The Power Sword
Encyclopedia
The Power Sword is a fictional sword from the Masters of the Universe
toyline, sometimes also referred to as the Sword of Power and the Sword of Grayskull. It started out as a mystical object in the early stories, in which Skeletor
tries to obtain both halves and put them together in order to gain control over Castle Greyskull, while He-Man
's role is to stop him by using more regular weapons such as an axe and a shield. With the arrival of the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
animated series, the Power Sword became the means by which Prince Adam transforms into He-Man. There is no evidence of the Power Sword being divided in this version of the story. The weapon kept the same basic shape during most of the 1980s, but then it was radically redesigned twice: for The New Adventures of He-Man
as well as the 2002 remake of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
.
in order to obtain the sword's total power, adding that "the magic fires, created by ancient scientists and sorcerers, will blaze again" once the two halves are joined. The specific purpose of the quest is also made clear: the Power Sword can be used to open a hole in the dimensional wall in order to bring reinforcements from Skeletor's dimension of origin, which would allow Skeletor to conquer Eternia's dimension. Once the two halves of the Power Sword are joined, Skeletor is able to use the sword to command various objects to attack He-Man. However, the spell is broken once the Sorceress splits the Power Sword into two halves again, hiding them and making the Power Sword the only key that can open the castle's Jaw-Bridge when inserted into an enchanted lock.
The next illustrated book, King of Castle Grayskull, reveals where the two halves have been hidden: one at Eternia's "highest point", the other beneath its "hardest rock." Whoever finds them can claim the throne of Castle Grayskull and the "secrets of the universe". The "highest point" turns out to be the top of Stratos's mountain, while the "hardest rock" is the rock where He-Man built his home in the previous book. As expected, the Jaw-Bridge opens once the two halves have been inserted into the lock, but then Skeletor loses the sword again in battle. The book ends with the Spirit of the Castle sending the two halves into another dimension, where Skeletor is not expected to find them easily. The Power Sword is not featured in the last two books of the first series, Battle in the Clouds and The Vengeance of Skeletor.
, the Power Sword is given to Prince Adam by the Sorceress of Grayskull as the key to transforming into He-Man
, "the Most Powerful Man in the Universe," and transforming his cowardly pet tiger, Cringer, into the fierce and brave Battle Cat
. The war-cry with which Prince Adam thus transforms while holding the Power Sword above his head with his right hand begins, "By the Power of Grayskull...." whereupon mystical lightning strikes the Power Sword and transforms him; He-Man then seizes the tip of the Power Sword's blade and completes the war-cry, "...I HAVE THE POWER!"
Princess Adora/She-Ra
, He-Man's twin sister, has a companion Power Sword, called the Sword of Protection, which is identical except that it has a glowing jewel in the hilt. She transforms into She-Ra by saying, "For the honor of Grayskull...I am She-Ra!"
, the Prince Adam alter-ego is not explicitly shown to exist, and the Sword of Grayskull has a less prominent role. In some parts of the movie He-Man uses laser guns in addition to wielding his sword in close combat. He is also shown as being able to deflect laser beams with the blade in much the same manner as the classic cartoon. The sword serves an ambiguous purpose (if any) in gaining the Powers of Grayskull, as Skeletor has already taken the Sorceress hostage in the beginning of the film and is waiting for the Great Eye to open and give him godlike powers. However, he obtains it once he has captured He-Man and makes a particular point of declaring his possession of it, placing it in a special scabbard
-like slot before the eye, possibly suggesting it serves some function in the process. When He-Man breaks free and attempts to retrieve the sword, Skeletor desperately tries to stop him.
The most explicit example of the sword's magical properties comes in the final battle between He-Man and Skeletor, where He-Man draws the sword from the aforementioned slot, while enduring energy attacks from the godlike Skeletor. When He-Man draws the sword out, he shouts "I have the power!" during which the sword glows and blue electricity coarses through He-Man (the film does not specify what this does - it may have healed him or boosted his strength for this fight). As he fights Skeletor, blue electricity from the sword and yellow electricity from Skeletor's staff appear as the weapons make contact, until finally the Power Sword smashes the Havoc Staff, causing Skeletor to lose his new powers and return to normal. At this point Skeletor draws his own black version of the mystic sword for the final stage of the duel, an obvious homage to the classic minicomics depicting Skeletor with one half of the Power Sword (although in this case it is black rather than purple, coordinated to match the character's switch in costume colour from the original).
, who resembles He-Man but larger and with longer Viking-like hair and a massive green saber-tooth lion as a steed. The Power Sword is King Grayskull's personal weapon, and after fighting a fatal battle with Hordak
, the dying king binds his mystical powers to the weapon. Afterwards his advisers become the Elders who seal the castle, and his wife becomes its guardian, the first Sorceress. Therefore, when Prince Adam holds up the sword and calls out "by the power of Grayskull" he is calling on the energies of King Grayskull himself, rather than those of the namesake castle.
The sword was heavily redesigned for the new cartoon, with a much more complex, mechanised look. When held by Prince Adam it appears smaller, however during the transformation sequence, the hilt pivots on an axis and changes shape, taking a new form when it is in He-Man's hands, and is more explicitly shown growing in size in the revised transformation sequence from the second season. In the series finale, it is shown that an alternate mode can be accessed wherein the blade splits in the middle and opens to reveal another emerald blade inside. The sword then appears to be two fangs (the blade) and a snake's tongue (the emerald blade). This mode of the sword was used to battle Serpos, the giant snake deity that was imprisoned in Snake Mountain.
Also in this new cartoon, Skeletor possess twin swords that can be combined into one larger sword, a reference to the original concept of the Power Sword(s) from the action figures and minicomics, however this twin sword has no magical properties. According to designers the Four Horsemen
, this was due to their original re-sculpts being intended for a continuation of the original storyline in which Skeletor had obtained both halves of the Power Sword (hence the new Skeletor figure's dual blades with clear "good" and "evil" hilt designs), necessitating a new sword to be built by Man-At-Arms
and endowed with the properties of the original by the Sorceress
. However, Mattel
decreed that they wished to reboot the continuity for a new generation of children, and thus the "new" Power Sword design became the "original" version for the new continuity.
. Prince Adam's twin sister, and is used in her transformation into the heroic She-Ra
. Instead of the war-cry, "By the Power of Grayskull," Adora's transformation is triggered by calling "For the Honor of Grayskull." Similar in overall design to the Sword of Power, the Sword of Protection is, however, more slender, having a finer blade reflecting its female owner, and has a jewel imbedded in the hilt. The jewel is the key to such powers of the Sword of Protection as Adora's transformation; if it is damaged, she loses her ability to transform into She-Ra, as seen in the episode "The Stone in the Sword." In addition to being a formidable weapon capable of cutting through most substances or deflecting attacks, the Sword of Protection has the ability to change its shape, a trait not shared by the Sword of Power. She-Ra can change the sword to a variety of weapons or tools through spoken command, varying from a shield or lasso, to a helmet or flaming blade.
Had She-Ra been introduced in to the 2002 He-Man series' third season, as originally intended, the Sword of Protection would have also been introduced. However, due to the introduction of King Grayskull
, who owned but one sword which became He-Man's Sword of Power, it is unknown how the writers would have intended to connect the Sword of Protection to the new continuity.
Masters of the Universe
Masters of the Universe is a media franchise created by Mattel....
toyline, sometimes also referred to as the Sword of Power and the Sword of Grayskull. It started out as a mystical object in the early stories, in which Skeletor
Skeletor
Skeletor is a featured villain in the Masters of the Universe franchise and the arch-enemy and main antagonist of He-Man. Depicted as a muscular blue humanoid with a purple hood over his yellowing bare-bone skull, Skeletor seeks to conquer Castle Grayskull so he can learn its ancient secrets,...
tries to obtain both halves and put them together in order to gain control over Castle Greyskull, while He-Man
He-Man
He-Man is a fictional heroic character featured in the Masters of the Universe media franchise. In most variations, he is the alter ego of Prince Adam...
's role is to stop him by using more regular weapons such as an axe and a shield. With the arrival of the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an American animated television series produced by Filmation based on Mattel's successful toy line Masters of the Universe...
animated series, the Power Sword became the means by which Prince Adam transforms into He-Man. There is no evidence of the Power Sword being divided in this version of the story. The weapon kept the same basic shape during most of the 1980s, but then it was radically redesigned twice: for The New Adventures of He-Man
The New Adventures of He-Man
The New Adventures of He-Man is an animated series which ran in syndication in the fall of 1990 while Mattel released the toy line He-Man, an update of their successful Masters of the Universe line...
as well as the 2002 remake of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2002)
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an American animated television series. Developed for television by Michael Halperin, who created the original series, it was animated by Mike Young Productions...
.
Toys
In the initial Mattel toy line, the He-Man and Skeletor figures each came with half of a flexible plastic sword which could be joined into one "complete" sword, corresponding to the storyline in the included mini-comic. Together, the complete sword was used as a key to open the drawbridge to the Castle Grayskull playset.Mini-comics
The Power Sword appears as early as the He-Man and the Power Sword illustrated mini-comic that was packaged with the original He-Man action figure. Skeletor's goal in the book is to acquire the other half of the sword hidden inside Castle GrayskullCastle Grayskull
Castle Grayskull is a fortress located on the fictional planet Eternia. It forms a central location in the Masters of the Universe toy/comic/animation universe, and also appears in the 1987 live action adaptation....
in order to obtain the sword's total power, adding that "the magic fires, created by ancient scientists and sorcerers, will blaze again" once the two halves are joined. The specific purpose of the quest is also made clear: the Power Sword can be used to open a hole in the dimensional wall in order to bring reinforcements from Skeletor's dimension of origin, which would allow Skeletor to conquer Eternia's dimension. Once the two halves of the Power Sword are joined, Skeletor is able to use the sword to command various objects to attack He-Man. However, the spell is broken once the Sorceress splits the Power Sword into two halves again, hiding them and making the Power Sword the only key that can open the castle's Jaw-Bridge when inserted into an enchanted lock.
The next illustrated book, King of Castle Grayskull, reveals where the two halves have been hidden: one at Eternia's "highest point", the other beneath its "hardest rock." Whoever finds them can claim the throne of Castle Grayskull and the "secrets of the universe". The "highest point" turns out to be the top of Stratos's mountain, while the "hardest rock" is the rock where He-Man built his home in the previous book. As expected, the Jaw-Bridge opens once the two halves have been inserted into the lock, but then Skeletor loses the sword again in battle. The book ends with the Spirit of the Castle sending the two halves into another dimension, where Skeletor is not expected to find them easily. The Power Sword is not featured in the last two books of the first series, Battle in the Clouds and The Vengeance of Skeletor.
Filmation cartoon
In the cartoon He-Man and the Masters of the UniverseHe-Man and the Masters of the Universe
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an American animated television series produced by Filmation based on Mattel's successful toy line Masters of the Universe...
, the Power Sword is given to Prince Adam by the Sorceress of Grayskull as the key to transforming into He-Man
He-Man
He-Man is a fictional heroic character featured in the Masters of the Universe media franchise. In most variations, he is the alter ego of Prince Adam...
, "the Most Powerful Man in the Universe," and transforming his cowardly pet tiger, Cringer, into the fierce and brave Battle Cat
Battle Cat
Battle-Cat is a fictional character in the Masters of the Universe franchise. He is a large green tiger, with yellow stripes who serves as He-Man's fighting mount.-Battle Cat :...
. The war-cry with which Prince Adam thus transforms while holding the Power Sword above his head with his right hand begins, "By the Power of Grayskull...." whereupon mystical lightning strikes the Power Sword and transforms him; He-Man then seizes the tip of the Power Sword's blade and completes the war-cry, "...I HAVE THE POWER!"
Princess Adora/She-Ra
She-Ra
She-Ra is a fictional character and the heroine in the Filmation cartoon and series of toys produced by Mattel called She-Ra: Princess of Power. She is the alter ego of Princess Adora and the twin sister of He-Man. She-Ra was intended to appeal to young girls in the same way that He-Man appealed to...
, He-Man's twin sister, has a companion Power Sword, called the Sword of Protection, which is identical except that it has a glowing jewel in the hilt. She transforms into She-Ra by saying, "For the honor of Grayskull...I am She-Ra!"
Live action movie
In the live action film, Masters of the UniverseMasters of the Universe (film)
Masters of the Universe is a 1987 science-fiction fantasy film based on the toy line by the same name. The movie stars Dolph Lundgren as He-Man and Frank Langella as Skeletor...
, the Prince Adam alter-ego is not explicitly shown to exist, and the Sword of Grayskull has a less prominent role. In some parts of the movie He-Man uses laser guns in addition to wielding his sword in close combat. He is also shown as being able to deflect laser beams with the blade in much the same manner as the classic cartoon. The sword serves an ambiguous purpose (if any) in gaining the Powers of Grayskull, as Skeletor has already taken the Sorceress hostage in the beginning of the film and is waiting for the Great Eye to open and give him godlike powers. However, he obtains it once he has captured He-Man and makes a particular point of declaring his possession of it, placing it in a special scabbard
Scabbard
A scabbard is a sheath for holding a sword, knife, or other large blade. Scabbards have been made of many materials over the millennia, including leather, wood, and metals such as brass or steel.-Types of scabbards:...
-like slot before the eye, possibly suggesting it serves some function in the process. When He-Man breaks free and attempts to retrieve the sword, Skeletor desperately tries to stop him.
The most explicit example of the sword's magical properties comes in the final battle between He-Man and Skeletor, where He-Man draws the sword from the aforementioned slot, while enduring energy attacks from the godlike Skeletor. When He-Man draws the sword out, he shouts "I have the power!" during which the sword glows and blue electricity coarses through He-Man (the film does not specify what this does - it may have healed him or boosted his strength for this fight). As he fights Skeletor, blue electricity from the sword and yellow electricity from Skeletor's staff appear as the weapons make contact, until finally the Power Sword smashes the Havoc Staff, causing Skeletor to lose his new powers and return to normal. At this point Skeletor draws his own black version of the mystic sword for the final stage of the duel, an obvious homage to the classic minicomics depicting Skeletor with one half of the Power Sword (although in this case it is black rather than purple, coordinated to match the character's switch in costume colour from the original).
New Adventures of He-Man
The New Adventures of He-Man cartoon takes He-Man into the distant future to the alien planet Primus. The sword itself is updated to look more futuristic, and is sometimes able to fire bolts of glowing energy. In this series, Prince Adam's phrase to transform into He-Man is changed from "By the Power of Grayskull..." to "By the Power of Eternia..." Cringer/Battle-Cat and She-Ra are not part of this series, and in this series Skeletor is not interested in taking the Power Sword for himself.2002 cartoon
In the animated remake, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, the origins of the Power Sword and Castle Grayskull are revised. The castle is revealed to be the former home of an ancient warrior king named King GrayskullKing Grayskull
King Grayskull is a fictional character from the 2002 version of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. -Fictional character biography:...
, who resembles He-Man but larger and with longer Viking-like hair and a massive green saber-tooth lion as a steed. The Power Sword is King Grayskull's personal weapon, and after fighting a fatal battle with Hordak
Hordak
Hordak is a fictional character in the Masters of the Universe franchise, as a villain who opposes She-Ra, He-Man, and villain Skeletor. In the She-Ra cartoon, he is the leader of the segment of the fictional Evil Horde on the planet Etheria, an army of savage warriors, most of whom wear a red...
, the dying king binds his mystical powers to the weapon. Afterwards his advisers become the Elders who seal the castle, and his wife becomes its guardian, the first Sorceress. Therefore, when Prince Adam holds up the sword and calls out "by the power of Grayskull" he is calling on the energies of King Grayskull himself, rather than those of the namesake castle.
The sword was heavily redesigned for the new cartoon, with a much more complex, mechanised look. When held by Prince Adam it appears smaller, however during the transformation sequence, the hilt pivots on an axis and changes shape, taking a new form when it is in He-Man's hands, and is more explicitly shown growing in size in the revised transformation sequence from the second season. In the series finale, it is shown that an alternate mode can be accessed wherein the blade splits in the middle and opens to reveal another emerald blade inside. The sword then appears to be two fangs (the blade) and a snake's tongue (the emerald blade). This mode of the sword was used to battle Serpos, the giant snake deity that was imprisoned in Snake Mountain.
Also in this new cartoon, Skeletor possess twin swords that can be combined into one larger sword, a reference to the original concept of the Power Sword(s) from the action figures and minicomics, however this twin sword has no magical properties. According to designers the Four Horsemen
Four Horsemen Studios
Four Horsemen Studios is a group of four action figure sculptors who formerly worked for McFarlane Toys, and whose work has included the modern and classics line of Masters of the Universe toys and the current DCSH and DC Universe Classics lines....
, this was due to their original re-sculpts being intended for a continuation of the original storyline in which Skeletor had obtained both halves of the Power Sword (hence the new Skeletor figure's dual blades with clear "good" and "evil" hilt designs), necessitating a new sword to be built by Man-At-Arms
Man-At-Arms
Man-At-Arms is the primary title of Duncan, a fictional character in the Masters of the Universe franchise. The figure's tag-line is "Heroic Master of Weapons".-He-Man and the Masters of the Universe :...
and endowed with the properties of the original by the Sorceress
Sorceress of Castle Grayskull
The Sorceress of Castle Grayskull, also known as The Goddess and Teela Na, is a fictional character from the Masters of the Universe franchise.-Original MOTU mini-comics:...
. However, Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
decreed that they wished to reboot the continuity for a new generation of children, and thus the "new" Power Sword design became the "original" version for the new continuity.
The Sword of Protection
The Sword of Protection is the weapon wielded by AdoraAdora
Adora may refer to:* Adora , a town mentioned in the Apocrypha* Adora, Har Hebron, an Israeli settlement on the West Bank* Adora , a novel by Bertrice Small* Princess Adora, a cartoon character from She-Ra: Princess of Power...
. Prince Adam's twin sister, and is used in her transformation into the heroic She-Ra
She-Ra
She-Ra is a fictional character and the heroine in the Filmation cartoon and series of toys produced by Mattel called She-Ra: Princess of Power. She is the alter ego of Princess Adora and the twin sister of He-Man. She-Ra was intended to appeal to young girls in the same way that He-Man appealed to...
. Instead of the war-cry, "By the Power of Grayskull," Adora's transformation is triggered by calling "For the Honor of Grayskull." Similar in overall design to the Sword of Power, the Sword of Protection is, however, more slender, having a finer blade reflecting its female owner, and has a jewel imbedded in the hilt. The jewel is the key to such powers of the Sword of Protection as Adora's transformation; if it is damaged, she loses her ability to transform into She-Ra, as seen in the episode "The Stone in the Sword." In addition to being a formidable weapon capable of cutting through most substances or deflecting attacks, the Sword of Protection has the ability to change its shape, a trait not shared by the Sword of Power. She-Ra can change the sword to a variety of weapons or tools through spoken command, varying from a shield or lasso, to a helmet or flaming blade.
Had She-Ra been introduced in to the 2002 He-Man series' third season, as originally intended, the Sword of Protection would have also been introduced. However, due to the introduction of King Grayskull
King Grayskull
King Grayskull is a fictional character from the 2002 version of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. -Fictional character biography:...
, who owned but one sword which became He-Man's Sword of Power, it is unknown how the writers would have intended to connect the Sword of Protection to the new continuity.