SHE-RA - 1985

Shades of Orko

Shades of Orko title card
S02E25

Official Synopsis

Shades of Orko synopsis still

In Thamor, Man-At-Arms and Orko deliver electric force shields that drive off Shadow Weaver's shadow beasties. Shadow Weaver turns up to scoff at the shields, Orko mocks her, and she steals his shadow, which also takes away his magic. The rebels work out that she has taken it to Horror Hall, where Shadow Weaver wants to drain Orko's powers to make her beasties unbeatable. The shadow escapes, and Shadow Weaver's henchmen chase it. Light Hope tells She-Ra that Horror Hall is where Shadow Weaver is strongest and that Orko must get everyone out. Together they say the magic words and open a portal. Inside, a tentacled creature seizes Glimmer, and the henchmen and traps stall the rescuers, with Man-At-Arms and Bow frozen in ice. Orko gets his shadow and magic back and takes Shadow Weaver's shadow in turn. Loo-Kee closes by warning that taking what is not yours is stealing.

Watch the Full Episode

Shades of Orko Official upload, Masters of the Universe channel

Morals by Spoken by Loo-Kee at the episode's close, original Filmation broadcast

Loo-Kee: "Hi, it's Loo-Kee again. Did you find where I was hiding today? No? Well, I'll give you another chance. Look carefully... I'm over here. In today's story we saw how Shadow Weaver tried to take something that didn't belong to her. And we saw what happened. Remember, if you take something that doesn't belong to you, that's stealing. And stealing is always wrong. Bye now, see you next time."

Memorable Quotes

Orko: "Yeah, that's all you've got, half a mind."

Shadow Weaver: "I'll leave, She-Ra. But not empty-handed."

Light Hope: "It is at Horror Hall that Shadow Weaver is at the peak of her power."

Orko: "Now that I've got my shadow and my magic back, I'm going to keep you busy with a little shadow play of my own."

heman.org Episode Review

Magic is only as good as the person using it. This story takes Orko's away to see what is left, and what is left is a small, frightened wizard who still has to walk into Shadow Weaver's stronghold. It is a sturdy idea for a twenty-minute cartoon, and for most of the running time it holds up.

The first act is a quiet piece of setup. Man-At-Arms and Orko turn up in Thamor to deliver electric force shields in person, the test is a short action beat, and the shields hold off the shadow beasties. Everyone is pleased, and that is the moment Shadow Weaver arrives to say the shields will do no good. The camp scatters, She-Ra holds the line, and Orko stays to talk back.

The standout scene is the face-off that follows. Shadow Weaver sneers at the "puny inventions," and Orko, braver than he has any right to be, tells her, "Yeah, that's all you've got, half a mind." He even calls out "Make my day!" when she gets angry. She says, "I'll leave, She-Ra. But not empty-handed," and takes his shadow. Orko looks weak at once, the jokes stop, and we learn from the others that his magic went with it. It is the right order of events, because the cheek comes first and the loss lands harder for it.

The Horror Hall scenes carry the middle. Shadow Weaver's henchmen chase the stolen shadow through the halls and fret about what she will do to them, and one recalls the time she turned him into "a giant flower for three whole days." She herself says she wants the magic for her "little shadow beasties." Light Hope warns that Horror Hall is where Shadow Weaver is "at the peak of her power," then tells Orko it will be up to him to get everyone out. That gives the quest a real job for him, and it keeps the stakes personal, since the friends who follow him in are there for his sake and not for any grand plan.

The weakness is the payoff. Orko is told he must use his powers to defeat her, yet the story spends its last act on traps. A tentacled creature grabs Glimmer, an oil slick and big grey jars deal with the henchmen, and Man-At-Arms and Bow end up frozen in cracked ice. When Orko finally has his magic back, he wins in well under a minute. His line is good, "I'm going to keep you busy with a little shadow play of my own," but the victory comes fast, and the build-up deserved more room.

Even so, the turnaround has a tidy logic, since the thief loses her own shadow and gets a taste of the same medicine. This one closes on a joke about a woman who is, at the moment, just plain Weaver. It is a modest episode with a kind heart, one that never pretends Orko is more than he is, and its best moments belong to the smallest hero in the cast.

Notes of Interest

  1. Continuity: Man-At-Arms says that "We Eternians are proud to help the Great Rebellion", and the shields are ones She-Ra asked for.
  2. Continuity: Light Hope is summoned by She-Ra, and the group opens a portal to Horror Hall by saying the magic words together.
  3. Continuity: Grizzlor is seen with Shadow Weaver's henchmen in Horror Hall, Mantenna is named as someone to fetch for help, and Leech is named in a line near the end.
  4. Production: Written by J. Larry Carroll and directed by Bill Reed; the original broadcast date was 1987-11-21.

Cast Appearances

Full roster →
Orko
Good

Orko
Shadow Weaver
Evil

Shadow Weaver
She-Ra
Good

She-Ra
Man-At-Arms
Good

Man-At-Arms
Bow
Good

Bow
Glimmer
Good

Glimmer
Light Hope
Good

Light Hope
Grizzlor
Evil

Grizzlor
Leech
Evil

Leech
Mantenna
Evil

Mantenna
Rattlor
Evil

Rattlor
Loo-Kee
Good

Loo-Kee

Episode screenshots

Glowing orange pool of molten rock fills the frame with dark rocky edges.
Glowing orange pool of molten rock fills the frame with dark rocky edges.
Shadow Weaver raises one arm in Horror Hall, calling her beasts.
Shadow Weaver raises one arm in Horror Hall, calling her beasts.
Grizzlor stands beside a red reptile warrior, a green wolfish soldier and a tiki-faced robot.
Grizzlor stands beside a red reptile warrior, a green wolfish soldier and a tiki-faced robot.
Glowing orange pool of molten rock with pale shapes floating in it.
Glowing orange pool of molten rock with pale shapes floating in it.
Horror Hall rises on spider-like legs from a red volcanic plain under dark clouds.
Pink puffball bushes and blue stalks fill a quiet corner of Thamor.
Bow squints with eyes shut, a heart emblem on his chest, beside a wooden palisade.
Bow squints with eyes shut, a heart emblem on his chest, beside a wooden palisade.
She-Ra and Glimmer stand in the Thamor camp looking off to the side.
She-Ra and Glimmer stand in the Thamor camp looking off to the side.
Man-At-Arms strides toward She-Ra, Glimmer and Bow carrying a metal device.
Man-At-Arms strides toward She-Ra, Glimmer and Bow carrying a metal device.
Man-At-Arms holds a metal case while Orko rests a hand on his arm.
Purple berry bushes and tall blue columns line an empty path in Thamor.
Villagers in tunics stand near parked green vehicles while a lone figure watches from afar.
Two villagers gesture in alarm toward the rebel village.
She-Ra, Man-At-Arms and Orko look on together, Orko's hand on Man-At-Arms's shoulder.
She-Ra, Man-At-Arms and Orko look on together, Orko's hand on Man-At-Arms's shoulder.
A small cart burns on a dirt road in front of the village huts.
She-Ra and Man-At-Arms stand side by side with serious faces.
Villagers huddle with their backs to the viewer as a red energy bolt strikes the ground.
Man-At-Arms stands beside She-Ra, both looking ahead intently.
She-Ra's gauntleted wrist is held in her other hand beside a control on a metal wristband.
She-Ra raises a round electric force shield and looks off screen.
A red energy beam hits the ground beside She-Ra as she holds her shield.
Glimmer and Bow hold round shields as red beams streak overhead.
Glimmer and Bow hold round shields as red beams streak overhead.
Orko stands behind Man-At-Arms as he squares up in the street.
Man-At-Arms blocks a red energy beam with his round shield.
Orko hovers in the air over a pink bush and spreads his hands.
Orko hovers in the air over a pink bush and spreads his hands.
Bow and Glimmer crouch behind shields as a red blast splashes on the ground.
Blue plants sprout behind a rounded village roof under a pale sky.
Man-At-Arms raises his shield arm while standing on the village road.
Shadow Weaver stands before a curved gate in Horror Hall, hands lowered.
Shadow Weaver stands before a curved gate in Horror Hall, hands lowered.
Grizzlor snarls with glowing yellow eyes.
Grizzlor snarls with glowing yellow eyes.
Villagers gather in the square as Bow stands at the right edge.
Man-At-Arms looks off to the side with a worried frown.
Orko holds out his hands in front of a green vehicle.
She-Ra shuts her eyes while a bearded villager stands beside her.
Shadow Weaver glides in against a cloudy sky, one arm out.
Orko crouches at the left as Shadow Weaver stands tall in the village.
Orko waves his hands in front of a wooden post.
Orko wrings his hands anxiously beside a green building.
Shadow Weaver stands before the village huts with her hands at her waist.
Shadow Weaver sweeps one arm out against a cloudy sky.
Orko reaches a hand out from the edge of a cracked green wall.
Shadow Weaver stands in front of a small house, hands folded at her waist.
Orko stands alone on the dirt road with his arms hanging down.
She-Ra looks to the side as Man-At-Arms stands behind her.
Man-At-Arms looks toward She-Ra, whose hair is at the left edge.
She-Ra rests a finger on her chin while Man-At-Arms stands behind her.
Shadow Weaver walks through a dim chamber past a glowing cauldron.
Shadow Weaver stands before a library staircase with her hands at her chest.
Shadow Weaver's hooded face glares with yellow eyes before shelves of books.
Grizzlor and a tiki-faced robot stand in the library looking startled.
Rows of old books fill the library shelves with a robot arm at the left edge.
Grizzlor leaps in fright beside a tiki-faced robot in the library.
Shadow Weaver leans across the tilted library shelves with her hands on her belt.
A pink and purple tunnel in Horror Hall opens onto a dark archway.
A small purple furry creature with green legs paddles through blue water.
A tiki-faced robot with skeletal arms bares its teeth in a dim hall.
The tiki-faced robot crouches with grimacing teeth and its arms spread.
The tiki-faced robot stands with its arms out and mouth shut.
Grizzlor stands with his back to the viewer facing the tiki-faced robot.
An empty round archway in Horror Hall shows a puddle on the floor.
A pointed-hat silhouette stands behind a pillar as an orange horn curls in from the right.
An orange creature with long tentacles and a green shell snarls in a dark hall.
Green pipes and curved pink ribs line a Horror Hall passage.
Grizzlor runs down a purple corridor toward the viewer.
The tiki-faced robot scuttles down the corridor on its thin legs.
Grizzlor, a red reptile warrior, a green wolfish soldier and a tiki-faced robot huddle on the floor.
Shadow Weaver sits slanted among tangled tubes, holding her hands to her cloak.
Orko stands in the village road with his shoulders slumped.
She-Ra and Glimmer look off in the same direction in the village.
She-Ra holds the Sword of Protection upright beside her face.
She-Ra turns her head and looks to the side with a stern face.
A red glowing light shines through an oval window in a grey wall.
Orko looks up with a worried expression in the village.
Orko reaches a hand toward a green hut at the right edge.
Orko drifts through the village with his arms out.
She-Ra raises the Sword of Protection as Glimmer, Bow and Man-At-Arms stand by.
She-Ra holds the Sword of Protection high while Bow stands behind her.
She-Ra looks off to the side while Bow stands at the left edge.
A bright golden portal opens between the village huts.
Dark fortress windows glow orange in a smoky red sky.
Orko reaches out a hand on a red rocky plain.
She-Ra and Bow look off screen on the red wasteland.
She-Ra speaks with her mouth open on a rocky red plain.
She-Ra reaches toward a round barred gate while Orko stands beside her.
She-Ra frowns with narrowed eyes in front of red rocks.
Glimmer stands in a dark tunnel while Orko holds her arm.
Glimmer looks wide-eyed to the side in the dark tunnel.
Glimmer stands in the dark tunnel with her arms at her sides.
A segmented orange tentacle wraps around Glimmer in the tunnel.
The green-shelled creature bares its fangs as its tentacle reaches forward.
She-Ra jumps and grabs a segmented tentacle in the dark tunnel.
The green-shelled creature lies tangled in its own orange tentacles.
Man-At-Arms stands in the tunnel with a worried look as She-Ra's hair shows at the edge.
A dark creature silhouette stands against the curved tunnel wall.
Grizzlor and a grinning tiki-faced robot hold glowing tubes toward the camera.
A green wolfish soldier aims a glowing tube beside a red reptile warrior.
The green soldier aims his tube while the red reptile warrior licks his lips beside him.
Man-At-Arms, Glimmer, She-Ra, Bow and Orko walk single file past large grey jars.
Man-At-Arms looks off to the side with a troubled frown.
Grizzlor throws up his arms in alarm beside a red reptile warrior.
She-Ra raises one arm and smiles confidently.
The green soldier slides across a slick floor with Grizzlor and the robot following.
Man-At-Arms and Bow stand coated in ice while a beam hits Bow's fist.
The green wolfish soldier snarls with his mouth open wide.
Glimmer looks to the side with a calm face.
She-Ra wrestles a red reptile warrior in the dark tunnel.
Grizzlor, the robot and the red reptile warrior are stacked in a tangled pile.
Grizzlor and the tiki-faced robot stick up from two large grey jars.
The robot's arm, Grizzlor's hair and a red snake poke from large grey jars.
Shadow Weaver stands with her hand lowered against the tunnel wall.
A dark stone staircase rises into a purple chamber.
Man-At-Arms and Bow stand frozen in cracked ice as shards fall.
She-Ra looks to the side with a stern face.
She-Ra closes her eyes while Orko stands beside her.

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