She-Ra: Princess of Power

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She-Ra: Princess of Power
Image:Sherapopjc5.png
Opening titles.
Genre Animation
fantasy
sword and sorcery
Created by Mattel
Developed by Filmation
Voices of Melendy Britt
Linda Gary
John Erwin
George DiCenzo
Lou Scheimer
Erika Scheimer
Composer(s) Shuki Levy
Haim Saban
Country of origin Flag of the United States United States
Language(s) English
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 93
Production
Executive
producer(s)		 Lou Scheimer
Location(s) United States
Running time 30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel first-run syndication
First shown in United States
Original run 9 September 1985 – 5 December 1987
Chronology
Preceded by He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
External links
Official website
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

She-Ra: Princess of Power is an American animated television series produced in 1985 by Filmation. It is a spinoff of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

Contents

[edit] Characters

[edit] The Great Rebellion

  • She-Ra, Princess of Power, the alter-ego of Princess Adora. The twin sister of He-Man and prime defender of Etheria. As a child she was abducted from her parents by the Horde and raised to follow their evil ways, but after being visited by her brother, realizes the Horde's deceit and now fights in the name of justice to free Etheria from the Horde.
  • Bow is a young archer who seeks to win She-Ra's heart, but often ends up making a fool of himself.
  • Frosta is the Ice Empress of Etheria with the power to freeze anything she desires.
  • Castaspella is an Enchantress from the kingdom of Mystacor who helps She-Ra. She was originally marketed as a villainess but Filmation chose to portray her as good.
  • Queen Angella is the ruler of Bright Moon, one of the few kingdoms on Etheria free from Horde rule. She has angel-like wings and many mystical powers.
  • Glimmer is the daughter of Queen Angella, who uses her own mystical powers to aid the Rebellion but is often naive and over-excitable, which tends to lead her into danger easily.
  • Kowl is a wise owl-like creature who helps She-Ra, and is one of the few characters who shares She-Ra's secret.
  • Double Trouble is a double agent who can change from a good to an evil face to spy on the villains by pretending to be their ally, then reporting back to She-Ra.
  • Peekablue is a woman with peacock feathers, the eyes of which enable her to see anything anywhere in the universe.
  • Flutterina is a butterfly-woman.
  • Mermista is a mermaid who can also transform her fish-tail to human legs to walk on land.
  • Perfuma is a ditzy blonde with power over flowers, used in the series mainly for comedy value.
  • Sweet Bee is a bee-woman from an intergalactic bee colony who come to Etheria seeking Bee's and a new home when her race of Bee's homeworld is destroyed by Wasps.
  • Netossa is a mistress of capture who entangles her opponents in strong nets.
  • Spinnerella is Netossa's closest friend and companion, with the ability to twist and turn at super-speed.
  • Loo-Kee is a strange chipmunk-like creature who hides within the woods and oversees She-Ra's adventures, emerging to give the moral at the end of every episode.
  • Madame Razz is an old witch who shares She-Ra's secret. She uses her magic to aid the Rebellion, but as she is sometimes absent-minded due to her advanced age, her spells usually go wrong. She flies around on her talking Broom. Madame Razz has the typical white hair and purple skin of a Twigget, suggesting she is of their race. However, she is considerably taller than the average Twigget.
  • Light Hope is the Guardian of The Crystal Castle, who also knows She-Ra's secret. He is a being made entirely of light.
  • The Twiggets are the diminutive humanoid race who populate the Whispering Woods. They are easily identified by their white hair and purple skin. The main Twiggets seen in the series are Sprockett, Spritina and Spragg.
  • Sea Hawk is a fearless pirate warrior who once helped the Horde but is convinced by She-Ra to aid the Rebellion instead. Handsome and noble, he later becomes Adora's main love interest.
  • General Sunder was once one of Hordak's prime army generals in the Horde, but is convinced by She-Ra to change his ways, and leaves the Horde to live a peaceful life as a quiet farmer. But when the Rebels need help, he is still ready to use his battle skills to aid them.
  • King Micah is Queen Angela's husband and Glimmer's father.
  • Granita is a rock being who can also turn into a rock for defense.
  • Sorrowful is a cowardly rebel dragon.
  • Spirit is the horse of Adora. When she transforms into She-Ra he also transforms into Swift Wind.

[edit] Villains

  • Hordak is the leader of the Evil Horde
  • Catra is a black-haired beauty with feline abilities, including the power to morph into a panther. Originally promoted as She-Ra's main adversary in the toy line, she instead becomes a regular member of the Evil Horde in the cartoon series.
  • Shadow Weaver is the mistress of dark magic, an evil sorceress who uses her powers of darkness to aid Hordak while secretly plotting to someday overthrow him.
  • Scorpia is a scorpion woman with sharp claws and a powerful sting in her tail.
  • Imp is a small creature who appears to be a cross between a bat and a pig. He is Hordak's loyal servant who spies on the Rebels by transforming his shape into harmless-looking objects.
  • Octavia is an octopus-woman who serves the Horde.
  • False Face can copy the appearance of anyone.
  • Horde Prime is the supreme ruler of the Evil Horde.
  • Mantenna is a Horde member who can fire energy beams of different varieties, such as stun beams, gravity distortion beams, and freeze rays, from his pop-out eyes. He has a strange staggered way of speaking.
  • Grizzlor, another member of the Evil Horde, is a hairy man-beast creature from the wild, covered in thick brown fur and sharp claws, who attacks his opponents with the power of brute strength. He is not strong in the brains department.
  • Leech is a Horde member who has suction-cups for hands which he uses to drain the life-force from his opponents.

[edit] Premise

The premise of the show is that Princess Adora, whose secret identity is She-Ra, and her friends must free Etheria from Hordak and his Evil Horde, after realizing her true destiny through the help of her twin brother Prince Adam, who is also known as He-Man.

This premise is similar to that of the He-Man cartoon, with the distinction that while He-Man serves King Randor on Eternia, She-Ra is a revolutionary engaged in a rebellion against Hordak, the tyrannical ruler of Etheria, and to a larger extent against the rarely seen Horde Prime, leader of an evil intergalactic empire. Another similarity and distinction is that while both series mix science fiction and sorcery, He-Man's stories tend to lean towards science fiction and technology, while She-Ra's are geared more towards sword and sorcery.

She-Ra, like He-Man, wields a magic sword: the Sword of Protection. Adora transforms into She-Ra by holding it above her head and saying, "For the honor of Grayskull... I am She-Ra!" The Sword of Protection differs from He-Man's Sword of Power in that it has a crystal set into the blade. The crystal is the source of Adora's transformation power, and if cracked, prevents her from changing to She-Ra, as revealed in the episode, "The Stone in the Sword". The crystal is able to emit a beam of light, akin to a laser, capable of cutting through stone and metal. The Sword of Protection is also unique in that it can change into other objects at She-Ra's command; changing into a shield, helmet, parachute, lasso, or flaming blade among other things.

Additionally, She-Ra and her alter ego, Princess Adora look exactly the same, much as He-Man and Prince Adam do. This is due to budget restraints on the animation, and the presumption that youngsters would not be able to follow the stories with a vast distinction in appearance. The only real change that occurs in the transformation is a change in clothes and a deeper, more authoritative voice as well as giving She-Ra longer hair than Adora. Unlike Adam, who pretends to be a lazy, irresponsible playboy to keep people from suspecting he is He-Man, Adora never acts as anything other than her true self: energetic, somewhat tomboyish, strong-willed but with a kind streak.

She-Ra also possesses superhuman strength and stamina, in addition to being very athletic and agile, and like He-Man, She-Ra often outsmarts her opponents rather than simply beating them up. Her personality combines the archetypical female traits of kindness, compassion, and a soft-spoken manner; however, she also displays bravery and perseverance in the face of danger. As well as the super-human strength and stamina shared by He-Man after his transformation, She-Ra has additional skills in her changed form. These include a healing touch and telepathic communication with animals.

She-Ra has allies among the rebels, they include Bow, an archer and bard with an assortment of specialized arrows; Princess Glimmer of Bright Moon, who can manipulate light and is the daughter of Queen Angella; Madame Razz, a somewhat absent-minded Twigget witch and her talking, flying Broom; Kowl, a wise and sharp-witted owl-like bird; Castaspella, the sorceress queen of Mystacor; Mermista, a mermaid princess who can transform her tail fin into legs to walk on land and control waters; and Frosta, ruler of the Kingdom of Snows, who can command snow and ice at will. While He-Man rides a tiger, Adora rides a horse, Spirit. When she transforms into She-Ra she uses the power of her sword to transform him into a winged unicorn, called Swift Wind, similar to how He-Man transforms his pet, Cringer, into Battle Cat. As with Adora, Spirit's personality is not changed during transformation, though initially, he could only speak as Swift Wind, while Cringer can speak in either form. The rebels operate from The Whispering Woods, a dense magical forest inhabited by the Twiggets. In the episodes encompassed by the feature film, the rebels also succeed in re-conquering Castle Bright Moon from the Evil Horde.

Like He-Man, there are also four people on Etheria who know Adora's true identity. Madame Razz, her sidekick Broom, Kowl and most importantly, Light Hope, who in turn appears occasionally as the gatekeeper of The Crystal Castle, a hidden castle on Etheria, which is introduced in an episode of the same name. Unlike Skeletor, who always tries to conquer Castle Grayskull, Hordak never attempts to conquer the Crystal Castle, although he may have heard of it from time to time from Shadow Weaver, who grew up on Etheria. Like the friends of He-Man who know of his secret, Adora's friends know Adam's secret as most of the characters from He-Man appear occasionally throughout the series' run.

Hordak is a co-conspirator with He-Man's Skeletor to kidnap Adora from Eternia when she was a baby; he was actually intending to abduct both infants, for they were foretold to wield a great power, but only managed to grab Adora before the alarm was raised. Hordak has a supporting cast of villains. These include Shadow Weaver, Hordak's right hand, a dark witch with a whole complement of spells and who was originally a sorceress from Mystacor named Light Spinner; Leech, who can suck the energy out of his unsuspecting victims; Mantenna, a hideous creature with pointy ears and pop-action eyes that emit various energy beams capable of incapacitating his foes, who was played, however, as a stammering, incompetent boob rather than as the capable, erudite threat of the mini-comics; Grizzlor, a hairy bear-like beast; Catra, an anti-She-Ra who can transform into a giant cat through means of a magical mask; Entrapta, the Evil Horde's villainous technician. She appears to be a close sidekick of Catra. Entrapta is a skilled inventor and can mentally control her hair at will. Scorpia is part-human, part-scorpion; instead of hands she possesses scorpion-like claws and has a scorpion's tail as well as legs.

After being kidnapped from Eternia as an infant, Adora was raised as Hordak's protégée and manipulated by Shadow Weaver's magic. Through an encounter with her brother, she breaks free of the manipulation, and is told of her true heritage and join The Great Rebellion.

Hordak is also supported by an entire army of Horde Troopers, recognizable by their heavy armor, dome-shaped helmets and blasters. The Troopers also have a host of different combat vehicles, giving them a technological advantage over the rebels in the war for Etheria. The Horde operates from the Fright Zone and controls much of Etheria. The notorious Beast Island serves as a prison camp.

One interesting feature of the animated series is the presence of a "hidden character", named Loo-Kee, who appears in all episodes. This small pixie-like creature, dressed in a rainbow-colored outfit, is drawn into the background art of one specific scene in an episode; the viewer is challenged to try to find him, much like the Where's Waldo? phenomenon of years later. Loo-Kee is used to deliver the end-of-show "morals" segment, a trademark of most Filmation shows of this era (in He-Man the role is sometimes given to Orko), and it is during this segment that it is revealed exactly where he had been hiding. Loo-Kee is not a character in the She-Ra series per se, and is only directly involved in the story in two episodes, entitled "Look-Kee Lends A Hand" And "Look-Kee's Sweety".

She-Ra makes her début in He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword, a full length animated movie that was created by compiling together the first five episodes of the-then forthcoming syndicated series: "Into Etheria", "Beast Island", "She-Ra Unchained", "Reunions" and "Battle For Bright Moon". The series premiered in 1985 and was cancelled in 1986, after 2 seasons and 93 episodes. Reruns aired on USA Network from September 1988 to September 1989.

She-Ra first appears alongside He-Man in the theatrical film The Secret of the Sword, which eventually became the first five episodes of the She-Ra series. She-Ra is He-Man's twin sister who was kidnapped at birth by Hordak and taken to Etheria, where she was made to believe she was a general against the Great Rebellion. He-Man eventually finds her and turns her to the good side. With her Sword of Protection, just like He-Man, Adora becomes She-Ra. After reuniting with her parents she decides to return to Etheria and join the Great Rebellion.

[edit] Plot

The show revolves around Adora's adventures with the Great Rebellion battling against the evil Horde, of which she was once part. It was virtually identical to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe in structure, even down to the show's opening introduction and the fact that Adora's secret identity is shared by three other characters. In the storyline, the Horde once ruled Eternia and Skeletore worked for Hordak as his second-in-command. The Horde was defeated by King Randor and the Masters and Hordak fled Eternia, taking Randor's infant daughter with him, leaving Skeletor behind as the main bad guy on Eternia. Many characters from He-Man guest starred frequently on She-Ra's show. The first season of the show ran five days a week, like He-Man, with the second season being reduced to a Saturday morning cartoon. She-Ra ended in 1987, and the character was never again mentioned in any other version of He-Man. There were plans to bring She-Ra into the 2002 reimagining of He-Man, but the show was cancelled before that could happen.

[edit] Opening Introduction

I am Adora, He-man's twin sister and defender of the Crystal Castle. This is Spirit, my beloved steed. Fabulous secrets were revealed to me the day I held aloft my sword and said "For the Honor of Grayskull....I am She-ra!" Only a few others share this secret. Among them are Light Hope, Madame Razz, and Kowl. Together, we and my friends of the Great Rebellion strive to free Etheria from the evil forces of Hordak.

[edit] Episodes

The first five episodes of She-Ra were edited from the film The Secret of the Sword.

Season One: 1985

1. Into Etheria Part 1 (9/9/1985)
2. Into Etheria Part 2 (9/10/1985)
3. She-Ra Unchained (9/11/1985)
4. Reunions (9/12/1985)
5. The Battle for Brightmoon (9/13/1985)
6. The Sea Hawk (9/16/1985)
7. The Red Knight (9/17/1985)
8. The Missing Ax (9/18/1985)
9. The Prisoners of Beast Island (9/19/1985)
10. The Peril of Whispering Woods (9/20/1985)
11. The Laughing Dragon (9/23/1985)
12. King Miro's Journey (9/24/1985)
13. Friendship (9/25/1985)
14. He Ain't Heavy (9/26/1985)
15. Return of the Sea Hawk (9/27/1985)
16. Duel at Devlan (12/6/1985)
17. A Loss of Words (9/30/1985)
18. Horde Prime Takes a Holiday (10/1/1985)
19. Enchanted Castle (10/2/1985)
20. Three Courageous Hearts (10/3/1985)
21. The Stone in the Sword (10/4/1985)
22. The Crystal Castle (10/7/1985)
23. The Crown of Knowledge (10/8/1985)
24. The Mines of Mondor (10/9/1985)
25. Small Problems (10/10/1985)
26. Book Burning (10/11/1985)
27. The Eldritch Mist (10/14/1985)
28. Bow's Farewell (10/15/1985)
29. The Price of Freedom (10/16/1985)
30. Play It Again, Bow (10/17/1985)
31. The Reluctant Wizard (10/18/1985)
32. Friends Are Where You Find Them (10/21/1985)
33. A Talent for Trouble (10/22/1985)
34. Troll's Dream (10/23/1985)
35. Gateway to Trouble (10/24/1985)
36. The Unicorn King (10/25/1985)
37. The Anxious Apprentice (10/28/1985)
38. Zoo Story (10/29/1985)
39. Into the Dark Dimenstion (10/30/1985)
40. Treasures of the First Ones (10/31/1985)
41. Glimmer's Story (11/1/1985)
42. Enemy with My Face (11/4/1985)
43. Welcome Back, Kowl (11/5/1985)
44. The Rock People (11/6/1985)
45. Huntara (11/7/1985)
46. Micah of Bright Moon (11/8/1985)
47. The Price of Power (11/11/1985)
48. Birds of a Feather (11/12/1985)
49. For Want of a Horse (11/13/1985)
50. Just Like Me (11/14/1985)
51. My Friend, My Enemy (11/15/1985)
52. The Wizard (11/18/1985)
53. Unexpected Ally (11/19/1985)
54. The Light of the Crystal (11/20/1985)
55. Loo-Kee Lends a Hand (11/21/1985)
56. Of Shadows and Skulls (11/22/1985)
57. Jungle Fever (11/25/1985)
58. Black Snow (11/26/1985)
59. Anchors Aloft Part 1 (11/27/1985)
60. Anchors Aloft Part 2 (11/28/1985)
61. Darksmoke and Fire (11/29/1985)
62. Magicats (12/2/1985)
63. Flowers for Hordak (12/3/1985)
64. Wild Child (12/4/1985)
65. The Greatest Magic (10/11/1986)

Season Two: 1986-7

66. One to Count On (9/13/1986)
67. Return of the General (9/20/1986)
68. Out of the Cocoon (9/27/1986)
69. A Lesson in Love (10/4/1986)
70. Something Old, Something New (12/5/1985)
71. Loo-Kee's Sweety (9/12/1987)
72. The Pearl (10/18/1986)
73. The Time Transformer (9/19/1987)
74. Above It All (10/25/1986)
75. Day of the Flowers (11/1/1986)
76. Brigis (9/19/1987)
77. The Care Giver (11/8/1986)
78. When Whispering Woods Last Bloomed (9/26/1987)
79. Romeo and Glimmer (11/15/1986)
80. The Perils of Peekablue (11/22/1986)
81. Just the Way You Are (10/3/1987)
82. The Locket (10/10/1987)
83. She-Ra Makes a Promise (10/17/1987)
84. Bow's Magical Gift (10/24/1987)
85. Sweet Bee's Home (11/29/1986)
86. Glimmer Come Home (10/31/1987)
87. The Inspector (11/7/1987)
88. Portrait of Doom (12/6/1986)
89. Hordak's Power Play (11/14/1987)
90. Shadoes of Orko (11/21/1987)
91. Assault on the Hive (12/13/1986)
92. The Bibbet Story (11/28/1987)
93. Swifty's Baby (12/5/1987)

[edit] Reaction

[edit] Production notes

[edit] Merchandise

[edit] Action figures

A line of action figures, vehicles, playsets, and clothing items for the figurines were created based on characters on the show, mostly focusing on She-Ra and her allies. The only villain from the show specifically released in the She-Ra line was Catra. However, figures of other villains from the show did appear in the Masters of the Universe line.

The toys were released in three series over a three year span from 1985 to 1987. The final series were canceled mid-production and are considered rare collector items.[citation needed]

In 2004, an updated figure sculpted by the Four Horsemen was released to accompany the 2002 Masters of the Universe toyline from Mattel. The She-Ra toy was sold via raffle at Wizard World Chicago and San Diego Comic Con[1].

[edit] DVD releases

BCI Eclipse LLC has released all 93 episodes of She-Ra: Princess of Power on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time in 3 volumes. Each volume contains an extensive array of special features including Documentaries, Character profiles, commentaries, DVD-ROM features, trivia, photo gallaries and much more.

DVD Name Ep # Region 1 Region 4
She-Ra: Princess of Power: Season 1, Volume 1 32 November 6, 2006 November 8, 2006
She-Ra: Princess of Power: Season 1, Volume 2 33 April 3, 2007 TBA
She-Ra: Princess of Power: Season 2 28 September 4, 2007 [2][3] TBA
He-Man and She-Ra: A Christmas Special 1 December 6, 2005 TBA

The following Best-of collection was also released prior to the release of the season sets:

  • The Best of She-Ra: Princess of Power 5 Episode Collector's Edition (including The Secret of the Sword) - released July 18, 2006.

[edit] References

  1. ^ MotU: She-Ra exclusive
  2. ^ 2nd Season Wraps Up The She-Ra Saga in September. TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved on 2007-06-21.
  3. ^ Press Release For She-Ra: Princess of Power - Season 2. TVShowsonDVD.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-05.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Masters of the Universe
Television series:
Films:
Characters:
Locations:
Miscellanea:
Video games: