She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Final Season Review
The reimagining of the classic eighties property She-Ra: Princess of Power has only been on Netflix for two years, but already it has reached its conclusion with the fifth and final season. But within this short space of time it has been celebrated by fans and critics with its magical action packed scenes, dramatic and twisted storylines and its praise on LGBT representation.
With the final thirteen episodes, does She-Ra and the Princesses of Power shine brightly at the end of its adventures?
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Final Season Poster
Following immediately after the events of season four, Adora (Aimee Carrero), Bow (Marcus Sribner), Swift Wind (Adam Ray) and the magical princesses rebel against the invading forces of Horde Prime (Keston John) while also trying to figure out a way to rescue Glimmer (Karen Fukuhara) who has become his captive alongside Catra (AJ Michalka) far across the galaxy. With Horde Prime’s goal of taking the magic from Etheria to destroy multiple planets across the universe, both heroes and past villains question their decisions and consequences with such a huge threat impacting everyone that creates some of the most dramatic and emotional scenes we have seen throughout the series.
The focus on emotions and love have been one of the strongest aspects of the show, whether it’s focussing on the protagonists or the antagonists, as it has never shied away from exploring everyone’s point of view and how the actions of one character could entirely affect their relationship with another. We get to see new chemistries forge and develop and throughout the last thirteen episodes, they feel gradual and naturally developed. Even with the existing relationships prior, we get to see most of them reach satisfying ends throughout this intense season. And with the incredibly talented cast, it helps to cement it further as something more than just an animated action series.
Horde Prime
With the creative teams from Dreamworks, Mattel Creations and NE4U coming together once again, the show is able to use the storylines and new settings effectively to give viewers new locations both on Etheria and in space while sticking to the familiar bright colour palette. From Horde Prime’s chrome and eerily empty spaceship to decaying planets to a jazzy club beneath the ocean, these new locations feel very welcome after seeing a lot of the same sets used time and again in previous seasons.
With these new settings and threats also come new and familiar characters and how they are able to portray a lot of emotion in both dramatic scenes and the more subtle moments. It’s what has made this reboot so engaging to watch as its focus on feelings drive the stories and conflict throughout all the episodes. Even if the show may not be as well polished with the action sequences compared to other animated action shows like Voltron: Legendary Defender, this never seemed to disrupt the flow and enjoyment throughout that all the animators put into it.
Adora and the Resistance
She Ra and the Princesses of Power’s fifth season delivers a satisfying end to this two year-long series filled with a rollercoaster of emotions and magic to boot. While I can’t speak for the fans of the original eighties property, I can say as a fan of this remake that it reaches a compelling and rewarding end.
You can now watch all 5 seasons of She Ra and the Princesses of Power on Netflix here.