Orko (character) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Orko
Masters of the Universe character
Orko as he appeared in the He-Man and She-Ra Christmas Special.
Created by	Filmation
Voiced by	Lou Scheimer (1983–1985) Gabe Khouth (2002–2004)
Information
Species	Trollan
Relatives	Dree Elle, Uncle Montork

Orko is a fun fictional character from the Masters of the Universe world. He wasn't in the first toy line, but he became so popular in the TV show that they made a toy of him! Orko first appeared in the 1980s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon. He also showed up in the 2002 remake of the series. In early ideas for the show, his name was Gorpo. But then, the creators changed it to Orko.

Who is Orko?

Orko is a special being called a Trollan. Trollans come from a world called Trolla, which is in another dimension. Trollans always wear red robes and hats. They also hide their faces behind scarves. In their society, showing your face to someone is a very personal thing. It's like humans sharing a kiss.

Trollans have blue skin and pointy ears. Their feet are usually hidden under their robes. They have natural magic powers. One of their main powers is levitation, which means they can float. They use this instead of walking! Orko once lost his floating power and had to crawl around. Some Trollans are better at magic than others. For example, Orko's uncle is a very skilled magician.

Orko's Magic Powers

Orko often has trouble with his magic. It's a running joke in the show that his spells often go wrong. They usually backfire in a funny way! At first, it was thought that Trolla had opposite rules of magic compared to Eternia. This would mean Orko was a good magician on his home world.

However, later episodes showed that Orko was not very good at magic even on Trolla. Another story said Orko had a magic pendant. This pendant helped him control his powers. He lost it, and it ended up on a dinosaur! When he got it back, his magic worked better.

Besides his spells, Orko can pull many things out of his hat. Some items are useful, while others are just silly.

How Orko Came to Eternia

Orko arrived on Eternia by accident. A big cosmic storm brought him there. He landed in the Tar Swamp. There, he found a young Prince Adam and his pet, Cringer. Cringer was just a tiger cub back then. Orko saved them both from the sticky tar. But he lost his magic pendant when he crashed into a tree.

Because Orko saved Prince Adam, the King of Eternia made him the Royal Buffoon. This means he became the palace jester. Orko became one of Adam's best friends. In fact, Orko is one of the few who knows Adam's big secret. He knows that Adam is secretly He-Man! He found out when he followed Prince Adam to Castle Grayskull.

Orko sometimes annoys Man-At-Arms. His magic often causes trouble in Man-At-Arms' lab. But Orko is a loyal friend and a helpful ally. Even with his unpredictable powers, he always tries to help. He-Man is also very grateful to Orko for saving his life as a child. He-Man has even helped Orko get his magic back a couple of times.

Orko has visited Trolla again with the help of his friends. He helped He-Man save other Trollans from a dragon named Dragoon. He also started a romance with a Trollan girl named Dree Elle. But Orko decided his place was on Eternia. He still visits his friends and family on Trolla sometimes.

Orko in Different Shows

Orko in the 2002 Series

In the 2002 He-Man series, Orko looks similar but has a slightly fancier costume. In this version, Orko and Cringer followed Prince Adam to Castle Grayskull. They watched him transform into He-Man for the first time. Orko almost told everyone He-Man's secret identity! Luckily, Man-At-Arms stopped him.

In this series, Orko was once a very powerful wizard. But when he came to Eternia, he lost his magic wand. He needed the wand to control his strong magic. Without it, he often causes chaos around the palace. Even so, Orko has played important roles in battles. He once disarmed Skeletor of a powerful stone. He also helped Prince Adam get his Power Sword back.

A flashback episode showed an Oracle who looked like Orko. This suggests that other Trollans might have come to Eternia long ago.

Orko in the Comics

In the Marvel/Star Comics, Orko was much like his cartoon self.

In the DC Comics series, DC Universe vs. The Masters of the Universe, Orko's story is very different. When Skeletor took over Eternia, Orko tried to destroy the Skull of Power. But his spell went wrong. Orko absorbed the evil power from the skull. This made him super powerful, but also made him a "Mad God."

Dark Orko then sent Skeletor to Trolla, Orko's home world. There, Dark Orko turned the Trollans into monsters. He made Skeletor even more powerful and sent him to Earth. Dark Orko wanted Skeletor to steal Earth's magic for him. This caused He-Man and the Masters to fight Earth's heroes.

Eventually, He-Man and Superman worked together. They destroyed the Skull of Power. Skeletor then turned on Dark Orko, sending him away to an unknown place. He-Man promised to help Orko get rid of the evil inside him.

Orko in Live-Action

Orko is planned to appear in a future live-action He-Man movie. In this film, Orko will be a small man. He will doubt himself, which stops him from being a better wizard.

Other Trollan Characters

Other Trollans from Orko's race have appeared in the Masters of the Universe shows:

• Dree Elle - She is Orko's girlfriend. She appears in several episodes of He-Man and She-Ra: Princess of Power.
• Yuckers - This is Dree Elle's younger brother. He loves playing pranks.
• Uncle Montork - Orko's uncle is a noted magician. He appears in several He-Man episodes and a She-Ra episode.
• Snoob - A Trollan wizard who sometimes makes mistakes.
• Prankster/Wakrapanike - This Trollan loves practical jokes. He is the only Trollan shown not to hide his face.
• Squonge - Orko's friend who looks like Orko but wears a pilot helmet. He is known for telling tall tales.
• Doctor Zoog - An evil Trollan scientist. He thinks machines should rule Trolla, not magic. He appeared in She-Ra: Princess of Power.
• The Oracle - An all-knowing oracle from the 2002 series. This Oracle looked and sounded much like Orko.