Promise

“Promise”

Why can’t you just… Promise ?

Today’s goal is an in-depth look at one of the most beautiful and breathtaking episodes of She-ra: “Promise”

Storywise, it’s incredibly important to the series, and focuses entirely on Catradora. It’s the first time since Adora left Catra behind to seek out the sword that the girls really have an opportunity to talk, and things are not going well. Both of them are royally pissed off at the other, with good reason.

For Adora, we’re gonna deflate that proud hair poof of hers a bit, as we’ll take an honest look at her as a person at this point in her life. And Catra… she’s really guarding her feelings closely, as she’s already deeply angry with Adora. But we will use the combination of Catra’s younger self in the memories they see, plus looking at other times in the series that relate to this episode, where she was less guarded, in order to understand her as a person at this time. Also: warning: tl;dr, best enjoyed while cozy with a drink..

To get started, we skip to when they end up stuck together…

After Adora takes drastic measures to ward off the security spiders by collapsing the tunnel, the girls are now stuck together, and so… they talk…

We immediately see how incredibly irritated they are with each other as Adora chides Catra for being in the Crystal Castle, since the monsters will continue to attack them as long as she’s protecting Catra… only to have Catra retort that she didn’t ask for protection. Some snippy bickering back and forth happens, then…

Adora asks: “Does Shadow Weaver know you’re here?” Very deadpan assertion from Adora. She knows Catra must be disobeying orders, she just doesn’t know why.

“I’d say Shadow Weaver has bigger problems right now”. Catra is already starting her move against SW back at the Horde. With SW abusively blocking her every move within the Horde, and now that Catra knows that SW was going to mind wipe Adora, Catra has decided she must deal with her abuser.

Adora puts on her telltale sideways grin, and Catra chafes at Adora’s flirtation, saying “I told you it’s not because I like you” downplaying Adora’s suggestion that this was the reason she let her go. Catra freely admits here that she does like Adora, but it’s not the real reason she did it. Still, Catra doesn’t explain further, and we see later that Catra often lets Adora explain away her actions this way… but that Adora constantly misses the deeper truths.

"Where are your new best friends? I thought you did everything together”. She’s very snarky and dismissive of Adora and her flirting. She’s mad about Adora leaving her for her new life.

“The ones you let SW imprison and curse?” Adora is angry at Catra for what she did, which was a sudden escalation of things by Catra.

“Yeah obviously, what other friends would I be talking about?” An obvious dig at Adora for leaving her, everything behind. She deadpans this, staring back plainly. Catra is obviously really angry at Adora… while Adora is legitimately mad at Catra for doing something so nasty to Bow and Glimmer…

::Let’s take a moment to talk about Catra’s feelings about Adora’s new friends: Catra feels horribly betrayed by this. Adora completely tossed her aside, and replaced her with Bow and Glimmer. What comes to mind is at the end of Sea Gate, Catra is thrown in the water and then looks up at Adora, who is celebrating and cuddling with Bow and Glimmer. Catra is emotionally forlorn watching this, as Scorpia comes to drag her off to safety, Adora doesn’t even look back towards her.

She’s forgotten, Adora showed no love towards her at all in that scene (and then hardly any at Princess Prom, either). Adora ignored her plea for her to return, she didn’t reach out to Catra at all. And now she watches her cuddle with her new friends: everything Catra thought she had with Adora meant nothing, and she’s been replaced with these feel goodie goods who are fawning all over Adora.

Suffice to say, Catra couldn’t do this, she’s got way too many issues with emotional intimacy and touch aversion. So she watches Adora, seeing that what she offered her wasn’t good enough, knowing because of it she’s forgotten. Catra was trying really hard to be a close friend to Adora in spite of her issues, but as we will see, Adora wasn’t trying to understand what was going on with Catra. And because of this, Catra was too afraid to express her affection openly, and yet here’s Adora… accepting all of Bow and Glimmer’s love, for which Adora really did nothing to earn. Adora took Catra’s friendship for granted while ignoring her deeper needs, as will be explained, then completely abandons her, not even seeming to miss her. Catra is deeply hurt by the unfairness of this.

>Catra stares back at Adora, frustrated when she doesn’t even acknowledge their lost friendship.

“Well, we don’t need to go together. You do your weird little magic quest thing I’ll find my own way out”. Catra looks resentfully at the sword on Adora’s back as she says this. Catra is laying down boundaries, except it’s useless since they are trapped together. But, boundaries are important to Catra and as the episode progresses, Adora shows that she doesn’t really understand Catra’s.

>As they walk along, both girls’ shadows loom equally tall. The symbolism is that in this story, both are equally important… it’s also a shockingly beautiful sequence. (pic above)

After entering the room of infinite darkness, Catra tries to separate from Adora but the door is gone, they are stuck together. Weird things start happening. As the Fright Zone appears, both of them are confused. Adora decides to suspect Catra, after all, she attacked her friends. But as Adora grabs Catra, Catra is surprised and confused… Catra doesn’t like being touched unexpectedly, Adora knows this but is ignoring that and attacking her. She gets treated as an enemy when she clearly hasn’t done anything wrong, and it sets the tone for the two of them: Adora has constantly treated Catra as an enemy since the very moment she defected, not even trying to understand Catra’s point of view. And so Catra increasingly emotionally distances herself from Adora. Catra angrily casts Adora’s arm aside, not liking being vilified by her, and Adora doesn’t understand why Catra is so upset. Catra slips away to explore, needing space from her.

The way Adora immediately suspects and then attacks Catra is symbolic to the whole episode: by defecting to the Rebellion, Adora chose to start treating Catra, and her entire unit, as enemies, backing it up with hostility. But Catra doesn’t really agree that the horde is evil… in her experience, it’s just how life is.

>The two girls, now separated, call out to each other. Adora hears Catra’s call, then another: young Catra is behind her, looking lost and insecure. Catra joins Adora as their first memory has just begun…

Keep reading

Wishing all my followers a Very Happy Pride!!And all of tumblr, too ☺️. Some news: if you like my SPOP metas, I'm planning on writing about another wlw love healing trauma anime soon! Stay tuned. Thanks for all of your continued support!!! ✨🏳️‍🌈👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩🏳️‍🌈✨

Hey, love your posts! They provided me with lots of good info for a future fanfic of mine! And I'm not just talking about Catradora... Anyway, I wonder what you would have to say about Entrapta, she's kind of my favorite character in the whole show

oh my gosh, yes! Entrapta really is the best… ...let's all talk about it

Decoding Entrapta's Arc

-a data driven analysis-

Firstly, thanks for reading my blog! I totally love Entrapta, too… I actually consider her to be the most likable person in SPOP. In her, we’re seeing someone being the best person she can be, always.

She's a sweetheart, and all along she's trying to do the right thing. She doesn't stray from her ideals, and that shows courage.

She’s a person who remains good to the people around her, despite their negativity, and she's the only person who is honestly trying to understand the real truths of Etheria and how the First Ones corrupted the planet. She's after answers to the important questions. Does that get messy along the way? Sure, but her motivations were always about the truth, and we can see her goodness in how she treats others.

Entrapta's inherent goodness is in contrast to those around her, who are caught up in their own trauma and ignorances and because of that behave badly and are playing out the corrupt plans the First Ones made for them all.

This is what the whole story of SPOP is about- historical traumas which they have all been manipulated into- Horde and Rebellion alike- in order to fail as the First Ones intend them to.

Both sides are wrong in how they act, everyone is hurtful including to each other in their alliances. The war continues like it does largely because of everyone's self involvement in their own trauma and emotions. Entrapta is unique in that she's mostly immune to this criticism- as the one person truly seeking answers. (Note: all -> hyperlinks <- are on tumblr)

Yes, the Horde plays their role as an enemy to a t (..and yet how did Hordak end up on Etheria-? a:The First Ones..), the Princesses are ignorant of their own role as part of this millennia old corruption, and they lash out towards others who are different, with prejudice. That they don't know their involvement in the First Ones conspiracy doesn't make their behavior right, even if the Horde bringing war upon them is so wrong. What's that war really about? Entrapta is in the middle of this mess, trying to figure out what the truth is. And her discoveries of those truths will save them all in the end…

So, this hurtfulness on all sides can be seen personally in Entrapta's arc, as a person who faces prejudice while trying her best to understand what's really true. From the beginning she knows something is wrong with what the First Ones did, it's her goal. In this way we can see her character arc as a weathervane of the plot over all- because the Princesses are wrong in how they treat her from the start. And they're wrong in how they treat the war as well.

Our sweetest Entrapta goes about her business of finding the real truths behind what's happened to Etheria throughout the story, and she does a stalwart job of it- all while being hurt by others prejudices and trauma guided actions. Yes, some of what she does is wrong, like participating in war, but she isn't being given other good options. She's doing what she feels is right and her best to stay dedicated to the truth- scientifically, but while also remaining the kind person she is.

How she gets hurt within the Horde- well, we all see that in Catra's betrayal, but the Princesses are hurtful, too. In fact, the Princesses have a casual kind of hurtfulness that’s totally frustrating to watch which comes from the privileged lives they lived, and they force that hurtfulness on each other all of the time, not just Entrapta. We’ll talk more about this later, but Entrapta gets the worst of it. Nevermind that SPOP cautiously hides this causal hurtfulness behind cute humor and excellent voice acting for the kids- the Princesses' hurtfulness is plain to see if we just look for it.

Much of our discussion will focus on this and the role of the First Ones historical betrayal in all of their actions, with Entrapta doing her best to uncover the real truths of it all. Without her doing that, the Princesses would have failed in the end, like they almost do at the end of s4, when the oldest of their real enemies- the First Ones- almost successfully use them all as a weapon. And, as they face their final true enemy, Horde Prime, they would have failed against him, too, if not for the knowledge Entrapta gains through scientific study. Both sides are caught up in the plans made for them, acting on their traumas. Entrapta works so hard to know the truth, and to use it to help, and we love her for that.

..And about above, they only avoid the weapon going off in s4 much because of Entrapta warning Adora in time, so we get to thank her yet again...

So without further ado, here's some major topics we’ll cover:

1:: How Entrapta is simply one of the nicest people, her friendly and easy going manner reflects her way of believing in the best in others-

2:: How Entrapta is a great scientist and by this very fact she's a great person, because the truth must guide them all-

3:: How the Princesses assuming Entrapta died is part of their prejudices and unwillingness to understand others who are different for them, and if not for those prejudices they may have realized that she survived-

4:: And, of course, a bit about how Entrapdak reveals Entrapta's best self, her ability to see the best in Hordak (and others) makes her one of the best people, in the end she sums up the meaning of Warriors🎶 best with her own words-

1:: So about Entrapta's positivity..

I mentioned that Entrapta is doing her best with the situations she's given, that’s true scientifically but it includes how she treats others. She's always bringing positivity, not pessimism, which is under appreciated. To sum it up, Entrapta’s philosophy towards others is to always believe in something better; she strives to see the best in them. Maybe I'm stating the obvious, but, how can we not love her for that?

This includes people who were constantly vilified, such as Catra, Scorpia and Hordak. And her jovial attitude is at times looked down on as misguided by others. Is that right? I don't think so…

This preconception to judge her unfairly is very apparent with the Princesses. They really do seem to treat her cheerfulness as if it's wrong, even part of her autistic oddness. In truth: she's funny, full of positivity and amicable to others at all times. The Princesses treat her like she's weird for it..

::So yeah, guess what- dealing with people can be confusing for anyone- autism isn't actually the story there. Her ability not to be judgey like others around her (unlike the Princesses who treat her as ‘too weird’) sets her apart. Entrapta wants others to be happy, she wants to get along, she welcomes others' differences even if she doesn't quite understand them. She, in actuality, works pretty well on a team. What's really happening with the Princesses is that by judging Entrapta they are falling short of HER level of goodness, and that shows their damage, not hers.

We’ll come back to the Princesses' harmful behaviors later, but they are absolutely there and what is happening is that they assume the worst about her. When in reality, Entrapta is an total badass.

It's also wrong to assume that Entrapta doesn't realize the people around her aren't as nice as she is. She later reflects to Hordak that 'she wasn't good enough for them’ and doesn't understand why it goes wrong, like it did in the Rebellion leaving her and then with Catra not talking to her anymore. It's confusing to her, what she doesn't realize is that they're acting out their own hurt by being mean to her. This is also when she charmingly swears to never give up trying. Most of all, as time goes by Entrapta shows us that she really does get it.

She keeps a positive beat at all points in the story, all as she goes about her business of finding out the real truths of what the First Ones did to Etheria. Even abandoned on Beast Island, she's able to make good use of her time to do this. And she doesn't hold a grudge.

Even against Catra, who we know hurts her so badly. Here's my favorite example of Entrapta ‘getting it’ all along:

Entrapta's ✨🧪amazing🔬✨ sense of humor is on full display as she humorously roasts Catra over her past harmfulness. We see that actually, she understood all along why Catra might feel threatened by her for that- but also that she wasn't considering acting on it before Catra brought it up. She's not spiteful. And, it tells us something really fun about her- that she doesn't always mean what she says as serious- she likes to kid around. ☺️ (i.e Entrapta sayings she's gonna dissect Adora in s1ep5 🙃)

So, she doesn't let Catra off easy at all for her past harmfulness. And, it's so fun to see her put the heat on Catra. She's also wise toward others, like she is with Hordak- she sees what's underneath and that Catra's apology is sincere. She's a kindhearted person, forgiving is not a hang up for her. I think she'll be friends with Catra; as she certainly knew when to humorously punk Catra's ass for what she did in the past.

So, there's really no good reason for why she gets hurt so much by others. Again, their damage, not hers.

::Also, I won't be dwelling on her autism too much- I'm not diagnosed with it so others can tell that story better- but, we can instead attribute much of Entrapta’s social struggles simply due to her lack of social experience. We don't need to look to her autism at all to understand their disconnects with her, we're seeing their damage because Entrapta is always sweet to others and which goes ignored. They're just not great people.

(For context, we know Entrapta was mostly raised away from people, by robots, so she doesn't understand their confusion with her.) Considering this, she does really well- we see her actually do a pretty good job of interacting with others on a team in s1. By the end of the series, it's quite clear Entrapta could understand where others were coming from all along- even if her processes of understanding it maybe looks different from what it does for less neurodivergent people.

So, that's what's going on from the beginning Entrapta shoulda been treated better- she was always a good person and trying to do her best with the situations given to her. And again, as a scientist- Entrapta is the only person asking the real questions about what's going on with the First Ones corruption of Etheria, something she does from the very start. Which is why we need to talk about what Entrapta's always so ecstatic about:

2:: SCIENCE DOESN'T LIE!!!

By searching for the answers to what the First Ones did to Etheria- how the planet was corrupted for the First Ones weapon- she's focused on the real issues. And science is the best way to do that, which is her skill. While the Horde and the Princesses fight each other mercilessly, she's concerned with the real plot, and their real enemy- the First Ones.

Everything in SPOP relates back to the original betrayal and the historical trauma of the First Ones- Something Entrapta is already beginning to grasp even before we're first introduced to her. Yet it takes until she joins the Horde for anyone to ask her about her research… Why is that-?

Long story short, the Princesses are way too self involved in their own hurt and the apparent unfairness of the Horde showing up out of nowhere and bringing war onto them. Yet that the Horde came from nowhere is a clue in itself, is it not? If Hordak isn't Etherian, how? (A: Light Hope is the only person capable of bringing him to Etheria- she brought him there to start the war). The Princesses totally miss this.

This doesn't make what the Horde is doing any less wrong, it just shows that the Princesses are ignorant of their own world. Is it ok for the Princesses to have spent the last millennia living in comfort, not addressing the real issues and unaware of what the First Ones turned them into?

It's not, and so SPOP is about historical trauma.

Everything is wrong on Etheria, not just the Horde. The Princesses are far too naive to face a full on evil enemy like the First Ones or Horde Prime.

.. You may be thinking of people who exclaim ‘well they couldn't have known what they didn't know’ but is that right?

No. To elaborate: NooOoOooo!! 🔬

We know they could have known better because Shadow Weaver knew all of this history, she studied it to get more power. For herself, at any cost. And if she could figure it out, they could have. The Princesses lived complacently for the last millennia.

In reality, Entrapta is basically trying to catch up to what Shadow Weaver knew from the beginning of the whole series::

Whereas Shadow Weaver never uses that knowledge for good, only looking to sacrifice Adora to release Etheria’s full sorcerous powers for herself, (read the meta of how SW is the real villain of SPOP above) Entrapta wants to help and provides actual guidance and understanding to the Princesses which they need to get free of the First Ones plot against them, and then to stop Horde Prime. She doesn't get enough recognition for that from the Princesses….

Some of her most massive achievements, which wouldn't have been possible without her study and experimentations, include:

-She's able to repair Darla and get the ship across space and back, which is no small feat,

-She's able to locate Glimmer and help rescue her and Catra,

-She frees everyone on Etheria from Prime's control.

- And many more

In this way, we can really get to understand how even some of her actions she's most vilified for are part of her seeking these truths and gaining the knowledge they will need to survive. Let's talk about a couple of them.

Why Entrapta’s search with science looks so messy: Hacking the Black Garnet

What Entrapta experimenting on the Black Garnet was really about was testing her theories of what's wrong with Etheria. She doesn't do it to hurt people (obviously) and yes it causes chaos. Yet that's a huge clue- why does a runestone used in such a way cause destruction? The Princesses miss the point.

Many other hints get dropped along the way, and they just keep missing them because of their blindness from anger over the war. You can also see Entrapta's hand in most of these other hints:

Why can Adora be corrupted by First Ones tech contacting the sword? If Horde Prime is waiting outside Despondos and can destroy them all, how and why did Etheria end up secluded from the universe?

… Where did the stars go ?

The Princesses' cluelessness is all to do about the naive way they existed for the last millennia, a historical trauma which is catching up to them in real time as our series begins. Entrapta is trying to catch up to the real truth by studying Etheria like she does- chaos and all.

...Can the Princesses really remain ignorant and just keep escalating a war over past grievances? Would defeating Hordak even stop the greater plot against them all? Not at all- most likely they would have just then reconnected the runestones and Light Hope would have blown up the planet before they even realized what she was doing. Entrapta’s study is vastly necessary, they need her help- everything is necessary learning for Entrapta.

Yeah, science tends to be messy, but when Catra asks her about her research, leading to them hacking the Black Garnet, Entrapta is testing her hypothesis- and she proves it true. Entrapta will take her gained knowledge from this and other endeavors to be the capable scientist they need her to be in s5 to stop Prime. They need to know these truths. Necessary learning.

So, even this act she's vilified for is misunderstood by the Princesses who miss the clues of how what occurs reveals their own corruption. Because of course they did.

Entrapta’s further actions such as building the portal machine are also related to finding the real truth. If Etheria is isolated, the outside universe would have answers. It's good Entrapta’s machine doesn't bring Horde Prime down on them all at that juncture, they're not ready- she also tries to stop it, only failing due to the traumatized state Catra is in that episode after Shadow Weaver shows up and nearly kills her.

I won't recap everything she does but let's talk about the one consistent criticism: Entrapta building bots.

...note: this is something the Princesses asked her to do yet she ends up doing for the Horde instead...

When in fact, are these bots the killing machines many assume them to be? No, Frosta herself reveals that they aren't. And this fact isn't about softening the show for a kids audience. SPOP isn't that story-

The Horde isn't genociding people, like some uneducated detractors suggest- because that's not what the story of SPOP is about (go watch ATLA… it depicts genocide and it's a children's show- also, the civilians in SPOP don't participate in the war). It's about historical traumas and how ALL of them are continuing violence in a way that amplifies those past evils. And, Entrapta’s work with Emily also proves something essential: that a robot can have a soul. Is that not worth exploring further?

Take such things into account regarding her actions such as hacking the Black Garnet. She's testing her theory by doing so, meanwhile the Princesses abandoned her, both physically, but also with their harsh emotional treatment of her, having never broached the topic of her research. They are angry and ignorant, just self involved with their own hurt over the war. And when they had her they acted like they only wanted Entrapta for her ability to make robots to defeat the Horde. A bit of irony, I guess…

Again, the Horde is beyond doubt wrong to bring war, but that doesn't change the fact that the Princesses are ignorant and have spent the last millennia playing into the trap the First Ones set for them. Entrapta's knowledge from experimentation helps guide them free from that.

In s4, it's Entrapta who ends up helping them avert disaster by warning Adora. Meanwhile, Glimmer is so consumed by her own hurt that she resorts to barbarism and using an evil super weapon. In s3 Adora had begun to understand the evil that the First Ones were making, but in s4 Glimmer hijacks any understanding Adora may have gained with her total focus on war. When asked to help save Entrapta and deal with the danger that threatens the planet, Glimmer is harmful and we can see her unfairness towards Entrapta, her false equivalences-

Glimmer is one of the top most guilty characters when it comes to prejudice towards Entrapta, and she's also totally prejudiced against the Horde in a way that always makes things worse.

It takes her own descent into evil for her to realize that her false equivalence of evil on all Horde may be wrong, which we see her reverse her understanding of in s5 while talking to Catra. In SPOP, everyone's trauma combines to make them nearly fail as the First Ones intended them to do. And Entrapta does her best to uncover these truths at all points in the story, she's never evil.

3:: Entrapta's emotional gains in the Horde and why the Princesses leaving her was a wrong assumption-

I think it's been said enough by others that the Horde allowing Entrapta to pursue science is fundamental. But in the Horde, Entrapta also learns about friendship and being valued.

Outside of the Horde, Entrapta faces prejudice, much because of her autism or otherwise, much like the people she meets in the Horde have. The way they treat her is different because of the backgrounds they have with having been falsely judged themselves.

In the Horde, Entrapta gains at least one true friend: Scorpia. And Catra values her: she sees how smart and capable Entrapta is right off the bat. She's not a friend, she's maybe even a terrible boss, but Catra shows Entrapta that she's valued for her hard work and unique skills. Catra also sees how others are prejudiced against Entrapta, like they were towards her.

And of course, Entrapta's relationship with Hordak is important as well. She helps him deal with his disability and their ship is adored. In short, Entrapta gains so much emotionally in the Horde.

Compare this to her time in the alliance, and we don't see much good. That the Princesses abandon her has everything to do with their inability to understand her and value her.

We're all mature fans here so let's not shy away from the difficult subject: the ableism Entrapta faces from the Princesses.

So, why Entrapta get left behind-

Once we begin to quantify how the Princesses have an ignorant approach to their world, and in how they treat Entrapta, we can see the underlying truth better.

Their behavior towards her is extremely hard to watch, and a sign of their own corrupted sense of niceness towards others who seem different: after living comfortable and privileged lives, they simply became accustomed to not accepting people who are different from their expectations. They're all caught up in their own emotional world. Entrapta’s neurodivergence is included in the harsh subconscious biases that they all have.

Again, this is a sign of how the Princesses are too immature to face a real enemy as powerful and dangerous as Prime, or even able to free themselves from the corruption the First Ones involved them in. After spending 4 seasons playing straight into the First Ones hands, Prime then descends upon them all suddenly, because of Glimmer's own mistake, when they've only just begun to see their own wrongness and to work together like is trumpeted in the theme song, Warriors🎶. They barely squeak out the win because of this slow march of learning to work together through butting heads, and that win comes much to do because of Entrapta's wise guidance...

They're also simply not nice to Entrapta…

That we're seeing ableism is what I am certain is precisely what's meant to be shown and discussed by ND Stevenson and CrewRa. It's hidden behind some layers of cute, but it's all there. Without these negative assumptions, the Princesses likely would have checked to see if Entrapta survived…

(Also, SPOP isn't a problematic series at all for showing this!! How can we discuss such an important subject if they shied away from showing it?? SPOP's writers showed courage and it's the wisest story I've ever seen..) ...back to the meta-

So yeah, her getting left behind is about their bias, but to breifly address the other thing- how did she survive? Keeping fancy details aside (my theory being saved for another time), she survives that moment <with ease> because of the fact that she's a MAD SCIENTIST. You think Entrapta hasn't had worse scares than a bit of fire?? (Clue: think about how she designs her everyday equipment, as a mad scientist, to prepare her for such situations..)

..So, back to ableism,

In s1, Perfuma putting Entrapta on a leash and then tying her up is ableist behavior. It's important to quantify this. She does it thinking Entrapta doesn't know what's going on, so she tries to take Entrapta's autonomy away. It's not necessary at all- Perfuma is bad at communication and is projecting her own fears of failure onto Entrapta, underestimating her abilities.

There's other unacceptable behaviors- Glimmer is dismissive towards Entrapta’s neurodivergence, Mermita’s constant negativity affects how Entrapta is viewed by the team as well. (If you're wondering where Adora fits in this- she ignores what's going on with others' bad behavior as part of her being consumed by her anxiety issue of failing to lead. >note: by being so blinded by anxiety, she's actually failing them in that exact way<.) But, in s1 Perfuma's actions are the worst, which is why that's what we're going to talk about.

We know how wrong Perfuma is simply because of the final outcome of the episode: after Entrapta goes ‘missing’, despite Perfuma's trying to control her, Entrapta returns triumphant, having befriended Emily and having rescued Sea Hawk- and in time to help them rescue Bow. Perfuma assumed Entrapta's excitement was inability to focus, that's only slightly true, but in truth Entrapta was mostly just multitasking. She's that much of a badass.

So, we can see how much the Princesses are underestimating Entrapta's abilities through Perfuma’s actions. And thus, it's not at all surprising that when Entrapta seemed to be in danger, they assumed the worst. The ableism, the assumption that Entrapta didn't ‘get it’, the not knowing how resourceful Entrapta is as a scientist, is why they give up on her when they shouldn't have.

... about the horde again...

In this way, it's pretty natural that she ends up with the Horde, as it is a much better situation for her in most ways- she's surrounded by people who have faced false judgements their whole lives like she has. The Princesses have so much prejudice, we can see that in how they treat Entrapta. Whatever else is wrong with the Horde, nobody is ableist towards Entrapta in the way the Princesses were.

In the Horde, Entrapta uses the access to science she has to study the real issues; she goes through hell when Catra ends up betraying her out of her traumas; she helps Adora avert the destruction of the planet at the end of s4... and yet in s5 she faces even MORE ableism from the Princesses.

When we see her in s5ep2, the Princesses say she's only interested in tech- which smells mightily of autistic ableism- essentially suggesting she's a robot. And then they blame her for everything- is that really fair?

No- it's frankly sad to watch how the Princesses spent the first 4 seasons walking straight into the trap the First Ones made for them. Also, their anger towards Entrapta comes after she's repaired Darla to fly across space so they can rescue Glimmer- have the Princesses thanked her for her unique contribution in this? Nope.

Whereas the ableism is hidden behind cute, funny sequences and excellent voice acting in s1, in s5 it's downright blatantly shown.

If Scorpia wasn't there to point out how Entrapta could help them, the Princesses would have continued in their negative, ableist views of Entrapta. Consider that- without Entrapta's one friend from the ‘evil’ Horde, the Princesses wouldn't have overcome their prejudice towards her, and so they wouldn't have even been able to save Glimmer. Hurray, Scorpia!! ❤️🖤🤍

We are once again being shown that they refuse to really try to understand Entrapta.

When Entrapta approaches the enemy base, she's doing her job and getting the data needed to find Glimmer. The Princesses force their expectation of how things should go onto Entrapta- and then blame her for ruining the mission. And yet, once Mermista finally sees that Entrapta absolutely knows the mission and is still trying to save Glimmer, she has no problem managing protection of Entrapta while she finishes getting the data..

Sure, Entrapta could been more stealthy, but their assumption that she doesn't understand what's happening was hurtful. They let their negativity consume them.

Also, we see Perfuma leash Entrapta again (briefly), and Mermista grabs Entrapta by the hair, leading to the Entrapta’s pained explanation that she 'gets it'. So, Mermista tries to remove Entrapta's autonomy- and physically hurts Entrapta with her anger. And then afterwards, Mermista can't give Entrapta a proper compliment- it comes combined with an insult when she tells her “Entrapta helped, too. You're still a wierdo, but you did good today. We've got your back, anytime."

Even if Mermista doesn't mean insult by choosing that word, she's still reinforcing the stereotype. Maybe she's using the word as a stand-in for her own past misunderstanding of Entrapta, it's still wrong. It shows her negative mindset that pervades her interactions with others. Entrapta, pure as she is, is overjoyed to get the acceptance that she's always wanted- she ignores the negativity. But, Mermista.. be better!!

A quick note, here, from the author: I *do* like Mermista and Perfuma, they're all best Princess in their ways- I'm just being real about how SPOP shows their negativity having consequences!! Thx, e.d. out ❤️

4:: Finally, let's talk about Entrapdak 🔬✨💞✨🧪

As said before, Entrapta has a pretty great way of getting past others' negativity to see the best in others, and her ability to do that with Hordak is the best example of it all.

In no time flat Entrapta bypasses Hordak's toxic negativity. She's like 'hey, let's not do that- let's be friends.' She believes in something better. Entrapta treats Hordak with the expectation that they should be friends, and she's not wrong to do it. Hordak isn't Prime, he can be better. He's still capable of being a conscientious feeling person, unlike his abuser who selfishly tried to destroy his sense of self. Her giving him a chance is what allows him to start finding that better person within himself.

And, as Hordak has faced ableism, like she has, Entrapta is the one to confront the ableism Hordak faced during his life head on and do something about it. (stating the obvious for posterity) She has empathy for him, nobody ever understands his pain better than she does. Even though they get separated half way through the series, her kindness sticks with him- helping him overcome his doubts and have a redemptive moment in s5.

Come s5, Entrapta still keeps fighting to get through to him, seeking to reestablish their friendship. That's everything to their success against Prime during the final moments before the Heart is activated. She really is unique in her determination to do better by others- nobody else in the series has as much steadfast goodness in the way they treat others as Entrapta does.

(...everyone else had to learn to believe in each other the hard way...)

In those final moments, as the universe faces destruction by Prime's hand, Entrapta best sums up in words the entire thesis of SPOP and our title theme song, 🎶Warriors🎶

“You can't control us! You don't know understand makes us strong, and that's why you'll never win!”

So much history goes into this moment, but Entrapta sums up what they've all been fighting for best. Nobody says it better- how love is strength. Not Catra in Corridors, not Adora in Save the Cat. She never gave up on Hordak, and he's about to show Prime why.

And that it's Entrapta that says it is no accident…

Entrapta gets it. She always did. They are stronger by love than Prime can ever defeat, if they just believe in each other.

And she's right to believe in Hordak, he won't do it, the love he has for Entrapta is too powerful for Prime to take from him. He's able to break free of the past hurtfulness that's controlled him.

Entrapta’s steadfast belief in Hordak saves them all- by casting down his abuser, Hordak interrupts Prime’s control of the Heart just long enough for Catra to show Adora her true feelings in the dream and to confess her love, setting up the kiss that saves the universe. (read the fun meta here) (short version here)

It's almost like Entrapta was best girl all along. I say that because she's so true to her heart that she deserves all of our love. (Sorry Scorpia, you're great, but, I stand firm!)

Final thoughts / Conclusion

In SPOP, we’re not supposed to accept the causal hurtfulness and prejudices the Princesses have. We can see how those make things worse in many ways, but directly in Entrapta’s arc. That's why s4 ends so chaotically- because they're all wrong. It's also why we see such reversals in Catra and Glimmer's arcs and things such as how Scorpia fits with the Princesses as if she always belonged. And it's why Entrapta struggles against prejudice even through s5. True wisdom cannot be gained while letting your emotions control you like the Princesses are doing.

That SPOP discussed such complex issues makes it one of the best stories ever written. I think it will have staying power and sets the bar for other stories..! (ND Stevenson told a great gay story, no doubt, but I mean it that the story is one of the best of all time, period!)

That causal hurtfulness, which is hidden behind cute animation and voice acting, is probably something we know in our own lives but grew accustomed to accepting- family members we love but hurt us or toxic societies we’re immersed in where we're told to accept as norms things that hurt people. I, for instance, can attest that I've seen it firsthand as I was totally abandoned by my parents to abuse because of their preconceived and hurtful notions of how safe and easy my life was supposed to be. ::Don't give in to base assumptions! The prejudice Entrapta deals with helps to teach us about how these biases make things worse. Also: in a lot of ways, Entrapta's dedication to science is also the best response to negative bias. Data doesn't lie, after all…

Entrapta's arc is meant for us to think deeper. War is a confusing subject. Lots of fans attribute SPOP's war to be something it's not- many wars are lead by murderous sociopaths. Other wars are about both sides acting on past grievances and inflicting trauma in a cycle that makes things worse. SPOP is this story. Like the unfair way the Princesses treat Entrapta, the way they deal with the war is wrong, too. And the Horde are repeating traumas as well- yet Hordak isn't a sociopath. His love for her shows that.

Entrapta's way of acting is the closest to a emotionally sound response to the war that there is in SPOP. In the absence of a better choice, Entrapta does what she knows best: Science, and friendship towards others. Catra, all the Princess alliance, are letting their worst emotions control their actions. Entrapta treats everyone well because that's how people should be treated. She wants to be friends- she wants to help people and be valued.

... yes... she also wants to geek out constantly, and holy cow do I get her. (I will act the same way when I'm excited about facts, space IS awesome. I will absolutely geek out over how lethal it is!!) Facts are cool. There's nothing wrong with her enthusiasm, it should be appreciated. The Princesses often take her comments in the worst way possible (such as when she's remarking how amazing Horde Prime's tech is- when it is amazing.!) Her wanting to know the secrets behind things is worth it, she's curious about everything, like we all should be.

Still, I think it's how she treats others that makes her best princess. That's why she tugs so much on our heartstrings- she doesn't just show us how she's best or good, her actions reveal the best in others, such as Hordak. Best girl Entrapta. She's also a total badass, and a genius (thanks, Bow- took 4 seasons too long for someone to say it) Do you agree? Feel free to let me know! 👍

And finally- autism aside, she's great. I'm sorry if I can't give more guidance about the subject, but, autistic people are fantastic people, period. The Princesses shoulda looked to work with her better, her sensitivity is not a barrier!! Id they had, the story may have been much kinder over all. (...But would that really be a realistic story-? probs not...) At some point, somebody has to have the courage to believe in others, Entrapta is that kind of person. We should all strive to be as excellent of a person as Entrapta is.

As always, if there's a detail of this meta (I got very meta again, sorry I can't help myself) you'd like clarified, ask me and I will gladly explain, with data, Entrapta style!! Please give THIS A 🧬🧪✨REBLOGG✨🧪🧬 and/or a like if you enjoyed it, and I hope you have a great one,

Etheria Dearie.

Author personal note:

Hey, thank you to my reader for asking me this one. Sorry it took so long, I hope I was able to speak conscientious about this subject 😔. To my readers: If it feels like I'm showing anger at ableism in my writing, ya caught me. I've been trying to correct my life to get away from abusive people and there's just no great way for someone partially disabled like I am to find good housing. Our entire society is set up to gatekeep such people from having that security, and I'm staring it right in the face now. So, I'm mad. p.s: thx for reading... anybody reblogg me? 😁❤️🙇

Here's a list of my meta's so far for new readers: https://etheriadearie.tumblr.com/post/647767378317492224/hey-i-just-found-your-blog-and-ive-gotta-say

Etheria Dearie ::blog

Etheria Dearie ::blog

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 intere

Hey, love your posts! They provided me with lots of good info for a future fanfic of mine! And I'm not just talking about Catradora... Anyway, I wonder what you would have to say about Entrapta, she's kind of my favorite character in the whole show

oh my gosh, yes! Entrapta really is the best… ...let's all talk about it

Decoding Entrapta's Arc

-a data driven analysis-

Firstly, thanks for reading my blog! I totally love Entrapta, too… I actually consider her to be the most likable person in SPOP. In her, we’re seeing someone being the best person she can be, always.

She's a sweetheart, and all along she's trying to do the right thing. She doesn't stray from her ideals, and that shows courage.

She’s a person who remains good to the people around her, despite their negativity, and she's the only person who is honestly trying to understand the real truths of Etheria and how the First Ones corrupted the planet. She's after answers to the important questions. Does that get messy along the way? Sure, but her motivations were always about the truth, and we can see her goodness in how she treats others.

Entrapta's inherent goodness is in contrast to those around her, who are caught up in their own trauma and ignorances and because of that behave badly and are playing out the corrupt plans the First Ones made for them all.

This is what the whole story of SPOP is about- historical traumas which they have all been manipulated into- Horde and Rebellion alike- in order to fail as the First Ones intend them to.

Both sides are wrong in how they act, everyone is hurtful including to each other in their alliances. The war continues like it does largely because of everyone's self involvement in their own trauma and emotions. Entrapta is unique in that she's mostly immune to this criticism- as the one person truly seeking answers. (Note: all -> hyperlinks <- are on tumblr)

Yes, the Horde plays their role as an enemy to a t (..and yet how did Hordak end up on Etheria-? a:The First Ones..), the Princesses are ignorant of their own role as part of this millennia old corruption, and they lash out towards others who are different, with prejudice. That they don't know their involvement in the First Ones conspiracy doesn't make their behavior right, even if the Horde bringing war upon them is so wrong. What's that war really about? Entrapta is in the middle of this mess, trying to figure out what the truth is. And her discoveries of those truths will save them all in the end…

So, this hurtfulness on all sides can be seen personally in Entrapta's arc, as a person who faces prejudice while trying her best to understand what's really true. From the beginning she knows something is wrong with what the First Ones did, it's her goal. In this way we can see her character arc as a weathervane of the plot over all- because the Princesses are wrong in how they treat her from the start. And they're wrong in how they treat the war as well.

Our sweetest Entrapta goes about her business of finding the real truths behind what's happened to Etheria throughout the story, and she does a stalwart job of it- all while being hurt by others prejudices and trauma guided actions. Yes, some of what she does is wrong, like participating in war, but she isn't being given other good options. She's doing what she feels is right and her best to stay dedicated to the truth- scientifically, but while also remaining the kind person she is.

How she gets hurt within the Horde- well, we all see that in Catra's betrayal, but the Princesses are hurtful, too. In fact, the Princesses have a casual kind of hurtfulness that’s totally frustrating to watch which comes from the privileged lives they lived, and they force that hurtfulness on each other all of the time, not just Entrapta. We’ll talk more about this later, but Entrapta gets the worst of it. Nevermind that SPOP cautiously hides this causal hurtfulness behind cute humor and excellent voice acting for the kids- the Princesses' hurtfulness is plain to see if we just look for it.

Much of our discussion will focus on this and the role of the First Ones historical betrayal in all of their actions, with Entrapta doing her best to uncover the real truths of it all. Without her doing that, the Princesses would have failed in the end, like they almost do at the end of s4, when the oldest of their real enemies- the First Ones- almost successfully use them all as a weapon. And, as they face their final true enemy, Horde Prime, they would have failed against him, too, if not for the knowledge Entrapta gains through scientific study. Both sides are caught up in the plans made for them, acting on their traumas. Entrapta works so hard to know the truth, and to use it to help, and we love her for that.

..And about above, they only avoid the weapon going off in s4 much because of Entrapta warning Adora in time, so we get to thank her yet again...

So without further ado, here's some major topics we’ll cover:

1:: How Entrapta is simply one of the nicest people, her friendly and easy going manner reflects her way of believing in the best in others-

2:: How Entrapta is a great scientist and by this very fact she's a great person, because the truth must guide them all-

3:: How the Princesses assuming Entrapta died is part of their prejudices and unwillingness to understand others who are different for them, and if not for those prejudices they may have realized that she survived-

4:: And, of course, a bit about how Entrapdak reveals Entrapta's best self, her ability to see the best in Hordak (and others) makes her one of the best people, in the end she sums up the meaning of Warriors🎶 best with her own words-

1:: So about Entrapta's positivity..

I mentioned that Entrapta is doing her best with the situations she's given, that’s true scientifically but it includes how she treats others. She's always bringing positivity, not pessimism, which is under appreciated. To sum it up, Entrapta’s philosophy towards others is to always believe in something better; she strives to see the best in them. Maybe I'm stating the obvious, but, how can we not love her for that?

This includes people who were constantly vilified, such as Catra, Scorpia and Hordak. And her jovial attitude is at times looked down on as misguided by others. Is that right? I don't think so…

This preconception to judge her unfairly is very apparent with the Princesses. They really do seem to treat her cheerfulness as if it's wrong, even part of her autistic oddness. In truth: she's funny, full of positivity and amicable to others at all times. The Princesses treat her like she's weird for it..

::So yeah, guess what- dealing with people can be confusing for anyone- autism isn't actually the story there. Her ability not to be judgey like others around her (unlike the Princesses who treat her as ‘too weird’) sets her apart. Entrapta wants others to be happy, she wants to get along, she welcomes others' differences even if she doesn't quite understand them. She, in actuality, works pretty well on a team. What's really happening with the Princesses is that by judging Entrapta they are falling short of HER level of goodness, and that shows their damage, not hers.

We’ll come back to the Princesses' harmful behaviors later, but they are absolutely there and what is happening is that they assume the worst about her. When in reality, Entrapta is an total badass.

It's also wrong to assume that Entrapta doesn't realize the people around her aren't as nice as she is. She later reflects to Hordak that 'she wasn't good enough for them’ and doesn't understand why it goes wrong, like it did in the Rebellion leaving her and then with Catra not talking to her anymore. It's confusing to her, what she doesn't realize is that they're acting out their own hurt by being mean to her. This is also when she charmingly swears to never give up trying. Most of all, as time goes by Entrapta shows us that she really does get it.

She keeps a positive beat at all points in the story, all as she goes about her business of finding out the real truths of what the First Ones did to Etheria. Even abandoned on Beast Island, she's able to make good use of her time to do this. And she doesn't hold a grudge.

Even against Catra, who we know hurts her so badly. Here's my favorite example of Entrapta ‘getting it’ all along:

Entrapta's ✨🧪amazing🔬✨ sense of humor is on full display as she humorously roasts Catra over her past harmfulness. We see that actually, she understood all along why Catra might feel threatened by her for that- but also that she wasn't considering acting on it before Catra brought it up. She's not spiteful. And, it tells us something really fun about her- that she doesn't always mean what she says as serious- she likes to kid around. ☺️ (i.e Entrapta sayings she's gonna dissect Adora in s1ep5 🙃)

So, she doesn't let Catra off easy at all for her past harmfulness. And, it's so fun to see her put the heat on Catra. She's also wise toward others, like she is with Hordak- she sees what's underneath and that Catra's apology is sincere. She's a kindhearted person, forgiving is not a hang up for her. I think she'll be friends with Catra; as she certainly knew when to humorously punk Catra's ass for what she did in the past.

So, there's really no good reason for why she gets hurt so much by others. Again, their damage, not hers.

::Also, I won't be dwelling on her autism too much- I'm not diagnosed with it so others can tell that story better- but, we can instead attribute much of Entrapta’s social struggles simply due to her lack of social experience. We don't need to look to her autism at all to understand their disconnects with her, we're seeing their damage because Entrapta is always sweet to others and which goes ignored. They're just not great people.

(For context, we know Entrapta was mostly raised away from people, by robots, so she doesn't understand their confusion with her.) Considering this, she does really well- we see her actually do a pretty good job of interacting with others on a team in s1. By the end of the series, it's quite clear Entrapta could understand where others were coming from all along- even if her processes of understanding it maybe looks different from what it does for less neurodivergent people.

So, that's what's going on from the beginning Entrapta shoulda been treated better- she was always a good person and trying to do her best with the situations given to her. And again, as a scientist- Entrapta is the only person asking the real questions about what's going on with the First Ones corruption of Etheria, something she does from the very start. Which is why we need to talk about what Entrapta's always so ecstatic about:

2:: SCIENCE DOESN'T LIE!!!

By searching for the answers to what the First Ones did to Etheria- how the planet was corrupted for the First Ones weapon- she's focused on the real issues. And science is the best way to do that, which is her skill. While the Horde and the Princesses fight each other mercilessly, she's concerned with the real plot, and their real enemy- the First Ones.

Everything in SPOP relates back to the original betrayal and the historical trauma of the First Ones- Something Entrapta is already beginning to grasp even before we're first introduced to her. Yet it takes until she joins the Horde for anyone to ask her about her research… Why is that-?

Long story short, the Princesses are way too self involved in their own hurt and the apparent unfairness of the Horde showing up out of nowhere and bringing war onto them. Yet that the Horde came from nowhere is a clue in itself, is it not? If Hordak isn't Etherian, how? (A: Light Hope is the only person capable of bringing him to Etheria- she brought him there to start the war). The Princesses totally miss this.

This doesn't make what the Horde is doing any less wrong, it just shows that the Princesses are ignorant of their own world. Is it ok for the Princesses to have spent the last millennia living in comfort, not addressing the real issues and unaware of what the First Ones turned them into?

It's not, and so SPOP is about historical trauma.

Everything is wrong on Etheria, not just the Horde. The Princesses are far too naive to face a full on evil enemy like the First Ones or Horde Prime.

.. You may be thinking of people who exclaim ‘well they couldn't have known what they didn't know’ but is that right?

No. To elaborate: NooOoOooo!! 🔬

We know they could have known better because Shadow Weaver knew all of this history, she studied it to get more power. For herself, at any cost. And if she could figure it out, they could have. The Princesses lived complacently for the last millennia.

In reality, Entrapta is basically trying to catch up to what Shadow Weaver knew from the beginning of the whole series::

Whereas Shadow Weaver never uses that knowledge for good, only looking to sacrifice Adora to release Etheria’s full sorcerous powers for herself, (read the meta of how SW is the real villain of SPOP above) Entrapta wants to help and provides actual guidance and understanding to the Princesses which they need to get free of the First Ones plot against them, and then to stop Horde Prime. She doesn't get enough recognition for that from the Princesses….

Some of her most massive achievements, which wouldn't have been possible without her study and experimentations, include:

-She's able to repair Darla and get the ship across space and back, which is no small feat,

-She's able to locate Glimmer and help rescue her and Catra,

-She frees everyone on Etheria from Prime's control.

- And many more

In this way, we can really get to understand how even some of her actions she's most vilified for are part of her seeking these truths and gaining the knowledge they will need to survive. Let's talk about a couple of them.

Why Entrapta’s search with science looks so messy: Hacking the Black Garnet

What Entrapta experimenting on the Black Garnet was really about was testing her theories of what's wrong with Etheria. She doesn't do it to hurt people (obviously) and yes it causes chaos. Yet that's a huge clue- why does a runestone used in such a way cause destruction? The Princesses miss the point.

Many other hints get dropped along the way, and they just keep missing them because of their blindness from anger over the war. You can also see Entrapta's hand in most of these other hints:

Why can Adora be corrupted by First Ones tech contacting the sword? If Horde Prime is waiting outside Despondos and can destroy them all, how and why did Etheria end up secluded from the universe?

… Where did the stars go ?

The Princesses' cluelessness is all to do about the naive way they existed for the last millennia, a historical trauma which is catching up to them in real time as our series begins. Entrapta is trying to catch up to the real truth by studying Etheria like she does- chaos and all.

...Can the Princesses really remain ignorant and just keep escalating a war over past grievances? Would defeating Hordak even stop the greater plot against them all? Not at all- most likely they would have just then reconnected the runestones and Light Hope would have blown up the planet before they even realized what she was doing. Entrapta’s study is vastly necessary, they need her help- everything is necessary learning for Entrapta.

Yeah, science tends to be messy, but when Catra asks her about her research, leading to them hacking the Black Garnet, Entrapta is testing her hypothesis- and she proves it true. Entrapta will take her gained knowledge from this and other endeavors to be the capable scientist they need her to be in s5 to stop Prime. They need to know these truths. Necessary learning.

So, even this act she's vilified for is misunderstood by the Princesses who miss the clues of how what occurs reveals their own corruption. Because of course they did.

Entrapta’s further actions such as building the portal machine are also related to finding the real truth. If Etheria is isolated, the outside universe would have answers. It's good Entrapta’s machine doesn't bring Horde Prime down on them all at that juncture, they're not ready- she also tries to stop it, only failing due to the traumatized state Catra is in that episode after Shadow Weaver shows up and nearly kills her.

I won't recap everything she does but let's talk about the one consistent criticism: Entrapta building bots.

...note: this is something the Princesses asked her to do yet she ends up doing for the Horde instead...

When in fact, are these bots the killing machines many assume them to be? No, Frosta herself reveals that they aren't. And this fact isn't about softening the show for a kids audience. SPOP isn't that story-

The Horde isn't genociding people, like some uneducated detractors suggest- because that's not what the story of SPOP is about (go watch ATLA… it depicts genocide and it's a children's show- also, the civilians in SPOP don't participate in the war). It's about historical traumas and how ALL of them are continuing violence in a way that amplifies those past evils. And, Entrapta’s work with Emily also proves something essential: that a robot can have a soul. Is that not worth exploring further?

Take such things into account regarding her actions such as hacking the Black Garnet. She's testing her theory by doing so, meanwhile the Princesses abandoned her, both physically, but also with their harsh emotional treatment of her, having never broached the topic of her research. They are angry and ignorant, just self involved with their own hurt over the war. And when they had her they acted like they only wanted Entrapta for her ability to make robots to defeat the Horde. A bit of irony, I guess…

Again, the Horde is beyond doubt wrong to bring war, but that doesn't change the fact that the Princesses are ignorant and have spent the last millennia playing into the trap the First Ones set for them. Entrapta's knowledge from experimentation helps guide them free from that.

In s4, it's Entrapta who ends up helping them avert disaster by warning Adora. Meanwhile, Glimmer is so consumed by her own hurt that she resorts to barbarism and using an evil super weapon. In s3 Adora had begun to understand the evil that the First Ones were making, but in s4 Glimmer hijacks any understanding Adora may have gained with her total focus on war. When asked to help save Entrapta and deal with the danger that threatens the planet, Glimmer is harmful and we can see her unfairness towards Entrapta, her false equivalences-

Glimmer is one of the top most guilty characters when it comes to prejudice towards Entrapta, and she's also totally prejudiced against the Horde in a way that always makes things worse.

It takes her own descent into evil for her to realize that her false equivalence of evil on all Horde may be wrong, which we see her reverse her understanding of in s5 while talking to Catra. In SPOP, everyone's trauma combines to make them nearly fail as the First Ones intended them to do. And Entrapta does her best to uncover these truths at all points in the story, she's never evil.

3:: Entrapta's emotional gains in the Horde and why the Princesses leaving her was a wrong assumption-

I think it's been said enough by others that the Horde allowing Entrapta to pursue science is fundamental. But in the Horde, Entrapta also learns about friendship and being valued.

Outside of the Horde, Entrapta faces prejudice, much because of her autism or otherwise, much like the people she meets in the Horde have. The way they treat her is different because of the backgrounds they have with having been falsely judged themselves.

In the Horde, Entrapta gains at least one true friend: Scorpia. And Catra values her: she sees how smart and capable Entrapta is right off the bat. She's not a friend, she's maybe even a terrible boss, but Catra shows Entrapta that she's valued for her hard work and unique skills. Catra also sees how others are prejudiced against Entrapta, like they were towards her.

And of course, Entrapta's relationship with Hordak is important as well. She helps him deal with his disability and their ship is adored. In short, Entrapta gains so much emotionally in the Horde.

Compare this to her time in the alliance, and we don't see much good. That the Princesses abandon her has everything to do with their inability to understand her and value her.

We're all mature fans here so let's not shy away from the difficult subject: the ableism Entrapta faces from the Princesses.

So, why Entrapta get left behind-

Once we begin to quantify how the Princesses have an ignorant approach to their world, and in how they treat Entrapta, we can see the underlying truth better.

Their behavior towards her is extremely hard to watch, and a sign of their own corrupted sense of niceness towards others who seem different: after living comfortable and privileged lives, they simply became accustomed to not accepting people who are different from their expectations. They're all caught up in their own emotional world. Entrapta’s neurodivergence is included in the harsh subconscious biases that they all have.

Again, this is a sign of how the Princesses are too immature to face a real enemy as powerful and dangerous as Prime, or even able to free themselves from the corruption the First Ones involved them in. After spending 4 seasons playing straight into the First Ones hands, Prime then descends upon them all suddenly, because of Glimmer's own mistake, when they've only just begun to see their own wrongness and to work together like is trumpeted in the theme song, Warriors🎶. They barely squeak out the win because of this slow march of learning to work together through butting heads, and that win comes much to do because of Entrapta's wise guidance...

They're also simply not nice to Entrapta…

That we're seeing ableism is what I am certain is precisely what's meant to be shown and discussed by ND Stevenson and CrewRa. It's hidden behind some layers of cute, but it's all there. Without these negative assumptions, the Princesses likely would have checked to see if Entrapta survived…

(Also, SPOP isn't a problematic series at all for showing this!! How can we discuss such an important subject if they shied away from showing it?? SPOP's writers showed courage and it's the wisest story I've ever seen..) ...back to the meta-

So yeah, her getting left behind is about their bias, but to breifly address the other thing- how did she survive? Keeping fancy details aside (my theory being saved for another time), she survives that moment <with ease> because of the fact that she's a MAD SCIENTIST. You think Entrapta hasn't had worse scares than a bit of fire?? (Clue: think about how she designs her everyday equipment, as a mad scientist, to prepare her for such situations..)

..So, back to ableism,

In s1, Perfuma putting Entrapta on a leash and then tying her up is ableist behavior. It's important to quantify this. She does it thinking Entrapta doesn't know what's going on, so she tries to take Entrapta's autonomy away. It's not necessary at all- Perfuma is bad at communication and is projecting her own fears of failure onto Entrapta, underestimating her abilities.

There's other unacceptable behaviors- Glimmer is dismissive towards Entrapta’s neurodivergence, Mermita’s constant negativity affects how Entrapta is viewed by the team as well. (If you're wondering where Adora fits in this- she ignores what's going on with others' bad behavior as part of her being consumed by her anxiety issue of failing to lead. >note: by being so blinded by anxiety, she's actually failing them in that exact way<.) But, in s1 Perfuma's actions are the worst, which is why that's what we're going to talk about.

We know how wrong Perfuma is simply because of the final outcome of the episode: after Entrapta goes ‘missing’, despite Perfuma's trying to control her, Entrapta returns triumphant, having befriended Emily and having rescued Sea Hawk- and in time to help them rescue Bow. Perfuma assumed Entrapta's excitement was inability to focus, that's only slightly true, but in truth Entrapta was mostly just multitasking. She's that much of a badass.

So, we can see how much the Princesses are underestimating Entrapta's abilities through Perfuma’s actions. And thus, it's not at all surprising that when Entrapta seemed to be in danger, they assumed the worst. The ableism, the assumption that Entrapta didn't ‘get it’, the not knowing how resourceful Entrapta is as a scientist, is why they give up on her when they shouldn't have.

... about the horde again...

In this way, it's pretty natural that she ends up with the Horde, as it is a much better situation for her in most ways- she's surrounded by people who have faced false judgements their whole lives like she has. The Princesses have so much prejudice, we can see that in how they treat Entrapta. Whatever else is wrong with the Horde, nobody is ableist towards Entrapta in the way the Princesses were.

In the Horde, Entrapta uses the access to science she has to study the real issues; she goes through hell when Catra ends up betraying her out of her traumas; she helps Adora avert the destruction of the planet at the end of s4... and yet in s5 she faces even MORE ableism from the Princesses.

When we see her in s5ep2, the Princesses say she's only interested in tech- which smells mightily of autistic ableism- essentially suggesting she's a robot. And then they blame her for everything- is that really fair?

No- it's frankly sad to watch how the Princesses spent the first 4 seasons walking straight into the trap the First Ones made for them. Also, their anger towards Entrapta comes after she's repaired Darla to fly across space so they can rescue Glimmer- have the Princesses thanked her for her unique contribution in this? Nope.

Whereas the ableism is hidden behind cute, funny sequences and excellent voice acting in s1, in s5 it's downright blatantly shown.

If Scorpia wasn't there to point out how Entrapta could help them, the Princesses would have continued in their negative, ableist views of Entrapta. Consider that- without Entrapta's one friend from the ‘evil’ Horde, the Princesses wouldn't have overcome their prejudice towards her, and so they wouldn't have even been able to save Glimmer. Hurray, Scorpia!! ❤️🖤🤍

We are once again being shown that they refuse to really try to understand Entrapta.

When Entrapta approaches the enemy base, she's doing her job and getting the data needed to find Glimmer. The Princesses force their expectation of how things should go onto Entrapta- and then blame her for ruining the mission. And yet, once Mermista finally sees that Entrapta absolutely knows the mission and is still trying to save Glimmer, she has no problem managing protection of Entrapta while she finishes getting the data..

Sure, Entrapta could been more stealthy, but their assumption that she doesn't understand what's happening was hurtful. They let their negativity consume them.

Also, we see Perfuma leash Entrapta again (briefly), and Mermista grabs Entrapta by the hair, leading to the Entrapta’s pained explanation that she 'gets it'. So, Mermista tries to remove Entrapta's autonomy- and physically hurts Entrapta with her anger. And then afterwards, Mermista can't give Entrapta a proper compliment- it comes combined with an insult when she tells her “Entrapta helped, too. You're still a wierdo, but you did good today. We've got your back, anytime."

Even if Mermista doesn't mean insult by choosing that word, she's still reinforcing the stereotype. Maybe she's using the word as a stand-in for her own past misunderstanding of Entrapta, it's still wrong. It shows her negative mindset that pervades her interactions with others. Entrapta, pure as she is, is overjoyed to get the acceptance that she's always wanted- she ignores the negativity. But, Mermista.. be better!!

A quick note, here, from the author: I *do* like Mermista and Perfuma, they're all best Princess in their ways- I'm just being real about how SPOP shows their negativity having consequences!! Thx, e.d. out ❤️

4:: Finally, let's talk about Entrapdak 🔬✨💞✨🧪

As said before, Entrapta has a pretty great way of getting past others' negativity to see the best in others, and her ability to do that with Hordak is the best example of it all.

In no time flat Entrapta bypasses Hordak's toxic negativity. She's like 'hey, let's not do that- let's be friends.' She believes in something better. Entrapta treats Hordak with the expectation that they should be friends, and she's not wrong to do it. Hordak isn't Prime, he can be better. He's still capable of being a conscientious feeling person, unlike his abuser who selfishly tried to destroy his sense of self. Her giving him a chance is what allows him to start finding that better person within himself.

And, as Hordak has faced ableism, like she has, Entrapta is the one to confront the ableism Hordak faced during his life head on and do something about it. (stating the obvious for posterity) She has empathy for him, nobody ever understands his pain better than she does. Even though they get separated half way through the series, her kindness sticks with him- helping him overcome his doubts and have a redemptive moment in s5.

Come s5, Entrapta still keeps fighting to get through to him, seeking to reestablish their friendship. That's everything to their success against Prime during the final moments before the Heart is activated. She really is unique in her determination to do better by others- nobody else in the series has as much steadfast goodness in the way they treat others as Entrapta does.

(...everyone else had to learn to believe in each other the hard way...)

In those final moments, as the universe faces destruction by Prime's hand, Entrapta best sums up in words the entire thesis of SPOP and our title theme song, 🎶Warriors🎶

“You can't control us! You don't know understand makes us strong, and that's why you'll never win!”

So much history goes into this moment, but Entrapta sums up what they've all been fighting for best. Nobody says it better- how love is strength. Not Catra in Corridors, not Adora in Save the Cat. She never gave up on Hordak, and he's about to show Prime why.

And that it's Entrapta that says it is no accident…

Entrapta gets it. She always did. They are stronger by love than Prime can ever defeat, if they just believe in each other.

And she's right to believe in Hordak, he won't do it, the love he has for Entrapta is too powerful for Prime to take from him. He's able to break free of the past hurtfulness that's controlled him.

Entrapta’s steadfast belief in Hordak saves them all- by casting down his abuser, Hordak interrupts Prime’s control of the Heart just long enough for Catra to show Adora her true feelings in the dream and to confess her love, setting up the kiss that saves the universe. (read the fun meta here) (short version here)

It's almost like Entrapta was best girl all along. I say that because she's so true to her heart that she deserves all of our love. (Sorry Scorpia, you're great, but, I stand firm!)

Final thoughts / Conclusion

In SPOP, we’re not supposed to accept the causal hurtfulness and prejudices the Princesses have. We can see how those make things worse in many ways, but directly in Entrapta’s arc. That's why s4 ends so chaotically- because they're all wrong. It's also why we see such reversals in Catra and Glimmer's arcs and things such as how Scorpia fits with the Princesses as if she always belonged. And it's why Entrapta struggles against prejudice even through s5. True wisdom cannot be gained while letting your emotions control you like the Princesses are doing.

That SPOP discussed such complex issues makes it one of the best stories ever written. I think it will have staying power and sets the bar for other stories..! (ND Stevenson told a great gay story, no doubt, but I mean it that the story is one of the best of all time, period!)

That causal hurtfulness, which is hidden behind cute animation and voice acting, is probably something we know in our own lives but grew accustomed to accepting- family members we love but hurt us or toxic societies we’re immersed in where we're told to accept as norms things that hurt people. I, for instance, can attest that I've seen it firsthand as I was totally abandoned by my parents to abuse because of their preconceived and hurtful notions of how safe and easy my life was supposed to be. ::Don't give in to base assumptions! The prejudice Entrapta deals with helps to teach us about how these biases make things worse. Also: in a lot of ways, Entrapta's dedication to science is also the best response to negative bias. Data doesn't lie, after all…

Entrapta's arc is meant for us to think deeper. War is a confusing subject. Lots of fans attribute SPOP's war to be something it's not- many wars are lead by murderous sociopaths. Other wars are about both sides acting on past grievances and inflicting trauma in a cycle that makes things worse. SPOP is this story. Like the unfair way the Princesses treat Entrapta, the way they deal with the war is wrong, too. And the Horde are repeating traumas as well- yet Hordak isn't a sociopath. His love for her shows that.

Entrapta's way of acting is the closest to a emotionally sound response to the war that there is in SPOP. In the absence of a better choice, Entrapta does what she knows best: Science, and friendship towards others. Catra, all the Princess alliance, are letting their worst emotions control their actions. Entrapta treats everyone well because that's how people should be treated. She wants to be friends- she wants to help people and be valued.

... yes... she also wants to geek out constantly, and holy cow do I get her. (I will act the same way when I'm excited about facts, space IS awesome. I will absolutely geek out over how lethal it is!!) Facts are cool. There's nothing wrong with her enthusiasm, it should be appreciated. The Princesses often take her comments in the worst way possible (such as when she's remarking how amazing Horde Prime's tech is- when it is amazing.!) Her wanting to know the secrets behind things is worth it, she's curious about everything, like we all should be.

Still, I think it's how she treats others that makes her best princess. That's why she tugs so much on our heartstrings- she doesn't just show us how she's best or good, her actions reveal the best in others, such as Hordak. Best girl Entrapta. She's also a total badass, and a genius (thanks, Bow- took 4 seasons too long for someone to say it) Do you agree? Feel free to let me know! 👍

And finally- autism aside, she's great. I'm sorry if I can't give more guidance about the subject, but, autistic people are fantastic people, period. The Princesses shoulda looked to work with her better, her sensitivity is not a barrier!! Id they had, the story may have been much kinder over all. (...But would that really be a realistic story-? probs not...) At some point, somebody has to have the courage to believe in others, Entrapta is that kind of person. We should all strive to be as excellent of a person as Entrapta is.

As always, if there's a detail of this meta (I got very meta again, sorry I can't help myself) you'd like clarified, ask me and I will gladly explain, with data, Entrapta style!! Please give THIS A 🧬🧪✨REBLOGG✨🧪🧬 and/or a like if you enjoyed it, and I hope you have a great one,

Etheria Dearie.

Author personal note:

Hey, thank you to my reader for asking me this one. Sorry it took so long, I hope I was able to speak conscientious about this subject 😔. To my readers: If it feels like I'm showing anger at ableism in my writing, ya caught me. I've been trying to correct my life to get away from abusive people and there's just no great way for someone partially disabled like I am to find good housing. Our entire society is set up to gatekeep such people from having that security, and I'm staring it right in the face now. So, I'm mad. p.s: thx for reading... anybody reblogg me? 😁❤️🙇

Here's a list of my meta's so far for new readers: https://etheriadearie.tumblr.com/post/647767378317492224/hey-i-just-found-your-blog-and-ive-gotta-say

Etheria Dearie ::blog

Etheria Dearie ::blog

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 intere

Hi! First of all, love your blog!! I have a question that I would love to hear your thoughts on - I love your analysis of catra and think so much of it is spot on. I love hearing about how much of her actions have come from a place of love for adora.. I was wondering what about the scene where she cuts adora off the cliff to presumably fall to her death? was she really in that moment ok with killing her? what do you think about Moments like that where we see the physical harm she is willing

Catra's long walk through darkness to being the light of Adora's life-

This is such an important moment so thanks for bringing it up. To put things simply, Catra believes she’s not killing Adora. In fact, I'm certain she KNOWS she isn't. How am I sure? Because what we’re seeing play out is something deeper, that is, in fact, magic... (meta to come, but first…)

Pictured: four times Catra encounters Etheria's magic- (Promise/Promise/Portal/Heart Part2)

Promise is the most important episode of SPOP prior to s5, it really has no equal. The fractured history of their relationship before we meet them in ep1 is revealed, and as such, the reasons Catra feels she must be apart- all while there are actually three forces acting upon both Catra and Adora. I hear about two of them, but what's the third?

I'd encourage anyone reading this meta to carefully listen as Catra makes Adora fall. Because what we're hearing is important. (feel free to do so now or later)

🎶🎵 Do you hear it? 🎶🎵 Why does the music rise and then gloriously crescendo as Catra says her final goodbye?

The music rising here makes this an 🎶undeniably🎶 positive moment for Catra. This is -their- song, Promise, and it crescendos as Catra leaves Adora. So what's the deal?

Well, in short, it means that Catra leaving Adora is the right thing. How can that be. Well, Adora's willingness to sacrifice herself, and others, who she loves, to fulfill duty is wrong. Adora isn't becoming a hero like the Princesses and Light Hope tell her she is, she's walking into a millennia old trap. Catra has seen this behavior before, and Adora’s not choosing the strong path of a hero of love.

Adora’s false belief in duty means that she goes from fulfilling one manipulator's every wish, Shadow Weaver, to another when she gets the sword- the First Ones. And Catra knows in her gut that Adora is wrong, like she has been before. So, Catra -must- refuse to enable her any longer. In doing so, Catra is rightly asserting her own personal worth.

The narrative arc goes on to show us that in s1-4 Adora not a hero, and the reasons Catra is rejecting her during Promise are exactly why she's not on the true path of She-ra: By rejecting love, Adora cannot be a hero, she instead enacts a false form of false justice thats based in naive belief and others prejudices. This is why Catra wanted to go, because she’s seen it all before- where Adora rationalizes others' pain as part of her false duty, letting her anxious need to satisfy others control her.

Yes, the war is terrible, and Catra is directly involved in its cruelty. We should absolutely fault her for that. I'll of course talk about Adora's violence being similar, but Catra indeed rationalizes violence as necessary in a terribly biased way. Like many of you, I found her s4 portrayal hard to stomach and I didn't know if she could come back from who she seemed to have become. It took Nate Stevenson’s genius s5 for me to realize he had done something amazing with her and Adora’s arcs. Yet, in the subtext of the plot it's obvious that Catra shouldn't go with Adora, as well as that the war that they fight in s1-4 isn't quite what it seems... (more later)

In the most basic way possible, Catra would not want to go along with Adora considering her false behavior, but this is a decision reinforced by the power of magic, which we’ll discuss. Catra’s choices are rooted in survival always, (not in wanting power or proving herself, nuhuh) and the way Adora treated her was abandonment which encouraged the violence she was up against from their abuser. It's not surprising Catra would want to go her own way, and so the only way she sees for herself to survive is within the Horde. It's about survival, simply that.

And Adora, meanwhile, can't have her cake (trying to enact a false form of She-ra justice) and eat it too (have Catra’s love.) She feels loneliness where Catra used to be because of her own falseness that she’s acting out due to her traumas. Going on emotions alone there are good reasons for their separation, and both are wrong, but there's also a magical force here that's leading them both up to the true crescendo of Promise when Catra confesses her love…

But I digress, let's discuss the meaning of Promise, and the hidden magic behind what happens.

The 3 forces: two good, one "evil"

The first of the three forces acting on Catra and Adora in Promise is plain to see: the love which they have for each other, which ought to mean that they can heal their divide. But, as we know, their love is too fractured at this point to do so.

The next is our 'evil' force- Light Hope, who most people assume is controlling what they see in the Crystal Castle to manipulate and divide them towards the ends of enacting the First Ones plan of destroying Etheria. But, does this explanation really make sense, or does it lack something?

Why would Nate Stevenson have the music soar as Catra walks away from Adora if that were the case? Promise being so gloriously played as she does this makes this a positive moment for Catra, although melancholy, and not the moment of Light Hope's triumph in her dark plot. We don't hear this song played so gloriously again until s5 when Catra confesses her love, when the music reaches its true crescendo. Maybe the music here means that Catra mustn't go with Adora, for Adora’s own sake-?

This is what I mean by a third, mysterious and -magical- force, that's also acting on them, which is on the side of good, but is seeing the long game and trying to avert the larger disaster we see at the end of s4 when the weapon is activated- the evil First Ones plot nearly coming to fruition and destroying them all. This force gives Catra a push towards separating from Adora during Promise, where it is letting history play out so that Adora's falseness as its hero is exposed. This force is deep planetary magic...

The rising of the music is a hint its presence, but the direct evidence of it is seen during strange happenstances in Promise, which we’ll discuss, as well as further occurrences later on in the series. What this force is trying to accomplish is the halting of that evil plot, as that is paramount, and is working towards Adora developing into the hero of love she's supposed to be. Adora needs to have the strength of self to reject false manipulations and burdens, in order to defeat their true enemies all along- the First Ones and Horde Prime.

And, for Adora to confront her own wrong baises, Catra cannot enable her false rationalizations any more. So, the magic is acting on Catra, helping her to decide to go. It's not just her anger at Adora's rationalizing away her pain that's guiding Catra's decision to let Adora struggle alone as a false hero, the magic tells her that she's right. If Adora can't see how she's wrong, like how she didn't know Shadow Weaver continued to torture Catra, then being apart is what’s right for Catra and also what will enable Adora to come to terms with her own weaknesses. All of which needs to happen for Adora to realize the path of the hero of love, and for them to come back together in the end and win with the power of love.

This force guiding Catra is the deep magic of Etheria, the magic of love.

Razz describes magic as a source of beauty and of good, which cannot be controlled, it just is.

It is love, as well as the beautiful diversity of life, it is its own innate force- and love is more powerful than anything in the universe. Loving is perhaps the greatest thing we can do during our lives…

And, as we first see Catradora in episode 1, there's hardly any love, especially from Adora back to Catra. After all, Adora rationalized and enabled their abusers actions. Catra, in contrast, was still doing her best to love Adora as of ep1, to wake her from her anxious need to satisfy Shadow Weaver, to bring her back to love. But she had no way to reach her, because Adora had stopped listening to her long ago...

During Promise, Etheria's magic sees that Catradora is but a whisper of its potential, and it needs both of them to be strong by love. Adora may go on to learn to be a hero of love the hard way, making many mistakes with grave consequences, but Catra’s journey alone and the dark consequences of her actions will give her the wisdom she needs to be strong enough to be with Adora, who is the focus of over a millennia's of violence and deception. It's Catra who knows to double down on love, and by doing so is able to unlock Adora’s power of love that lets them win in the end.

But I digress- what does the guidance of this mysterious force look like, and what are its intentions?

The first uncanny moment of its intervention can be seen when Adora beings to fall and Catra catches her:

The way the plot has Catra so casually in position to catch Adora feels unnatural. That's because, as we’re watching this scene, Catra is in no position to save Adora, having distanced herself from Adora because she was pestering Catra about why she returned the sword, aggravating her.

Catra so illogically being out of place to save her here is a hint that there's something else going on. It's as if Catra knew Adora would fall before it happens…

This is what I mean by guiding force, because I believe this is exactly what we're seeing- where it's Etheria’s magic guiding this moment, not Light Hope. It sets a trust fall moment for them. And we can see how Adora doesn't get it:

We know in canon that Catra always loved Adora (also, Catra's tail flirt at the end ☺️), but the prejudiced viewpoint Adora shares here shows just how little she gets it. Like how she didn't know Catra continued to be tortured by Shadow Weaver, like how she didn't know the Horde was evil before Glimmer berates and guilts her over it, yet Catra did. Adora is far too focused on duty and satisfying others unfair expectations to see the truth, it was true before she switched sides and it's true afterwards, and that’s how she's not on the true path of She-ra.

We're also seeing the thesis moment of Promise here, because the rest of the episode plays out to show us just how wrong Adora is. We see the memory of Catra being tortured and then treated with death threats by their abuser, how Adora came up short in standing up to Shadow Weaver, and then how she went on to break the promise she made to Catra in order to satisfy their abusers expectations. Adora has a naive belief in duty due to her trauma that's being exposed and which prevents her from being the true She-ra.

During this moment of Catra catching Adora it's not so much that Adora misstepped, than that the magic changed the ground to make sure Adora would start to fall- setting up the trust fall, of which Catra is given privileged knowledge is about to happen, that exposes Adora’s false mentality for us to see.

::I suspect Catra likely feels this coming like hearing a whisper in the back of her mind. It is the first of many guidances from the magic... how it happens doesn't really matter, as we see further evidence of interventions on their behalves later in the series. But in Promise, she will act on this whisper, which confirms to her that her feeling that Adora is misguided are justified, like she has seen Adora be before. Since Adora had closed herself off emotionally to any guidance Catra tries to give her at this point in the series, Catra will choose to go alone instead.

So, there really is no way Catra would be with Adora at this point in the series; hoping she’d be with her with Adora’s falseness as a friend is hoping for something that was simply not there. Catra, as the person who Adora stopped valuing with love, will (unconsciously) play the part of Adora’s foil in s1-4 that's needed to expose the weakness that makes her no hero of love. This is where Catra's needed, and Etheria knows Adora’s failure to trust in love will lead to her failing as Etheria's hero, something that must be corrected if the cycle of violence is to ever actually stop- as she goes on to do at the end of s5. It's guidance is a nudge in the direction of Catra leaving so Adora will learn how she's a false hero.

Adora really does have a problem with letting others misguide her, Light Hope of course but also Glimmer, who forces false burdens on her unthinkingly. Adora must instead choose love over false duty and burdens, because love is what can guide her hero's journey and will make her strong enough to overcome the really difficult things that history is asking of her. Catra will help her do this gladly in s5, but don't make the mistake of assuming Adora in s1 was capable of accepting Catra's love and advice, she’s blocked it off from herself with her anxious trauma guided beliefs. In truth, Adora needed to change for the better just as much as Catra did.

Now, I realize that this theory may be hard to accept, because it means Etheria stans the war, if only a bit. But, with how much is wrong with the war, such as the prejudices the Princesses show while further being ignorant of how they're part of a First Ones weapon, there are no easy solutions to fixing this. Etheria needs them all to be stronger, but to be strong they must choose that strength for themselves- the strength of love, it cannot tell them what to do. Doing that produces no real strength.

They must learn- the hard way: Catra and Adora must choose to value love by their own will, but that doesn't mean Etheria isn't going to remain idle when so many seek to manipulate and destroy them, especially such as with Adora, who is the focus of Light Hope and the First Ones plots.

It's acting on them both here, but as it just so happens, there's another time the magic guides Catra during Promise-

The next time we see Etheria guiding Catra is as she watches Adora make the promise to her child self that was broken, and then Catra's child self stops to look back at Catra, her eyes full of meaning:

Catra's child self's actions here isn't a memory, it's an addition, one added by Etheria as it tries to communicate to Catra the gravity of Adora’s misguided behavior. I really can't accept the idea that Light Hope produced this moment, because she's not some perfect abuser. There is way too much nuanced emotion occurring.

Etheria’s magic, on the other hand, is a living thing- even if not human, it intimately understands love as a powerful force that exists in nature, and it's telling Catra to not enable Adora's false heroes path any longer. Not when she values love so little as to give in to prejudice and allow others ignorant and/or self centered narratives to guide her.

Their real enemies- the First Ones and Horde Prime, will be able to exploit Adora’s fragile guilt complex against her- by accepting the sword, she stepped into their trap. Because of that, in s1-4 a thousand years of manipulations are right on track to give the First Ones what they want- destroying Etheria, something that can only be stopped once and for all if Adora accepts her true self, her loving heart that makes her the hero of love. And Catra, while the Horde IS wrong, is providing the proving grounds needed for Adora to develop her own hero's way by allowing a false conflict to continue.

Adora remains misguided all the way until s4, when she starts to trust her own feelings, laying the groundwork for being the true She-ra we see in s5. It really does take her this long to do this, she really turns the corner on it for the better when she voices total rejection of the First Ones control in s4 as she smashes the sword, instead speaking her own mantra based on love. And, this rejection of the roles made for her by others happens in large part because of Catra’s unwillingness to accept Adora as someone who enacts naive and false justice. Even if it's hard to watch, Catra refusing to enable Adora was correct.

::As Catra's child self looks at her, magic is trying to tell Catra that following Adora now would mean nothing would ever actually get better, and that her behavior will result in further disaster. Catra decides then that following Adora would be the wrong thing to do...

::So no: Catra isn't trying to kill Adora at all, or even at any point in the series. We can take her words at the Battle of Brightmoon, that she knew Adora wouldn't die, to heart. Not that it's also easy to see how she knows that they are inside a simulation, and that on some level none of it is real, and that she therefore knows Adora is not in real danger if she falls.

But, Catra can feel that something else is trying to tell her that Adora is wrong, confirming her suspicions that Adora is on a false path once again. This force is Etheria’s magic, and it will guide her yet again...

That's the short answer, but we should talk about the other evidence of Etheria’s guidance and it's implications. Next up in our journey: the Portal episodes.

Later Evidence of Catra's connection to Etheria’s magic

Etheria’s next guidance happens during the Portal event, when all hope seems lost and Etheria is vanishing towards non-existence. The veil that separates magic and reality thins, and because of it, we get Corrupted Catra, returned from death instead infused with knowledge gifted by Etheria’s magic about She-ra’s of past to teach Adora that she is playing into the First Ones trap, read the full meta here if confused, or here's a handy summary:

As the world is collapsing into nonexistence, Etheria’s magic takes this opportunity to give Catra all of the knowledge she could ever desire that Adora and the Princesses are on a false path that’s naive, ignorant, and will lead to the fruition of the evil plans made for them by the First Ones, as well as giving Catra the whole history behind She-ra and the wrongness that’s allowed this to come to pass.

In s4 Catra at first takes this given knowledge to mean she must pursue renewed war against the Princesses, as well as against her abuser, >whom they are harboring<, before realizing her knowledge of the history of events leading to this wrongness means she’s in a unique position to help Adora overcome it all during s5- for the sake of love and survival. Probably a discussion for another time, so I digress.

The final major whisper happens in s5 while Adora is dying in the Heart chamber. As she is slipping towards death having given in to despair, Catra is able to save her by sharing the dream with her with Etheria’s help: it links their consciousnesses together. Read the full meta above if confused, or quickly here:

This isn't a random vision Adora has, they both see it and it's the personification of Catra’s love brought to life with some help from Etheria’s magic, to show Adora what she has to live for. It's magic, and yeah it's tapping into Adora's own repressed feelings as well as Catra's, and it can do so because while the Heart may be a machine, the magic inside it isn't- it has its own living consciousness and it understands what their love means. Etheria itself powers this moment, it is their biggest shipper- it helps them win in the end!

To conclude; each time it has an opportunity to act, like it does during Promise (because they are inside a simulation), the magic of love does so to help and guide Catra. And, by association, Adora. It's with Catra’s guidance that Adora is strong enough to absorb the Heart and win, as Catra is the one who brings Adora back to the power of love. Catradora love is so powerful that it can save the universe, but by theory, it doesn't happen without a little help from the wisdom of Etheria magic- and its innate knowledge of the power of love.

This masterful level of narrative arc is something I'm certain Nate Stevenson is capable of. And so, Adora and Catra aren't apart to make the plot work, it's a necessary part of Etheria’s magic guiding them towards the power of love, and helping them towards correcting the systematic wrongs of their world once and for all. While that equals Catra being on the wrong side of history, her resistance is part of proving to Adora how she is wrong as a hero. It was necessary.

But aside from that, let's talk about how Catra uses violence, since this AMA directly brings it up-

SPOP is a great show where there's a lot going on behind the scenes. Because of that, I think people tend to make up assumptions to fill in gaps they can't yet figure out. It's only natural, but one way I feel a lot of SPOP fans go wrong is when they suggest that Catra enjoys and seeks violence.

That's not really true- the data doesn't back it up. For example, Catra always holds back from killing. It's true in every fight, it's true like a dozen times over while she has Adora captured and at her mercy, but let's talk about the one time Catra had every reason to feel justified in killing.

This would be in s4 when Hordak comes after her. There's no doubt Hordak has deadly intent, to maim or to kill her, so it makes total sense that Catra would justify killing out of self defense. But instead, she goes to elaborate lengths to make Hordak land the final blow upon himself.

Catra sets him up to be done in by his own anger- he damages the forge equipment which crushes him while trying to kill her. So, even at the point of extreme personal peril, while Catra knocks him into the path of the falling equipment, she's making sure her own hands are clean. She really abhors killing- and she's fighting in control, always.

Therefore, any time we assume Catra is trying to kill is suspect of our own prejudices. She chooses not to, that's a line she chooses not to cross. I can say personally as someone that had to win fights brutally to protect my life and sanity, that I did have pride in winning those fights. That's what you're seeing on Catra's face. But, I can also tell you that everything about actual fighting disgusted me, and Catra is the same.

Catra grew up in a system where the violence was always going to come for her, fighting back was necessary and right. I can't empathize enough how being in such a position changes your outlook on life, and if you didn't experience her situation, you might not understand her. And yes indeed, as time goes on, Catra’s reliance on fighting does run out of control, so much so that it leads to her losing conscious control over it, such as shocking Entrapta and opening the Portal. But to that, let me say, in how Catra felt threatened by her abuser at that moment, it's surprising she didn't snap *sooner*- everyone has a breaking point, and after careful watching, I'm certain Catra considers that moment her greatest failure.

But hey, what fun is a meta without comparing her to her counterpart? What we actually see is that when put under pressure, Adora loses all control over her emotions and lashes out. This is in addition to how she’s self destructive, as we all know.

Adora does, in canon, almost kill Catra multiple times. I'm not even going to discuss Legend of the Fire Princess, you can read a discussion here. Instead, let's look at the Battle of Brightmoon.

How is it so easy for Catra to make Adora lose all control?

In part this difference in fighting with control comes from how Catra grew up under mortal danger from their abuser, she learned to be prepared to defend herself, either physically, or mentally against torture. She became hyper vigilant, and learned where the line between life and death stands, as well as her own breaking points. She learned how to act so she could hide her emotions, she sees bad things coming from miles away, and she prepares for them. When she leaves Adora in Promise, she can tell Adora is being manipulated yet again, reason enough to not follow her.

Adora, in contrast, was the target of the manipulations and the teacher's pet, and as such was supposed to win every contest, so she was treated that way by her teammates. At the moment she finds the sword, Adora is a person who’s never actually been in a fight, she doesn't know how to control her fear or her anger. Everything she's done was a training exercise. So, her emotions run out of control all the time.

All Catra had to do to make her snap was play on her guilt complex and fear of failing, something Shadow Weaver instilled in her to make her die for sacrifice, yet Catra can't stop herself from seeing Adora as being weak for giving in to it. It is indeed a weakness, and meanwhile, when Adora left she passed total judgment against everyone in her old life on the word of a manipulative computer program. She fails to try to understand them and goes on to try to win the war against them through extreme violence alone, she does this not out of some great moral clarity- she does it mostly out of guilt over how Glimmer and Angella make her feel bad about it- yet Glimmer is one the most flawed and prejudiced characters we see.

Adora is failing that critical test, and her behavior mirrors a lot of irl behavior we see in people who claim and want to be good but end up hurting others because of their naive understanding of what good actually is. Also, remember that Catra does come full circle in s5 to see how Adora was hurt in order to be controlled by guilt, and helps her get past it. She's the one person who can really get through to Adora on this matter. Catra is the only person who ever really tries to put the brakes on Adora’s need to anxiously satisfy others, not going along with her was part of this, and in s5 she insists that Adora stops doing it yet again.

Catra continues to object to Adora's misguided choices in s5, and she deserves praise for this, even if in the past she refused to go with Adora and fought the war instead. Adora’s behavior has to stop sometime, yes she laid the groundwork for it in s4 such as developing her mantra and smashing the sword, but we see how she's still not past what her abuser did to her in her decisions in s5. It'll take Catra's help to break past this, which we'll discuss more below.

So when it comes to violence we're supposed to consider this dichotomy: of Adora's unstable mentality and Catra's careful application of force. Nate is playing our presumptions against us by doing so, and asking us to look deeper. Because, when we investigate violence, we see it's actually Catra who can meter her violence to the situation, and it's Adora who's violence runs out of control. Catra uses violence precisely, usually as a tool for survival, she doesn't enjoy it. These are fights that were always going to come for her and she's not running from them. During s1-4, Catra is very deliberate with her choices, you can't really say the same about Adora.

Final thoughts: Catra's understanding of survival is what's most important to saving Adora's life-

Ultimately, Catra's arc is about love and not this magic, of course. And in this a big part of her arc is about convincing Adora not to die- Catra, who refused to die all along, must be strong enough to help Adora survive- by showing her how the choice of living is stronger than sacrificing to fulfill her (false) burdens.

We watch along as Catra goes through trauma and learns to faces it head on, she comes to terms with in a way that Adora couldn't... as the focus of a millennia long scheme meant to make her fail. Catra's relationship with trauma, and her experiences of nearly letting herself get killed because of those traumas, allows her to be a guide for Adora in s5 and her help is what powers Adora's final transformation.

This is something the magic helps her to do- because what it's doing is giving her the truth behind it all, so that she can be free to choose love. 😎 Yet, her s1 choice to survive, and to be apart from Adora who endangers her, is not the wrong choice, because, in fact, surviving will be Catra's most important lesson to Adora while she saves her.

Which is to say that we ought to recognize Catra's choosing survival, as opposed to Adora's acceptance of martyrdom, as a form of strength, even if she's working for the wrong side. A lot of what Catra does is inarguably wrong but she's also right about a lot- she's right that Adora betrays love and can seemingly rationalize any act in the name of corrupted duty, Catra barely survives Adora trying to literally kill her multiple times- and no, Catra doesn't ever try to kill her in return.

And Adora chose to rationalize it all in the name of She-ra not out of some great moral calling, but out of an anxious need to satifify others which their abuser instilled in her in order to control her. Catra knows all this and is right to assert that Adora's attempts at being She-ra in s1-4 won't 'fix' anything... and that she'd just continue to get hurt if she went with Adora. So, Catra puts being with Adora on pause and does what she feels she must do to persist- before rejoining Adora in s5 once their most dangerous enemy discovers them all, and helps Adora to chose survival, too.

Adora's view point, in short, is self defeating and pretty nihilistic, whereas Catra's really isn't- she is trying to live when everyone else, Adora included, seems to want her dead.

You cannot really be selfish in demanding to live- life is sacred, and Catra has respect for her sacred right to live that we all have. If people tell you to die for the narrative, as Adora tries to do, what's right is to reject it. Catra is the one who tells Adora not to die because she understands this fundamental truth. Catra shows that sometimes violently rejecting other people's control, if they're trying to kill you, is what's right. And yes, she does take it too far in s1-4, but it's all part of the story of how she surivies long enough to get past her trauma in order to be able to help Adora in s5.

Her understanding of survival is so important to share with Adora because that's where she's strongest yet Adora is weakest... It's also true that Catra understands love much better than Adora, we see that in her love confession, but her telling Adora she's got her love to live for isn't all she does to save her. She also instructs Adora on the wisdom of what it means to fight while respecting your own right to live. Catra, who was told by Shadow Weaver that her life had no value and should just give up and die, knows very well what it means to fight while never giving up.

Catra's words "you've never given up on anything, not even on me" are so important because she's telling Adora not to die like her enemies want her to do, while simultaneously paying respect to Adora's newfound heroic path, telling Adora that she believes in the hero Adora's trying to be. In this moment, Catra knows Adora must chose her right to live, that which is her sacred right, or they are all doomed, and that Adora isn't seeing that choice as the fundamental right that it is. She knows Adora is expecting to sacrifice herself, which she's doing out of guilt.

Catra's words instead help to show Adora how not giving up fundamental right to life is the right choice- she starts by acknowledging how Adora is fighting for the right reasons- such as her mentioning that Adora never gave up on her and returned to save her from Horde Prime- a decision shows that Adora is a true hero. A true hero does not rationalize away someone's death as necessary when they know the person about to die has goodness in them, Adora saw that truth behind Catra's actions, so her rescuing Catra was right. It was a breakthrough moment for Adora, nevermind that she needed to save Catra for the sake of the love they had for each other before Shadow Weaver tried to break each of them...

But, if you know you're fighting for the right reasons, then you must insist on living to prove it through your actions- you can't die to noble sacrifice. Because operating under that belief is a form of weakness. Adora's constantly doing this means she's inherently weak, and all while the world that Adora wants, one that's right and just, can come true- but only if Adora chooses to survive in order to prove it. She has to continue being She-ra. Survival is necessary, because without it there can be no better tomorrows. It's not wrong to want to survive.

So with these words Catra is telling Adora to survive- Catra survived many close calls with death leading up to this moment so that she can tell Adora how to not to give up and die. Through her experience of surviving, Catra finds a way to save Adora from her own self defeating beliefs.

Catra in s5 is a person who's prepared to be her better self- she's processed her trauma to get past it, and is seeing that survival cannot be the only answer to living, you've also got to have something to live for. And that's loving Adora. So after all of that, Catra is not going to let Adora fail, falling to the self destructive habits their abuser instilled in her, and instead shows Adora the way past it all. As the person in the relationship that who's processed her trauma. You have worth. We all have worth! And believing that isn't selfish.

So, it had to be both things, not just Catra telling Adora she's in love with her and she's got that to live for. Adora also has to choose to survive.

So there was no simple answer because of the depth of the problems facing Etheria. They are being lead by princesses who are naive, self involved and ignorant- something Adora blindly devotes herself to. Catra refusing to go along with Adora is a big part of her getting past that misguided framework to be a real hero who can save the universe and stop the cycles of violence for good. And ,if Catra had gone with her? It almost certainly would have resulted in the destruction of Etheria when Light Hope manipulated Adora into activating the heart while having no idea of the consequences. No simple answers- because the princesses are not right in their ways, never mind that the Horde brang war upon them.

The strength of Catra's belief in choosing survival is what leads her to being able to guide Adora past her self destructive nature to save the universe.

When Catra kisses her thus imbuing her with he power of love, we see Adora transformed into someone fundamentally stronger, she's the embodiment of goddess lesbian power that we love. Why Adora becomes so much more powerful is because she is now fighting with an understanding of both parts of what it means to fight from a true position of strength:

To fight while insisting on your sacred right to live,

And to fight with something to live for and the belief that your morals are good and must go forward. Only when you do both can you be your most powerful- you have to have enough respect for yourself to believe you deserve to live!

Adora understood the second point to a degree, but not the first. She was never going to be a complete hero without Catra showing her how to value herself. Now knowing both lessons, Adora is a stronger She-ra than any before her- and is one that can stop the cycle of violence for good.

Catra's story as a message to people like us who survived-

In s5, what we're seeing is a fully emotionally realized Catra, a person who has matured and surpassed her traumas and has gained the wisdom and clarity needed to save Adora, by sharing these hard learned lessons with her. And, we only get to see a fully realized Adora after Catra shares these truths with her- an Adora who can finally step past the trauma thinking their abuser instilled in her.

S5 Catra proves to us that she's this person over and over, she's reclaimed that she must trust in love, yet I still see people doubt her. People sometimes say Catra's transformation in s5 was rushed, but it really wasn't- if you consider how after Etheria's magic showed her the dark truth behind it all, then Catra was in a position to choose the better path- after going through the worst and seeing the truth for what it is. This is her therapy- it's the truth that she's shown by Etheria that gives her the choice to see past her trauma.

Catra's story is a tribute to knowing that if you're in a dark place where you've been hurt like Catra was- know that not giving up is what's right, know that you have a scared right to live, and that your abusers are wrong. Keep fighting, keep believing. Sometimes that fighting will get ugly. But, this attitude she shares with Adora, of never giving up, it allows her to be the all powerful lesbian goddess we love her as. Nate is telling us to not give up- through Catra's story and further showing us how this wise and mature Catra has the strength to help Adora past her trauma as well. He's also telling us to not give up on love. It's one of the most brilliant narrative arcs of all time!

Trust in Catra! Trust in your sacred right to living! Huzzah!

But we're not done explaining Catra's actions, are we? Let's talk about the wrongness of war she's leading on Etheria...

Yes, war is always wrong, but here's what I meant earlier when I said the war on Etheria isn't quite what we expect-

It is, I believe, the canonical truth that Catra did not preside over a army that was committing genocide- one of the most common criticisms of SPOP. But, how is it possible this story is different from the other war stories we're been constantly fed (such as ATLA)? Simply put: it's because Hordak's army had no need to commit genocide.

Do you really think Nate would wants us to skip over this catching point? No, instead Nate decided to cleverly sidestep this issue.

In SPOP, there's never any direct evidence of Hordak's army doing as such, yet we're shown in all explicitness that Horde Prime and the First Ones ARE genocidal. Who were the real enemies all along. That's important. Why Hordak's army doesn't gun down civilians is because the villagers in SPOP never fight in the war, they never ever raise arms against him. It's the Princesses who fight, and furthermore this is reinforced when we see that most of the anger the villagers voice is directed towards the Princesses, not the Horde.

Genocide is mostly motivated out of two factors- one: hatred and racism- let's just say that simply doesn't exist on Etheria. But the second reason is to remove the others side ability to fight back- if everyone's dead, there can be no uprisings. But, the villagers never fight. So, Hordak's army had no need of shoot-to-kill orders.

Contrast this to Horde Prime and the First Ones explicit genocidal intentions, add in the villagers anger not being directed at the Horde but instead at the Princesses for abandoning them to war, and you've got the full story behind how the war was being fought.

Assuming Hordak's army was gunning down civilians is instead a presumption carried over from other stories, but Nate set us up to expect that then subverted the expectation by showing no such thing- and by showing the real enemies explicit genocidal thinking, was asking us to look deeper. SPOP is a show which subverts our presumptions at every turn in order to make a better story. This certainly doesn't absolve Catra of being wrong, but I think we should understand that she's wasn't directing a genocide- I don't think she was capable of doing that.

Catra actions are in no way perfect and we're not supposed to think they are, but I really think Nate intentionally did this so that this catching point would not detract from the overall narrative:

Which is to say that the way Adora tries to be She-ra in s1-4 was never going to 'fix' anything, she's a proof of the flawed heroes stories we saw too often growing up. Victory would be miraculous and not explained, always dues ex machina, and unsatisfying. In SPOP, Adora goes through actual character growth to become the person who can change the world, and she doesn't do it alone. Catra's love is what shows her the way to be better, and it's not easily earned or miraculously given- they struggle to understand and accept each other. And that makes for a much more satisfying conclusion, with a kiss that's so believable that I don't expect to see a more meaningful kiss in media for the rest of my life. Thank you, Nate.

Thanks for reading. I hope I did an ok job discussing a very sensitive topic. This has been the hardest thing I've ever written.

::psps: this isn't the tell all for this theory, it could probably use its own discussion post so let me know your questions.

If you enjoyed it, let me know with a like and please pass it along with a reblogg if you can! We writers really appreciate them most of all because of how tumblr works! Thanks a ton.

Thanks again,

-EtheriaDearie

PS:S: Happy Pride and Nimona release tomorrow!! Yay!! 🏳️‍🌈🥳

Happy Birthday to this magicat, whether she likes it or not ><

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!! 🙇💛