Kevin Smith's Masters of the Universe: Revelation caused a few online disagreements among fans of the original 1983 He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Filmation cartoon. Certain fans believe the series strays too far from the purpose and characterization of the original show. However, other fans strongly support Smith's Revelation, and believe it to be a faithful adaptation of the cartoon that played such an important role in their respective childhoods.
Ultimately, those who enjoy Revelation are numerous enough that Netflix has decided to make a sequel to the series entitled Masters of the Universe: Revolution. The ultimate success of Revelation is because the show takes the characters in new directions while paying homage to the original creation that inspires it.
10 Throwback: Orko's Bedside Treasures Reveal What Is Important To Him
In Revelation, Orko is kicked out of the palace by King Randor after Adam's death. Randor is furious at Orko and Man-at-Arms for knowing Adam's secret and refusing to tell the king. The show reveals that the only two items that Orko takes with him when he leaves are a medal and a small pyramid, and he keeps both of them by his bed when he gets sick.
Both items are throwbacks to the original He-Man cartoon. The pyramid is used in He-Man by Orko to travel to Trolla. The medal is given to him by King Randor and Queen Marlena after he saves Prince Adam.
9 New: Orko's Parents Give Him A Different Name
The original He-Man depicts Orko as having great skill in Trolla, and he only loses that skill once he comes to Eternia. For the new show, Orko is given a different origin. As he talks to Evil-Lyn about their differences, he reveals that his parents had initially believed him to be capable of great things. For that reason, they named him "Oracle."
Once Orko's powers begin to manifest, and it becomes evident that Orko is not living up to their expectations, little Oracle's name is shortened to "Orko." This is meant to spare both Orko and his parents from the embarrassment of having a name out of sync with his skill level.
8 Throwback: The Castle Offers The Same Lessons To The Next Sorceress
Teela is the daughter of the Sorceress who guided Adam throughout the original He-Man. In Revelation, Teela inherits the role of Sorceress. The episode "Comes With Everything You See Here" depicts Teela descending into the Pool of Power, ready to finally accept a destiny that she fights against throughout the entirety of Revelation.
The scene is a throwback to "Origin of the Sorceress," an episode of the original He-Man. In that episode, Teela's mother takes the mantle from Kuduk Ungol in order to save her village. Teela's mother descends into the same Pool of Power to gain the Sorceress powers.
7 New: Andra Becomes The New Man-At-Arms
In the original series, Duncan is a trusted friend of King Randor, Queen Marlena, Prince Adam, and the Sorceress. He also takes on the role of Man-at-Arms, a position that allows hiim to build various useful weapons for the palace guard.
At the beginning of Revelation, it appears that Teela will inherit that mantle from her father. But her destiny lies with her mother's mantle instead. Throughout the series, the audience is introduced to Teela's best friend, Andra. Unlike Teela, Andra has the same technical experience that makes Duncan a valuable Man-at-Arms. Finally, the series ends with Teela claiming her destiny as Sorceress and Andra claiming hers as Man-at-Arms.
6 Throwback: Evil-Lyn Uses The Name Majestra
In Revelation, Evil-Lyn attempts to disguise herself in order to secure the services of Teela and Andra, who are working as rogue agents after Teela leaves the palace in the wake of Adam's death. In the episode "The Poisoned Chalice," Evil-Lyn poses as an elderly lady named Majestra.
The name Majestra is a throwback to an original He-Man episode in which Evil-Lyn infiltrates the palace by posing as a "benevolent" magical user named Majestra. In that episode, Evil-Lyn uses the shaping staff to change her appearance, and that same shaping staff is seen throughout Revelation.
5 New: Evil-Lyn Gets A Sympathetic Backstory
Despite being titled He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, the original cartoon focuses primarily on He-Man and Skeletor. Skeletor's cohorts in evil do not receive much development in the 1983 show. Although the 2002 reboot does give Evil-Lyn a backstory, it merely revolves around her being a rebellious daughter craving more power.
In Revelation, Evil-Lyn tells Beast Man about her origins. In this version, she is a hungry, abused child growing up in the worst part of Eternia and nearly eaten by her parents. Her backstory in this version is more sympathetic than the 2002 version and explains why she has no loyalty to Skeletor.
4 Throwback: The Crystal Sea Returns
The Crystal Sea receives a mention in two episodes of the original He-Man. The first mention of the Sea is in the episode "Teela's Quest," an episode that depicts Teela roaming Eternia to find the truth about her mother's identity. In "The Shaping Staff," Evil-Lyn discovers the staff in the Crystal Sea.
The Crystal Sea plays an important role in Revelation. Together, Evil-Lyn, Teela, Andra, Orko, and Roboto must travel across the Sea to Subternia in order to repair Adam's broken sword and save Eternia.
3 New: Orko And Evil-Lyn Develop A Friendship
Revelation's biggest strength is its depiction of friendships. It's not an exaggeration to say that the power of friendship helps to restore magic to Eternia and save the day. Of course, some of these friendships are old ones, such as the ones between Adam and Teela. But Revelation also takes time to develop new friendships, such as the one between Orko and Evil-Lyn.
Orko has always been depicted as an optimistic little wizard with powers he can't quite control. Evil-Lyn has always been depicted as a powerful magic user with full control. Their friendship is unexpected, but reveals deeper motivations in each of them.
2 Throwback: The Queen Knows Adam's Secret
In the episode "The Rainbow Warrior," from the original He-Man, Queen Marlena rescues her family from Skeletor's clutches. Later, when Adam asks why she freed him first, she gives him two reasons. First, she could not save everyone and had to save her son. Second, Marlena tells her son that a mother always knows what her son is capable of, and she has always been very proud of him. It is a very subtle way of implying that she knows Adam is He-Man.
Revelation makes the fact that she knows her son's identity explicit. She gets to have a full conversation with her son about how proud she is of him and no longer has to hide the truth from her husband.
1 New: Teela And Evil-Lyn Are Allowed To Be Angry
During the original He-Man, Teela and Evil-Lyn have good reasons to be angry. Evil-Lyn is an accomplished magic user working for a despotic, cruel, and obsessive man who shows no gratitude for her talents. Teela's best friend continually lies to her and refuses to let her in on a secret his other friends are allowed to know.
Revelation acknowledges the indignities that Evil-Lyn and Teela suffer in the original show. Revelation allows them to be furious at the men responsible and at the world that encourages the lies. Although their fury takes them down different paths, Revelation never argues that their anger is wrong.