View source for She-Ra

{{short description|Lead character of a 1985 and 2018 animated series}}
{{Redirect|She-Ra and the Princess of Power|the toyline|Princess of Power|the 1985 series|She-Ra: Princess of Power|the 2018 series|She-Ra and the Princesses of Power}}
{{Infobox character
| name              = She-Ra
| image             = She-Ra comparison.png
| caption           = She-Ra in the [[She-Ra: Princess of Power|1985 series]] (left) and [[She-Ra and the Princesses of Power|2018 series]] (right).
| first             = ''The Story of She-Ra'' (1984)
| creator           = {{plainlist|
* [[Larry DiTillio]]
* [[J. Michael Straczynski]]
* Diane Keener<ref name="auto">{{cite tweet| user=straczynski | author-link=J. Michael Straczynski | number=1018787033416777729 | date=July 16, 2018 | title="The original He-Man bible was written in large measure by Larry DiTillio; Larry and I later co-wrote the bible for the She-Ra series. Filmation, being Filmation, never wanted any credits on those docs so I don't know if they survive with or without the credits."}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{cite tweet| user=straczynski | author-link=J. Michael Straczynski | number=1018958128463806464 | date=July 16, 2018 | title="Larry and I created the character and her world (after Filmation/Mattel named her She-Ra)..."}}</ref>}}
| voice             = {{Plainlist|
* [[Melendy Britt]] (1985–1987)
* [[Aimee Carrero]] (2018–2020)
* LaLa Nestor (2018–2020; Young)
* [[Grey DeLisle]] (2024; as Despara)}}
| nickname          = {{Plainlist|
* The Princess of Power
* The Most Powerful Woman in the Universe}}
| race              = Human/Eternian Hybrid (1985)<br />First One (2018)
| lbl1              = Real name
| data1             = Adora
| occupation        = {{Plainlist|
* Military Captain (formerly)
* Rebel Leader (currently)
* Princess of Eternia}}
| gender            = Female
| title             = Princess
| significant_other = <nowiki>Sea Hawk (husband, 1985 and the extended MOTU/POP canon Universe)</nowiki><br />Catra (girlfriend, 2018 reboot)
| family            = {{Plainlist|
* He-Ro (ancestor)
* [[King Grayskull]] (ancestor)
* King Miro (grandfather)
* [[King Randor]] (father)
* Queen Marlena (mother)
* [[He-Man|Prince Adam / He-Man]] (twin brother)
* [[Hordak]] (adopted father)
* Shadow Weaver (adopted mother)
* [[Skeletor|Prince Keldor / Skeletor]] (uncle, in certain canon depictions)}}
| lbl21             = Abilities
| data21            = * [[Superhuman strength]], stamina, durability, speed, agility, reflexes, longevity, and senses
* Zoolingualism
* [[Mysticism|Mystical]] [[healing]]
The Sword of Protection grants:
* Nigh indestructibility
* Energy blasts 
* [[Shapeshifting]] sword 
}}
'''Adora''', known by her alter ego '''She-Ra''', is a [[superheroine]] in the ''[[Masters of the Universe]]'' franchise. She is introduced as the protagonist of the 1985 [[Filmation]] series ''[[She-Ra: Princess of Power]]'', which reveals her to be the long lost twin sister of [[He-Man]]. She-Ra again appears in the 2018 [[Reboot (fiction)|reboot]] ''[[She-Ra and the Princesses of Power]]''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3kBUDgAAQBAJ&q=the+horde+she+ra&pg=PT62|title=How He-Man Mastered the Universe: Toy to Television to the Big Screen|first=Brian C.|last=Baer|date=7 March 2017|publisher=McFarland|access-date=15 November 2018|via=Google Books|isbn=9781476665900}}</ref> A series of toys under her name was produced by [[Mattel]]<ref>{{cite news|title= Licensing Plays a Growing, Risky Role in Toy Business |work= [[The Los Angeles Times]]|date=1985-02-17|url= https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-02-17-fi-3875-story.html|access-date=2010-11-17|first=Michael A.|last=Hiltzik}}</ref> in 1984. She has also appeared in a number of ''Masters of the Universe'' comic books, most notably in [[DC Comics]]' 2012–2018 ''MOTU'' comic series, a roughly 1,000 page single story arc, collected in the 2019 ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Omnibus'' hardcover release. In these comics and in the ''Masters of the Universe Classics'' toyline, she also has an evil persona called '''Despara'''. As Despara, she makes an appearance at the end of Rob David and [[Kevin Smith]]'s 2024 [[Netflix]] release ''Masters of the Universe: Revolution'', the third installment of the 2021 ''[[Masters of the Universe (TV series)|Masters of the Universe]]'' animated series. She's also featured in multiple story books, mainly [[Golden Books]] and Ladybird books, and in some ''MOTU'' games.

Her first published appearance was in the 1984 minicomic "The Story of She-Ra", which, like the subsequent He-Man and She-Ra animated feature film, introduced her as He-Man's twin sister, Princess Adora, kidnapped by [[Hordak]] in her infancy. That minicomic, which features He-Man, the [[Sorceress of Castle Grayskull]], and [[Castle Grayskull]] itself, also features one of the first published appearances of both Hordak and [[Catra]]. The minicomic was shipped with the 1985 released original She-Ra action-figure/doll.

In the 1985 series, She-Ra was intended to extend the appeal of the ''[[Masters of the Universe]]'' setting by being of interest to young girls in the same way that He-Man appealed to young boys.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.awn.com/articles/people/remembering-ishe-rai-and-ihe-mani-interview-lou-scheimer|title= Remembering She-Ra and He-Man: Interview with Lou Scheimer|access-date=2009-10-02 |work= [[Animation World Network]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newsarama.com/tv/He-Man-Art-Show-100111.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100114145357/http://www.newsarama.com/tv/He-Man-Art-Show-100111.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 14, 2010|title= By The Power of Grayskull: HE-MAN ART Show! |access-date=2010-02-02 |work= [[Newsarama]] }}</ref> Filmation writers [[Larry DiTillio]] and [[J. Michael Straczynski]] created the backstory for the property.<ref name="auto"/><ref name="auto1"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-9/id332808942?i=82233607|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113151611/https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-9/id332808942?i=82233607|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 13, 2012|title= MOTU Chronicles Podcast Episode 9 (Larry DiTillio interview) |access-date=2010-09-05 |work= [[iTunes]] }}</ref> She-Ra was introduced in the movie ''[[The Secret of the Sword]]'' as Force Captain Adora of the [[List of She-Ra: Princess of Power and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power characters#The Horde|Horde]] ruling [[Etheria (She-Ra)|Etheria]],<ref>She-ra shows that woman can be fighters to {{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/08/04/the-best-of-she-ra-princess-of-power|title=The Best of She-Ra: Princess of Power Review |access-date=2009-09-21 |work= [[IGN]]|date= 2006-08-03}}</ref> but turned out to be Princess Adora, the long-lost twin sister of He-Man, Prince Adam.<ref>{{cite news|title= Video: A He-Man for All Seasons
|magazine= Time|date=1985-01-07|url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,956236,00.html
|access-date=2020-06-09}}</ref> The 2018 series features a younger She-Ra and is set in a different universe, with only limited connections to ''Masters of the Universe'' (primarily through Hordak and the Horde, which originated in the ''MOTU'' toyline).

==In ''She-Ra: Princess of Power'' (1985)==
{{Main|She-Ra: Princess of Power}}

===Fictional character biography===
[[File:80’s Adora.jpg|thumb|left|She-Ra as Adora from [[She-Ra: Princess of Power|''She-Ra: Princess of Power'' 1985]]]][[King Randor]] and [[Queen Marlena]] from planet [[Eternia]] had [[twin]]s, a boy and a girl named Adam and Adora. [[Hordak]], leader of the [[Evil Horde]], kidnapped Adora and escaped to [[Etheria (She-Ra)|Etheria]], where Adora was raised as a mind-controlled Force Captain of The Horde. Adora's uniform&nbsp;– which she continued to wear throughout the series, even after defecting to the Rebels&nbsp;– consisted of a red leotard with long white sleeves, red boots with matching gauntlets, and a black belt.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/22542/best-of-she-ra-princess-of-power-the|title= The Best of She-Ra&nbsp;– Princess of Power|access-date=2009-11-05|work=[[DVD Talk]]}}</ref>

The [[Sorceress of Castle Grayskull|Sorceress]] sent Adam and [[Battle Cat|Cringer]] to the planet Etheria to find the Sword of Protection's rightful owner. The Sorceress, through the jewel in the Sword of Protection, reveals to Adora that she was kidnapped by The Horde when she was a baby and that she had a twin brother in (Adam/He-Man), which she instantly believed. Through her newfound love for her brother and seeing him in trouble, Adora breaks the spell that was making her serve the Horde and transformed into the heroine She-Ra. She then releases a captured He-Man and jumps from a window, crashing into the Horde stables, where she lands atop her personal mount Spirit, who is transformed into [[Swift Wind]], a talking [[winged unicorn]].<ref>{{cite news|title=A Psychedelic Stallion: ''MOTUC'' Swiftwind Review|work= [[MTV]]|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2623913/a-psychedelic-stallion-motuc-swiftwind-review|access-date= 2020-06-09|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141027183236/http://geek-news.mtv.com/2012/01/04/a-psychedelic-stallion-motuc-swiftwind-review/|archive-date=2014-10-27}}</ref> They fly ahead to warn The Rebellion. He-Man and She-Ra return to Eternia, but she decides she must return to Etheria so that she can help free the planet from the Horde oppression.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://azstarnet.com/entertainment/movies/article_824e5905-7b2a-51c4-98ec-31d523f22db0.html|last=Villarreal|first=Phil |title= Phil Villarreal's Review: Still a surefire hit with 6-year-olds|access-date=2009-10-20|work=[[Arizona Daily Star]]|date=August 4, 2006 }}</ref>

Adora, having been trained by the Horde her entire life, assumes leadership of the Great Rebellion. The epic battle to free Etheria from the grip of the Evil Horde rages on, spreading across the corners of the planet. Through this war, She-Ra calls upon her allies across the globe and the Universe, using their special talents to battle against Horde creations. It is implied in several episodes that she has romantic feelings towards the rebel pirate Captain Sea Hawk, who is attracted to her in her guise of Adora, as opposed to She-Ra. In the extended MOTU/POP Universe they get married and have children who aid them in battle on Etheria, Eternia and across the Galaxies. Whether or not She-Ra, He-Man and their friends were ever successful in defeating the Horde or the Forces of Evil was never revealed, as both series were cancelled before any definite resolutions could be reached. However, it was shown that, little-by-little, the citizens and kingdoms all over Etheria were rising up against the Horde and pushing back against their tyranny. Unlike Adam, who often feigned laziness and a carefree attitude to deflect any suspicion that he may be He-Man, Adora never acted against her nature and was always seen as brave and selfless, willing to help others in need at a moment's notice.

When Adora transforms to She-Ra, two castles are shown in the background. The first is Castle Grayskull; the second, Crystal Castle, is located atop Skydancer Mountain and is overseen by an entity called Light Hope, who advises She-Ra in times of crisis. In the [[Princess of Power]] toyline, the castle is also protected by two winged crystal horses, Moonbeam and Sun Dancer. The Crystal Castle's location is known only to Ahgo (King of the Trolls), She-Ra and her allies who know of her secret (Madame Razz, Kowl and Spirit/Swift Wind), and He-Man and his allies who know of his secret (Sorceress, Man at Arms, Orko and Cringer/Battle Cat). She-Ra has sworn to keep its location secret, thus earning the title of "Defender of the Crystal Castle." In the extended MOTU/POP universe, She-Ra travels alongside Sea Hawk in his new version of the Solar Sailor ship, which can now fly in both space and air, ride the sea on water, and submerge in its depths. She also journeys the Universe alongside He Man in his Starship Eternia as a member of the Galaxy Defenders.

===Powers and abilities===
{{Unreferenced section|date=July 2023}}
She-Ra is known for her incredible feats and charisma. She has been shown multiple times to be able to lift not only full-grown men and robots, but also mountain-like rocks and buildings. She is depicted as being extremely fast and [[acrobatics|acrobatic]]. Her speed allows her to easily deflect multiple incoming energy blasts with her sword. She-Ra demonstrated a series of other abilities which appear to be more nurturing in nature such as empathic understanding, mental communication with animals, and healing. Whether there is a limit to the length of time she can remain in her heroic form before she reverts to her original form of Adora is unknown. There have been occasions where she is forcibly transformed back into Adora, implying that her powers do have limits to them.

She-Ra's primary weapon is her Sword of Protection. It appears almost indestructible and able to deflect bolts of energy, both magical and technological, as well as project beams of energy from the stone in its center. The stone is also used to turn Spirit into Swift Wind, as the power beam needed to perform the transformation comes from it (as opposed to the Sword of Power, where the energy beam that is used to transform Cringer into [[Battle Cat]] is shot from the tip of the sword and requires He-Man to point it directly at Cringer in order for it to work).

In one episode, the stone in She-Ra's sword becomes damaged, causing her to be unable to transform into She-Ra. Another potential weakness is that the sword requires vocal command: in an episode in which Shadow Weaver captured Adora's voice, Adora was then unable to transform into She-Ra as she was unable to speak her words of transformation to the sword ("For the honor of Grayskull, I am She-Ra").

The sword also had transmutation abilities – upon command it would change shape into whatever She-Ra required at the time, for example a shield, parachute, helmet, rope with grappling hook, and a boomerang. She-Ra is largely non-violent and engages in combat only as a last resort.

===Reception===
She-Ra is mostly considered a positive role model for women,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/dec/29/shera-superhero-marvel-male-dominion-wonder-woman-he-man|title=She-Ra is the superhero needed to fight back against Marvel's male dominion – Phoebe-Jane Boyd|first=Phoebe-Jane|last=Boyd|date=29 December 2017|access-date=29 December 2017|via=www.theguardian.com|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title= Was She-Ra A Feminist Superhero?|publisher= [[Jezebel (website)|Jezebel]]|url= http://jezebel.com/5329730/was-she-ra-a-feminist-superhero|access-date= 2016-08-02|archive-date= 2016-08-19|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160819070049/http://jezebel.com/5329730/was-she-ra-a-feminist-superhero|url-status= dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title= She-Ra and the Fight Against the Token Girl|work= [[The Atlantic]]|url= https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/06/she-ra-the-female-centric-80s-kids-show/487145/|access-date=2016-08-02}}</ref><ref name="MitchellReid-Walsh2007">{{cite book|editor1=Claudia Mitchell|editor2=Jacqueline Reid-Walsh|title=Girl Culture: An Encyclopedia|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=arQy0v_PBx4C&q=she-ra&pg=PA531|chapter=She-Ra: Princess of Power |access-date=2015-03-04|date=30 December 2007|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-33909-7|page=531}}</ref> although some have criticized her for being a poor female counterpart to He-Man.<ref name="Inness2004">{{cite book|editor=Sherrie A. Inness|title=Action Chicks: New Images of Tough Women in Popular Culture|chapter="It's a Girl Thing": Tough Female Action Figures in the Toy Store|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fU3HAAAAQBAJ&q=she-ra+masters+of+the+universe&pg=PA82|access-date=2015-03-04|date=16 January 2004|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan US|isbn=978-1-4039-8124-0|page=82}}</ref><ref name="Johnson2013">{{cite book|author=Derek Johnson|title=Media Franchising: Creative License and Collaboration in the Culture Industries|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EhVUXa89o8YC&q=she-ra+masters+of+the+universe&pg=PT58|access-date=2015-03-04|date=22 March 2013|publisher=NYU Press|isbn=978-0-8147-4389-8|page=58}}</ref>

==In ''She-Ra and the Princesses of Power'' (2018–2020)==
{{Main|She-Ra and the Princesses of Power}}
On December 12, 2017, [[DreamWorks Animation]] and [[Netflix]] announced a reboot series based on She-Ra. The series was executively produced by author [[ND Stevenson]] (creator of ''[[Nimona]]'' and ''[[Lumberjanes]]''). The cast was revealed on May 18, 2018, alongside a poster and the official series title: ''She-Ra and the Princesses of Power''. It premiered on November 13, 2018, on Netflix. Unlike the original series, He-Man has no presence in the reboot storyline and is not portrayed to be related or connected in any way, last appearing in a [[He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2002 TV series)|2002 series]]. The reboot is a reimagining of the 1980s version and is not part of the Masters of the Universe storyline.

===Fictional character biography===
[[File:SheRaYoung.webp|thumb|Reboot She-Ra, as she appeared at a young age.]] Adora grew up in the rigid structure of the Horde, taught from infancy to see the Rebellion as oppressors. She embraced that life wholeheartedly—because she only knew that life—until she discovered its lies and chose to rebel. She was raised to believe that the princesses are evil and oppress Etheria. She was brought up in the rigorous military environment alongside Catra under their mentor/mother-figure Shadow Weaver, who took Adora in after Hordak found her as a baby years prior. When Adora is promoted to Force Captain, her world view greatly changed when she finds the Sword of Protection one day after sneaking out of the Horde base. She is soon captured by two rebels, Princess Glimmer and her best friend Bow, learning the truth that the Horde are the real oppressors. Upon the revelation and gaining the ability to become She-Ra, Adora joins the rebellion, winning over its hesitant members while struggling in mastering her powers. But Adora's defection causes a rift between her and Catra, whose initial feelings of abandonment become resentment towards her closest friend, with Adora eventually seeing Catra as an enemy when she nearly destroyed Etheria out of spite. Catra regains her friendship with Adora and helps in defeating the Horde.

Adora later learns that she is a descendant of the First Ones, a colonizer race that weaponized Etheria to harvest its magic in their Heart of Etheria project, revealed to have been brought to Etheria by Light Hope to fulfill her mission. This forces Adora to destroy the Sword of Protection to prevent Etheria's destruction, but leaves it open to invasion by Horde Prime. But while leaving Etheria to save Glimmer and Catra, Adora regains her ability to become She-Ra. Adora later learns that only she can restore the magic to Etheria with the risk of dying in the process, but is saved by Catra as the two finally express their romantic feelings for each other.<ref name="Davis">{{cite web|last=Davis|first=Victoria|url=https://www.awn.com/animationworld/she-ra-and-princesses-powers-big-beautiful-lesbian-love-finale|title= 'She-Ra and the Princesses of Power's Big, Beautiful Lesbian Love Finale |publisher=[[Animation World Network]]|date=April 2, 2021|accessdate=February 10, 2023}}</ref>

===Powers, abilities and appearance===
Compared to the original version of the character, Adora has a much younger appearance, only becoming considerably taller as She-Ra: {{height|ft=8|in=0}}.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Schwartz|first=Dana|url=https://ew.com/tv/2018/11/07/she-ra-princesses-of-power-horde-robots/|title=''She-Ra and the Princesses of Power'': She-Ra takes down Horde robots in an exclusive clip|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=November 7, 2018|accessdate=February 10, 2023}}</ref> In addition, She-Ra's costume different in this incarnation; she wears a full tunic that covers her upper torso with metallic epaulets while wearing bike-short type leggings under her skirt. She now wears armored boots with flat soles. In the season 1 finale, She-Ra wears a golden battle armor very similar to when her 2002 twin brother He-Man wears a snake armor in his Season 2.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://ew.com/tv/2018/05/18/she-ra-netflix-cast-photo-reveal/|title=She-Ra gets a makeover! A first look at the new Netflix series and meet the cast|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=18 May 2018|archive-date=8 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190908180958/https://ew.com/tv/2018/05/18/she-ra-netflix-cast-photo-reveal/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the second season, She-Ra uses a new power discovered in her sword, which can transform it into any kind of weapon or piece of equipment. But her control over the transformations is not perfect. After destroying the Sword of Protection in the season 4 finale, Adora couldn't transform until halfway through season 5, after which she gained a new unnamed appearance for She-Ra (dubbed She-Ra 2.0 by fans): she wore her long golden hair in a regular ponytail that reached down to her back, wore a different diadem/headpiece with smaller wings, white pants with golden bracelets for her thighs and longer golden arm bands while the sword became a mystic projection that turns into a slimmed-down battle blade.

===Reception===
While reviewing the first season of ''Princesses of Power'', Alex Abad-Santos of ''[[Vox (magazine)|Vox]]'' praised how the series fleshed out her character, calling the rebooted rendition of Adora "more human than the original".<ref name=AbadSantos18>{{cite web|last=Abad-Santos|first=Alex|url=https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/11/21/18105176/she-ra-princesses-of-power-reboot-review|title=Netflix's She-Ra is a terrific reboot — and a huge step for LGBTQ representation on TV|work=[[Vox (website)|Vox]]|date=November 21, 2018|accessdate=February 10, 2023}}</ref> Conversely, [[IGN]]'s David Griffin was more critical of Adora, writing that her "sudden lifestyle change feels rushed, like we needed a few more episodes of her mentally wrestling with the implications of it all." Griffin also criticized her "seemingly unparalleled strength," stating it "often makes her seem more like [[One Punch Man|One Punch Woman]] and robs the show of much of its suspense once Adora transforms."<ref>{{cite web|last=Griffin|first=David|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2018/11/13/she-ra-and-the-princesses-of-power-season-1-review|title=She-Ra and the Princesses of Power: Season 1 Review|work=[[IGN]]|date=November 13, 2018|accessdate=February 13, 2023}}</ref>

Adora's unambiguously [[lesbian]] relationship with Catra was positively received by critics, with many considering their dynamic "captivating" and "groundbreaking".<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Scherer|first=Jenna|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/she-ra-reboot-netflix-queer-creator-interview-1013623/|title=Inside the Groundbreaking Queer Reboot of 'She-Ra'|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=June 12, 2020|accessdate=February 10, 2023}}</ref><ref name="Davis"/><ref>{{cite web |last=Deerwater |first=Raina|url=https://www.advocate.com/commentary/2020/5/21/she-ra-and-killing-eve-lesbian-subtext-drops-sub |title=On ''She-Ra'' and ''Killing Eve'', Lesbian Subtext Drops the Sub |work=[[The Advocate (LGBT magazine)|The Advocate]] |date=May 21, 2020|access-date=February 13, 2023}}</ref>

==In other media==
==="The Story of She-Ra"===
While Adora/She-Ra's first on screen appearance was the 1985 animated theatrical movie ''He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword'', her actual very first appearance was in the 1984 created and published "The Story of She-Ra" Mattel minicomic, which was packaged with the original She-Ra toy. The main premise of the story, the first ever published story of She-Ra's origin, is roughly identical to the version shown in ''The Secret of the Sword'' movie, opening in almost the exact same manner, with the Sorceress of Grayskull having a nightmarish recollection of baby Princess Adora being abducted from the royal palace of Eternia by the evil warlock/warlord Hordak, and whisked away to Etheria. As in the movie & subsequent ''She-Ra'' television series, Adora's twin brother Adam/He-Man is sent to find her. Differences between the comic and the film include Catra being a more powerful and prominent villain in the comic (she becomes the primary antagonist, and is also portrayed as a powerful sorceress, able to transform people into werecats), and slight differences in the looks of Catra, She-Ra and the Crystal Palace.

===''He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword'' (1985 animated film)===
{{main|The Secret of the Sword}}
In 1985, [[Filmation]], the studio which produced the He-Man cartoon series, released a full-length 91 minute feature film titled '''''The Secret of the Sword''''' also known as '''''He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword'''''. The movie transitioned from a focus on He-Man, to an introduction of Adam's/He-Man's twin sister Adora, whom the film reveals to have been abducted, as an infant, by Hordak and Skeletor. Hordak raised Adora to be a warrior and captain for his Evil Horde, and hid her true heritage from her. The film reveals that He-Man's power sword also has a twin, the Sword of Protection, which, when wielded by Adora to summon the power of Grayskull, transforms her into She-Ra, the female counterpart to He-Man. The movie grossed over three times its two-million dollar production budget. It was later divided into several shorter segments, and aired on television as the first several episodes of the ''He-Man & MOTU'' spinoff series ''She-Ra: Princess of Power''.

===''He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special'' (1985 made for television Christmas movie)===
{{Main|He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special}}
At the height of the conjoined popularity of the "[[He-Man and the Masters of the Universe]]" and ''[[She-Ra: Princess of Power]]'' cartoons, Filmation produced this made for television Christmas movie, and aired it in syndication during the 1985 Christmas Holiday season. The original ''He-Man and the Masters of the Universe'' cartoon series had aired its final new episode the prior month, and continued to air in re-run episodes for some time after. Its sister show, ''She-Ra: Princess of Power'' was still in its first season. The Christmas special reunited twins He-Man and She-Ra in their biggest joint adventure since ''The Secret of the Sword''. It commences with Queen Marlena reflecting nostalgically about Christmases on Earth, and, after a series of misadventures set in motion by Orko, climaxes with a confrontation that pits He-Man, She-Ra and [[Skeletor]] (whose bone-hard heart has been briefly softened by a pair of Earthling children, a peculiar pup, and Christmas Spirit) against [[Hordak]] and Horde Prime.

===''Masters of the Universe'' film (1987)===
She-Ra was originally intended to appear in ''[[Masters of the Universe (1987 film)|Masters of the Universe]]'' and concept art by production designer William Stout was even commissioned, but director Gary Goddard felt it would be best to concentrate on He-Man for the first film. (It would be the only film.) <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.motumovie.com/2010/02/q-with-director-gary-goddard.html|title=Q & A With Director Gary Goddard!|publisher=MOTU Movie|last=Sawyer|first=James|date=February 24, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.motumovie.com/2010/06/q-with-production-designer-william.html|title=Q & A With Production Designer William Stout|publisher=MOTU Movie|last=Sawyer|first=James|date=June 29, 2010}}</ref> She-Ra was planned to appear in the sequel; the sequel film was cancelled and rewritten into ''[[Cyborg (film)|Cyborg]]'', with She-Ra's equivalent character, Nady Simmons, portrayed by [[Deborah Richter]].

===''Robot Chicken''===
She-Ra appears in a 2007 skit on the [[Adult Swim]] series ''[[Robot Chicken]]'', where she is bothered by several male characters needing help to save other characters not realizing that She-Ra was on her [[Menstruation|period]]. Adora, fed up with being bothered, angrily turns into She-Ra and makes quick work of all the villains so "she can get some fucking sleep".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvK2ECN6JD0 | title=Robot Chicken - She-Ra's Aunt Flo | website=[[YouTube]] | date=16 September 2022 }}</ref>

===''Masters of the Universe Classics'' (2008–2015)===
She-Ra appears in the Mattel ''Masters of the Universe'' toyline launched in 2008, which attempts to create a new canon by merging selected portions of existing media together with new story elements. The story is told via a combination of mini-comics packaged with the action figures and the biographies printed on the toy packaging.

In this version of events, Hordak arrived on Etheria after being trapped in the dimension of Despondos by King Grayskull. His apprentice Skeletor kidnaps Adora and sends her to Etheria. After being raised by the Horde and becoming She-Ra (as in the cartoon series), she eventually returns to Eternia with several of her friends and allies, to help He-Man defeat Hordak, who has overthrown King Randor and conquered the planet. She-Ra follows her brother into space on their ''New Adventures'' to the planet Primus, and together they battle the Horde Empire's ruler Horde Prime. At some point in the future, she would end up returning in the new, villainous persona of '''Despara''' upon becoming possessed by Horde Prime.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mattycollector.com/store/matty/en_US/DisplayProductDetailsPage/productID.188412400 |title=She-Ra™ Figure |publisher=Mattycollector.com |date=2011-07-15 |access-date=2012-09-26 |archive-date=2012-12-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121208175030/http://www.mattycollector.com/store/matty/en_US/DisplayProductDetailsPage/productID.188412400 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===DC Comics (2012–2020)===
In December 2012, She-Ra appeared in her own [[DC Comics]] series as a lead-in to her introduction into the ''[[He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2012 DC comic)|He-Man and the Masters of the Universe]]'' comic series.<ref>{{cite news|title= It's She-Ra 2.0: The dramatic beginning |publisher= CNN|url= https://edition.cnn.com/2012/12/12/showbiz/she-ra-2-0/|access-date=2012-12-14}}</ref> Adora's introduction is an updated retelling of her classic origin story.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbr.com/abnett-preps-she-ras-return-in-more-grown-up-masters-of-the-universe/|title=Abnett Preps She-Ra's Return in More Grown-Up "Masters of the Universe" – Comic Book Resources|publisher=CBR|access-date=9 June 2020|date=2014-05-06}}</ref> Although she was still kidnapped as a baby and raised by the Horde, Adora's personality and life are made much more violent and tragic when compared to her animated counterpart.

Rather than being a kind woman who has been under the mind control of [[Shadow Weaver (character)|Shadow Weaver]], Despara (Adora's Horde name) is a brutal force captain who is fully aware of the Horde's cruel and evil nature and, although she has some reservations, serves them willingly. Rather than having already taken over the planet of Etheria, instead, Despara leads the Horde in taking over Eternia and driving He-Man, King Randor and the Masters into hiding so as to rebel against the Horde. Due to a connection between herself and [[Teela]], Adora begins to break free of the Horde's will, and begins her journey into becoming She-Ra.

===''He-Man: The Most Powerful Game in the Universe'' (2012)===
She-Ra appeared in the 2012 handheld video game ''[[He-Man: The Most Powerful Game in the Universe]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title= New Update Introduces She-Ra To 'He-Man: The Most Powerful Game in the Universe'! |publisher= MTV|url= http://www.mtv.com/news/2465909/new-update-introduces-she-ra-to-he-man-the-most-powerful-game-in-the-universe/|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160810161121/http://www.mtv.com/news/2465909/new-update-introduces-she-ra-to-he-man-the-most-powerful-game-in-the-universe/|url-status= dead|archive-date= August 10, 2016|access-date=2020-06-09}}</ref>

===''Masters of the Universe: Revolution'' (2024)===
In ''[[Masters of the Universe (TV series)|Masters of the Universe]]''{{'}}s third part, ''Masters of the Universe: Revolution'', she appears first in a flashback in the third episode when she was kidnapped by Hordak as a baby, and in her Despara persona during the fifth episode's epilogue. She is voiced by [[Grey DeLisle]] in her Despara form.

In the comic book [[tie-in]] ''Masters of the Universe: Revolution'' #4, published by [[Dark Horse Comics]], Despara appears at the end of the story, a variant cover features the phrase "Who is Despara?".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Michael |date=2024-01-17 |title=Who is Despara Masters of the Universe Revolution Prequel Comic Announced |url=https://toyhabits.com/who-is-despara-masters-of-the-universe-revolution-prequel-comic-announced/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=Toy Habits |language=en-US}}</ref>

===''She-Ra'' live action television series ===
On September 13, 2021, [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]] announced that a live action ''She-Ra'' series is in development with [[DreamWorks Animation]] serving as an executive producer as the series will be a new, standalone story and will not be connected to the 2018 animated show.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.variety.com/2021/tv/news/she-ra-live-action-series-amazon-1235061288/|title=She-Ra Live-Action Series in Early Development at Amazon (EXCLUSIVE)|first=Joe |last=Otterson|work=Variety|date=September 13, 2021|access-date=September 13, 2021}}</ref> In October 4, 2024, it was announced that [[Heidi Schreck]] signed to write the series. Despite being produced by [[Amazon MGM Studios]], who are also producing the 2026 ''[[Masters of the Universe (2026 film)|Masters of the Universe]]'' film adaptation, it is unknown if the series will be connected to the movie.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/she-ra-live-action-amazon-series-writer-heidi-schreck-1236168291/|title='She-Ra' Live-Action Amazon Series Taps 'What the Constitution Means to Me' Creator Heidi Schreck to Write|first=Joe |last=Otterson|work=Variety|date=October 4, 2024|access-date=June 21, 2025}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Andrade, Jessica. (2003). "The Gender Politics of Female Action Heroes in Television and Films". Bachelor's thesis, University of Washington

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{IMDb title|id=0126171|title=She-Ra: Princess of Power}}
*[https://www.youtube.com/user/shera?blend=3&ob=4 She-Ra: Princess of Power] at ''[[YouTube]]''<!--This is a legal, official show link-->
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090817052637/http://www.hulu.com/she-ra-princess-of-power She-Ra: Princess of Power] at [[Hulu]]

{{Masters of the Universe}}

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