Spoilers are ahead for Masters of the Universe: Revolution.
Netflix’s Masters of the Universe: Revolution reveals a massive He-Man and Skeletor connection — one that was teased 38 years ago in a 1980s comic book tie-in. Revolution, and its two-part 2021 predecessor reboot, Masters of the Universe: Revelation, serve as sequels to He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983–85). Revelation is set in a fractured Eternia — one where Skeletor’s (Mark Hamill) last attack on Castle Grayskull put an end to He-Man, Prince Adam’s (Chris Wood) super-powered alter-ego, and severely damaged the source of all magic.
Across 10 episodes, Revelation‘s two-part story sees Teela (Sarah Michelle Gellar), the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull, uncovering Grayskull’s secrets, locating Price Adam’s missing Sword of Power, and staving off the end of the Universe. Kevin Smith’s Revolution serves as part three of the rebooted Masters of the Universe story. Not only has Teela (Melissa Benoist) fully accepted her sorceress destiny, but He-Man’s back, setting the stage for Prince Adam’s identity crisis. Meanwhile, Skeletor, who’s corrupted by a technological virus, is out for revenge. Thankfully, Revolution brings He-Man and Skeletor back — with a surprising secret.
Skeletor’s New Backstory In Masters Of The Universe Explained
In Masters of the Universe: Revolution, Eternia’s preeminent villain has a new origin story. After being corrupted by a technological virus, Skeletor uses his newfound abilities to exact revenge. However, he does so under the guise of “Keldor” — a name that will ring a few bells for long-time Masters of the Universe fans. While Revolution‘s present storyline is action-packed, the five-episode entry in Smith’s sequel series takes time to delve into how the villain came to be his skeletal self. In fact, Revolution establishes a compelling connection between Prince Adam and his key antagonist.
Huge Easter Egg Suggests He-Man’s Live-Action Movie Is Canon To The Masters Of The Universe Cartoon
A surprising character addition in Masters of the Universe: Revolution hints that the 1987 live-action movie is canon with the classic cartoon.
In flashback sequences, Masters of the Universe: Revolution reveals that Skeletor is Keldor (William Shatner), the brother of Adam’s father, King Randor (Diedrich Bader). In Revolution‘s canon, Skeletor is He-Man/Prince Adam’s uncle. At first, it seems like Skeletor’s decision to use the “Keldor” alias is a trick, but Hordak (Keith David) confirms the truth: Keldor became Skeletor after being exiled from Eternia. As Hordak’s acolyte, Skeletor accepts the all-powerful Havoc Staff in order to become a master sorcerer — though it comes at a high price: his skin.
A Classic Skeletor Comic Hinted At His He-Man Connection 38 Years Ago
After training with Hordak, Skeletor returns to conquer Eternia, becoming He-Man’s main adversary — a story fans are familiar with. In Revolution, even Skeletor isn’t initially aware of his own past, making the reveal all-the-more dramatic. Even though the Skeletor/Keldor backstory wasn’t in the original show, the classic action-figure line inferred a familial connection between Skeletor and He-Man. Interestingly, the most clear-cut inspiration for the twist stems from a 1986 mini-comic, The Search for Keldor, which came packaged with several action figures, including King Randor, Faker, and Scare Glow (via Grayskull Wiki).
Masters Of The Universe: Revolution Ending Explained
The big battle in Masters of the Universe: Revolution’s ending shook up the status quo for several of the franchise’s flagship characters.
In The Search For Keldor, it’s established that King Randor’s brother wasn’t exiled from Eternia as he was in Revolution, but that he vanished during his quest to become a magic master. King Randor tells Adam that once a year the veil between different dimensions weakens, which means they have a shot of learning what happened to Randor’s long-lost brother. Learning of Randor’s plan, Skeletor vows to thwart the royals of Castle Grayskull. Had the He-Man toyline continued, future mini-comics would’ve revealed that Skeletor and Keldor were the same person — a.k.a. He-Man’s uncle.
How Other He-Man Shows Have Handled Skeletor’s Connection To Keldor
The Skeletor/Keldor backstory wasn’t explored in the original show, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983–85), despite the tie-in action figures’ mini-comics teasing the uncle-nephew reveal. The 2002 reboot, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, elaborated on the long-standing tease by making Randor and Keldor’s past a crucial element of the series. In fact, the show opens with a flashback that chronicles a swordfight between the brothers, tying their shared history to the establishment of Eternia’s monarchy. Unfortunately, Mattel’s attempt to reboot the action figures didn’t quite pan out.
With the 2002 He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series having less of an impact than the original series, the familial connection between Skeletor and He-Man remained more of a fun tease (or lingering possibility) than anything else — until Revolution solidified the link in the ’80s continuity by making big changes to He-Man’s world. That is, Masters of the Universe: Revolution marks the first time that the Skeletor/Keldor connection has been acknowledged in the original Masters of the Universe canon, since Revelation and Revolution function as sequels to the classic ’80s show.
