Heya Feels Like Time For Something Lighthearted, So Here's A Music Post For A Change. These Synthwave

Heya 😄✌️Feels like time for something lighthearted, so here's a music post for a change. These synthwave songs have lyrical elements so beautifully She-ra they have me dreaming of SPOP at every listen! They're also just really neat songs (synthwave may be fringe, but She-ra is very 80s vibe even in the modern version) (META list at bottom, fyi)

All of these songs have non-specific pronouns, so they're great for boppin' along to no matter who your lovely(s) may be! First song is very She-ra and/or Catradora, songs 2-4 are a bit more Catradora centric. I hope you enjoy! 🎶

Will you be here with me ?

So come on-

For a love everlasting

To the future, build it with me

For a love everlasting

We're more than ordinary people

Who are you?

We could be rock and roll heroes

Yeah, we could be tough superheroes

Imagine it, no one could be us-

We all crave love that's what we're after

So why destroy love that's what I'm asking you

You - you can be free in love

Change what's gonna happen

Just stay strong and tough enough

To fight what's really happ'nin

Take this chance to take a look

And feel the life(beat) in your heart

Papu-pu-pu-pu-pumpin' all the power you need

Let's. Start. Now.

I wake up every night where the dreams are the same

Taken by my fear with a different face

They can drag me to surrender, I won't change

Chased down by a car without a hand at the wheel

Crash into my heart and I got nothing to feel

And I raise my hands as daylight breaks the chain

All I want to know is-

Are we back now fighting from the same side ?

Come back and wonder why we believed

We could be stopped?

'Cause we have each other, it's never easy

But it's right for us

'Cause when the light falls upon the water

Showing me that we have this love to fight for

And all the clouds need these days to trust you

I'm afraid the fall couldn't get much higher

When the storm comes right above us

Let the trust that you'll keep me undercover

When the rain starts to drag us under

Promise me that we'll fight on together

Till the storm is over

Thanks for the read, or better yet listen!! I'm no music nerd and these are just songs I personally enjoy so if you didn't like them that's ok too 😅 !! Thought I'd try something new is all 🤷‍♂️. Also, feel free to check out the following metas on my page:

Shadow Weaver's Death, Her True Abusiveness, and Her Final, Beautiful, Gift to Catra

"Promise" Why can't you just... Promise? (Why Catra decides to cut ties with Adora)

How Corrupted Catra knows ALL of the Princesses Dirty Little Secrets

Stay tuned to my page for more metas and SPOP appreciation, and I hope you're having a great day today! 🏳️‍🌈💞✌️ -EtheriaDearie

Shadow Weaver’s Death, Her True Abusiveness, And Her Final, Beautiful, Gift To Catra

::The resistance fighters stand in the failsafe chamber. Catra has just called Shadow Weaver out on her manipulation. Shadow Weaver reluctantly explains the danger of the failsafe, and then implores Adora to take it: even if she fails, SW says, she will save her friends, and the universe. As literally every other person in that room cries out against Adora taking the risk, Adora turns and says she will do it. Catra, dismayed, runs to her telling her that SW is sacrificing her, and demands to know why she’s letting her do that. Adora tells Catra “Because even if she is, it’s better than Prime getting the Heart and destroying the universe.” Catra trembles in deathly fear, her face consumed in terrible realization: if Adora does as SW wishes, she will die. Shadow Weaver is trying to kill Adora. She knows this to her very soul, because… she is Shadow Weaver… And Adora is letting it happen…

Hi there, my name is Joel, and in this segment I’ll be looking at Shadow Weaver’s death, her being a child abuser, her terrible manipulations of Catra and Adora and the monstrous pains the two girls have to conquer to save themselves from her.

The main premise I’ll be trying to explain here is that, like Horde Prime, Shadow Weaver is a villain of utmost seriousness. And, like Horde Prime, the girls will treat her as one, surpassing and defeating her once and for all. But it won’t be with violence, but instead with love, creating a beautiful story of two people transcending their trauma and hurt through coming together over their love for one another.

I feel obliged to warn readers: this post will cover child abuse, even predatation. It may be hard to read. Also warning: tl;dr, please consider at least sitting down to read this!

Finally, I know there are SW fans out there; that’s good. Shadow Weaver is, at times, cool af. But, definitively a terrible person within the plot of the show.

So, even if you’re a fan of SW, I still encourage you to read along because as we reveal her truth and the damage she deals to Catra and Adora, it makes her final moment so, so much more beautiful… and it gives entirely new meaning to her final… two… words….

Disclaimer time: Taking on Shadow Weavers death is ambitious for a first post, I know. But understanding her is crucial to understanding most of the major moments in this show. Still, I should say here that while this may seem a bit ‘head’ canon-y, I assure you my conclusions come from watching the show carefully and referencing the entirety of the rest of the show back to this one moment. I’m instead positing these as theories, and let’s just say I feel I have the data, and Data Never Lies! Please *do* ask questions or seek calcifications in the comments or Ask me anything (I’m new to Tumblr).

—-Part 1: Catra, Micah, and the Truth—-

To start this journey we will travel backwards in the series to investigate the what and why of the terrible child abuse Catra suffered growing up under SW’s care. We will be looking chiefly at the Light Spinner episode in the 2nd season. We will cover Catra’s confrontation and SW’s -supposed- explanation for her abuse, then the tale of Micah and SW’s manipulation of him, and then the terrible truth of why Catra -really- was abused.

>A terribly alone Catra asks her abusive mother why she did it. Why did she treat her so badly ?

Keep reading

Happy valentines to these two!! ☺️💘

Visual parallels:: and how the ✨Dream✨ is canon Catradora romance 💓💫💞🏳️‍🌈

::A SPOP quick study of this theory. Also, SPOILER ALERT if you haven't finished the show! 🚨🚨🚨

Save the Cat and Heart Part 2 are highly parallel episodes- in fact, they're mirrored. Including, but especially, the dream itself-

The message? That we're actually seeing Catra in the dream with Adora, and it is a canon romantic moment for us to appreciate. 💞🏳️‍🌈

Catra is in the dream with Adora - as the dream is actually a simulation, like the ones that Catra and Adora shared together during Promise. And what Catra is doing is trying to cheer Adora back to life- just like Adora did for Catra when she was teetering on the edge of the platform in Save the Cat.

That the two scenes are so purposefully mirrored is an artistic message for us to understand-- As Catra holds her hand out to Adora in the dream, it is the mirror of Adora holding her hand out to Catra in Save the Cat.

This mirroring* of the story and visuals is shown repeatedly throughout the episodes, and not just in the dream itself. (* if confused, see below)

Another visual parallel gives us more clues about Catra's presence: Catra's decision to stay with Adora moments before the dream is visually parallel to how she stands with Adora during the dream. Because, Catra is deciding to show her true feelings, including that she's willing to 'stand behind' Adora as the hero, something which is new as of this moment.

And in the dream, Catra shows that she stands with Adora as her loving partner, and she also shows Adora that she's in love with her.

'I'm your idiot'

In Save the Cat, when Catra ever so fondly calls Adora an idiot, Adora completely accepts it. She's admitting that she should have understood sooner how Catra was attacked all of their lives, and that Adora not looking out for Catra, and then leaving her, was hurtful.

And in the dream, Catra shows the same love and acceptance as Adora, in this case she's admitting that she's in love with Adora. Catra is telling Adora that being in love is what makes Catra want to drop her cool collected mannerisms around Adora, and instead be vulnerable and sweet. Aka, Catra is letting herself be an idiot in love during the dream for Adora's sake.

Ok so moving on to how the entire episodes are visual mirrors, starting from the very beginning of Heart Part 2. They mirror onward from the point when Prime touches Catra's shoulder during Save the Cat. Also, Shadow Weaver takes Prime's place because she's the overarching villain of the show.

More very closely mirrored scenes well before the dream: Mirror, mirror, on the wall, what do I see ? Two girls mirroring their love for each other so they can save them!! 🪞💞🪞 Catra's refusing to leave Adora when she's told to is the mirror of Adora telling Catra that she's not giving up on her during Save the Cat.

Prime's behavior also mirrors Save the Cat. And when he shocks Catra making her fall, Adora refuses to give up and instead risks jumping off the platform to save her. During the dream, Catra's intervention tells us that she must have seen Prime trap Adora- and so, Catra, too, refuses to give up, and she finds a way to reach Adora and free her. In short: Catra is able to turn Prime's own virus against him to save Adora, as Catra became infected with it along with Adora when the monster attacked her. (see Catra's right hand, above).

More beautifully mirrored emotions and story- Note: Adora perfectly mirrors Catra's emotions (in last panel) right before she unlocks her true She-ra form to fight off Prime, but, I wanted to show continuity with the healing scene. In both scenes, Adora's "It's ok, I'm here" and then "We're going home" are very similar to Catra's "I've got you, I'm not letting go!!"

Finally, the healing scene and the kiss are very similar as well. When Adora heals Catra, they are both enveloped by magic, and the same thing happens during the kiss. Why? Because Catra has incredible magical harmony- such as when she returns as Corrupted Catra, and her magical bond with Melog. Catra's kiss heals the virus in Adora, and their love for each other is what allows Catra to help Adora absorb the Heart's power-- 🌟❤️🏳️‍🌈

:: Hiya, and thanks for reading!! This is most of all a celebration of the incredible beauty and amazing romance we see during the dream. And yet, wouldn't it be even more beautiful if there were a way by which Catra was with Adora in her dream, whereby she romances Adora back to life? It's just a theory, I admit. But the mirroring that Noelle & Friends have put in the story with such apparent deliberateness may very well mean that we really are seeing the girls being their absolute most romantic and beautiful for each other. Either way, the dream is a ✨stunning✨ sequence.

:: So, I hope you at least enjoyed this, and please do ask questions! If you want more background on my reasoning, feel free to read my full theory post here. Either way, I welcome your questions and comments, and I will try to respond to all of them! So thank you for reading, or for even a like or a reblogg!!!

~EtheriaDearie 🏳️‍🌈💞💫

a bonus picture::

Very clever, reflecting the girls top to bottom rather than left to right! But really, Horde Prime's monologues in each episode are very similar. That's all, and thanks for reading! ❤️

definition- ::Mirroring: when two images are arranged opposite, as if they are reflections in a mirror. For example, in Save the Cat, Adora holds out her right hand to Catra from the left, and during the dream Catra holds out her left hand to Adora from the right. ✌️😁💜

Testing hashtags, sorry for my bad art!!!

How Corrupted Catra knows ALL of the Princesses dirty little secrets..(and so does Catra)

Corrupted Catra is one of the most visually stunning sequences in She-ra. Her look is iconic, her anger has been seared into our minds... it's as though everything about her is just... pure... magic.

That's right, because Corrupted Catra is magic. She's Catra, and yet she's more... She has magical knowledge and power. Supernatural powers, you might say.

This makes her Catra... extra. Because Corrupted Catra... knows all.

That she knows all is made immediately clear::

She accuses Adora of being a portal baby, something Catra simply did not know at the time (explanations below) and then goes on to suggest that Adora is fantastically guilty of all that has happened. And the sneaky truth is that Corrupted Catra is exactly right: Adora really is the source of all that has happened. Because Adora... is She-ra...

Explanations can wait a bit, but the fact that Corrupted Catra knows Adora's She-ra history means Corrupted Catra is unique, different, than Catra herself. And this is what makes her so important. Once we hold this insight while considering all of Corrupted Catra's words, together, in relation to each other and to the story, it becomes clear that Corrupted Catra is talking to Adora about the totality of the She-ra story, even parts of Adora's own story she herself hasn't yet uncovered, and also weren't even revealed to us, the viewers, by the end of season 3. And Catra, too, has this knowledge, because Corrupted Catra is magic.

Now, the goal of this post is to establish theory, unlike my other posts which could be described as character studies. The intent here is to lay out how Corrupted Catra is unique, and because of it, she has importance to Catra’s arc as well as the story's overall arc. Understanding Corrupted Catra is important to further character analysis of Catra post portal episodes, hence the discussion. This certainly isn't the last you’ll hear of this, so for now, I hope you enjoy!! 📝

To start, we'll look at what is proven that Corrupted Catra knows, then we'll discuss how the butterfly effect is part of Adora's story, and finally I'll share a possible origin story for Corrupted Catra.

Let's get right to it ~

So here are Corrupted Catra's words, along with their simplified meanings: (*extended explanations to follow)

"It's always the same with you Adora. I have to do this, or-r we have to do that. Let's be honest: all of this... is your fault."

::This is Corrupted Catra's thesis, her divine message intended for Adora… and for Catra. Corrupted Catra is, in fact, revealing that Adora has caused a butterfly effect.

"If you hadn't gotten captured, your sword wouldn't have opened the portal."

::Adora was incredibly naive when she accepted the sword, she was foolish to give in to Light Hope's false narrative that she was destined to be a hero... Consequentially, Adora is now caught up in a dangerous sequence of events, for which she is woefully unprepared.

“If you hadn't found the sword, and been the world’s worst She-ra, none of this would have happened.”

::This statement is actually having to do with Adora's own fears: that she will fail at being She-ra, that she's been failing in her duty, and is about Adora's recent revalations that she is, like Mara, caught up in a dark First Ones plot.

“Admit it: the world would still be standing if you'd never come through that portal in the first place."

::Catra knows that Adora is a portal baby, that she's a First One, and that she's being used as their weapon. Also, once Adora was portaled into Despondos, becoming She-ra was inevitable.

“You… made me this! You took… everything from me!”

::The abuse Catra suffered by Shadow Weaver's hand was because of Adora being She-ra, which SW must have figured out back when they were only children. Young Catra loved Adora, which SW hated because it threatened her plan to sacrifice Adora for power, and so SW tried to break Catra's spirit.

“You broke the world… and it is all… your… fault.”

::Everything that’s happened… even what is yet to happen, including the activation of the portal by Catra... is part of a chain reaction of events which started when Adora was pulled through the portal as an infant: Adora's existence changed the timeline of Etheria, and is the origin of all of the conflict that's occurring… in the past, the present, and even the future. Because Adora was pulled through the portal to make her She-ra, the conflict which Mara put on hold by sacrificing herself has been restarted, with various forces now scrambling for control over She-ra.

… And Corrupted Catra knows ALL of this, including possible implications for the future. She therefore knows about the super weapon.. and likely it's intended use. (*explanations to follow)

Now, let's go over the proof that Catra does indeed know what she knows, as it is revealed within the story:

Firstly: Catra knows what Corrupted Catra knew because everyone retained their full memories of the portal dimension, as proven by Lonnie, Kyle, and Rogelio:

Next, Catra's emotions and reactions immediately after she returns to reality further confirm she remembers being Corrupted Catra, including Adora punching her out:

But most importantly... Catra's knowledge is confirmed later on in season 5 through Horde Prime:

Notice the similarities of how Adora reacts to Corrupted Catra's accusal, and then to Horde Prime's: she's as surprised as we are about their knowledge... (in pic1, Horde Prime calls Adora a First One, in pic2 Corrupted Catra tells Adora she's a bad She-ra >>because she's a First One)

Horde Prime might have been able to predict that Adora was a First One because of his past lives, but as their conversation continues it proves he knows her story. This is because Horde Prime didn't know Adora's She-ra story until Catra is chipped, as before this, he was still playing Glimmer and Catra against each other in order to gain information.

His chipping Catra is the how of his 'I see all, I know all', and that he gains such intimate knowledge about Adora, we then know Catra knew all of Adora's She-ra history. But since Catra never interacted with Adora in any way during season 4 where she would have learned Adora's She-ra story, Catra must have learned it somewhere we're not shown. Except, that we were... she knows it because of Corrupted Catra...

Also consider that he's telling Adora all this as he stands next to Catra, with his hand on her shoulder. Creepy in the least, it indicates where he gained this knowledge. Furthermore, the way he taunts Adora shows he has an outdated knowledge of She-ra, just like Catra would have had. He doesn't know that Adora broke the sword, and will instead tap into her primal She-ra powers as the true champion of Etheria...

Lastly, that surprising bit: Catra knows about the super weapon, as confirmed by what she says as well as her actions at the end of season 4 and beginning of season 5:

Catra knows- she isn't bluffing when she tells Horde Prime she can help him understand the weapon. This is because she already knows how it works. During her time as Corrupted Catra, she must have been given the big picture of everything to do with the First Ones and She-ra: and so she knows She-ra and the princesses are part of this weapon...

Ok, but Corrupted Catra doesn't talk about the weapon directly, right? What she says is vague, so how can we know? Well, because that part of the story was yet to be revealed: her omission was necessary from a storytelling perspective... and yet, later evidence indicates that Catra knew all along.

That's the basics of the theory, for now let's call it the Corrupted Catra theory: It is that Catra gained inside knowledge, by way of Etheria's magic, through Corrupted Catra, during the conclusion of season 3, having to do with the First Ones corruption of Etheria and of She-ra... and Catra knows all of this, even as Adora is yet to uncover the dark plots and manipulations herself, during season 4.

The implications of Catra knowing all of this is complicated, and as this isn't a character study, I won't get into them. But to briefly explain: Catra doesn't understand all of it immediately... she processes what she learned in a way that's very similar or even mirrors how she's processing her emotions and trauma throughout seasons 4 and 5. That Catra is so emotionally confused post portal contributes to her understanding of things also being confused, and so it takes her time to really understand the total implications of all that she knows...

But, I degress...

Hey, thanks so much for reading this far!! To let you know, what's up next is a descriptive readalong of Corrupted Catra's conversation with Adora, and how it's all one BIG discussion about the butterfly effect. If you want more information, feel free to keep reading… if not, you've got the gist of it. Thanks again!

Also, a bonus level: a possible origin story as to how Catra comes to be Corrupted Catra...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We take up the story in s3ep6... just as Corrupted Catra is going to encounter Adora... (obligatory CW: despair/death-)

::Adora kneels, crying... Bow and Glimmer have just faded away… they've given Adora all the love they could, telling her that they believe in her... and so Adora cries... fearful at the magnitude of what she now faces: a universe collapsing in on itself, a world she helped create through her careless treatment of her friendship with Catra. Despite Bow and Glimmer's encouragement, Adora is still fearful that she won't overcome, to be able to fix things. As we see later when she meets Angella at the sword, even then, Adora is still convinced she must pay for her mistakes with her life.

But Catra is about to return... her beautiful, lovesome friend, who before throwing herself into the fires of the collapsing reality, finally told Adora why it hurt her so deeply that Adora didn't stay. Not with words, but instead with an authentic display of emotional need and vulnerability that Adora could see and begin to understand. And yet Catra, in the end, rejected her, not willing to say those words, to confess her love to Adora... instead lashing out and cruely throwing Adora to the side. Catra was unable to overcome her hurt and fear of abandonment in that moment… seemingly choosing death instead... not willing to trust in Adora to fix their love…

And so... Catra returns... her voice corrupted, her features being consumed by darkness. She is Corrupted Catra, and she is the personification of Catra's anger and disappointment at Adora for breaking her heart. And yet, so very much more... she is a being of divine purpose, created by Etheria’s deep magic, who is meant to challenge Adora's entire world view... and make both girls see Adora in a new light…

>Adora is thrown back by Corrupted Catra, snapping to the bar in the Crimson Waste. It's not a place the two of them met, no, this place is meaningful to Catra. It is the point of Catra's deepest low after Hordak ‘kills’ her, rending her down to her very soul... and is the place of her epic speech about losing it all, being unwanted and persecuted.

Corrupted Catra straddles Adora, deep flirtation in her voice. Her desire is evident, Adora is a thing she wants but lashes out at, viciously protecting herself from her feelings of love for Adora...

She coos at Adora, asking her where her friends are, reminding her of the fact that Adora left her forsaken, and that the people which Catra believes don't care for her as much as Catra cared for Adora before she broke their promise, are gone... it's just the two of them now. She finally has Adora alone... and so she lashes out, wanting Adora to see her pain...

Adora dodges it, pulling Catra close, looking her in her eyes, trying to explain again the seriousness of the danger they face...

Catra pushes at her face, rejecting her plea: "It's always the same with you Adora. I have to do this, or-r we have to do that." Catra pulls her up by the hair, Adora at her mercy. "Let's be honest: all of this... is your fault." Adora looks at Catra, confused and yet... deeply ashamed...

What we are witnessing is an incredibly perceptive take down of Adora as a person. One that isn't really fair to her, but is based in the undeniable truths Corrupted Catra knows about Adora, knowledge that is entirely beyond what the present Catra knew, and reflects hard truths about the nature of their relationship that the present Catra had only seen glimpses of...

::Let's pause here to take a quick aside regarding the season 2 and 3 story arc~~

::In case there's any confusion: both of the portal episodes are about Adora's broken promise to Catra. That's what they represent in the narrative of the story: that once Catra decides she should separate herself from Adora at the end of "Promise", bad, traumatic things happen to Catra. Catra thought she could be strong on her own, strong for herself, without needing the Promise which Adora broke, but the universe, fate, whatever... doesn't let her, and she gets hurt very badly.

First by Shadow Weaver's manipulation and abandonment, then by Hordak handing her a death sentence because she tried to trust SW, and finally when SW reappeared in the fright zone, channeling Glimmer's power and nearly killing Catra yet again. She's reeling from a cruel world which keeps trying to kill her, while also feeling a deep sadness of loneliness in her heart from missing Adora which saps her will to live. And Adora knows that she's let Catra down... that something has gone very wrong with Catra, leaving her frightened for her friend... she is just beginning to understand the consequences of her having left Catra.

[pic cation: Catra as Hordak suffocates her, Catra feeling powerless to SW's abuse, Adora's realization]

The portal happening is a reflection of this broken promise: Adora isn't there, and so she can't look out for Catra… and really terrible things happen to Catra after Adora left her brokenhearted. And so, Catra pulls the switch, in desperation to change her life, no matter the cost, and also heartbrokenly sad and wanting to die from all of her loneliness and pain. She's in a terrible state, and Adora needs to see this, to understand the truth of her heartbreak, because they were once all that each other ever had...

Right from that moment when Adora tells Catra that Shadow Weaver is in Bright Moon, Adora sees the change in Catra... something broke inside Catra then, and now Adora must try to recover her friend, and the universe, before it all falls apart from her betrayal of Catra... all that is happening... is because of that broken promise, and the seemingly unending hurt that her friend is feeling...

>>>Again, all of this is important, as its part of the butterfly effect we have yet to discuss. Hopefully that all made sense... let me know if you'd like to see a s2-s3 summary along these lines. For now, moving on.<<

>Back to Corrupted Catra, who is holding Adora at her mercy...

Corrupted Catra has just accused Adora of being the source of all the misery that has occurred, and she is right. But it's a narrow minded view which ignores the bigger truths, and it's horribly unfair to Adora. We'll explain this more as we go along.

>Adora is thrown, landing at the scene of the ice base where they had their second fight.

"If you hadn't gotten captured, your sword wouldn't have opened the portal."

I'll just say this: when Catra comes after Adora in the Crimson Waste, she is uninhibited, whereas before she was fighting with a code (ie, fighting She-ra 1vs1), this time she didn't. As she says post dying to Hordak "It doesn't matter what I do, I don't get to win". Catra beats Adora so fast because she's done playing by rules, and she's done with the rules because of the trauma that happened after Adora left her. In that moment when Catra captures Adora, all of Adora’s shortcomings as She-ra and as a friend to Catra caught up to her.

>C.Catra brings Adora low, throws snow in her face, pins her to the guard rail... "If you hadn't gotten the sword and been the world's worst She-ra, none of this would have happened."

We see Adora's face show intense shame and internal realization at the mention of her failure as She-ra. Something interesting is happening: this judgement of Adora being She-ra isn't Catra's, although she probably doesn't think Adora is very good at being She-ra. These are the very doubts and fears Adora herself has been struggling with: about being the new She-ra, and needing to meet Light Hope's austere expectations of her, of her inability to understand Mara's 'failure', of her recent revelations about Mara's sacrifice to stop the weapon and what this means for her as the next She-ra. And so somehow, Corrupted Catra is intimately knowledgable of Adora’s ongoing stuggles...

>Adora is thrown, landing in the ocean near Salineas where they met be soon after her defection, only to be pulled up out of the water by the hair by Corrupted Catra, who sneers at her:

"Admit it: the world would still be standing if you never came through that portal in the first place."

Ok, wait, so we know Catra probably overheard Adora complain about being taken from her family, but at no point does she say she came through a portal. Could this have been general knowledge from their childhood? No. We know for certain that Adora has no knowledge of being a portal baby (s3ep1). Shadow Weaver took in baby Adora with the intention of using her for her own gain, likely predicting she was She-ra. For that reason alone SW would have made sure that Adora coming through the portal wasn't common knowledge, and as 2nd in command, SW had the influence to do it. Furthermore, when Adora attempts to confront Hordak on taking her from her family by opening the portal, he sneers at it, saying she's of so little consequence that he doesn't even remember her. Once again, Corrupted Catra shows us that she knows far too much, is too perceptive of Adora even when we take into consideration how intelligent Catra is.

>Adora is thrown again, snapping to Princess Prom. Now C.Catra says something VERY interesting, full of furious hurt and sorrow: "You... made me this!" Adora tries to run, is caught: "You took... everything from me!" This statement she’s making isn't some darkly warped manifestation of C.Catra's anger, no… it's the actual truth.

And so Catra’s object of desire isn't allowed to run from this, as Adora must come to understand this truth. Once again, C.Catra is saying something which shows supernatural perception: To really understand what that is, we need to understand the two other points in the story when Catra says remarkably similar things about Adora being the source of her pain…

::One is at the end of s3ep3: When captured Adora tells Catra that SW is in Bright Moon, Catra responds: "Shadow Weaver... left me... for you. All of this... happened... because of you..." There are many similarities in what she says here to what C.Catra has just said. All the pain of SW abandoning Catra to die and then Hordak 'killing' her for it, and then again when SW returns to the Fright Zone and nearly kills Catra yet again, all of that trauma happening is, in Catra's mind, because of SW abandoning her to go be with Adora.

But really, SW went to Bright Moon because Adora is She-ra and She-ra could heal her, and because SW knew she had to avoid the death sentence that Hordak was handing down to her. Yes, SW still has her goal of using Adora as a sacrifice, but the story doesn't prove out that Catra is right: SW mostly just switches prisons, and Adora gains not a whole lot from her presence other than her healing ability (which SW needed her to learn for her own benefit), knowledge of her origin as a portal baby (which SW wouldn't want to give up, but needed to), and some limited knowledge of the Horde's portal plan. But Catra, instead, only sees this as Adora receiving privilege from her abuser, again... Catra fails to see the bigger picture.

::Then, in s3ep4, Catra comes face to face with SW again: after trying to fight both her and Glimmer, Catra lies bound and at the mercy of SW, so she accuses SW: "You made me this way... and you get to be the good guy...?" And then: "You couldn't WAIT to get away from here, from me... but you came back... for Adora..." This statement is even closer to the truth, and the meaning of C.Catra's words.

Catra is blaming SW's abuse for her compromised mental state... the anger she's lashing out with in defense of herself, which has her unable to stop hurting herself and others while wanting to avenge herself against SW with no care of the collateral damage. Catra knows that somehow, Adora has always been the reason why SW hurts her... she just cannot see why. Yes, this angry vindictive person Catra is devolving into is the result of SW's abuse, but it doesn't get to the real truth of why she was abused, and ended up as this fearful, angry person who feels as though she can never trust anyone ever again...

>Back to the present: Corrupted Catra stands over her object of desire, telling Adora she is the source of all of the pain that makes her so hurtful... telling her that she took everything from her...

... And Corrupted Catra is telling the full truth of why Catra was abused as a child: it was because of SW trying to emotionally destroy Catra, when she saw that Catra's love for Adora was too strong… because SW was grooming Adora to make her weak so she could control and then sacrifice her, and SW didn't want Adora to have such a devoted source of love in Adora's life. (If you need more information, feel free to check out part 1 of my Shadow Weaver Death discussion post.)

Corrupted Catra’s choice of words are all about the real truth behind SW’s abuse, and it is now revealed that Adora really is the source of all of Catra's pain: If Adora hadn't been She-ra, Catra wouldn't have faced SW 's wrath and cruelty like she did, because SW has only ever cared about using Adora for her own selfish and depraved reasons...

... And so, when Adora then leaves Catra, breaking her promise to her, Catra stops believing that there is good in the world... her inner self panics as it's being consumed by heartbreak, and her outer, survivor self becomes more and more defensive of her own life, causing her to stoops to depraved levels like her abusers, SW and Hordak, in order to defend herself.

And ALL of this hurt originated because of Adora... in one... single... event...

> Adora is thrown again, ending up in the chair of Mara's ship, where Catra captured her, as Corrupted Catra cruelly accuses her: "You broke the world... and it is all... your... fault..."

So, let's combine these words with Corrupted Catra’s statement to Adora about her coming through the portal as being the cause of the world teetering on the edge of oblivion...

... And we a ‘beat of the butterfly's wing’ scenario. One where Catra's childhood was cruelly torn apart, as the consequence of Adora being She-ra… the events of which have lead up to the tragic creation of the collapsing portal, all because, as a child, Catra fell in love with the wrong little girl-

… A little girl... who was pulled through a portal from another dimension… to fulfill a dark purpose of wielding a super weapon capable of annihilating the First One's enemies or even the universe itself… who was then taken in by a abusive unfeeling monster in SW… who planned to weaken Adora and then corrupt She-ra, to use her for SW's own dark purpose… who then, recognizing Catra's incredible love and devotion towards her intended victim… abused and nearly destroyed Catra's spirit as punishment...

Everything bad that's happened to Catra happened as part of a series of events which began when Adora was pulled into Catra's plane of existence: Adora is the beat of the butterfly's wing which unleashed a hurricane of bad consequences, resulting in Catra being abused so cruelly...

… And that pain has continued right up to the present moment... where a emotionally lost and desperate Catra opened a portal… destabilizing reality… leaving Adora in the desperate position of trying to save reality… which will cost the life of her friend's mother… all while Adora faces down this angry, hurt, betrayed, confused, and heartbroken Catra who she left behind... hurting her so deeply.

::Now... is it personally Adora’s fault that this butterfly effect occurred? Of course not, I do not mean to suggest that!! (Also, even though it's not Adora's fault, she still accepts the burden of generational trauma and wants to help fix it..) But that's the point: Adora never had a choice in becoming She-ra, just like Catra never had a choice with the childhood trauma that happened to her. Adora played no part in SW’s decisions, and she has always tried to do the right thing all along… and Catra nee- WAIT NO jkbdbejbksjkb ahhhh ok I'm not going to get into it here! It would take too long…

👏🌺🙂 Let's shift gears instead~

In closing , I'd like to share one possible reason that Catra may have been able to become Corrupted Catra, instead of just disappearing like everyone else did... after she seemingly chose to end it all the episode before by falling into the fires of the collapsing reality:

This theory has to do with Madam Razz.

... So, when Catra falls into the light the episode before, Adora then runs, crying, and shortly finds Madame Razz, who tells her to "go back to the beginning". After her little inspirational speech to Adora, Razz then leaves Adora and purposefully walks into the burning light of the collapsing reality... only to have Corrupted Catra emerge moments later, who then tails Adora until the moment where she catches Adora and begins her monologue... Coincidence? Maybe, or maybe not...

In season 4, episode 10 we see Razz lament the fact that she wasn't able to help Mara overcome and survive the nefarious plan the First Ones made for her. The episode then ends with Razz leaving the pie for Mara, in remembrance of her sacrifice... Razz's struggle with her failure to Mara is very emotionally depicted...

... But, now Razz has a chance to help Adora succeed where Mara failed. So, how does she do that, when the First Ones plan for Adora, and the unstable power of the Heart, is so insidious?

Well… how about by making sure Adora has the one person who truly loves her and who she truly loves back there to help her ? Is it therefore possible, since it is apparent that Razz can travel through the portal realities as she wishes, that she might have encountered Catra, and then sent her back on her way to Adora, as Corrupted Catra, as a way of helping to heal the divide between the two girls ?

... Because the truth is that both girls are in sore need of a new understanding of their situations:

Adora needs to understand that she has to keep fighting, because she's She-ra and there's no going back, now. Dark plots and Catra’s broken heart can't stop her, she has to succeed now, or all is lost.

And Catra must come to understand how all of her anger is wrong: that it's corrupt, and is the product of malicious peoples attacks on both her and Adora, all of their entire lives, and so her anger, and the defensiveness she feels because of it, is a mistake. Catra also needs to break free of the trauma cycle and to figure out how to help Adora succeed in saving the universe, and Corrupted Catra's knowledge helps Catra do both of these things.

So, Corrupted Catra is the push in the right direction... that both girls need, in order to stop the Heart and defeat Horde Prime…

So this is my belief as to how Catra returns as this representative of the deep magic of Etheria: Catra is not allowed to die, like she wanted, and perhaps by Madame Razz’s intervention, she returns as Corrupted Catra, who then gives both girls guidance as to where their paths must now go so they can correct things...

Anyways, so, so hard prove, and I won't call it a theory... perhaps, it'll only ever be a dream... 🕊

That's it for now. I hope you enjoyed this..!

As always, feedback is always welcome! And if you have questions, I will be happy to answer them!

Peace and Love 💫

~EtheriaDearie

P.S. :: as I am new to tumblr, if you enjoyed reading this, please consider giving me a reblogg! Thanks!! 🙇💛

Hey! I just found your blog and I've gotta say, your analysis for the characters and episodes are incredible! They're so engaging and interesting to read through-- the one about the promise episode hit close to home since I identify myself a lot with Catra. Is there a list of all the analysis posts you've done for She-Ra? I'd absolutely love to read anything else you have looking more in depth into the show!!!

Hi, thank you for your kind words of encouragement!! ... And for reading my blog!!! Also, thanks for asking this question... I've been meaning to make a proper list, I just keep forgetting to do it.. 💜🤔💜🚨

Here's an impromptu list for the meantime:

Shadow Weaver's Death, Her True Abusiveness, and Her Final, Beautiful Gift to Catra (A look at Shadow Weaver as the main villain of SPOP)

Promise... Why Can't You Just... Promise? (Discussing s1e11 as an extremely important episode of SPOP)

How Corrupted Catra Knows ALL of the Princesses Dirty Little Secrets (how Catra returning as Corrupted Catra gave her deep knowledge about She-ra's past, present, and possibly, the future war with Horde Prime.

The Catradora dream theory 1 & 2: (How Catra is able to appear in Adora's dream to ask her to dance again, and to save their love):: Short: Visual Parallels:: and How the Dream is Canon Catradora Romance 💞 (quick guide)

Long: What if it's Adora's... and Catra's, Dream? (Understanding Adora and Catra's shared dream simulation as a part of their epic love story!!! ❤️🏳️‍🌈💞).

AMA- is Catradora a emotionally healthy relationship, how Adora is wrong, and her arc as a Hero of Love-

AMA- Light Hope's manipulations of Adora as part of the First Ones evil plans, and how Adora nearly kills the love of her life because of it-

Entrapta's Arc!! Wooo ✨Science ✨🧬 🧪🔬 🚀 ☺️

Catra is magic (and her violence is about everything but being violent

Endgame: She-ra's epic conclusion revisited in an emotional meta retelling that shows the show relied on no miracles, it's just that good

MEME's n' fluff: She-ra is a lesbian, Aimee is funny, Glimmer doodle1, Glimmer doddle 2,

All links are on Tumblr. Happy reading!! 😊🤞

That's about it for now, but I should have more analysis up soon!! Please feel free to keep sending me questions everyone! As always, keep it real, and Data Never Lies!!! 💜😁💜✌️

~EtheriaDearie