He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: The Complete Original Series + The Secret of the Sword & A Christmas Special Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: The Complete Original Series + The Secret of the Sword & A Christmas Special Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 9, 2026

Filmation and Mattel's He-Man and the Masters of the Universe stands amongst the giants of a cluttered 1980s animated TV landscape, and its status as a popular TV show and (then) massive toy line (much the same combination as so many other shows of the day, like Transformers and G.I. Joe) in one sense perfectly blends it into the crowded field. But the show is actually a standout for existing in a wonderfully unique and richly realized fantasy world with beautifully designed and creative characters (even if the naming process was a little weird and repetitive..."Stinkor" and "Ninjor," anyone?) and, best of all, oftentimes accompanied by well-written stories within a growing world and filled with some good story arcs and meaningful drama and moral lessons sprinkled in. The 130 episodes offer a sprawling canvas for exploration, and the end result is a bonafide success story that leaps off the screen as a standout amongst a crowded toy and Saturday morning TV landscape.

The overreaching plot is both simple and sophisticated. The story follows Eternia's quiet and unassuming Prince Adam (voiced by John Erwin) who has a secret: he's not always so meek. He is in possession of the Sword of Power which, when he calls upon it, transforms him into the musclebound hero, He-Man (also voiced by Erwin), the strongest man in the universe. He and his friends -- the brave Man-at-Arms, the beautiful and powerful Teela, the magical Orko, his trusty cat steed Battle Cat (a timid kitten called "Cringer" apart from receiving its share of the swords power) and a host of other heroes battle the nefarious, egotistic, and power-hungry Skeletor (voiced by Alan Oppenheimer) who fights alongside the cunning Evil-Lyn and an army of terrifying bad guys. It's a clash for power that pits power against power in the ultimate fight for good against the terrifying forces of darkness and evil.

The plot is not necessarily novel -- the battle between good and evil rages in every episode, and there's never really much doubt that good will prevail. The show doesn't take risks that shows today might take (look at Kevin Smith's He-Man show, for example), but that's not necessarily a detriment. The formula works well and never overextends its welcome over 130 episodes, in large measure due to the fantastical world of Eternia and the fantastic cast of characters who populate it. Eternia blends together classic sword and sorcery sort of elements while also adding in splashes of modern technology that blends the boundaries of Fantasy and Science Fiction together with satisfying precision. Character designs are also superbly realized, and while some of them might have silly and uncreative names (as noted above), there are not many stinkers on the roster. They are all well realized and add to the overall mayhem that plays out through the series, most of them enjoyable and well integrated in nearly every episode. It is this diversified roster that allows the show to breathe and never fall into gross repetitiveness, and there's usually a nice blend of central character focus and secondary character exploration that gives audiences reasons to keep coming back even when the central storyline remains largely unchanged.

At the same time, that narrative repetitiveness can be a detriment, especially when watching the show over the long haul and with greater frequency than once per week. Cramming in dozens of episodes over the course of couple of weeks will make the flaws far more readily evident as Skeletor devises a plan that is ultimately thwarted by He-Man and the gang. While characters are well developed, they don't necessarily evolve all that much. And, watching in close proximity only emphasizes the point that each episode is basically a microcosm of the series, and no matter how throughly Skeletor is thwarted, he never gives up. He's determined, that's for sure, but that determination lacks depth to really sell the character and the plotting. Still, each episode has it unique charms and highlight moments, so even in the midst of repetition, there's plenty of reason to watch. But it does work best as a slow drip rather than as a flood.

Ultimately, however, the show is a long-format commercial for toys. There's no escaping the obvious fact (more so watching as an adult than a child) that so much of what happens here is meant to push families to the local toy store to pick up a cartful of figures and vehicles. And I had plenty of them (my favorite was Trap-Jaw). At the same time, there is some balance here. It's clear that the show has good lessons to instill into its audience, especially ideas like goodness and truth being worth fighting for, and even when the actual battles become the highlight, those underlying moral lessons will encourage parents today to let their children keep watching. And, without massive levels of He-Man toys on shelves (at least not compared to when I was a kid), and with no commercials selling them, there might not be that immediately mental connection. I think kids today will have a blast with the show, and while the slicker live action movie that just released might be a bigger draw (due to advertising), many kids will still enjoy this fantastical romp if they give it a chance. Give it that chance; pick up this Blu-ray!

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: The Complete Original Series + The Secret of the Sword & A Christmas Special Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: The Complete Original Series looks great on Blu-ray. The content is upscaled to 1080p but it's remarkably stable, clear, and accurate, never giving an obvious impression that it's not native HD. The picture's clarity is steady and satisfying, presenting all of the lines with excellent stability. Detailing is terrific. The 1080p resolution brings out the best of the original animation, capturing character elements and static backgrounds with satisfying efficiency and crispness. I can't imagine the core image looking much better than this. The colors are even better. They are bold and bright, presenting with a rich vividness that really punctuates every shot and brings out character details with pop to spare. The various hues may lack precision nuance and variance, but that's at the source and not an issue with the Blu-ray. But it's quite remarkable to see the show's color spectrum on full display, especially if you're running on childhood memories from sitting in front of a 13", 20", 27", or even 36" CRT TV (all sizes I had growing up over the years). The level of punch and sophistication within the more limited tonal confines is a pleasure to behold, with core character colors and Grayskull green the obvious highlights. The picture is home to some wobble as well as pop, splotches, and speckles, but they're not overly heavy or invasive and, in some ways, add to the nostalgic flavor the show elicits in veteran viewers. I loved every minute of everything the 1080p video has to offer!

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: The Complete Original Series + The Secret of the Sword & A Christmas Special Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: The Complete Original Series arrives on Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack. This is an 80s Saturday morning cartoon soundtrack, not major motion picture extravaganza, so that it's lacking in range, limited in channels, and not all that dynamic comes as no surprise. The elements linger in a front-center imaged area with nothing in the way of real spread and front soundstage separation. But overall clarity is fine, especially that famous opening title music. Action scenes are suitably detailed but never dynamic, and environmental ambience is not very complex. Dialogue is clear and centered.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: The Complete Original Series + The Secret of the Sword & A Christmas Special Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray boxed set of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe contains all of its supplemental content on a dedicated bonus disc. No DVD Or digital copies are included with purchase. The set does ship with a slip box housing two oversized Amaray cases, split between seasons. The bonus disc can be found bundled with the season two collection. A small booklet with episode listings and a few paragraphs about the show is also included.

• He-Man & She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword (1080p, DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, ~4x3, 1:31:08): A feature-length film that basically bridges the divide between the He-Man and She-Ra cartoons. It's a solid outing, the animation looks great, and delivers both satisfying adventure and surprising dramatic depth. Picture and sound qualities are on par with the two seasons of He-Man that are the focus of this collection.
• He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special (1080p, DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, ~4x3, 46:20): A festive Christmastime double long episode. It's nowhere near as narratively satisfying as the film above, but it's a slice of silly (and superfluous, truth be told) nostalgic fun. Again, picture and sound qualities are up to par.
• Power of Grayskull: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1080p, DD 2.0, 1.78:1, 1:35:35): A wonderfully in-depth exploration of the franchise, including its origins, the toys and animated shows, the 1987 film, and more. This documentary is heavy on concept art.
• Saturday Morning Legacy of Filmation (1080p, DD 2.0, 1.78:1, 22:21): A look at Filmation and Saturday morning cartoons beyond He-Man.
• Hope, Honor, Heart: The Origins of She-Ra (1080p, DD 2.0, 1.78:1, 20:26): Looking at the original show's instant success and the desire to create a female-centric companion show. Watch it after watching The Secret of the Sword.
• Early Concepts and Illustrations (1080p, DD 2.0, 1.78:1, 28:10): Charles Zembillas guides viewers through original concept artwork that drove the look and feel of the show and the He-Man universe.

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: The Complete Original Series + The Secret of the Sword & A Christmas Special Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Not only is a He-Man resurgence underway, a He-Man renaissance is underway, and it all points back to this meager animated source. While the show is far from perfect -- the animation is typical of its day and the episodes can feel formulaic -- it stood out for its solid voice work, terrific world building, and unforgettable characters and settings, all of which have withstood the test of time and brought about a wonderful universe that is exploding in popularity again today in the various iterations flooding the market (not to mention all sorts of new toys). This is an important slice of TV and entertainment history that has earned a sturdy and worthy Blu-ray package. Highly recommended!