He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2002 TV series)

The series begins with an attack on the Council of Wisdom, but it is thwarted by Captain Randor and his men. Captain Randor engages in a swordfight with Keldor, who attempts to kill Randor with a vial of acid. Randor deflects the acid back into Keldor's face, causing him to sound the retreat. Zoar informs Captain Randor that the Council has vanished and declared Eternia to become a monarchy, with Captain Randor as king. Zoar also tells Captain Randor he will be responsible for a great hero, but immediately vanishes afterwards. Randor, perplexed by the lack of information, shouts, "How will I know this hero?!"

Years later, Eternia has seen the end of tyranny and evil, and King Randor has married and ruled over a peaceful, prosperous people. Eternians are safe in the knowledge that their greatest threats are trapped behind the great barrier in the badlands near Snake Mountain. However, Skeletor finally breaks through the barrier and seeks to cause havoc once more, beginning with the capture of King Randor. Detecting the breach from within Castle Grayskull, the Sorceress informs Man-At-Arms, Randor's captain of the guards and a trustworthy ally, that the time has come for destiny to be fulfilled. Prince Adam, a spoiled, almost carefree heir-apparent to the throne of his father, Randor, is trained daily by the unrelenting Teela, his best friend. Adam is approached by Teela's father, Man-At-Arms, who takes Adam to Castle Grayskull. There, Adam learns from the Sorceress of an approaching evil which can only be defeated by someone destined to become the warrior He-Man, and is shocked to discover that he is the chosen one. Refusing to accept the responsibility, Adam returns home to find the palace in ruins, and that Skeletor's forces have captured his father. Adam, Man-At-Arms, and Teela pursue Randor's kidnappers into the forests, where they are ambushed. Adam is covered by Man-At-Arms as he returns to Grayskull, followed by his pet tiger Cringer, and the court magician Orko. His flight through the forest infuriates Teela, who only sees a coward leaving the scene of battle. Adam accepts his destiny, and is granted the Sword of Power, which he uses to become He-Man. With Cringer transforming into Battle Cat, a much larger beast strong enough to serve as a steed, He-Man returns to the scene of battle and rescues his father from Skeletor. Over the course of the first season, Randor's defenses expand, with many other fighters joining He-Man's cause. The Sorceress is revealed as the mother of Teela, whose ultimate destiny as the successor to the Sorceress manifests in small doses physically and mentally, often causing her pain or general befuddlement as she struggles to understand them. Skeletor becomes aware of Grayskull's power when he attacks it, prompting him to spend much of the season attempting to enter it. Hints are made as to the fate of Skeletor's mentor, Hordak, and the future main adversaries of the second season, the Snake Men. Much like the original series, selling toys was a key goal of this series, and He-Man and Skeletor would don variations of their costumes or different ones entirely whenever they were briefly "empowered" with an ancient relic or new technology. The first season ends on a cliffhanger in which Skeletor unites several of the other adversaries fought by the Heroic Masters into a grand council of evil. He captures most of the Masters, forcing He-Man and Teela to enter Snake Mountain. Adam becomes separated from his sword, and is soon forced to protect Castle Grayskull from Skeletor without it.

Season two title

After the events of the season one cliffhanger, which saw Orko returning the sword to Adam and the Heroic Masters rescued, the Snake Men take center stage as the main antagonists, having been hinted in the first season as being trapped beneath Snake Mountain (their own former stronghold) inside a void. They are finally liberated by allies existing outside of the void, as well as a treacherous Evil-Lyn. Adam is informed of their rising by the Sorceress and finds his He-Man armor completely different upon transformation, designed to fight the Snake Men, led by King Hiss. Skeletor would still appear from time to time, but would be gradually phased out, although had the series continued, he would have returned to his status as a major player.

This season was shorter than the first, and as a result, more serialized, with episodes following an established continuity. Characters were strongly developed, and old characters reintroduced, including Fisto, who was Man-At-Arms' brother and a disgraced soldier of the court who went AWOL during the last great war. The third episode of this season, "Out of the Past," also reveals how the Sorceress, on a granted leave from her duties, nursed an amnesia-stricken soldier back to health and fell in love with him. The soldier left mysteriously before she gave birth, and his identity remains unknown; it is debated whether or not the soldier was Man-At-Arms or Fisto, or someone else entirely, calling Teela's parentage into question. The secret origins of Skeletor, Snake Mountain, and the power of Castle Grayskull itself, were also revealed.