WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Season 1 of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, now streaming on Netflix.
Netflix's He-Man and the Masters of the Universe mostly explores new ground, taking the basic premise of young Prince Adam being He-Man and expanding it by giving him a pack of teen heroes to protect Eternia. Still, a couple of nostalgic elements are addressed, with the reboot diving into a longstanding mystery. However, while Season 1 doesn't solve it, it does make it a lot better.
The mystery revolves around Teela being the Sorceress' daughter, something the original cartoon did by making her dad an Eternian soldier. However, Sorceress would mind-wipe Teela, and sadly, fans never got to see her ascend as a successor. Even the 2002 version embedded this thread, hinting Sorceress and Man-at-Arms/Duncan made Teela, but that got canceled before Teela could take over the mantle.
In Netflix's new series, though, Teela's mystical heritage is embraced off the bat as she blends spells and science as a techno-mage. She steals the Sword of Power, eventually gifting it to Adam. When they track breadcrumbs to Castle Grayskull, it becomes obvious she's the Sorceress' daughter. They look alike, plus Sorceress shares emotional moments, such as her being Eldress and lessons on training and accepting one's destiny. The way she worries when Teela's in danger hints that Sorceress wants to tell her the truth but feels like the already-burdened Teela might become even more disillusioned and scared of the future.
This is the visceral rite of passage fans have always craved, with suspense, drama and tension involved as Eldress is scared to lay giant responsibility on a youngster wanting to carve her own identity out. It's nuanced, with Teela even turning down Adam sharing the power as she doesn't feel worthy, ready or wanting to be tied down to it. This bucks the predictable angle of her powering up and becoming He-Man's sidekick.
Substance aside, the style factor is also there in spades as Teela's badass in battle, harnessing Grayskull's light energy to become a true mage in the field. She's rocking her staff, able to perform rituals without speaking or using hand motions, plus her wings can teleport the team. It even scares Evil-Lyn, her mystical polar opposite, and proves what the original Sorceress could have been if she left the castle and helped He-Man out in the field.
To top it off, Teela summons "Wings of Zoar" as an energy blast in battle, so it seems like future seasons will dive into this falcon god, evolving it from the robotic familiar the old cartoon had. It adds history to her flashy warrior's disposition, giving He-Man a real powerhouse to help fend off Skeletor's Havoc magic.
This improves on a Sorceress, giving her more agency and enriching her bond with Adam. After all, like Teela, he's been thrust into a war he never asked for, which will bring them closer together as they try to keep their humanity intact underneath all these abilities. And since the identity of Teela's dad has yet to be revealed -- seeing as it's not Duncan -- her supernatural ride can only get more intriguing.
See how Teela's journey unfolds in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, now available on Netflix.