If you loved the 2026 Masters of the Universe, then you'll get a kick out of these six TV shows. Based on the Mattel toy line from the '80s, which spawned a multi-media franchise, Travis Knight's Masters of the Universe is a throwback both to the TV show and the colorful toys that made it possible.
The film, like the show and the toys, is centered on Prince Adam (Nicholas Galitzine), the muscle-bound heir to the fantastical planet of Eternia, where science fiction, magic, and knightly battle come together for a kaleidoscopic mix of adventure and action. Despite underperforming at the box office, Masters of the Universe is an admirable ode to the classic series.
If the sword & sorcery style of Masters of the Universe was what brought you to theaters, or to the landing page on a streaming service, then these six TV shows may be for you. They all combine fantasy, action, and humor in varying degrees, and are all worth checking out.
He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe (1983-1984)
There's no better place to start than the original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, which premiered in 1983 and ran for a total of 130 episodes, including one film and one special. He-Man essentially popularized the idea that a TV show could also be a half-hour ad for a TV line, leading to many imitators.
Care Bears and Transformers TV adaptations probably would not exist without He-Man. Like in every iteration of the story, He-Man follows Prince Adam, who, after wielding the Sword of Power aloft and shouting, "By the Power of Grayskull! I have the power!", transforms into He-Man, the strongest man in the universe.
He-Man takes on delightfully named foes like Skeletor (he has a skeleton head), Beast Man (a man who looks like a beast), and Blast-Attak (a robotic warrior who enjoys blowing himself up) to protect his world. It is the quintessential Saturday morning cartoon, and you may be surprised to see how many of its influences appear elsewhere.
Legend Of The Seeker (2008-2010)
Legend of the Seeker is a little-known fantasy TV show that has some elements of The Odyssey along with Masters of the Universe. Sam Raimi's Legend of the Seeker is loosely based on Terry Goodkind's fantasy novel series, The Sword of Truth, and it stars Craig Horner as Richard Cypher.
Richard is a young man who lives in the fictional, magical world of the series called the "New World". As an infant, Richard was spirited away from his home to avoid the wrath of Darken Rahl (Craig Parker), who, to avoid a prophecy, attempted to kill every firstborn son in the realm.
Now fully grown, Richard learns that he is the "Seeker of Truth", a long-awaited hero who will defend the New World against darkness. Like Masters of the Universe, Legend of the Seeker sets a young man against a great foe, and is filled with the B-movie action sequences that influenced the TV show and toy line.
Merlin (2008-2012)
Image via MovieStillsDBThere are plenty of King Arthur-inspired moments in Masters of the Universe. Intentional or not, Prince Adam's trademark holding of a sword while proclaiming his power has some obvious symmetry with a young Prince Arthur pulling a sword from a stone to proclaim his kingly right to rule.
Merlin is a 2008 British fantasy adventure that ran for five seasons and is centered on the early days of a young wizard Merlin (Colin Morgan) and a young Prince Arthur (Bradley James). Other figures from Arthurian tales make appearances as Merlin prepares Arthur for his fate.
The show takes some time to get its footing, and the visual effects are somewhat dated, but the story and the chemistry between the actors keep Merlin chugging along. Merlin fits into the Masters mold by not being overly violent in the way of some shows on this list, leaning more into the fun-filled adventures of the tales.
Adventure Time (2010-2018)
Adventure Time has the same episodic, anything-can-happen storytelling style of Masters of the Universe. The character designs are top-notch, and in both the show and the movie, you can see how much thought goes into each one. Adventure Time plays with fantasy, science fiction, and action in a similar way as well.
The Cartoon Network series ran for 10 seasons, and behind the goofy animation, constant jokes, and silly characters is an increasingly complex story that gets told in bits and pieces, unveiling a massive world with some sinister skeletons in its closet, sometimes literally.
Adventure Time is one of the great animated TV shows of the 21st century, and its success has led to multiple spinoffs, a franchise not quite rivaling that of He-Man, but it's on the way. You can watch the show for the laughs that hold up, the intense lore that requires some wiki reading, or for the touching moments that pop up out of nowhere.
Game Of Thrones (2011-2019)
Game of Thrones offers a much darker vision of the world than the one in Master of the Universe, but both franchises share a fascination with magic and swordplay. In fact, A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin's first novels before Game of Thrones were primarily science fiction, sorcery-focused tales, very much in line with He-Man.
HBO turned Martin's novels into one of the biggest, and possibly most important, shows of all time. Game of Thrones ran for eight seasons, eventually outpacing Martin on its way to the ending. The series is set across the world of Westeros, where families vie for power in the magical, medieval world.
If you are the type of person who enjoyed Masters of the Universe, you need to at least try Game of Thrones. Though very different in tone and scope, both share the same sensibilities when it comes to memorable heroes, villains, places, and other critical fixtures of fantasy storytelling.
The Wheel Of Time (2021-2025)
Based on Robert Jordan's expansive The Wheel of Time series, Prime Video's The Wheel of Time ran for three seasons before being canceled. The Wheel of Time features a massive ensemble cast, fitting for its huge story, and every season of the show only gets better as the showrunners get a better grip on the plot.
Rosamund Pike stars as Moiraine Damodred, a member of a powerful organization of magical women who are seeking out someone believed to be the reincarnation of the Dragon, a powerful magic user who is prophesied to save the world or destroy it.
The Wheel of Time is a massive story, and it's a shame that it wasn't allowed to continue. Still, the three seasons of the show offer up a wondrous world filled with mysteries and surprises, and an array of fantastic characters to compete with anything Masters of the Universe has.
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