Every Masters of the Universe Movie & TV Series, Ranked From Worst to Best

The new Masters of the Universe movie coming in 2026 joins a franchise that has included eight other releases, including movies, TV shows, and spin-offs. Masters of the Universe got its start in 1982 as an oversized Mattel 5.5-inch action figure toyline. The action figures included He-Man, whose real name was Prince Adam, and his allies and enemies, including the main villain, the evil Skeletor. As with other franchises like Transformers and G.I. Joe, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe made their way to television cartoons, with the full intent of helping to sell more toys and further the franchise.

However, as with all major franchises built on toy lines, not all the movies and cartoons were equal, and while some were incredibly entertaining, others fell short in every way. Here is alook at the Masters of the Universe franchise leading into the 2026 movie, ranked.

8) Masters of the Universe (1987)

Five years after the release of the toys and four years after the first cartoon series, The Cannon Group brought He-Man to the big screen. The cast of the lead looked perfect, with Dolph Lundgren taking on the role of Prince Adam, the heroic He-Man. However, as most action movie fans know from the 80s, other than Rocky IV, Lundgren was good in fight scenes, but not as great in regular acting roles.

The movie does have a bit of curiosity, as the great Frank Lengella played Skeletor, an anomaly in the actor’s career. The film follows two teens from Earth who meet He-Man when he travels there to stop Skeletor from gaining a cosmic key that would give him untold power. Bringing the action to Earth and basing it around two kids was a mistake. The movie wasn’t even good enough to become a cult classic, although the camp level remains high.

7) The New Adventures of He-Man (1990-1991)

The first He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoons were great and helped bring a lot of attention to the toys on which they were based. However, in 1990, Mattel released a new line of toys, and this led to a new cartoon series called The New Adventures of He-Man. This was a major letdown, and it was bad enough that it ended the entire cartoon franchise for a full decade.

Much like the Dolph Lundgren movie, this cartoon takes He-Man away from Eternia, where he has to defend a futuristic planet called Primus from evil mutants from a neighboring planet, only to find Skeletor has followed him and sided with the mutants. The animation changed drastically, and the new cartoon dismissed the tone of the original cartoons. Not only did this end the He-Man franchise for a decade, but its continuity also ended here, and the next cartoon rebooted everything.

6) He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2002-2004)

The 2002 cartoon reboot of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe had a lot of heavy lifting to do. The last cartoon was a bomb, and didn’t supply any of the fun that the original cartoon supplied. As a result, this series chose to start from scratch and try to rebuild a franchise that had fallen so hard that even the toyline was no longer successful.

The smartest thing that this cartoon did was to go back to the original series and attempt to repeat what made it so entertaining. What worked so well here was that the new series created origins for several of the characters, adding to the depth of the franchise’s world, and adding some value to supporting characters, and therefore, the toys for those characters. With two seasons and 39 episodes, it also inspired a new comic book series and helped revitalize the He-Man franchise.

5) He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2021-2022)

In what was confusing, Netflix released two different and competing He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoons in 2021. The worst of the two arrived first with a reimagining of the original series, but using the same name. This series has Prince Adam separated from his father, King Randor, and rendered amnesiac. When he finds the Power Sword, he becomes He-Man and has to fight his uncle, who has become Skeletor.

There were three seasons and 26 episodes of this cartoon, and while it received positive reviews, it fell short of what would come later on Netflix. However, on the positive side, it was a very smart show with good dialogue and great animation, although having He-Man as a much younger character was an interesting decision. However, since it was aimed more at little kids, there is a lot to like about the release for the young ones.

4) She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985)

While kids loved He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, the spin-off series, She-Ra: Princess of Power, was better in many ways. Considered a spin-off to bring in an audience of young girls to want the toys, She-Ra was Princess Adora, Prince Adam’s twin sister, and someone who leads the freedom fighters of the Great Rebellion to fight for Etheria’s freedom.

The series ran for two seasons and 93 episodes, and it became so much more than just ‘He-Man for girls.” While He-Man was more of a swords and sandals story about defending the planet, She-Ra was more about magic and the rebellion against the Horde. Looking back, He-Man remains more iconic thanks to nostalgia, but She-Ra did a lot to elevate the material above just a cartoon about toys.

3) Masters of the Universe: Revelation & Revolution (2021-2024)

The second Netflix cartoon that Netflix released in 2021 is the best of the two, and that would be Masters of the Universe: Revelation. When it was released, it was slightly controversial, but that is no surprise considering Kevin Smith created the series. However, Smith had a lot of love for the 80s cartoon and the toys and did a lot to pay tribute to what came before, while updating it for a new generation.

The first 10 episodes were released in 2021, dropped in two batches, and a second series, called Masters of the Universe: Revolution, arrived in 2024, continuing the story. With a voice cast including Mark Hamill, William Shatner, Keith Daif, Melissa Benoist, and more, it was stacked with talent. Despite Smith’s slant on the story, it remains highly praised, with the first two series having a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score and the third a perfect 100%.

2) He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983)

There is a lot to say about nostalgia, but for most Masters of the Universe fans, the first cartoon ever created based on the toys remains the best. Released in 1983, just one year after Mattel launched the toyline, the cartoon introduced the heroes of Eternia to the small screen with Prince Adam becoming the mighty He-Man, the most powerful man in the universe.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was so popular that it helped elevate the toyline and even spawned a spin-off series with She-Ra and a live-action movie with Dolph Lundgren. None of this would have been possible without the great cartoon living on its own merits. Filmation, the company behind the franchise, had great success, and this was the most successful cartoon they ever produced. It’s not just nostalgia either, as He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is one of the best cartoons made in the 1980s.

1) She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)

The best Masters of the Universe-related production ever made was the 2018 cartoon series reboot of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Released on Netflix, this rebooted the 1985 cartoon series, took what was great about that iconic animated series, and then improved on it in every possible area. With a diverse cast and a great storyline, this is still one of the best cartoons Netflix has ever aired.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2020 for Outstanding Daytime Promotional Announcement – Network or Program and a GLAAD Media Award in 2021 for Outstanding Kids & Family Programming. The show ran for five seasons, with the first, third, and fourth all getting a 100% RT rating, and the second and fifth receiving an 87% and 94%, respectively. This was the Masters of the Universe series that proved it could be award-winning television.

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