Far amongst the stars, on the planet Eternia, a battle is fought between good and evil. On one side of the conflict is the noble hero, He-Man, while on the other is the despicable villain, Skeletor.
Both are mighty, both are powerful, and both are never going to end their fight. You see, no matter how often He-Man kicks Skeletor’s boney butt, ol’ skull face comes back again, and again, and again – bringing his evil forces with him.
It’s as if Skeletor gets off on the drama. And his ongoing attacks force He-Man and his pals (Teela, Man-at-Arms, Orko, etc) to continually get involved in disputes, which in turn causes the conflict to go round and round in circles, and… well, you get the idea.
These battles have been going on for decades and have played out on toy shelves, in comics, in computer games, in movies, and perhaps most notably via cartoon shows. And it’s shows plural because there are multiple Masters of the Universe cartoons out there.
Enough shows to be ranked!
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Mastering the Universe
To date, there are seven cartoon shows connected to Masters of the Universe. This includes five shows centred around He-Man and two connected to his sister, She-Ra.
The first of these shows is 1983’s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – a stone-cold classic by any measure. The show was huge during the early 1980s, and for many it was a gateway into the Masters of the Universe mythology.
Sure, the Masters action figures predated the show by a year, and comics and mini-comics became popular with some fans, perhaps more than the cartoon, but the power of that initial show cannot be underestimated. It was huge, and still remains a beloved part of the franchise today, even if it is very much a show of its time.
And due to the initial popularity of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, the world was also given the spin-off show, She-Ra: Princess of Power. Aimed more at a female demographic, and hoping to help sell plenty of She-Ra toys, the series – set on the planet Etheria – was fairly similar to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, only with a new collection of characters and a new foe.
Both shows aired in the ‘80s, then there was a a brief rest from all the fighting, before He-Man returned to screens in 1990 via the Masters of the Universe follow-up show, The New Adventures of He-Man. The series relocated the action to the planet Primus, jettisoned almost all the main characters, but maintained the heated rivalry between He-Man and Skeletor.
Unfortunately it was mostly pants. Well-meaning pants, but pants nonetheless.
Another series followed in 2002, titled He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. This one rebooted the story, returning the adventure to Eternia, expanded some of the mythology and was fairly well-received by fans.
From here, Netflix took over and brought out three shows in fairly quick succession, beginning with She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Acting as a reboot of the She-Ra mythology, and disconnected from He-Man, the series proved popular with streamers.
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power was then followed by 2021’s Masters of the Universe, which was split into two distinct seasons: Revelation and Revolution. But most notably, the show was conceived as a continuation of the original 1983 series, effectively replacing The New Adventures of He-Man as the sequel show.
And while Masters of the Universe was playing on Netflix, the streaming service also released 2021’s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. This was another reboot/reworking of the original mythology, aimed at a younger audience.
And that, so far, is that. So… shall we rank the shows?
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Let’s Rank… Masters of the Universe shows
OK, it’s time to rank the seven Masters of the Universe cartoons, in reverse order:
- 7.) The New Adventures of He-Man (1990 – 1991) – Some neat ideas to progress the mythology and the MOTU brand, but the characters and stories just don’t work as intended.
- 6.) He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2021 – 2022) – Fun CGI reimagining for young audiences.
- 5.) She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985 – 1987) – Enjoyable ’80s spin-off with a fabulous lead.
- 4.) He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983 – 1985) – The OG. Great characters, excellent villain, and the most powerful man in the universe. An instant hit and an enduring icon.
- 3.) He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2002 – 2004) – A strong update of the MOTU mythology, repackaged for a slightly more mature audience.
- 2.) Masters of the Universe: Revelation / Revolution (2021 – 2024) – Excellent legacy sequel to the original show, which works for fans from the ’80s and kids of today.
- 1.) She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018 – 2020) – Superb and progressive She-Ra update, which offers heart, humour, and some beautiful character development.
And with that, the seven Masters of the Universe cartoons are ranked!
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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this edition of Let’s Rank… . For more posts, be sure to check out the recommended reads.
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