Princess of Power facts for kids
| Type | Dolls/Action Figures |
|---|---|
| Inventor(s) | Mattel |
| Company | Mattel |
| Country | United States |
| Availability | 1985–present |
Princess of Power (often called POP or She-Ra) is a toy line made by Mattel. It features characters like She-Ra and Catra from the planet Etheria. The toys first came out in 1985 and led to many other products, including different kinds of action figures. Today, Mattel still uses the Princess of Power name and characters in its Masters of the Universe Classics toy line.
Contents
The Toys: A New Kind of Hero
In 1985, Mattel and Filmation wanted to make their Masters of the Universe toys appeal to more people. They hoped to bring in young girls, too. So, they created a new toy line just for girls called Princess of Power. The main hero was a strong warrior woman named She-Ra.
Most of the toys in this line were female characters. They had "real" hair and clothes made of soft fabric. This was a mix of the action-packed Masters of the Universe toys and Mattel's very popular Barbie dolls. The Princess of Power toy line actually lasted longer than the She-Ra: Princess of Power cartoon show!
Original Princess of Power Toys (1985-1987)
Mattel released several waves of Princess of Power toys. Each wave brought new characters and creatures to the world of Etheria.
Here are some of the first toys released in 1985:
| Name | Tagline | Allegiance | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| She-Ra | Princess Adora Becomes She-Ra, Most Powerful Woman in the Universe! | The Great Rebellion | Action Figure |
| Bow | Special Friend Who Helps She-Ra! | The Great Rebellion | Action Figure |
| Glimmer | The Guide Who Lights the Way! | The Great Rebellion | Action Figure |
| Catra | Jealous Beauty! | The Evil Horde | Action Figure |
| Swift Wind | Beautiful Horse Spirit, Becomes Magical Flying Unicorn! | The Great Rebellion | Creature |
| Crystal Castle | Shimmmering Castle of Fantasy and Fun for SHE-RA and her Friends! | The Great Rebellion | Playset |
Later waves in 1986 and 1987 added even more characters like Flutterina, Mermista, Perfuma, and Spinnerella. There were also new versions of She-Ra and Catra, plus many different fashion outfits for the dolls.
The She-Ra Cartoon Series (1985-1987)
The animated TV show She-Ra: Princess of Power was made by Filmation and first aired in 1985.
The story takes place on the planet Etheria, which is ruled by the evil Hordak and his Evil Horde. Princess Adora was raised by Hordak, but she is actually the long-lost daughter of King Randor and Queen Marlena from Eternia.
Princess Adora joins the Great Rebellion to fight against Hordak. She has a magic sword. When she holds it up and says, "For the honor of Grayskull... I AM SHE-RA!!!", she turns into She-Ra. She-Ra is known as "The Most Powerful Woman in the Universe." She is a beautiful blonde woman with a white dress, a red cape, and a golden crown.
She-Ra in Newer Toy Lines
The Princess of Power characters have appeared in several new toy lines over the years.
Masters of the Universe 200X (2002-2004)
Only one Princess of Power character, She-Ra herself, was made into an action figure for the Masters of the Universe toy line in 2002-2004. This new She-Ra figure was made to look more like the updated Masters characters. She still had hair you could comb, but her clothes were made of molded plastic instead of fabric.
Masters of the Universe Classics (2008-2020)
This toy line was made for collectors. The figures had a "classic" look, like the original 1980s toys, but with much more movement. They were sold online. This line planned to include characters from all parts of the Masters of the Universe world, including Princess of Power.
The first Princess of Power figure in this line was Princess Adora, released in 2010. After that, her hero form She-Ra was released. Other characters like Bow, Catra, and even She-Ra's magical horse, Swift Wind, also became figures. Many more characters from Princess of Power were released in the following years, including some that were never released as toys in the 1980s.
Super7 He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2017-2019)
From 2017 to 2019, Super7 made new 7-inch action figures. This line included cartoon-accurate versions of villains like Hordak and Mantenna from the She-Ra animated series.
Super7 Vintage-style Masters of the Universe (2018-2019)
In 2018, Super7 also released new action figures that looked like the original 5.5-inch Mattel MOTU toys from the 1980s. This included characters from the She-Ra: Princess of Power cartoon, such as She-Ra and Hordak.
Special Edition She-Ra Doll (2016)
In July 2016, Mattel released a special 11-inch She-Ra doll. This doll had rooted hair and came with three different fabric outfits: one from the cartoon, one like the classic toy, and one for Princess Adora. It also included two Swords of Protection and a mini-comic book.
