Death is usually the end. For most stories, anyway. But if you’ve spent any time looking at high-end collectibles over the last decade, you’ve probably stumbled across something much more complex, dark, and—honestly—way more interesting than your standard grim reaper. I'm talking about the Court of the Dead. It isn't a movie. It isn't a video game, though it definitely feels like it should be one. It’s an original dark fantasy universe created by Tom Gilliland and the team at Sideshow Collectibles, and it’s basically turned the concept of the afterlife upside down.
Most people see a cool statue of a skeleton in armor and think, "Oh, that looks metal." But there is a massive, sprawling lore under the surface. It’s a story about rebellion. It’s a story about what happens when the entities in charge of "the end" realize they’re just cogs in a machine they don't like.
What Actually Is the Court of the Dead?
Basically, the universe is caught in a celestial tug-of-war. You have Heaven and you have Hell. They’ve been fighting a "Great War" for longer than anyone can remember. But here is the kicker: they use mortal souls as fuel. To Heaven and Hell, humanity is just a battery. Death, or the Reaper (known here as Death, the Alltaker), isn’t the villain. He’s the guy caught in the middle.
Death was created by the "Elder Gods" to harvest these souls, but he got tired of seeing the beauty of mortal life just get tossed into the furnace of a never-ending war. So, he started skimming off the top. He began "salvaging" certain souls, keeping them in the Underworld, and building an army. That army is the Court of the Dead.
He’s a visionary. He’s trying to build a world where the Underworld isn't just a graveyard, but a place of culture, philosophy, and eventually, a force strong enough to tell Heaven and Hell to back off. It's a "Rise, Conquer, Rule" vibe, but with a lot more existential dread.
The Three Factions You Need to Know
The Underworld isn't a monolith. It’s split into three main philosophies, or factions. These aren't just groups; they represent different ways of thinking about existence and power.
Spirit is the first one. Think of this as the intellectual and magical wing of the Court. It’s led by Queen Gethsemoni. She’s... a lot. She was the first soul Death ever "created" or shaped, and she represents the raw, ethereal power of the soul. The Spirit faction is all about the "flesh" of the mind and the manipulation of energy.
Then you’ve got Bone. This is the structure. The law. The military. Baron Allegiaris is the big name here. While Gethsemoni is all about passion and magic, the Bone faction is about order. They’re the ones who keep the Underworld from collapsing into chaos. They believe that without a rigid skeleton—literally and figuratively—the rebellion against the Great War will fail before it starts.
Finally, there’s Flesh. This is the weird part. Led by Beelzebub, the Flesh faction is about adaptation and transformation. They see the physical form as something to be tinkered with. They’re the builders and the experimenters. If you see a creature in this universe that looks like it was stitched together from five different nightmares, it’s probably a Flesh faction creation.
🔗 Read more: Love Island UK Who Is Still Together: The Reality of Romance After the Villa
The tension between these three is what makes the Court of the Dead feel alive. They aren't always friends. They argue. They plot. It feels like a dark, gothic version of a political thriller.
Why This Isn't Just "Another Scary Story"
A lot of dark fantasy falls into the trap of being edgy for the sake of being edgy. Spikes, skulls, blood—we've seen it. What makes the Court of the Dead stand out to collectors and lore nerds is the "Illuvis."
Illuvis is the substance of the soul. In this world, it’s the most precious resource. The way Sideshow describes it, it sounds like a mix of memory, personality, and raw cosmic power. The characters aren't just zombies; they are beings trying to hold onto their "Illuvis" so they don't fade into nothingness or get eaten by the "Void."
The design philosophy is also insane. Tom Gilliland, who is the Chief Creative Officer at Sideshow, has this specific aesthetic he calls "Dark Fantasy." It’s not horror. It’s more... majestic? If you look at characters like Kier, the Valkyrie of the Dead, she isn't a rotting corpse. She’s a fallen angel-type figure who is beautiful, terrifying, and tragic all at once. She was cast out of Heaven because she wasn't "perfect" enough, and Death took her in.
That’s the recurring theme: the Underworld is a land of misfits.
The Characters That Drive the Plot
You can’t talk about this world without mentioning the heavy hitters.
- Death, the Alltaker: He is the protagonist. He wears a mask because his true face is too much for anyone to look at. He’s a philosopher-king who hates his job.
- Kier: She’s basically the "First Sword" of the Underworld. She’s a war-child who has to navigate the fact that she looks like the very angels the Court is preparing to fight.
- Gethsemoni: The Queen of the Dead. She’s elegant but incredibly dangerous. She represents the "Spirit" faction and often clashes with the more rigid members of the Court.
- The Red Death: This is a fan favorite. It’s a specialized version of Death that represents the more aggressive, "reaping" side of the persona.
The lore is mostly delivered through art books like Court of the Dead: Chronicle of the Underworld and various comics published by Insight Editions. If you actually sit down and read the Chronicle, it reads less like a toy manual and more like a religious text from a world that doesn't exist. It’s dense. It’s got maps. It’s got detailed breakdowns of how the "Ether" works.
The "Rise, Conquer, Rule" Philosophy
This is the tagline of the brand. It’s not just a cool phrase.
💡 You might also like: Gwendoline Butler Dead in a Row: Why This 1957 Mystery Still Packs a Punch
Rise refers to the awakening of the soul within the Underworld. It's about realizing you aren't just fuel for the Great War.
Conquer is about mastering yourself. In the Court, you have to conquer your own "mortal" hang-ups and the internal politics of the factions.
Rule is the end goal. It’s about the Underworld taking its place as a sovereign power that no longer answers to the whims of Heaven or Hell.
It’s surprisingly aspirational for a story about dead people. Honestly, it’s a metaphor for autonomy. We all feel like cogs in a machine sometimes, right? The Court of the Dead just puts that feeling into a 1/4 scale polystone statue with glowing eyes.
Why the Statues Cost a Fortune
If you’ve looked at the price tags, you know these aren't your average action figures. We’re talking $500, $700, sometimes over $1,000. Why?
Part of it is the sheer engineering. These pieces use "mixed media." That means you’ll have a resin body, but the clothes are real tailored fabric, the jewelry might be metal, and the base is often a masterpiece of its own. Sideshow treats these as fine art.
But the real value for a lot of people is the "originality." In a world where everything is Marvel, Star Wars, or DC, having a high-end line that is a totally original IP is rare. It’s a risk. Collectors like owning something that feels like a "secret." When someone walks into your office and sees Shard, the Mortal Oracle, they don't say, "Oh, is that from a movie?" They say, "What is that?"
And then you get to explain the whole "souls as fuel for a celestial war" thing, which is a great way to either start or immediately end a conversation.
📖 Related: Why ASAP Rocky F kin Problems Still Runs the Club Over a Decade Later
Common Misconceptions About the Lore
People often get a few things wrong when they first dive into the Court of the Dead.
First, they think the Court are the "bad guys." They aren't. They’re the rebels. Heaven and Hell are actually the antagonists in this universe, even though they represent "Light" and "Dark." In this world, the Light is blinding and destructive, and the Dark is consuming. The Underworld is the "Grey" area.
Second, people think it's just about skeletons. While the "Bone" faction is a huge part of it, the "Flesh" and "Spirit" factions introduce a lot of variety. You have sirens, demons, mutated monsters, and ethereal queens.
Third, some think there’s a movie they missed. There isn't. There have been rumors for years, and the cinematic trailers Sideshow releases are high-quality enough to look like movie teasers, but for now, the story lives in the art, the books, and the tabletop games like Court of the Dead: Mourners Call.
How to Get Into the Lore Without Spending $5,000
You don't need to buy a massive statue to enjoy the story. If you're actually interested in the world-building, here is how you do it:
- Get the Books: Court of the Dead: Chronicle of the Underworld is the bible for this IP. It’s beautifully illustrated and lays out the history of the Alltaker.
- Read the Comics: There are several graphic novels and comic series that focus on specific characters like Kier or the Valkyries.
- Check the Tabletop Game: Mourners Call is a strategy game that actually incorporates the faction politics. You have to balance your loyalty to your faction with the need to keep the Underworld unified.
- Follow the Art: Even just looking at the design sheets from artists like Amilcar Fong or the sculpts by Mark Newman tells a story. The visual storytelling is arguably stronger than the written text.
Actionable Insights for Collectors and Fans
If you're looking to start a collection or just want to understand the market for these pieces, keep a few things in mind.
- Check the Secondary Market: Many of the "classic" pieces like the original Queen of the Dead are long sold out. Sites like eBay or collector forums are your only bet, but watch out for "recasts"—fake versions made of cheap plastic.
- Focus on a Faction: If you’re going to collect, it’s often more "aesthetic" to stick to one faction (Bone, Flesh, or Spirit) so the pieces look cohesive on a shelf.
- Understand the "Exclusive" Versions: Sideshow often releases a "Collector" edition and an "Exclusive" edition. The Exclusive usually has an extra "swap-out" part (like a different head or weapon). These hold their value much better.
- Space is the Real Cost: These statues are huge. A 1/4 scale statue can be 24 inches tall or more. Before buying, measure your shelves. Seriously.
The Court of the Dead is a rare example of a company taking a massive financial risk to tell a story they actually care about. It’s dark, it’s weird, and it’s surprisingly deep. Whether you’re into it for the philosophy of the soul or you just think armored skeletons look cool, there’s no denying it’s one of the most unique fantasy worlds created in the last twenty years.
To dive deeper, start by identifying which philosophy resonates with you: the order of Bone, the passion of Spirit, or the innovation of Flesh. From there, the Underworld is yours to explore.