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| PERFORMER | John Eccleston puppeteer |
| Jonathan Hardy voice | |
| DEBUT | 1999 |
Dominar Rygel XVI is the deposed leader of the Hynerian Empire on Farscape, and one of the original prisoners who escaped with Moya at the beginning of the series.
In addition to lead puppeteer John Eccleston, Rygel was operated by Dave Collins, Sean Masterson, Graeme Haddon, and Tim Mieville.
Biography
Prior to the events of Farscape, Rygel served as dominar to 600 billion subjects. By his own account, he was quite popular, and he had 1,437 wives, including Mmyna. However, one day, while Rygel slept, his cousin Bishan stole the throne and imprisoned him.
For 130 years, Rygel remained in Peacekeeper custody. He was tortured on the ship Zelbinion by Captain Selto Durka. Eventually, he was transferred to the Leviathan Moya, on which he initiated an escape with other prisoners in the series premiere. He often utilizes his political skills and negotiates with other parties for food and supplies, although it usually ends in disaster.
During Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars, Rygel inadvertently becomes pregnant with John Crichton and Aeryn Sun's baby.
Although he tries to find his way back to Hyneria, it isn't until the Farscape comic book that he makes his grand return. Mmyna welcomes him under false pretenses, and he is promptly arrested by Bishan. With the help of his loyal generals, Rygel takes back the throne in the issue "Hynerian Rhapsody."
Rygel's second tenure as dominar is not without incident. During the War for the Uncharted Territories, the Kkore replace Rygel with a puppet ruler — his ex-wife Mmyna.
Personality
Despite his diminutive size, Rygel has a large presence (and stomach). He can be demanding, selfish, egotistical, and a cheat. Early on, he has a difficult time adapting to his new circumstances on board Moya, and the other crew members view him more of an annoyance than anything. He also has a tendency to sell out his shipmates whenever it benefits him.
However, as the series continues, he grows close to his shipmates, and they begin to respect his advice. Rygel ultimately becomes a brave and loyal member of the Moya crew.