#Catra and Glimmer - Queens of the Horde

[rainbowtiedx]

last part! ty for the support on these <3

[tearsofsaudade]

and what if i said mike is the catra to will’s adora, huh? what then?

[baggebythesea]

I was slightly disturbed when I realized a recurring theme in Catra and Glimmer - Queens of the Horde is self mutilation.

you ever accidentally create a recurring theme in your writing. you start putting together an outline for something you’ve never written before and get partway through planning, rearrange the pieces, and go “GODDAMMIT THIS IS ABOUT GRIEF AGAIN”? because let me tell you,

[girl4music]

Those last 2 episodes. Appropriately titled ‘Heart Part 1’ and ‘Heart Part 2’ because my heart is so full. I have so much to say and have no idea where to start with it.

So much happened. Every lead character’s individual arc was thoroughly concluded in a very satisfying way. Even some of the recurring ones got an endgame so there’s a lot to cover in this recap of a fantastic finale and I feel so fulfilled on great storytelling and great representation packed into a neatly tied up ending.

MAJOR SPOILERS: do not read this if you have not seen the finale of ‘She-Ra and the Princesses of Power’.

I guess I’ll start with Shadow Weaver because she had an endgame that I had predicted. Well, sort of. I said that Shadow Weaver’s arc can only go in 1 of 2 ways. I said it was either personal attainment (villainy) or personal sacrifice (heroism). So I wasn’t surprised when it was the latter. But I wasn’t able to trust in her going that way sincerely until she started attacking that monster, told Catra that she was proud of her, took off her mask and then told them both ‘you’re welcome’. I couldn’t trust that she was sincerely helping them to achieve releasing and channelling the Heart of Etheria’s magic… which by the way, is what almost brought them to the brink of destruction the first time they tried to do it. However, I understood that because She-Ra was the conduit for that, that it could have a different outcome. Still destructive but destructive only to the opposition. I think anyway. I might have to rewatch that part again because I don’t think I fully understood what was going on there. But yes, Shadow Weaver went out in a heroes death rather than was the cause of her own demise out of hunger for power and a desire to attain the magic of the Heart Of Etheria for selfish aim. I was happy with it.

Glimmer and Bow: I decided to talk about these 2 lead characters together since part of their arc involves each other. It was no surprise to me that they would declare their love for each other. I mean Glimmer has always had a crush on Bow and they’ve been the very best of friends since they were children. I wasn’t sure about Bow at first but I knew intense romantic feelings would develop and I’m glad it was Glimmer who said it first. I am a bit disappointed that there wasn’t a kiss on the lips but I think I understand why that was. I’ll get there. Be patient. There’s way too much to talk about first and I really want to save Catradora until the very last section because I’ll have the most to say about them as a lot of their arc informs well… pretty much the whole TV show.

Glimmer individually had more of an arc in the TV show than Bow did so a significant amount of my meta goes to her. It was mainly how she was fairing as Queen but also how useful she could be to the team because of it. Then of course there was Micah. Reuniting with him but having to battle with him because he was an unwilling agent of Horde Prime. I laughed with pure joy when the influence on him ended and he said “Hi, I’m your dad.” I really felt for Glimmer when she was desperately trying to heal him and she said “I won’t lose another parent!” So it was so satisfying for me to realize she healed him and that she poured all the love she could into that heal and when she succeeded, the proud smile that he wore must have made her feel like Queen of the world, never mind just her little town of Brightmoon. She deserves it.

Likewise it was wonderful to see how proud Bow’s dads were of him when he gave that rousing battle speech to the reawakened masses of Etherians, telling them to be their own warriors and fight for their home. It was right that it was Bow to do that rather than Adora or Glimmer because that is what he had trained himself to do from the beginning. He wants to be an archer battling on the side of the greater good and not a historian. So to see his dads holding each other, proudly watching him… it brought a tear to my eye, I have to admit. So beautiful!

Hordak and Entrapta: I had no idea that I would get a closure for Entrapta, let alone Hordak. I did and I’m so happy about it because even though she was only a recurring character, Entrapta buried her way into my science, tech and engineering loving heart (with a spanner and a blowtorch? You will never know 🤣) but I am glad that she got over her obsession enough to focus on what really mattered. Saving her friends.

The fact that what stopped Horde Prime wasn’t Adora or Glimmer or who you would expect, but Hordak and Entrapta? That hit so hard with me. To give THEM the hero moment of defeating the villain. I was like “Oh my god! That’s brilliant!” Because it is. Think about it. Who do you think Horde Prime tortured the most? His Little Brother! I still don’t know if that was literally or not. 🤷‍♀️ Was he actually related or was he just another clone because he did call Catra his “Little Sister” too? That’s still so creepy to me. But yeah, for Hordak to get that moment of retribution was absolutely delicious for me and then for Entrapta to reach him when Horde Prime tried to take over through the Hive Mind? So, so, good! That made total sense and it was brilliantly executed!

Scorpia and Mermista: The only reason to lump these 2 characters together is because they were chipped and controlled the longest that they caused significant damage to Etherians. There’s not really much to say about them other than that they’re going to have huge headaches now that this is all over due to how far gone they were. I mean I’m glad that they were able to save them but I just don’t know what the aftermath will be for them or whether they will be the same ever again.

From the way I watched and interpreted the TV show, I understood that one of the main narrative themes of it was psychological conditioning and I’ve been in awe that this children’s show was brave enough to tell that very dark story,… let alone see it right through until the end because it’s an ambitious, elaborate and difficult narrative undertaking. Especially to do it properly,… which they definitely did. To tell the darkness of… well… basically radicalization and genocide but to do so in such a way that it could teach and motivate kids to develop on their innate judgement and discernment so if - god forbid - they ever end up in that situation, they’ll know exactly what to do about it. With team She-Ra being their idols, they’ll be able to fight conditioning. I can imagine that’s what the creators intended with this and I cannot acknowledge and commend them on it high enough. I think that ND Stevenson and the entire creative team are incredibly courageous and amazing to make this a main thematic narrative all throughout this TV show and handle it with skill and compassion that it does not once come across as too much for PG.

Catradora: (Yes, I’m using the ship name because the way they tie up their individual character storyline arcs seamlessly also ties in with their romantic arc and you do not know how hard it is to find this with WLW ships.)

First off, I want to point out something that may or may not have been pointed out before with Catradora but this is just how it came across to me in the narrative given I interpret psychological conditioning as a main theme within it. To me, a lot of the reason why Catra is the way she is as a villainous character when it comes to receiving love and affection has do with this factor. She’s so closed off and repressed to the point that she cannot even see that she’s corrupting and sabotaging herself. She is a lot like Xena in this way. But a major striking difference for Catra is that she physically loses the one person in the world that stops her from doing this, whereas Xena physically gains that one person. Trust issues, abandonment issues, parental issues all tie in together - but that was all tolerable when Adora was around her. As soon as Adora leaves her behind in the Fright Zone and, furthermore, begins to oppose her as the hero of Etheria, she spirals so hard and so fast that all of those issues - which were always issues caused by the abusive treatment from Lord Hordak and Shadow Weaver - come crashing down one by one on top of her because she no longer has the person who makes those issues just inconveniences for her. Not only that but … it feels like personal betrayal for her that Adora fights her. She genuinely does think that Adora hates her. I mean who wouldn’t if they were in her shoes (paws?) and had the “upbringing” and “nurturing” backstory she’s had? So Catra has this preconceived notion that Adora never cared about her and left her because she thought she was better than her and was chasing after heroic glory and believes that she was too weak to go with her. In a way it’s a personal vendetta out of misunderstandings Catra has against Adora and those feelings are intense not just because the Horde brainwashing is that deep and severe but also because her love is that deep too and she can’t differentiate which feelings are which. So she becomes She-Ra’s mortal enemy because in her mind, She-Ra is what has taken Adora away from her.

But obviously, from Adora’s side, She-Ra was sprung on her, Etheria was sprung on her. In fact her entire world upended once she recognized her life for what it was. A lie. That she was the villain brutalizing innocent people. She couldn’t go back to them even if she had wanted to because everything she had ever knew was fraudulent and she had been coerced and deceived into being a weapon. And what I really like about Adora’s individual arc is that eventually this was revealed to be true on both sides of the war. She was a weapon for evil and for the greater good. But all she wanted - as all heroes do - was just to protect and defend her loved ones. That’s it. Catra could never see it that way though and it makes sense that she couldn’t given her conditioning was even worse as it involved one-on-one attacks from Shadow Weaver as well as whatever the treatment was with the entire group. Catra’s psychological conditioning was much more personal, intimate and isolated so what was ingrained into her had much deeper and stronger layers added on to it. Hers was a solid brick wall built trauma complex. Those are always much harder to recognize and escape from but with the right therapy,… it can be done. Given her issues weren’t so bad when Adora was around her but got much worse when Adora left her… it is clear that Adora represented a sort of therapy for her. Adora helped her keep all the crippling thoughts of self-doubt and self-contempt at bay. But they were on full volume when Adora left and kept attempting to kill her.

Okay, so let’s finally get on to their romantic arc and how the finale not only concluded their individual character representation and development arcs but also ended their ship slow burn. It wasn’t until the fantastic episode of ‘Save The Cat’ did I realize they were going there. See,… to start with, I knew that they were going to become a canon WLW couple at some point otherwise I would have never started watching it. That was the draw for me. That they were both lead characters in a canon WLW ship in a children’s TV show. That floored me. But I was not prepared at all for what I got to see in the finale. It was groundbreaking. It was phenomenal. In fact I’m sure it was life changing for many queer kids to see that kiss happen the way it did. Or… just happen on-screen at all. Look, I am so used to the “implied” and “assumed” and “disguised” when it comes to WLW physical intimacy that I just do not ever expect blatant leaves-absolutely-no-doubt-whatsoever kisses. I certainly don’t expect WLW kisses written and portrayed as “the power of love” kind. It’s extremely rare. To see it in a children’s show nailed me to the floor. But furthermore - added on to that astonishing feat - is that both lead characters overcome all their issues and obstacles through that very act like… a fairytale story. It’s like… when the Princess kisses the Princess, all is well… there’s no stopping either from that point on. It seems corny but it all just depends on how it’s done. But the fact is you don’t see it done between WLW at all. So to see it done WELL alongside seeing it done at all… I mean Indy knew that he had an assignment with this but the phrase “he understood the assignment” doesn’t cover or justify what was accomplished with this and I can’t believe it’s took me this long to see it.

Every TV art/entertainment creator should watch this TV show and regard this finale as the perfect example of what queer representation can and should provide in TV because this was just the epitome of what true love is. But the fact it was between 2 female lead characters.

I can’t even begin to explain how much it meant to me but I will spend the rest of my life trying to express it because this really was a groundbreaking achievement and I will be adding this WLW ship to my very short list of WLW ships that shape and satisfy every piece of me.

I have had the best fucking time watching this TV show and I will be doing reruns of it for god knows how long because I am sure there is so much more there for me just like there is with Xena, Buffy, Charmed, Dragon Ball Z, Wynonna Earp and Arcane. All these beloved shows are timeless to me for a reason and She-Ra is the same.

I hope you all enjoyed reading my recaps of my very first watch of ‘She-Ra and the Princesses of Power’.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all. 🎄

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

can i just say something?

how messed up is it that 90% of the people in etheria don’t even know catra, let alone know her personal story and motives, but are still expected to put up with her? all they know is that this person has tried to kill them and has probably succeeded in killing, injuring and/or traumatizing many of them.

and you cannot tell me that people didn’t die just because it wasn’t shown on screen. this is war, people die in wars. they get injured, they become disabled, they get displaced, they lose their homes and loved ones, they are mentally scarred for life.

and you know, it’s already bad enough that adora and glimmer and the rest of the characters who knew catra personally had to forgive her, just because she had a tragic backstory. but imagine being someone who doesn’t even know catra beyond her reputation as a horde soldier, and being forced to put up with her.

if nate continued the story, i’m a hundred percent sure that catra would get special treatment just because she is adora’s girlfriend, and anyone who opposes her would be villanized. adora or glimmer or someone else would probably stand up for catra and get mad at people for daring to be affected by the war.

imagine living in a post-war world where the war criminal who terrorized you and your loved ones for years lives in the palace and gets royal treatment instead of jailtime, because she’s the queen’s friend and she-ra’s girlfriend, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

[knight-says-pow]

“Catradora walked so CaitVi could run” no, actually. Catradora ran on its own. The only correlation between these two ships are the sapphics Going Through It™️

Glimadora waked so CaitVi could run.

The dynamic of someone from a high struggle environment that relies on combat and someone from a high position of privilege who desires combat, learning to work together despite both having personal losses to opposite sides of the same conflict? One of them having a living person they still care for that they’re trying to save from the other side? Where all three get into multiple fights that puts person A in the position of “choosing” even though they proceed to not because they can’t? Yeah. Yeah.

Same people same dynamics same struggle, only difference is CaitVi did it romantically on purpose and became canon

Catra and Adora came from the same roots, one of them just switched sides. Their relationship is about healing past mistakes and repeating their own story, it’s about the final selfish act of choosing each other for once. That couldn’t be further from what Caitlyn and Vi have going on.

Glimmer and Caitlyn have basically the same arcs. Even down to the “listens to a war pig’s manipulation for power out of grief for their mother.” They are mirrors of each other. Adora and Vi both chose to switch sides for the sake of more agency, they have martyr complexes and want to save everyone to the detriment of their combat strategy.

Of course I know The Horde was an active oppressive force while Zaun was oppressed, I’m not oblivious, but when Adora joined the rebellion the power dynamic changed. She was the ex horde solder there, she was the outcast who couldn’t slip up or would risk a much more critical response than anyone else. Within Glimmer’s kingdom she absolutely had less if no real power and this was made a point when Glimmer started abusing her “I’m the queen not you” line.

What did Caitlyn do when Vi would try to change course? Oh, right, pulled rank and flaunted her authority to everyone else. What did Vi do? Go off n try her own plan with Jayce. Who else did that? Right, Adora.

I could keep going with comparisons but genuinely this post would never end

[mariabrightmoon]

I. Need. The. Fanficsss. Links. Pls.

@lorvikk Glimmer or Glitra throne image commissions - masterpost

For "Queens of the Horde":

For "Queen Glimmer - Supreme ruler of the universe"

In conclusion: @lorvikk is an AMAZING artist

[catras-breakup-song]

i think there are a couple things about catra's designs that people tend to get wrong (in my opinion at least, these could just be interpretations):

catra's s4 outfit is actually just a force captain uniform, not necessarily a second-in-command horde ranking above one (not that it's any less hot on her!). despite having been a force captain for most of the earlier seasons, she was actually still wearing her cadette uniform. you know, 'cause she was always skipping force captain orientation and whatnot! and then she finally started taking that power much more seriously after the portal arc. you'll notice catra's design looks much more similar to scorpia's now bc boob window lmao, who was always a force captain since her first debut, save for personal customizations to support their animal hybrid body types.

also, bonus, the reason why catra's arm sleeves are uneven is to match her appearance while she was corrupted by the world falling apart, although that wouldn't explain why she still has part of her left arm covered in black. this was something i saw someone theorize a while back, but i'd never be able to find the post again.

anyhow, it also parallels glimmer's queen design pretty well (i hate that this image is mirrored):

they both have one arm covered by a sleeve, while the other is bare, yet still wear gloves on each hand. they both wear a headpiece. they both make room in their clothes to show their chests. they both have the V-curved waistband to divide their setup into torso and waist/thighs.

...moving on now...

2. catra (along with adora, glimmer, and bow)'s future wish designs were only supposed to be temporary for scorpia's ball that they were getting ready for. i see a lot of fanart that depicts them in these outfits as their main future designs overall, but i don't believe that's the case. they would definitely appear much more settled-down without a doubt, but in my headcanon adora isn't always wearing such a long dress and catra may wear shoes more often but usually not all the time. admittedly, this is just my own take and isn't entirely relevant to the point. also, mind you, that ball wasn't even canon to reality; we don't know if it actually ever happened. it was just something adora imagined she would be able to see if she were to live.

in addition to that, nate also said this, implying that adora does not stick with dresses as casual wear and by extension the same most likely applies to catra about covering her feet instead of wearing leggings that make movement more free, although this may change as time goes on after the war and they grow to find comfort in peace:

EDIT: i found this post

[cartoonsbrainrot]

I love She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.

On this note, I would've loved if there was any fic/fan comic/anything really that took place maybe a good five years or so after the ending, in which Adam (He-Man) and Teela traveled to Etheria to find out how Horde Prime died (as news about the tyrant's demise spread across the universe) and they ended up meeting Adora and the others.

I mean, I never watched any He-Man related content, but I'd still like to see the "family reunion", you know.

In my mind, things would go something like this: the Eternians crash land in the middle of nowhere, they wander off for who knows how many hours, until they are found by the Horde clones (that are now citizens of Dryl) and are taken to Dryl to be "detained" until Queen Glimmer, Bow, Adora and Catra arrive to see what their deal is there.

And it'd be funny if Adam and Teela are greeted and "interrogated" by Princess Entrapta and her Prince Consort Hordak. They’re thinking that "perhaps Prime is still alive somehow and the clones are taking them to him", but that's the furthest thing from the truth. Though the scare they get from being greeted by Hordak on the throne is short-lived, as Entrapta pops down from the ventilation system.

Then, of course, there's the meeting between Adora and Adam and them finding out they're siblings. (And then trying to send a message home to Eternia to let the King and Queen know that their son isn't lost somewhere in space)

That's about as far as I've gotten with this silly idea.

[tippenfunkaport]

Intermittent Glow

When Catra fails to save Glimmer, Horde Prime chips them both. She-Ra saves the cat, but her best friend's not so lucky. Now the rebellion's on the run from Prime's killer queen and nowhere on Etheria is safe. This is Sparkles with the safeties off and Prime at the wheel. But is Glimmer too far gone to remember she's one of the good guys?

(aka Chipped!Glimmer AU for the Corrupted/Chipped prompt of @glimbowweek)

Read on AO3

Posting this new multi-chapter AU as part of the @wipbigbang (which by lucky chance lined up with Glimbow Week this year!) and I have amazing art from my artist partner to share with you along with a later chapter but, in the meantime, here's a little thing I drew in early Dec 2023 which is actually from the last chapter but it's fine bc I was going to draw something new for that chap anyway.

[loganofthenorth]

As promised, I present Glimmer for my Shera Swap AU!

This is the design I’m most excited about because Glimmer has the most changes to her origins out of all the characters

In this AU, Lord Hordak sent both Angelica and Michah to Beast Island, but attempted to use Angelica’s dna to make an immortal clone of himself. Instead he wound up with an accidental daughter that is extremely headstrong and loyal to him.

Hordak is basically like: God fucking dammit. Guess I’m a dad now.

But if anyone harms Glimmer he will annihilate them.

Glimmer becomes besties with Adora and Bow, which solidifies their loyalty to the horde.

She fights constantly Catra and competes with her over everything, which solidifies Catra getting shunned and outcasted by the Horde.

Shadow Weaver’s manipulation doesn’t work in Glimmer because she out manipulates her.

Glimmer puts the fact that she’s theoretically immortal to the test. Constantly. Her father is incredibly stressed out by this.

Laudie, Rogelio, and Kyle don’t like Glimmer because she’s a huge snitch, she constantly picks fights and competes with people, and she treats Kyle like an errand boy.

Out of respect for Adora and Bow, she hasn’t killed anyone…

(Yet)

When Catra betrays the Horde, Glimmer is unphased.

Glimmer: It was bound to happen eventually. She has the loyalty of a thief.

Bow: Actually thieves tend to be really loyal to their team…

Glimmer: I- well… Sometimes, I guess, but you know what I meant.

Glimmer is the only one of the Best Friend Squad that never questions the Horde or its motives. Not in the beginning at least. It’s only when she learns about Queen Angelica and King Micah that she considers betraying the Horde, but that won’t be until a long way off.

She’s also the reason Entrapta betrays the Horde and joins the Rebellion, since she constantly abuses Entrapta’s loyalty and talks badly about her, then blatantly doesn’t care when Entrapta gets captured during the first invasion of Bright Moon.

Glimmer: Oh my gosh! This is amazing! Now Bow gets to be promoted!

Bow and Adora: Glimmer now is not the time. We are grieving the loss of a friend.

Glimmer: But she was so annoying

Laudie: (sarcasm) Hmm. I wonder why people keep betraying us.

Adora and Glimmer: Not now Laudie!

Anywho

When Glimmer discovers a connection to the Moon Stone, she doesn’t form her connection yet. Mainly cause I realized if she does connect with it that activates the huge mega weapon. She just senses the connection. However it’s enough that she starts getting ill afterwards, and Hordak allows a second invasion to steal the moon stone so that it can be studied.

Shadow Weaver tries to prevent the research of the Moon Stone because she doesn’t want the Horde to find out about the weapon built into Etheria. This is what results in her imprisonment.

Glimmer’s really just going to be at the core of everything that goes wrong for the Horde, but she makes up for it by being a power house after she connects with the moon stone.

That is until she tries to go to Beast Island and Adora knocks her out to stop that from happening

But I think I said she ends up on Beast Island anyways?

I don’t remember how but yeah. She will end up there and Bow will join the Princess Alliance in order to save her, since it’s not like Adora can go to Hordak and be like: So, hey, uh… Your daughter got sent to Beast Island. Whoops.

But yeah after Glimmer reunites with Queen Angelica and King Micah she sides with the Alliance and tries to form a bond with her technical mother. Unfortunately Angelica is very hesitant about this artificial child of herself and her worst enemy and also just naturally gets along with Adora more when Adora switches sides.

This of course makes Glimmer angy

Then eventually Glimmer and Adora try to steal back the Moon Stone for the Rebellion so Angelica and Glimmer can be at full power.

Glimmer fully connects with the Moon Stone while Catra is trying to get answers from Light Hope and this activates the Weapon

Then when Catra destroys the weapon Adora, Glimmer, and Hordak (who tried to kill Adora at this time and technically capture Glimmer) get kidnapped onto the ship.

The only reason Glimmer isn’t killed instantly by Horde Prime for being an abomination is because Adora reveals that Glimmer is a key part of the weapon. From there Glimmer is able to advocate for both herself and Adora.

When Catra saves Adora, Bow saves Glimmer. At this point Glimmer tries to convince Bow that she can’t go back to the planet because she’s part of the weapon and Horde Prime can’t have access to it. She believes that Angelica will never care about her and that she needs to stay here with her father because that’s where she belongs, assuming she can convince Horde Prime she isn’t an abomination and is useful to him.

Bow tells Glimmer that it doesn’t matter what Horde Prime or Angelica think. That Glimmer has a family in Adora and himself. He tells her that if she’s nicer to others, that if she treats them with respect, she can find a family in Catra, Scorpia, Entrapta, and the rest of the alliance too. Glimmer agrees to go and Bow helps her figure out how to apologize to everyone for how she’s treated them.

I’m thinking Glimmer will have a really deep ark over the course of the war against Horde Prime where she’s slowly trying to rebuild her relationships with everyone. At some point I think it will be too difficult for her, and she’ll lash out, which will cause Bow to snap at her. The risk of losing her friendship with Bow snaps Glimmer out of her stubbornness, and her attempts become more genuine and vulnerable.

As she slowly grows more patient and more open minded, people start to form genuine friendships with her. Once she becomes her best self and has found strength in kindness and sincerity, feelings develop between herself and Bow.

At the end of the AU’s ‘Season 5’, Angelica will tell Glimmer how proud she is of her, and accept Glimmer as her daughter. Micah, who got along with Glimmer from the get go despite not being her biological father, is happy with this decision and essentially adopts Glimmer as his step daughter.

Hordak still remains her co-dad due to his own redemption ark, but since I’m not sure whether or not I’ll keep Entrapdac since it doesn’t work too well with my plans for Entrapta in this AU, I’ll have to figure out who his ark is centered around. It could be that rather than someone actively pulling him out of Horde Prime’s influence, he fights on his own to reunite with his daughter and protect her.

Yeah, I like that. I think that will be a good story.

So yeah! That’s Glimmer for this AU.

I was thinking of doing Entrapta next, but designing her in Hero Forge would be hard because they don’t have really long pig tails.

I’ll probably do Catra since she’s like, the main character in this au.

[thestargayzingetherian]

She-Ra is the most radical feminist thing ever... by barely engaging with feminist or radical politics at all

It's... honestly surprising how radical and feminist and progressive She-Ra is by simply... not engaging with feminist ideas at all in-universe. A lot of people love to say Catra and Glimmer are girl-bosses or how a lot of journalists like to call the show "girl power" and whatnot... when that's really not true at all. I think this is because She-Ra takes place in a constructed world fantasy setting that's so divorced from our world, where all the societal problems we deal with like homophobia, racism, transphobia and sexism, don't exist. Other fantasy and sci-fi settings do share some of this, but a lot of them have it a bit implicitly in their DNA in places due to being based on or connected to our real-world cultures or being written by liberal feminist creators who think just putting women in power is a job well done. She-Ra treats everything in its setting as normal.

Every kingdom being run by a princess/queen? Perfectly normal. The show could easily show princes and whatnot in charge, it just chooses not to. Same-sex relationships? Completely normal and so is same-sex couples having kids. Trans and enby folk? perfectly normal and no one blinks an eye or even misgenders anyone. Even fucking Hordak and Shadow Weaver don't misgender DT. And why would they? There's nothing in this world that is comparable to the things in our world that prepetuated the idealogies of a strict gender binary. There's also no racism too, which again, why would there be because there's nothing in the setting of anyone wanting to use racism or xenophobia to fuel their ideals. Hell, Horde Prime one could argue is actually above the sorts of bigots in our own real world. He sees all conflict and division as beneath him, wanting to purify the universe and even uses Catra's and Adora's love for each other to his advantage.

There's also no such thing as a unified Etherian Government and each kingdom seems more like a small community with a leader, who could honestly be anyone. The Princess Alliance is more like a communal agreement that don't really have strict harsh laws, just general agreements that they each respect. There's the fact Brightmoon doesn't have a shown dungeon either, implying a form of restorative justice.

Add all this up and you have a universe that's full of endless creativity that honestly also feels like a safe place where a queer creative or fan can truly belong. I honestly can't say that a lot about a lot of things I love which always have some unfortunate asterisk about them. She-Ra has none of that to me. It is not perfect, but damn, is it a standard I honestly find a lot of things hard to beat.

[theartofyori]

A bunch of old illustrations about SPoP

A few illustrations about She-Ra I made a few years ago. They don't look as good as my other stuff, but hey! I still like them for what they are, I'm pretty proud of them.

1- Adora, clad in a gothic armor inspired by Maximilian of Habsburg armor.

2- Catra as a hussar. I had the idea of this when looking at how she wears the jacket during the future vision.

3- Royal portrait of Queen Glimmer. She deserved a proper portrait as a monarch, with an armor inspired in a 16th century armor held at the MET

4- The Knight of Etheria, based on the engraving "The Knight, the Death and the Devil", made by Albrecht Dürer. She-Ra is clad in plate armor, taking the place of the knight. Horde Prime, also clad in armor, is taking the place of the Devil. Shadow Weaver took the place of the Death, also is behind of Adora, symbolizing her past. Melog is here to take the place of the dog running besides the knight, and also to represent Catra. The crystal has my name on the First Ones writing.

[nny11writes]

I got a long ass analysis or whatever on how Shadow Weaver is nuanced and underappreciated that I lost the thread on multiple times. Don't even know it this'll fit in a tumblr post but below the cut if it does.

Shadow Weaver’s story is about many things, but I think the one most often misunderstood is her addiction. A lot of fandom recognizes that she has an addiction, but not what that actually means, not what that entails. Weaver is one of the show’s antagonists, no bones about that, but she is also a complex, nuanced, morally grey character and people tend to forget that to the disservice of her as a character.

I’m tired of that, so let’s get into this.

First off, Light Spinner was not an abuser or horrible person, I’m sorry y’all I think she was probably in her early to mid-20’s, a social idiot, and felt like Micah’s older sister. I think she was too young and inexperienced for the position she held at Mystacor, but that she could’ve grown into it beautifully if not for the war.

Light Spinner was self centered, she’s selfish. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, although Shadow Weaver certainly takes that into the next level being an ego maniac later on. She was self centered and obsessed with the idea that is she was powerful and strong, she could stop this war. She single handedly could do it with the right help and, as such, she felt responsible for ending the war too. That made her obsession grow wildly and Light Spinner then made a mistake in good faith.

I think when she touched that unbridled magical power without the safeties she needed, that Weaver got her first taste of what would become her drug.

But first, let’s touch on a few things.

Tell me, when you read that paragraph about Spinner’s obsession… did that ring any bells? Remind you of anyone? Because I’ll tell you who Light Spinner reminded me of. A combination of Glimmer, Catra, and Adora. Gosh, I do love me a good book end and parallel, and Light Spinner is one that we often overlook.

Now we’re heading into a bit of headcanon territory here, so stick with me for a moment.

HC1: Every creature and person on Etheria has a baseline level of magic, and without that magic they will die.

HC2: The failed spell of obtainment drained Light Spinner of all her magic, and in a desperate attempt to survive she was able to turn it on other powerful magic users. Low level demonic pact, she sacrificed them to have enough magic left in her to survive.

Light Spinner is riding a manic euphoria from her first hit of a strong drug, which just happens to be some of the purest most mind meltingly power drug to ever exist, and is absolutely on a power trip at this point. She SURVIVED dying! She has the power, so much power! She was only ever held back here, people here didn’t understand, and neither did she but she does now! She understands now that THIS FEELING, oh this feeling!! She is like a god, she can do anything ANYTHING- but not if she stays here. Oh no, no, no, not by staying here. She’s killed people to survive, terrible but necessary, but no one will accept her now because they barely tolerated her before. So she’ll go somewhere where her power- her VISIONS are appreciated, are more than tolerated- she will be a fucking QUEEN and if they won’t join her they will suffer the consequences. God damn she is HIGH AS FUCK!

And she’s, like, halfish right? She did survive death, she does have an ungodly amount of power but it’s very temporary and also killing her. She was held back but for good reason, there were people who loved her, cared about her, valued her, understood her who she is abandoning now. She’s not a god, again, temporary cosmic powers with a very itty bitty living space. She did kill to survive, and the debate on the ethics of that will go round and round. Light Spinner had a power fantasy and she thinks it’s become reality, so she’s a bit off the deep end.

Shadow Weaver goes to the Horde. I like to envision that wherever she went, the natural flora around her died, it’s magic sucked up into the endless black hole inside her. She gets there, shows what she has done, promises things she cannot fully keep, and asks Hordak to give her the Black Garnet. Something that he has to know by now he cannot control or trust the princess family with, so it’s basically an annoying stone to him, sure ya weirdo you can have it. Fuck up and I’ll kill you though.

Shadow Weaver, probably: Ah hell yeah!

She gets a runestone and as the magic she absorbed starts to really fade- so does the euphoric high. She is feeling more and more depressed, hazy, numb, bad… guilty. Ashamed. But Shadow Weaver is powerful and she doesn’t want to feel bad, she doesn’t want to look at what she’s done to survive, she doesn’t want to confront what she’s done wrong. (Remind you of anyone, yet again?) So she doesn’t. She convinces herself that’s weak Light Spinner thinking and talk. She’s Shadow Weaver, she’s been reborn, she’s a totally different person now!! (She’s pulling an Anakin Skywalker/Vader right now) So those guilt and shame feelings are because of who she was, not what she’s done! What she did made her stronger, more powerful, made her second in command of the Horde! 

And I think in that moment of, “Fuck you universe, I played your game and won and I won’t be denied again!” she manages to chip part of the garnet off. And that little chip radiates magical power. She makes her mask and uses it up, the hit of her drug feels good in comparison to how bad she felt, and once again she’s racing against the clock to magical death. But the chip of the runestone resonates with itself, she can re-charge it. She can now get an undiluted source of magic, take a good hard hit of her drug, whenever she wants. 

As the years go on she learns how to control that recharging to some degree, but mostly she’s stuck either drained of her power or brimming with it. (Remind you or anyone again again?) So she yo-yo’s with it. And the more she uses, the more she NEEDS to feel that sense of power and euphoria again. And the more she uses, the less good she feels but it’s still better to have than not. By the time we see her in the show I think Weaver is genuinely unable to reach that euphoria anymore. The Black Garnet is a lifeline now, charging up feels good but only to a baseline okay. She’s a functional addict now, but she’s miserable most of the time.

And to cap it all off, what did her ultimate cosmic power get her?

A position in the Horde where she’s the paper pusher for Hordak and also teaches young children. 

Hang on that sounds familiar… aw, shit, this is Mystacor 2.0 now! The only difference is she has two aces in the hole in the form of two abused and manipulated children instead of one shitty “little brother” (some friend he was!) and actually holds the respect (the fear) of those around her.

I think Weaver, to some extent, has accepted and loathes the mediocrity her life has become. She was once a god, but nothing can get her there again.

Let’s briefly talk about her relationship to Catra and Adora. First of all, yes, 100% she was their abuser. Like, that’s just straight up text, in the show, no duh. The controversial thing (bewilderingly) is that I think Shadow Weaver came to genuinely care for them. Like, in the most fucked up way possible, I think she cared for them. She projected onto them (both herself, Norwyn, Micah, Hordak, anyone who’s been important in her life she projected alternatingly on them) and she used them to stay emotionally balanced because the drugs just aren’t cutting it anymore fam. Likewise, I think to some extent she genuinely thought she was doing right by them.

Look, you need to accept that most people don’t think they’re wrong. They don’t think they’re monsters. They believe they are doing the right thing for themselves and usually everyone else too. Child abusers especially don’t see themselves as monsters, they are more likely to see themselves as victims fighting back than as a monster. It’s fucked up, it’s not okay, but that’s the way it goes. And I know that especially right now that might be cutting a little close to home, but it’s important to remember when it comes to Shadow Weaver and her story.

Weaver really thinks she’s helping these two little freaks she cares about out by making them “harder” (because Light Spinner was made weaker for being emotional), “stronger” (because Light Spinner was hurt and held back by not being stronger), and “powerful” (because doing drugs made her a fucking god-queen and got her everything she thinks is good in her life). So she has to be a little harsh (torturing children) at times, they’ll thank me later! Besides look at them, they love me (you’re basically their mom), they’re loyal to me (because they are desperate for parental approval), they respect me (they are terrified of you)! I’m raising them up so well :) (Madam, they are heavily traumatized!)

Weaver ALSO is still using them to regulate her own emotions. So when she has a good day, she can reward them within reason. If she had a bad day, all she has to do is be firm (torture children), and like magic she feels better! She can’t punch Hordak but she can electrocute and terrorize small children, and that’s almost the same thing.

So what if she’s drawing more and more power and burning through it faster and faster? So what that she’s started drinking to help ease the edges magic doesn’t? Life is pain and sucks, why can’t she do a few things to make it nicer? Does Shadow Weaver, too, not deserve a little treat in the face of the unending horrors?

And, god someone will want to kill me for this I’m sure, to some extent she isn’t wrong.

Shadow Weaver is a (fictional) person too. Everyone deserves to have some nice things. No one deserves to be in pain all the time, no one deserves to be scared all the time- and Weaver is in pain and scared all the time. Without her drug, she is weak and powerless and will die. That’s a horrifying and awful way to live your life. She doesn’t deserve that because no one does.

However, I think classifying picking up a second addiction and abusing children is, not, a little treat in the face of the unending horrors.

Weaver and me will just have to disagree on that point.

ANYHOW

Let’s jump forward a bit in time. Weaver gets in more dire straits, her life is more miserable, she’s at risk of dying from magic, magic withdrawal, and Hordak. Life’s a bitch and then you die. (Please picture modern AU Shadow Weaver as owning at least one throw pillow with “Life’s a Beach” on it, probably on her designer couch under the live, laugh, love wall art)

And all the sudden what she thought was solid ground just fucking vanishes under her feet.

Adora leaves???? Hordak is paying attention to her again and expecting shit????? CATRA IS IN CHARGE, WHAT!?!?!?!?!?

So Shadow Weaver is now powerless and locked up in her cell. Barely soaking up enough ambient magic to make her death particularly and excruciatingly slow. If she got sent to Beast Island it would either be quick or Micah could be her battery if he’s alive (and we’ll talk about Micah later, don’t worry). Once on Hordak’s shit list you are on it forever, so no getting her life back.

But she does have an option. It requires using up the last of Catra’s good will and loyalty (so she thinks) but it means she can get more drugs- I mean, uh, turn over a new leaf? Yeah, sure, we’ll go with that. Adora was always easier to manipulate without magic anyways, and now that she’s a literal princess she can do some magic charging too. Hell to the yeah- Shadow Weaver can never really lose baby!

First though I need to emphasize that when Shadow Weaver talks to Catra in the cell, she doesn’t full out lie. Maybe a half truth or lie of omission, but she uses the truth to get what she wants. And what she wants isn’t: to fuck Catra over (although that will be the consequence, too bad about that), to be explicitly cruel and traumatize Catra (although that will be the consequence, whaaaatever about that, poor little freak I care about), or really have anything to do with Catra.

That’s part of what makes her actions so painful. For Catra this felt targeted, it WAS a betrayal. Shadow Weaver is gone knowing what will happen to her instead of just letting Catra help. Catra genuinely thought she could flip their dynamic to some degree (she could help Weaver and then be the one in charge and then once mom sees how good I am at her job she’ll be all, “Oh I was so wrong about you! Let me apologize and grovel at your feet! You’re so amazing and cool and I will help you the way I said I’d help Adora because I love you and care so, so, so much about you!”) and that Shadow Weaver didn’t have a choice. But even when Weaver shouldn’t have had another choice she STILL CHOSE ANYTHING ELSE OVER CATRA.

From Shadow Weaver’s perspective it was very much more: I have nothing to give and don’t wanna die, survive at any cost. Catra is gonna probably be punished and/or die, which sucks, but not more than me dying. So Imma head out.

Catra was collateral damage, not the target.

Anyhow-

Weaver escapes and is booking it to her newest candy (drug) machine, she is already feeling a little better because, weirdly enough, it turns out isolating yourself away from free flora magics to maintain a baseline amount of your own magic is not a good thing. Weirdly enough taking hard drugs does not mean that you can stop taking your multi-vitamin and eating a balanced diet. She makes it to Brightmoon and quickly realizes her plan won’t work.

Adora is… mad at her? For some reason? Is she really holding onto those little hurts? Please! She was raised better than that, it’s war, she’ll get over it.

Someday.

But until that day Weaver needs another plan.

Good news, She-Ra magic did heal her. It gave Weaver her own source of magic again. Huzzah for not dying and being on a constant timer for death! Okay news, Brightmoon has so much more ambient magic it’s kinda wild and the forced withdrawal is not longer a cold turkey quit like the Horde was. Bad news, Weaver still doesn’t have a new source for her drug and she wants one- needs one!

And then Glimmer arrives.

Yeah, Shadow Weaver can work with that.

Teleporting to the Fright Zone and using Glimmer as a literal battery pack is the first real high Shadow Weaver has had in a long time. She had been drug free for quite a while, so having access to runestone magic again feels so much better than it did by the end of her time with the Horde. She is strong! She is powerful! She is on another euphoric ride! When Catra shows up, Weaver has no problem attacking her and torturing her for two reasons: 

Catra’s loyalty and love are gone because Weaver used it up to escape prison (so she thinks)

GOD THIS MAGIC FEELS SO GOOD, HOT DAMN!

Man this is going so well! Everyone is going to realize they were wrong about her. Once Weaver decides to change sides, she means it, all or nothing! She totally isn’t still struggling with the same insecurities she’s always had because she’s never addressed them or worked on them and fuck you for suggesting otherwise. She just likes being right, has nothing to do with having others see her as worthy and cool! They’ll get back and Glimmer will tell her mom, “And Shadow Weaver was instrumental in this victory, in fact, Shadow Weaver was key to it! She is a good guy now!” And Queen Angella will be like, “Wow, that is so great, thank you for saving and protecting my daughter! Would you like access to the moonstone? Perhaps a position of great power?” Maybe she’ll get another statue of herself, that would be neat!

(Shadow Weaver is high as balls folks, the thinking is not gonna be realistic here lol)

And then Queen Angella is dead.

Well…

Fuck.

Weaver’s high runs out long before things are settled and Glimmer crowned queen, but she already knows her game plan now. People still think she’s a bad guy, which is CRAZY TALK! So she’s going to prove them wrong, get in good with the queen (like a second mother perhaps?), get access to her drug, be powerful, and live the good life again. So there will be more work and manipulation to get there, it’s fine, Shadow Weaver is no stranger to hard work and a shitty life. She will make it happen.

And it kinda does. She gets in good with Glimmer. Teaching magic means accessing some magic, even if it’s not the good shit that gets you high. She’s proving how smart and talented she is, and also that she’s a good guy now and should be trusted with more delicious She-Ra healing magic.

Slight problem though.

Glimmer isn’t stupid.

If there’s one major critique I have for how fandom characterizes Glimmer in season 4, it’s that she’s treated like she’s either super naive or stupid.

Glimmer and Adora are, in some ways, having the same feelings about Shadow Weaver but just at different times. Adora sentiment of, “I won’t be tricked by you, trust me that I understand who and what you are. I need my friends to trust me.” is echoed by Glimmer in season 4. I think part of Glimmer’s frustration with Adora stems from the way that when Adora stood in this position, Glimmer did eventually trust her and let Adora do what needed to be done, but now that she’s here Adora won’t do the same? (It’s part of the larger, Adora thinks she’s better than me, Adora thinks she’s smarter than me, Adora is trying to undermine me, Adora doesn’t trust me- which is all actually Adora trying to show her love and respect while protecting someone in her very unhealthy traumatized way)

Glimmer’s fight with Adora and isolation in general in season 4 actually allows Shadow Weaver further in than she would’ve before (So everything is coming up Shadow Weaver!). But she takes it too far, Glimmer cottons on to what’s happening. And unlike Adora and Catra, Glimmer has had more support and love in her life. Weaver is not the be all end all, Weaver is not her mother, Weaver is a poker chip that Glimmer is trying to use. Glimmer also has more self awareness and coping skills. 

So Weaver doesn’t fully get her hooks in. She still does damage, she still uses Glimmer, it’s still skeevy as fucking hell. But it’s not the same and Weaver is locked out in the cold.

So what’s a powerful sorceress to do? She’s been off her drug of choice again for so long that I think she’s thinking of it as more of an abstract concept and following old bad habits because what else is she supposed to do? Reflect on herself, get therapy, and become a better person? That requires her admitting to doing wrong and dealing with all the guilt and shame- hard pass!

(Quick aside, Shadow Weaver is prideful. Very prideful. And do you know what that also entails? A lot of shame. So, so much shame.)

Then Glimmer vanishes and Micah returns.

Let’s finally talk about Micah and Shadow Weaver. Or, more accurately, let’s talk about Micah and Light Spinner to start.

I don’t actually agree with the take that she abused Micah. I think she did mistreat him, she was an adult and treated him like an adult colleague when he was a child she should have been protecting. Light Spinner had no right to expect a literal child who was under her care and purview to take care of her in any way shape or form, but she did. She went to him to vent and blow off steam which made him feel important and mature and grown up. Her childishness matched his actual childishness. It wasn’t a healthy relationship, but that doesn’t mean it was abuse. I genuinely get the sense that Light Spinner thought of Micah as her equal, that he was perhaps her only friend at that point. There’s nothing wrong with a friendship between an adult and a child, but there are boundaries that the adult is responsible for maintaining and Light Spinner did not. They cared for each other, platonically loved each other, considered themselves good friends to one another- and they were also too co-dependent and unhealthily attached in largest part because Light Spinner did not behave appropriately with him.

And I don’t think those feelings just vanished after the spell failed from Micah bailing on a shit situation.

This is headcanon territory again, so hold on tight please.

I think King Micah was captured by the Horde and spent time in a cell. In fact, I like to imagine it was the cell Weaver was thrown into because Hordak is a petty bitch like that. Shadow Weaver would go and visit him, maybe even personally delivered food to have the excuse to visit him. Show off a little, see how good I’m doing now! And look, Micah, if you just give me something, tell me some information, pledge a little loyalty, I can help you! Hordak wants you dead, but I care about you. So help me to help you!

(Sound familiar? I think this is a large part of why Weaver didn’t give Catra anything she could use, she’d been on the other side too and already knew what was actually at the end of that offer.)

Micah, meanwhile, hasn’t given up on her. He knows his good friend and mentor is still in there, and he believes firmly that he can bring Light Spinner back. He can convince her to stop this! She never even liked the Horde anyways, and now that she knows how evil they are, how could she possibly be okay with it? She could just leave and join him in Brightmoon instead! (Sound familiar????)

And Shadow Weaver is aghast that Micah doesn’t understand how mistreated she was, how hurt she was back on that side. In fact, he doesn’t seem to even think he BETRAYED HER by bailing on the evil spell! What the FUCK Micah, I thought you cared about me? I thought you were my friend!? But you don’t understand and you never will! (SOUND FA- *I am dragged offstage by a comically oversized hook)

The difference between Catra and Weaver in this situation is that Catra never stopped believing she could save Weaver. But Weaver used her hurt and hate to go to Hordak and tell him, “There’s nothing he will reveal.” She possibly even escorted Micah to the pod to send him to Beast Island.

Shadow Weaver saw this as tit for tat. Micah had betrayed her first, she was just returning the favor. See how he liked being left to die!

For Micah this is what broke the good will.

So, season 5. Glimmer is gone, She-Ra is gone, but Micah is back. Shadow Weaver thinks because she was advising the queen that she has a position to bargain from. To be fair, she has a better position than most people but it’s nothing special or powerful or even official. She is shunned, she is isolated, she is mistrusted, and she is hated. It validates everything Weaver believes about how the world works. She tries to ingrain with Micah a bit, I bet anything that she asked him for just a little drug because then she could fight more out on the field of battle. 

Micah is also not stupid. He blocks her every chance, they argue and bicker and Weaver realizes pretty quick that it isn’t gonna work.

So she focuses on her last chance for magical drug abuse- Castaspella.

We don’t know much about her and Light Spinner’s relationship in Mystacor. It comes across as very dismissive. That Light Spinner did not see Castaspella as an equal worthy of her time and, therefore, she didn’t get any of it. Casta seems like she was a little jealous of Micah’s treatment and special access, but never to an extreme amount. But Casta knows what Weaver did to Micah, she knows what Weaver did in the Horde, and she does not trust the woman at all.

Castaspella is also not stupid, it’s a family trait I think.

She is willing to partner up with Weaver and explore their options because this is literally the apocalypse and end of the world. So the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and Casta (unlike her brother) is willing to make a deal with the devil to make it happen.

Weaver returns and boom, Glimmer is back, She-Ra is back, Catra is back. Three potential aces in the hole and two potential power sources! Except Adora is spotty on the She-Ra stuff and Glimmer ain’t sharing. Fine, she has a plan anyways.

And this is an important moment for Weaver, I think she gets excited and then lets it go. She’s no longer locked into addiction. She’s still an addict, but she’s now been clean long enough that craving a hit doesn’t mean going half insane in the pursuit of it. But she’s still thinking and acting in a way that will lead her towards that drug, more habit than anything else. I don’t think she’s even aware at this point that raw magical highs are no longer the be all end all. It’s the power and respect she felt that gave her, it’s the euphoria and confidence it gave her that matters.

Now the failsafe, 100% if Weaver knew she could take it and get to the heart and survive she would’ve taken it as a “selfless good guy” act. But Weaver values survival almost above everything else, and she knows the odds are very, very against her. Whereas Adora has a good chance to survive, if she can focus and be She-Ra. If she does, then great, Weaver proves she’s a good guy (again, the ungrateful ingrates!) and proves she can be trusted with raw magic so maybe can they pwetty pwease let her get high on just an itty bitty bit of magic? As a little treat, perhaps? And if Adora fails and dies, well the heart fires and if they survive, Weaver proves she was a good guy who can be trusted around magic, and gets sympathy points for losing her pseudo-daughter. Maybe enough that Glimmer will trust her more again and moonstone power is hers to feed on like a fat happy house cat. Maybe she’ll even get Micah to see reason. And if Adora fails and dies and the heart fires and they die, well, she certainly won’t be around to notice, will she?

Shadow Weaver still cares for Adora, in her supremely fucked up way, but by now she is seeing Adora as the one who turned her back on Weaver. Everyone always “betrays” Weaver first (stop pointing at Catra, stop it, Weaver didn’t betray her and if she did then Catra betrayed Weaver by taking over and throwing her in jail so there for infinity) after all. Otherwise Weaver might have to think about all the bad things she’s done in her life, justified and not- and we all know Shadow Weaver has never done anything wrong ever and if she did, well now she’s a good guy so you HAVE to forgive and forget.

Then Catra has to be dramatic and run away (which Shadow Weaver wanted so Adora could focus only to realize that whoops, Catra was what helped Adora focus enough to transform) so now there’s no She-Ra so Adora is totes dead. Can Shadow Weaver get an f in the chat for Adora, everyone?

Also, Shadow Weaver can either celebrate surviving by being drunk off her ass or she can die happily sedated. If no one wants to give her hard drugs she’ll just have to settle for a good red!

And then Catra comes back and Weaver, drunk, is like, “Yer show BAHD for her! Dun tryin stopper. She’s gotta do it man.” Because, again, drunk, cynical, and falling into old habits. Catra, however, has been doing some of that self reflection and growing thing and doesn’t fall with her. Sobering up because, wait what the fuck, but my abuse script- I can’t abuse without my abuse script, she listens and thinks and remembers: Catra is the key to She-Ra.

Also the little ego stroke of “I know you’ve got more power than you’re letting on” (IE: you are so smart and cunning and strong!) which I don’t think Catra meant but I think a drunk Shadow Weaver who’s always had insecurity over not being enough and translated that into a lifetime of needing to get gassed up with drugs and false praise probably takes it that way, definitely helps with that.

Called out on the tracking (devices? Magic?) Weaver decides, fuck it. I am a good guy after all, let’s go get the failsafe to the heart and then I can leech some drugs off that as a side benny.

Pretty sure the teleportation drains Weaver heavily and sobers her up, the nausea is probably killer tho. That’s fine, the on screen action where she basically fades into the background is a great time to control that desire to vomit. Then it’s off to be a hero or something.

Except Catra goes hero mode and Weaver thinks, “I can work with this. Nice nice nice.” So she helps Adora limp to the heart, but of course Adora is distracted by Catra AGAIN. Messy ass lesbian love! Weaver tries to make Adora focus the way that used to work, but whoops everyone else has been learning to connect with their emotions and desires so it doesn’t work. Weaver gets a contact high that police have developed mass hysteria into believing fentanyl gives, and Adora books it. 

And this is one of the most pivotal moments in Shadow Weaver’s story and it happens entirely off screen.

Weaver has been left alone with the ultimate pure, raw, unadulterated magic for thousands of years. It’s so strong, so powerful, that she gets a fucking charge just from being NEAR it. She looks back at it, and she considers her choices.

Weaver can try taking that power for herself. If it works it’ll be better than the failed spell of obtainment. A better high, more power, more respect, she’ll finally single handedly be able to end this war. If it fails she at minimum kills herself but maybe everyone.

And unlike before where the idea that dying as collateral is 100% okay to her, Weaver decides that it isn’t worth it this time. The chance of getting the high, getting the power is not worth it. She will never have this chance again in her life. Shadow Weaver has made a lot of “good choices” for “bad reasons” up to this point. And whatever her reasons were, I think this is the moment where Shadow Weaver makes her first good choice for a good reason. It’s the most Light Spinner-esque choice she’s made in a long time.

Shadow Weaver takes the contact high she has and leaves with a plan to fight for a free Etheria.

It’s full circle, she’s finally back to her original goal, her original purpose. She can’t save the planet on her own. She’s not a god. She’s not a princess. But she’s a powerful sorcerer with full power banks, and she can use that.

When she gets to the creature Shadow Weaver has one singular mission. Get Adora to the heart to free magic and save the planet. That’s it. That’s the mission. No ulterior secondary plans. Perhaps a faint hope that she’ll survive this, but I doubt it. She’s too cynical and jaded to believe that, her actions don’t align with her desire to survive.

As much as people hate to admit it, Shadow Weaver genuinely does have a big damn hero moment here. She comes in, she saves Catra and Adora because she knows what they mean to each other, she knows Adora needs Catra for She-Ra, and that Adora needs She-Ra to survive the heart. Shadow Weaver is doing her one good thing, she is sacrificing herself knowingly to save her two pseudo-daughters and the planet. She is being, genuinely, one of the good guys in this moment.

I think that Weaver is riding the high a little, riding that euphoria one last time the way she originally meant to. She creates that nice little book end I love so much. Shadow Weaver is selfish, self center, power hungry, and craves authority. She is that way because of her own fears, insecurities, and traumas. 

Dying does not redeem Shadow Weaver. Redemption is not a gift, it is a life long act of compassion.

Dying does not forgive Shadow Weaver for what she’s done. Forgiveness is also a lifelong action of compassion which can only be given by willing individuals. Weaver does not survive long enough to be given forgiveness and then keep earning it afterwards.

But Shadow Weaver’s story is a very human story. It’s a tragedy in many ways. She is an antagonist in this show, and it does show! She was a good person with good intentions who made the wrong choice. 

The biggest difference between her and Glimmer is that as soon as Glimmer realized it was a mistake, she went to try and fix it, she apologized for it, she put in the work to put things to right. The biggest difference between her and Catra is that Catra was willing (eventually!) to actually look her behavior in the eyes and refuse to be that way anymore, she was willing to work on her insecurities to be a better person, she was willing to work for forgiveness and redemption. The biggest difference between her and Adora is that Weaver bought into her savior complex, she truly believed she was that powerful and strong and that that was the only way to do what she saw as the right thing.

So Shadow Weaver is here, riding the wave, doing the right thing and for those of you who have swooped in to save the day (big or small) you probably know the feel good feeling that comes as part of that. She has magic and adrenaline and endorphins pumping around her system- and Shadow Weaver is an all or nothing person. She dedicated to being good, finally, so she is going to be good damn it all!

I think when she tells the girls that it’s too late for her, but it’s the beginning for them she means it. It’s admitting she’s planning to die, it’s admitting she was wrong.

I think when she tells Catra she’s proud of her, that she also means it. Catra has become who Light Spinner wanted to be. Strong, powerful, loved, respected. 

I think when she tells them, “You’re welcome.” She means it. I think she also knows it’s the last thing she can really say, the last words of the condemned that will be remembered.

I think she wants to be a good guy and be redeemed and be forgiven.

And I think that despite all of this, she isn’t.

Shadow Weaver made bad choices and was held at gun point by addiction, and as a consequence she became a bad person because she was unwilling to work on the ugly, nasty parts of herself. She was a bad person not because she was an addict, not because she was naive, but because each time the opportunity to change for the better came- each time she actually had the ability to change her heading… she didn’t. Not until the very, very end. And one brave, heroic act does not make someone a brave hero. 

It makes her a bad person who did a good thing.

I feel like the Crew-Ra talked a lot about that idea. That good people can do bad things, and bad people good things, and that the real divide in the grey area between good and bad people are the choices we make. And I feel like in some ways the fandom has selective amnesia about that. We like to remember it for Catra. We like to remember it for Hordak. It’s easier to do for them, they did (at minimum) start turning themselves around more fully. It’s easier to remember for them because they had that time on screen for us to go with it.

Shadow Weaver didn’t, and honestly that is for the best. She is a great antagonist and I think her complex and nuanced ending is perfect for her BECAUSE it doesn’t just hand wave anything with her. We saw her evil, we saw her neutral, we saw her final attempt at good. More than enough for the message that bad people can do good things.

It’s part of why Catra and Adora wouldn’t dance on Weaver’s grave. They had complex relationships with her, more bad than good, but there was good and they did love and care about her in some fashion. That’s why Catra doesn’t say “good riddance!” when Weaver dies. She begs Shadow Weaver to not do this because she’ll die. It’s why both of them cry as they watch.

I know the joke, and I love the joke, that Shadow Weaver died doing what she loved. Traumatizing children.

Because, yeah, she did traumatize them one last time with her death! It’s part of what makes this heroic sacrifice a bit ironic to me. Even trying her hardest, even doing her one good thing, Shadow Weaver still hurts people. But it’s also trauma because Catra and Adora cared about her.

I’m not saying everything was hunky dorey between Weaver and the people/children she manipulated, mistreated, and abused and we should remember her as a hero. Not even close.

But I am saying that all these years later…

I’m tired of watching such a brilliantly written, designed, animated, and acted character be flattened out into a caricature. Shadow Weaver is not a cardboard cutout villain, there is a lot of genuine depth and nuance to her character. She has a character arc, and I believe she does grow as a character too!

I personally think Shadow Weaver is the best written character on the show. She’s probably legit one of my favorite characters (not just villains, characters) of all time! I’m never going to write a soft Shadow Weaver story where her heart grows three sizes blah blah blah. But I want to see takes about her and works about her that aren’t boiled down to: abused Catra, or abused Adora, or child abuser general ™.

She did and she was. She was also a lot more and if you wanna give her that full depth that she was so lovingly crafted and presented with, you have to start acknowledging that Shadow Weaver had good traits too, at one point was a good person, and died doing a genuinely brave and heroic deed. Same as you have to recognize that someone genuinely loving her deeply (romantic or otherwise) would not be enough to help her insecurities and fears. Same as we have to remember what redemption and forgiveness are.

I’m not asking you to love Weaver because she was a misunderstood little meow meow. Mischaracterized, yes, misunderstood? Oh god no.

I’m asking you to love Shadow Weaver because she’s a fucking cool and amazingly done character, and she deserves a bit of in depth love beyond love to hate.

[baggebythesea]

My favourite She-Ra post canon headcanons

Mystacor spa vacation for a month after the war

Best auntie Casta makes sweaters for everyone

The other princesses gleefully refuse to let Glimmer off the hook as over-queen (or as Bow like to call it - queen-queen) of all of Etheria. Lots of meetings and paperwork for our favourite queen

Catra is made second-in-command. Glimmer takes petty delight in throwing more and more stupid titles at First-Vizir Expert Logistic Coordinator Catra whenever she annoys her (which is often)

Therapy

Every parental figure in Etheria get together and decide that a) Frosta is their child now and b) Despite her protests, Frosta should go back to school

She-Ra spends most of her time subduing remaining robots and monsters, and working to repair war-damaged villages. She has a much less stressful time now when her friends are not constantly in mortal danger.

Most etherians, being a bit fuzzy on what exactly the deal was between Hordak and Prime, decide that Horde Prime was some kind of upstart that tried to usurp Hordak's rightful throne, and that Hordak cast him down in the end. This annoys Hordak immensely, especially since the other clones do nothing to correct them.

To his great discomfort, a group of clones who have a hard time with the 'free will' concept try to follow Hordak as the new Prime. Entrapta sets up a school for them.

Entrapta nearly dies from sleep deprivation as she tries to reverse engineer Horde Prime's tech. It takes Hordak, Imp, Emily, Wrong Hordak, a whole squadron of clones, the super pal trio, Bow and the entire princess alliance to convince her that she can keep working on it the next day

Entrapta totally runs Doom on Light Hope's old hardware. Fortunatelly Hordak manages to install some safety measures. Adora tears up when she realizes that it still spawns spiders.

Hordak takes up philosophy and has a surprising talent for it. This leads to a slow but steady thaw and eventual bonding between him and Bow's dads.

So Much PDA

(and so much PTSD)

Swift Wind, Bow and Sea Hawk invite Micah, Wrong Hordak and - to his great chagrin - Hordak to their boys night. No one invited Double Trouble but they come along anyway. Much shenanigans are had.

Mermista and Perfuma keeps hitting illegal clubs where they can let lose and forget all about queenship and cosmic harmony for a night. When Glimmer finds out she demands they bring her along

Catra and Hordak keep up a vitriolic but deep friendship. They sometimes go on secret missions together to 'sort out things the princesses don't need to know about'

Bow and Scorpia becomes tea-party buddies.

Double Trouble, Swift Wind and Wrong Hordak set up a 'legitimate business enterprise' which totally isn't a series of more and more convoluted scams

[girl4music]

I’m so thoroughly invested in Season 4 of ‘She-Ra and the Princesses of Power’ I’m already on episode 8.

The story seems to be Horde VS Princesses completely. The Rebellion is the main narrative of the entire season.

We’ve got this Double Trouble character shapeshifting and creating chaos in Brightmoon at Catra’s command. I believe they’re a non-binary or genderqueer character because characters keep referring to them as a they/them. Very cool. They seem to be effective in getting Glimmer and Adora to go at each other’s throats a lot because at the moment Glimmer hates feeling useless as the Queen and Adora’s too stressed out to realize it.

Over at The Horde.

Scorpia’s starting to wake up that Catra isn’t interested in her. Either as friend or anything more. She’s losing interest and thinking about her own happiness now. Still haven’t seen Entrapta but she’s on beast island. I believe that’s where Scorpio and Emily are headed next. To save her. Or just to reunite with her because I’m fairly sure Entraptra doesn’t need saving. Beast island will just be an exciting scientific exploration for her.

Setting up some significant stuff ready for the finale.