Sab Than is the main antagonist from the 2012 Disney movie John Carter. He is the impulsive, aggresive, and arrogant Jeddak of Zodanga.
He's played by Dominic West, who also portrayed Simon Ambrose in Johnny English: Reborn.
Biography
Sab Than is the Jeddak of Zodanga, a title he earned by murdering his
father. He is impulsive, arrogant and aggressive, promoting war and
conquest as the Zodangan way of life. With his dangerous calculated
charm, Sab Than will do anything to destroy Helium and rule Barsoom
(Mars).
One day, as he and his army battle Helium's forces, the Therns,
led by their leader, Matai Shang, appear and stop the battle. Matai
Shang gives Sab Than the 9th Ray weapon, promising Sab Than that if he
does what the Therns command, Sab Than will rule Barsoom.
Later, Sab Than announces to Helium that he will stop the war
between Helium and Zodanga on one condition: he marries Princess Dejah
Thoris. But this masks his true plan: after he marries Dejah during the
alignment of the Martian moons, he will destroy Helium and fulfill his
goal: rule Barsoom. Matai Shang and the Therns help Sab Than ensure the
plan goes smoothly by using various means including destroying Dejah's
new invention. However, this causes Dejah to attempt to run away from
Helium on a flying ship.
Sab Than, Matai Shang, and the Zodanga soldiers, flying on their
Zodanga ship, chase the flying Helium ship and cripple it, but cannot
find Dejah among the captive Helium soldiers. When John Carter, a
soldier from Earth, appears and saves Dejah, Sab Than, curious about
Carter (since he is not from Helium or Zodanga), attempts to capture him
alive. Sab Than fights Carter and is about to make him bleed, until the
Tharks, which Carter had already met, save Carter by shooting at the
Zodanga ship, and Sab Than, Matai Shang and the soldiers are forced to
flee.
Later, back in Zodanga, Sab Than becomes reluctant to pursue the
wedding, since Zodanga is winning the war, but Matai Shang convinces him
that staging the wedding will fulfill his goal of ruling Barsoom. Sab
Than and Shang then come up with another idea that will make Dejah
forcibly marry Sab Than, so Sab Than leaves for Hellium without an
escort to tell Helium's king that he had accidentally nearly killed
Dejah, but claiming that he only cared about Dejah's safety. Matai Shang
activates Sab Than's plan by sending the Great Martian Clan of Warhoon
to attack Carter, Dejah and their Thark companion, Sola, at the River
Iss. During the battle, Sab Than flies in a Helium ship and rescues
Dejah from the Clan, claiming that he had organized the rescue mission.
Reluctantly, Dejah agrees to marry Sab Than to end the war.
Later that night, the wedding ceremony begins in Helium, with Sab
Than and Dejah about to be married, with the people of Helium and
Zodanga watching. However, before the wedding can conclude, John Carter
arrives and stops the wedding. Enraged at his sudden appearance, Sab
Than reveals his true intentions to Helium and sends his soldiers to
attack. As a large battle ensues between both cities, Sab Than takes
Dejah hostage and attempts to kill her, but Dejah cuts Sab Than's hand
with a knife, causing him to drop her and be saved by Carter. Sab Than
and Carter duel one-on-one once more, with Sab Than gaining the upper
hand. Just as Sab Than is about to kill Carter, the Tharks suddenly
arrive and join the battle, helping Helium's soldiers get the upper hand
in the battle. Carter is able to defeat Sab Than by cutting off his
arm, and tries to get him to tell him about the Therns, which Sab Than
says he will do so if Carter doesn't kill him. However, Matai Shang
suddenly uses the 9th Ray to cover Sab Than's head and crush his skull,
killing Sab Than instantly. Helium wins against Zodanga in the battle
and the war is over.
