King Grayskull Masters of the Universe Chronicles Hi-Res Art & Package Reveal

By the Power of Grayskull! Huge thanks to @manuel_eduardo_caritas for posting these stunning hi-res images of the packaging art and design for the upcoming Masters of the Universe Chronicles King Grayskull figure from Mattel Creations. Boy are we thrilled with this one! The artwork here is absolutely stunning, and I love how the creative team leaned into the snakemen lore that pays homage to the legendary Ken Kelly and Manowar album art style. It fits King Grayskull so perfectly, this ancient warrior king who protected Eternia from the Snake Men and the Evil Horde long before He-Man ever raised the Sword of Power. The packaging design and art direction comes from @manuel_eduardo_caritas himself, with artwork by @simoneckert.art, toy design by @lavakaiju, packaging engineering by @lpukhrambam, and copywriting by @melissa.karlin. What an amazing team effort. King Grayskull has always been one of those deep cut characters that resonates so strongly with MOTU fans. His story is foundational to the entire mythology, and seeing him get the Chronicles treatment with this level of care and artistry is super exciting. The Chronicles line continues to raise the bar with every single release, and the presentation here is just gorgeous. Mark your calendars, because Masters of the Universe Chronicles King Grayskull launches April 8, 2026 at 9 AM PT exclusively on Mattel Creations. So let’s take a look at this amazing packaging art reveal!

The card art for King Grayskull features a striking illustration by Simon Eckert, with the ancient Eternian king front and center holding his Power Sword and battle axe aloft amid crackling energy. Surrounding him are several recognizable characters including Battle Lion, High Priest Pythonus and a Sssssqueeze to the left, and Lady Slither and King Hiss in the lower right, and Turbodactyl flying in from above, all rendered in a style that pays clear homage to classic Ken Kelly heavy metal album covers.

Enjoy the 360 degree view of the packaging below.

The black box packaging features the full illustration wrapped around its front face, with King Grayskull standing triumphantly atop a rocky crag as lightning forks behind him. Behind this incredible artwork, hidden inside is the King Grayskull figure and his accessories tucked beneath that gorgeous Simon Eckert artwork.

A close-up of the card art reveals Battle Lion’s red armored face plate in sharp detail, with bright yellow eyes and exposed fangs framed by a wild green mane. To the right, King Hiss grips a coiled serpent staff, his gold and teal armor catching the warm glow of the fiery orange sky behind him.

The packaging art by @manuel_eduardo_caritas gives King Grayskull a Viking warrior treatment, with flowing blonde hair, fur-trimmed boots, and a tattered red cape draped behind his round shield. His shield features intricate Celtic knotwork around its silver rim with a bold red and gold medallion at the center, matching the ornamental cross pattern on his chest harness.

The @manuel_eduardo_caritas artwork takes the Manowar tribute even further here, with King Grayskull standing atop a skull-laden rock formation as Snake Men coil and writhe below him. I like how the composition packs in so many characters, including Turbodactyl swooping in from the upper right and a multi-headed serpent twisting through the foreground.

The box opens to reveal a matte black interior with a debossed line art illustration of King Grayskull on the right panel, showing him standing on a stone steps holding his shield and sword in a sketch-style finish. The left inner panel holds a smaller printed card reproducing the full Simon Eckert battle scene artwork, giving collectors a bonus art piece tucked inside the packaging.

The full illustration shown here without the packaging frame reveals more of the warm fiery color palette, with deep oranges and reds washing over the entire scene. One thing I noticed right away is how the green serpent bodies in the foreground create a natural border around the base of the composition, their purple and olive scales weaving together to frame the action above.

The artwork zooms in on King Grayskull’s upper body, highlighting the gold hexagonal chest medallion with its red Maltese cross pattern and the ornate circular shoulder pauldrons with gold rivets and white fur trim. His heavy gold belt features embossed wheel and geometric motifs, while the fur loincloth and fur-topped boots lean hard into that Manowar album cover aesthetic.

The side panel of the box showcases the artwork from a different angle, with King Grayskull rendered in full Viking regalia holding his round shield with its red and gold medallion. A coiled green serpent wraps around the lower portion of the panel, its olive and purple scales continuing the visual motif that ties the entire wrap-around illustration together.

The opposite side panel of the box wraps the Caritas illustration around with a view emphasizing the Snake Men in the foreground, their olive and purple coils filling the lower half while the fiery orange sky dominates above. It’s cool to see how the full wrap-around design reads as a continuous scene across every face of the packaging, treating the box itself almost like a gatefold album sleeve.

The back of the box features more artwork of King Grayskull in his full Viking-inspired regalia, with Castle Grayskull’s iconic skull facade looming in the smoky distance behind him. Two inset photos on the right show the figure in different poses, one holding his shield and the other swinging his battle axe, giving a sense of the range of display options.

The back of the box includes a brief character bio describing King Grayskull as He-Man’s ancestor who once ruled Eternia and protected it from the Snake Men and the Evil Horde. The two inset figure photos are framed in gold-bordered windows that match the ornamental style of the illustration surrounding them, keeping the medieval aesthetic consistent across every element of the packaging design.

The artwork crops in on High Priest Pythonus as he raises a serpent-headed sword overhead, lightning crackling around the blade while his green scales and blue gauntlet catch the warm orange glow of the surrounding scene. His red and green Egyptian inspired hat and snarling fanged expression are rendered with real personality here.

The artwork by Manuel Eduardo Caritas depicts a crumbling Snake Lair surrounded by gnarled, twisting trees and thick jungle overgrowth, all bathed in an eerie green-yellow glow with twin crescent moons hanging in the hazy sky. The Preternia setting feels pulled straight from a Manowar deep cut, with the ancient stone pathway leading up through serpent-like roots toward the temple ruins above.

King Grayskull is the first figure in the new Chronicles line and will be available on Mattel Creations. In the lore, he is the ancestor of Prince Adam and a key defender of Eternia who resided in Castle Grayskull. The figure draws heavily from his debut in the 2002 Masters of the Universe animated series, which first introduced his backstory.

The figure’s look is inspired by the 2002 version, especially seen in the emblem on his harness and shield. Those elements are expanded with added detail across the armor, weapons, and accessories. The axe and shield feature ornate sculpting, while the harness, shoulder armor, and layered pieces add a more intricate, grounded appearance.

The line introduces a new scale that sits between larger figures like Masterverse and smaller Origins figures, allowing it to fit well with other 1:12 scale lines. Articulation has also been reworked, with updated joint construction at the elbows and knees to provide smoother movement and a wider range of motion.

A close-up reveals the sculpted detail on the skirt piece, which features a crossed swords emblem surrounded by ornate, vine-like engravings pressed into the dark red plastic. The gold trim along the top and bottom edges has a nice scrollwork pattern, with small raised studs running along the upper band.

Sporting his axe and shield together, King Grayskull MOTU Chronicles Video shows off the tattered, uneven hem of the red cape, which has a nice worn, battle-damaged look to the fabric edges. The shoulder armor’s white fur trim peeks out from beneath the gold and silver pauldrons, framing the hexagonal chest emblem nicely.

The packaging is inspired by artist Ken Kelly, bringing a heavy metal aesthetic to the Masters of the Universe brand. The artwork is set in Preternia and includes details like Turbodactyl and other subtle nods to the lore. The back features the 200X-style Castle Grayskull. The package is designed for collectors, allowing the figure to be removed and reinserted easily, and includes a backdrop insert for display and storytelling.

April 1, 2026 Update: Official Images

The box art for King Grayskull features a dramatic painted illustration with a fiery red and orange palette, depicting the King Grayskull atop Castle Grayskull wielding a sword and battle axe with his steed Battle Lion by his side, with Sssqueeze, High Priest Pythonus, Lady Slither, King Hiss, and Chimera surrounding him.

The back of the packaging showcases King Grayskull holding his sword aloft with Castle Grayskull looming behind him, alongside two inset photos showing the figure in different poses with his shield and axe accessories. I like how they worked the swirling cosmic sky and molten lava environment into the artwork, giving the whole panel a rich, painterly quality that complements the front illustration.

King Grayskull comes with a solid accessory spread, including a silver sword with Celtic-style filigree on the blade, a double-headed battle axe with a jeweled pommel, a round shield matching the red and gold cross crest on his armor, and a pair of closed fist hands. The brown boots have a wrapped leather texture with white fur cuffs peeking out at the top, and his silver wrist cuffs carry the same knotwork patterning found on the axe.

King Grayskull’s chest armor features a hexagonal crest with a red and gold cross motif at the center, flanked by metallic silver shoulder guards with gold medallion accents and white fur trim that has a nice textured sculpt. His gold belt is decorated with round embossed studs, and the fur loincloth below it has individually sculpted strands that give it a coarse, heavy look.

From the back, King Grayskull’s soft goods cape drapes nicely with a deep crimson fabric that has a tattered, battle-worn edge along the bottom, trimmed with a thin white lining. The sword stores neatly across his back via the harness, and the double-headed axe he’s carrying has intricate knotwork etching sculpted into each blade.

King Grayskull stands at roughly 6 inches tall, with a ghosted silhouette of Despara shown alongside for scale reference. I like the way his blonde hair is sculpted with a topknot and long flowing locks that rest over the cape’s shoulder attachments, framing that serious, determined head sculpt.

Armed with his sword and shield, King Grayskull’s soft goods cape catches real movement here, with the tattered crimson fabric flaring out behind him. The interior of the shield shows a molded grip and handle system that his fist wraps around cleanly.

Armed with the double-headed axe and shield, King Grayskull’s knotwork-etched blades have a matte gunmetal finish that contrasts well against the metallic sheen of the shield’s gold vine detailing. That head sculpt is really solid, with a stern, focused expression and sharply defined cheekbones under the flowing blonde hair.

King Grayskull Tease

Mattel is promising that the Chronicles collection will feature their most detailed and most posable figures in the line, which is a bold claim but one that feels earned given the early tease imagery we’ve seen so far.