Here's your new She-Ra!

I have a confession to make. As a child, I used to wave my He-Man sword around demanding that my mother must call me She-Ra and that I wanted to have my bedroom painted pink. Instead, she made sure I had the entire set of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe figurines and my bedroom had blue walls. Thinking back now, maybe that was her way of installing heterosexuality into me. She failed.

Looking back now, I think I understand why I was drawn to the character and how she has become somewhat of a feminist and gay icon. Yes, the writers had their fun with subversive references as most did with children's programs in the 1980s. But for many, she symbolised the possibility of freedom from repression.

Unlike many cartoons of that era, She-Ra was female-focused, instead of being the "token" woman in the show, she was the leader of a whole army of equally strong and fabulous woman. Rather than the damsel in distress, she was often saving her handsomely moustache sporting "special friend" Bow.

She led a rebellion against the tyrant ruler, Hordak who was a symbol of tyranny and the oppression of the patriarchy. She maintained her femininity while being filled with compassion and as strong, if not stronger than any of the other male characters on the show. Now in this era of predominantly male-dominated superheroes, She-Ra is back with a new look and ready to inspire a whole new generation.

Produced by DreamWorks Animation Television and Netflix, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power tells the familiar story of orphan Adora who is raised by a group of people called the Horde. Without knowing her family or where she's from, the orphan discovers a magical sword that transforms her into She-Ra. It's soon revealed that Horde is actually an evil army trying to conquer the planet. Using her newfound powers, she unites a group of magical princesses in a fight against evil.

“It was a really exciting opportunity for me because it’s about this female hero with such a complicated and interesting backstory,” Executive Noelle Stevenson tells Teen Vogue,“And also, one of the few legacy cartoons from the ’80s that really showcases a cast of female characters. Not just female heroes, but female villains and female comic relief. Kind of the whole spectrum of characters.”

Check out the teaser below.