Every 'He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe' Adaptation, Ranked
Let's face it, He-Man is quite an odd franchise. The original series is a universally beloved cartoon, but everybody knows the main point of the show was to sell toys. He-Man was always meant to be a toy line first and foremost, and this has led to some pretty quirky storytelling throughout the years. And for many people who grew up in the 1980s, the show was the perfect set-up for their playtime with He-Man action figures. But the Masters of the Universe franchise has also become much more than that over the years, with now decades of lore for fans to enjoy in movies and TV shows.
In this guide, you'll find a complete ranking of He-Man's best movies and TV shows. We'll also show you where you can watch them all on streaming services in the United States.
I suppose in some sense, you have to give Cannon Films credit for really trying to make a He-Man film. 1987’s Masters of the Universe is an odd duck, though, even for Canon. Starring Dolph Lundgren as He-Man and Frank Langella as Skeletor, the movie tried to avoid filming a costly Eternia set by having the film mostly take place in modern-day California, where the Masters of the Universe and the Evil Warriors are stranded in search of an artifact.
The film suffered a notoriously cursed production, with He-Man and Skeletor’s final duel literally being shot in a darkened gymnasium because they ran out of money. Fans have fond memories now, but this one missed the mark by a wide shot. Still, if you like campy sword and sorcery movies, it’s worth watching at least once, even if it’s just for Langella’s performance as Skeletor.
He-Man was always about selling more toys, but eventually, you’ve got to find a way to get the kids to buy something new. With toy sales down and the show having not produced new episodes for five years, a reimagined sequel series hit TVs in 1990, alongside a new toyline. The New Adventures of He-Man saw Prince Adam summoned to the future to defend the planet Paradis, but his nemesis Skeletor manages to sneak into the future as well.
The show is generally an improvement on the original, with more engaging stories and better animation, but it completely lacks the visual style that made the original Masters of the Universe stand out, resulting in a forgettable mess that ended after 65 episodes. Think of it a little like Thundercats (1985) or the original She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985), both imperfect nostalgia-filled series that only came into existence to sell toys.
After a little over a decade of dormancy, He-Man returned with the revival, titled—what else?— He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2002). Ignoring what came before for a relatively wholesale reboot, the 2002 series borrows a lot from its predecessor, serving as a robust update of the classic cartoon. Was it a success? It will largely depend on your preferences.
The series was praised at first for its animation and storytelling, but classic fans didn’t click with it, and the second season, which replaced Skeletor with new foes, the Snakemen, and updated He-Man’s armor, got a little too toyetic. It’s a fine update and didn’t look out of place at all in 2002, but it does lack some of the charm that made He-Man work.
2021’s Masters of the Universe: Revelation and its second season, Revolution, might have been the most interesting thing to happen to He-Man in years. The show is a grounded exploration of a world without He-Man, seeing the hero killed in the first episode. Instead, your hero for the first season is Teela, finally taking the spotlight for a show that gained a fair amount of critical praise.
He-Man makes his way back by the end of the first season for a more traditional second season, but this one is definitely a must-watch if you’re looking for a surprisingly emotional take on the He-Man mythos. With Kevin Smith in the creator’s seat and a stacked cast, including names like Mark Hammill and Keith David, Masters of the Universe: Revelation and Revolution is easily available on Netflix.
The most recent animated reimagining of He-Man, 2021’s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, skewed toward a decidedly younger audience than even the original series. Making use of extremely exaggerated character designs and more toyetic armored looks for the characters, this series focuses on a He-Man who has only just regained his memories and rediscovered his life as Adam, Prince of Eternia.
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe may not look like much, but it’s arguably the most critically successful version of the character, earning praise for its animation and writing that previous series only wished they had. It’s the perfect show for the whole family to enjoy before delving into some of the more mature incarnations of the character.
For all the reboots, reimaginings, and remakes, there’s just nothing like the original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Airing in 1983, the show managed to crank out a head-turning 130 episodes, a Christmas special, and a crossover with sister series She-Ra: Princess of Power. A lot of great creatives got their start on He-Man, and I am obligated to tell you that includes Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski and Batman: The Animated Series (1992) writer Paul Dini.
He-Man is a rare example of a show that is blatantly dated but still works. The charm of its low-production, oft-repeated animation frames, and in-your-face cheesiness is what makes it work, and is what’s missing from later adaptations. This is, without a doubt, the He-Man adaptation that everything is trying to top to this day.
