This page is Spoilers Off. You Have Been Warned.
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
Does This Remind You of Anything? in this series.- On several occasions, including mid-battle, Catra straddles Adora or sits on her lap. Those two have no sense of each other's personal space, though considering how they end the series there is a very good reason the two are like that.
- Catra's speech to Adora at the end of "Promise" is reminiscent of siblings from an abusive household (not actually far from the truth), especially how deep down Catra resented Adora growing up because Shadow Weaver abused her less.Adora: I was only trying to protect you!
Catra: You never protected me! Not in any way that would put you on Shadow Weaver's bad side. Admit it, you love being her favorite.
Adora: That's not true!
Catra: Oh yeah? When you left, who do you think took the fall for you? Who was protecting me then? - When Adora is under the influence of the computer virus that takes over her sword, the effect it has on her essentially makes her act as if she was drunk. She talks in a sluggish manner, walks weirdly, and falls asleep easily when left alone.
- As per the video example on the main page, Bow hiding the fact that he's a warrior and not a scholar from his parents, and later telling them and fearing their judgement codes well to a gay child coming out to his parents.
- Beast Island emits a signal that preys on visitor's deepest sorrows and insecurities, until they lose the will to resist. The island can be seen as an allegory for crippling depression.
- In "Hero", Razz finds herself shifting through different time periods at random, confused as to what time period she is in and whether she's talking to Mara or Adora. Her status as a Non-Linear Character can be interpreted as an allegory for dementia. Hopefully, she doesn’t actually have that yet.
- The Galactic Horde clones praise Horde Prime with quasi-religious language, making them reminiscent of religious extremists.
- Horde Prime's ship, the Velvet Glove, is vast, sleek, has vaulted ceilings, and directs the viewer's attention to the front of each room, much like a modern Christian church. In an interview with Polygon
and in a May 22nd, 2020 tweet, showrunner ND Stevenson said that the Velvet Glove's design was inspired by Christian megachurches. - Horde Prime serves as a stand-in for a narcissistic, charismatic cult leader with a massive God complex. (ND Stevenson admits that he was modeled on real-life suicide cult leaders.) He speaks of unity and bringing the worlds he conquers into the light, but it's all really just an excuse for him to dominate everything and everyone, just to pump up his ego and further his own power.
- His army's devotion to him is downright fanatical, all of them denying he even has weaknesses or that he's ever lost, and anyone who questions him or shows anything less than absolute blind loyalty is "reconditioned," if not outright disposed of. Even thinking of questioning Prime is a grave offense. Hordak was made an outcast for being "defective" and showing free will, and we later find out that the "purification" ritual greatly resembles a baptism. Given that Hordak's condition has been read as an allegory for a disability of some kind, it gets even more difficult to watch.
- The clones have no meaningful interaction with the outside world beyond destroying it, and are forbidden from even speaking to people not in the Horde. They cannot go anywhere, do anything, or speak to anyone without Prime knowing. He literally has eyes everywhere. He's made sure nowhere is safe, and nowhere is truly private.
- Horde Prime has built for himself a cult of attractive, submissive young men who are brainwashed into obeying his every command. He frequently violates them by draining their life force to preserve his youth, taking over their bodies on a whim, and using the tentacle-like cables from his own body to enter the cybernetic "ports" in theirs. In one scene the clones appear to be blushing as he strokes them and talks about using their bodies as his permanent vessel. He then abducts a young woman to forcibly use for the same purposes, including "fixing" her feelings for another girl.
- Wrong Hordak, a clone who the team accidentally disconnects from Prime's hive mind and subsequently take home with them, has a character arc that greatly mirrors experiences of cult survivors. He at first sings praises to Horde Prime and his regime and desperately wishes to return to the hive mind, and feels great shame at being disconnected and thus "disloyal." When he escapes with the main characters, although he likes them and they treat him well, he feels out of place and has no idea how to interact with the world — he's never had an identity outside the Horde, outside the cult. However, upon realizing he was lied to and exploited his whole life, he has a Crisis of Faith combined with a nervous breakdown. He recovers, and becomes extremely outspoken against the Horde, wanting everyone to know that Prime is a liar so they can break free, too.
- Hordak's character arc has these in spades.
- Hordak getting cast out by his progenitor, being called an "abomination" by said progenitor, and taking a new name for himself codes well to a transgender youth being kicked out by a transphobic parent.
- After Catra lies to Hordak about Entrapta betraying him, he broods amidst the wreckage of their portal machine and removes Entrapta's belongings from the Fright Zone. His behavior is less like that of a warlord whose minion betrayed him and more like that of a jilted boyfriend going through a bad break-up. Double Trouble even describes him as "scorned".
- The end of Season 4 gives viewers the full, horrific picture of Hordak's old life under Horde Prime, including violence, mental violation, devaluation, and suppression of individuality. Hordak is akin to a child suffering horrific abuse from a parent, but still desperately seeking that parent's affirmation.
- The Mind Rape scene in "Destiny, Part 2" can be interpreted as an allegory for sexual abuse. The way Horde Prime forcibly enters Hordak's mind involves both mental and physical violation. Horde Prime plugs his cables/"hair" into Hordak's cybernetic interface. As Hordak looks on with a terrified expression, Prime gropes Hordak's face, runs his hand over Hordak's armor, and violently overrides Hordak's mind.
- Hordak's "baptism" scene in "Corridors" is reminiscent of an LGBTQ person being subjected to conversion therapy or the machinations of an "ex-gay" ministry. Hordak being punished by a parental figure for giving himself a name (coinciding with him changing his appearance) is especially parallel to transgender experiences. It's later shown that Catra, a young woman struggling with her feelings for another woman, was subjected to the same fate. And just like conversion therapy, the process ultimately doesn't work for either of them.
