Season 5 of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power hit me in such a deep way that had me crying (and still has me crying). It tied everything together; everything came full circle. But there was something particular I really loved about the last three episodes.
You already see Shadow Weaverâs transition from caring only for power for herself to caring only to âsave the world.â In both versions, however, you still see that she neglects to see Adora as anything other than a vessel of power, of simply another cog that needs to fit into the machine. In the Fright Zone, Adora was the Star Cadet, the Force Captain, the girl who would be the key in allowing Shadow Weaver to gain the power she wanted and conquering Etheria. Afterwards, Adora was only a vessel for She-Ra. Anything that got in the way of Adora turning into She-Ra to unleash that magic was unacceptable.Â
It goes to show that Shadow Weaver operates alone. She seeks to be self-sufficient, to need only herself and her powers. She keeps others in the dark because she wants to be in control of everything she does, and the less others know, the less theyâll know about interfering with her control. She applies this mentality to Adora - to She-Ra - she believes that Adora/She-Ra only need themselves in order to defeat Horde Prime and restore harmony. She believes that Adora simply needs to clear her mind and ignore her emotions in order to transform. Sheâs not wrong; this worked in the earlier stages of Adoraâs growth as She-Ra, when she needed to learn how to heal. But this new She-Ra is not another being; it is an extension of Adora, and Shadow Weaver doesnât recognize this.Â
Shadow Weaver keeps telling Adora that she doesnât matter, that only She-Ra matters. She fails to realize that they are one, and that what fuels Adora is what fuels She-Ra.Â
When she claims that Catra distracts Adora and confuses her, sheâs correct but for the wrong reason. Adora is conflicted because she loves Catra, but she doesnât feel like sheâs allowed to be selfish and have that happiness for herself, and instead she feels as though she needs to push away her wants in order to be the hero that everyone needs her to be. This is the conflict that prevents Adora from transforming, itâs not Catra being a âdistraction.â
In fact, Catra is her fuel. Her love for her friends, and especially for Catra are what fuel her to become She-Ra.
The show deliberately shows this scene before Adora is able to transform into She-Ra. Watching her friends struggle in Micahâs dark magic, especially seeing Catra struggle, gives her the determination she needs to transform. You also see this before, when Catra was chipped and the only reason Adora transformed was to save her from Horde Primeâs clutches. Not to protect herself - she let herself take all the damage from Catra, and only when Catra was in trouble and was on the brink of death, Adora was able to transform. When She-Ra heals Catra, she turns back into Adora. Catra never only saw Adora as She-Ra. Adora was always Adora, regardless of her powers.
Adoraâs face and demeanor completely change when she sees her friends struggling. What fuels Adora fuels She-Ra.Â
No one is able to see this connection quite yet. Catra doesnât, for sure, even though sheâs the first one Adora goes to to help. Catra believes that Shadow Weaver told Adora, that she is simply a distraction getting in the way of She-Ra. It is not Adora offering her hand to Catra, but She-Ra. It hurts because She-Ra and Adora are binaries, and if Adora chooses She-Ra, she cannot possibly be acting for her own desire. Catra desperately hopes that Adora will choose her, but instead, it always seems to her that Adora chooses She-Ra over her, Shadow Weaver over her, her so-called âdestinyâ over her own happiness.Â
Of course, Catra is partially self-motivated in that she wants Adora to choose her, but when she runs away and Adora confronts her, itâs clear that sheâs mourning not for herself but for Adora.Â
Here, of course Catra feels rejected yet again, of course she feels like Adora is choosing She-Ra over her, again, but at this point in the story, sheâs asking Adora to listen to her heart. The failsafe heart literally glows as Catra says this. Catra doesnât want to stay and watch Adora keep ignoring her heart over and over again because it hurts to know that the girl she loves doesnât know how to love herself.
This scene with Mara emphasizes this point yet again.Â
Adora thinks that she canât both have what she want and be She-Ra. She still associates She-Ra as another side of her, instead of an extension of her.Â
This. This is what Adora needed to hear. Needed to learn. Shadow Weaver only ever taught her that Adora was important as a vessel, but both Catra and Mara are trying to tell her that Adora is important as Adora. This point is, of course, repeated nearly episode with Bow and Glimmer, but being face to face with Mara, the previous She-Ra, the one who also had the weight of the world upon her shoulders, this really pushes Adora to try and learn that sheâs more than just a vessel. That she matters as Adora, not just as She-Ra.
This is a pivotal moment for Shadow Weaver. She doesnât get the redemption, really, but she at least realizes how wrong she was. Here, they are so close to the Heart, but all Adora cares about, all that matters to Adora now is Catra.
Shadow Weaver realizes that She-Ra and Adora are not separate beings. She-Ra is Adora, Adora is She-Ra, not simply an alter ego. They are one being, and what makes Adora strong is what makes She-Ra strong. She finally sees that Catra is not a distraction, but that Catra is the key to allowing Adora to be She-Ra.
And more importantly, she realizes Adoraâs destiny is not just to save the world, but to live out a proper life. She realizes that Catra is part of this life, that Catra and Adora are meant to be with each other in each othersâ lives.
Itâs only because of Catra that Adora is able to hang on. It isnât the strength of She-Ra, but itâs the strength that Catra gives Adora. Itâs the love they grew up with together in the Horde. Catra loved Adora from the beginning. They protected each other, even as rivals on opposite ends of the battlefield. They fueled each other. They come back for each other.
She-Ra is strong enough only when Adora fully gives in and realizes what she wants is Catra, above all. Yes, she wants to save the world. But with the world crumbling around her, she finally decides to let her heart free and let herself be selfish for once. This love fuels Adora. It fuels She-Ra, and this is what saves the world.
Itâs not the usual âtrue loveâs kissâ bullshit you always see. This is about Adora letting herself want, letting herself finally have what she deserves. Realizing that she deserves love, too, as Mara says. And only when she allows herself to be herself, only when Adora gets to be Adora only for herself, is she able to transform. Itâs not about self sacrifice. This show is about love: platonic love and romantic love for others, but most importantly, about self-love.Â
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