CLASSICS FACTIONS

The Classics line is bringing together characters from the vintage Masters Of The Universe toy line and its various spin-offs. This page has been written to show the different categories and to place the characters into their appropriate groups.

The characters' biographies, as shown on the Official Biographies page, are obviously relevant to their placement. Some of the characters survive or re-emerge over long periods of time, so they could be placed in more than one category.

Some categories are used to show the origins of the characters, but some are, by virtue of their alliances, actually part of another group. There are also some characters who stand alone, and I have created a new category for them.

HEROIC WARRIORS

The warriors under the leadership of King Randor and He-Man have always been known as the Heroic Warriors, but the official line now describes them as the Masters Of The Universe, taking the name of the toy line and applying it to just one section of the toys. This seems rather unnecessary and slightly confusing, and discussion among fans suggests that most people have not adopted this idea. So although you see a MOTUC logo here, the name of this faction will most likely remain Heroic Warriors.

This group naturally contains all of the original characters from the vintage line, plus new allies from later incarnations of the MOTU. I considered placing Chief Carnivus in my independent category as he is the leader of his own tribe, but then I would have had to do the same with Stratos. The heroic warriors from the Princess Of Power section are associates of the Heroic Warriors and could therefore also sit in this category, but as they are defined separately, I have left them as such.

EVIL WARRIORS

There is no logo for the band of warriors under Skeletor's command, so I created one for this page. This group, the Evil Warriors, is the original group from the vintage line, plus new allies who have joined Skeletor along the way. One character not shown in this group, although now biographically associated with Skeletor, is Optikk. He was a character from the He-Man (New Adventures) spin-off, and retains the distinction of being a Space Mutant, so he is shown elsewhere.

The fighting gorilla Gygor could have been placed in the Powers Of Grayskull group, because, according to his biography, he comes from the Preternia era. However, he has been brought into the modern era and now fights with Skeletor, so he has not been given POG affiliation. The Evil Warriors category includes Keldor, who became Skeletor, so there is an element of stretching across timelines as both cannot exist at the same time.

THE EVIL HORDE

The Evil Horde is a separate and very distinct group of evil warriors. The leader, Hordak, was once Skeletor's master. Skeletor betrayed Hordak and effectively created a new faction. Skeletor's Evil Warriors now outnumber Hordak's followers, and Hordak is determined to overthrow the usurper.

The Classics collection of Evil Horde characters reflects the crossover role that Hordak played when his character was first created. He was from the vintage toy line, but featured in the She-Ra cartoon. That is why Catra is now included here. She was a POP toy originally, but always portrayed as a member of Hordak's group.

SNAKE MEN

The Snake Men, under King Hssss (originally spelled H-I-S-S), were the last faction of the vintage line. Only five figures were produced. Greater emphasis was placed on the Snake Men story during the 2002 MOTU era. It will be interesting to see how this category develops during the life of the Classics line.

PRINCESS OF POWER

Now absorbed into the Classics, the Princess Of Power line was originally a spin-off from the vintage line, but it was always closely connected to it. The Adora / She-Ra secret identity was a direct copy of the Adam / He-Man theme which had become established.

The POP characters are allies of the Heroic Warriors, but they have held onto their original identity. It would seem that evil characters, originally released under the POP category, will be released as Evil Horde members in the Classics line.

THE POWERS OF GRAYSKULL

The Powers Of Grayskull group represents a time period far back in Eternia's history. With the exception of the Goddess and Preternia Disguise He-Man, these characters are dead. The original POG line never really got going, although themes were developed. It was going to be a prequel to the vintage line, but only Tytus (and his evil counterpart Megator) were released. They were sold only in Italy, and had both POG and Masters Of The Universe logos, so I think of them as vintage line characters.

Preternia Disguise He-Man should really sit in the Heroic Warriors category, because he is He-Man in disguise, but he has been given POG affiliation. His background is a peculiar time travel story, where he goes back and forms an alliance with King Grayskull and He-Ro and fights with them in 'many battles'. The best character of this faction is Vikor, who was based on the original concept artwork for He-Man.

INDEPENDENT WARRIORS

I have called this category Independent Warriors, because these are the individuals who have no particular affiliation. Originally, of course, Zodac was evil, and some fans still place him in the Evil Warriors category. Count Marzo is an evil warlock who is not affiliated to any group but his own. The Shadow Beasts, according to their biography, were created by Count Marzo, so I have placed them here, although the biography also reveals they have been controlled by Beast Man and made to fight for Skeletor.

Having some characters who stand apart from the other groups is a good idea, because it adds depth to the canon. So this section is not an official category, but a natural one, and I have included it here because several Classics characters hold the distinction of being independent.

SPACE MUTANTS

The Space Mutants came from the He-Man (New Adventures) line, which, for many fans, is an irrelevant era because it was so far removed from the original Masters Of The Universe themes. The Space Mutants were the evil warriors of that canon, and had an association with Skeletor.

In the Classics canon, this group could be absorbed into Skeletor's Evil Warriors, but they have held onto their own identity. Even the logo reveals why many fans are not keen on anything to do with the NA line.

GALACTIC PROTECTORS

The Galactic Protectors is the new name for the Galactic Guardians of the He-Man (New Adventures) line. I understand the original name was no longer available for Mattel to trademark when developing the Classics. The first figure released into this category (Icarius) also had to adopt a new name for the same reason. Originally he was called Flipshot.

The radical departure from the early Masters themes which this category represents divides Classics fans. My view is that a figure like Icarius might fit into a line of Space Police characters, but has no place among the Masters Of The Universe.

HE-RO SON OF HE-MAN

This new faction (2013) is the result of an entirely new aspect of the MOTUC storyline. Making King He-Man (yes, that's He-Man all grown up in the future) the first figure immediately creates a problem with the name of this faction. The other point to mention is that the He-Ro mentioned in the title is not the same He-Ro who arrived in the Classics line early on and was originally a prototype character for the original line.

It's hard to say how far this faction can go, because we know that new characters have been sidelined while originals are brought into the Classics, and every character in this faction would have to be new by definition. The first figure, King He-Man, is actually a very good figure. This category may herald the future of the line, or it may disappear as swiftly as it arrived.