Nerdom at large was shocked when it was announced this past weekend (via Deadline) that none other than Kevin Smith would be showrunning a He-Man and the Masters of the Universe revival at Netflix. And when we say “revival,” we mean it quite literally. This show continue the story of the original 1983-1985 animated series, although now in anime-style rendering.
Netflix
Given this crazy news, it’s got me thinking about which characters from the classic show and toy line should be getting another chance at the spotlight. After all, the original show possessed a bumper crop of bizarre characters that Kevin Smith would no doubt love to get his hands on. Here are seven He-Man and the Masters of the Universe characters from the old show and the original Mattel toyline we’d love to see pop up again.
Snout Spout
Filmation
This guy came late in the original toyline run, and is essentially a ripped humanoid body with a mechanical elephant head. By the time the toy was introduced in 1986, He-Man’s show was cancelled in favor of She-Ra, so he appeared on that series instead. The cartoon never explained where the heck he’s from, although later comics and ephemera have said he’s from She-Ra’s homeworld of Etheria. We think a robotic elephant-headed dude whose power it is too shoot water out of his trunk has Kevin Smith’s name written all over it.
Roboto
Filmation
As his name suggests, this Eternian warrior is just a robot dude who does robot stuff. The action figure was a favorite of many a kid back in the day, because his chest was clear plastic through which you could see all his gears grind and move when you twisted him at the waist. Look, we were easily impressed kids back in the day, ok!? He showed up only once on the original series, where we learned he crashed on Eternia from the world of Robotica and Man-At-Arms repaired him. If Kevin Smith uses the Styx song “ Mr Roboto” whenever he appears, then I am here for it.
Plundor
Filmation
Even as kid, I thought this was an extremely weird choice for a villain on the show. Plundor was an anthropomorphic purple rabbit, who looked goofy as hell and yet was apparently a deadly villain. He ruled the planet Trannis, but eventually set his sights on Eternia’s heroes. This guy never had an action figure until the modern Masters of the Universe Classics line in 2013. But we feel that an evil purple bunny man is right in Kevin Smith’s wheelhouse.
The Snake Men
Mattel
Mattel introduced this whole new cadre of villains into the Masters toyline in 1986. Led by King Hiss, these guys had once conquered Eternia thousands of years prior and built Snake Mountain, Skeletor’s lair. After their banishment to limbo, Skeletor returned them to the present and formed an alliance to put an end to He-Man and company.
The figures had cool designs and equally goofy names like Sssqueeze and Tung Lashor. But they never made it onto the original cartoon series due to the show’s cancellation. The toyline introduced them just after. Although the Snake Men were a big part of the 2002 reboot, this new show is the chance to bring these slithering baddies into the classic continuity.
Buzz-Off
Mattel
This heroic warrior arrived in 1984, at the peak of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’s popularity. Essentially a giant bee man, he made just a few appearances on the original show. The series introduced his race of bee people who live in the mountains, and he spoke in buzzing tone. You know, just in case kids didn’t get the whole bee gimmick. The 2002 reboot gave him a more insectoid look and expanded on his race and gave them an actual name, but we’ll see if Kevin Smith incorporates any of that into his show. But we think he won’t be able to resist using a giant bee guy with an ax.
Granamyr
Filmation
This ancient dragon was probably the coolest cartoon-era character. Yet he didn’t get a toy in the original line. Seemingly based on Smaug from The Hobbit, this ancient dragon was not only able to speak, but was also a wise Yoda type. He made several appearances on the show and on She-Ra, but somehow Mattel never gave this guy a toy until recent collector’s lines. But I know I want to see this giant dragon imparting wisdom on He-Man and friends one more time.
She-Ra
Filmation
Yeah, yeah. I know She-Ra has her own cool and very popular series on Netflix right now. But that show is clearly its own thing, and has its own separate continuity from the original series. If Kevin Smith’s new He-Man show is a continuation of the original continuity, that means his sister She-Ra is part of his world. They shouldn’t just ignore her. I don’t think anyone’s heads are going to explode if we get two versions of She-Ra either, especially if one is only a guest star. We’re all hip to the multiverse concept now. Let’s see these two famous siblings reunited at last!
Featured Image: Filmation
