He-Man and the Masters of the Universe - TEELA!

MOTU Origins - Cartoon Collection (200x Wave 4) - Teela - Mattel 2026

I'm admittedly not the biggest fan of the character designs from the 200x Mike Young Productions He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon. With Teela in particular, the impossibly-long gravity-defying ponytail seemed extremely silly. And her blue shoulderpads were an odd departure from her typically-simple color palette. That said, I really appreciate when an action figure is a good representation of an animated design. And this Cartoon Collection Teela is a great example of that. There have been a few Teela figures from this show in the past, but they didn't look anything like the source material. But this one looks really good and actually makes me like the 200x animated design a little more. I even splurged on the Mondo preorder after I felt my judgement waning. I'm now surprising myself by looking forward to the Sorceress figure coming in Wave 6 (and I always felt like her redesign was the most tragic). Here's to changing opinions! Let's check out Teela below!

Masters of the Universe - SHADOW WEAVER!

MOTU Origins - Cartoon Collection - Shadow Weaver - Mattel 2025

As 2025 winds down, I won't lie that I have a little disappointment over the She-Ra 40th Anniversary year output. We've had some great releases, and there is still a heavily rumored Glimmer on the way. But I had high hopes for some deep cuts. I wanted Octavia, Peek-a-Blue, Castaspella, and a million others. Perhaps there is a whole lineup of additional POP characters stuck in tariff limbo, but for now I'm trying to be grateful for the one we already have. Shadow Weaver is easily the most iconic villain from the original She-Ra cartoon. She was in 52 episodes and her simple sinister design was hard to forget. I always knew she was a shoe-in for the Cartoon Collection line, but I'm a bit surprised that her head looks the least like her Filmation design than almost all of her previous figures. The shape of the face hole, the overly-pronounced nose sculpt, and the overall hood silhouette just looks off. But the draping cloak and sleeves look incredible. Overall I'm pretty happy with her. Let's check out Shadow Weaver below!

Princess of Power - DESPARA!

Mattel Creations Club Grayskull - MOTU Origins - Despara - Mattel 2025

One of my favorite things to arise from the modern Masters of the Universe stories was the introduction of Despara. While not a wholly new concept, the name and costume of this character are a welcome reimaging to one of the glaring issues (in my humble opinion) with the original She-Ra, The Princess of Power cartoon. We all know that an infant Adora was kidnapped by Hordak from Eternia and raised in Etheria to become a powerful Captain in the Evil Horde. But when we met Adora in this role, despite having the cool title of "Force Captain Adora", she looked and acted identical to the pleasant and pretty member of the Great Rebellion we followed for the rest of the series. I always thought this was a missed opportunity to give She-Ra a wicked side. Well, more than 20 years later, DC published a digital MOTU comic that reimagined Adora as the evil Despara, complete with a mask resembling her abductor "father" Hordak. This was actually a more extreme redesign than I imagined, but I really like it.

Powers of Grayskull - SHARELLA!

Mattel Creations Club Grayskull - MOTU Origins - Sharella - Mattel 2025

The origins of Sharella have always been a bit confusing to me. I was aware of the tiny anonymous female character sprinting in the background art on the 1987 Megator box, and that she was some unnamed warrior from the Powers of Grayskull pre-Eternian storyline. But at some point she was given the name Sharella and tied into the earliest Masters of the Universe lore. Currently Sharella is generally accepted to be the "human" form of the Pre-Eternian Snake Goddess (sometime errantly referred to as "Green Teela" or "Green Goddess").  When I think of Teela and her eventual transformation into the feathered Sorceress of Grayskull, I can grasp that Sharella is the warrior (or priestess) that eventually becomes the Pre-Eternian Goddess. This figure is the prefect type of release for the Mattel Creations Club Grayskull exclusives. Diehard fans (who would subscribe to the Club) would be the target audience for such an obscure character. It certainly made me happy. Let's check out Sharella below!

Fastest Feline in the Universe - CHEETARA!

Masters of the Universe x ThunderCats - Wave 01 - Cheetara - -Mattel 2025

The MOTU mashup toylines continue to impress me. There is seemingly endless potential for crossover properties based on this classic MOTU aesthetic. Some notable mashup projects have included WWE, Stranger Things, and Transformers. But I personally feel the most exciting toys have come when two similar-but-distinctly-different licenses get to play off each other. We saw this with the Turtles of Grayskull line (April and Teela), and now with MOTU x ThunderCats. As a child of the 80s, I always wanted this crossover. They were both iconic fantasy cartoons that could potentially blend together nicely. But the action figures were just too different, both in scale and construction. Beyond being just a creative mashup of the two properties, this new line seems like a long overdue wish fulfillment to have these two genres occupy the same play space. And the fact that they come with the pieces to create the classic looks solidifies that theory. They're fantastic. Let's check out Cheetara below!

New Etheria - SHE-RA!

Masters of the Universe Masterverse: New Etheria - She-Ra - Mattel 2025

Ever since the 1987 movie Evil-Lyn figure came out in 2023, I have had my fingers crossed for the William Stout cinematic concept art for She-Ra (who was unfortunately cut out of the script). I knew this was a pipe dream, but I would still be vocal about it everytime there was speculation about SDCC or NYTF reveals. However, that itch was kindof scratched when this New Etheria She-Ra was revealed a few months ago. The New Eternia (and now New Etheria) sub-line of MasterVerse featured more realistic fantasy-inspired designs. There is really no connection to the William Stout concepts and this figure, but this stylized cinematic-looking She-Ra is a great consolation. My only fear is that this and Hordak will be the only New Etherian characters. Teela in the New Eternia line is due this Summer (along with Kobra Khan), but there isn't much known beyond that. This She-Ra figure is really great in person and really shows off the potential of this line. Let's check her out below!

Masters of the Universe - CATRA!

Masters of the Universe Origins - Cartoon Collection - Catra - Mattel 2025

She-Ra's 40th Anniversary year is off to an impressive start with the Masters of the Universe Origins Cartoon Collection. In late 2024 we got She-Ra, Mantenna, and Hordak. And now in 2025 we have Leech, Vultak, Grizzlor, Frosta, Catra, and upcoming Despara and Shadow Weaver. Of course I'm greedy and I want so many more characters (Scorpia, Octavia, and Glimmer please!) This Catra figure is long overdue. Her vintage action dolls were a pretty strange interpretation of her design. A pink catsuit, a black fur skirt, and a realistic silver cat mask were a far cry from the Filmation style I preferred. Catra combines two of my favorite character traits in cartoons: cat-themes and wicked villainesses. So she was a natural obsession for me. The only downside was her voice. So many of the POP characters had irritating voices. But forty years later and I still catch myself doing random impressions of Mantenna, Scorpia, or Catra to my confused peers. At least I amuse myself. Let's check out Catra below!

Masters of the Universe - FROSTA!

Masters of the Universe Origins - Cartoon Collection - Frosta - Mattel 2025

The Masters of the Universe Origins Cartoon Collection is absolutely thrilling me. One of the reasons I didn't become a toy collector earlier in my life is because three of my favorite nostalgic properties didn't have action figures. Jem, Transformers, and She-Ra all had toys, but I specifically wanted cartoon-accurate action figures of female characters.. and all we got was guys and dolls. Even in the superhero arena, if you exclude the occasional early Wonder Woman figure, female heros didn't hit the toy aisles until the mid to late 90s. When the Cartoon Collection gave us Teela, Evil-Lyn, and She-Ra early on, I was very happy, but not surprised. There had been multiple attempts to give us classic Filmation style versions of these characters. But it's this second batch of Frosta, Catra, and Shadow Weaver that has me giddy. Even the male characters like Leech, Vultak, Mantenna, and Grizzlor are filling huge gaps in the vintage lines. I can't wait to see who is next. Let's check out Frosta below!

Turtles of Grayskull - APRIL O'NEIL!

Masters of the Universe X Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - April - Mattel 2024

This figure is one of the biggest surprises for me in 2024. I had a total turnaround in my appreciation level in the span of a few months. When she was first revealed earlier last year, I was very excited to be getting another female character in the Turtles of Grayskull line, but I was very underwhelmed with the design. I viewed her as an unimaginative mashup that didn't satisfy either the TMNT or MOTU genres. But now that I have her in hand, I don't know what I was thinking, because I think she's incredible. I like her very specific visual references to Sorceress while paired with unmistakably April O'Neil face. Plus the the newly-tooled wings have tons of potential applications. I know Vultak has been shown, but Queen Angella and a 200x Sorceress would be awesome uses as well. I don't know if there will be any more ladies in this line, but I hope the same level of quality and fun goes into the ThunderCats figures. The early pics look great. Let's check out April O'Neil as Sorceress below!

Turtles of Grayskull - TEELA!

Masters of the Universe X Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Teela - Mattel 2024

Toy property mashups are a pretty fun trend in modern toy lines. The longest-running and most notable examples are definitely Transformers with their early Crossovers lines with Star Wars and Marvel (2008-2010) and then their Collaborative line with Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, TMNT, Top Gun, etc (2019-present). But back in 2019, Mattel started doing mashups with their highly versatile Masters of the Universe Origins line and WWE. These we fun and I loved the three ladies produced: Chyna, Steph McMahon, and Becky Lynch. But it wasn't until the Turtles of Grayskull line where two truly iconic lines were combined that I got obsessed. While the two figures I've purchased haven't quite been the combination of two characters the way I expected, they are still fun reinterpretations of the characters in the other universe. In this case, Teela as an armored turtle warrior. She's very weird but very cool and I hope there are more in the works. Let's check out the Turtles of Grayskull Teela below!

Masters of the Universe - EVIL-LYN!

Masters of the Universe Origins - Cartoon Collection - Evil-Lyn - Mattel 2024

I love Evil-Lyn and I'm always ecstatic to add new representations to my collection. This newest MOTUO Cartoon Collection release is an especially interesting Evil-Lyn figure. There have been several versions of her in the "Origins" line already; the original vintage toy deco in bright yellow, followed by the more subdued 200x variant (plus the WWE Stephanie McMahon as an Evil-Lyn homage). This new figure is supposedly styled on the Filmation look, but honestly doesn't really look it. The coloring of her costume is right. But, to me, the two most interesting details of the Filmation design are that she has pale peachy skin and is always wearing a cloak. For this figure they gave her distinctly yellow skin and no cloak (she's even wearing a cloak on the packaging graphics). It almost seems like a weird mashup of several Evil-Lyn incarnations. She still looks good though so I'm not complaining (much). I may have to fashion my own cape out of spare parts. Let's check out the Cartoon Collection Evil-Lyn below!

Masters of the Universe - SHE-RA!

Masters of the Universe Origins - Cartoon Collection - She-Ra - Mattel 2024

Back in 2020 when the Masters of the Universe Origins line started, I was very excited that the third female character released would be She-Ra (in the form of a Power-Con exclusive). While this figure was great (as was the later retail release with sculpted hair), but the vintage toy design of She-Ra just never packed the same nostalgic punch for me as the Filmation version. This Cartoon Collection spinoff of the MOTUO line has been thrilling for me. Just when I think that I don't want another MOTU product to collect, they make this oddly perfect blend of vintage toy construction with animated stylings. She-Ra is the third female character they've made and I love them all. Plus the Catra and Frosta I have preordered look great. Up until now, the best vintage-style Filmation She-Ra was from the Super7 Vintage Collection, but I think this new Mattel Cartoon Collection version has that beat. I can't wait to see who else they might tackle. (Queen Marlena would be a dream). Let's check out She-Ra below!

Masters of the Universe - TEELA!

Masters of the Universe Origins - Cartoon Collection - Teela - Mattel 2024

Would you believe this is the 21st Teela action figure released in the last 5 years? And that's not even counting statues, figurines, and novelty figures (but it is counting Goddess repaints). Luckily they keep finding new ways to give her a distinct update with each release. This Cartoon Collection spinoff of the Masters of the Universe Origins line gives us Origins-styled figures (in that updated-vintage construction) but in a deco and sculpt to represent the classic Filmation animated aesthetic. It very similar in spirit to the 2018-19 Masters of the Universe Vintage line from Super7, but with better articulation. This Teela is pretty great. Her armor, hair, and tiara is perfectly styled in that nostalgic cartoon design. The colors are bright and simple, and the rubber armor on her torso moves great without disrupting the waist swivel. The only odd thing is her super detailed face. It looks good by all means, but it looks more like a movie-styled figure than a cartoon. Let's check out Teela below!

MOTU Origins - LADY SLITHER!

Masters of the Universe Origins - Lady Slither - Mattel Creations Exc - Mattel 2023

An amazing thing about a property as rich and celebrated as Masters of the Universe is the occasion to infuse the lore with new characters and stories. A whole arena of Eternian mythos that never quite appealed to me was the Snake Men. I remember the vintage toys being all the rage among my young peers. And I know the 200x series thrilled those same fans years later with further reptilian exploration. But I think the lack of female characters in the stories just kept me at bay. But then about ten years ago in the height of MOTU Classics, there was a mysterious new character introduced in the mini-comics: Lady Slither, the Queen Empress of the Snake Men. She was surprisingly the only MOTU character to have a serpent's lower body (a design choice I thought would be a given for a diverse reptilian race). The brief glimpses of her created buzz and the fan demand for an action figure was immediate. It took ten years and a new toy line, but we finally have her. Let's check out Lady Slither below!

MOTU Origins - SNAKE TEELA!

Masters of the Universe Origins - Wave 13 - Snake Teela (200x) - Mattel 2023

I like that Snake Teela has become a unique variant of the traditional Teela character. This design originally appeared in a single Second Skin episode of the 200x show where several characters were temporarily turned into Snake Men. She was likely a visual nod to the early 80's Goddess character, but she was unique in most ways apart from the green hue. The 200x Snake Teela had actual scaly skin, reptilian eyes, fangs, and a forked tongue. In 2003 there was a ToyFare Magazine exclusive repaint of Teela in this scaly form and, in my mind at least, that solidified her as a unique iteration separate from the Eternian Goddess. That said, I still kind of groaned when this was announced as the next Origins female. With so many characters unrepresented in the line, a fourth Teela wasn't the most exciting option. But the figure actually has a new torso and boots, and uses the 200x head which we've only seen once. Combine that with the distinctive green coloring and she makes for a very unique variation.

MOTU Origins - TEELA & ZOAR!

Masters of the Universe Origins - Teela (200x Version) & Zoar - Mattel 2023

I get nervous about the future of the Masters of the Universe Origins line. When it first launched a couple years ago I was excited and hopeful about all the good characters that could finally get the vintage treatment through this line. At the very least I thought we would see Queen Marleena, but I was secretly hoping for a whole Princess of Power lineup. But instead we keep seeing the same four molds used multiple times: Teela, Evil-Lyn, Sorceress, and She-Ra. Don't get me wrong, I love every figures I've bought in this line so far, I just can't help but feel to the potential of this line is being squandered to save money on new molds. This newest Teela figure is exclusive to Big Bad Toy Store and features Teela in a 200x-inspired deco. This figure is surprising because she actually has a retooled head with a ponytail and a different tiara. It's a subtle difference from the 2020 Teela, but it really give her that extra 200x feel. Zoar, on the other hand, in 100% vintage toy inspired. Let's check out Teela and Zoar below!

Masters of the WWE - CHYNA as SHE-RA!

Masters of the WWE Universe - Wave 08 - Chyna as She-Ra - Mattel 2021

In the past two years I've become a big fan of Mattel's Masters of the WWE series. Who would have thought that wrestling toys and He-Man toys would provide such a great mashup? I've eagerly looked forward to each new female in the line. And I'm pretty sad that this 8th Wave will be the final one. But for a final female figure, Chyna as She-Ra is quite a high note to go out on. As the most recognizable female wrestler, the late Chyna was an unexpected but fitting choice to become the Princess of Power. The tiara accessory in particular made me very excited for a future Filmation-style She-Ra, and also to attempt a kitbash version myself. (Although this proved very difficult... details below). But this Chyna figure on its own is great. The purple and silver deco is a rare combination for a hero, but it looks terrific and makes a great addition to my MOTUO collection. It's a bummer my prediction of a Charlotte as Sorceress figure (in a peacock feather deco) will never happen. Boo. Let's check out Chyna below!

Masters of the Universe Origins - SORCERESS!

Masters of the Universe: Origins - Wave 7 - Sorceress - Mattel 2021

Very few toys have such a visceral nostalgic quality for me as the vintage Sorceress figure. I remember a single shelfwarmer Sorceress hanging on a peg in the paltry toy section of a feed store my family frequented in the 80s. The smell of that place was palpable; manure, dog food, hay, aquariums with not-so-fresh water. My siblings would often opt to sit in the hot car. But I would go in every time to stare at this Sorceress figure hanging there amongst random yo-yos and Rubix cubes. My parents were so frugal I don't think I ever even asked to get it, I was content to stare. The Sorceress was my favorite character from Masters of the Universe. Her gentle maternal nature, her mysterious powers, her creepy castle home, and her ability to transform into the falcon Zoar combined to form the most perfect character for my young imagination. I finally purchased her in the late 90s from eBay - being very picky to get one with the torso feather paint. And ever since, she has been a very important part of my collection.

Temple of Darkness SORCERESS!

Masters of the Universe Origins - Sorceress (Castle Grayskull) - Mattel 2021

Master of the Universe Mini-Comics were included with all the vintage toys and added a lot to the He-Man lore. As adult collectors, there is a fun trend of using character designs from these books as color variants. If you see a yellow Tri-Klops, a blue Mer-man, or a red Beast Man toy, these are vintage comic variants. As far as the ladies go, pink Teela, Eternian Goddess (green Teela), and white Sorceress all trace their roots to these mini-comics.  The interesting thing is that these were likely all the result of bad editing or cheap printing processes. They never mention the color changes in the stories, the characters just visually appear that way for a single story and usually revert to normal for their next appearance. But if toy molds need to be re-used to be profitable, I'm glad there is this obscure vintage reference to give us some meaningful variety. In the 1984 mini-comic titled Temple of Darkness, Sorceress inexplicably appeared in all white. This is my absolute favorite of all the mini-comic variations.

MOTU Origins - ETERNIAN GODDESS!

Masters of the Universe Origins - Green Goddess Teela - Mattel 2021

Masters of the Universe Origins has really been an exciting line for me. All my favorite vintage figures have already been released in this updated retro style and I am anxiously awaiting news of unexpected figures (perhaps Marlena or Catra!) But in the meantime, the variants of the first four ladies have been very fun. We have seen 200x Evil-Lyn, Temple of Darkness Sorceress, rooted-hair She-Ra, and now Green Goddess Teela. For those unaware, in the original minicomics that came with the vintage toys (before the cartoon aired), the Sorceress character was filled by a green-skinned snake Goddess. When the Teela toy was made, Mattel gave her the snake armor to pull double-duty as two separate characters (albeit with no green skin). Over time, kids just kind of assumed Teela had a snake motif and the Goddess lore faded away. But the MOTUC Goddess figure in 2009 brought those early stories back to the forefront (for me at least). I'm excited to see this variant in Origins. Let's check of Goddess below!