Just as well known as He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is their arch-foe, Skeletor. This skeletal yet muscular fiend has vexed Eternia and Castle Grayskull since the franchise's inception, becoming one of its most iconic elements. However, despite how popular of an '80s villain he is, most don't know Skeletor's true origins.
Skeletor's bony facial features are the reason behind his name. Still, different continuities have had their own explanations for why he looks this way. Here's all of what's known about the various versions of He-Man's greatest opponent.
Classic Skeletor's Origin
The original mini-comics that came with the first wave of Masters of the Universe toys gave Skeletor an origin, largely ignored by every other franchise iteration. It stated that he was from another dimension filled with people just like him, suggesting that his bony dome is a natural part of his physiology.
The classic cartoon didn't delve too far into the villain's origins. However, the comics that came after the show heavily suggested that he was once King Randor's brother Keldor. The explanation for Keldor's disappearance was that he had attempted to master dark magic. In doing so, he supposedly trapped himself in another dimension. With it being all but confirmed that this version of Keldor became Skeletor, it can also be assumed that his awry dark magic experiment also disfigured him beyond recognition. This would ironically make Skeletor He-Man's uncle. Similarly, a DC Comics published continuity had Skeletor gaining his iconic form from a curse.
The Masters of the Universe Classics toyline created a new but retro continuity and finally embraced the Keldor/Skeletor/Randor connection. Here, Keldor was Randor's half-brother who worked alongside Hordak in an attempt to unite and rule Eternia. After one coupe attempt failed, he had Hordak fuse him with the Demo-Man, becoming Skeletor.
He-Man 2003 Skeletor
The 2002 He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon finally portrayed Skeletor's origin on-screen, giving a twist to the backstory that many classic fans had already come to suspect. Here, Skeletor was once a dark warrior named Keldor who attempted to free the powerful Hordak from his imprisoning dimension. Keldor and his allies attacked the Hall of Wisdom to pursue this goal, running afoul of the then-Captain Randor. The battle's end saw Keldor's face dashed with acid.
Keldor retreated and summoned Hordak in an attempt to save his own life. Hordak physically transformed him, removing the tissues and skin around his damaged face. Now named Skeletor, the former Keldor seemingly lost what grip he had on sanity. It's worth noting that this version of Keldor was not related to Randor like in previous incarnations. So far, this has been the only concrete explanation of Skeletor's appearance and the only on-screen portrayal of his origin story. However, the franchise's current limelight in popular culture could once again see future reboots explain how Skeletor got his boney look.