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After five seasons and a lot of emotions, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power finally comes to an end. She-Ra season five, the final season, brings us to our inevitable conclusion. Along the way, we’ll face heartbreak, hope, and the knowledge that no matter what, we’re gonna win in the end. And in doing so, She-Ra season five delivers one of the best conclusions to any show I’ve ever seen.
How Did We Get Here?
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is a reboot of the 1980s action-figure based show She-Ra: Princess of Power, itself an offshoot of He-Man. The reboot was pitched to Netflix by Noelle Stevenson, known for her previous work on Lumberjanes, and quickly released five short seasons in the span of three years. The reboot is focused on diversity and empowerment, with the primarily female cast of characters representing a variety of ethnicities, body sizes, and sexualities. This emphasis has made the show popular, especially with its central message: that together, we can do anything.
In the first four seasons, we come to know and love our heroes. Adora, a skilled soldier of the Horde, finds a magic sword and learns that she is actually She-Ra, Princess of Power. Realizing that the Horde has lied to her and is committing great evil across Etheria, she defects and joins the rebellion. Along with her new friend’s Glimmer, princess of Bright Moon, and Bow, master archer, Adora sets out to stop the Horde once and for all. They rekindle the Princess Alliance, uniting the Princesses of Etheria to create a powerful force that can save their world.
They are opposed by the Horde, led by Lord Hordak. Their most frequent antagonist is Catra, formerly Adora’s best friend. When Adora defects, Catra takes it personally and sets out to destroy the Princesses and do whatever it takes to “win.” She is supported by Scorpia, a happy-go-lucky former Princess with a massive crush, and Entrapta, who had previously been a part of the Alliance. After being left behind on a mission, Entrapta, a tech-loving princess, joins the Horde to access their technology and achieve new heights of scientific advancement.
Season Four
The first couple of seasons of She-Ra slowly raised the stakes. Season one mostly focuses on defeating the rebellion at Bright Moon, and the Horde is repelled at the end by the power of friendship and magic. Seasons two and three focus more on Hordak’s attempts to open a portal. Etheria is in a shadow dimension, and Hordak wants to return to his home. We learn he is a defective clone of Horde Prime and wants to prove his worth by conquering Etheria. His portal device, developed in tandem with Entrapta, is unstable and dangerous.
Catra triggers the device, hurting from a series of betrayals. They enter a parallel world where Adora never left the Horde, and “everything is perfect.” However, Adora manages to figure things out and manages to save the day, further infuriating Catra. In the process, Queen Angella, leader of the rebellion, sacrifices herself to save Etheria and Adora. Season four starts with Glimmer’s attempts to find her place as the new queen, as well as Catra’s continuing obsession with defeating Adora.
We learn more about the First Ones, the original colonizers of Etheria. Adora is a First One, who appeared through a portal. She was pulled there by Light Hope, the mechanical facilitator of the planet, who needs She-Ra. Apparently, the First Ones were mining Etheria’s magic, creating the Heart of Etheria, a superweapon that can be activated by She-Ra. Light Hope attempts to fulfill her programming but is stopped by Mara, the previous She-Ra, who puts Etheria in the shadow dimension and sacrifices herself to stop the Heart. Glimmer decides to use the Heart to stop the Horde, leading to tragedy. Adora, realizing she is the key, destroys the Sword of Power and severs her connection to She-Ra to save the universe.
What Does She-Ra Season Five Bring?
She-Ra Season five picks up in the aftermath. Light Hope brought Etheria out of the shadow dimension and back to reality, and Horde Prime is now invading. Glimmer and Catra, along with Hordak, have been taken to Prime’s ship. Far from proving his worth, Hordak has been “reconditioned” after his attempts at individuality leave Prime disgusted. Because Prime wants to use the Heart of Etheria to destroy his enemies and assert his dominance over the universe, Glimmer is kept captive, while Catra struggles to find her place. Although Prime has accepted her as his “little sister,” she is dealing with a crisis of conscience and a sinking feeling that she has lost everything that ever mattered, by her own hand.
Meanwhile, back on Etheria, Adora is left reeling now that she is no longer She-Ra. She struggles with an identity crisis – who is she if she isn’t She-Ra? – and strange visions of magic and mystery. Unused to being weak, she continuously rushes into danger, leaving the alliance to rescue her, a strange turn of events for them all. The rebellion is left to face Prime’s invading army with limited resources and failing leadership. What is going to happen in She-Ra season five? What will our heroes do? How will they save the day – can they save the day?
The Rescue
Up first is the attempt to rescue Glimmer from Prime. Adora, Bow, and a newly rehabilitated Entrapta use Mara’s spaceship to get to Prime’s ship. Entrapta is mostly enticed by promises of new technology, but she is also struggling to reestablish friendships that have been broken by misunderstandings. They struggle to figure out the technology and how to find Glimmer. Then, they receive a message – from Catra. She is sending Glimmer to them, sacrificing herself to save Glimmer. Her final message is an apology to Adora, bookended with flashbacks of Catra saying she’ll never apologize to anyone.
Though they manage to get Glimmer to safety, things aren’t over yet. Their ship is damaged and they need to refuel, leading to a planet decimated by Prime in his conquest. They meet up with the Star siblings, three refugees just trying to find peace, who also need the fuel crystals. By working together, they are able to reach the caves where the crystals are, but it’s too dangerous to get them. Glimmer puts herself in danger to grab the crystals, and when all hope seems lost, something magical happens: Adora manifests a magical field. It’s not quite She-Ra, but it’s definitely something.
In the end, they manage to inspire the Star siblings into rebelling against Prime. We’ll later see that their rebellion is spreading, forcing Prime to take desperate action. In the meantime, our heroes face a dilemma. They now have the crystals they need to return home, and Glimmer is safe. But Adora wants to go back and rescue Catra. The choice is easy – Catra needs to be saved, and Adora needs to save her. They head back to Prime on another rescue mission.
Saving Catra
When Adora confronts Prime, seeking to rescue Catra, she is faced with a horrifying scenario. Prime has “reconditioned” Catra with a mind-control chip for her betrayal. Adora is forced to fight Catra, now a drone of Prime. She realizes that Catra is still there, under the control, and pushes her to fight back. They manage to break Catra nearly free – only for Prime to sacrifice her. Left in danger, surrounded by Prime drones, with Catra’s nearly lifeless body, Adora is stuck – until suddenly, she is consumed by magic. She-Ra appears in all her glory, with a new look symbolizing Adora’s confidence in her ability.
She manages to get Catra out and heals her, though they still have to deal with the mind control chip. As they flee Prime’s ship, Adora uses She-Ra’s power to fight ships in the vacuum of space, showcasing a new and incredible level of power. On Mara’s ship, Entrapta fights to get the control chip out of Catra. Catra is racked by guilt, having betrayed Entrapta when they worked together for Hordak, but accepts help – and forgiveness. She is left to recover with Adora by her side and a lot of unspoken tension.
Returning to Etheria
Meanwhile, the rebellion on Etheria is struggling. Prime has begun using the mind-control chips there to subdue the population. One by one, the princesses are falling to the chips. Their alliance falls apart, and only a handful of princesses and rebels are left to save Etheria. Things are made worse by the fact that it’s their own friends and loved ones they have to fight. The planet is blockaded, so Adora and her crew cannot return home just yet.
They head to Krytis, a planet rumored to hold the key to defeating Prime. He had battled the First Ones for the planet, leaving it destroyed, but fled an unknown force. They find a magical lion named Melog, the last of his kind, who imprints on Catra. They learn that magic is the key to defeating Prime and manage to sneak back onto Etheria to stop him. Unfortunately, Prime has learned how to control the Heart and begins his evil plan.
The Failsafe
Our heroes learn of a failsafe built into Etheria to stop the Heart. Mara and other First Ones rebels had set out to stop their leaders from destroying everything. The failsafe will destroy the Heart – but it comes with a cost. Whoever carries the failsafe will be consumed by the magic of Etheria. No one could survive. No one, that is, but She-Ra. Adora determines to carry the failsafe. There’s just one problem – she’s having trouble controlling She-Ra. Her abusive mother figure Shadow Weaver, working with the rebels, blames Catra. Catra is a distraction, and Adora must focus.
Catra, who had been growing closer to Adora, overhears this and tries to stop Adora. She tells Adora that she needs to stop being so self-sacrificing, to focus on what she wants, not what she thinks she has to do. But in the end, Adora takes on the failsafe and sets out to destroy the Heart, even knowing it may be her death.
The Final Battle
The time has come to make their final stand. Most of the rebellion set out with Entrapta to try and break Prime’s control chips and free their friends. Adora, Bow, and Glimmer set out to find the Heart and destroy it. Faced with challenge after challenge, she realizes she must continue alone and sends Bow and Glimmer to support their friends. Catra, heartbroken and frustrated, set out alone, only to discover that Prime has accessed the Heart with a virus. She rushes to warn Adora, but it’s too late – she’s been infected.
Shadow Weaver and Catra do their best to save Adora and finish the mission. Shadow Weaver sacrifices herself to save Catra, a hint of atonement for all the abuse and manipulation she put Catra and Adora through. Catra brings Adora to the Heart and refuses to leave her. They’ll face this one together. As Adora begins to die from Prime’s virus, Catra desperately pleads for her to hold on, to stay with her. She confesses that she loves Adora, which she always has. Confessing her own love, Adora manages to pull together one last miracle and activates the failsafe while transforming into She-Ra.
Resolution
Adora, showing the most power she ever has, destroys Prime’s virus and weaponry, restoring life and beauty to all she touches. She manages to wipe out all of Prime’s control and drones, leaving him powerless and defeated. All of the alliance is brought back to normal, and reunite with love and joy. In the end, they were able to surmount any challenge because their faith in each other strengthened them. The magic of friendship and love truly won out.
Reunited with Catra, Glimmer, and Bow, Adora can finally find peace. There is still more to do, of course. But for now, they can relax and rejoice in their victory.
She-Ra Season Five Gets Five Stars
The final conclusion in She-Ra season five is one of the best resolutions in any TV series I’ve seen. We truly get it all. There are a lot of little moments that really make the conclusion so satisfying. We get laughs thanks to Wrong Hordak. There are numerous ship resolutions – Glimmer and Bow, Mermista and Sea Hawk, even Kyle, and Rogelio. Glimmer gets to meet her dad. Hordak is freed. Shadow Weaver finds some penance.
But what it really comes down to is what it has always been, from the start: Adora and Catra. Catra’s redemption is fantastic. She had always been a complex villain, motivated by jealousy and insecurity rather than any true evil. Now that she is forced to truly reflect and realize just how much she means to Adora, she can begin to heal from her messed up past. She doesn’t completely change, of course. She’s still selfish and a little touchy. But selfish isn’t all bad – she contrasts Adora’s selfless foolishness. And they find balance.
Catradora
That, of course, is the best thing to come out of She-Ra season five – Catradora. From the very first season, fans have latched on to the ship of Adora and Catra, the childhood friends to enemies to friends to lovers ship of our dreams. There was so much unresolved tension between the two of them, and the fantastic early episode “Princess Prom” really hammered home that there was more to this than friendship. Catra’s deep hurt at feeling rejected by Adora drove all her actions, and to see this finally come full circle was everything I could have ever wanted, and more.
Catradora being made canon, in the end, is a win beyond imagining. Queer representation is making strides, particularly in children’s animation, but it’s always a groundbreaking step forward to see happy, canon queer relationships on screen. And Catradora sends a message. Catradora tells us it’s never too late. That we can always find our way back to where we belong. That, in the end, love is stronger than anything else.
Going into She-Ra season five, things were up in the air. Our heroes were scattered and demoralized, things were worse than they’d ever been. She-Ra, the very icon of the show, was lost. But season five proved that the real focus of the show wasn’t She-Ra, or magic, or princesses. The real focus of the show was hope and triumph. The perfect message for our troubled times, She-Ra season five reminds us that, no matter how bad things seem, we can overcome. If we stick together, focus on friendship and love, and believe, we too can win in the end.