WARNING: The following contains minor spoilers for She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Season 2, now streaming on Netflix.
In Season 1 of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, we found out Shadow Weaver's history actually had deep roots in Etheria. In fact, she wasn't always a villain -- she was once the sorceress known as Light Spinner, and someone who once stood against tyranny.
However, due to some mysterious corruption, she joined Hordak and became the Shadow Weaver, grooming the likes of Adora and Catra as soldiers in the Fright Zone. She was shockingly betrayed by Hordak at the end of last season, but thanks to some key developments while she was imprisoned, it appears Shadow Weaver has seen the light once more.
SHADOW WEAVER'S CORRUPTION
In Season 2's sixth episode, "Light Spinner," we see the sorceress as part of Mystacore's council, training future magicians such as Micah (Bright Moon's king-in-the-making and Glimmer's dad). Here, Light Spinner and company are taking lead from master wizard Norwyn, all trying to use their magic to help Etheria and the Princess Alliance stave off Hordak's invading forces.
Sadly, Light Spinner wants to speed things up and uses the Spell of Obtainment, adjusting it so as to obtain more power. With the Three Moons of Enchantment finally aligning and Micah's prodigious skills at her disposal, she manipulates him into casting the spell with her.
However, it backfires and she's possessed by a dark entity before attacking the council and killing Norwyn. She spares Micah, though, and heads over to offer her services to Hordak, all so she can wage war on her former associates, as she views them as weaklings who held her back.
SHADOW WEAVER'S REDEMPTION SONG
In prison, however, she has time to mull over her many mistakes, especially as she witnesses Hordak treating Catra the same way she was. Shadow Weaver starts remembering her heroic days, drawing strength from how hopeful and altruistic Micah, her best student, was in their time together.
As Shadow Weaver recalls how she used the Black Garnet runestone as a source of power, and how Entrapta's experiments with it are now dooming the planet, it becomes all too obvious she wants to make amends. She eventually tricks Catra into bringing her the badge she wore at the council and, later on in the night, she uses the magic it was imbued with to escape.
This angers Catra, but Shadow Weaver did leave her with messages of love -- similar to her exchanges with Micah -- before her escape, reminding her about believing in herself and standing up to Hordak. She dropped hints she wanted her former apprentice to abstain from walking the dark path she did, but, ultimately, Shadow Weaver simply doesn't want to force Catra to choose her destiny.
SHADOW WEAVER'S CONNECTION TO ADORA
After escaping, the season finale, "Reunion," closes with Shadow Weaver standing over Adora while the young girl is sleeping over at Bow's house. She has the opportunity to kill Adora, but she remembers how much the girl was like a daughter to her. Flashbacks earlier showed Shadow Weaver taking to Adora with affection after Hordak found the baby, making it clear Adora filled a gap in her life.
Ironically, with the three moons aligning again, it appears Shadow Weaver has expunged the darkness from her soul. She doesn't want to see Etheria destroyed again and, having always known the power Adora held as a future She-Ra, it's obvious Shadow Weaver wants to rewind time and be Light Spinner again.
Admittedly, we must consider the possibility that such a temptress might be concocting a ruse of some sort, angling to use Adora as a weapon, possibly to overthrow Hordak. But as it stands, everything she's done so far this season indicates she's not looking for tools or pawns. Shadow Weaver simply wants allies so she can restore Etheria to its glory days and build the world she once promised a blue-eyed Micah.
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, starring Aimee Carrero, Karen Fukuhara, AJ Michalka, Marcus Scribner, Reshma Shetty, Lorraine Toussaint, Keston John, Lauren Ash, Christine Woods, Genesis Rodriguez, Jordan Fisher, Vella Lovell, Merit Leighton, Sandra Oh and Krystal Joy Brown, is now available on Netflix.