General · EdgepediaOctober 3, 20266 min read

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2021 TV series)

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is a CGI-animated adventure series produced by Netflix and Mattel Television that reimagines the 1980s He-Man cartoon for a new generation of children. Set on Eternia, the story follows a young prince who is lost and comes upon the powers of Grayskull, using them to become He-Man, the Master of the Universe.¹ It ran on Netflix for three seasons and 26 episodes between September 2021 and August 2022.²

Key fact	Detail
Production	Netflix and Mattel Television original animated series, developed by Rob David¹^•³
Run	Season 1 premiered September 16, 2021; final episode aired August 18, 2022; status ended³
Episodes	26 episodes in three seasons (10, 8, and 8), about 26 minutes each²^•⁴
Premise	Mighty teen Adam and his squad of misfits discover the power of Grayskull and their destiny to defend Eternia from Skeletor⁵
Main voices	Yuri Lowenthal (Adam/He-Man), Ben Diskin (Keldor/Skeletor), Kimberly Brooks (Teela), David Kaye (Cringer), Grey Griffin (Evil-Lyn)²^•⁴
Rating	TV-Y7, kids and family animation⁵
Reception	Season 1 scored 83% on the Tomatometer (6 reviews) and 59% on the Popcornmeter (100+ ratings)⁶

Spoilers

Story and characters

The series follows Eternia's Prince Adam, who discovers the magical power of Grayskull and transforms into He-Man to battle the evil Skeletor.² Unlike the episodic 1980s cartoon, the story runs as one continuing arc: the classic battle between He-Man and Skeletor rages to new heights as both hero and villain forge new and mighty teams, ending with the question of who will become Master of the Universe.³ The final episode, "The End of the Beginning" (part 2 of 2, August 18, 2022), asks whether He-Man and the Masters can rally together as Eternia stands on the brink of destruction at Skeletor's hands.³

The voice cast pairs classic roles with new takes. Yuri Lowenthal voices Prince Adam and He-Man, David Kaye voices Cringer and Battle Cat, Kimberly Brooks voices Teela and the Sorceress, and Antony Del Rio voices Duncan, Man-at-Arms.² On the villain side, Ben Diskin voices Prince Keldor, who becomes Skeletor, Grey Griffin voices Evelyn, Evil-Lyn, Roger Craig Smith voices Kronis, who becomes Trap-Jaw, and Trevor Devall voices R'Qazz, Beast Man.⁴ Judy Alice Lee plays Krass, who becomes Ram Ma'am, a character original to this series, alongside Tom Kenny as the robot Ork-0 and Fred Tatasciore as King Randor.⁴

Place in the franchise

The toy line that spawned the franchise launched in 1982, and the original animated series premiered the following year; the 2021 series is one of several animated reimaginings, following the 2002 reboot.¹³^•¹⁴ The 2021 show, next to the 2002 series, features highly exaggerated character designs with armor that looks more toyetic, and it aims at an audience even younger than the original series did, centering on a He-Man who has recently recovered his memories and once more discovered his identity as Adam, Prince of Eternia.¹⁵ Its run formed part of Mattel's broader effort to revive the dormant franchise for a new generation of consumers, which also included the concurrent Revelation series.⁸

Production and creative approach

Showrunner Rob David and co-executive producer Jeff Matsuda framed the series as a CG-animated reimagining of the heroic adventures of the Guardians of Grayskull. David explained that the show presents Adam not as He-Man's alter ego but as a kid with great potential who needs to master his own power, and that visual cues for technology and magic were updated for a 2021 audience rather than a 1983 one.⁷ The team chose CG animation deliberately: a 3D set allowed fights, battle scenes, and camera work that the franchise had never had before, making moments feel more over-the-top epic.⁷

A two-series strategy. The show was one of two Masters of the Universe series Mattel launched on Netflix in 2021. The other, Masters of the Universe: Revelation with Kevin Smith as showrunner, picked up where the 1980s story left off and spoke to the original fans; He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was the new kids' series meant to bring He-Man, Teela, and Skeletor to a new generation.⁸ A United States Patent and Trademark Office filing likewise describes the 2021 release as a CGI-animated reimagining of the original show, produced by Netflix in partnership with Mattel.⁹

Tone and audience

The series is rated TV-Y7 and is aimed squarely at children. Common Sense Media describes it as a reboot of the original 1980s cartoon that revolves around the classic theme of good versus evil, keeping an overall playful tone even when characters face peril, and notes that witty quips and powerful female sidekicks attempt to refresh the 1980s icon for a modern audience.¹⁰ A critic for Common Sense Media added that with considerably more robots and lasers than the original, the show keeps the core premise of the eternal struggle between good and evil with an updated feel.⁶

Reception

Season 1 holds an 83% Tomatometer from 6 critics' reviews and a 59% Popcornmeter from more than 100 user ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.⁶ Critics highlighted the show's strengths for viewers without nostalgia for the original: Joel Keller of Decider wrote that what the series lacks in nostalgia it makes up for with smart dialogue, good CGI, and the ability to build the world of Eternia from scratch with a compelling story, while Collier Jennings of But Why Tho? called it a welcome update of the classic series leaning into themes of family and teamwork.⁶ On Metacritic, the user score is 5.3, described as mixed or average, with 55% of user reviews positive.¹¹

The series was not renewed after its third season and is listed as canceled or ended.² It remains available on Netflix and for digital purchase.¹²

References

Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026