He-Man Costumes

If you were a child of the '80's, then you must remember He-Man! And chances are good that at one point in your young life, you wanted to be him (or his twin sister, She-Ra). In fact, I'd bet you still entertain thoughts of being He-Man...I'll admit I do!

Well, with Halloween approaching, here's your chance! It's time to pick up your magic sword (Ya know, the power sword that you and Skeletor each possess half of?), raise it to the sky, and shout, "By the power of Grayskull, I have the power!", transforming from your every day prince into the super hero we all know we are!

(And She-Ra?)

Plain and simple, He-Man is the super hero alter ego of Prince Adam of Eternia. Eternia is endlessly troubled by the villainous Skeletor. When Prince Adam is a baby, the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull bestows upon Prince Adam the ability to change into He-Man and charges him with the responsibility of protecting Eternia and its people from Skeletor and his evil minions.

Along with his sidekick, Battle Cat (Who is actually a cowardly tiger named Cringer whom He-Man transforms into a fearless tiger every time he himself transforms into He-Man), he spends his days figuring out what Skeletor's latest plan for takeover might be and how to foil Skeletor's latest schemes.

It is later revealed to us, and He-Man, that he has a twin sister, Princess Adora (She-Ra). She-Ra also possesses super hero powers (granted to her by the same Sorceress), has a magic sword of her own, her own trusty sidekick (a unicorn named Spirit who changes into a unicorn pegasus named Swift Wind) and is charged with protecting Etheria. The siblings often visited each other, appearing on each others television shows, and helped each other out with regards to battling their enemies together to save the day.

The cartoon series, "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" actually only ran for two full seasons (1983-1985). "She-Ra: Princess of Power" ran for two full season and about a dozen episodes into the third season (1985-1987). It's amazing to think that these two shows, which really didn't have lengthy runs, had such a huge impact of the youth of America in the '80's.

The fact is though, that they did. The amount of merchandise that sprang-up around these two TV series is staggering. He-Man and She-Ra action figure dolls were everywhere! I know I had them! And not only the main characters, but also their sidekicks, their arch nemesis, and many other accompanying characters.

For example, my sister had probably a dozen different She-Ra character figurines, from She-Ra herself to her trusty friends like Bow, Castaspella, Frosta, and Swift Wind. I had He-Man (of course), Battle Cat, Man-At-Arms, Teela, Skeletor, and probably a few others I just can't recall.

In 1987, a live motion picture film was made based on the adventures of He-Man titled Masters of the Universe. Although it wasn't really a hit in the box office, I sure can remember loving it! Let's face it, it doesn't take a lot to amuse kids--we're not the best critics!

Well, unless you're a girl, then it's probably She-Ra who lives on in you...

Even though He-Man (and She-Ra) had a short run, for some reason these two super hero characters managed to make a huge impression on us. They have most definitely inspired a cult following. And 10 years ago (or so) when we saw a re-emergence of 80's icons in pop culture, these two characters were at the forefront of the scene.

Even today it's not an uncommon sight to see a 30-something year old walking down the street wearing a He-Man or She-Ra tee-shirt. I myself re-watched the two seasons of He-Man on Netflix about a year ago. Cheesy, yes, but fun none the less!

My sister still has all of her She-Ra action figures and is anxiously awaiting the day when her nieces (my daughters) are old enough to watch and enjoy the She-Ra episodes and carefully play with her She-Ra dolls.

I don't know what it is about these two characters, but for some reason we love them. Maybe it's because they remind us of our youth. Maybe it's because they remind us of ourselves. Maybe we just like the style of animation. Who knows? But whatever the reason, there's no denying He-Man and She-Ra will live on in all of us for many years to come. I look forward to the day when I'm 90 years old and I can raise my cane and shout, "By the power of Grayskull, I have the power!", and everyone around me will just shake their heads and think, "What a strange old man."

So this Halloween season, I ask you, why not dress like one of these two super heroes? Or you could dress like one of their sidekicks or even their arch nemesis. There are plenty of ready-made costumes available for purchase, or if you're prefer, you can make your own.

Check out this link to help you master the universe of dressing like He-Man, She-Ra, or Skeletor:

And if you'd like to go the homemade route, just think spandex and tulle. Here are some images of some of the better known supporting characters from He-Man and She-Ra who you could choose to dress as:

Here are some excellent finds on Amazon for all of us Masters of the Universe fans out there!