AsNicolas Galitzinecontinues his grueling training regime to prepare forhis role as He-Man, all that’s left to do while waiting forthe live-action adventureis to revisit some of the best fights in previous versions. With so many epic face-offs between various adversaries, there is an abundance of action in every episode. But,the best rivalry of all is that of He-Man and Skeletor. The textbook definition of mortal enemies, these two powerful characters give it their all whenever they fight.
While Skeletor spends his days thinking of new ways to destroy his arch-nemesis and seize all the power of the universe, Prince Adam tries to help and protect the people of Eternia. With the power of Grayskull, he is almost invincible, but even in his human form, his wit and cunning help him outsmart his opponent and come out on top.It’s always fascinating to see what new terrors Skeletor will conjure up, and just how He-Man will manage to evade them.
10"Reason And Blood"
In Masters Of The Universe: Revelation (2021)
This episode comes from the Kevin Smith version of the universe, devised to be a direct continuation of the show from the 1980s. This episode ofMasters of the Universe: RevelationseesHe-Man in a more primal and barbaric form take on a powered-up version of Skeletor, called Skelegod.
The fight is so destructive, that it nearly takes out the whole city and ultimately has to be stopped by Teela, who teleports them out of the action.
He-Man’s condition is due to him summoning the power of Grayskull without the use of the sword, and this lack of a focus point is what affects his behavior, as well as the distribution of his powers. This savage version of the hero takes on Skelegod in a fight that is so different from what viewers are used to.
While this iteration of Skeletor uses his usual tactics of sleight of hand and deception, He-Man blasts through with brute force in full beast mode. A highlight is his fist punching through a set of portals created by the sorcerer that knocks him to the ground. The fight is so destructive, that it nearly takes out the whole city and ultimately has to be stopped by Teela, who teleports them out of the action.
9"The Shaping Staff"
In He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe (1983)
This episode is packed withhigh-stakes action from start to finish. With the help of the magical Shaping Staff, Evil-Lyn manages to infiltrate the palace and take many of the heroes hostage by turning them into small, defenseless animals. She also turns He-Man into a golden statue, rendering him powerless.
With that upper hand, Skeletor hatches a plan to take over Grayskull and creates Faker to lure the sorceress out. It’s a clever ruse to create a nearly exact replica of He-Man and leads to a thrilling fight sequence. After He-Man and the Sorceress' telepathic connection frees them both from their respective prisons, he takes on the fake version of himself in hand-to-hand combat.
Naturally, the original can defeat the cheap copy by throwing him into the bottomless gorge, and He-Man sets his sights on Skeletor. Though he’s able to ground him with magical chains, help is on the way and the staff is broken along with all its spells.The fight is a great example of how Skeletor’s over-elaborate plans can often backfire, especially when up against a more united and organized front.
8"The Final Invasion"
In The New Adventures Of He-Man(1990)
This showdown is one of the more exciting ones in the 1990s reboot of the show. Entering a new decade meant a slightly different version of the costuming, and some more technical animation as well. Sporting a brand-new hairstyle and much longer clothing covering, He-Man is now charged with defending multiple planets from the evil forces of Skeletor and others.
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In this quest to protect Primus,Skeletor takes the chaos of the battle to his advantage, and transports himself, He-Man, Mara, and Crita to a secluded location for the final fight. With both sets of adversaries taking each other on at the same time, the screen is filled with action. It’s the fight between Mara and Crita that leads to Skeletor’s ultimate defeat.
The New Adventures of He-Man
Cast
The New Adventures of He-Man is an animated series that premiered in fall 1990, serving as a continuation of Filmation’s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. Coinciding with Mattel’s updated He-Man toy line, the series follows He-Man’s ongoing battle against new threats in a distant future setting.
As Crita tries to fell a large pillar onto Mara, it inadvertently starts pummeling towards her instead, and as Mara saves her, she crashes into Skeletor. He-Man takes the opportunity to seal them both in a space pod and sends them out into space. Seeing as Skeletor was already separated from his Skull Staff, it stands to reason that escaping is not going to be easy.
7"The Beginning Of The End, Part 2"
In He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe (2021)
This Netflix revival of the franchise was a fresh take on the story, with more digitalized animation, and changes to the well-known lore. It shows the origins of Skeletor, and how he came to be the skeletal villain that he is most known as. It also brought in a host of new characters and showed He-Man in a slightly different light as well. This season 3 finale episode raised the stakes to maximum levels, with the fate of Eternia in peril.
In perhaps his most powerful form to date, with the help of the Havoc Staff, Skeletor becomes the Cosmic Terror. True to the name, this winged creature can absorb the power of Grayskull, allowing him to create a portal to the Heart of the Universe.All seems lost by the time He-Man faces off with Skeletor, but,in spectacular fashion, the hero is able to save the day, reverting him back to his Prince Keldor form. This is one of the few times Skeletor’s defeat does not result in escape or evasion; he is left powerless and imprisoned.
6Live Action Fight
In Masters Of The Universe (1987)
In his first-ever live-action iteration, He-Man was portrayed by Dolph Lundgren. In an homage to the cartoon series, a lot of the styling was influenced by the animation, including He-Man’s costume. Skeletor is a slightly different story, probably largely due to the visual effects limitations of the time.
But, the story benefits from a welcome twist, in this case, placing some of the action on Earth. The interactions between the Eternians and the Earthlings add some comedic effect but also make the stakes more relatable to viewers. Skeletor comes into possession of the Sword of Power and transforms into his ultimate state of being.
But, even though he’s much weaker,He-Man can defeat his nemesis by outwitting him and using his hubris against him.With the sword back in its rightful place and Skeletor reverted back to his original form, He-Man is about to show mercy and bring him to justice. Skeletor being Skeletor, doesn’t accept this and tries a sneak attack which leads to his ultimate demise. It was the first instance in which audiences saw the villain face such a final defeat.
5"Diamond Ray Of Disappearance"
The first episode of the first-ever series is where this first showdown between He-Man and Skeletor takes place. It sets the tone for their rivalry and all future fights. As Skeletor introduces his dastardly plan as well as his most trusted evil companions, the audience learns what to expect from the powerful sorcerer. He-Man must ultimately step up to save the day and the two rivals come face to face for the first time.
The final battle of the episodesees Skeletor try and infiltrate Grayskull, only to be greeted by He-Man at the door. It allows for one of the show’s signature one-liners: “Next time, you might try knocking first,” which is both funny and enraging for Skeletor. The fight is not just between the two of them and allows many of the heroes to show their skills as well, but it is He-Man who knocks the diamond out of Skeletor’s hand and thwarts his plan. He also then destroys it with his bare hands, showcasing just how powerful he truly is.
4"The Scepter And The Sword"
In Masters Of The Universe: Revolution (2024)
This big climactic fight shows that sometimes, it’s not just strength that’s important, but a loyal group of friends who will lift and inspire when the chips are down. As He-Man is taking a beating from Skeletor, he’s struggling to hold his own against the super-poweredSkeletorwho has combined magic and technology to achieve this extra power. Even though He-Man has a power-up of his own, it is not until Teela restores Preternia that the tides change.
With the aid of his father and other fallen heroes,He-Man is able to defeat Skeletor once and for all.By changing him back to his original form, it sets up a whole new storyline for this complicated villain. While the ending sees him imprisoned as Keldor, it also shows Skeletor looking back at him in his reflection. This is the latest ending in the franchise, so it’s not known how the story will unfold, especially with so many more heroes back in the mix.
3"The Power Of Grayskull"
Kevin Smith chose a very unusual way of kicking off his new take on theHe-Manfranchise. Namely, he seemingly killed both Skeletor and He-Man himself. This was a huge shock for viewers who tuned into this very different version of a story they were so used to. This allowed Teela’s character to develop more but was a very divisive choice among viewers, who were expecting to see the famed rivalry play out on screen once more. While both characters returned to the land of the living,this battle was one for the ages.
With the fate of the universe at stake, He-Man is forced to make the final sacrifice to defeat Skeletor and stop his magic from absorbing everything.
It starts out seemingly normally, as every other battle might, but things take a turn for the worse. With the fate of the universe at stake,He-Man is forced to make the final sacrifice to defeat Skeletorand stop his magic from absorbing everything. As he uses his Sword of Power to shatter the orb, it kills both him and Skeletor. Or the viewers are led to believe. This set up the entire premise of the show and reveals He-Man’s true identity to those who were not part of the secret.
2"The Problem With Power"
This fight is one with many different layers. Tricked by Skeletor into believing he let innocent villagers die, Adam returns his powers and throws his sword into the bottomless abyss. This already proves to be one of the evil mastermind’s more successful plans, as he inadvertently left his enemy defenseless and exposed more than ever.
Because of this, when a dangerous mission to sneak into Snake Mountain arises, it is Teela who goes off on her own. If Orko hadn’t discovered the deception, Adam would most likely have gone on without his powers, allowing Skeletor to prevail. Once the prince realizes what has happened, he goes on a dangerous quest of his own to retrieve the Sword of Power.
Even that precarious moment is all due to Skeletor’s actions, which shows how much he impacted his opponent. Naturally,Adam summons the power of Grayskull, and He-Man arrives to save Teela in the nick of time. Skeletor nearly triumphs in this fight, as he leaves the heroes with an explosive device that He-Man just barely manages to outrun. Teela sustains a head injury as well, showing that the stakes were higher than they may have seemed.
1"Comes With Everything You See Here"
In one of the most shocking turns of events in the franchise, this very short altercation had dire consequences.For a second time in the span of the new series, viewers see the death of the hero. In this instance, it’s much more graphic and heartbreaking, but just as shocking, if not more so. Seeing him quite literally stabbed in the back is extremely sad yet impactful, also showing the true nature of Skeletor and what lengths he will go to.
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The scene itself is filled with many twists that had audiences in disbelief. As Adam is about to summon the power of Grayskull, a blade is seen puncturing his heart. The look on his face as he realizes what has happened says it all, and Teela’s reaction mimics that of the viewers watching. Skeletor, who saved his essence within Evil-Lyn’s staff, reveals himself to be the killer and proceeds to take Sword of Power for himself. Seeing Adam drop to the ground, bleeding out in his vulnerable state is an image that nobody was expecting to see, making for the franchise’s best fight.
