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By now you’ve had time to watch Netflix’s new show, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, at least once, probably twice, maybe even three times. The reboot of the ‘80s cartoon series, based on Mattel action figure He-Man’s twin sister, has been updated so wonderfully, creatively, and positively that it has become its own phenomenon for an all-new generation of viewers. The new She-Ra is one of the best new shows of the year, but more importantly, it’s teaching a whole generation of kids to find power in themselves, to believe in the good in people, and to value their chosen family.
She-Ra follows Adora, a teenage orphan raised by Hordak, who controls the planet Etheria with his evil army of Horde warriors. Adora herself serves the Horde, until she one day stumbles upon a magic sword in the woods, which transforms her into She-Ra, the Princess of Power. She subsequently comes to realize that she’s been lied to, and that the Horde has been harming innocent people – so she rises up against her best friend Catra to fight the Horde, join the Rebellion, and rebuild the Princess Alliance, a collective of magical princesses. What follows is 13 episodes of battles, worldbuilding, powerful friendships, and lots and lots of gayness.
In our present cultural moment, especially among millennials and Gen Z, nihilism and fatalism seem to be inescapable. She-Ra slices that outlook in half with a giant magical sword. It tells young people that even if you were raised by evil forces, you can change who you are and become a good person who fights for what’s right. It tells you that you should always have hope, and trust that there are good people out there who will stand beside you. It tells you that your friends and family matter, and that doing what’s right matters. It tells you that love matters.
She-Ra has an all-female writer’s room, and its showrunner, the openly queer Noelle Stevenson, has been telling queer stories for years. Those influences shine through. She-Ra is about girls of different ethnicities, sizes, sexualities, and personalities, all rendered with color and curves and brightness, who come together in celebration of their differences, not in spite of them. We meet Adora’s closest friends: Glimmer, a chubby Asian-coded princess, and Bow, a tender and enthusiastic Black teenage boy. We encounter a lesbian couple, several princesses of color, people of many different body shapes, and boys who aren’t afraid to show their emotions. They all stand together to fight off their enemies and protect the people they love.
Throughout She-Ra, Adora often struggles with her newfound powers. At times, she despairs that she can’t solve all the world’s problems with the flick of a wrist. When Glimmer is injured by magic, Adora is so desperate to help her that she literally tries waving and poking her sword at her. After Bow reminds Adora that this isn’t how She-Ra magic has ever worked before, she breaks down and asks, “What good am I if I can’t even heal one princess? Why even carry a sword?” She has all these powers, so why can’t she use them to heal her friends and fix broken buildings and defeat her enemies?
Swords can’t solve every problem. They won’t help Glimmer open up to her mom. They won’t help the three friends tell each other how they feel or ask for help from princesses who can do things they can’t. But Adora, Bow, and Glimmer are finally able to succeed once they come together with the power of friendship, love, and hope. By modeling good communication and emotional intelligence, She-Ra shows its audience that talking about emotions is the best way to solve problems.
She-Ra also shows many different kinds of intimacy. Adora, Gimmer, and Bow are close friends, and there are times when they cuddle, have sleepovers, and sit in a sauna together. She-Ra shows us that a variety of physical intimacies are healthy and good for kids of all genders together.
There aren’t special “coming-out episodes” in She-Ra, as it’s completely expected that we’ll encounter queer characters throughout the series. In one wildly gay episode, Adora, Bow, and Glimmer go to a dance called the Princess Prom; it ends up being one of the queerest scenes in animation history. It’s completely normal for a girl to take another girl to the Princess Prom. In fact, She-Ra creates a world in which it would be weird to see a Princess Prom without a bunch of LGBTQ+ couples and an entire galaxy of gender expressions. Bow is absolutely enamored with the only other good guy, Sea Hawk, staring and shrieking in excitement whenever the adventurer does something flashy. When Sea Hawk later rescues him, Bow swoons in his arms in the traditional rescued-damsel pose. None of this seems out of place in the world of She-Ra, where queerness is normalized rather than othered.
It’s so easy to feel helpless in our current political and social climate. Evil people keep getting elected to office and white supremacists keep organizing marches. But we can build alliances. We have our best friends here with us. We have love and strength and hope. That is the message and art that young people need right now. She-Ra is empowering girls, celebrating queerness, challenging patriarchy, and promoting hope for all of us.
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