- —Tagline
He-Man VS Lion-O is the 26th episode and Season 2 Premiere of Death Battle, featuring He-Man from the Masters of the Universe series and Lion-O from the ThunderCats series in a battle between muscular '80s cartoon heroes. He-Man was voiced by Edwyn Tiong and Lion-O was voiced by Xander Mobus.
Interlude
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Wiz: Ahh, the glorious 80's. That odd era of big hair, keytars, and goofy muscular heroes of questionable sexual preference.
Boomstick: He-Man, Master of the Universe.
Wiz: And Lion-O, Lord of the ThunderCats.
Boomstick: He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick.
Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win... a Death Battle.
He-Man
Prince Adam: Let's go, Cringer! He-Man and Battle Cat are about to make an appearance.
He-Man theme: He-Man!
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Wiz: Prince Adam is the pathetic, bumbling son to the royal family of Eternia.
He-Man runs into a lamp and crashes.
Boomstick: Ha ha, dumbass.
Wiz: Then one day, a bird-clad sorceress gave him the secret powers of Castle Grayskull, transforming him into He-Man, the most powerful Chippendale in the universe.
Prince Adam: Fabulous secret powers were revealed to me the day I held aloft my magic sword and said, "By the power of Grayskull..."
He-Man theme: He-Man!
He-Man: I have the power!
Boomstick: Wait, wait, that's his origin story? He just thrust his sword up and down and yelled some random shit until he turned into a near-naked superhero?
Wiz: Well, more like a cheap action figure.
Boomstick: He-Man possesses herculean strength, speed, durability, and a super breath which can blow over most foes, and probably a few other things if you know what I'm saying.
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He-Man & She-Ra (Orchestral Themes Medley) by OminousVoice
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Wiz: The indestructible Power Sword is the conduit for his imbued abilities, and has some unique powers of its own.
Boomstick: Like any good sword, it deflects lasers and can also do a bunch of other random stuff, like magnetize special rings, or tie people up with magic S&M.
Wiz: And while he is skilled enough to throw his sword like a boomerang, he occasionally uses ranged gear, such as a grappling hook and bolas, to battle the evil of Skeletor.
Boomstick: But I don't know where he's keeping those things. I mean, he's pretty much na— who-ho-hoa! You'd think he'd keep it in his battle harness made of Korodite! Which, by the way, further multiplies his already insane strength by 10.
He-Man: That's what the sorceress fashioned this harness from. It helps add to my power.
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Orko's Theme - He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Shuki Levy & Haim Sabam
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Wiz: Prince Adam is not the only one getting a power-up. He has an adopted cat, whom he saved from the jungle at a young age.
Boomstick: He named him Cringer, 'cause well... he's a little b*tch. But whenever He-Man transforms, he zaps the little pussy, turning him into the ferocious Battle Cat.
Battle Cat roars.
Wiz: Despite Cringer's reluctance and downright refusal to do so.
Boomstick: He's kinda like the Michael Vick of cartoon heroes.
Cringer: Oh no. My mother didn't raise any foolish children.
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Snake Mountain - He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Shuki Levy & Haim Sabam
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Wiz: Granted, Battle Cat is a tremendous asset. He's so vicious it's implied that if he doesn't transform back into Cringer, he could go on an unstoppable rampage. After all, he is half tiger, half dragon.
Boomstick: Gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme!
Wiz: He-Man has moved mountains, reversed a tornado, ran in circles fast enough to create a vacuum...
Boomstick: The fuck?
Wiz: And dug to the center of the planet with nothing but a broken stalactite.
Boomstick: The DOUBLE fuck?!
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Main Theme (Instrumental) - He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Shuki Levy & Haim Sabam
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Wiz: He even shattered Photanium, the strongest metal in his universe, when even his closest friends believed it would be too much for him.
Boomstick: And he traded blows with Superman... you know, that one guy who can lift entire planets and maybe killed your favorite person ever? That one.
Wiz: Well, he's not that strong, but he did manage to push a moon once... or twice. But despite his miraculous strength, he is not invincible. Enough raw force can revert him back to the far more vulnerable state of Prince Adam. He also despises violence, preferring to outsmart opponents, and thus has much less physical combat experience than you'd think.
Boomstick: Still, he's pretty good at beating the ever-living crap out of people, no matter what planet or series he's on.
Wiz: That's right. The 1990s New Adventures of He-Man is technically the same He-Man we all know, giving him much more experience—
Boomstick: Wait, wait, wait, what was that?
The on-screen footage is then paused...
Wiz: Shhh, this is vital.
Boomstick: No, no, no! Go back! Go back! Right there!
...then rewinds back and resumes when He-Man fixes a broken chain.
He-Man: There you go, fella. Good as new.
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Run Orko - He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Shuki Levy & Haim Sabam
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Boomstick: Wha-? Okay, so it's broken. "I guess I'll just magic it back together!"
Wiz: The magic of the '80s, Boomstick. The magic of the '80s.
Boomstick: Magic of lazy writing.
Grappling hook pulls down door.
He-Man: Next time, you might try knocking first.
He-Man theme: He-Man!
Lion-O
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(ThunderCats!)
Lion-O: Let's get this show on the road.
Wiz: As a child, Lion-O barely escaped the destruction of his home planet Thundera. His father sent him to 3rd Earth with five Thunderian nobles to uphold the royal lineage.
Boomstick: You know, I'm really gettin' tired of people ripping off Superman.
Wiz: But the Kryptonian comparison stops there, as on route to Third Earth, a suspension capsule malfunctioned... or something, it's not really explained, caused his body to age 10 years.
Tygra: During that time, he grew in size, but he did not grow up.
Lion-O: What's going on?
Lion-O bumps his head on capsule door.
Boomstick: Aww, we missed the cute kitty stage! ...Shut up, kittens are adorable!
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Main Theme (Orchestra Theme Medley) - ThunderCats by OminousVoice
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Wiz: As the newly crowned Lord of the ThunderCats, Lion-O is the leader of the group and commands all of cat-kind.
Snarf: Lion-O has power over all cats!
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ThunderTank - ThunderCats (1985) by Bernard Hoffer
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Wiz: Against the evil forces of Mumm-Ra, Lion-O was forced to mature on the battlefield. He is a quick learner, helped by his cat-like abilities and attributes.
Boomstick: Which means he's got superhuman agility and senses.
Wiz: Right. For example, while a human's nose has five million odor-sensitive cells, a cat's has over 200 million. Cats can hear five times better, have panoramic vision, and use their whiskers like antenna to scan for trouble, meaning it's actually very unlikely for curiosity to kill a cat... unless they're distracted by bright shiny things.
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Panthro - ThunderCats (1985) by Bernard Hoffer
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Boomstick: Lion-O wears a manly sports bra and wrestling shorts and doesn't seem to own anything else. Guess someone forgot to pack, oh, you know, CLOTHES for the interplanetary trip!
Cheetara roars.
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Main Theme (Orchestra Theme Medley) - ThunderCats by OminousVoice
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Boomstick: Wardrobe aside, he wields the Sword of Omens, a pocket-sized dagger, which transforms into an epic blade after the most badass battle cry ever.
Lion-O: Thunder! Thunder! Thunder! ThunderCats, ho!
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Tygra - ThunderCats (1985) by Bernard Hoffer
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Boomstick: It's an extremely durable, double-edged blade that cuts through stone and steel with ease. He can fly, make force fields, and shoot over 15 different kinds of beams. Lightning bolts, fire blasts, and even a tractor beam, which Lion-O can guide things with, which is great for when you're on the couch. (impersonating Lion-O) Sword of Omens, bring me snacks beyond snacks... and a beer!
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Main Theme (Orchestra Theme Medley) - ThunderCats by OminousVoice
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Wiz: The sword's power stems from the gem housed in its hilt, the Eye of Thundera, a legendary jewel with limitless magical power, which its wielder can call upon even from a great distance, such as inside a black hole.
Lion-O: Sword of Omens, come to my hand!
Wiz: It is powerful enough to hold an entire planet together and can spy on people and events across space and time.
Lion-O: Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight!
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Main Theme (Casual) - ThunderCats (1985) by Bernard Hoffer
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Boomstick: He wears the Claw Shield, an extremely durable claw... glove thing, with which in his first outing, he effortlessly punched down a tree. Hey, that's just like how I catch squirrels for supper!
Wiz: The Claw Shield may be small, but it's proven effective against blades, blows, and lasers. As a bonus, it has four grappling hooks, a smoke screen, and functions as a neat little scabbard for the Sword of Omens.
Boomstick: But the Claw Shield can't protect him from everything.
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Thundera - ThunderCats (1985) by Bernard Hoffer
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Wiz: While Lion-O is certainly quite sophisticated for an oversized 13-year-old man-kitten, he is still somewhat immature and hot-blooded. Also, both Lion-O and the Eye of Thundera share a common weakness to a glowing red rock called Thundrainium. Okay, I lied, there was one more Superman rip-off. While the Eye is one of the most powerful weapons ever conceived, it may also be his greatest weakness. Turns out it's the source of life for all ThunderCats, so if it's destroyed, so is Lion-O... and his entire race.
Boomstick: I know! I'll bring it into constant danger, and get disarmed a lot!
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Main Theme (Orchestra Theme Medley) - ThunderCats by OminousVoice
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Wiz: Still, Lion-O is stronger, smarter, and faster than any other ThunderCat. He can pull down a spaceship attempting escape velocity and won a foot race against Cheetara, who can run 120 miles per hour.
Boomstick: Oh, and look. He fought Superman, too.
Wiz: He's tough enough to survive boiling water, the molten core of the planet, and even the... vacuum of space?
Boomstick: '80s magic, Wiz. '80s lazy-writin' magic.
Lion-O: Sword of Omens... give me power beyond power! Ho!
Prelude
Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set. Let's end this debate once and for all!
Boomstick: But first, (to the tune of The Sound of Silence) ♫Hello Netflix, my old friend...♫
Wiz and Boomstick read out an advertisement for Netflix.
Boomstick: But right now, IT'S TIME FOR A DEATH BATTLE!!!
Death Battle
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Royal Family - He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Shuki Levy & Haim Sabam
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In a forest, Prince Adam is talking to Cringer, who is hiding in a bush.
Prince Adam: Okay, Cringer. Let's try this again. This time, no whining, okay?
Cringer: Oh no. Not again.
Prince Adam then takes out the Power Sword and transforms into He-Man.
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Main Theme - He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Shuki Levy & Haim Sabam
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Prince Adam: By the power of Grayskull...
He-Man theme: He-Man!
He-Man: I have the power!
He-Man then uses his sword on the bush without looking, beginning Cringer's transformation.
Cringer: The pain... (roars)
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Mumm-Ra The Ever Living - ThunderCats (1985) by Bernard Hoffer
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Elsewhere in that same forest, Lion-O hears Battle Cat's roar, then takes the Sword of Omens out of the Claw Shield, preparing to transform the blade.
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Sword of Omens - ThunderCats (1985) by Bernard Hoffer
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Lion-O: That sounds like trouble. Thunder! Thunder! Thunder! ThunderCats, ho!
Lion-O then looks over at the Eye of Thundera to find out about the disturbance.
Lion-O: Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight!
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Royal Family - He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Shuki Levy & Haim Sabam
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He-Man then jumps onto the fully transformed Battle Cat.
He-Man: Alright Battle Cat, let's go do something normally perceived as impossible.
Lion-O: Stop right there!
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Main Theme - ThunderCats (1985) by Bernard Hoffer
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Lion-O then jumps out in front of He-Man and Battle Cat.
Lion-O: You would mount that poor pussy like some kind of mule? You muscular fiend! Noble tiger, turn on your master!
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Danger Approaching - ThunderCats (1985) by Bernard Hoffer
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He-Man is suddenly booted off by Battle Cat.
He-Man: He must have control over animals.
He-Man then proceeds to punch Battle Cat high into the air.
He-Man: That should keep you busy for a while.
Lion-O: I am Lion-O, Lord of the ThunderCats... and you will pay for your animal cruelty.
He-Man then takes out his sword.
He-Man: I am He-Man. Back off, feline. You are clearly not equipped to...
Lion-O then proceeds to take out the Sword of Omens.
He-Man: Oh.
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Main Theme (Metal Remix) - ThunderCats by RazorDave
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Lion-O fires a lightning blast at He-Man, who deflects it with his sword back at Lion-O, who blocks it. He-Man then picks up a boulder and throws it at Lion-O, who leaps at it and slashes through it with his blade, then clashes with He-Man's sword. He-Man knocks Lion-O away, then leaps towards him as the two begin to duel. Lion-O tries using fast side-swipe slashes on He-Man, but he blocks all of them, with the last move knocking the Sword of Omens away from Lion-O.
He-Man: Surrender! You are defenseless.
Lion-O: I've got plenty of tricks left!
Lion-O then uses his Claw Shield's smoke screen, allowing him to escape.
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Curiosity - ThunderCats (1985) by Bernard Hoffer
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He-Man: *coughs* Have to... clear this. *exhales*
He-Man uses his super breath to clear away the smoke screen.
He-Man: There. Now where did he go?
Lion-O hides from He-Man behind a tree and begins to whisper.
Lion-O: Sword of Omens, come to me.
He-Man: I heard that.
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Main Theme - He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Shuki Levy & Haim Sabam
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He-Man then runs up to the tree and obliterates it with a single punch.
He-Man theme: He-Man!
The Sword of Omens then flies past He-Man and returns to Lion-O, who then proceeds to fire more lightning.
Lion-O: Ho!
He-Man once again deflects the blasts with his sword, then throws his sword towards Lion-O, who ducks it, and sees that it is about to return to He-Man.
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Mumm-Ra The Ever Living - ThunderCats (1985) by Bernard Hoffer
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Lion-O: Not so fast!
Lion-O uses the tractor beam to plunge the Power Sword into the ground, then uses his Claw Shield to fire his four ropes at He-Man, ensnaring him.
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Imminent Danger - ThunderCats (1985) by Bernard Hoffer
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Lion-O: Want to keep going? Looks like you're a bit "tied up" at the moment.
He-Man: *groans* Sorry, cat man, but you won't "string me along" that easily.
He-Man then breaks through the ropes by flexing his muscle.
He-Man theme: He-Man!
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Mutants Battle - ThunderCats (1985) by Bernard Hoffer
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Lion-O fires more lightning at He-Man, who avoids all of the blasts.
He-Man: A whirlwind should blow him off course.
He-Man then runs around in a circle multiple times, creating a tornado that quickly moves towards Lion-O, who is sucked into it.
Lion-O: I... think... I've... got a... hair ball! Urgh.
Lion-O is eventually thrown out of the tornado and then lunges towards He-Man, who runs towards his sword. Just after He-Man had retrieved the Power Sword, he is slashed by Lion-O, who then runs back towards him.
Lion-O: Behold the power of Thundera!
Lion-O then uses his sword to blast He-Man with a beam, which knocks him far back.
Lion-O: Now to finish you off! Wait... where did you go?
Lion-O looks back at the Eye of Thundera for the answer.
Lion-O: Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight.
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The Eye of Thundera - ThunderCats (1985) by Bernard Hoffer
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He is suddenly shown a faraway mountain.
Lion-O: Hmm... a mountain? Why show me this?
Suddenly, the mountain is shown to be lifted upward.
Lion-O: Wait a minute... that's... impossible!
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Main Theme (Orchestral Redux) - ThunderCats (1985) by OminousVoice
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Without warning, the entire mountain is flung up into the air towards Lion-O.
He-Man theme: He-Man!
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Main Theme (Orchestra Theme Medley) - ThunderCats by OminousVoice
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Lion-O: By Thundera! Sword of Omens, give me power beyond power!
With this, Lion-O fires a beam from the Sword of Omens at the incoming mountain, causing it to disintegrate. Afterward, He-Man comes running towards Lion-O, then punches him.
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Main Theme - He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by Shuki Levy & Haim Sabam
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He-Man theme: He-Man!
Lion-O is somewhat dazed by this punch as He-Man runs by and punches him again, also dazing him. He-Man then comes lunging with his sword, but Lion-O erects a shield around him, which He-Man breaks after a few swings of his sword, shattering the shield. Lion-O then makes the Sword of Omen's blade extend, stabbing He-Man.
Lion-O: Time for the climactic finale!
He-Man then punches the Sword of Omens, which, in slow motion, shows the bending of the sword traveling towards the handle, completely shattering it and leaving the Eye of Thundera to fall onto the ground. Lion-O stands with his hand over his face, completely blown away by what has happened.
Lion-O: That's not possible!
He-Man then leaps down at Lion-O, greatly wounding him.
He-Man: Ha ha! You are finished!
While Lion-O is groaning in pain, He-Man notices the Eye of Thundera floating upward.
He-Man: That gem... it's looking at me...
Without warning, the Eye of Thundera fires a large beam of energy, which even He-Man can barely withstand, as he slowly moves towards the gem and then manages to grab it with both hands.
He-Man: Grayskull...! give me the strength of the castle's secrets!
And with that, He-Man shatters the Eye of Thundera, killing Lion-O. He then crouches down towards Lion-O.
He-Man: Well, looks like curiosity killed this cat.
Suddenly, Battle Cat finally falls back down as He-Man simply laughs.
He-Man then continues laughing while Battle Cat chews on Lion-O.
Results
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Main Theme (Orchestral Redux) - He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by OminousVoice
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Boomstick: What a "crushing" defeat!
Wiz: While He-Man had little trouble overpowering Lion-O's physique, the Eye of Thundera is easily the most dangerous weapon He-Man has ever faced; more than capable of obliterating him, if given the chance.
Boomstick: Not only can the Power Sword deflect all Lion-O's main attacks, it's obvious He-Man is strong enough to break the Sword of Omens, just like how the super-strong and horribly named Tug Mug broke it in the ThunderCats show.
Wiz: A moon weighs approximately 70 quintillion metric tons. The highest official amount a human being has ever lifted without support is over 260 kilograms. Even after excluding the Korodite battle harness, He-Man is 10 quadrillion times stronger than the strongest man on Earth.
Boomstick: See, and you guys all thought you'd never see He-Man pound a pussy.
We cut to the "He-Man" winner card.
Wiz: The winner is He-Man.
He-Man theme: He-Man!
He-Man: Remember kids, it is very important to always get your pets spayed and neutered... otherwise it may lead to unstable behavior and unauthorized breeding.
Battle Cat: Rawr, I miss my balls.
Trivia
Production
- The core connections between He-Man and Lion-O are that they are both '80s cartoon heroes who wield magical swords that are an essential part of their character (the Power Sword and the Sword of Omens, respectively). Both are princes to noble bloodlines with ties to their power sources (the Secrets of Castle Grayskull and the Eye of Thundera, respectively) and face skeletal sorcerers as their main antagonists (Skeletor and Mumm-Ra, respectively). In addition:
- Both have feline friends who are extremely close to them (Cringer/Battle Cat and Snarf, respectively).
- Both have fought Superman in separate crossovers with DC Comics.
- Both would eventually have a crossover made by DC Comics in 2016.
- This is the very first episode with the show's own announcer, Christopher Guerrero, saying "FIGHT!" and "K.O.!"
- His recording of "K.O.!" in this episode is notably different from subsequent episodes.
Easter Eggs
- The last bullet point on He-Man's "Background" slide reads "An excellent singer?", referencing the "HEYYEYAAEYAAAEYAEYAA" meme.
- He-Man's side of the post-fight animation shows him recreating the meme, rainbow background and all.
- In He-Man's analysis, when bringing up how he traded blows with Superman, Boomstick describes the Man of Steel as "that one guy who can lift entire planets and maybe killed your favorite person ever", the latter part referencing his victory over Goku in the previous episode.
Errors
- Lion-O normally wears the Claw Shield on his left hand and wields the Sword of Omens with his right. However, he is often seen doing the opposite in the fight, due to his sprite being flipped.
Other
- This is the third Comic Book VS Cartoon-themed episode, after Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Battle Royale and Starscream VS Rainbow Dash, and with the next 11 being Beast VS Goliath, Deadpool VS Pinkie Pie, Shredder VS Silver Samurai, Batman Beyond VS Spider-Man 2099, Raven VS Twilight Sparkle, Ben 10 VS Green Lantern, She-Ra VS Wonder Woman, Iron Fist VS Po, Korra VS Storm, Stitch VS Rocket Raccoon, and Galactus VS Unicron.
- This is the second time the Comic Book character wins, after Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Battle Royale, and with the next six being Raven VS Twilight Sparkle, Ben 10 VS Green Lantern, She-Ra VS Wonder Woman, Korra VS Storm, and Galactus VS Unicron.
- This is the third Cartoon-themed episode, after Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Battle Royale and Starscream VS Rainbow Dash, and with the next seven being Danny Phantom VS American Dragon Jake Long, Steven Universe VS Star Butterfly, SpongeBob VS Aquaman, Bill Cipher VS Discord, Scooby-Doo VS Courage the Cowardly Dog, Wile E. Coyote VS Tom Cat, and Gru VS Megamind.
- This is the first Mattel VS Warner-themed episode, with the next one being She-Ra VS Wonder Woman.
- This is the first time that the Mattel character wins.
- This is the first episode to play an audio clip of the winner in between Wiz announcing them as such and the episode's credits, with the next seven being Joker VS Sweet Tooth, Balrog VS TJ Combo, Ryu VS Jin, Roshi VS Jiraiya, Obi-Wan Kenobi VS Kakashi, DIO VS Alucard, and Bill Cipher VS Discord.