”"Sometimes, destruction is what builds the greatest future."”
– Oathbreaker Strÿfe, Fallen Mortis Knight
Sideshow presents the Oathbreaker Strÿfe: Fallen Mortis Knight Premium Format™ figure. Strÿfe is a character from Sideshow's dark fantasy and horror original series Court of the Dead.
Mortis Knight Osseil was once determined to solve an impossible equation to save the Underworld, but the corrupting power of the ”dreadsgrip” offered a deceptively simple solution: sacrifice. In his weakness, he fell for this delusion and succumbed to his darker nature. He betrayed the order of knighthood and became Oathbreaker Strÿfe – a name chosen to mock Stryfehall (also known as Mortiss-Veth) where he was first trained as a knight. Now, every sadistic sacrifice he makes serves to build his twisted vision of the perfect Underworld.
”Dreadsgrip is an energy, just like etherea,” explains Tom Gilliland, creator of Court of the Dead. ”However, when a mourner’s etherea becomes tainted by thoughts of power, destruction, greed, or evil, dreadsgrip takes a firm hold. It has a purple hue that represents a corrupted force, unlike etherea’s more pure blue. This Oathbreaker figure exemplifies the parasitic nature of the mourner’s struggle, as Strÿfe is literally consumed by his own darkness.”
The Oathbreaker Strÿfe: Fallen Mortis Knight Premium Format Figure stands 23.5 inches tall, with striking sculpting and color throughout that sets a new standard for visual storytelling in the Underworld. Dreadsgrip seeps through this fully sculpted horror collector's item, and every inch has been crafted with exquisite detail - faces, flames, and other meaningful, ornate elements bring this terrifying character to life in the past.
The figure’s base bears the mark of all Mortis Knights – a four-winged angel – but the platform has shifted and cracked like tectonic plates, symbolizing the breaking of the sacred oath. Hints of dark blue etherea darken to the deep purple of dreadsgrip at Strÿfe’s right foot, winding beneath his rusting and decaying armor and creeping right into his very core. The corruption has eaten into his mind and body, leaving a hole in the center of the Oathbreaker Strÿfe: Fallen Mortis Knight Premium Format figure, where his ribs have been torn apart to reveal a skeletal face in his spinal cavity.
Gilliland worked closely with painter Casey Love to tell this tragic story through the piece’s colors. ”Dreadsgrip corrupts everything it touches. The patina brings to mind the classic ethereal blues and greens seen on many characters in Court of the Dead, but the orange rust stains reveal that even his armor is corroded and stained just like him.”
From his rusty armor, a violet smoke of rage rises like fire at his head, and behind his helmet Strÿfe smiles, eager to carry out Dreadsgrip's orders. He tightens his grip on Raker's Scrape - this weapon may have had a prouder title before Osseil's fall, but just as he broke the axe, it appeals through its new name to a more destructive attitude.
Build the best future through destruction and expand your Court of the Deadcollection featuring the Oathbreaker Strÿfe: Fallen Mortis Knight Premium Format figure!
