.png)
The Beastmaster is a 1982 American sword and sorcery film directed by Don Coscarelli. The film stars Marc Singer as Dar, a young man with the ability to communicate telepathically with animals.
The story follows Dar, the prophesied son of King Zed, who is marked at birth with the sign of Ar. Rescued as an infant from sacrifice by a kind villager, Dar grows up developing the extraordinary ability to communicate telepathically with animals. He forms strong bonds with a golden eagle named Sherak, a pair of ferrets named Kodo and Podo, and a black "panther" (actually a melanistic jaguar) named Ruh.
Years later, Dar's peaceful village is brutally destroyed by the Juns, a horde of barbaric warriors allied with the evil high priest Maax. Maax seeks to maintain his power through child sacrifice to his dark god, Ar. Dar, left as the sole survivor of the massacre, embarks on a quest for revenge against the Juns and Maax. Along his journey, he encounters Kiri, a captured slave girl who is revealed to be King Zed's niece. He joins forces with Tal, Zed's younger son, and Seth, Tal's loyal bodyguard, in a mission to rescue Kiri.
As the story unfolds, Maax reveals Dar's true lineage to King Zed before tragically murdering him. In a climactic confrontation, Dar and the people of Aruk rise up to defeat the Jun horde. During the battle, Kodo bravely sacrifices himself, causing Maax to fall into the sacrificial flames, ultimately ending his reign of terror. With the Juns defeated and Aruk liberated, Dar is offered the throne but declines, believing that Tal would be a better ruler. Choosing a life of freedom, Dar departs into the wilderness with Kiri and his loyal animal companions – Ruh, Sherak, and Podo, who has recently given birth to two baby ferrets, signifying a hopeful future.