Prince Koura is the main antagonist of the 1973 film The Golden Voyage of Sinbad.
He was portrayed by Tom Baker who also played Zeebad in The Magic Roundabout.
Biography[]
Koura is a powerful sorcerer in service of the Sultan of Marabia, whose great spells came at the price of making Koura physically older. He eventually grew jealous of the sultan and discretely burned down the royal palace to kill him and the Grand Vizier. However, The Grand Vizier survived (albeit horribly mutilated by the fire) leaving Koura with little more power than he had before.
But Koura was undeterred by his initial failure, and attempted to gain the map to the Fountain of Destiny, located on the mystical island of Lemuria (which had once been part of a great empire that sank into the sea) which promised any who threw three pieces of the map (a golden tablet) into it to gain "youth, a Shield of Darkness, and a Crown of untold riches". While Koura gains a third of the map, and the vizier another third, Koura sent out a homunculus in an attempt to locate the other piece of the map. He eventually found it as an amulet worn by the renowned hero Sinbad. While Koura took several actions to gain the amulet, invading Sinbad's dreams, sending a homunculus out to steal it, and even attempting to trade his life for it when Sinbad washes up on the shore: Sinbad keeps his third of the map and joins forces with the Grand Vizier.
Koura, along with his second in command Achmed, then hires his own crew in order to find the Fountain before Sinbad, using his magic several times to hinder Sinbad's journey.
The Siren Figurehead[]
The first time he possessed a siren figurehead at the front of Sinbad's ship in order to obtain the crew's sea charts to Lemuria. While Sinbad and his crew manage to throw the possessed figurehead overboard, it still manages to steal the charts for Koura, enabling him to locate Lemuria. However, due to using his magic again, Koura grows older.
Arrival at Lemuria[]
When both parties arrive at Lemuria, Koura creates another homunculus to spy on Sinbad and his crew, albeit at the cost of growing more old and weak. Koura and Achmed proceed to go ashore and follow Sinbad's party to the temple of the Oracle of All Knowledge. When they arrive at the temple and summon the Oracle himself, Koura's homunculus overhears the Oracle telling Sinbad the location of the third piece. He learns that the third piece of the amulet is located on the northern part of the island in the temple of "a goddess with six arms". Upon hearing this, Koura uses an explosive magic potion to seal Sinbad and his companions inside the Oracle's temple.
Mighty Kali[]
Koura and Achmed journey to the northern part of the island where they are captured by hostile natives and brought to an abandoned temple before their idol, a Hoysala Carving of Kali whom
Kali Dances For Koura (The Golden Voyage of Sinbad)
the natives worship as their god, to be sacrificed. Just as the natives are about to kill them, Koura throws one of his magic potions at the Kali statue and animates it to life. To impress the natives, Koura makes the now living statue dance for him. The natives, thinking Koura must be some kind of prophet to their god, set him and Achmed free. Koura then tells them all to leave him while he frantically searches the temple for the final piece of the tablet.
Sinbad and his men (who had managed to escaspe from the Oracle's cave) soon arrive at the temple and confront Koura. Sinbad then challenges Koura to a duel to the death, but Koura instead orders the Kali statue to kill them. After a long and fierce battle, Sinbad and co. defeat the Kali statue and find the third piece of the tablet inside its remains. Unfortunately, the natives, angry that their idol has been destroyed, capture Sinbad and his crew and prepare to sacrifice Margiana to the Fountain's Guardian of Evil, a giant, one-eyed centaur.
The Fountain of Destiny[]
With all three pieces of the golden tablet in his possession, Koura orders Achmed to go back to the ship to prepare the men for departure while he goes to the fountain alone. However, due to his old age weakning him, Koura just barely makes it to the Fountain of Destiny and throws the first piece into it, regaining his youth. However, Sinbad (who, along with Margiana and the rest of his crew, had escaped the Centaur) manages to catch up to him again and the two engage in a short duel. The two are interrupted when the Centaur arrives. Koura then orders the Centaur to kill Sinbad. Sinbad & the Centaur briefly fight each other until they are interrupted by the Fountain's Guardian of Good, an Opinicus Griffin. The two monsters proceed to fight in a duel to the death, representing the the eternal battle between good & evil. Koura, wanting the Guardian of Evil to win, uses his sword to slash the griffin's hind leg, giving the Centaur the upper hand and allowing it to kill the griffin.
The Shield of Darkness[]
Sinbad and his men fight and kill the Centaur, but it doesn't stop Koura from throwing the second piece into the fountain, granting him "The Shield of Darkness" which turns him invisible save for his sword. Koura and Sinbad then engage in a final confrontation with Koura taunting Sinbad on how he is invisible now and can kill him at anytime he pleases. However, Margiana notices that Koura is visible through the giant water column erupting from the Fountain and warns Sinbad, allowing him to find Koura and finally slay the wicked sorcerer.
Personality[]
Koura is a ruthless, cruel, cunning and utterly vain sorcerer who will do anything to gain more power for himself, going so far as to try and kill the Sultan of Marabia. This vanity is what lead him on the quest to find the Fountain of Destiny. Despite his villainy, Koura actually treats his party members, including his second in command Achmed, with respect, a rare trait for a villain of Koura's demeanor and before the final confrontation with Sinbad, he actually sends Achmed to safety rather than place his life at risk.
Powers and Abilities[]
Koura is said to have been trained in every dark art known to man. His black magic powers include creating Homunculi which act as an extension of his eyes and ears, possession and creating magic potions that act as explosives and animate objects to life. These great powers, however come at the cost of draining his youth.
After throwing the first piece of the golden tablet into the Fountain of Destiny, Koura regained his youth and stamina. When he threw the second piece into the fountain, he gained "The Shield of Darkness" which turned his whole body invisible save for his sword.