Sorceress of Castle Grayskull facts for kids

The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull, also known as Teela Na, is a powerful superheroine from the Masters of the Universe stories. She is the magical guardian of Castle Grayskull, a mysterious fortress that holds the secrets of He-Man's great power. The Sorceress is known for her wisdom and strong magical abilities, often helping He-Man and his friends protect the planet Eternia from evil forces like Skeletor.

Quick facts for kids Sorceress of Castle Grayskull
Masters of the Universe character
The Sorceress in her 1980s incarnation
Created by	Mattel
Portrayed by	Christina Pickles
Voiced by	Linda Gary (1983–1985) Venus Terzo (1990) Nicole Oliver (2002–2004)
Information
Aliases	Teela Na (current), Teela (in early comics), The Goddess (in early comics)
Gender	Female
Title	Heroic Guardian of Castle Grayskull
Children	Teela (daughter)

The Sorceress in Early Comics

The Sorceress first appeared in the He-Man and the Power Sword mini-comic. In this early version, she had green skin and wore armor that looked like a cobra. This armor was later sometimes worn by Teela. In this story, the Sorceress was the one who gave He-Man his amazing powers. This was the only time she was shown with green skin.

Later mini-comics changed her look. She was called "Goddess" and no longer had green skin, but still wore the cobra armor. A comic called The Tale of Teela explained that the warrior Teela was a clone of the Sorceress. This helped explain why they looked similar. This comic also hinted that they were mother and daughter.

Eventually, the name "Goddess" was dropped. The Sorceress then appeared in later comics with her more familiar falcon-themed look. She was given the name "Teela Na" to tell her apart from the warrior Teela.

The Sorceress in the 1983 He-Man TV Show

In the 1983 TV series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, the Sorceress is the main guardian of Castle Grayskull. She protects its secrets and is the source of He-Man's power.

She knows a lot about magic and history. She is one of the wisest beings on Eternia. He-Man often asks her for advice, especially when things are difficult. The Sorceress is kind and helps others who need guidance.

Her powers are strongest inside Castle Grayskull. When she leaves the castle, her magic becomes weaker. To travel outside, she often changes into a falcon named Zoar. Later, this weakness was removed, allowing her to travel freely in her human form.

The Sorceress is also the mother of Teela. Teela is a childhood friend of Prince Adam and the Captain of the Royal Guard. Teela is very brave and strong, quite different from her calm mother. When Teela was a baby, the Sorceress gave her to Duncan (Man-At-Arms) to raise. She felt Castle Grayskull was too dangerous for a child.

In the episode "Teela's Quest", Teela tries to find out who her mother is. She learns the truth, but the Sorceress erases her memory of it. This was done to protect Teela, even though the Sorceress wished she could tell her. Only Man-At-Arms, He-Man, Battle Cat, and the Oracle of the Crystal Sea know the secret. It is also said that Teela is destined to become the next guardian of Castle Grayskull.

The Sorceress's real name is Teela-Na. Her past is shown in the episode "The Origin of the Sorceress". Her home village was attacked by Morgoth and his allies. Teela Na found Castle Grayskull and was invited inside by a mysterious voice. There, she met Kuduk Ungol, the previous Sorceress. Kuduk asked Teela Na to become the new protector of the castle. Teela Na accepted and gained the castle's powers. She then returned to her village and defeated the invaders.

The Sorceress in She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985)

In the She-Ra: Princess of Power series, the Sorceress plays an important role. This show is about He-Man's twin sister, She-Ra. The Sorceress calls Prince Adam to find Princess Adora. She tells him to give Adora the Sword of Protection. This sword looks like He-Man's sword but has a jewel.

The Sorceress contacts Adora using her mind. She tells Adora about her destiny and that she is He-Man's twin sister. This is how Adora first becomes She-Ra.

The Sorceress in the 1987 Movie

Christina Pickles as the Sorceress in Masters of the Universe.

In the live-action movie Masters of the Universe, Christina Pickles played the Sorceress. In the movie, Skeletor captures the Sorceress. He drains her powers, which makes her old and weak. After Skeletor is defeated, her powers and youthful appearance are restored.

The Sorceress wears long white robes in the movie. White feather-like fabric hangs from her arms, like a nod to her original bird design. Instead of a bird headpiece, she has crystals in her long, silver hair.

The Sorceress in The New Adventures of He-Man (1989-1992)

In the first mini-comic for The New Adventures of He-Man, the Sorceress appears in her classic falcon form. She warns Prince Adam that the Power of Grayskull is being drained. Later, she appears in new chrome armor, fitting the futuristic style of the series. She tells He-Man that he will not become Prince Adam again. She also says he needs to say the name of the Starship Eternia to transform.

In The New Adventures of He-Man animated series, the Sorceress wears a mix of her classic falcon suit and chrome armor. She often appears in He-Man's mind to give him advice. She can also use her powers to see into the future and help He-Man. She has even sent Teela into the future to comfort Prince Adam when he was homesick.

The Sorceress in Masters of the Universe vs. The Snake Men (2002)

In the 2002 TV series, the Sorceress's outfit was changed. It looked more like an Egyptian goddess than a falcon. She is still Teela's mother, and this fact is still a secret.

An episode called "Out of the Past" shows a bit of the Sorceress's history. It reveals that Teela was conceived after the Sorceress married a soldier who supposedly died in battle. His identity is not fully confirmed, but it is hinted that Man-At-Arms is Teela's true father.

When not in her formal clothes, the Sorceress looks very much like her daughter Teela, but taller. They both have red hair. If the series had continued, Teela was meant to discover that the Sorceress was her mother. Unlike the original series, she would not have lost her memory of this.

The Sorceress is also shown to be a strong fighter. In "Out of the Past", she saves a village from attackers. In "Rise of the Snakemen Part II", she fights against King Hiss. She uses a powerful magic blast and attacks him with her staff. However, King Hiss bites her, and she spends the rest of the series recovering from his poison.

The comic books that followed the 2002 series also showed her fighting skills. She defeated Evil-Lyn in a battle.

The current Sorceress is not the first. The wife of King Grayskull, named Veena, was likely the original Sorceress. She looked similar to Teela Na and could also turn into a bird. She was the first to protect the Power Sword after King Grayskull's death.

If this series had continued, She-Ra would have been introduced. The Sorceress would have sent He-Man to find his sister with the Sword of Protection.

The Sorceress in 2012 He-Man Comics

In the 2012 DC comic series, the Sorceress is more like a priestess. She serves as an oracle for the goddess Zoar. Teela Na was the wife of Man-At-Arms and the mother of Teela. Teela did not know this until Teela Na's death.

At one point, Skeletor took over Castle Grayskull and captured her. To help Prince Adam who had lost his memories, she created an illusion of a falcon. Adam called this falcon Zoar. However, Skeletor killed her before Adam could return to the castle.

She appeared again later as a ghost. She helped her daughter Teela in a final fight against Evil-Lyn.

Powers and Abilities of the Sorceress

The Sorceress has many magical powers:

• Telepathy: She can send her thoughts and images to others, especially He-Man. Her telepathy is very strong. She can contact He-Man from far away and understand the thoughts and feelings of others.
• Teleportation: She can move herself and others instantly across long distances.
• Flight: In one episode, she temporarily gave He-Man the power to fly.
• Disguise: She can change her appearance to look like other people.
• Telekinesis: She can move objects with her mind.
• Image Projection: She can create images that others can see.
• Pyrokinesis: She can create fire.
• Magical Shields: She can create protective barriers of magic.

Who Played the Sorceress?

In the 1980s TV series, the Sorceress was voiced by Linda Gary. She also voiced other characters like Teela and Queen Marlena. In the 1987 movie, Christina Pickles played her. In The New Adventures, she was voiced by Venus Terzo. In the 2002 series, Nicole Oliver voiced her, and also Queen Marlena.