How to Watch Every ‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’ Version

Masters of the Universe has been a hot property since its toy lines first entered markets in the United States, which led to the making of the first He-Man animated series. Since then, there have been many adaptations and reinterpretations of the character on the big and small screen, each adding something to the mythos and being aimed at a different audience.

Ahead of the most recent live-action outing of the franchise, a look back at how the franchise has been adapted for television and film seemed appropriate, and given the extensive libraries that companies have been maintaining, it made sense to also look at where each version of the franchise was available to stream, rent, or buy. Despite the franchise being a little over forty years old, there have been more than a few iterations of these characters, and all of them hold a special place for some section or the fandom or another.

1 He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983-1985)

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is the preferred name for most incarnations of He-Man. The 1983 series, iconic for myriad reasons, was the toy line’s first foray into television. Like so many Saturday morning action cartoons, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe lived and died by the sales of its toy line. However, even after the show ended, this particular version of the character ended up becoming not just a pillar of modern meme culture but also developed an important and ardent following in LGBTQ circles.

The 1983 He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animated series can be streamed on Prime Video.

2 He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword (1985)

Bringing in He-Man’s twin sister, She-Ra, into the continuity, The Secret of the Sword followed another trend that was becoming widespread in the 80s. Producers of television shows would often resort to making feature-length films and then releasing them in theatres, which is a trend The Secret of the Sword followed. Interestingly, the film was a re-edit of the first five episodes of She-Ra: Princess of Power, but was released before the show aired.

As of now, the film is not available to stream on any streaming sites, nor can it be rented or bought.

3. She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985-1987)

Sharing a continuity with He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra’s focus was on capturing a different market than He-Man. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was predominantly focused on a young male audience, and there was a desire among execs at Mattel to cater to another demographic. She-Ra had the primary focus of getting a younger, female audience interested in the show, which it did manage to do.

She-Ra: Princess of Power can be streamed on Prime Video

4. Masters of the Universe (1987)

Masters of the Universe was the franchise’s first foray into the world of live action. Coming out two years after Secret of the Sword, the film was lambasted by critics at the time of its release, and was a certified flop that failed to make back its budget, much less break even. However, the film has since received a cult classic status. It starred Dolph Lundgren as He-Man, Chelsea Field as Teela, and Frank Langella as Skeletor. The film also starred Courteney Cox and Robert Duncan McNeill, who were portrayed as two teenagers from Earth who aid He-Man in his quest.

Masters of the Universe can be watched for free on Prime Video, or rented on Apple TV.

5. The New Adventures of He-Man (1990-1991)

A radical reimagining of every aspect of He-Man, while keeping the core story similar, The New Adventures of He-Man tried to update the character, lore, and aesthetics of the story for a modern audience. While the continuity for the character exists in the same timeline as the previous version, the look was radically changed, albeit with recognizable characters. Instead of defending Eternia, the story took place in the universe’s far future, sort of giving the story the same look and feel as Batman Beyond, or Spider-Man: Unlimited. This would be the last entry in the original continuity, rounding out the entire timeline before the reboot that would come 12 years later.

The New Adventures of He-Man can be watched for free on The Roku Channel or streamed on Prime Video.

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

The first proper reboot that the show received, 2002’s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, took the aesthetics of the original series, updated them for a post-2000s audience, and borrowed certain story concepts from The New Adventures of He-Man. Returning to the roots of the original, the show is set on Eternia and follows a new continuity with origin stories for each character. It pays homage to the show in a myriad of ways.

2002’s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe can be streamed on Prime Video, and also be watched for free on Spectrum and Plex.

7. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018–2020)

Between the 2002 animated series and Netflix’s version of She-Ra and the Princess of Power, the Masters of the Universe fandom experienced the biggest drought of onscreen content, given the fourteen-year gap between the two shows. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power was a complete reboot of the 1985 series, following a similar plotline. However, the show updated the emotional meter of the characters, being critically acclaimed for its story.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is currently available to purchase digitally on Apple TV and Amazon Video.”

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

Running for three seasons on Netflix, distinct from She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, the 2021series was a reimagining of the original 1983 animated show. The first to be completely computer-animated, the show brought in some new faces and also updated the storyline. He-Man was an amnesiac Prince, having no idea about his heritage. This opened the story up to new possibilities, completely reimagining his fight with the forces of evil.

2021’s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe can be streamed on Netflix.

9. Masters of the Universe: Revelation (2021)

Released in two parts, Masters of the Universe: Revelation was the first series to continue the story from the original 1983 animated show. However, it completely ignored the events of The New Adventures of He-Man, instead branching into its own timeline. While there was some division among fans about the nature of the story, the continuation largely received positive reviews from critics. It explored concepts that expanded on the lore introduced in the original animated series.

Masters of the Universe: Revelation can be streamed on Netflix.

10. Masters of the Universe: Revolution (2024)

The second series in the continuation made by Kevin Smith, Masters of the Universe: Revolution, saw He-Man and his allies come into their new roles. Teela took over as the sorceress of Castle Grayskull, finding a way to restore the overworld of Preternia, which was the afterlife of the champions of the past. It also sees He-Man once again face off against Skeletor, now imbued with new powers by his master, Hordak.

Masters of the Universe: Revolution can be streamed on Netflix.

Show/Film	Where To Watch
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983-1985)	Prime Video
He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword (1985)	n/a
She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985-1987)	Prime Video
Masters of the Universe (1987)	Prime Video Apple TV
The New Adventures of He-Man (1990-1991)	The Roku Channel Prime Video
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2002-2004)	Spectrum Plex Prime Video
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018-2022)	Netflix
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2021-2022)	Netflix
Masters of the Universe: Revelation (2021)	Netflix
Masters of the Universe: Revolution (2024)	Netflix

Which version of the Masters of the Universe do you remember the most fondly? Let us know in the comments!

Masters of the Universe (2026) hits theatres on June 5, 2026.