- Title: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe – The Sword of Grayskull / The Power of Grayskull / The Heirs of Grayskull / The Champions of Grayskull
- wiki: link
- wiki: link
- wiki: link
- wiki: link
More of a reimagining of its source material than Netflix’s other He-Man show, which took an approach closer in design to the original He-Man toys and cartoon (at least before it started killing off characters), the first four episodes of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe introduce us to the key characters while offering some new origins and ideas on the power of Grayskull. While still a prince, Adam (Yuri Lowenthal) has been raised as an orphan with no past (adapting it a bit of She-Ra’s story for Adam?) by the Tiger Tribe whose world is turned upside down by the arrival of magic thief Teela (Kimberly Brooks) and her stolen Sword of Power which leads her to Adam.
By the end of the fourth episode, Adam won’t be the only hero enhanced by the unlocked power of Grayskull as Teela, Cringer (David Kaye), Krass (Judy Alice Lee), and Duncan (Antony Del Rio) will all be enhanced by the power with a feel more of the classic Marvel Family or even Power Rangers vibe. We’re also introduced to villains Evelyn (Grey Griffin), Kronis (Roger Craig Smith), and the king’s evil brother Keldor (Ben Diskin) who provides a backstory for the creation of Skeletor.
Personally, I’m always going to prefer classic animation for human characters than the CGI style chosen for the series which does take a little getting used to. I’m also not the biggest fan of the comically extra-wide Power Sword. That said, accepting it as it is, rather than comparing it to what came before, there is fun to be had with this version of He-Man and the other heroes of Eternos. that feels more like an attempt to rethink He-Man for a new generation than going for the more nostalgic appeal of Masters of the Universe: Revelation.
