History WesternAnimation / HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse2002

* DumbMuscle: Ram Man, Clawful, Baddrha, and to a lesser degree Beast Man, Trap-Jaw, and Whiplash. Clawful is probably the single most emblematic example -- the show's writers mention in DVD commentary that they once drew up a hierarchy of intelligence among the evil Masters, and Clawful was dead last. It's eventually revealed that he's more or less illiterate in his own native language; Evil-Lyn had to translate a message sent by his cousin for him. However, when it comes to physical might, he knows few true equals, and he can outmuscle even He-Man.

** "Snake Pit" actually has three. The main example is Season 2 BigBad King Hiss, who appears briefly in shadow in the flashback and later the pit. Webstor also makes a brief cameo in a cavern of Snake Mountain--setting up his appearance at the end of the season. A little fellow by the name of Odiphus appears in a cell, and he'll return in "The Sweet Smell of Victory" to become Stinkor.

* TheDreaded: [[GreaterScopeVillain Hordak]]. In "The Power of Grayskull" when he attempts to force Skeletor to free him by threatening to take back the life he gave him, it's made clear Skeletor does '''not''' want Hordak free. King Hiss, who [[EvilerThanThou usurped Skeletor as the main villain]] in season 2, is shown to likewise be terrorified of him, putting his EvilPlan to revive [[PhysicalGod Serpos]] on hold when he learns Evil-Lyn is trying to free Hordak because he considers him that big a threat to his plans. In the same episode, Evil-Lyn actually has to coerce Count Marzo into helping with her plan to free Hordak because [[EvenEvilHasStandards Marzo believes freeing Hordak is mistake]].

** A natural conclusion to the above mentioned trope. One notable example is the episode "The Mystery of Anwat Gar," in which the [[BadassNormal otherwise competent]] Man-at-arms has to be rescued FIVE TIMES by He-man.

* DealWithTheDevil: "The Price of Deceit" reveals that after his last encounter with Randor, Keldor was taken to Hordak's sanctuary. Keldor begged him to save his life, which led to him being remade as Skeletor. Hordak warned this would come at a price, which he intends to collect in "The Power of Grayskull" by getting Skeletor to free him.
* DemotedToExtra: In the second season, Skeletor and his minions appeared less frequently and had less impact on plots to make room for King Hiss and the Snake Men. (Season 2 being half as long as Season 1 likely didn't help, either.) Reportedly, this would've been rectified in a third season.

* DistressBall: Tossed around a lot in the series so He-man has someone to save.

* DarkestHour: Skeletor's Council of Evil plan was as grim as it gets: the Masters locked up in Snake Mountain, Adam losing his Power Sword, and all of the villains poised to invade Castle Grayskull.

* [[DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou Mommy Had A Good Reason For Abandoning You]]: As in the original series, the Sorceress is Teela's mother and cannot raise her due to her responsibilities. "The Ties That Bind" deconstructs it by showing the Sorceress anguishing over the choice she had to make and Teela struggling with being left in the dark.

** King Hiss treats all of his men quite well, but his treatment of Kobra Khan is notable since the other Snake Men often deride him as a weakling descendant.

* [[DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou MommyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou]]: As in the original series, the Sorceress is Teela's mother and cannot raise her due to her responsibilities. "The Ties That Bind" deconstructs it by showing the Sorceress anguishing over the choice she had to make and Teela struggling with being left in the dark.

* [[DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou MommyHadAGoodReasonForabandoningYou]]: As in the original series, the Sorceress is Teela's mother and cannot raise her due to her responsibilities. "The Ties That Bind" deconstructs it by showing the Sorceress anguishing over the choice she had to make and Teela struggling with being left in the dark.

* DaddyHadAGoodReasonForAbandoningYou: As in the original series, the Sorceress is Teela's mother and cannot raise her due to her responsibilities. "The Ties That Bind" deconstructs it by showing the Sorceress anguishing over the choice she had to make and Teela struggling with being left in the dark.

* CrushingHandshake: There is an episode where Man-At-Arms shakes hands with his brother Fisto. When they shake, Fisto's mechanical hand can be heard clanking, implying he's applying more pressure than he needs to. [[BadassNormal Man-At-Arms]] doesn't scream (or even wince), however.

* BadassNormal: Duncan and Teela, two non-powered humans in a group where everyone else has super powers.

* CatchPhrase: Man-at-arms' cry of, "Battle positions!" This is even echoed in the episode, "The Island," by his old mentor Dekker.

* CrushingHandshake: There is an episode where Man-At-Arms shakes hands with his brother Fisto. When they shake, Fisto's mechanical hand can be heard clanking, implying he's applying more pressure than he needs to. Man at Arms doesn't scream, however.

** The Sorceress has the same limitations as in the original cartoon series, where she has extraordinary powers but could only use them in Castle Grayskull. "Out of the Past" showed she does have some power outside the castle, but it's greatly diminished.

** In "Second Skin," King Hiss uses an ancient artifact to turn people into Snakemen - including Man-At-Arms, Teela and Mekaneck.

* BigGood: King Grayskull was this, figuratively ''and'' literally. He was known for his honorable, benevolent and peace-loving nature, and was absolutely massive in size, towering over the Sorceress.
* {{Bishounen}}: Poor Keldor

* TheBeastmaster: Beast Man as always. He's even able to use this ability in "The Monster Within" to take control of Man-E-Face's monster mode. However, he is unable to control dragons.

* AllTheOtherReindeer: Ancient Snakemen (especially General Rattlor) think lowly of their modern descendants, but King Hsss lacks this bias; he loves all his children. Hsss makes a point of praising modern Snakeman Kobra Khan when he succeeds in a mission, which irks the "true" Snakemen to no end.

* {{Autocannibalism}}: In the last episode, Zodak mystically hypnotizes four of King Hiss's heads into eating the fifth, and main, one. (Had the show gone on for another season he would have regenerated it.)

* AllTheOtherReindeer: Ancient Snakemen think lowly of their modern descendants, except for King Hiss, he loves all his children.

* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: The Evil Warriors can't stand their boss Skeletor. [[TheStarscream Evil-Lyn]] most frequently plots against him but given the chance all of them have shown that they will ditch him if given the chance, they just put up with abuse because they are too afraid of him. His Council of Evil actually likes him at first, until Skeletor states he has no intention of sharing the spoils of conquering Grayskull and Count Marzo's failed attack demonstrates that there is nothing they can do about it.

* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: The Evil Warriors can't stand their boss Skeletor. [[TheStarscream Evil-Lyn]] most frequently plots against him but given the chance all of them have shown that they will ditch him if given the chance, they just put up with abuse because they are too afraid of him. His Council of Evil actually likes him at first, until Skeletor states he has no intention of sharing the spoils of conqueroring Grayskull and Count Marzo's failed attack demonstrates that there is nothing they can do about it.

* DoesNotLikeShoes: Nearly all of the villains and a few of the heroes. Most, yet not all of the cases are characters who had clawed feet in the original toyline.

* BadassMustache: Duncan sports one of these.

* RealityEnsues: In the pilot episode, the flashback to Randor's fight with Keldor ended with the latter getting acid burned all of his face, and by the present, all that's left of his head is a skull. In "The Price of Deciet" we see that wasn't the reason Keldor became Skeletor, the acid burn was killing him and he survived by cutting a deal with Hordak.
** "Council Of Evil" opens with the Evil Warriors sent into area that is routinely patrolled, which the heroes presume was just Skeletor getting sloppy. As it turns out no, he knew better than that and intentionally sent his warriors out to get captured to lure Eternia into a false sense of security so his replacements for the Evil Warriors could pick off the Masters and leave Castle Grayskull defenseless.

* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: The Evil Warriors can't stand their boss Skeletor. [[TheStarscream Evil-Lyn]] most frequently plots against him but given the chance all of them have shown that they will ditch him if given the chance, they just put up with abuse because they are too afraid of him. His Council of Evil actually likes him at first, until Skeletor states he has no intention of sharing the spoils of conqueroring Graykkull and Count Marzo's failed attack demonstrates that there is nothing they can do about it.

** "Council Of Evil" opens with the Evil Warriors sent into area that is routinely potrayed, which the heroes presume was just Skeletor getting sloppy. As it turns out no, he knew better than that and intentionally sent his warriors out to get captured to lure Eternia into a false sense of security so his replacements for the Evil Warriors could pick off the Masters and leave Castle Grayskull defenseless.

For what it's worth, this version was better received by fans than 1990's ''New Adventures of He-Man'' was.

* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: The Evil Warriors can't stand Skeletor. [[TheStarscream Evil-Lyn]] most frequently plots against him but given the chance all of them have shown that they will ditch him if given the chance, they just put up with abuse because they are too afraid of him. His Council of Evil actually likes him at first, until Skeletor states he has no intention of sharing the spoils of conqueroring Graykkull and Count Marzo's failed attack demonstrates that there is nothing they can do about it.

-->'''Stratos'''' I won't be the one who starts this war. But I ''will'' be the one who finishes it.