The Heart of Etheria Project was a plan by The First Ones to weaponize the entire planet of Etheria using the Heart of Etheria.
History[]
Past[]
At some point during their studies of Etheria, the First Ones used their technology to direct the Runestones of Etheria to a central core, the Heart. While all Elemental Princesses are part of the Heart by proxy, She-Ra specifically is a vital part. She acts as a conduit for the Heart’s power, as no other being can properly use its power without being destroyed, and is able to focus it properly. The Sword of Protection's purpose is to control She-Ra. Through the Sword, She-Ra is able to deploy the weapon, to an unknown effect, though Mara stated her people intended to destroy entire worlds. The First Ones were essentially sucking magic from the planet and storing it in its core, planning to then release it. Knowing that Mara would be against this true purpose, the First Ones kept the important and more sensitive parts veiled from She-Ra.
| “ | The Heart of Etheria Project. It was supposed to be an energy source, capable of so much good...but that's not what they made. My people turned our planet, all of Etheria, into a weapon. And She-Ra is the key.
— Mara
|
” |
Mara, the She-Ra before Adora, came to realize the project’s harm and created a portal to send Etheria to an empty, shadow dimension known as Despondos. This hid the Heart away somewhere distant and nearly impossible to find. She buried the Sword of Protection in the ground with the thought that, if there was no She-Ra, there would be no key to release the planet's magic; no one could become She-Ra because no one could find them in an empty dimension.
Light Hope, a programmed entity from the First Ones, was specifically created to use the Heart‘s power against First Ones' enemies. She was originally a friend of Mara's, but was reprogrammed by the First Ones so she could do what they wanted her to, making her purpose theirs rather than allow her to create her own due to Mara's influence. Light Hope reached across the galaxy and managed to create at least one portal, which pulled infant Adora- a First One- into Etheria, ensuring there would be a new She-Ra.
Season one[]
Adora first heard Light Hope when she was wandering around in the Whispering Woods, where Light Hope resided. She went back several times, but when she was attacked, she was able to use the sword for the first time. As with Mara, Light Hope kept the Heart of Etheria information from Adora, making her assume that the sword and She-Ra was to be used for defending the Rebellion. In later seasons, she continues to use the sword. In Protocol, Adora states that she is annoyed with how vague Light Hope can be, often hiding details.
Season four[]
the Sword of Protection
Adora, along with Bow and Swift Wind, learn of the Heart's existence after Razz helps repair Mara's last message on her ship, which warned that the Heart would tear Etheria apart if activated. They bring this new information to the Princess Alliance, which then became divided on whether or not to use the Heart. Only Glimmer and Mermista voted to use it, believing it would grant them the power to defeat the Horde once and for all.
At the same time Adora, Bow, and Swift Wind depart for Beast Island in an attempt to stop the heart from being activated, Glimmer learns from Double Trouble that Horde Prime was on his way, making her more desperate to use the Heart. To that end, she traveled to the Crystal Castle and fought numerous spiders to get Light Hope's attention. Light Hope tricks Glimmer into activating the Heart by connecting Scorpia with the Black Garnet, so Light Hope could create a portal to pull out Etheria from Despondos. Fortunately, before Heart could be fired, Adora was able to shut the weapon down by breaking the key component, her Sword's blade, but not before Horde Prime picks up the Heart's energy readings. After learning what the Heart was from Catra, he decides to obtain the weapon for the Horde and use it to finally establish his vision of "peace and order" for the universe.
season five[]
The princesses ended the project by activating the Heart's fail-safe which released the trapped magic from the Heart back to Etheria's plants, animals and people.
Effects[]
The Heart of Etheria’s massive magical power was to be used for destruction. It linked the Elemental Princesses which manifested stronger magical power. Glimmer sought to use the Heart in order to turn the tide in the Rebellion’s war against the Horde, not knowing that activating the Heart would destroy Etheria. The final effect of the Heart of Etheria was to release its stolen magic back to Etheria.
Casualties[]
A thousand years ago Mara stropped the Heart of Etheria by throwing Etheria into the empty dimension of Despondos and sacrificed herself to Etheria to stop the Heart. Some First Ones and Etherians possibly might have been killed by the power of the Heart.