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Hordak (Filmation)

This article is about the She-Ra: Princess of Power character. You may be looking for the original character.

Hordak was the primary antagonist in She-Ra: Princess of Power, in which he rules a Horde occupied Etheria from his fortress in the Fright Zone. Hordak preferred to use technology rather than magic, and had the ability to transform his body into a variety of weapons. He was opposed in his rule of Etheria by the Great Rebellion.

History

Background

Hordak was a Commander in the Horde Empire and was the brother of Horde Prime, the supreme ruler of the Horde. Hordak was trained in the art of sorcery by the Etherian magician, Noah, though as time went on, he would grow to detest magic and embrace technology and science, believing it far superior[1]. Hordak's preferred method of fighting was to transform his body parts into various weapons, usually favouring a cannon arm.

At some point, Hordak took on a student named Skeletor, who became his favourite pupil. After an initial scouting mission, the Horde decided to invade Eternia, and Hordak lead the invasion force. Basing himself at Snake Mountain, Hordak lead a huge force of Horde Troopers and assaulted the Royal Palace of Eternos, but his armies were driven back by the forces of King Randor and the magic of Castle Grayskull.

HordakHordearmour

At the same time, twins had just been born to Randor and his Queen, [[[Marlena Glenn|Queen Marlena]] and Hordak believed they were destined for something special, though he did not know exactly what this was. Seeking revenge, Hordak took Skeletor on a mission to kidnap the infant twins from the royal nursery. Hordak grabbed the infant girl, Adora, from her crib, but before he could take her brother, Adam, his attempt was interrupted by Man-at-Arms and Queen Marlena. Abandoning Skeletor, Hordak fled back to Snake Mountain and prepared to escape Eternia before he could be brought to justice, but Skeletor, bitter at this betrayal, told Man-at-Arms where to find him. He was pursued by Man-at-Arms and The Sorceress, but before they could apprehend him, the Horde leader fled through a portal, claiming that while they may have defeated him, they would never see Adora again[2].

Invasion of Etheria

Having been defeated on Eternia, Hordak then invaded the planet Etheria, where he encountered far less resistance. During his invasion, he made a deal with the young Shadow Weaver, a sorceress from the kingdom of Mystacor, and promised her great power if she would betray her people to the Horde[3]. Hordak's Horde forces were able to subjugate most of the planet, instituting a Horde occupation. Hordak constructed a huge base of operations, the Fright Zone, from which he would rule Etheria with an iron fist.

Hordak raised the stolen Princess Adora as his own adopted daughter, and moulded her into his loyal Force Captain, leading her to believe that the Horde was a benevolent force, rather than a warmongering empire. To ensure Adora's loyalty, Shadow Weaver used spells which clouded her mind and acted as a mother figure to her[4].

The rise of She-Ra

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For a time, Hordak ruled Etheria without question, with only a small band of rebels opposing him, to little effect. Over time, the rebellion grew, though Hordak dismissed them as insignificant[5]. When Prince Adam arrived on Etheria, looking for his lost twin sister, he began to reveal the truth about her origins and the Horde's evil nature. Hordak grew more concerned, and ordered Shadow Weaver to strengthen the spell which made Adora compliant, but ultimately, Adora would turn on the Horde when Adam revealed the truth of her origins, becoming She-Ra, Princess of Power (though Hordak was not aware of this).

Furious, and determined to reclaim his hold over his former Force Captain, Hordak pursued Adora and Adam back to Eternia. He returned to Snake Mountain and found that Skeletor was still there. Bitter at having been betrayed years ago, Skeletor immediately attacked Hordak, and the two engaged in a battle of magic verses technology which eventually ended in a draw. Hordak, tired of fighting, suggested that they had both betrayed the other and were now even. Skeletor relented, and agreed to join forces with Hordak to kidnap Adora and bring misery to King Randor and the royal family[6]. While the plan to kidnap Adora was successful, Skeletor quickly betrayed Hordak and sent him through a portal back to Etheria.

Soon after, Hordak's forces suffered their first defeat at the Battle of Bright Moon, though Hordak claimed the war was far from over[7].

Hordakwithtroopers

Ongoing schemes

With She-Ra now leading the Great Rebellion, considerably increasing the threat they posed, Hordak was forced to spend his time developing plans to defeat them. His rule of Etheria became increasingly tenuous, as She-Ra gathered new allies, and received help from her brother, He-Man. Displeased with Hordak's failures, Horde Prime put him under greater pressure, and began to deride his abilities[8]. Hordak was also forced to contend with Skeletor, who frequently attempted to remove him from power and supplant his rule[9][10]. Despite these troubles, the Great Rebellion was never able to completely defeat the Horde.

Behind the Scenes

  • The animation model for Hordak was designed by artists Gerald Forton and Herb Hazelton, based on many different concepts provided by the design department of both Filmation and Mattel.

Appearances

She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985)

Season One (1985)

Season Two (1986)

Movie/TV Special

References

  1. ↑ My Friend, My Enemy
  2. ↑ Reunions
  3. ↑ The Price of Power
  4. ↑ Beast Island (episode)
  5. ↑ Into Etheria
  6. ↑ Reunions
  7. ↑ Battle for Bright Moon
  8. ↑ Horde Prime Takes a Holiday
  9. ↑ Gateway to Trouble
  10. ↑ Of Shadows and Skulls