Why Masters Matters
When it comes to the world of action figures, there are few brands that carry as much weight as Mattel's classic '80s franchise, Masters of the Universe. He-Man and his companions took over toy aisles for a large portion of the 1980s, and the cartoon which accompanied the classic figures was a major hit among children of that era.
Mattel released a number of Masters of the Universe figures in the following years, each followed by large gaps with no action, but nothing quite took off. That is until they decided to return to the classic figures in full force with the 2008 Masters of the Universe Classics line.
The Classics
The theme of the Classics line was taking the style and characters which made the '80s figures so lovable, and just updating them for the modern action figure fan. This allowed Mattel to bring in both the nostalgia-laden fans of old, as well as new collectors looking for the next great figure. Not since the 1980s has He-Man and the Masters of the Universe been so relevant to the action figure industry.
The Masters of the Universe Classics figures have been available primarily online at MattyCollector.com, with only a small number being released as two-packs available at retail. This list details every individual release including variants, with reissues of individual figures included separately.
Masters of the Universe Classics Main Line
2008 Figures
- King Grayskull (Bronze Variant) (Spirit Variant)
- He-Man
- Beast Man
2009 Figures
- Skeletor
- Stratos
- Faker
- Mer-Man
- Zodac
- Hordak
- Man-at-Arms
- He-Ro (SDCC Logo Variant)
- Tri-Klops
- Webstor
- Teela
- Zodak
- Scareglow
- King Randor
- The Goddess
- Scareglow
2010 Figures
- Adora
- Battle Armor He-Man
- Trap Jaw
- Battle Cat
- Moss Man (Flocked Ears Variant)
- Evil-Lyn
- Wun-Dar
- Optikk
- Tytus
- She-Ra
- Keldor
- Count Marzo
- Orko and Adam (SDCC Color Variant)
- Mo-Larr and Skeletor
- Whiplash
- Chief Carnivus
- Gygor
- Roboto
- Grizzlor
- King Grayskull Version 2
- Buzz-Off
2011 Figures
- Vikor
- Palace Guards
- Bow
- Shadow Beast
- Preternia Disguise He-Man
- King Hsss
- Battle Armor Skeletor
- Sy-Klone
- Panthor
- Catra
- Faceless One
- Battleground Teela
- Clawful
- Marlena and Cringer
- Man-E-Faces
- Megator
- Leech
- Hurricane Hordak
- Icarius
- Snout Spout
- Swift Wind
- Bubble Power She-Ra
Masters of the Universe Classics Two Packs
2010 Figures
- He-Man vs. Superman
- Skeletor vs. Lex Luthor
- Stratos vs. Hawk Man
- Mer-Man vs. Aquaman
2011 Figures
- Battle Armor Faker vs. Bizarro
- Zodac vs. Hal Jordan
- She-Ra vs. Supergirl
Masters of the Universe Classics Accessories
- Castle Grayskull Battle Stands
- Weapons Pak
- Weapons Pak #2
- Weapons Rack
Masters of the Universe Classics Vehicles
- Wind Raider
Masters of the Universe Classics Reissues
- He-Man (less glossy, normal eyes)
- Skeletor (tighter grip)
- Beast Man
- Man-at-Arms
- Stratos
- Hordak
- Mer-Man
- Faker
- Trap Jaw
- Zodac
- Battle Cat
- The Goddess
- Keldor
- Tytus
- Adora
- Count Marzo
- Evil-Lyn
- Moss Man
- She-Ra
- Whiplash
- Grizzlor
- Buzz-Off
- Zodak
- Panthor
- Gygor
- Chief Carnivus
While it's difficult to find a majority of these figures on MattyCollector.com, many can be tracked down via other online retailers for a slight markup. Mattel has also regularly been reissuing each figure in slightly altered packaging for those who missed them on the original sale date. If Masters of the Universe Classics has just grabbed your attention, it may be a lot of work trying to find each of these figures new in-package, but it is never too late to jump into this line. It's one of the best there is in the world of action figures right now, so it's well worth the effort.
