Who Is The Female Lead For The Masters Of The Universe Franchise?

[oulala]

I think a lot of people voted for their favorite character. But that was not what this poll was all about! It's not 'do you prefer Teela over She-ra' or 'who is more important to the mythos, Teela or She-ra?'.

It's 'who is the lead in the franchise?' and that can only be She-ra as she was the lead of two seasons of episodes AND a feature film. She is He-man's equal. The fact that she came later in the franchise is not a valid argument.

Xena was introduced later in the hercules series then as a spin off. She became way more popular than Hercules himself. Had Teela been a natural leading lady character in terms of story telling, they would have done a Teela spin-off, instead of creating a brand new character like She-ra.

People have also argued that Teela is more of a lead because she was in the dolf lundgren movie and the 20x series and not She-ra. But that is a weak argument because in both the movie and the 200x series, Teela's role was that of a supporting character! not a leading lady!

it would be like saying that Lois Lane is the leading lady of the whole superman franchise just because she's been in every comic movie etc. Supergirl got her own book, movie, etc. that makes her more of a leading lady than lois lane, that's all.

My favorite comic book character of all times is Jean Grey \ phoenix. i love her to death. But if I were to answer a poll about 'who is the leading lady of the whole x-men universe' I would never vote for Jean Grey. in fact she might be the most popular female and like Teela, she was "the first girl" in that mythos but she never was a leading lady! i have no problem with that as I love her, and qi think she is the BEST. You guys should come to terms with Teela's role in the franchise! It ain't always bad not to be the lead!

[MegaGearMax]

The Green Goddess was fighting that beast thing in the very first mini-comic and has a spear...

Also, Illumina trained Man-At-Arms, Teela's father...before Teela was born...and as we all know, Illumina is a bad ass that can kill you six ways from Sunday without even breaking a sweat!

So...she's not the only female warrior until PoP shows up. Hawk is a warrior too. There are others. Teela is just the one they focus on more than the others...except for She-Ra, that is. Whenever she's around...Teela gets maybe 1/2 a sentence of dialog.

In canon, there are other female warriors around, but Teela is the main one.
Not to mention, the sole female toy in the franchise until Evil-Lyn shows up.

Teela is literally the first lady of MOTU.

[oulala]

In canon, there are other female warriors around, but Teela is the main one.
Not to mention, the sole female toy in the franchise until Evil-Lyn shows up.

Teela is literally the first lady of MOTU.

But as I argued in my previous message, being the 'first' or the "only"woman in a comic or a cartoon doesn't make you the lead. Jean Grey is not the lead of the x-men! Lana Lang and Gwen Stacy are not the leading ladies of Superman and Spiderman ( 'cause they are dead haha!)

Most of the time, the "first" woman of a franchise is the love interest of the hero.

[MegaGearMax]

I think a lot of people voted for their favorite character. But that was not what this poll was all about! It's not 'do you prefer Teela over She-ra' or 'who is more important to the mythos, Teela or She-ra?'.

It's 'who is the lead in the franchise?' and that can only be She-ra as she was the lead of two seasons of episodes AND a feature film. She is He-man's equal. The fact that she came later in the franchise is not a valid argument.

Versus:
Original MOTU: Teela
1987 Movie: Teela
NA: Teela
200X: Teela

If creators are going to use a female for MOTU, most of the time, it's Teela.

Xena was introduced later in the hercules series then as a spin off. She became way more popular than Hercules himself. had Teela been such an important character in terms of story telling, why did they have to create She-ra?

Teela was the only good guy gal for a male-oriented line. They aren't going to take Teela away from MOTU.

She-Ra was created to kick off a separate line for girls, with her own separate toyline.

it would be like saying that Lois Lane is the leading lady of the whole superman franchise just because she's been in every comic movie etc. Supergirl got her own book, movie, etc. that makes her more of a leading lady than lois lane, that's all.

Lois IS the leading lady of the Superman franchise. You can't have Superman media without her. Supergirl isn't that important to the mythos.
The top three characters in Superman are Supes, Lois and Luthor.

People have also argued that Teela is more of a lead because she was in the dolf lundgren movie and the 20x series and not She-ra. But that is a weak argument because in both the movie and the 200x series, Teela's role was that of a supporting character! not a leading lady!

My favorite comic book character of all times is Jean Grey \ phoenix. i love her to death. But if I were to answer a poll about 'who is the leading lady of the whole x-men universe' I would never vote for Jean Grey. in fact she might be the most popular female and like Teela, she was "the first girl" in that mythos but she never was a leading lady! i have no problem with that as I love her, and qi think she is the BEST. You guys should come to terms with Teela's role in the franchise! It ain't always bad not to be the lead!

Even if it's a sidekick role, if Teela is the only woman around, then she's the lead female of the franchise by default. In a movie, if there is only one woman in the central cast, then she's the female lead. This is what Teela is until She-Ra comes around.

[Whiplash7]

This is what Teela is until She-Ra comes around.

I agree with all the pro-Teela posts, and even dispute this idea...she's still the lead even if She-Ra is around, for all the reasons listed in this thread and then some.

[oulala]

Versus:
Original MOTU: Teela
1987 Movie: Teela
NA: Teela
200X: Teela

If creators are going to use a female for MOTU, most of the time, it's Teela.

Teela was the only good guy gal for a male-oriented line. They aren't going to take Teela away from MOTU.


She-Ra was created to kick off a separate line for girls, with her own separate toyline.


Lois IS the leading lady of the Superman franchise. You can't have Superman media without her. Supergirl isn't that important to the mythos.
The top three characters in Superman are Supes, Lois and Luthor.



Even if it's a sidekick role, if Teela is the only woman around, then she's the lead female of the franchise by default. In a movie, if there is only one woman in the central cast, then she's the female lead. This is what Teela is until She-Ra comes around.

It is true that when there's only one woman role in a movie, her part is often referred to as the 'leading lady' (same with 'leading man') even if the part isn't that important, by default.

However, in a He-man movie, the actress who plays Teela would NEVER get an Oscar Nomination as 'Best actress', but as a 'Supporting actress' because she is not 'the lead of the movie'. She's a 'supporting role'.

I agree with you regarding Lois Lane being the most central female figure in the whole Superman Mythos. But where we don't agree is on how to describe her role on a story telling level. Lois is the 'leading lady' so to speak, but she again would be getting a 'best supporting' oscar, not a 'best actress', because her role is not 'leading' the story or drive the story forward.

If She-ra was turned into a successful movie, the actress would be nominated for 'Best actress'. She would truly be the lead, because unlike Teela, her name and role is pretty much the active protagonist / Hero of the franchise.

That's for me the difference between a lead and a supporting character. They ARE the franchise. Wonder Woman is her own Franchise. Supergirl (a rather boring character, I agree with you on that) IS still her own franchise. They are the main character. Their name is the name of the property or if not, their actions are what drives the story forward.

Here's my penultimate example: merchandizing. They wouldn't sell a Lois Lane costume would they? Or a lois lane wig? And just as She-ra still sells calendars and T-shirts with her chest emblem on it, they don't sell Teela chest emblem T-shirts, do they? Nor calendars, postcards etc.

Likewise, I was just checking the Halloween costumes featured on the He-man.org and guess what? They have He-man, Skeletor and She-ra costume. No Teela costumes. Why? Because as much as we love her, she is NOT the true lead in the franchise.

Again it sounds like I am an Anti-Teela fanatic, but I am not! I love Teela. She was always one of my favorite characters of the whole mythos. She is a as essential to the franchise as Lois Lane or Jean Grey, beloved characters. Even if She-ra had never existed, Teela would still NOT be a lead, just the main female character of the franchise.

P.S. as for your argument of saying that Teela is the lead because the creators of 200X He-man, New Adventures and the Dolf Lundgren movie put her in there, it doesn't really convince me because one could argue the sorceress is ALSO present in all these stories and playing a more central role. In fact, Teela is only glimpsed at in the New Adventures series for one episode if I remember correctly and very late in the story (and some believe she was supposed to be She-ra because of her blonde hair and costume but I won't even go there lol) whereas the Sorceress has a 'more important' role in the whole NA thing (I've never really watched the show so I don't want to bet my head on that one) .

[Darkspecter]

Even if it's a sidekick role, if Teela is the only woman around, then she's the lead female of the franchise by default. In a movie, if there is only one woman in the central cast, then she's the female lead. This is what Teela is until She-Ra comes around.

She-Ra is the other half of the prophecy, frees Etheria from the Horde, leads the Renegade Masters and travels with her brother in Space to Primus to defeat the Evil Horde once and for all (Skeletor)...leaving Teela behind. If Teela was truly the female lead of the franchise, wouldn't she be part of the main story besides sitting on a throne watching the action take place from her window?

Teela is awesome, the Sorceress is awesome, but neither are the female lead of the entire franchise.

Mattel even said She-Ra is the female lead of the MOTU franchise...so...I don't get this thread.

[Sleeper]

The option you voted for is in italics.

Haha. Thanks. I've never noticed that. Much to my surprise, I originally voted for The Sorceress! Crazy. I would vote for Teela, She-Ra then The Sorceress in that order now.

[MegaGearMax]

It is true that when there's only one woman role in a movie, her part is often referred to as the 'leading lady' (same with 'leading man') even if the part isn't that important, by default.

However, in a He-man movie, the actress who plays Teela would NEVER get an Oscar Nomination as 'Best actress', but as a 'Supporting actress' because she is not 'the lead of the movie'. She's a 'supporting role'.

I agree with you regarding Lois Lane being the most central female figure in the whole Superman Mythos. But where we don't agree is on how to describe her role on a story telling level. Lois is the 'leading lady' so to speak, but she again would be getting a 'best supporting' oscar, not a 'best actress', because her role is not 'leading' the story or drive the story forward.

Lois always brings the story forward in Superman movies. The movies, except for 3 (She wasn't in it) and 4, are about his relationship with her.

Teela would be the lead actress in a He-Man movie because she would be the most important female in the movie (the love interest), unless the movie had a bigger focus on another female (i.e., Julie and Kevin in the 1987 movie were more important than MAA or Teela). A supporting actress would be the Sorceress, Evil-Lyn or Queen Marlena.

When She-Ra isn't around, Teela is the top female in the mythos. Unfortunately for She-Ra, she and the Horde usually don't come into play about halfway through.

If She-ra was turned into a successful movie, the actress would be nominated for 'Best actress'. She would truly be the lead, because unlike Teela, her name and role is pretty much the active protagonist / Hero of the franchise.

No doubt. She-Ra is the star of POP. And if she were in a MOTU movie, she would have the bigger role. But when She-Ra is not there? There are no major heroic female roles except for Teela.

That's for me the difference between a lead and a supporting character. They ARE the franchise. Wonder Woman is her own Franchise. Supergirl (a rather boring character, I agree with you on that) IS still her own franchise. They are the main character. Their name is the name of the property or if not, their actions are what drives the story forward.

Here's my penultimate example: merchandizing. They wouldn't sell a Lois Lane costume would they? Or a lois lane wig? And just as She-ra still sells calendars and T-shirts with her chest emblem on it, they don't sell Teela chest emblem T-shirts, do they? Nor calendars, postcards etc.

Likewise, I was just checking the Halloween costumes featured on the He-man.org and guess what? They have He-man, Skeletor and She-ra costume. No Teela costumes. Why? Because as much as we love her, she is NOT the true lead in the franchise.

She-Ra is head of her own brand, but has only "appeared" in that brand.
Teela has been in every incarnation of MOTU except for POP.

Who's more important as far as the MOTU brand is concerned? If MOTU has a movie, game, cartoon or comic, guess who will be featured in those media without a doubt?

Again it sounds like I am an Anti-Teela fanatic, but I am not! I love Teela. She was always one of my favorite characters of the whole mythos. She is a as essential to the franchise as Lois Lane or Jean Grey, beloved characters. Even if She-ra had never existed, Teela would still NOT be a lead, just the main female character of the franchise.

I know being pro-She-Ra doesn't mean you are anti-Teela! It's the same with me: I like She-Ra too! My point is that She-Ra's nature as a "I have a sister?!" reveal limits her exposure as a leading lady, as there is no one to fill that top female in the franchise void except Teela at the beginning.

P.S. as for your argument of saying that Teela is the lead because the creators of 200X He-man, New Adventures and the Dolf Lundgren movie put her in there, it doesn't really convince me because one could argue the sorceress is ALSO present in all these stories and playing a more central role. In fact, Teela is only glimpsed at in the New Adventures series for one episode if I remember correctly and very late in the story (and some believe she was supposed to be She-ra because of her blonde hair and costume but I won't even go there lol) whereas the Sorceress has a 'more important' role in the whole NA thing (I've never really watched the show so I don't want to bet my head on that one) .

The Sorceress is usually a "talking head" -- a support role. She gives the heroes the mission of the episode and occasionally, she has an active role.

Teela was in NA for one episode. Out of all the MOTU characters they could have picked, they chose Teela. Not He-Man's sister, not the mentor (Man-At-Arms), not the fool (Orko), not his companion (Battle Cat), but Teela (the love interest).

[Mr. Shokoti]

I think a lot of people voted for their favorite character. But that was not what this poll was all about! It's not 'do you prefer Teela over She-ra' or 'who is more important to the mythos, Teela or She-ra?'.

For the record, I like She-Ra the most, but will always see her as a spinoff while Teela is the "female lead" of the He-Man franchise.

She-Ra was created to kick off a separate line for girls, with her own separate toyline.

Also, unlike Wonder Woman, She-Ra didn't exist/wasn't used in every MOTU canon. Basically, she was only used in 2; Filmation & MOTUC. If there's something set in the DCU, Wonder Woman will show up. If there's something featuring He-Man, Teela will show up. It's never a guarantee that She-Ra will show up. That's not a leading lady. That's a character who is not considered necessary for a He-Man story.

Lois IS the leading lady of the Superman franchise. You can't have Superman media without her. Supergirl isn't that important to the mythos.
The top three characters in Superman are Supes, Lois and Luthor.

This whole notion that Teela is Lois Lane is false. If she's anything, she's Carol Ferris. A character who not only is sometimes seen/used as a love interest, but is also a hero(at least these days) in her own right. Lois, except for the "imaginary stories" of the Silver Age, was a damsel in distress who couldn't be counted on in a fight. While Teela may not have He-Man's powers like She-Ra, she is still a warrior.

However, in a He-man movie, the actress who plays Teela would NEVER get an Oscar Nomination as 'Best actress', but as a 'Supporting actress' because she is not 'the lead of the movie'. She's a 'supporting role'.

There is only one star of this franchise and that's He-Man. Everyone else is a supporting character unless you use the Princess Of Power toyline which was its own thing.

Mattel even said She-Ra is the female lead of the MOTU franchise...so...I don't get this thread.

As many people as there are on these forums who say that the bios are fan fiction & Mattel lies a lot, I wouldn't use that as proof of anything other than their attempting to sell a toy with colorful phrases and words.

[Count Marzo]

I hate when Mr. Shokoti and MGM are on the same side.

[Angel-T]

I hate when Mr. Shokoti and MGM are on the same side.

Teela dosen't !!!!

[shadowfall1976]

Also, unlike Wonder Woman, She-Ra didn't exist/wasn't used in every MOTU canon. Basically, she was only used in 2; Filmation & MOTUC. If there's something set in the DCU, Wonder Woman will show up. If there's something featuring He-Man, Teela will show up. It's never a guarantee that She-Ra will show up. That's not a leading lady. That's a character who is not considered necessary for a He-Man story.

I did vote for Teela, but I never looked at it this way...She-Ra was not in every MOTU story line, Teela was.

Teela....5 full stories, with an appearance in 1
Mini Comics
MOTU - 1983
MOTU - 1987 Movie
NA (so to speak "guest star")
MOTU - 2002
MOTUC

She-Ra....2 full stories, with appearance in 1
MOTU - 1983 (so to speak "guest star" in 2 episodes or so)
POP
MOTUC

[Thrawn29]

Teela is literally the first lady of MOTU.

I voted for Teela for this reason and others that MegaGearMax provided.

She-Ra is a sub-brand of MOTU. Teela is the first lady of MOTU.

She-Ra probably has an a more important role within the story, unless you consider that Teela's role as Adam's love interest, and probable future wife and mother to his children would make her more important than She-Ra.

Then you consider that She-Ra's fight with the Horde is ultimately second fiddle to He-Man vs Skeletor.

It's He-man vs Skeletor that will always be the final battle - as it should be.

Half the time, it's Skeletor that ultimately defeats Hordak anyway, not She-Ra.

I love She-Ra, I think she adds much to the property, but She-Ra doesn't exist without He-Man, Skeletor, Teela, and Castle Grayskull, whereas they get along just fine without her.

So yes, it's Teela to me.

[swind15]

I voted for Teela, but there is definitely an argument for She-Ra and the Sorceress as well. Three great characters all in all.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

TEELA! No doubt. She came first. She had the most impact.
She-Ra's second to Teela. POP didn't make it to all the countries in the world. MOTU was everywhere, POP wasn't.
Saying she's the leading lady would be like saying Jinx is the leading lady of G.I.Joe, instead of Scarlett.

But is it Scarlett? Lady Jaye was in more episodes of the show than Scarlett. Actually Lady Jaye was in more episodes than any other character in the entire series, COBRA or Joe.

[MegaGearMax]

But is it Scarlett? Lady Jaye was in more episodes of the show than Scarlett. Actually Lady Jaye was in more episodes than any other character in the entire series, COBRA or Joe.

That's because the second season that focused on those fourth year Joes had more episodes than those first few mini-series. They were pushing Flint and Lady Kaye heavily, but Flint wasn't the leader (although he was second-in-command). It was Duke.

When it comes to 80's G.I. Joe, you are either a comic fan or a cartoon fan. In the comic books, Scarlett and Snake Eyes are much stronger characters.

[Akai]

It is Teela by default and I voted for her because of that.

But whenever I ask someone to name three MOTU characters at the top of their heads without thinking about it too hard. Most of the time they say He-Man, Skeletor and She-ra! I mentioned in another post that those three were the only characters I knew from 198X to sometime in the late 1990s.

[Colder Soldier]

Another good question. It depends on how you look at it. In MOTU, it is Teela by default. But in terms of the MOTU U entirety, it's definitely She-Ra. She is the only of the three whom's character can stand without He-Man. And arguably, due to the story, her character eclipses her brother's.

Yep. She-Ra.

[Jon-O]

Another good question. It depends on how you look at it. In MOTU, it is Teela by default. But in terms of the MOTU U entirety, it's definitely She-Ra. She is the only of the three whom's character can stand without He-Man. And arguably, due to the story, her character eclipses her brother's.

Yep. She-Ra.

Yep. This. Well put. Teela is the grand dame on Eternia, but She-Ra's story has so much more weight to it in the over all saga.

[Tribal Spaceman]

She-Ra is the leading female of the franchise. She's one of the twins of power. I love Teela, but she just doesn't compare.

[Shadow-Ra]

Definitely She-Ra, without a doubt. She is the other half of the prophecy and Teela isn't.

[Swifty]

If you're looking at the past, as in who was in more incarnations of MOTU, then Teela is a natural choice. If you're moving forward as one unified property and by recognition within the general public then She-Ra is definitely the lead.

[bcrduke]

Unfortunately, I think there are opinions presented here that are definitely inspired only by the past. It's no suprise that those who post that they aren't fans of She-Ra also post that Teela is the "lead female"


Come on. Let's be adults here. Mattel even calls She-Ra the "lead female" of the brand. You don't HAVE to like She-Ra or consider her more important than Teela, in your canon, but speaking objectively, Teela is NOT the "lead female."

By asking non-fans who the lead female of the MOTU brand is, you might get a more objective response.

I can't play as Teela in the new Iphone game...

I can't go out and by a Teela costume for my sister unless one is custom made...

Dreamworks rep Ian Richter didn't say he was excited about "Teela" at Power Con...

She-Ra is the lead female... and my saying that has nothing to do with my love for the character. I'm being objective.

Teela was the lead female until Adora/She-Ra came along.

[Angel-T]

I get that many fans will never accept this, which is their right, but it dosen't make what brian is saying any less true, no matter how hard it is to hear!!!!!!

Wonder Woman might be less important in Superman's personal story than Lois Lane. But when looking at the combined DC universe arguing that Lois is a more important character, impactful on the DC brand or the true iconic female lead over Diana is just wishful thinking and not being truly objective.

The same applies to She-Ra and Teela here. The Question wasn't who is the iconic lead in He-Man and the Masters of The Universe, She-Ra Princess of Power, New Adventures of He-Man or MYP MOTU. It was who is the iconic lead for the entire Masters of the Universe Franchise (everything all in). The Iconic Hero is He-Man, the Iconic Villan is Skeletor, the Iconic female lead is She-Ra.

These three characters alone do and have existed in the public consciousness for years, Teela didn't and still does not exist in the public eye or public memory to the same level that She-Ra does (regardless of Mattel's blatent attempts to blur the lines between Teela and and She-Ra this past year.) The public memory of She-Ra and the individual and combined viabilty she offers as both a POP and MOTU character makes She-Ra the truly iconic female character of this universe, Teela just can't stand up to that.

Teela did come before She-Ra, but in all honesty what does that have to do with the price of cheese? Teela has never been as important or as impactful on the brand as She-Ra, both back in the day or currently with what little awareness is remembered by the public outside of our dedecated fan community. To drive this home CNN did not report on the DC comic that reintroduced Teela, it certianly did on the digital comic featuring Adora and new art of She-Ra.

At the end of the day.... regardless of your arguments for Teela, it's She-Ra....you know thats the truth. Just admit it and move on.... She-Ra being the first lady of MOTU does not take away from Teela's historical importance. She is vital to He-Man's story as a critical supporting character, but thats all she has ever really been.... a supporting character. She might have been in every incarnation...but ALWAYS as a support character.

When She-Ra was and has been used (ie the I phone game) every time she has been shown it's as the co-brand leader and a role of equal importance to He-Man. Thats possibily why She-Ra has been rememberd over Teela, her character and role in the brand and overall MOTU story is more important and impactful than Teela's role, regardless of her later inception into the MOTU franchise.

But Being totally honest the name Teela has not been wispered down the decades by joe average when people remember the fantastic characters from the 80's (perticularly MOTU characters). She-Ra's name along with He-Man and Skeletor's name has been remembered. Teela has not been afforded this honour outside of the fan community, simply because She-Ra is the more iconic, promoted and important character when everything is said and done............It's really time to move on from this argument now.