#horde prime

[tropicalcryptid]

Ok so She-Ra pulled such a great hat trick with Hordak's characterization, and I LOVE it

One of my favorite things about 2018 She-Ra is Hordak's story and development (and Entrapdak cough but that's not the point of this particular post), and the cleverest thing is that so much of it is actually being set up and told to us in seasons 1 and 2 before we even realize that that's what's happening.

When we first see Hordak in the show, he's giving "generic evil overlord" vibes. Garden-variety baddie. Maybe a little more reasonable than some and clearly capable of long-term thinking, but that just serves to make him intimidating. Everything about him--the way he runs his empire, his armor, his color scheme, his minion, his Villainous Eye Makeup(TM), even his name--are all projecting to the audience "yup, Acme Bad Guy here. Move right along."

But then, backstory. And everything snaps into focus. Not only is it one of the first big oh SHIT moments of the show, where we suddenly zoom out and realize that there is SO much more going on than we realized--it's also the start of the audience seeing Hordak as a character rather than an archetype. Suddenly we realize that he's not conquering Etheria because he wants power, or hates happiness and sparkles, or whatever--he's doing it out of a desperate attempt to prove his worth to his brother/creator/god. This moment where Hordak lets Entrapta in is also the moment the show lets us in on what makes our favorite spacebat tick.

On top of that, we've also seen him bonding with Entrapta and opening up to this person that he respects and trusts...probably the only person he's ever respected or trusted apart from Prime. And she's Etherian--someone of a lower species, someone he's supposed to subjugate, someone who he has been raised and trained and programmed and mind-controlled into believing is below him in every way.

But instead she's brilliant and creative and mesmerizing. She's not afraid of him, and she's fascinated with his work. For the first time since being abandoned by Prime, Hordak finally has someone that he can talk to, who is on his level and both understands and cares about the science! (because he is a giant nerd). She's kind to him, a mere defect. And it just sends his whole worldview into a spin, and that's all before--

Bam, mans is a goner. Entrapta's "Imperfections are beautiful" comment punches right through all the toxic bs that Hordak has been steeped in his entire life. You can see on his face here--I think it's the moment Hordak fell in love with Entrapta, but this is also the face of a spacebat reevaluating his entire worldview. If Entrapta, who is amazing, believes something different from Prime...what does that mean? If Entrapta, who is brilliant, believes that he is worth something, and that she herself is a failure...

Well. We know what happens after that, and how Hordak begins to doubt, and eventually fights back against Prime (and remembers his love for Entrapta after TWO mind wipes help my heart ack). But we also get to see what life in the Galactic Horde looks like: the only life Hordak ever knew before coming to Etheria.

It's not nice.

It's really not nice.

Prime operates in a very specific way, and we learn a lot about it in season 5. Prime expects complete obedience, devotion and worship from his clones. He allows no individuality from his subjects, not even a name. Failure or deviations are punished, mind-wiped, or destroyed. We even learn from Wrong Hordak that facial expressions are considered a privilege reserved for Prime (apart from, presumably, expressions of rapture caused by being around Prime).

And once we learn all of this, suddenly thinking about season 1 Hordak becomes very interesting indeed. The time we spend with the Galactic Horde and Prime throws absolutely everything that we know about Hordak into a whole new context. Now all those traits that made him a generic villain are actually hugely effective characterization! And what that characterization is telling us is that Hordak had already moved much farther away from Prime than we (or, probably, he) had realized, even long before he met Entrapta.

Horde Prime does not allow his underlings to have names, personalities, or any differences of appearance. Not only does Hordak allow this among his own troops, he chose a name for himself as well! Season 5 tells us that his very name is an act of blasphemy against his god. And yet Hordak took one for himself, and that name is part of the core identity he is able to hold on to when rebelling against Prime.

Horde Prime cast Hordak out when he showed signs of physical imperfections. Hordak not only keeps Imp (who is by all appearances a failed clone or similar experiment) around, he treats Imp more gently than we see him treat anybody or anything before Entrapta. Imp is not simply "generic evil guy's minion," he is proof of Hordak's capacity for compassion, and evidence that Hordak cannot bring himself to cast aside "defects" as easily as Prime. Considering where Hordak came from, Imp's existence is a huge, flashing neon sign telling the audience this guy here is better than the hell that molded him, and we don't even realize it until 4 seasons after it's been shown to us!

Very cool, ND.

There's more, though. Hordak's red and black color scheme? His dark eye makeup and lipstick? Very Evil Overlord chic. But nope! Actually these are actually expressions of individuality on a level that Hordak knows would be abhorrent to Prime!

Reading between the lines, I see this as Hordak desperately trying to reconcile two diametrically opposed beliefs in his head: (1) devotion to Prime, whose approval he desperately craves, and (2) maintaining some degree of unique personhood, of Hordak, from which to draw strength. Because a failed, defective clone cannot survive on a hostile world, cut off from the hivemind and from Prime's light. A failed clone cannot create an empire to offer Prime as tribute, nor build a spacetime portal from scraps and memory to call Prime back. A failed clone cannot create cybernetic armor to keep his hurting, weakened body alive; to force himself to keep going no matter what, to fight through the pain and the doubt by sheer force of will.

But maybe Hordak can.

And so there it is. Hordak had plenty of time to gain and explore his individuality while separated from Prime, but I think the reason he did it so effectively (while still deluding himself that Prime would forgive him for these little sins, if only Hordak could prove his value) is because he had to.

Wrong Hordak gained his individuality surrounded by kind, quirky people who took care of him; Hordak was ripped from the hivemind by Prime himself and had to fight for his survival against all odds. And that produced a dangerous and damaging foe for Etheria. But it also produced the one clone with the strength of will to defy Prime himself.

This is long and rambling, but ultimately my point is that 1) I love Hordak, and 2) I love love love love that the show was so clever about his characterization. We learn so much about him and how much progress he's already made in breaking from his psycho abusive cult upbringing, and we don't even recognize it until the show wants us to. Hordak had come so far, all on his own, before he met Entrapta. She just helped push him over the edge and finally realize (at least consciously) that Prime's worldview might not be the correct one.

Idk, I just don't know if I've ever seen all the trappings of Basic 80's Villain(TM) so successfully subverted, where looking back 4 seasons later is actually a smack in the face with the "effective character building" stick. Amazing.

[blakescorneroftheunknown]

Horde brothers in suits redraw

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[landofanimes]

She-ra and the Princesses of Power

Posters

[lightlavenders]

as much as i hate horde prime i gotta admire how he showed up and humbled the fuck out of everyone. like SO many characters had an Oh Fuck moment where they realised there was so much more to everything than whatever feelings they had about the war on etheria. like he's the fucked up reason why catra and adora managed to rekindle their bond. and why glimmer was able to see she was wrong and apologise to the best friend squad. and the catalyst for glimmer and catra's friendship. and why hordak was able to realise he cared more about the genuine love he had from one person on etheria than anything else he'd ever achieved there. in conclusion I LOVE SEASON 5 YOU CAN PRY IT FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS.

[yunta0722]

再放送かな？

プライムってこういうお姉ちゃん仕草するんだ…って思ったよね

[littlelynel]

My Catradora AU where they defeat Horde Prime as a power couple. Don’t have a story written out, but the visual was in my head. If anyone feels like writing a story inspired by the pic definitely let me know! Would love to read it 🥰

[rainbowtiedx]

last part! ty for the support on these <3

[pokchookity]

[elizamgarts]

Clone angst. It’s shocking how underrated they are and how their abuse is never fully addressed, they deserve so much better

[baggebythesea]

Horde Prime: "Catra, you are now chipped and will kill Adora." Catra: * manages to break free for a moment and try to warn off Adora. Later, uses the link to spy on Prime * Horde Prime: "Scorpia, you are now chipped and will kill Perfuma." Scorpia: * manages to break free for a moment and misses, allowing Perfuma to escape. * Horde Prime: "Little brother, you have been indoctrinated and recently re-introduced in the hive mind. You will now kill Entrapta." Hordak: * Shoots Prime in the face and yeets him down a chasm * Horde Prime: "I am very good at what I do."

[blakescorneroftheunknown]

Once again I return to present the love of my life my pride and joy

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[ruabvbj]

[sometipsygnostalgic]

Season 5 if they brought Scorpia with them in Save the Cat

[cirusthecitrus]

"Horde Prime was said to have two heads"

You know what, lemme bring my old sketches back, cause lord knows i wasnt annoying enough about this lil piece of wiki trivia about filmation Prime (literally the more i learn about the 80s HP the more insane I get about my Kur Twins au cause how does this fact fits it so perfectly)

Basically, this idea is an AU for an AU, where Horde Prime's backstory is the same except for the fact that he and his brother are conjoined twins Since in this version the boys look exactly like their planet's local deity (also known as The Comet Brothers) they were worshipped since day 1 and the religious community didn't even need to convince people that they were truly the ones. In this story Anillis and Hec-Tor actually believed in their divine origins and feared to be proven wrong, because if they're no saints then they're just... strange kids, a burden to their community, unlovable defects. They were certain that they had no other choice but to embrace sainthood

So they gladly played along and were exploited by the high priests until a massive investigation was conducted that proved to the world that the boys had no godly powers and thus couldn't be real protectors of Krytis. Feeling useless, lost, humiliated and unwanted, Anillis and Hec-Tor wished to be seperated for the first time in their entire life. Thus came the idea of making new perfect bodies for both of them. It took them way longer than in the og backstory, but in the end, they succeeded. The problem was - they didn't like being in seperate bodies. After decades of sharing a life and a body, such huge change felt weird, unpleasant and scary. The brothers had given each other a chance at normalcy but soon rejected it, despite it all

But once they switched back, they discovered that the new bodies could move and speak on their own, that those were not just bodies but fully developed sentient people. It is when it hit them - the brothers had just created life. Their scientific invention could as well be seen as magic. They do have powers, they are saints, they are stars. No, they are better, more powerful than all of the stars in the vast sky. And they shall be treated as such. And they will make Krytis and the rest of the known universe fear and adore them, everyone will pay for ever doubting the brothers and casting them aside. But at first - they still needed a new body. One body for both of them, but this time stronger, more beautiful, more perfect. And of course, they couldn't just leave their new brothers behind too...

The 80s Horde Prime had two heads, the spop Prime's design at some point had four arms. The assymetricall extra eyes, the clones he keeps calling his brothers. It's almost like there's always someone else with HP, unseen entity following him everywhere, a phantom limb that still hurts at times, a part of him that could complete him but is missing. In conclusion, Hec-Tor is real and he's been hunting the narrative even in the 4th dimention (this is in fact a joke) Also, funny enough, this is my only au where I can see Prime changing for the better and not dying in the end, since here they're only a little insane, Anillis and Hec-Tor do keep each other humble after all. It's even possible that the clones are having a slightly better time serving this version of Prime

[lesblizzard-ultradyke]

miku.. worldwide....? of all the ways I'm joining this trend is...... this?

I think they shot her after?

[catras-breakup-song]

well, now i raise you this (visual) parallel...

white: cult, powerful, isolation, distant

vs.

white: peaceful, perfection, clarity, familiar