darkness in one of the most creepy scenes of the entire film.

The Dreamfast

Dreamfast scene in The Dark Crystal

After being startled by Fizzgig and falling into a muddy swamp, Jen is confronted by another Gelfling named Kira. Both are surprised that another Gelfling is still alive after the Skeksis' genocidal purge, and their bond is instantaneous. When Kira tries to help Jen out of the mud by taking his hand, the two engage in a psychological sharing of memories known as Dreamfasting.

In this state, the audience glimpses the childhoods of both Gelflings as they recount their experiences. For Kira, the memories are both cathartic and extremely traumatic as she remembers Garthim attacks on her village and the death of her mother. While some scenes are heartwarming, the overall feel of the Dreamfast process is eerie, to say the least. Nevertheless, this scene would make Jen & Kira the most important duo in Gefling history.

The Chamberlain Confronts Jen & Kira

The Chamberlain confronts Jen and Kira in The Dark Crystal

After narrowly escaping a Garthim attack on a Podling village, Jen and Kira escape into the forest under cover of darkness and lay low until morning. At the same time, the Chamberlain has picked up their trail and followed them, waiting for the right moment to reveal himself.

That moment comes when Jen and Kira stumble upon the ruins of an ancient Gelfling village containing hieroglyphs detailing the prophecy about the Skeksis' doom and the healing of the Dark Crystal. Using his cunning and manipulative tongue, this powerful and fearsome Skeksis feigns peace with the Gelflings in an attempt to lure them to the Castle. Both Gelflings reject him and flee which sends the Chamberlain into a vicious rage that sends chills up the spine.

Draining Podlings

The Dark Crystal Podlings

One of the most unsettling and disturbing scenes of the entire film involves SkekTek the Scientist strapping a helpless Podling to a chair and inflicting the beams of the Dark Crystal onto him. This causes the Podling's mind to be wiped and turned into a slave while its eyes gloss over white, face caves in and hair turns white.

At the same time, the Podling's essence is drained into a vial which can be drunk by the Emperor to temporarily rejuvenate his old body and make him younger. It's a rare and creepy example of blatant slavery, violation and exploitation of another living being in a supposed family-friendly film.

The Garthim Vs. The Landstriders

Garthim vs. Landstriders in The Dark Crystal

By all accounts, the Landstriders are a peaceful and gentle race of creatures that most would want to get close to. These traits make the scene at the entrance to the Crystal Castle that much more creepy and disturbing. Jen and Kira secure two Landstriders in order to make their way to the Castle in time for the Great Conjunction so they can fulfill the prophecy.

RELATED: 10 Differences Between The Original Dark Crystal And Netflix's Age Of Resistance

They decide to alter course when they see Garthim carrying captured Podlings to the entrance of the castle and try to intervene. They succeed in freeing the Podlings, but not before both Landstriders are killed during an all-out brawl with the Garthim. Their deaths are highly unpalatable to watch.

Jen & The Garthim

Jen vs. Garthim in The Dark Crystal

After making their way into the bowels of the Crystal Castle, Jen and Kira are attacked by the Chamberlain which leaves the former unconscious under a pile of rubble. The Chamberlain drags Kira away as an offering to the Skeksis to return to their good graces.

Jen awakens to find himself alone in the dank underbelly of the Castle and begins making his way through it before falling down a pit. Little does he know that he fell right into a nest of Garthim whose eyes begin glimmering in the darkness as they awaken from their slumber to attack him. How Jen ever made it out of there is anyone's guess.

NEXT: 10 Hidden Adult Jokes in Children's Movies