| This article is about the character. You may be looking for the episode. |
| “ | You're welcome.
— Shadow Weaver's last words
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” |
Shadow Weaver, formerly known as Light Spinner, is a major antagonist of the 2018 Netflix original series She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.
She was a powerful sorceress and former member of the Horde who supervised Adora's cadet squad as their commanding officer, paying the closest attention to Adora and Catra, and was the one who trained both King Micah and Queen Glimmer in the ways of magic. She sacrificed herself to allow Adora and Catra to reach the Heart of Etheria during the final battle against Horde Prime.
Description[]
She was second-in-command of the Horde forces on Etheria. Due to her losing Hordak's favor by fighting against his instructions to yield control of the Black Garnet to Catra (whom later betrayed her), her position went to Catra and she became a prisoner. She served as a source of information to Catra until she tricked her former ward into providing her with the means she needed to escape the Fright Zone. She resided at Bright Moon as an uneasy ally of the Rebellion solely to exact revenge against the Horde. Based on her past relationship with Shadow Weaver, Adora did not trust her enough to consider her an ally. Glimmer, however, warmed up to Shadow Weaver in Season Four and allowed her to teach her sorcery.
Appearance[]
Shadow Weaver[]
Due to her use of the Spell of Obtainment, Shadow Weaver's face was heavily disfigured, the reason as to why she kept it concealed under a red mask. Her skin was dark grey, and her fingers were not dissimilar to claws. Once she lost her powers, however, they became normal-shaped. She had long, sleek black hair that flowed behind her. She was cloaked in a maroon dress with dark red and pink details that had a sleeve on her right arm.
Light Spinner[]
She had green eyes, light grey skin, pointed ears, and dark green hair. She wore a red wine robe and hid her nose and mouth with golden positioners. Light Spinner wore two dark cerise shoulders with gold edges, a grayish crimson blouse with gold edges as well, and a long dark very cerise skirt, with the apron part of the skirt being dark cerise with another time golden edges. She also sported a golden cross-shaped badge that features a wine colored jewel in the middle, which was her sorceress guild badge.
Personality[]
Shadow Weaver was cruel, domineering, power-hungry, and manipulative, most obviously so with Catra. She did not like to be told "no" or to have her authority questioned, even by her only superior, Hordak, as anyone doing so would usually result in an angry, violent outburst of rage. Catra even noted that Shadow Weaver's bitter demeanor stemmed from the fact that she did not have any "real power" outside of Hordak (who gave her the The Black Garnet), which everyone apparently knew about. She was also quite selfish and self-serving, ordering Catra many times to bring Adora back even though Hordak explicitly informed her not to.
She often refused to comply with anyone other than herself and did not tolerate mediocrity from others. Shadow Weaver possessed a strong element of intimidation and fear among the ranks of the Horde, especially with the training cadets; this proved that this went beyond her treatment of the two main protagonists, Adora and Catra. Given their reactions when she appeared out of nowhere, not even Lonnie, Kyle nor Rogelio seemed to be from her wrath.
Shadow Weaver was known for being extremely abusive toward Catra, harboring negative feelings toward her (which had been the case since Catra was a young child), while treating Adora as her favorite under a subtle manipulation control. This clear line of separation would eventually lead to Catra's constant need to prove herself to everyone and the beginning of her rise to power. This would also lead to Adora's martyr complex and her many insecurities.
One of Shadow Weaver's more interesting traits were her apparent, if somewhat single-minded, maternal tendencies. As Light Spinner, she had a great love for Micah, one that continued at least to some degree after her transformation into Shadow Weaver. The new focus of her love was Adora, as even after her defection, she continued to try and bring Adora back, and was seen standing over Adora while she slept. When Adora was recounting her time with Shadow Weaver to Glimmer and Bow, she stated that she learned everything from Shadow Weaver, from reading and tying her boots to the more violent studies of combat. In the episode "Signals", Shadow Weaver also told a young Adora stories (albeit ghost stories about evil Princesses), while mentally and emotionally abusing her. On the other hand, she was very abusive to Catra, mentally and physically. She was harsh and unforgiving of Catra in areas where she had been lenient and supportive to Adora, threatening her to the point where she ended up becoming power-hungry and cruel. The difference in treatment between the two girls was shown as early as episode one, both after a training session and during the attack on Thaymor. Catra showed knowledge of the Horde's brutality and Shadow Weaver's trickery, while Adora is completely ignorant at first.
In Season Four, Shadow Weaver began to show concern for Glimmer as she became more and more desperate to find a way to defeat the Horde. It also started to reveal Shadow Weaver's true nature as a power-hungry sorceress. Shadow Weaver constantly told Glimmer that she had undeveloped power and that she should use it, implying she was simply trying to get close to those with powerful magic abilities.
In Season Five, Shadow Weaver‘s personality began to take a turn. Despite still only looking out for herself, being manipulative, and having a desire to be more powerful, Shadow Weaver began to show a rather pure wish of freeing the magic of Etheria from the restraints of the First Ones’ tech. She also showed a strong dedication to Etheria, similar to Madame Razz's connections to the magical planet, and understood how the magic worked and needed to be free. However, Shadow Weaver still had a desire to wield very powerful magic, and had little to no qualms in using Adora to carry it, even though it might have killed her in the process. But, before her death, Shadow Weaver had a change of heart and selflessly took on the action of dealing with the Fright Zone's security monster while giving Adora and Catra a chance to free the magic. She told Catra she was proud of her and looked on fondly at her and Adora before her self-sacrifice. Despite her selfishness and lust for power, Shadow Weaver still seemed to have some sense of adoration for her wards. However, her motives for such an action are up for debate.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
- Sorcery: Prior to her experiments, back when she was known as Light Spinner, Shadow Weaver was an accomplished sorceress, using magic in the form of spells. Nevertheless, she was still able to conjure an illusion of herself by utilizing crushed lunar lenses. Her control over magic appears undiminished after her escape from The Horde.
- Umbrakinesis: After using the Spell of Obtainment, Shadow Weaver obtained power over shadows and darkness. She becomes adept at this dark magic afterward, gaining more power through the Runestones. This shadow magic was powered by the artificial black garnet connection.
- Spellcasting: Shadow Weaver is a competent spellcaster as shown during her time on Mystacor, being able to cast illusions and the Spell of Obtainment. She also only trained the "very best."
Former powers[]
- Black Garnet connection: After the Black Garnet was taken from Scorpia's family and given to the Horde, Shadow Weaver began experimenting with the Black Garnet, attempting to unlock its power, which she did. According to herself, no other sorceress has been able to do what she has accomplished. In the episode "Flowers for She-Ra" Shadow Weaver is seen struggling to maintain her power over the Black Garnet even shouting "You will not refuse me!" at the Runestone. This connection was severed by Catra in Season Two. It appears the link in her power and connection to the Black Garnet was located in her jewel she wore on the top of her mask, as seen when Catra shattered it. That caused her to lose her powers and control over the Runestone. This connection was further shattered when Scorpia bonded with the Black Garnet.
- Memory Erasing: It was proven in Season One when Shadow Weaver tried to erase Adora's memory of being She-Ra and meeting Bow and Glimmer.
Relationships[]
Adora[]
Adora, as an infant, was brought to the Fright Zone by Hordak on a "failed" expedition, of which the location and why it failed is unknown. Shadow Weaver immediately noticed this infant and 'felt' her power, promising they would do, "great things together" with some minor level of attachment. Adora quickly became Shadow Weaver's favorite among the young wards, and but Shadow Weaver was more of a commanding officer than a mother. According to Adora, she taught the former how to read, tie her boots, fight and be victorious, and presumably a lot more. However, while she groomed Adora for success and leadership, she also manipulated and emotionally abused her, which ultimately affected Adora's many insecurities and her perfectionist personality. At the same time, Shadow Weaver personally engineered Adora's rivalry with Catra, the latter of whom Shadow Weaver openly despised and abused, in all forms, as she disapproved of their friendship from the start until the very end. Through her subtle manipulation of Adora, Shadow Weaver managed to control the former up until the Battle of Thaymor. As a result, she also refused to believe Adora was anything but loyal, rejecting the idea that she would willingly leave the Horde on her own, and threatening Catra for suggesting the idea. She was adamant that Adora was crucial to the Horde's cause and refused to allow Adora to leave her clutches, as she constantly sent Catra out on missions to return her to the Horde against Hordak's orders. Even when she went after Adora on her own, she wasn't willing to back down, even when Adora blatantly denounced her cruelty and manipulation and completely severed ties to the sorceress. Shadow Weaver was not deterred by this, as she attempted to erase Adora's memory of her defection in order to effectively control her once more, though this plan was foiled by Glimmer.
In Season Two, Shadow Weaver constantly brings up her previous ward to annoy Catra whenever the former visits her in prison, and utilizes magic to teleport herself to Adora. She attempts sweet talk Adora after being imprisoned once more, but the latter coldly rebuffs her and relates the favoritism to her submissive obedience.
| “ | Special? No. What you always told me was that I didn't matter. I was special only as long as I obeyed you.
— Adora, to Shadow Weaver in The Price of Power
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” |
After Shadow Weaver's defection to the Princess Alliance, Adora has an uneasy alliance with the sorceress. Adora did not trust Shadow Weaver in Season Five, and it seems that whatever affection she used to have for the sorceress was lost. However, Shadow Weaver did still seem to care about Adora, but when she was confronted about the Heart of Etheria failsafe, she admitted that she was planning to use Adora to carry it since she was She-Ra and that amount of raw power the failsafe contained could tear a person apart, meaning there was a chance they’d be risking Adora’s life in the process. After her relationship with Catra fell apart due to Shadow Weaver's machinations, Adora snapped at her and didn't buy the sorceress' excuse for doing so. Before Shadow Weaver’s death, she sacrificed herself to the monster and showed her face hidden behind her mask to both Adora and Catra. Both girls had begged Shadow Weaver to leave, and it is from this that they still seemed to have seen Shadow Weaver as a mother figure, which is understandable since she is the one who raised them. Both girls seemed to have been visibly saddened by Shadow Weaver’s death, and it is argued that Shadow Weaver did care for both of them in her own way.
Catra[]
Presumably shortly after Adora was brought to the Fright Zone, Catra was taken in by Shadow Weaver as well. Unlike with Adora, Shadow Weaver openly despised and abused Catra, physically and emotionally. In the Season Two episode, "Light Spinner", Shadow Weaver claims that Catra reminded her of herself and that was the reason for her abuse. She goes on to say that she was not, "born into power like Adora", and that she was forced to fight for it, her reasoning being that Catra should have to suffer through the same experiences. To her credit, Catra does not buy it, as she was only a young child. There are many examples of when Shadow Weaver shows clear favoritism for Adora over Catra, treating the latter as lesser than the former. The earliest is in the first episode of the series, where Shadow Weaver congratulates Adora over her record time in completing the training assignment and degrades Catra, who completed the same feat. Catra is visibly and understandably hurt by her callousness, but Shadow Weaver harshly silences her. The most severe example is when Shadow Weaver caught young Adora and Catra as little children in the room with the Black Garnet. She scolded and threatened to kill Catra for coming in without permission, while she simply fixed part of Adora's hair, asked her to keep Catra under control, not to let it happen again, and then patted her on the head.
Catra asks why she was never good enough for Shadow Weaver.
She sees Catra as nothing but a disappointment, a liar, impertinent, and stubborn. Typically, she relentlessly degrades and insults Catra, and Catra in return is cold, blunt, and disrespectful. Because of this constant abusive treatment, Shadow Weaver was inadvertently responsible for the onset of Catra's claw to power in the Horde. This takes a turn for the worst when Hordak granted Catra, Entrapta, and Scorpia the access for Black Garnet against her wishes in the response to their discovery and her repeated disobedience. In her fit of rage and hubris, she turned against her superior and attacked the three, but foolishly underestimated Catra, who successfully severed her connection to the Black Garnet in the fight. Afterward, Shadow Weaver became a prisoner, serving as a source of information to Catra until she tricked her former student into providing the means for her to escape.
Catra dissolved into a rage of tears when she saw Shadow Weaver had teamed up with Adora. This final betrayal by her former mentor seems to be the final straw that caused Catra's descent into despondency. She continued saying, "I don't care!" and would rather there be no world than to live in one with so much rejection. In Season Five, after Catra joins the Princess Alliance, Shadow Weaver obviously disapproves of the fact that Catra and Adora are close again, and she tries to drive a wedge between the two, initially failing. Catra does not trust the sorceress and violently reacts when the sorceress restrains her to keep her from blowing their cover, justifiably a result from years of being physically and emotionally abused by her. However, due to Shadow Weaver's machinations, Catra temporarily leaves the Alliance.
During Shadow Weaver’s death, she showed true care for both Catra and Adora by sacrificing herself to the First Ones’ security monster to buy the girls time. Catra seemed to be visibly saddened by her death, as Shadow Weaver had been a constant influence within her life, while Shadow Weaver showed that deep down, she had love for Catra, of whom she had told that she was proud of before making her sacrifice.
Hordak[]
Shadow Weaver was the Horde's second-in-command until Adora escaped from the Horde and Catra took her place. While seemingly be loyal to Hordak's cause, she had, in truth, solely joined him to increase her powers just as Hordak was using her to beat the Rebellion. True to this, as soon as Hordak allowed Catra and her friends to use the Black Garnet against her wishes and denouncing her for her repeated disobedience, Shadow Weaver severed her ties with the Horde leader and attempted to retake the Black Garnet by force, only to be defeated by Catra and imprisoned for attempted treachery. Hordak ordered Shadow Weaver to be banished to Beast Island, a death sentence for most who are sent there.
In the Second Season, Shadow Weaver tells Catra that Catra is losing her place with Hordak just as she did. Also, like her, Catra is being pushed out.
King Micah[]
Shadow Weaver, when she was known as Light Spinner, trained Micah prior to him becoming king. She chose him as her protégé, heaping praise upon him; and later she tricked him into casting The Spell of Obtainment, which devastated Mystacor, nearly killed Micah, and resulted in Light Spinner becoming Shadow Weaver and her leaving the Sorceror's Guild. She was astonished when Micah was found alive and had returned to Bright Moon. The king attacked her on sight, an attack she easily deflected. She once defended Micah from an attack and became annoyed when he didn't acknowledge her.
Glimmer[]
Shadow Weaver begins teaching Glimmer to use sorcery.
Glimmer and Shadow Weaver have an antagonistic relationship that begins to take root in Season One after they meet, which occurs when Catra kidnaps Glimmer and Bow in "Princess Prom". After imprisoning Glimmer, Shadow Weaver tortured the princess and damaged her connection with the Moonstone by using the powers of the Black Garnet. This interruption to her Moonstone connection caused her to glitch and prevented her from teleporting. Glimmer escaped the bonds that Shadow Weaver held her in and attacked her after she witnesses Shadow Weaver's attempt to wipe Adora's memory. This left the sorceress unconscious allowing Adora and Glimmer to escape the Fright Zone.
In Season Three, episode four, "Moment of Truth", Glimmer releases Shadow Weaver from Castaspella and Queen Angella's holding. Shadow Weaver aids her and the Princess Alliance in rescuing Adora from the Fright Zone. It is not clear if they are allies, but Shadow Weaver promises to enhance Glimmer's powers. It appears that she keeps this promise, as in Moment of Truth, Glimmer's teleportation is stronger after the spell is cast. Glimmer is still distrustful of Shadow Weaver in Season Three, episode one, "The Price of Power". In Season Four, she began training Glimmer in the ways of sorcery, spells, and battle tactics.
In Season Five, Glimmer seems to have regained her distrust of Shadow Weaver, given her outraged and frustrated reaction when the sorceress mentioned using the Heart of Etheria again after the near catastrophic failure of using it the first time.
Castaspella[]
Castaspella had nothing but contempt for Light Spinner, to the point that she never told Glimmer that Micah was tutored by her. Castaspella did not trust Shadow Weaver when she appeared in Bright Moon and insisted on questioning her alone with Angella, excluding Adora. Later they formed a contentious alliance when fighting Hordak and then Horde Prime. In season five they worked very closely together to find and study the fail-safe at the Heart of Etheria. The pair helped the rest of the heroes sneak into Mystacor and access the fail-safe which later saved Etheria from Prime.
Norwyn[]
As Light Spinner she had an uneasy then antagonistic relationship with the old leader of Mystacor, disagreeing with him regarding the kingdom's role in the fight with the newly formed Horde on Etheria. She destroyed the sorcerer with the Spell of Obtainment before leaving and joining Hordak's forces.
Plot[]
Past[]
Micah helps Light Spinner to create the diamond perfectly.
Shadow Weaver was once known as Light Spinner and was one of the most powerful sorceresses in Etheria. As Light Spinner, she was a very understanding teacher of Mystacor, encouraging her students when they did well, but giving kind criticism when they stumbled. She was Micah's magic teacher before he became King, and is seen guiding him at the Hall of Sorcerers when he was Glimmer's age. She tells him that, while they cannot use magic like the princesses, sorceresses can channel lesser magics through years of study and discipline. So together, they begin to unravel the hidden, lesser magics, and Micah excels. His proficiency frustrates Light Spinner, who spent years trying to do what he did in weeks, but agrees to keep teaching him, telling him that they're "going to do great things together". She then conjures a scene from the recent attacks. A new force called the Horde has invaded, and the Princesses have been ineffective.
Light Spinner proposes using The Spell of Obtainment.
Micah wants to do something to help, and he reassures Light Spinner that she can convince the council of sorcerers that they must do something about the Horde. She proposes that the Sorcerers cast the Spell of Obtainment, a forbidden spell that will leech power from the world, turning the caster into a parasite if not killing them outright. She tells them that she's modified the spell, the magic of Etheria is stronger when the moons are aligned, but she is still refused. The council tells her that the Princesses will take care of the Horde, but this enrages Light Spinner, who knows they can help defeat the Horde once and for all with this one simple spell. The Council leader tells her that Etheria will take care of itself, as it always has, without resorting to "twisted spells".
An all-eyed entity gets out of the diamond.
Angry, she casts judgment on all the Council members, arguing that if they don't act now, there won't be a planet to save. Micah goes to Light Spinner, and she tells him the news, that the Council won't help her. So Micah agrees to help instead, to protect Etheria. They begin casting, but something goes wrong, an entity infects the spell and attacks Micah and Light Spinner. Micah flees, and it devours Light Spinner. It explodes, and Light Spinner is expelled from the blast while simultaneously disfiguring her face,but before Micah can go to her, the Council members pull him back. Shadow Weaver blames Micah for stopping the spell before it was finished, and while he argues that it was evil, she tells him that it was working.
Shadow Weaver's darkness devours the Norwyn
Shadow Weaver attacks the Council and lets her darkness devour the leader, declaring that the spell worked and that she is stronger now. She goes after Micah, who is easily captured. He begs her not to hurt him, but all she does is place her hand on his cheek, releases him, and disappears.
Shadow Weaver presumably kills a Horde soldier.
Shadow Weaver, who has switched clothes, gets into the Fright Zone and is threatened by two Horde soldiers. She ties one with her darkness and pushes, probably killing him, while the other watches and abandons the stun gun, so he won't share the same fate as his partner. Shadow Weaver tells him to tell Hordak that someone was in the Fright Zone that could lead him to victory. She meets Hordak, and he makes her a sorceress of the shadows and the second-in-command of the Horde. He also gave her Scorpia's family's Runestone: the Black Garnet. At no point is this drastic shift in personality explained; after losing everything (socially) over an attempt to bring down the Horde, she starts working for it - seemingly in earnest, as she will not end up betraying the Horde at any point until after it betrays her - rather than continuing the fight or even giving up, as Huntara did.
Shadow Weaver promising that she and Adora would do great things together.
She is seen meeting with Lord Hordak and asks him how his "excursion" went. He tells her that he was unsuccessful, and returned only with something that would be of little to no use to him. It was a blonde-haired baby, which was Adora. Before the child is placed in with all the others, Shadow Weaver tells him that she can sense magic in the child and that it can be of use to them. She then takes the child, and promises her, as she did Micah, that they would do great things together. At some point, she also takes in Catra.
Season One[]
Shadow Weaver is first seen congratulating Adora on her record timing in the training course and getting annoyed with Catra. She then takes Adora with her and tells her that Hordak made her a Force Captain. After Adora told Catra about the sword, Catra says: "Please don't be brain damaged. Oh...Shadow Weaver's gonna kill me!"
In "The Sword: Part 2", Shadow Weaver asks Catra where Adora is, after gazing into her cauldron. Then she says she already knows where Adora is located, then telling Catra she has to return her or she will suffer in Adora's place.
In "Razz", Shadow Weaver goes to find Catra, telling her to show more respect. After a brief conversation, Shadow Weaver gets mad, shouts: "LIES!" and smashes a bunch of light bulbs with her shadow magic, then informing Catra that she will take her to Lord Hordak. She does so, and Lord Hordak is unhappy that they are still missing a Force Captain, so he appoints Catra as the new one, much to Shadow Weaver's disappointment.
In "Flowers for She-Ra", Shadow Weaver finds Catra bragging about becoming Force Captain, she then wants to know how Catra lost Adora and attempts to use her powers on Catra, causing her to groan, as she needs to recharge, shoving Catra away as she attempts to help. Shadow Weaver is later seen again, entering the room containing the Black Garnet, and recharging, she struggles and shouts: "You will not refuse me!" A brief conversation ensues with Hordak, then she shouts out in rage, sending shadow tendrils up the walls. Then later seen again, showing Catra footage of She-Ra's victory. Then she made returning Adora Catra's top mission.
In the episode "The Sea Gate", she sends Catra to retrieve Adora yet again, sending Scorpia with her and providing her with a boat as a means to get to the Sea Gate.
In "In the Shadows of Mystacor", Shadow Weaver sends her Shadow Spies to find Adora. While in Mystacor, Adora and her friends see the statue of Light Spinner and hear a brief backstory. Shadow Weaver continues to haunt Adora with her Shadow Spies, later revealing herself and confessing to being Light Spinner. Adora fights her off, and Shadow Weaver is left unconscious after the ordeal.
In "No Princess Left Behind", Shadow Weaver is congratulated on "her" work by Hordak, then welcoming Glimmer to the Fright Zone. Later, she informs Glimmer that her mother is coming, and Glimmer says she must be playing mind games and Adora isn't a fan of her either. Shadow Weaver responds that she isn't playing mind games, acting disappointed when Glimmer got shocked after attempting to teleport. Later, she attempts to wipe Adora's mind to return her to the Horde. Glimmer breaks free and punches her, knocking her unconscious.
In "The Beacon", Shadow Weaver is scolded by Hordak. Later she goes to Catra, her hair not floating, showing that she is weakened, or not recharged, or simply just tired. She hangs against the bed, breathing heavily. Catra attempts to comfort her but this fails. Shadow Weaver admits she was hard on her but won't apologize for it. She wanted to prepare her and watches her leave, her gem glowing ominously.
In "Promise", Shadow Weaver Is seen in a flashback, recharging, then removing her mask, showing a part of her disfigured face, gasping as she sees Adora And Catra. She berates Catra and threatens her, and then tells Adora to keep Catra in line, then she turns around and supposedly continues to recharge.
In "Light Hope", Shadow Weaver is furious to see Hordak allowed Catra, Scorpia, and Entrapta to hook up machinery on her precious The Black Garnet. Angered by this, and seeing that her superior and the rest of the Horde have truly outlived their usefulness for her own quest for power, Shadow Weaver destroys every nearby computer screen before absorbing enough power from the Garnet to take out Catra and her friends before she can do the same on her superior and pawn. In her hubris, she underestimated Catra who single-handedly destroyed her gem, severing her link with the Garnet before eventually imprisoned by the Horde for attempted treachery.
Season Two[]
In "The Frozen Forest", Shadow Weaver is seen in the cell, on her hands and knees, looking up as Catra enters, her hair laying flat. A conversation ensues, showing that Shadow Weaver still despises Catra.
In "Signals", Shadow Weaver is sitting in her cell, Catra coming in and throwing down files, asking Shadow Weaver for the missing file. Shadow Weaver responds smugly, "Being me isn't quite what you imagined, is it?" She then continues to lay back against her cell walls, watching Catra leave.
Her main appearance is in the episode Light Spinner. She is first seen as Light Spinner, showing new students an illusion of a Phoenix, then helping said students with their own illusions. Micah follows and talks with her. Then, Shadow Weaver is seen in her cell, marking the number of days she has been in the cell with her finger. Light Spinner is then explaining Mystacor in more detail to Micah, then she and Micah are seen gathering the little floating diamonds and harvesting their essence, drawing a symbol on the ground. She then creates a diamond-like shape out of the water and struggles to form and contain it. Micah then assists, showing his true magical capabilities. Light Spinner gets mad, thinking someone else taught him, then realizing it's his own power. She is seen again, trying to convince the other sorcerers to cast the Spell of Obtainment with her, so they can take power for themselves and beat the Horde. She was, obviously, refused.
Catra then goes to inform her that she will be headed to Beast Island, a death sentence. She asks Catra to bring her old Sorceror's Guild badge, so she can see it one more time. Catra refuses and leaves. The scene returns to a flashback of Light Spinner and Micah casting the Spell of Obtainment, and it instantly goes wrong. They try to hold it steady and reverse it, but the monstrosity breaks free. It attempts to take Micah, but instead, Light Spinner is taken. Her face becomes heavily disfigured. The sorcerers come in and she attacks them out of blind rage. Her darkness absorbs Norwyn, and supposedly kills others. She then rubs Micah's cheek and leaves. She then re-appears on-screen, walking towards two Horde soldiers, killing one and telling the other to tell Lord Hordak "there is someone here who can help him." Catra delivers her meals, and a weakened Shadow Weaver tells Catra why she treated her so poorly. She then sees her Sorcerer's Guild badge in her food and holds up the star-shaped garment. Shadow Weaver is then seen practicing her magic, hearing a baby cry, and asking Lord Hordak how his excursion went. He said it went uneasy and tells the guards to put the child with the other orphans. Shadow Weaver says this child has potential and takes her in. This child was Adora. Then, a caged Shadow Weaver is seen breaking her badge and using the essence to form an illusion of herself. Catra finds the illusion and finds out that Shadow Weaver has escaped. She howls in rage as she realizes Shadow Weaver used and betrayed her.
In the last episode "Reunion", Shadow Weaver is seen, standing over a sleeping Adora.
Season Three[]
Shadow Weaver reveals the truth about Adora.
Shadow Weaver collapses and is taken into custody by Queen Angella and Castaspella, who bind her within a magical glyph. They interrogate her, but she mocks them and says she will only speak to Adora. When Adora arrives, Shadow Weaver agrees to be truthful and to provide vital information about the Horde in exchange for Adora healing her. After being healed, she reveals that Hordak is building a portal with Entrapta's help to bring the rest of the Horde's armies to Etheria, and as proof of other worlds existing, she reveals that Adora is an alien which Hordak brought to Etheria via a failed portal. Adora runs from the room, and Shadow Weaver stays in her magical prison.
Shadow Weaver uses power from the Moonstone.
Eventually, Adora is captured by Catra, and Glimmer decides to get Shadow Weaver's help to free her. Shadow Weaver agrees to help enhance Glimmer's power enough to teleport all the way to the heart of the Fright Zone, and Glimmer agrees. They go to the Moonstone and Shadow Weaver draws forth enough power from it for the task, reaching out to Glimmer, who takes her hand and uses her power to teleport Bow, Perfuma, Mermista, and Frosta along as well.
Arriving in the Fright Zone, Shadow Weaver continues with the group toward Hordak's sanctuary, the Princesses peeling off to block soldiers they encounter en route. Eventually, only Glimmer and Bow remain at her side, and she encounters Catra. Channeling Glimmer's power as a source to fuel her own magic, Shadow Weaver effortlessly defeats Catra and tortures her when she refuses to leave with them. Catra retreats when Shadow Weaver is forced to release her, due to Glimmer becoming drained of energy.
The group presses on, eventually reaching Hordak's sanctuary, where Shadow Weaver uses Glimmer's energy to deflect incoming missiles sent by Hordak, damaging the room. Hordak is separated from the portal he was opening, but Catra opens it, causing space-time to degrade until Adora is able to fix it. Emerging from the portal as She-Ra and closing it behind her, Catra and Hordak flee before her while Shadow Weaver has everyone prepare to depart. Glimmer grabs her hand, and the group teleports back to Bright Moon.
Season Four[]
Shadow Weaver with her guards, her mask restored.
Despite her assistance against the Horde, Shadow Weaver is still required to have a detail of guards with her wherever she goes. When Adora passes her in the hall of Bright Moon, Shadow Weaver sends her good wishes to Glimmer's coronation as queen, and cryptically remarks that she hopes "you two are still close", because "power changes people."
In Pulse, Glimmer sends her allies to attack a Horde transport while she remains at Bright Moon and practices magic on her own. Shadow Weaver sees this, and praises her power from a distance, so Glimmer teleports to her, discovering Shadow Weaver inside her new garden. Inside, Shadow Weaver tells Glimmer that her power could eclipse both of her parents, and offered to teach her, saying that she should decide what kind of queen she wants to be. However, the mention of her mother bothers Glimmer, and she says she doesn't take advice from "prisoners" before teleporting away.
Glimmer's location spell.
After Bow is seriously wounded in battle, Glimmer eventually returns to find Shadow Weaver cheerfully tending her garden. She dismisses Shadow Weaver's guards and demands Shadow Weaver help her think like Catra, in order to anticipate her moves and block her. Instead, Shadow Weaver offers to show her a location spell to figure out where Catra is. Using plants from her garden, some of which are magical, Shadow Weaver primes the location spell and guides Glimmer through activating it. Glimmer succeeds but is hesitant to send Adora to attack Catra due to Double Trouble's lies about the Horde being able to track her. In response, Shadow Weaver advises Glimmer to go directly to Catra herself while Horde forces are occupied fighting Adora.
Shadow Weaver and Glimmer construct a magical prison for Double Trouble in "Mer-Mysteries".
This plan succeeds, so Glimmer allows Shadow Weaver to teach her more magic, dismissing Shadow Weaver's guards permanently. When the Princess Alliance begins to suspect a traitor in their midst, Adora immediately suspects Shadow Weaver, even though Shadow Weaver was only making tea at the time in question. Shadow Weaver once again gives good counsel, devising a plan to reveal the real traitor by planting a false lead for said traitor to follow: a "backup" communicator, after the traitor had destroyed the original. Shadow Weaver also helps create a magical trap nearby where the "backup" communicator would supposedly be, which succeeds in imprisoning the traitor, Double Trouble, who had gone looking for the fake backup communicator to destroy.
Shadow Weaver then attempts to teach Glimmer a truth spell to help interrogate Double Trouble, but she struggles to cast it successfully with Double Trouble needling her. Glimmer eventually gives up and departs to the war room, where Adora is insisting that everyone help disable the Heart of Etheria. There, Shadow Weaver and Glimmer both argue instead of keeping and utilizing the heart to their advantage, channeling its power into themselves. The meeting is interrupted by the arrival of Scorpia, who eventually reveals that Entrapta was taken to Beast Island, which Shadow Weaver confirms is a real place and in fact, even worse than the children's stories Horde soldiers hear about it.
Shadow Weaver loses Glimmer's favor.
Later, Adora and Bow flee Bright Moon castle to disable the Heart of Etheria against Glimmer's orders, and Shadow Weaver offers to help Glimmer halt their fleeing spaceship, although Glimmer declines and sets out alone to figure out how to use the Heart of Etheria. When she returns, she sets out to reconnect Scorpia to the Black Garnet, which Shadow Weaver staunchly opposes. Eventually, Shadow Weaver learns that Double Trouble "escaped", and then argues for Double Trouble to be captured immediately. Shadow Weaver nearly succeeds in persuading Glimmer, citing Double Trouble's knowledge and her own track record of helpfulness, but goes too far when she invokes her mother, angering Glimmer, who locks Shadow Weaver out.
Shadow Weaver blocks an incoming magical assault from Micah, her former apprentice.
Shadow Weaver then lounges on the Bright Moon throne while Glimmer heads to the Fright Zone with Scorpia. Eventually, Adora, Bow, Swift Wind, and Entrapta arrive with King Micah in tow, who Shadow Weaver is shocked to see alive. Micah immediately attempts to attack Shadow Weaver, but she splits his magical bolt around herself, telling them where Glimmer went.
Season Five[]
She seems to not be prisoner anymore and is an ally to the kingdom of Bright Moon and The Rebellion, though the princesses are still hesitant to trust her due to her past with Adora. While helping the refugees she continued to advocate the use of the Heart of Etheria which everyone else opposed. When the base was attacked by bots she helped save Micah and Adora and went with them when they retreated to the deepest part of the Whispering Woods.
In Shot in the Dark, the members of the Rebellion that are left after many have been chipped decide they need to relocate. Shadow Weaver proposes Castaspella to come with her to save Micah. Castaspella reluctantly agrees to come after Shadow Weaver says she has a plan while the rest of them don't, but she assures Shadow Weaver that if she tries anything, she won't hesitate to strike her down. Later, they chat while walking to where Shadow Weaver leads, and Castaspella says that the only reason she's following her is because if anyone would know about mind control, it would be her. Shadow Weaver responds that her gifts were always far subtler than that. Casta almost walks away, but Shadow Weaver stops her by saying that Micah is far more powerful than either of them, and that he cannot be stopped; in the enemy's hands, he is capable of doing irreparable damage to himself and others.
Uneasy Alliance
Shadow Weaver says that her plan is to make themselves stronger. Casta then believes Shadow Weaver to not care about saving Micah and this is all to take power for herself, but just before she is able to stop her, Shadow Weaver shows her native animals sleeping in a magical grove. Shadow Weaver explains that everything they were taught at the Sorcerer's Guild was wrong, that the First Ones didn't enhance the planet's magic with their tech--they weakened it. She elaborates that Etheria is a living creature, not a weapon, and that its magic has been slumbering all this time. She says that they can break the restraints on the magic the First Ones built, and use it against Prime. Casta reiterates that Shadow Weaver just wants the magic for herself, but Shadow Weaver says she wants to save Micah, imploring Casta to come with her and stop her if she tries to take the magic for herself. Casta agrees to help on that point.
Shadow Weaver and Castaspella join the rebels in their hidden base and says that they have discovered that if they activate the fail-safe at the Heart of Etheria all the magic that has been stored there will be set free. Glimmer pointed out the dangers of activating the Heart, but Castaspella points out that releasing the magic is not the same thing as activating the Heart and that there are forgotten tunnels and the Crystal of Arxia under Mystacor which in ancient times was called Arxia. Shadow Weaver said that she could make her way to the fail-safe device, but she needs help. Glimmer teleported Shadow Weaver, Catra, Bow, Adora, Castaspella and Melog to Mystacor where they sneaked inside using Melog's stealth. When they reached the Luminarium Catra broke stealth mode alerting the sorcerer's to their presence and a brief fight ensued with one sorcerer.
Shadow Weaver opened the secret entrance within Mystacor. After bickering with Shadow Weaver in the tunnel Adora triggered a fire rune that erupted in fake flames around her. Catra jumped into the fire and 'saved' Adora. Shadow Weaver then tried, and failed, to drive a wedge between Adora and Catra by falsely claiming that her friendship, her love was what was preventing her from being able to summon She-Ra. Upon reaching the fail-safe, which was inside a giant crystal tower, Shadow Weaver instructed Adora to open it with the password "Friends of Mara". The instructions inside said, "Someone needs to go inside and accept the fail-safe"; which means that someone must take the fail-safe and carry it bodily into the Heart.
Unmasked as she says her goodbyes
Since She-Ra was the only one who could absorb the full power of the Heart only she could go, despite Catra's and everyone else's protestations. Knowing that she may not survive she decided her sacrifice would be better than Prime getting access to the Heart. But Micah showed up with two other chipped sorcerers and a fight erupted. Using the fight as a distraction Adora entered and accepted the fail-safe. Micah used dark magic to entrap the heroes and he tried to interrupt Adora's accepting of the fail-safe. Seeing her friends in distress she summoned She-Ra, accepted the fail-safe and bound Micah and the two sorcerers. Everyone fled Mystacor for their base while Shadow weaver manages to separate Adora from Catra, after Catra's return Shadow weaver is persuaded to use her magic to help warn Adora of Prime's plan, teleporting close to Etheria's heart, Shadow weaver helped Adora to go to the heart leaving Back to Catra to face The Last Defense of the Ancients, the proximity to Etheria's heart gradually gave strength to the Shadow weaver, before Catra's apparent end to the Guardian of the Ancients was saved by the Shadow weaver's magic after which she orders Catra to "take Adora and escape", sealing the exit with her magic,locking herself against the Guardian, in an act of sincere repentance, tells Catra how proud she was of her, taking off the mask revealing her scarred face to both Catra and Adora telling them "You're welcome" before sacrificing herself in an explosion and taking the Guardian with her,in the aftermath of the Shadow Weaver's sacrifice only her broken mask remains.
Episode appearances[]
| Season 1 | ||||||||||||
| 1. "The Sword Part 1": | Appears | 7. "In the Shadows of Mystacor": | Appears | |||||||||
| 2. "The Sword Part 2": | Appears | 8. "Princess Prom": | Absent | |||||||||
| 3. "Razz": | Appears | 9. "No Princess Left Behind": | Appears | |||||||||
| 4. "Flowers for She-Ra": | Appears | 10. "The Beacon": | Appears | |||||||||
| 5. "The Sea Gate": | Appears | 11. "Promise": | Absent | |||||||||
| 6. "System Failure": | Absent | 12. "Light Hope": | Appears | |||||||||
| 13. "The Battle of Bright Moon": | Absent | |||||||||||
| Season 2 | ||||||||||||
| 1. "The Frozen Forest": | Appears | 4. "Roll With It": | Absent | |||||||||
| 2. "Ties That Bind": | Absent | 5. "White Out": | Mentioned | |||||||||
| 3. "Signals": | Appears | 6. "Light Spinner": | Appears | |||||||||
| 7. "Reunion": | Appears | |||||||||||
| Season 3 | ||||||||||||
| 1. "The Price of Power": | Appears | 4. "Moment of Truth": | Appears | |||||||||
| 2. "Huntara": | Absent | 5. "Remember": | Appears | |||||||||
| 3. "Once Upon a Time in the Waste": | Mentioned | 6. "The Portal": | Appears | |||||||||
| Season 4 | ||||||||||||
| 1. "The Coronation": | Appears | 7. "Mer-Mysteries": | Appears | |||||||||
| 2. "The Valley of the Lost": | Absent | 8. "Boys' Night Out": | Absent | |||||||||
| 3. " Flutterina": | Absent | 9. "Hero": | Absent | |||||||||
| 4. "Pulse": | Appears | 10. "Fractures": | Appears | |||||||||
| 5. "Protocol": | Absent | 11. "Beast Island": | Absent | |||||||||
| 6. "Princess Scorpia": | Mentioned | 12. "Destiny Part 1": | Appears | |||||||||
| 13. "Destiny Part 2": | Appears | |||||||||||
| Season 5 | ||||||||||||
| 1. "Horde Prime": | Appears | 7. "Perils of Peekablue": | Absent | |||||||||
| 2. "Launch": | Absent | 8. "Shot in the Dark": | Appears | |||||||||
| 3. "Corridors": | Absent | 9. "An Ill Wind": | Absent | |||||||||
| 4. "Stranded": | Mentioned | 10. "Return to the Fright Zone": | Appears | |||||||||
| 5. "Save the Cat": | Absent | 11. "Failsafe": | Appears | |||||||||
| 6. "Taking Control": | Absent | 12. "Heart Part 1": | Appears | |||||||||
| 13. "Heart Part 2": | Appears | |||||||||||
Quotes[]
- Shadow Weaver: "Ah, yes. How someone as unmotivated as you completed the course in that time, I'll never know."
- Catra: "Always serving up those pep talks, huh, Shadow Weaver?"
- The Sword: Part 1, minute 4:30
"I am proud of you."-Heart Part 2
"You are a Princess, so, you have a Runestone. Yours dwells there, within your sword. With it, you channel the elemental magic of Etheria. Let it flow through the sword and into you. You must learn to concentrate. Focus your power. [...] Calm down. Your frustration will cause the energy you produce to become destructive if you're not careful. There must be peace in your mind if you are to heal. Come closer and allow me to help you. [...] You are afraid, but refuse to admit it. Afraid of your power, of it spiraling out of control. Let yourself feel it, then move past it. (coughs) You are greater than your fear."-The Price of Power
"Stop it? The real question is how do you intend to use this to your advantage?"-Fractures
"[looks away] Because you remind me of myself. You always have. Nothing was ever easy for me either. I wasn't born to power like Adora and the others. I had to earn my power, fight for it. Why should it be any different for you?"-Light Hope (episode)
"Lord Hordak. My will is your will."-Flowers for She-Ra
- Shadow Weaver: "[screams angrily] Get out! [Young Adora cries out in alarm as dark magic encloses the exit] Catra... [Young Adora turns to see Young Catra's form enveloped in a paralyzing, zapping magic] ...you stay. [Young Catra grunts as she is forced to stand]. What do you think you're doing in here? [Shadow Weaver makes Young Catra turn, feet squeaking on the floor as she does so without picking up her feet; Shadow Weaver clicks her mask back in place]"
- Young Catra: "[fearfully] We were just playing."
- Promise, minute 3:29
"To ensure success, no matter where Adora goes, no matter how long it takes, my shadow spies will find her."-Flowers for She-Ra
"Your insolence will not protect her. You will do as I ask. [...] Or you will suffer the consequences in her place." -The Sword: Part 2, to Catra about finding Adora.
"Of course, it's all wasted if you don't use it. I've been watching you. You're trying to be like your mother, overseeing things from afar. But you are not her. You must decide for yourself what kind of queen you will be."-Pulse
"We can no longer stand by while the Horde conquers more and more territory. The Princesses have been unable to stop them, and now they have taken a runestone, the Black Garnet."-Light Spinner (episode)
Trivia[]
- Her former and current names are antonyms of each other: light and shadow. Spinner and weaver have similar connotations of creative control, implying that she equally controlled light as she now does the darkness that are shadows.
- She is shown to be a skilled gardener and fond of daisies, finding them cheerful, as seen in the Season Four episode "Pulse".
- According to ND Stevenson’s BLM live stream, Shadow Weaver is supposed to be drunk when Catra confronts her in “Heart Part 1”. This is only partly shown in the finished episode, as while actress Lorraine Toussaint plays her as drunk, it is only about “30%” drunk as Dreamworks didn't approve of explicit intoxication. In this original version, Shadow Weaver would have also thrown up in her mask.
- Keiko Murayama and Jisoo Kim developed her visual design.[1]
References[]
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| She-Ra and the Princesses of Power's Characters | ||
|---|---|---|
| Best Friends Squad | Adora/She-Ra • Glimmer • Bow • Catra | |
| Princesses and Rebellion | Perfuma • Mermista • Frosta • Netossa • Spinnerella • Queen Angella • Sea Hawk • King Micah • Entrapta • Scorpia | |
| The Evil Horde | Horde Prime • Horde Prime's Clone Army • Lord Hordak • Lonnie • Kyle • Rogelio • Grizzlor • Octavia • Scorpia's mothers | |
| Others | Castaspella • Swift Wind • Razz • Tung Lashor • Double Trouble • Shadow Weaver • Melog • Huntara | |