TV Show review
Review basis: 5 seasons, 52 episodes · through May 15, 2020
November 13, 2018 · TV-Y7 · Ended
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Adora finds a magic sword and becomes the hero She-Ra. She joins the Rebellion to fight the evil Horde on the planet Etheria. Her former best friend Catra stays with the Horde and becomes her rival. The show builds a central lesbian romance between Adora and Catra that ends with an explicit kiss and declaration of love in the final season. It features diverse character designs and voices across the princesses.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.
Woke representation / casting
Prominent diverse voice cast and character designs with varied ethnicities and body types in lead roles. The central lesbian romance between Adora and Catra becomes explicit with a kiss and love declaration that saves the day. A non-binary character appears. Female-led alliance is front and center.
Woke political dialogue
Dialogue covers friendship, trauma, breaking free from indoctrination, and prejudice. Some empowerment messages appear. No extended modern political lectures.
Identity-driven story themes
The main relationship is a lesbian romance that drives the finale and resolution. Creator statements stressed textually queer characters who affect the plot. Diverse princesses with different presentations form the core group.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Fantasy tale of rebellion against an imperial, colonizing Horde. Horde Prime has cult-like traits. No strong reframing into current identity politics or critiques of capitalism, patriarchy, or Western institutions.
Production
Woke character or canon changes
Major redesign of She-Ra and others for a younger, more diverse, less sexualized look compared to the 1985 version. The central romance was heavily developed and made explicit in this adaptation.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Social media and fan complaints focused on redesigns making characters less attractive and pushing a gay agenda or woke changes from the original. Some labeled it agenda-driven for a children's show.
Creator track record context
ND Stevenson has a clear record of queer and identity-focused storytelling. The writing team included emphasis on female voices and stories, but the showrunner's direction set the strong representation focus.
