He Man's Sword of Power - Worst to Best Versions
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- Опубликовано: 21 окт 2024
- Good old Masters of the Universe, the 80s cheese fest that turned many kids into fantasy geeks and helped inspire much interest in swords. How good are those designs actually when we over-think them a little?
Here are my opinions on which iterations of He-Man's Sword of Power are the least and most appealing (also plausible in a practical sense). Expect some snark, of course. :)
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Designing a sword to survive use by a superpowered character would be an interesting topic to expound upon.
Easiest solution: No sword. Make it a mace instead. Big ol round metal stick can be made thiccer as needed without having to worrying about the issue of the edge having to be sharp to cut. Head can also be made more massive to account for extra strength pretty easily, and a mace doesn't actually need anything else to work really. Hell it can even just be a stick, tho I doubt wood would suffice for superstrong characters.
@@thespanishinquisition4078
That one superpowered character: *Lobs planets at you like a grenade*
My go-to option would be a warhammer 40k style power weapon. Have an energy shield surround the blade when in use; both to a) make it lightsaber sharp, and b) the blade isn't absorbing force from impacts so you can hit/take hits however hard you want or need to as long as the energy shield holds. A little sci-fi/fantasy materials science could also hand wave a proper alloy into existence that weighs like steel and also acts like a steel blade if your character was a person of normal strength.
@@thespanishinquisition4078 nah, I guess... If you were to design a sword for an overly inhumanely strong character like He-man you can go with Final Fantasy or Berserk chunky style swords
I made one for a 6'3" 330lb strongman competitor once, that was intimidating.
One thing I think you needed to touch on is that the sword wasn't just a weapon, it was basically a tuning rod for the magical powers of castle Greyskull. The fact that it was a single HUNK of metal I always put down to the fact that it basically got BLASTED with magic lightning every time he transformed and if you wrapped the handle in anything organic it would have been burnt off every time. Also why it was a single formed piece and not fitted with brass pieces. Anything not made of whatever super metal or He-man himself would get wrecked.
Even as a kid I reckoned that the big bulky part near the hilt was part of the magic. As in, perhaps the main part of the sword was a magical crystal that imbued Heman with his power and the rest of the sword was a practical encasing to give it functionality after the transformation. Otherwise, since he is stripped of all other clothes and possessions he would end up having to fight with an unprotected glowing rock that might disrupt his powers if broken.
Basically sharpening the edges of a metal wand that he can use to bludgeon-bisect things with
Yeah tuning rod for Greyskulls mystical energy would be simplifying it i think, as demonstrated in the newer episodes; the power can be summoned by the chosen champion even without the sword. Id call it more a regulator for the power. Another thing i think should be touched on is that the planet He-Man hails from is the central spawn point for all metaphysical and magical energies in the multiverse, so the person isnt overpowered, the power he has access to is just stupid primordial
There is also a...kind of ridiculous amount of extra, canon-to-non-canon lore for He-Man. Among it is a bit that says the Sword of Power and Skeletor's own sword are originally the same weapon, split from each other. The Revelations miniseries echoed this with the whole quest to restore the weapon.
Basically you're not really far off from what the creators came up with.
@@dicesectiongamedesigns8594 On the one hand, Adora's sword had an outright gemstone in it. This was probably because almost every figure in the She-Ra line had a crystal *somewhere* , usually in the center of the chest (and to a five year old this is the Coolest Thing).
On the other hand, your idea is honestly cool all by itself and should be iterated in other fantasy media if it hasn't been already.
The early 00s sword actually had unnecessary clockwork in that showed during the transformation, as to help draw in primordial cosmic magic. Tone wise, it wasn't dark grit but more grand epic with brave & mighty heroes and deeper lore.
I loved the 2000s show, grew up with it. Seeing Skall complain about the angularity of He-Man’s musculature set me off a little, I won’t lie. It’s the art style of the entire show. Seems like he didn’t try to get it at all.
The design is absurd, but have"sense"a techno-sword in a techno-barbaric fantasy world who mix tecnology vehicles with magic..sure can do it really with better sense..maybe like WH40k..xD
Talking about Warhammer 40.000, who exist planets with diferent tecnologies from stone age to the 41 century tech..will be interesting a techno-barbaric(like in Terra after Age of Strife..) with iron-medieval age tech, who in some way had few psichic & hight tech weapons and vehicles..maybe in Dark Age of Technology in this planet create nano-bots who repare it, or something else weirder..
By the way have this planet similarities with a WH40k version of Eternia..
@@ProfessorShnacktime he just didn't like the aesthetic, its not about trying to "get it". Skall has his biases and you obviously do as well.
@@MrMud99 Idk complaining about the attainability of He-Man’s look and then pointing out the obvious stylistic choice in an angular shoulder seemed like he didn’t get it to me.
@@ProfessorShnacktime I was poking fun at it in a light-hearted way, which I thought my sarcastic tone of voice would make clear. Not a complaint.
The Powerswords design, which started with the toy, goes back to being indeed the key to Castle Grayskull. The crossguard was mend to be handles for turning it around in the lock of the door. Excellent entertaining video by the way! Danke sehr!
Literally a Keyblade
So kingdoms hearts with the darkness and light thing ripped from starwars, added Disney, SE yoinked their own FF IPs, and straight stole from he man with the key blade and made it more key blade to not get sued?
Magic keys, because straight pieces of metal would be picked like immediately.
I could swear, that flat part sometimes fired a beam straight out.
19:46 This.
I'm glad this point was brought up, normal swords shattering under superhuman strength is something that used to be ignored in sword discussion.
Heck, the only fantasy I remember bringing it up is Eragon whereby the problem of him breaking his own weapons is (at least at first) hilariously solved by our hero using a incredibly heavily enchanted walking stick.
Paolini pulled a Shad before Shad pulled a Shad.
More than that, when Eragon visits an elven master-smith, he notes that she is making mail by forge-welding the rings shut, not riveting, and later when she's designing him a sword she remarks that she'd make it less broad-bladed than his centuries-old original sword, make it more thrust-oriented to deal with more modern armour.
These things, amongst others, make me think that Paolini had put in a fair bit of research on historical smithing and the trends and adaptations of swords in real history to add authenticity to his books, and I for one respect the effort.
Eragon doesn't get as much love as i think it deserves. The main mention it gets these days is that the magic system is super-heavily based on works by Ursula K LeGuin but honestly... it's such a good ruleset for magic that i don't care if it's not original. To anyone reading this who hasn't read "the inheritance cycle", i highly reccommend it. the first book is "eragon" and it's a good clean traditional fantasy romp.
In the Immortal Knight Chronicles, the main character, Richard, has to keep his strength in check because if he doesn't hold back, he will break his weapons and/or armor. Which has some great effect when he loses his cool to blind rage in some scenes.
yeah, but if it's a magic sword made out of magic materials then you can handwave it. Furthermore, it only neccessitates usage of badly designed custom sword for a hero since (s)he wouldn't be able to use conventional weapons without breaking those.
The real OG of swords breaking under superhuman strength is Beowulf
@@spamhonx56 the books are good, but very trope heavy.
And yes, for such a young author he had a remarkable amount of well thought out detail in the armor/weapons writing.
As for the *[retch]* mo- mov- *ahem* the unmentionable cinematic disaster... Just no.
The 2000s aesthetic may be over the top, but it is to this date one of the best versions of Masters of the universe! The best blend of serious and campy and exaggerated that only the 2000s could provide!
I agree. This version was motu was my favorite due to the detailed artand the story arcs.
It was like the mortal Kombat movie.
Stupid, cheesy, idiotic, borderline dumb,
and just so... so freaking good!!!
tha sword was 100% the reason i never had any desire to see the show.
Agree; kills me that the sword from this series ended up at the bottom but I can't argue for the sword design
I know right thats the aesthetic I love
You seem to have missed that originally the power sword was also a key when combined with skeletor’s used to gain access to castle grayskull and its secrets. The “hilt” is a pair of handles for turning the key. Perhaps there was a better way to design it for this purpose, but that’s why it originally looked like that. The animated version was filmation looking at the toys and reimagining the entire story based on their own preferences
That key is not Canon.
@@dragonmaster613 kinda
In Revelations, the sword of power IS the key to the secrets of Grayskull: The Halls of Wisdom
@@VJK102 I meant the two swords combined.
That was part of the early toy line prior to the animated series.
They reworked it for the new series.
@@dragonmaster613 It absolutely was- and don't forget, the toy came first. Yes it's changed. yes, I like that it's not a key anymore.
Michael Cthulhu made one that looks real good, but typical for his swords, might definitely need He-Man to swing effectively.
Here is the video: ruclips.net/video/QVmQY6XInzI/видео.html
I remember watching this show when I was a kid. We'd just moved houses, and they were doing re-runs on cartoon network. Probably one of the big reasons why I have an interest in swords and the fantasy genre.
Thank you, He-Man
Don’t you mean He-Man and She-Ra? She-Ra got me interested in strong woman who can wield a sword.
Are you also obsessed with giant cats? Wasn't He-Man all about the giant housecat as He-Man's Best friend?
I'm just into it for the Skeletor memes.
@@yobgodababua1862 I mean, I am a fan of cats, but that predates my exposure to He-Man
Fun topic!
I'd love to see more on other weapons of iconic 80s franchises like ThunderCats and Ninja Turtles.
Sword of Omens was way better - even allowing for the magic eye
@@momerathe
Yaeh, between the Sword of Greyskull and the Sword of Omen, I would definitely pick the latter. It's like a magical version of a Swiss army knife.
In fact, all of the ThunderCats weapons are quite incredible.
When I was a kid and the New Adventures of He-Man came out I always figured that little rod where the riccasso should be was some kind of battery or power source. The guard then was designed to protect the battery from the most direct harm, but left open on the sides to vent heat.
Thank you he-man for making the bodybuilding forums so popular
The He-Man action figure I had came with an Axe if I remember right. I think he had a shield too.
Correct. The very first MOTU lore were the mini-comics included with the figures which pre-date the Filmation series. In those comics He-Man was looking for the Sword of Greyskull. His weapons were an axe and a shield. The Filmation series changed it so that the Sword of Greyskull was now his signature weapon.
@@Wright805 I think it was actually the 1982 DC comics that changed it before the 1983 Filmation cartoon.
@@texasbeast239 You could be right. I know the gist but I'm not 100% sure of the exact details.
@@Wright805 exactly. In his first version, He-Man was a uber strong barbarian from a jungle barbaric tribe, and not a pampered skimpy prince that can transform in superman. In the minicomic included with his action figure, while looking for Castle Grayskull, he met the Sorceress while she’s menaced by a bear/dinosaur crossbreed monster that He-Man kill tearing its jaws apart barehanded. Was brutal and epic.
@@Wright805 The original plan for the MOTU toy line was to sell different "outfits" or equipment sets for characters, each bestowing different powers onto the same figure. The combination of the axe, shield, and harness (which granted He-Man a forcefield) would have been the first of multiple "outfits" for He-Man. This was reflected in the included mini-comic, where he starts without that set.
Of course the Power Sword was also a contested object, it had two halves and Skeletor seemed to constantly get one or both halves. Mind, He-Man was also simply He-Man, there was no Prince Adam, and thus no transformation through the Power Sword.
This was a fun step back to childhood. Heman and Thundercats started my interest in blades back in the 1980's.
Originally it was a 2-part key to controlling Grayskull... So the first one looks like a huge key.
The 3D masters of the universe Netflix show had it’s own sword design too. Has more of a likeness to some giant computer chip or an alien rune on a handle than a sword might, yet i’m still rather fond of it for whatever reason! Probably cause it has faint transformers vibes. It’s definitely absurdly massive but since it’s also made of this hard light it’d hard to say how hefty it would be.
Was looking for a comment like this! I believe the main character also uses the thickness of the blade defensively at some points, though it's been a while since i've watched it. Haven't watched Season 3 yet either.
If I remember correctly, the blade also splits open in the middle for a release of energy.
Finally, someone else referenced this show.
Matter is hard light a gamma Ray is next down in density
The Filmation Power Sword is by far the most memorable and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. When they added the jewel to the center to make She-ra’s sword it really highlighted how great the shape of it was. The shot of the two swords embedded in rock side-by-side in The Secret of the Sword was absolutely beautiful and breathtaking. That’s why it’s my favorite. I would go so far as to say it’s the best sword design ever!
Hey skall can you make one for Fire Emblem swords too like your old armorslayer video? I'm suggesting Falchion, Exalted Falchion, Audhulma, Sword of the Creator, Yato etc.
Fun video! I am 40 years old now, and grew up with the old school he-man show, and bought all the seasons on DVD a few years ago to rewatch them and recapture my childhood in a way… They are so bad. So so so bad. And I still watched every single one of them 😂
Honestly my favorite part about that show was the cast of characters other than prince Adam/he-man… Heroes and villains.
The one thing I realised was that there was so much reused animation. Even back then I knew they reused a bunch, but there's just so much of it. Sometimes it feels like it's just re-cut with occasionally new backgrounds.
Still the writing could be very witty and touching at times, if a bit overdramatic, but hey that was the style of fantasy at the time.
The original he-man show transcends good or bad as concepts.
@@AnotherDuck- That was typical of cartoons. It saved time and money.
@@AnotherDuck oh absolutely! 😂 And 90% of the dialogue is fighting sounds 😁
The original Alcala power sword from the first mini comics is one of the best interpretations imo. I was sad I didn't see it here.
it would be interesting though to see the OG Sword of Power but cast in Aluminium, that way you can wield a chunky paddle but in one hand
and at the very least it would probably make you FEEL super powerful to be able to swing a sword like that around in one hand
Theory: He-Man has demonstrated the ability to block magic and energy/ranged attacks with the sword, and he often does it with the flat. So maybe the extra-wide base of the sword makes it easier to deflect with - and as Skal mentioned, the extra weight means nothing to He-Man. So ironically, the guard IS a guard after all, but for ranged attacks.
Excellent points regarding the functionality of the different versions of the He Man sword.
It's worth noting that for many of these there were child -sized actual toys. I had the OG sword as a child and the guard was open - like a sai. There was also a version of the new adventures sword which was a solid block in the centre to house a speaker and batteries.
Oh my God... I forgot about him literally punching Castle Grayskull's foundations and yeeting it into a portal. That show was wild.
One thing I did like about the 2002 design was the idea that the sword changes shape when he goes from Adam to He-Man, which accounts for why nobody wonders why Adam carries He-Man's sword everywhere (or pulls it from nowhere like on the old 'toon) because their swords look different. Not sure if it was worth the clunky mechanical upgrade, but it helped fill in some logical gaffes.
it moves during transformation, but doesn't stay that way. it's always the same sword. the fact that it doesn't tear Adam's shirt off while lugging it around is astoundingly stupid. It's a bad design from every perspective.
200x version. Adam nearly has to swing his body just to get it over his head.
fwoly huck, there's much more He-Man material than i ever thought. Interesting to learn about it through your channel!
I didn't see the one from the 3D animated show that came out a few years ago being ranked here, but I presume that it'd be rated closer to the lower end of things.
Interesting video all in all! Thank you for making it, and wish you a lot of fun on the future ones!
The original reason the 2000s he-man had techy sword was gonna be that Skeletor actually obtained He-man half of the power sword. So Man-at-arms had to make him the new sword.
doesnt explain why it needed to be this ugly.
@@marcosdheleno what did that have to do with anything I said you knob!?
@@marcosdheleno and yet it was always the one in the box since the first episode. I don't buy it.
Why then did King Grayskull wield a techy sword?
The He-Man universe is literally the perfect setting for science fantasy. You get the best of both worlds, enchanted swords and laser guns.
And he missed the 2021 series, where He-Man mostly uses the sword like a club, because he's not actually trained in swordfighting. It also has some really cool special attacks.
It also stretches to become a shield and surfboard and is a giant key right?
@@TrueNomadSkies Yep. Which is awesome.
Well....cough cough...Star Wars..... Plenty of magic.....ehhh "force" and lasers....while still using "magical" swords , and i say magical cause laser does not have substance or resistance so clashing lightsabers....sounds like magic.
@@galadballcrusher8182 Dune as well
I remember the first time I saw that live-action Masters of the Universe movie, I had turned on the TV and it was playing. I didn't even realize it was supposed to be He-Man, it was just a generic '80s sci-fantasy movie.
If I recall correctly in the 2000 series there was going to be a storyline where He-Man lost the SoP, so Man at Arms created a mechanically Magik sword to serve as a substitute, until the SoP was retrieved. That was scrapped, but they decided to keep the clockwork sword for some reason.
As an aside, the 2000 was definitely my favorite series story-wise,, but yeeeeesh that sword is ugly.
You are correct.
In the 2002 Cartoon you can see that prince Adam is not even able to use the sword effectively unless he tranforms into He-Man.
At the start of the show it even is to heavy for him to really swing it and later he is able to use it but only with two hands and even then he tires out very quickly. So even though it is the worst He-Man sword it is somewhat realistic with how Adam can or rather can't use it right.
Loved the shows by the way, all of them had something that was unique to them and in New Adventures of He-Man the sword is way more versatile with the abilty to basically turn into a grappleing hook and shot laser beams.
@@Franky_Sthein New Adventures of He-Man is my favourite.
To be fair the 2002 sword was originally meant to be something Man at Arms created for Adam to become He-man again after losing the original sword to Skelator but after they decided to reboot the 80's series instead of continuing it they decided to keep the sword's design the same for some reason.
fun fact about He-Man's axe... at the end of the movie Conan the Destroyer, when Dagoth is already a monster, Conan is wielding both a sword and an axe. You don't even have to look too closely to see that the axe is basically identical to He-Man's!
The fact always amazed me, and I've never been able to find any info about it, but they are way too similar to be by chance
By the power of grayskall.
I HAVE THE POWERRR!!!!!
@@Franky_Sthein
Shouldnt that be "I HAVE THE POMMELLLLSSS!!!,"?
Probably in another 10-20 years. :)
I was thinking about this while watching the 2021 remake He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. The sword is less a bladed weapon and more a circuit board in the rough shape of a sword. It looks heavy and clunky, and gets ridiculously wide when it powers up, much like the character himself. If it weren't for the sword's role in the plot, it would be almost completely useless.
I always preferred She-Ra's Sword of Protection, for the reason that it can morph into different weapons and tools with a thought. Both She-Ra series have done this, and I can't imagine a more practical weapon than one you can turn into anything on the fly. I like the one from the newer She-Ra better, since the original was just a clone of He-Man's sword, though I would still have made the cross guard longer so it could actually block something. Most importantly, the sword could heal rather than just hurt, which is an enormous asset on and off the battlefield.
If you had Skeletor aswell you could clip their swords together to make a mega huge sword. Was hoping to see it. Hope is the first step on the road towards disappointment.
What about the new He man Sword from the series version where Adam is raised by Cringer's tribe. Both He Man and his sword are ridiculously large
Secret Galaxy has a video on the crazy path the Masters of the Universe live-action film took to get made. Highly recommend.
Still a fan boy with 41 years of age i always liked the Dolph Lundgren version the most, thanks for the video!
I actually never liked the sword's design as a kid in the 80s, but the shield and axe designs were great in my young eyes.
Yes the Axe looks Amazing!
This was my role model growing up, i adored He-Man and had many toys. This was my ideal to aspire to be like, the quintessential of how a man is supposed to be.
Woot woot I got the W 😁 Thanks @Skallagrim for the kudos. I actually made that sword in my second year of making swords back in like 08 or 09. I made it for my own enjoyment because I was a mad heman fan as a kid, and hey when you start making swords what are you going to do? 🤷♂️🗡💪
But you're right I've always endeavoured to interpret fantasy design in functional terms, and enjoy that challenge. 😊
Keep up the great work. 👍 may the power of Grayskull be with you!
A video finally came out before I got to work, hell yeah
Never watched the original show but I played the shit out of my uncles toys. Both of the castles were neat. I watched the 2000s version and owned quite a few of the action figures, was awesome to see my aunt and uncle analyzing the new desings and stuff.
My pick is and always will be the Filmation sword. What a simple but uniquely beautiful work of art!
I maintain that if Queen had done the soundtrack then Masters of the Universe would have been every bit as fondly-remembered as the equally cheesy Flash Gordon. Despite it's other many flaws, Frank Legalla absolutely killed it as Skeletor.
i always felt like flash gordon was one of the main inspirations for motu, so it would certainly fit....
But one has to admit: The Bill Conty soundtrack is super epic. Very 80s, kinda STAR WARS in style. The main issue was that is was a CANNON Films production - and, oh boy, those guys were just good for low budget Ninja movies or Chuck Norris flicks.
The original and first one, period. The conformal round shapes in pearly steel just makes it really special and iconic. The other versions are just generic tryhard trash.
I wouldn't say so. Some are just generic and not tryhard.
I don't like He Man therefore I also hate the original.
Wow such edge
@@iron-thorne I mean, it's a sword. It has to have an edge, by definition, otherwise it wouldn't be a sword. :P
That's not the "original" the Alcala sword from the comics is the First and the best.
Love this. Fell in love with the show a long time ago
The 2002 reboot sword was originally intended to be a replacement for the original sword of power that Man-At-Arms built after Skeletor stole the original.
Wait, they used the job category of a "man at arms" as a character name?
@@johndododoe1411 yes.
@@johndododoe1411 Man-At-Arms is his title and code-name. His real name is Duncan.
@@johndododoe1411 I mean its better the He'ro which is an actual character.
I always thought that the hilt was telescopic, why hasn't anyone thought of that? The huge part of the blade against the ricasso is hollow ground in such way that it looks bulky, but is light enough to make a nimble sword.
I think the point with the 00s sword was that it transformed to look different between Prince Adam and He-Man. During the transformation sequence you see parts moving around like a transformer to help Prince Adam hide his secret identity of He-Man.
I like Skall had that picture of He-man up and never comments about him wielding a freaking double axe instead of the sword.
Thanks for being forgiving of the original sword. I had fun looking at the history of He-man swords.
8:20 I can _guarantee_ that the movie sword was designed to be a cross between Conan's movie sword and the Masters cartoon sword. It was a Cannon movie. Cannon's main focus as a studio was to latch on to trends (preferably before they got played out) and exploit them. _Conan_ had come out just 5 years before, which means it was still popular in the video stores and there were still blatant knock-offs being made every year. Anything that evoked that movie was going to get some extra attention.
Yes I agree but I also think the guard on the original toy wad chosen to echo Conans film sword to begin with. This just took it a couple of steps closer
@@fableblades The timing is right for that since Conan came out the year before the orginal He-Man, but I don't think they're THAT similar. I can see what you're saying, though, so you may be right.
@@Bacteriophagebs hi. It's known that Mattel were approached to make a toy line for Conan but when they saw that the film was R rated and gory they bailed and put together the HeMan concepts. There are some cool documentaries about it, and some of the original concept artwork can be found.
@@fableblades Cool, thanks!
Wow....was this a nearly 23 minute long ad for that last one? Naww...I can totally agree with all Skal's points and criticisms of each sword represented here. I don't know of anyone who has broken down the science and explained it so thoroughly as it was here. Also.... this dude should seriously be considered as a prop director for Hollywood in any future fantasy films, dude legit knows his trade.
Saw the 200's show as a kid and I liked how the sword would disguise itself when Adam wasn't He-Man. Though if I were to see that idea revisited, I'd likw it to be a magical geas or something that makes it appear like a normal sword, rather then the tech look they went with in that iteration.
As I've grown older, I"ve gained a greater preference for the fantasical over the realistic. Realism is nice to an extent in sci-fi fantasy but it shouldn't dominate. Leave that to the hard sci-fi genre.
Even as an 80s kid that loved fantasy I found he-man pretty cringe and much preferred She-ra. And then Red Sonja over Conan. And then Xena over Hercules. I still like my warrior women actually ; p
Was nice seeing a semi-reasonable design at the end.
Great great freaking job with the research!! And the explanation!!! This was an amazing video!
You definitely bring up compelling and practical points for your sword design arguments.
You even bring up logical rationale to support my arguments against the practicality of Michael Bay’s Transformers design choices
As a kid, I loved the He-Man movie!
Maybe one day we'll get a proper film version, for the grown men that watched it as kids.
It's thick because its a key to castle ggrayskull. Thanks for the content.
I love these video types so much more when you come in with the mouse pointer and Photoshop and circle and reshape things. Love your videos still.
That bit about swinging a sword with superhuman strength was a funny bit of story in the original Utawarerumono where the warrior woman Karulau needs to have a sword custom made specifically so that it doesn't break when she swings it. Thing is the things turns into what is basically a giant metal club with a somewhat sharpened edge. Also, the thing turned out to be so heavy that not even the strongest regular strength warrior present could even lift the behemoth of its stand. Karulau of course swings the thing around like its a twig.
Oh, He-Man! I remember when they still cared, loved the early 2000's series, I used to play with toys imagining myself having adventures having a similar sword but with the executioner sword's blade.
Oh , Skall should do a Dragon Quest analysis, both weapons and armor! There are some pretty good, historically accurate designs and there are some crazy fantasy ones, I'm sure he'd enjoy it, both ironically and unironically.
Conan Atlantean sword fills the role also quite well, the Windlass version for example. It might not be well suited for cutting, but it's good for training. And when you train with it, it will make you more powerful eventually. After training with the sword weighting 3,6kg even just for few minutes, every other sword feels quite light in your hand after that. It really strengthens muscles in your hand and gives you more power for sword use, even the heavier ones, and you won't have to be complaining about weight of the sword anymore. This training method can allow you to wield even the heaviest swords with really fast speeds creating enormous amout of power. So training with it really can give you almost He-man like strength at least for sword use.
There's an argument that training with lead cutters wasn't actually as effective as believed. Something about that the extra strength isn't needed as much as practical skill and familiarity with the same weapon you'll be fighting with. Essentially, it's that you have to learn to handle the sword at the speed you only really can with a properly balanced and weighted sword.
Now, there's probably some benefit to training with a heavier sword, but it will probably have to be in conjunction with a sword similar to what you're going to use in combat.
@@AnotherDuck By strengthening your hands with a heavier sword, it of course makes you better with any sword you wield. Stronger hands just makes it easier to perform those skills. So you can be training your strength with your heaviest sword, and your skill with your favoured sword. The point is, that it makes any other sword to feel like feather weight after the heavier training.
And well, we are talking about He-man and power swords here and not just skill. So it was just one point for this video topic.
But there's always some wiseguys arguing on every topic on every video... That's the way the youtube commentary works. So nevermind.
@@peterfinland1370 And there's always going to be some people who can't defend themselves without talking down on people who don't share their opinion. So nevermind.
@@AnotherDuck And there's always some moron that misses the point and it has to be reiterated.
How much experience you have on this kind of training? I've been using it for years, so I don't even have to tell you that it really works quite well. I even made a training tool I call the "Thor hammer". It's a 5,5kg sledgehammer that I cut about a half off from the handle. It's a real challenge to swing, and that's why I made it for. By swinging it with the same motions that I use with the sword, it really strengthens the hands. I call it "Thor hammer training". It's just fun to feel that kind of "ultimate power" in your hands like Thor or He-man. Of course, it has not much to do with skill, but strength. But adding strength is always welcome. You might not be able to even parry those kind of powerfull strikes, no matter how hard you try, if someone can wield a more powerfull and heavier weapon than you with the same speed and skill or more. You will lose inevitably.
I don't mind about you making a point or argument but it seemed that you missed the point and argued for nothing by just sounding like a wiseguy. I'm only sharing my experience for the topic.
@@peterfinland1370 If all you're doing is arguing your point there's no reason to call people names. Since that's what you are doing it means you're also insulting people, and now you're offended by being called out for it. That's all there is to it.
I thought it was neat when the original toys came out that He-Man's sword was part of a two sword key. Skeletor had the other sword and when both were combined it was used to open castle grayskull. I was really interested in the shield and the battle axe, but in the 80's I never saw He-Man use them.
From what I've seen, the choice to make the movie be on earth wasn't so much a budget decision as a "creative" one. Apparently, the director didn't realize the ip had magic in it, and he hated that. So he removed as much as he could.
if you saw the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe 2021 version you would probably just cry its designed to be almost as big as he is.
Nice but what about He Man's *Double Bladed Axe!?*
I LOVED that weapon as a Kid! 🙌
20:50 that real-life version seems to have a offset fuller with more mass on one side than the other prehaps a designated cutting side
Do you intend on reviewing any of the 2022 edition deepeeka swords?
If truly improved they seem like amazing Budget Options.
Cogent arguments presented in a funny and entertaining way, as usual. I'm going to share this with my nostalgia-loving brother who grew up on He-Man and Ninja Turtles with me.
*Peasant + Excalibur = King Arthur*
*Prince Adam + Sword of Power = Heman!*
Swords are cool 😆
You made the video I would have about this subject! My favorite is the original animated show. Hats off to Dolph Lundgren for playing He-Man for us in the movie. I went and saw it as a kid and liked it. The sword in the movie kind of feel like the cartoon design combined with the Conan sword I guess.
Well that was a blast of nostalgia
This is the episode that I have been waiting for. By the power of Gray-Skall!
@2:49 He-Man is *not roided* out. Look at his traps. They look natty. Unlike say...Liver King
In the case of the 200X Sword of Power, there is a purpose to the small notches on one side of the "fuller plate?" Okay, Deep Cuts Story Time: Way back in 1982 when the Masters of the Universe toys premiered, there was no cartoon show. The Story, at the time, was told by a series of mini-comics packaged with the action figures. Surprisingly, these were quite different from the story that would be developed for the cartoon a year later. Way more Conan the Barbarian than Saturday Morning Toy Cartoon. Anyways, one of the original play features of the line was that both He-Man AND Skeletor had a half of the Sword of Power (He-Man's was grey, Skeletor's was purple). These sword accessories were made so that they could slot together to form the true Sword of Power, that was, in fact the Key to Castle Greyskull! You can see this in the first Master of the Universe toy commercial, where they mention using the sword to unlock the Jaw-Bridge. So the notches on the 200x sword of Power are a Super deep cut reference to the fact that the original toy Sword of Power was also a key! (Bonus Deeper Cut - Filmation, the company who developed the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon, has a previous cartoon Blackstar (1980) that also featured a strongman with a magic sword fighting an evil wizard with the other half of said magic sword, in a sci-fi fantasy realm full of monsters and magic! Blackstar even had Alan Oppenhiemer (the original voice of Skeletor) playing the evil wizard, The Overlord, the villain to Blackstar himself! Full discolsure, I LOVED Blackstar as a kid, and basically watched He-Man nostalgically (at the tender age of 13) and lamented noticing all the assets they re-used from Backstar in He-Man. No mater what others say, those two shows are intrinsically linked. We now return you to your regular scheduled Skallagrim Nerdery.
That live action movie was a blast. But...
I've only seen it once. At a point where memories kinda fade into and out of each other.
But I very clearly remember Skeletor's words.
"So tell me He-man. Is the loneliness of Good the same as the loneliness of Evil?"
Like up until that point the movie was this fun Space adventure that suddenly fucked you up in seconds at the end.
Yes. Dolph was a great choice but my God no one could have said that line any better at the time.
My only experience with He-Man was one VHS with a couple episodes, and I loved it. Then I saw the most recent one and nothing in between
This is a good topic. I loved He-man as a kid
in the '87 film, I believe Anthony De Longis called the power sword a "Buick cleaver"
I just want to let you know that I loved the introduction up until 1m30s. Nice! XD
It's interesting seeing how the OG sword of power is designed, because I think it actually works with how He Man actually fights. If you get down to it, he doesn't really use the sword like a sword; more like a tool for countering, defending, etc. Skal said it himself, the guy could lift anything and smack someone with it and it'd work fine. So why is the sword so heavy in awkward places? Because that's a perfect setup for He Man, Adam, to use it defensively. It's wide, so its great for catching parries on the flat, it has a sturdy but still lighter blade compared to the lower portion near the hilt, so maneuvering it quickly has to be easy. The short grip and roughly arming sword length allows him to quickly stow it and have a free hand to punch, grapple, etc.
It's not designed for killing capability: it's designed for a hero that doesn't necessarily need to use it to kill. In fact, he doesn't kill very often at all, as far as I know.
@Skallagrim
Laddie, you missed the obvious reason for that second handle thingy at about 9:55:
This weird looking contraption is just a built-in pump action sharpening tool.
I believe that the SoP in the 2000s series was part of a machine and then retro fitted into a sword. The Sword is part of Greyskull defense network. However, I could be wrong
You could (and should) do an entire episode analyzing the melee weapons of the various MoTU characters to determine which is the most practical.
MOTU and Beastmaster 2. There had to be something in the water during the 80s that explains why we got two sword and sorcery movies that bring the heroes from their home planet to earth for the majority of the movie.
The 80s He man got me into swords.
Id be really interested to see your thoughts on the (far fewer, i think) versions of She-ra's sword. Especially considering the lore i really like its representation in the 2018 series.
I was pretty sure that Skal was going to say that the best version was the double axe from that illustration shown throughout the whole video LOL
THAT would've been a nice plot twist
Thor needs a special belt to wield Mjolnir (mythic Thor, not movie Thor). Magical fur briefs are needed to wield the Sword Of Power.
And the todays sponsor - Fable Blades!
Funnily enough my favourite is the 2000s one, like if you look at the super early artwork for He-Man he's got this whole superhuman barbarian thing going on, so therefore a ridiculous overdesigned gnarly looking sword just kind of fits the look for me
I beg to differ just a tad on the Mary-Sue part considering that he does require the help of his allies - even Orko himself has helped save He-Man more than once. Sure, he's capable of doing anything the writers want him to, magically fixing a chain by just putting the broken links together, for example. And he's more of a product of the time when they were trying to display as many positive messages as possible such as a blind kid helping He-Man and Ram-Man to navigate after they were blinded.
To sum it up, the writer favoritism isn't as bad as modern Mary-Sues like Rey who has the worst swordplay and needs to be saved by magical editing or everyone pausing their attacks - see Shadiversity's diagnosis of the fights in the sequel trilogy of Star Wars to get an idea of how bad that is.
the 200x version of the sword was originally meant to be a tech version designed by Man-at-Arms because Skeletor had managed to steal the power sword from He-Man, and would take over the ability to channel the power of Grayskull. Of course like with Filmation, the original intentions went out the window once the animation was done.
You missed the CG Netflix series. It is so big that it can and has been used as a surfboard. The visual ascetics of that series are all over the place to the point it looks like the characters were pulled into the world from 3-4 different series each with unique art directions.
My love for swords and fantasy basically rose from Arthurian Legend, various martial arts and warriors throughout history and having seen the movie Highlander a few hundred too many times lol :P