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News He-Man anime series from Kevin Smith coming to Netflix

Who exactly are the Masters of the Universe? I was never quite clear on that. The show never really used the phrase in-story, as I recall. I just skimmed through the series bible online, and it only had a passage with the Sorceress saying that if He-Man and his allies eventually won the battle against evil, they could ascend to reign as true masters of the universe. So it's more an aspirational thing than an actual group name or something. It's a strange title, but I guess that comes from the toy line being created and named before the storyline.
And it was originally going to be "Lords of Power", before a focus group decided it sounded too religious. The bit you referrence from the series bible is the only official thing I remember, as well.

But when I wrote my own fanfic over a decade ago, I had Master of the Universe as the title of the elite combatants of the royal army (similar to Knights), so Moss Man, Man-e-Faces, Ram Man, Stratos, etc., with Teela as their Captain and Duncan as the head of the conventional forces. He-Man was not part of the hierarchy, and therefore not a Master, which justified the title "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe".
 
Who exactly are the Masters of the Universe? I was never quite clear on that. The show never really used the phrase in-story, as I recall.

There's an earlier version of the opening credits that refers to the villains as "Evil Masters of the Universe". There's also an episode where Skeletor refers to himself as "I, Skeletor, Master of the Universe"
 
There's an earlier version of the opening credits that refers to the villains as "Evil Masters of the Universe". There's also an episode where Skeletor refers to himself as "I, Skeletor, Master of the Universe"

Sounds familiar. I did have the impression that maybe it was meant as a title for the villains. It sounds more villainous, really. Villains desire mastery over all; heroes generally just want to protect, not rule.

But then it should've been He-Man vs. the Masters of the Universe.
 
There's an earlier version of the opening credits that refers to the villains as "Evil Masters of the Universe". There's also an episode where Skeletor refers to himself as "I, Skeletor, Master of the Universe"

Skeletor also said that line in the live action movie. As well as it being said in the opening narration, "For with those that control Greyskull come the Power. The power to be supreme. The power to be almighty. The power to be Masters of the Universe!"

Don't judge. Frank Langella was amazing in it, I don't care what you're all thinking.
 
Skeletor resembles the 2002 version more than anything else.

That actually WAS an entertaining show.
 
So a continuation .. Clear up old plots.. Any good resource to get cought up on the old series ? Last I seen it was 35 years ago! So have no idea what happened in the series.
There aren't really many "old plots". Skeleton comes up with a nefarious plot, Adam transforms in He-man and saves the day. Then in the last minute the characters explain a Very Important Lesson that we can learn from the episode. The end.
 
There aren't really many "old plots".

Yeah, it was a purely episodic show, no real story arcs. However, there was the dangling thread of the secret of Teela's true parentage and whether she'd ever learn it. That was touched on in maybe two episodes, I think. It's the one major "story arc" element I can think of that the sequel might be planning to resolve.
 
Yeah, it was a purely episodic show, no real story arcs. However, there was the dangling thread of the secret of Teela's true parentage and whether she'd ever learn it. That was touched on in maybe two episodes, I think. It's the one major "story arc" element I can think of that the sequel might be planning to resolve.
Yep, I was about to talk about it but didn't remember enough details (it's been literally decades since I've seen it!). Probably the original She-Ra series had more pending storylines.
 
No, it was just as episodic.
I mean that there was the continuing plot of Hordak occupying her planet and the Resistance that was trying to free it. Narratively, it was something that needed some kind of closure (our heroes win and Eteria is finally free). Of course, being the 1980s, the status quo would be maintained as long as the series was successful and Hordak would be remained firmly in place.
 
I mean that there was the continuing plot of Hordak occupying her planet and the Resistance that was trying to free it. Narratively, it was something that needed some kind of closure (our heroes win and Eteria is finally free).

I don't see that as a plot arc, just a series premise. A plot arc is something that develops over time, that rises and falls (hence "arc"). A series-quest premise like "defeat the Horde" or "get off the uncharted desert isle" or "find the one-armed man" is something that remains a fairly constant status quo as long as the series is on, and only changes when it ends, if at all. It's more a horizontal line than an arc.
 
Wow. That looked really good... Obvious modified designs and more detail, but not so much that it makes it unrecognizable to the original.
 
Wow. That looked really good... Obvious modified designs and more detail, but not so much that it makes it unrecognizable to the original.

I'm surprised by how faithful many of the designs are, yet Teela looks oddly different, a lot more tough and craggy-featured. Also, does Castle Greyskull look smaller?
 
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