*Major Spoilers Ahead*
It’s officially over. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power has ended and (spoiler) Etheria has been saved.
But before the Best Friend Squad defeated the evil Horde Prime, something glorious happened.
If you haven’t watched the final episode, I should warn you that I’m 100% about to ruin it for you. So proceed at your own risk.
Ok, so back to the glorious moment I was talking about.
Something happened that I truly never believed would occur: Catra and Adora declared their love for each other and they KISSED!!!!
Yes, that’s right: Catra and Adora actually kissed. And then their love saved all of Etheria.
Of course, we all shipped Catradora from the very beginning. Their sexual chemistry was palpable. Every time we heard Catra purr, “Hey, Adora,” we got chills. But I never truly believed that they would ever actually be together.
Because although the show has quite a large adult following, it is *technically* for children (the TV rating is Y7, after all).
And yes, She-Ra has always given major off lesbian vibes. And over the years, they’ve even stepped things up by introducing LGBTQ characters like same-sex couple Spinnerella and Netossa and, later, Bow’s two dads George and Lance. They even gave us the amazing nonbinary character Double Trouble.
But to have queer side characters and to have queer main characters are two very different things.
Of course, there have been other LGBTQ characters in children’s television in recent years. In 2018, an episode of Steven Universe aired in which Ruby and Sapphire got married. And in 2019, PBS aired an episode of Arthur in which Mr. Ratburn marries his husband.
But to have the titular character, a young teen girl, nonetheless, kiss another girl in a cartoon meant for children? Well, it’s nearly unheard of. The closest we’ve ever gotten to that was The Legend of Korra, after which the creator confirmed Korra and Asami were a couple. But, much to fans’ dismay, the couple never actually kissed onscreen.
Perhaps you think I am making too much of a mere kiss. But it was so much bigger than that. In a show that declares that love can change the world, a kiss between two girls ends up being just the thing that saves the world.
In addition to Catra and Adora’s love story, season 5 gave us so many other amazing queer moments. We had Scorpia, who finally came into her own as the loving butch princess she was always meant to be. We had the return of Bow’s dads, who are perhaps the cutest cartoon dads ever (corny dad jokes included). Then there was Netossa’s relentless mission to save her wife Spinnerella. We also got to see She-Ra glow in rainbow in her new uniform. And, of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Catra’s amazing new Kristen Stewart-esque haircut.
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed to see She-Ra and the Princesses of Power come to an end. In a time of such tumultuousness, uncertainty, and blatant hate, She-Ra was a breath of fresh air. It was an escape into a world where love and friendship prevailed and it didn’t matter what race or gender you were. It was a utopia where good always defeated evil.
But while we may never get more Best Friend Squad adventures, we can always return to that magical land and watch Adora and Catra fall in love again and again and again…
READ THIS NEXT
‘She-Ra’ Season 4 Delivers With a High-Stakes Adventure and So Much Queer Goodness
