With more He-Man franchise projects popping up all the time, here’s your complete guide to every Masters of the Universe movie and TV series…
TV Shows
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983-5)
Inspired by the best-selling Mattel toyline, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was turned into a smash-hit cartoon in 1985, running for two seasons of 65 episodes each. You probably know how the story goes, but let’s recap the basics anyway. When Prince Adam of Eternia holds the Sword of Power aloft and cries “By the Power of Grayskull!”, he is transformed into the super-powered hero He-Man. Together with allies Battle Cat, the Sorceress, Teela and Man-at Arms, he battles the evil Skeletor and his minions, who endlessly attempt to conquer Castle Grayskull, from which He-Man draws his powers.
She-Ra: Princess Of Power (1985-6)
So successful was He-Man that it soon spawned a female-fronted spinoff. She-Ra: Princess of Power follows Princess Adora, Adam’s long-lost sister who had been kidnapped by Hordak, Skeletor’s former master, as a baby and brought to Eternia’s twin planet of Etheria. There she was raised within the Horde before learning the truth and switching to the side of the Rebellion, transforming into She-Ra thanks to the Sword of Protection. She-Ra lasted for 93 episodes.
The New Adventures of He-Man (1990)
New Adventures is a weird entry in the franchise as it was officially intended to be a follow-up to the original cartoon but it followed a completely separate storyline and its character designs are wildly different from its predecessor. It follows He-Man as he relocates to the planet Primus to protect it from the wicked mutants of Denebria, who are led by his old foe Skeletor, with the help of the Galactic Guardians. The show lasted for 65 episodes.
He-Man And The Masters of the Universe (2002-4)
It took until over a decade for He-Man to return to our screens for a new animated series set in its own continuity. Unlike New Adventures, it took the storyline back to basics, beginning with Adam discovering his destiny as He-Man and following many of the familiar players being introduced over time – though She-Ra never made it in. Its second season was renamed He-Man vs. the Snake Men as Skeletor was replaced as the main villain by the Snake Men of Snake Mountain. It was cancelled after 39 episodes.
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