Made by Anaiya Patel

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018) is an animated television series targeted towards young girls and is important representation for queer people as it’s a form of queer art not just for children but people of all ages. According to dreamworks.com the show She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is the story of an orphaned princess named Adora, who leaves behind her former life in the evil Horde when she discovers a magic sword that transforms her into legendary warrior princess She-Ra. On February 21st, 2026 all 5 seasons and 52 episodes were officially removed from Netflix streaming services.

Nethni Edirisinghe (12) started watching She-ra in 2020 when they were around 12 years old. Nethni says, “For me, I started watching at the beginning of my journey for examples and people look up to fictional characters figures for guidance.” She-ra is important to society especially to the upcoming younger generation as it teaches empathy, widen horizons, and teaches children how to interact with others. The Los Angeles Times states, “She-Ra’s primary target audience is preteen girls, teaching them that multifaceted, independent identities are valuable to society and can help make the world a better, more equitable, and caring place.” Nethni adds, “My brother couldn’t relate but gained empathy and understanding for people around him. It doesn’t matter what orientation you are but rather its important to learn what it means to accept and embrace others both alike and different from you.” Despite it being a kids show it was still able to incorporate complex emotions and feelings throughout the storyline, keeping it engaging and displaying signs of growth. For example, one of the antagonists of the story named Catra suffered from severe trauma of constantly and consistently being overlooked, bullied, and compared to Adora her whole life. By the end of the show she was able to overcome this trauma and finally heal. The Los Angeles Times states, “She-Ra” depicts how feelings can be scary because they can make you vulnerable. It shows that being honest with yourself and others about your feelings can also be powerful and heroic. It’s significant that this message is conveyed through a queer love story because there are still so many forces in the real world that want you to believe that love is wrong.” She-ra teaches children life-long skills such as confidence, empathy, and resilience as kids learn skills by mirroring.

Sky Bridge (10) says that she started watching it when she was 13 years old as a close friend had recommended it. It makes her feel upset that it is being taken down since she likes to go back to watch things. Sky states, “It opened a new world of possibilities and options for acceptance. It really opened my eyes.” She also talks about how she correlates the show with the friend who introduced it to her and the show reminds her of the close bonding experience she shared with them. The thing about She-ra is that anyone can watch it and it can greatly influence how a person sees themselves. She-ra characters are portrayed as so much more than their orientation but rather give depth to each character which is exactly why it makes queer people feel safe and comfortable in their own identity because it shows different perspectives for all. Sky adds, “it lowered my walls around people and helped normalized being queer and it felt inclusive not making me feel so much like an outcast.” She-ra is a show that I would suggest everyone to check out at least once in their lifetimes as it has different things to offer to different people.

Here is a short description of the show if you wish to learn more about it:

(https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5325&context=thesesdissertations)

“The main character in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is Adora, a girl whose destiny is to become the mythical hero She-Ra, protector of the planet of Etheria. In the first episode, she is a Force Captain of the Evil Horde, an imperialist military with the goal of taking over the planet. Adora leaves the Fright Zone, the Horde’s home, after inadvertently realizing her identity as She-Ra. She becomes the leader of the Princess Rebellion while her childhood best friend Catra replaces Adora as a force captain for the Horde and acts as the antagonist for most of the series. Etheria is a magical, pastoral planet with beings like satyrs and merpeople. It was settled by a mysterious race only known as the First Ones who cultivated the planet’s magic. The princesses that make up the Rebellion wield magical powers granted to them by runestones created by the First Ones. Hordak, a clone of Horde Prime, rejoins the intergalactic Horde empire. Horde Prime attempts to assimilate everyone into the Horde via mind-control chips. Both sides want to use the First One’s Heart of Etheria project, a world-ending weapon, to destroy their enemies.”

Works Cited

Brown, Tracy. “‘She-Ra’ Rewrote the Script for TV’s Queer Love Stories. Here’s Why It Matters.” Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2020, www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2020-05-18/netflix-she-ra-series-finale-queer-love-wins.

Warso, S. (2021, December 1). Hybridity, Ecocriticism, and Feminist Perspectives in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Oasis.Library.Unlv.edu. Retrieved December 1, 2021, from https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5325&context=thesesdissertations