This Article Contains Spoilers -
WARNING: This article contains major spoilers. If you do not wish to know vital information on plot / character elements in a story, you may not wish to read beyond this warning: We hold no responsibility for any negative effects these facts may have on your enjoyment of said media should you continue. That is all. |
“ | Thousands of years ago, all of our people lived in peace and prosperity, until the attack of the Dweller-in-Darkness. He came with his army, devouring every soul in their path, and with each kill, they grew stronger. After decimating our largest cities, they were headed to your universe to do the same. The leaders of Ta Lo sent their strongest warriors here to stop them from reaching the portal to your world. But our ancestors were no match for them... | „ |
~ Ying Nan telling the story about the Dweller. |
“ | Release me! Release me! | „ |
~ Dweller-In-Darkness. |
The Dweller-In-Darkness is the overarching antagonist of the 2021 Marvel Cinematic Universe film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
He is a draconic alien that invaded Ta Lo with his army of Soul Eaters to ravage the land. After years of war with Ta Lo's people, the Dweller-In-Darkness was eventually defeated and sealed in a mountain.
He would spend centuries luring people into Ta-Lo and tricking them into attempting to release him by fooling them into believing that their deceased loved ones were trapped behind the gates that keep him sealed. It is the Great Protector's archenemy.
He was voiced by Fala Chen with Ying Li's voice.
Appearance
The Dweller is an alien taking the form of a reddish-beige dragon with multiple tentacles. When empowered by the souls absorbed, he glows purple.
History
Past
Millions of years ago, the Dweller invaded Ta Lo, along with its army of Soul Eaters, ravaging the village. After years of war, he was defeated and sealed into a mountain behind a magical dark gates.
The Dweller plotted to lure humans into Ta Lo by imitating the voices of their deceased loved ones, making them believe that breaking the dark gates would bring their loved ones back to life. According to Ying Nan many people have reached Ta Lo intending to open the gates but all those attempts ended in failure as the residents of Ta Lo always stopped them. Eventually the Dweller turned his attention to Xu Wenwu, a man who carried a set of ten magical rings which had enough power to destroy the dark gate. The Dweller began his usual manipulation tactic making Wenwu hear his dead wife Ying Li's voice in his had, asking it to open the gate.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Xu Wenwu, believing the Dweller's lies and desperate to restore his family, had his terrorist organization the Ten Rings begin to plan to invade Ta Lo thinking they are freeing Ying Li. The villagers of Ta Lo alongside Xu Wenwu’s children Shang-Chi and Xialing and Shang-Chi's friend Katy Chen began preparing the attack. When the Ten Rings arrived in Ta Lo Ying Nan and Wenwu's children tried to convince it that the voices in his head were a trap but Wenwu refused to listen. As Wenwu and Shang-Chi fought, Wenwu managed to damage the gate that sealed the Dweller which freed some of the Soulsuckers and they began stealing souls. The Ten Rings and the villagers chose to work together after a Soulsucker stole the soul, of a high member of the Ten Rings, Death Dealer.
While the villagers and the Ten Rings fought against the Soulsuckers with the help of the Great Protector and Shang-Chi continued to fight his father, the Dweller eventually broke through the dark gate. Then the Dweller turned his paying attention to Wenwu, who pushed Shang-Chi out of the way before having his soul absorbed but not before giving his son the ten rings before dying. Then the Dweller tried to attack Shang-Chi but he used the rings to repel it and Xialing and the Great Protector stopped it, he began flying towards the village before the Great Protector stopped it the two began to fight. While the Great Protector incipiently gained the upper over it by creating a powerful whirlpool, the Soulsuckers quick gave the Dweller the souls they collect to absorbed allowing it to overpower her and tried to absorbed her soul. As the Dweller had almost absorbed the Great Protector's soul, Katy shot a Dragon Scale arrow at his neck weaken it long enough for the Great Protector to create another whirlpool to subdue the Dweller before Shang-Chi shot the rings directly into the Dweller's mouth and then used the rings in conjunction with the Great Protector's power to create an explosion that killed the Dweller in an instant which also killed all the Soulsuckers in the area.
Gallery
Trivia
- In the comics, the Dweller-In-Darkness was originally a tentacled being who was primarily an enemy of Doctor Strange.
![]() | ||
Comics Movie |