Moon Knight explained: What is a scarab? (And what is its importance?)

Moon Knight has finally arrived and the first episode of Marvel’s newest Disney Plus original series definitely left fans with a lot to unpack.

In the first episode of the season, Marvel gradually begins to peel back the layers of Steven Grant, a mild-mannered man who discovers he has dissociative identity disorder and happens to share his body with mercenary Marc Spector.

During the episode, we watch as Steven struggles to grasp what is going on as he becomes plagued with blackouts and memories that seem to come from another life — one he at first believes to be nothing more than a dream. However, things come to a head when he encounters Arthur Harrow, a mysterious figure who seeks Steven out due to a scarab he happens to have in his possession

Moon Knight makes several mentions of the scarab within the first episode; however, it’s in episode 2 that we truly get a clearer sense of the major significance the object holds.

What is a scarab?

A scarab is a large dung beetle native to the eastern Mediterranean area and holds a special place in ancient Egyptian culture. In addition to sharing the name of the beetle whose shape inspired them, scarabs are Egyptian gems cut in the form of the beetle whose name they share — such as the one Steven has in his possession within episode 1.

They were often used to represent immortality, resurrection, transformation and protection and are also often featured in Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Why does Harrow want the scarab in Moon Knight?

As of the conclusion of Moon Knight season 1, episode 1, it is not made clear why exactly Harrow wants the scarab and what value it holds to him. However, it’s made clear that it holds significant value to Harrow as evident by the actions he takes to try to claim its possession.

While episode 1 of Moon Knight never fully reveals the importance of the scarab and why Harrow wants it so badly, we finally learn the true reason Harrow wants to get his hand on the scarab in episode 2. In the episode, it is explained that the scarab which Steven is in possession of is a magical item that will act as a compass of sorts and guide Harrow to Ammit’s tomb.

That reveal helped to quickly piece the puzzle together as to why Harrow was so dead set on getting his hands on the scarab. Now that it’s in his possession, it seems he has the one tool needed to find Ammit — putting him one step closer to achieving his goal.

Moon Knight is streaming now on Disney Plus with new episodes arriving every Wednesday!