The Masters of the Universe franchise is going from strength to strength, continuing to expand in films, TV show, and so much more. So many 1980s TV shows began as action figures, with toy companies like Mattel often viewing TV and film as a way to advertise toys. That was the secret behind Transformers, G.I. JOE, and – of course – Masters of the Universe. Filmation’s classic 1983-1985 series is deeply loved, and its influence continues today with Travis Knight’s Masters of the Universe movie.
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It’s actually very difficult to rank the various Masters of the Universe movies and TV shows. Quality isn’t the only factor to consider in any ranking; nostalgia is such a big part of this franchise, after all, and has to be recognized as well. Given that’s the case, here’s our ranking of every Masters of the Universe film and TV, including both the 2026 film and the latest animated reboot on YouTube. It also includes the various She-Ra shows, spinoffs that nevertheless play an important role in He-Man’s mythology.
10. He-Man and She-Ra: A Christmas Special (1985)
She-Ra made her debut in 1985, and Mattel pushed the character – and her world – forward in a Christmas Special. Unfortunately, it’s about as memorable as the Star Wars Holiday Special; a surreal story in which Orko steals a spy-craft and winds up stranded on Earth, only to be transported back with two kids who teach everybody about Santa Clause. That includes Skeletor, who has a strange feeling and starts doing good, right down to carrying a puppy around to keep it warm. You can watch the whole thing on YouTube, but it’s easily the most forgettable He-Man story ever told.
9. Masters of the Universe (1987)
The first live-action adaptation of He-Man released in 1987, with Dolph Lundgren as star. Originally envisioned as an epic set on Eternia, Cannon’s financial troubles meant the film wound up shrinking in scale, and neither director Gary Goddard nor writer David Odell were massively familiar with the franchise. Incredibly, Goddard turned to He-Man for inspiration, but to comics. Legendary creator Jack Kirby once described Masters of the Universe as the best New Gods film ever made, and he’s not far wrong; Goddard even wanted to hire Kirby as a concept artist, but Cannon couldn’t afford him.
The 1987 Masters of the Universe film has established a reputation as a cult classic, largely because of nostalgia. Lundgren’s performance somehow makes it work, but conceptually it’s barely a He-Man story. That’s why this particular film has to come so low down on the ranking.
8. The New Adventures of He-Man (1990)
Most viewers can be forgiven for never having heard of The New Adventures of He-Man. Another surprisingly bold reinvention of the franchise (complete with an opportunity to sell brand new toys), it sent Prince Adam into the far future as a member of the Galactic Guardians. Even He-Man’s slogan changed; “By the power of Eternia,” Adam called out as he initiated the transformation. This lack of continuity meant the show failed to earn an audience (even the toys were a fail, not corresponding with the classic design). It lasted 65 episodes, which is surprisingly impressive, but is notably overlooked by audiences now.
7. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
This is where the rankings get really difficult. Masters of the Universe has been reinvented so many times, and several adaptations riff on the classic elements in surprising ways. Netflix’s 3DCG animation ditches a lot of the traditional lore in favor of a sci-fi aesthetic, and the story has a surprising number of creative ideas; the show’s version of Teela is a delight. At the same time, though, the animation style is often more than a little off-putting, especially with He-Man himself.
6. She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985)
Running from 1985, She-Ra: Princess of Power was the first Masters of the Universe spinoff. It’s not hard to see the attraction for Mattel; the potential for a whole new range of action figures, this time hopefully selling to girls. The stories are of pretty much equal quality to the original Masters of the Universe show, with bumbling villains and very low threat levels. It’s campy fun, a great nostalgia buzz, but not exactly deep.
5. He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword (1985)
In 1985, Filmation expanded the Masters of the Universe franchise with an animated movie, The Secret of the Sword. This is essentially She-Ra’s origin story, with He-Man traveling to the distant world of Etheria and discovering his sister has been brainwashed to work for Hordak and the Horde. It’s a surprisingly good tale, albeit with awful pacing; but then, it was literally the first five episodes of She-Ra: Princess of Power stitched together. The film was a theatrical success, making more than three times its budget in the box office, and helped secure She-Ra a place in popular culture.
4. Masters of the Universe: Revelation
Originally advertised as a sequel to the Filmation classic, Kevin Smith’s Masters of the Universe: Revelation became deeply controversial when the story took a very different direction. That first trailer set up a joyous return for He-Man, but the main man didn’t exactly play a major role in the first story (no spoilers here). The story continued in Revelation and Revolution, each chapter better than the last, but it never really picked up traction after that disappointing beginning. Masters of the Universe: Revelation and its sequels are well worth a rewatch, though, because the complete story is much more satisfying.
3. Masters of the Universe (2026)
Travis Knight’s Masters of the Universe is an absolute joy. Thematically, the film feels like an odd blend of the 1987 Masters of the Universe movie and the classic Filmation series; the plot heads to Earth for a while to try to ground the narrative, before embracing Eternia in all its madness. This is when Masters of the Universe really kicks off, though, with iconic characters and locations lovingly brought to life. Masters of the Universe isn’t doing well in the box office, but Amazon don’t seem to care; the investment is much wider than that. So we can only hope the She-Ra setup leads to a sequel.
2. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Created by Dreamworks and Netflix, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is easily one of the best Masters of the Universe-themed shows ever made. Set largely on Etheria, the show tells the story of Adora and She-Ra without a single He-Man cameo. Every character is fleshed out, and the arcs are absolutely tremendous, while the animation is a joy to watch. Netflix recently lost the rights to distributing She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, and a future home has yet to be announced. Until then, viewers who want to check it out will need to either buy or rent this epic.
1. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983)
The classic Filmation animated series is very hard to beat. It’s flawed, of course; there are all the same issues mentioned earlier with She-Ra: Princess of Power, and there’s a tendency to reuse animations and backgrounds to save money. But this blazed the trail for everything that followed, establishing pretty much all the lore the franchise would ever need. ’80s nostalgia is all the rage, and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe has aged like fine wine. The series is big on heart, low on stakes, but has an undeniable charm all of its own.
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