Colonel Muska

"Laputa will live! I will return it to life! Laputa's power is the dream of all mankind!"

- Colonel Muska

Colonel Muska (real name: Romuska Palo Ur Laputa) is a government agent and the main antagonist of the 1986 animated Studio Ghibli film, Castle in the Sky.

He was voiced by Mark Hamill in the English Disney version who has also done villains such as Fire Lord Ozai and The Joker.

History
Muska's subordinate, General Muoro, commands the army in a search for the lost floating city of Laputa, convinced that this remnant of an advanced civilization holds great power the government can harness. Muska is with the expedition, but has a hidden agenda:

Muska believes he is the legitimate heir to the throne of Laputa, being of Laputan royal blood along with the film's female protagonist, Sheeta, whom he is escorting in the opening scene. His real name is Romuska Palo Ur Laputa. Upon arriving at Laputa, Muska abandons the military and takes control of Laputa's weapons system, releasing an army of robots and sending the General and his men falling to their death. He then tells Sheeta that they will be alone together for a long time, hinting that he plans to use her to restart the Laputan royal family.

In the heart of Laputa, Muska confronts the main protagonists Pazu and Sheeta with a gun, and is apparently killed during the collapse of Laputa, after they destroyed the Castle with a spell and escaped with the Dola Gang.

Personality
Muska may seem helpful to his army and seems like a caring guardian to Sheeta, but in reality he's a vile, evil, power-hungry man who has no compassion for human life and is obsessed with obtaining the aetherium crystal to rule the world.

Quotes
"We'll get what we want, but it will take time."

- Colonel Muska

"They simply don't understand: It is useless to fight me."

- Colonel Muska

"My Eyes! I can't see! No... NO!"

- Muska's last words

Trivia

 * He bears a resemblance to Jean-François from the game Rhythm Thief and the Emperor's Treasure, Vidocq from the game Doctor Lautrec and the Forgotten Knights and Professor Desmond Sycamore from the game Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy: All four of them are male, power hungry and well-dressed anime characters with glasses, who use guns and are (as well as female protagonists of their stories) linked to ancient, advanced civilizations, whose legacies (in all four cases flying castles) they want to achieve.
 * Like Jean-François, he wears a jabot and uses antique robots to achieve his goal.
 * Like Vidocq, he is a megalomaniac who dies at the end of the story by the power he wanted to achieve.
 * Like Desmond Sycamore (Jean Descole), he travels in an airship and Descoles theme music resembles the one of Laputa.
 * Muska shares some similarities with Kent Mansley from The Iron Giant:
 * Both are government agents with the military at their disposal.
 * Both are scheming and ambitious.
 * They investigate unknown phenomena and keep their motives hidden until the midpoint of the film. They also hold the protagonist hostage.
 * Muska bears some similarities to Lyle Tiberius Rourke from Atlantis: The Lost Empire:
 * They accompany the protagonist on a mission to find an ancient civilization while keeping their true motives (and nature) hidden until the midpoint of the film. After revealing their hidden agendas, they lose their sanity and battle the protagonists in the climax, only to be killed rather gruesomely.
 * They have armies of soldiers at their disposal, and an officer who follows their every command, but betray them in the end.
 * Both are in the military and hold high ranks.
 * They are Complete Monsters.
 * He is easily the most evil Studio Ghibli villain.