When the short-lived original show first came out in 1985, it wasn’t exactly inclusive. Additionally, Mattel basically just wanted to market it to young girls after the success of the original He-Man cartoon that debuted a couple of years prior. Even though it had an amazing premise and turned out to be surprisingly feminist, it doesn’t have much in the way of characterization, plot and time dedicated to it. Ugh.
And then, of course, Noelle Stevenson swooped in and made the rebooted She-Ra of our dreams.
One of the most basic differences is the age. Stevenson changed She-Ra’s original assumed age, which was in the early 20’s, to 17-18, right when young girls are leaving home and searching for their identity and who they really are. But what I’ve loved so much about this new update to She-Ra is the diversity! And the different body types! And the LGBTQ representation! For example, Bow wasn’t a character I cared about in the original, but now he is probably one of my favorite characters.
Most remarkably, the relationship between Adora and Catra is one of the most nuanced and complex dynamics I’ve seen in comics since Avatar: The Last Airbender. It goes way beyond the shallow plotline in the original and turns it into something really important. Don’t worry, no spoilers!
Overall, despite some of the extremely annoying backlash it’s gotten by some corners of the internet, She-Ra and The Princesses of Power is 100% the kind of show young girls deserve. It’s filled with different body types, different relationships, different sexualities and a wonderful, complex plot about doing what’s right and finding oneself despite struggles.
Give She-Ra some support; I promise that you won’t be disappointed!