Masters Of The Universe Creates A Canon Reason For All Those Silly Character Names

Of all the cartoons released in the 1980s, "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" maybe had the most ridiculous roster of character names. I mean, c'mon, the main character's superpowered name is He-Man. How much harder do you have to try to convince your audience that the lead character is a big, strong man? That's not even taking into account other silly names like Ram-Man, a man who rams people with his provocatively shaped head, or Fisto, a man with an over-sized metal fist who, well, fists people (but not in the inappropriate way).

When bringing "Masters of the Universe" to the big screen in 2026, utilizing some of those names might seem foolhardy, especially if the filmmakers want audiences to take these characters seriously, or at least believe in them. Thankfully, director Travis Knight and writers Chris Butler, Aaron Nee & Adam Nee, and David Callaham figured out a way to retain those goofy character monikers while also creating a canonical reason for them to exist within the universe of the film.

When Eternia is attacked by Skeletor (Jared Leto) and his army of monsters and soldiers, a young Prince Adam (played by Artie Wilkinson-Hunt, before Nicholas Galitzine takes over as an adult) is sent away by his mother, Queen Marlena (Charlotte Riley), and The Sorceress (Morena Baccarin) to keep the Sword of Power and the secrets of Grayskull safe from the villain's grasp. Adam is sent to Earth, where they hope Skeletor will never find him or the Sword of Power. 

Since Adam is young when he's sent away, he only has a child's memory of the people of Eternia, and he remembers them with drawings. Since he never knew the names of most who fought for his father, King Randor (James Purefoy), he gave them all ridiculous yet accurate names that perfectly describe their key attributes.

Having rediscovered the Sword of Power in a comic book shop after inadvertently losing it for years during his cosmic travel to Earth, Adam finally ends up returning to Eternia with his childhood friend Teela (Camila Mendes), following a highway scuffle with one of Skeletor's monsters. 

Upon Adam's return to Eternia, he learns that a secret resistance has formed, comprised of many of the recognizable warriors who pledged their loyalty to King Randor. Adam gets very excited when he meets Ram-Man (Jon Xue Zhang), who is thoroughly confused when referred to by such a stupid name. As if it wasn't clear, Adam explains that the name came from the fact that he rams things with his head. 

Soon, Adam is telling everyone what he used to call them, including Fisto (Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson), prompting everyone to laugh boisterously in the prince's face. Let's not forget Mekaneck (James Wilkinson), a man with a bionic, mechanical neck that can stretch to great heights and lengths.

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One of Skeletor's henchman was also given a nickname by Adam. Trap-Jaw (Sam C. Wilson), who Adam witnessed fighting Teela's father Duncan, or Man-at-Arms (Idris Elba), is named such because his jaw is made of metal and literally looks like a trap jaw. Surely any of the other villains with equally dumb names can be attributed to Adam.

And yes, Adam even admits that he gave himself the masculine title of He-Man. There's also a cute moment when Teela asks what her secret name was, which was "Warrior Goddess," indicating Adam's crush on his childhood counterpart. (Though I wonder if they'll be able to use the same excuse if a potential sequel comes around with a certain Princess of Power.)

Either way, this is a nice narrative touch that helps excuse some of the inherent cheesiness that comes with adapting "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" for a 2026 audience. It's funny, but it also allows the movie to stay true to its roots. If audiences give this nostalgic reboot a chance, they just might be surprised to find how self-aware and fun the blockbuster is. There's certainly more going on underneath the hood than your average cash-grab franchise revival, as long as you're willing to take a look.

"Masters of the Universe" is playing in theaters everywhere now.