Summary
He-Man and The Masters of The Universebegan as a Mattel toy line to rival theStar Warsfranchise. It merged swords, sorcery, science fiction, andmuscular superheroes and villains, igniting the imaginations of children and adults worldwide. After the toys were launched in 1982, Filmation released theMasters of the Universecartoon series for children in 1983, which also served as a commercial for their extensive and brilliant toy line. Unless one was a child who grew up in the 1980s, during the peak of He-Man’s popularity, it’s difficult to explain the impact and excitement the cartoons and TV shows garnered at the time.
The toys were imaginatively designed and more than lived up to their “action figure” moniker with their moving parts and memorable gimmicks, such as filling King Cobra with water and pressing his head to spray his enemies. Castle Grayskull and Snake Mountain were incredible playsets with a built-in drawbridge, turret lifts, and a voice-changing snake head so kids could make their best Skeletor impressions.He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’s popularity waned over the years, leading to Mattel trying to reboot the series several times. This meant that He-Man had different takes on his transformation from Prince Adam to the “most powerful man in the Universe”. Here areHe-Man’sbest transformations in the franchise.
6The New Adventures Of He-Man (1990)
The Futuristic Follow-Up Lacked The Grandiosity Of The Original Series
The New Adventures of He-Manis a sequel to the original 1983 Filmation series,He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.He-Man left Eternia to help defend Primus from an invasion by evil mutants from a nearby planet called Denebria. A vengeful Skeletor follows He-Man and allies with the Denebrians, promising to help them conquer Primus with his magic in exchange for defeating He-Man.
The animation was stylistically a departure from the original cartoon and featured a more sci-fi-driven story that resembled the classic80s cartoon series,Ulysess 31. A new toy line was launched with new characters, but the series and marketing failed to recapture the magic of the original series. He-Man’s transformation in The New Adventures was noteworthy, yet it fell short of the original’s grandeur and energy. Additionally, his strappy attire and Steven Seagal-inspired ponytail were underwhelming.
5Masters Of The Universe (1987)
Dolph Lundgren Brings He-Man To Life In The Movie
The film adaptation ofMasters of the Universestarred risingaction star Dolph Lundgren(Rocky 4, Universal Soldier)and a young Courtney Cox (Friends.Scream). It was hoped that the film would revitalize the franchise and bring in more new fans, as its popularity was slowing down in the US, despite still finding success in Europe. Unfortunately, Cannon was known for making low-budget action films, andMasters of the Universedidn’t have the budget to meet fan’s expectations. The battle was shifted to Earth through an interdimensional rift.
Despite the disappointing box office numbers,Masters of the Universehas gained a cult following, with many fans still loving the film to this day. Lundgren looked perfect as He-Man and Frank Langella gave an amazing performance as Skeletor. Fans were treated to two classic “I have the power moments” and Lundgren’s deep voice was the perfect fit. However, despite, drawing power from the sword, there was no transformation from Prince Adam to He-Man. Skeletor was the only character who transformed by drawing power from Grayskul when he turned into God Skeletor. Hopefully, thenew live-actionMasters of the Universewill feature some real He-Man transformations.
4He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe (2021)
The Reimagined He-Man Updated In CG
He-Man and the Masters of the Universewas the second animated He-Man show developed for Netflix. WhileMasters of the Universe: Revelationand its sequelRevolutioncontinue the story from the original 1983 series, the CG version is reimagined for a younger audience. That said it still captures the heart and imagination of the original while giving other characters a chance to shine as superpowered “Masters” that draw power from Grayskull to fight alongside He-Man.
Prince Adam and He-Man arevoiced by Yuri Lowenthal, a voice actor who will be familiar to fans ofMarvel’s Spidermanon the PlayStation and many other anime, cartoon, and video game roles. Keldor/Skeletor is brilliantly voiced by Benjamin Diskin, an actor known for playing Mega Man, and Spider-Man in theUltimate Spider-Manseries. He-Man’s first transformation is great, yet his character design resembles Johnny Bravo, particularly with the disproportionately small legs. Moreover, Lowenthal is great at capturing the youthful tones of Prince Adam, but it doesn’t fit the booming voice expected of He-Man. Later transformations would somewhat be overshadowed by He-Man’s friends who also declare that “they have the power” and transform into super beings in episode 3.
3The Masters Of The Universe: Revelation
Incredible Animation Shows Off One He-Man’s Best-Looking Transformations
Masters of the Universe: RevelationandRevolution, which premiered on Netflix, serves as a canonical continuation of the original series, from 1983, bypassingThe New Adventures of He-Man.Even though there was a loud minority of fans who complained about Teela getting a lot of the spotlight inRevelation,there was so much there for the fans. Seeing the old characters and recreations of much-loved He-Man toys and playsets was a fantastic trip down memory lane for fans.
The part 2 series,Masters of the Universe: Revolutionwas even better received, bringing in multiple characters from theMasters of the Universelore and even featuring Gwildor and Blade, characters who only appeared in the 1987 movie. Special mention must go to Mark Hamill for voicing Skeletor in one of his best and most villainous performances since voicing The Joker inThe Batman Animated Seriesand theBatman Arkham Trilogy.Prince Adam’s transformation into He-Man is beautifully done, and there are several creative ways he summoned the Power of Grayskull and transformed through the series.
2He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe (2002)
A Stunning Reboot With An Accurate He-Man Transformation
Despite being canceled in less than two years, the 2002 reboot ofHe-Man and the Masters of the Universeis one of the beloved series among fans. Thanks to bringing back writers from the 80s series, it recaptured the feel of the original cartoons but utilized an almost anime-style aesthetic that holds up even against the latest shows on Netflix. It provided an origins background for characters like Skeletor, Teela, Man-At-Arms, and more. This version also featured better continuity with episodic content that developed the world of Eternia and the Masters of the Universe.
The transformation of He-Man in the 2002 series is perfect and almost a scene-for-scene recreation of the original 1980s Filmation cartoon. It features everything from Prince Adam/He-Man raising the sword above his head in front of Castle Grayskull and transforming Cringer into Battlecat. It’s close to the original a modern series can get, and infinitely better than the 1990sNew Adventures of He-Man.
1He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe (1983)
The Original And Most Iconic He-Man Transformation
Although the newer series boasts better animation, longtime fans of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe often prefer the original 1983 Filmation cartoon for its classic depiction of Prince Adam’s transformation into “the most powerful man in the universe”. The original series also paved the way for She-Ra: Princess of Power which was part of the same continuity as The Masters of the Universe.
Everything from the music to He-Man’s voice and Cringer’s transformation into Battlecat is perfect and the excitement that 1980s kids felt watching that is hard to explain. Even though nostalgia plays a big part in why it’s so loved, the classic transformation of Prince Adam to He-Man is unrivaled.
