She-Ra (line)

**She-Ra** (also called Her-Ra by Lance and George) is the legendary protector of Etheria, described as a being of pure magic. Etheria chooses who becomes She-Ra, creating a long line of powerful magical warrior princesses, with a new host being chosen some time after the old passes away. It is unclear how, but Madame Razz is somehow connected to events across time that link the incarnations of She-Ra. The most recent She-Ra is Adora, and the previous She-Ra was Mara.

## Description

She-Ra is associated with long blonde hair, glowing blue eyes, white clothes, golden tiara and shoulder pads, and tall stature. All the known hosts have been women, but it is unknown if this always has to be the case. In Season 5, a She-Ra-like figure appears in Adora's dreams in the form of a tall voiceless woman made of bright golden light. She is similar to, but not exactly the same as Adora's She-Ra form.

The host normally stays in her original form, but she can temporarily transform into the super-powered form of She-Ra, which is activated by holding up the Sword of Protection and shouting "for the honor of Greyskull!" She can turn back either by will or if she takes too much damage.

She-Ra is known to possess superhuman strength, agility and durability, healing powers, and can create blasts of energy/magic with her sword. She-Ra can also mutate animals with her magic to create a psychic link between them, which also gives them heightened intelligence and the ability to speak. It is unclear what powers are specific to being She-Ra and what additional powers are granted by using the Sword of Protection.

She-Ra's magic is inside the chosen host and can be activated or blocked based on their emotions and state of mind, as Adora can tap into She-Ra's powers even without the sword when properly motivated. However, the sword appears to make the process easier, at least when one is used to transforming to She-Ra through the sword. Madame Razz once stated, "She-Ra is not a sword; She-Ra is YOU!" at the sight of Mara being able to heal a patch of dried-out plants by pressing her hand against the surface of the ground, without the sword. This shows that, just as the other princesses were able to use the power of their runestones without being near them, when someone accepts the role of She-Ra, the power is transferred within them. The power of She-Ra, combined with the power of all the other runestones, was the key to opening the magic inside the planet of Etheria, which could move the planet in and out of a dimension, possibly killing the host, who is at the center of the release of its magic.

After the Sword of Protection is created, She-Ra becomes forcefully linked to it and only First Ones can become hosts. The Sword controls her power, possibly replacing the sword that naturally comes with becoming She-Ra if there was a natural sword at all. The First Ones sword's power comes from the unique blending of First Ones' tech and a Runestone actually located in the Sword of Protection. With the blending of tech and magic the sword can harness and control the power of She-Ra and use it for the Heart of Etheria Project.

After the sword that's limiting her is destroyed and she is properly motivated, Adora gains the ability to transform into a new She-Ra form that is much more powerful than the last and she is capable of acquiring a sword out of thin air with her magic. The activation code "for the honor of Greyskull" is no longer necessary, but Adora uses it anyway.

With the artificial Sword of Protection destroyed, it is likely that the next She-Ra after Adora does not have to be biologically Eternian anymore.

## History

The line of She-Ra has existed "long before your people (First Ones)" according to Madame Razz, with the power of the princess having been wielded by many chosen people to protect Etheria.

However, after the First Ones arrived on Etheria, they created the Sword of Protection with their technology to control She-Ra and use her for the Heart of Etheria Project, only allowing their own kind to become hosts. The higher-ups then decided to give the Sword to Mara, with her being the first She-Ra not chosen by Etheria itself. However, lots of information was kept hidden from her by her superiors. Mara believed her people chose her to be She-Ra, but Madame Razz told her the truth about She-Ra and how the magic of planet works.

After Mara learned that the Heart of Etheria project would lead to massive destruction across the universe, she moved Etheria to the empty dimension of Despondos and broke the She-Ra line, sacrificing herself to save the universe and trying to make sure there would be no successors to suffer the same fate of being controlled like her.

1000 years later, Light Hope manages to transport Adora to Etheria, choosing her to become the next She-Ra to continue the Project. Adora eventually breaks the Sword of Protection, acquiring her true unlimited form as She-Ra and freeing the She-Ra line from the First Ones' control. She also defeats Horde Prime, an enemy of the She-Ra line who has faced her several times in the past.

## Known She-Ras

### Mara

**Mara** was the last She-Ra before Adora. Light Hope tells Adora that Mara struggled to separate her personal attachments from her duty, causing her to be unable to fully understand the scope of her powers, which ultimately resulted in her mind snapping. However, what really happened was that the First Ones built the Heart of Etheria, which was activated by She-Ra raising her sword, but it would result in the destruction of the Universe when activated. Mara resisted her leaders, including Light Hope, and moved Etheria to the dimension of Despondos where they would be safe and hidden from the rest of the universe. In so doing, she sacrificed herself to save the Universe.

Because all She-Ras are First Ones, biologically Eternian, she had thought this would make it too difficult for Eternians to enter, and therefore future She-Ras. Her original idea was that without a She-Ra to control the magic, the magic wouldn't be able to be used at all. This wound up successfully severing the She-Ra line for a thousand years before Adora.

### Adora

**Adora** is the current She-Ra. Light Hope wanted to continue the Heart of Etheria Project, and so she opened a small portal in which Adora, biologically Eternian, came to Etheria. She was found and kept by Shadow Weaver, who knew she was special, despite Hordak's feelings, which is why Adora grew up training in the Horde. She was raised by the Horde. After being captured by Bow and Glimmer while trying to find the Sword of Protection, she discovers that her faction is evil and can no longer stand by their deeds. She leaves the Fright Zone to join The Rebellion and co-founds the Princess Alliance with Glimmer and Bow.

## Trivia

* Mara's dragon is theoretically her steed, but it's a presumptive idea based on evidence within the series - there is no absolute confirmation, just implication. Adora transformed a horse into a flying, speaking unicorn and made a magical connection with it. It is unknown how many She-Ras have steeds (as no She-Ra has been named or described besides Mara and Adora), but Light Hope mentioned in Ties That Bind that it was important for She-Ra to form a bond with her steed.