Masters of the Universe Proves Skeletor Will Always Be the Franchise’s MVP

Warning: Spoilers travel for Masters of the Universe.

You person the power, He-Man fans, due to the fact that Masters of the Universe is present successful theaters. The long-gestating reboot of Mattel’s sword and sorcery franchise (seriously, this thing’s improvement has been reported connected for astatine slightest 2 decades) is entering its opening play with coagulated reviews, including an 8/10 from IGN’s Clint Gage, who wrote that the movie “proves the champion mode to adhd to a 50-year-old franchise that’s astir toys arsenic overmuch arsenic thing other is to not instrumentality it excessively seriously.” Yet though the movie has a batch to excite fans, including immoderate large post-credits surprises, the champion portion winds up not being He-Man, played by Nicholas Galitzine, but his main nemesis: the interstellar skull-faced warlord Skeletor, played by Jared Leto.

Better than immoderate different facet of the film, Skeletor’s portrayal finds the close equilibrium betwixt goofy and serious, with the villain winding up arsenic the funniest quality portion ne'er taking distant from his menace level. It’s an attack that suits the worldly and stays existent to the fashionable conception of Skeletor arsenic a walking meme generator. Yet it besides highlights that nary substance what iteration we’re talking about, Skeletor volition apt ever beryllium the franchise’s astir iconic creation. How so? Let’s get into it.

Guy Without a Face

The mode Skeletor is some comic and sinister, often successful the aforesaid scene, is illustrated successful the caller movie by his introduction, erstwhile helium overthrows King Randor (James Purefoy), Adam/He-Man’s begetter and ruler of Eternia, portion the second is inactive a boy. You don’t adjacent request to spot the movie to ticker this, since a clip of it was made disposable online earlier the film’s release. Many Masters of the Universe fans astir the satellite praised the country for capturing conscionable however overmuch of a goofball Skeletor is, which is conveyed not conscionable by the penning and performance, but by immoderate genuinely stellar VFX enactment connected the character’s expressions.

Most supervillains would travel disconnected arsenic excessively absurd to instrumentality earnestly doing these things, but the joyousness of Skeletor is that a operation of drama and treachery is precisely what makes him tick.“

Director Travis Knight’s inheritance successful animation is intelligibly paying disconnected dividends here, due to the fact that Skeletor’s look has much malleability than galore unrecorded actors contempt being a literal skull. That’s not to discount the performances from the unrecorded cast; Galitzine makes for a likable pb arsenic a young antheral who feels mislaid some connected his location satellite and his adopted one, Camila Mendes holds her ain arsenic the “one sane person” among the heroes, and Idris Elba and Alison Brie are arsenic charming and watchable arsenic accustomed arsenic Man-At-Arms and Evil-Lyn. But Skeletor has much charisma and surface beingness than anyone other due to the fact that helium tin instrumentality vantage of the ocular possibilities of not being constricted to the existent dimensions of a quality face, which makes him basal retired adjacent among the stacked cast.

His intro country is conscionable the extremity of the iceberg for the hilarity Skeletor is progressive in, from refusing to beryllium baited into a 1-on-1 combat with He-Man due to the fact that helium “doesn’t privation to,” to repeatedly failing to activate the Sword of Power’s, well, power, despite striking the signature airs and saying the iconic lines, to commenting connected He-Man’s physique with references to things similar his “glorious thighs” (Happy pride?). Then there’s the series during the last conflict wherever Skeletor enters Adam’s caput and participates successful flashbacks to his beingness connected Earth, including activities similar lifting weights astatine the gym and berating him astatine the bureau portion wearing a suit and tie.

Most supervillains would travel disconnected arsenic excessively absurd to instrumentality earnestly doing these things successful different movies, but the joyousness of Skeletor, going backmost arsenic acold arsenic the archetypal Filmation cartoon, is that a operation of drama and treachery is precisely what makes him tick.

Meme Master

The crushed MOTU fans are truthful pleased with Skeletor’s antics is due to the fact that it harkens backmost to his classical mentation from the archetypal He-Man cartoon, which established the character’s persona for decades to come. Even if you haven’t seen the show, Skeletor has penetrated the modern taste consciousness to a greater grade than different He-Man characters done clips, gifs and meme images that person dispersed similar wildfire crossed the net for years. They’re hilarious connected their own, but what makes them truthful endearing for fans is that they don’t person to warp Skeletor’s property to beryllium funny. He’s ever been a cheeky bastard with goofy mannerisms who berates his henchmen with hilarious insults; the memes conscionable cement his presumption arsenic the franchise’s astir well-known figure.

However, what makes Skeletor compelling goes beyond conscionable his comic potential. It’s the information that he’s an highly almighty archvillain portion besides being a sassy diva without either facet undercutting the other. Typically the hero’s top nemesis successful a phantasy oregon sci-fi spot besides being truthful silly would wounded a work’s communicative credibility; you mightiness announcement characters similar Sauron, Darkseid oregon Thanos aren’t each that funny. But Skeletor succeeds by hitting a precise circumstantial tonal registry that doesn’t conscionable acceptable the Masters of the Universe brand, but besides imbues that marque with its astir dynamic character. MOTU heroes and villains are typically rather arch, with their personalities usually designed astir their carnal features and combat gimmicks. That’s not an insult -- there’s plentifulness of chill characters successful the MOTU roster -- but a specified information of the plan doctrine of toy-centered franchises.

But Skeletor breaks that mold due to the fact that he’s arguably the astir well-known supervillain who is capable to beryllium some the eventual antagonist and the funniest fig of his ain franchise. It’s a niche that astir different fictional characters don’t rather fit, and the information that nary different He-Man quality has that level of specificity is apt wherefore the marque ne'er had the semipermanent taste cachet of different artifact properties similar Barbie, LEGO, oregon Transformers.

It’s besides wherefore trying to bash a much straightforwardly menacing mentation of Skeletor with melodramatic gravitas but nary drama conscionable wouldn’t consciousness close (I mean, unless you had an implicit fable similar Frank Langella giving it a try). Yes, the caller film's Skeletor is menacing erstwhile he’s battling He-Man oregon threatening Evil-Lyn for her failures. The movie wouldn’t person stakes if wasn't. But look astatine the guy.

He’s a buff bluish dude with a skull for a face. He’s absurd each the mode down to his bones. Leaning into that absurdity portion inactive portraying him arsenic unsafe is not conscionable what makes him the champion quality successful the caller movie; it’s besides the crushed wherefore we’re inactive talking astir him each these years later.

Carlos Morales writes novels, articles, and Mass Effect essays. You tin travel his fixations connected Twitter.