Masters of the Universe Movies & TV Shows Ranked, Including the 2026 Movie

The upcoming Masters of the Universe movie, starring Nicholas Galitzine and Camila Mendes, is the eleventh screen outing in the media franchise. Beginning with Filmation’s animated series in 1983, the Mattel toy-based franchise has produced several movies and TV shows over the span of four decades. The characters of He-Man and She-Ra evoke nostalgia in fans across generations.

As the new version hits theaters, we looked back at all the shows and movies in the franchise. There are some clear hits and misses. In this list, we rank every movie and TV show from Masters of the Universe from worst to best, based on how the story held up, the writing, the characters, and how they were received among fans.

11 He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special (1985)

This Christmas special from the two main protagonists of the Masters of the Universe world is largely forgotten today. It combined the two shows, bringing together He-Man and She-Ra. While fans were excited for this union, it didn’t go as well as expected. The animation was particularly bad, nowhere near the quality of either show.

Moreover, many new characters were brought in this special, but fans preferred to see their favorite characters embrace the Christmas spirit. However, the one character we least expected to see in the holiday vibes was Skeletor, who was all Christmassy in this special.

10 Masters of the Universe (1987)

Dolph Lundgren‘s Masters of the Universe was a failed live-action adaptation of the beloved animated universe. The actor landed the role right after his villainous turn as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV. It received a negative reception, largely due to Lundgren’s performance, the predictable side plots on Earth, and a boring narrative. However, Frank Langella’s performance as Skeletor received critical acclaim.

While it was an epic failure, the film found its footing with some of the franchise fans and received a cult fan following in recent years. Again, Langella’s performance could be a factor contributing to the movie’s popularity among modern viewers.

9 The Secret of the Sword (1985)

The first movie adaptation in the Masters of the Universe world was a decent outing and deserved a higher place in this list, if not for one issue. The theatrical movie was actually the compilation of the first five episodes of the spinoff show, She-Ra: Princess of Power, which was released before the series.

The movie was merely a way for producers to sell the Mattel toys. Since it is a compilation of TV episodes with minor edits made, there was an episodic structure to the entire movie. The movie satisfied fans at the time, as it acted as a crossover between the He-Man and She-Ra shows.

8 The New Adventures of He-Man (1990–1991)

Even Kevin Smith chose to ignore Mattel’s 1990 sequel show, The New Adventures of He-Man, when he created Revelation/Revolution. It was so bad that no one touched the media franchise for another decade. In this show, He-Man has to protect the planet of Primus from evil mutants. Skeletor follows He-Man to Primus and sides with the mutants.

The sole purpose of this sequel was to sell new Mattel toys. So, the passion behind the original was long gone, and it reflected in the production quality of this show. Fans were no longer happy with the animation, and they were definitely not happy to be taken away from Eternia. The tone of the show also shifted, making the show completely unrelatable.

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

While it wasn’t a bad show, fans were disappointed by Netflix’s decision to greenlight two competing Masters of the Universe shows. This version, which is obviously inferior among the two, went with a slightly different approach. The animation style was completely different from the other shows, but still great. It was clear that the show was made for children.

In the show, Prince Adam is a rendered amnesiac, whose memories come back when he finds the Power Sword. He becomes He-Man and has to fight his uncle, who is Skeletor in this version. While hardcore fans might not like this storytelling direction, it aired for 26 episodes.

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

After the disastrous New Adventures, the franchise was rebooted and brought to Cartoon Network. Things were clearly not in the show’s favor, as the last show came a decade ago. This cartoon introduced the hero to a new generation of kids. It worked well in many ways, as the characters were given origin stories, which drew the attention of some of the original fans as well.

It essentially gave a new life to the franchise, even though Mattel’s toy line was no longer popular. The show ran for two seasons, and the reruns of the show continued to attract more kids. The media franchise will always be indebted to this version for not letting the franchise die down.

5 She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985–1987)

Fans couldn’t have asked for a better spinoff from the original He-Man show. Mattel wanted to sell girls’ toys as well, prompting them to bring She-Ra: Princess of Power to the screen. In the show, Princess Adora is Adam’s twin sister, who is the leader of the Great Rebellion and fights for the freedom of Etheria.

Instead of gender-flipping the elements of He-Man, She-Ra paved its own way, creating a solid story about the rebellion against the tyrannical Hordak and the evil organization Horde. The spinoff show maintained the animation quality while expanding on the Masters of the Universe lore.

4 Masters of the Universe (2026)

Nicholas Galitzine takes on the heroic role of He-Man in this 2026 movie, opposite Jared Leto as the masked skeletal villain, Skeletor. The movie also stars Camila Mendes as Teela, Idris Elba as Man-at-Arms, Morena Baccarin as the Sorceress, Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn, and Kristen Wiig as the voice of Roboto. The movie has received largely positive responses, with some criticism being directed at its tone, overpowering humor in places, and some franchise-building elements.

Masters of the Universe (2026)	Details
Director	Travis Knight
Based on	Masters of the Universe by Mattel
Cast	Nicholas Galitzine, Jared Leto, Idris Elba, Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, Morena Baccarin, and Kristen Wiig
Distributed by	Amazon MGM Studios
RT Score (As of June 3, 2026)	75%
Release Date	June 5, 2026

The standout elements of the movie included Leto’s performance in the villain role, Galitzine’s appeal as He-Man, and the neatly choreographed fight sequences. The post-credits scenes of Masters of the Universe tease elements that might get the fans of the original show excited.

3 Masters of the Universe: Revelation / Revolution (2021–2024)

Kevin Smith’s version of Masters of the Universe serves as a sequel to the original 1983 version by Filmation. Two seasons, titled Revelation and Revolution, were released, with both earning critical acclaim. The series averaged 95% on RT, which was a surprisingly great achievement for Smith. However, some viewers were not happy with the first season, which had limited screenspace for the character of He-Man. The show placed Teela at the heart of the story.

However, they addressed the criticism to a large extent in the second season, which followed Prince Adam/He-Man in his new responsibility as the king of Eternia. Smith’s love for the ’80s cartoon was clearly visible in his storytelling direction. The voice cast of the show included Mark Hamill, William Shatner, Keith David, and Melissa Benoist.

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

While the original She-Ra was a great show, this 2018 reboot made the original even better. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power won a Daytime Emmy in 2020, proving the popularity of the show. The show made She-Ra’s fight for Etheria’s freedom even better by bringing in a diverse cast and a solid story. Out of its five-season run, three of the seasons received a perfect score on RT.

While the original’s focus was on She-Ra, this reboot portrays her leading a group of magical princesses against Hordak. The visuals pack a punch, the writing is razor-sharp, and the characters are just great. The show also received praise for its LGBTQ+ representation. Sadly, the show was recently removed from Netflix due to the expiration of its license, which makes this great show currently unavailable on streaming.

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

The original He-Man is at the top of this list, not just because of nostalgia but also because of how the material stands solid even today. Though Mattel conceived it as a vehicle to sell its toy line, the show quickly outgrew that brief. It became an unexpectedly thoughtful epic that brought real moral lessons into every episode. The properly fleshed out characters were very memorable.

The show managed to keep us invested in He-Man’s dual identity, while Skeletor remains one of animation’s most quotable theatrical villains. Eternia’s mix of sword-and-sorcery and sci-fi pulls you into a world like no other. Above all, it kick-started a TV and movie franchise still going strong, with the latest entry arriving in theaters on June 5.

Rank	Movies/Shows	Where to Watch
1	He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983–1985)	Prime Video
2	She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018–2020)	Rent on AppleTV/Prime Video
3	Masters of the Universe: Revelation / Revolution (2021–2024)	Netflix
4	Masters of the Universe (2026)	In theaters
5	She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985–1987)	Prime Video
6	He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2002–2004)	Prime Video
7	He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2021–2022)	Netflix
8	The New Adventures of He-Man (1990–1991)	The Roku Channel
9	The Secret of the Sword (1985)	Buy on Amazon
10	Masters of the Universe (1987)	Prime Video/Kanopy
11	He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special (1985)	Buy on Gruv

Which of these movies or shows from the universe do you think is the best? Let us know in the comments below!