hordakin

[hordakin]

this is so sad

twitter

[hordakin]

Thinking about the portal incident again How it was never explained what caused the portal to appear, was Light Hope involved, was it someone else or was it wild magic. Was it planned or was it a pure random and luck How it saved Hordak from certain death. How it saved him from Prime How it appeared at the right place at the very right time. And had this happened a day late or anywhere else on the front lines, he most likely wouldn't have survived

How in that moment on the battlegrounds Hordak probably no longer believed he could be saved and just accepted his fate

How he might've as well been mere weeks/days old and his life could've ended before it even began. And he was ready to accept it

How in his mind he might have thought he was dying. And how confused and defeated he must have felt once he realized that he was still alive. That this portal did not kill him, but rather took away his chance at doing something "right", the last chance at pleasing his god. How he might've saw himself as an even bigger failure, because he couldn't even die right

How this sudden brutal separation from Prime and the Hive Mind was necessary and, in retrospect, was the best thing to ever happen to Hordak. How by physically cutting all the ties he had to the Horde and the known universe, some random portal did more to protect Hordak than most people in his life ever did

How Hordak himself viewed his situation not as a miracle but as fate worse than death. How at first he only felt immense pain, fear and grief, like a very young child whom was forcebly taken away from their abusive family. How he did not understand that it was good for him and only wished to return home and see his brother again. How Hordak wasted years of his life trying to find him. How his indoctrination, loyalty and love were stronger even than such powerful magic/technology

How Hordak had no idea what to do with himself at first, for he never thought he would've lasted this long. For he was not meant to live that long. And yet, he no longer welcomed death and once again found will to live. He did not let himself give up this time

How he's been looking for a portal home, hoping that one day it's going to appear again. How eventually, tired of waiting, he decided to create a portal of his own. How it became his life's work

How it was a portal that sent Adora to Etheria, someone who will one day free Hordak and the entire universe from Prime. How, if he wasn't waiting for another portal this entire time, no one would've come for her and Adora could've died on that field. But Hordak was there, and (as best as he could) he took care of someone who ended up in the same situation he was in

How it was a portal that brought Hordak to Etheria, and into Entrapta's lonely life. How they would've never met each other if it wasnt for that incident

How it was a portal that invited Entrapta into his life and helped him connect with a person who will forever change his life. How it was a portal that became a catalist for their friendship (and love)

How the "natural" portal that sent Hordak to Etheria can represent real connections and the painful process of growth and change (seeing new places, meeting new people, trying new things, distancing from harmful enviroment, learning independence, being responsible for oneself and others)

How the "artificial" portal Hordak created himself can represent desire to return to this false safety of the past, where everything was simple and familiar, as well as his desperate wish to rebuild his connection with Prime. A connection that was never there. How it was falling apart from the start, how at first Entrapta was so eager to help her friend succeed, but eventually realized that the portal was dangerous. How in the end it only hurt Hordak and everyone around him

How the portal that appeared "naturally" gave him not what he wanted, but what he needed. A safe place, people who understand him, a chance at better life, his personhood. How, after the "artificial" portal gave him something he thought he wanted, Hordak went back to square one. How, in reality, it only took everything from him

Portals, man...

[hordakin]

Ok so She-Ra pulled such a great hat trick with Hordak's characterization, and I LOVE it

One of my favorite things about 2018 She-Ra is Hordak's story and development (and Entrapdak cough but that's not the point of this particular post), and the cleverest thing is that so much of it is actually being set up and told to us in seasons 1 and 2 before we even realize that that's what's happening.

When we first see Hordak in the show, he's giving "generic evil overlord" vibes. Garden-variety baddie. Maybe a little more reasonable than some and clearly capable of long-term thinking, but that just serves to make him intimidating. Everything about him--the way he runs his empire, his armor, his color scheme, his minion, his Villainous Eye Makeup(TM), even his name--are all projecting to the audience "yup, Acme Bad Guy here. Move right along."

But then, backstory. And everything snaps into focus. Not only is it one of the first big oh SHIT moments of the show, where we suddenly zoom out and realize that there is SO much more going on than we realized--it's also the start of the audience seeing Hordak as a character rather than an archetype. Suddenly we realize that he's not conquering Etheria because he wants power, or hates happiness and sparkles, or whatever--he's doing it out of a desperate attempt to prove his worth to his brother/creator/god. This moment where Hordak lets Entrapta in is also the moment the show lets us in on what makes our favorite spacebat tick.

On top of that, we've also seen him bonding with Entrapta and opening up to this person that he respects and trusts...probably the only person he's ever respected or trusted apart from Prime. And she's Etherian--someone of a lower species, someone he's supposed to subjugate, someone who he has been raised and trained and programmed and mind-controlled into believing is below him in every way.

But instead she's brilliant and creative and mesmerizing. She's not afraid of him, and she's fascinated with his work. For the first time since being abandoned by Prime, Hordak finally has someone that he can talk to, who is on his level and both understands and cares about the science! (because he is a giant nerd). She's kind to him, a mere defect. And it just sends his whole worldview into a spin, and that's all before--

Bam, mans is a goner. Entrapta's "Imperfections are beautiful" comment punches right through all the toxic bs that Hordak has been steeped in his entire life. You can see on his face here--I think it's the moment Hordak fell in love with Entrapta, but this is also the face of a spacebat reevaluating his entire worldview. If Entrapta, who is amazing, believes something different from Prime...what does that mean? If Entrapta, who is brilliant, believes that he is worth something, and that she herself is a failure...

Well. We know what happens after that, and how Hordak begins to doubt, and eventually fights back against Prime (and remembers his love for Entrapta after TWO mind wipes help my heart ack). But we also get to see what life in the Galactic Horde looks like: the only life Hordak ever knew before coming to Etheria.

It's not nice.

It's really not nice.

Prime operates in a very specific way, and we learn a lot about it in season 5. Prime expects complete obedience, devotion and worship from his clones. He allows no individuality from his subjects, not even a name. Failure or deviations are punished, mind-wiped, or destroyed. We even learn from Wrong Hordak that facial expressions are considered a privilege reserved for Prime (apart from, presumably, expressions of rapture caused by being around Prime).

And once we learn all of this, suddenly thinking about season 1 Hordak becomes very interesting indeed. The time we spend with the Galactic Horde and Prime throws absolutely everything that we know about Hordak into a whole new context. Now all those traits that made him a generic villain are actually hugely effective characterization! And what that characterization is telling us is that Hordak had already moved much farther away from Prime than we (or, probably, he) had realized, even long before he met Entrapta.

Horde Prime does not allow his underlings to have names, personalities, or any differences of appearance. Not only does Hordak allow this among his own troops, he chose a name for himself as well! Season 5 tells us that his very name is an act of blasphemy against his god. And yet Hordak took one for himself, and that name is part of the core identity he is able to hold on to when rebelling against Prime.

Horde Prime cast Hordak out when he showed signs of physical imperfections. Hordak not only keeps Imp (who is by all appearances a failed clone or similar experiment) around, he treats Imp more gently than we see him treat anybody or anything before Entrapta. Imp is not simply "generic evil guy's minion," he is proof of Hordak's capacity for compassion, and evidence that Hordak cannot bring himself to cast aside "defects" as easily as Prime. Considering where Hordak came from, Imp's existence is a huge, flashing neon sign telling the audience this guy here is better than the hell that molded him, and we don't even realize it until 4 seasons after it's been shown to us!

Very cool, ND.

There's more, though. Hordak's red and black color scheme? His dark eye makeup and lipstick? Very Evil Overlord chic. But nope! Actually these are actually expressions of individuality on a level that Hordak knows would be abhorrent to Prime!

Reading between the lines, I see this as Hordak desperately trying to reconcile two diametrically opposed beliefs in his head: (1) devotion to Prime, whose approval he desperately craves, and (2) maintaining some degree of unique personhood, of Hordak, from which to draw strength. Because a failed, defective clone cannot survive on a hostile world, cut off from the hivemind and from Prime's light. A failed clone cannot create an empire to offer Prime as tribute, nor build a spacetime portal from scraps and memory to call Prime back. A failed clone cannot create cybernetic armor to keep his hurting, weakened body alive; to force himself to keep going no matter what, to fight through the pain and the doubt by sheer force of will.

But maybe Hordak can.

And so there it is. Hordak had plenty of time to gain and explore his individuality while separated from Prime, but I think the reason he did it so effectively (while still deluding himself that Prime would forgive him for these little sins, if only Hordak could prove his value) is because he had to.

Wrong Hordak gained his individuality surrounded by kind, quirky people who took care of him; Hordak was ripped from the hivemind by Prime himself and had to fight for his survival against all odds. And that produced a dangerous and damaging foe for Etheria. But it also produced the one clone with the strength of will to defy Prime himself.

This is long and rambling, but ultimately my point is that 1) I love Hordak, and 2) I love love love love that the show was so clever about his characterization. We learn so much about him and how much progress he's already made in breaking from his psycho abusive cult upbringing, and we don't even recognize it until the show wants us to. Hordak had come so far, all on his own, before he met Entrapta. She just helped push him over the edge and finallyrealize (at least consciously) that Prime's worldview might not be the correct one.

Idk, I just don't know if I've ever seen all the trappings of Basic 80's Villain(TM) so successfully subverted, where looking back 4 seasons later is actually a smack in the face with the "effective character building" stick. Amazing.

[hordakin]

Hordak's dexterity issues

Hordak's degenerative/rotting disease seems to affect his fingers. I can't recall a thread devoted to the topic, so let's peruse this in some detail. Considering the state of his forearms, his flexor/extensor digitorum tendons and the muscles affecting their operation must have deteriorated. Nerve damage must have occurred besides.

He cannot seem to grasp objects properly when not clad in his armor. For the sake of accuracy, I've asked a small number of people to test the same motion as beheld in the scene in Light Spinner where he retrieves one of his tubes. This is not a normal hand movement. Unless affected by hyperflexibility, the middle and ring fingers pursue the index when a grasping motion is commenced.

Instead, his digits appear stiff, and he expresses frustration at either his ailment in general or this loss of dexterity. I've assumed it being the latter.

When Catra wanders in, he manages to close his hand around the object. Therefore, he can still perform the movement, but it requires some effort. If his hands are in such a state, no wonder he utilizes an assistive device for armor assembly and dressing. Plus no scene depicts him welding or working sans the gear that restores his nimbleness. In all likelihood, he would elsewise drop objects. Typing on a keyboard or applying makeup might be post-dressing tasks.

When Entrapta wrought him the armor upgrade, I found it interesting that he first tested the deftness of his hands. As if the reduction of this capability represents a much greater loss than his main strength.

Only after this affirmation, it's time to flex the biceps! Rah!

This grievance makes me wonder about his life and assignments in the Galactic Order. If mere cannon fodder on the battlefield, he likely would have relied on his physical strength more. Therefore, what did he do? Operate battle droids from afar? Program? Knit skull-patterned socks for his cadre?

[hordakin]

We were talking about people misremembering Horde Prime’s name and then this happened

[hordakin]

tumblr deserves to laugh too

[hordakin]

i like the headcanon some folks have that if Entrapta was ever chipped, she'd somehow take over the hivemind just naturally, it's hilariou

[hordakin]

For @bat-burrito, enjoy 😌

full resolution always on my patreon.com/alexology

[hordakin]

its Him ❤️

[id: two drawings of hordak over a white background. he’s wearing only his dress. one is cast in dark green lighting, in which he’s scowling. another is in purple lighting with something bright lighting the side of his face, and he’s staring with a surprised expression. end id]

[hordakin]

hi

[id: 3 drawings of hordak and entrapta from she ra. in the first, they’re hugging; entrapta is wearing her season 4-5 outfit, and hordak is wearing grey armor with purple highlights. in the second, entrapta is sitting on hordak’s lap and reading a datapad. hordak is leaning his head on top of hers and his hands are crossed over in her lap. he’s now wearing just his blue dress. in the 3rd drawing, they’re sleeping on a grey bed with white pillows and a blue blanket. entrapta is sprawled out, wearing her gloves, a grey t-shirt, black shorts, and purple socks. hordak’s head is nestled in her shoulder, and he’s curled up next to her. one of entrapta’s pigtails is wrapped around him. end id]

[hordakin]

Y'all know what I love about this scene? I mean. Other than Wrongie?

How Entrapta immediately declares that a clone that has attacked her cannot be Hordak.

Think of the level of faith this involves. At this point in the story, it stands to reason that Entrapta knows what the clones are and what the Galactic Horde is. She knows what their behavior is like. She knows the level of zealotry they exhibit. And she likely knows, to some extent, that Hordak going back to all of this does not bode well for his ability to make autonomous decisions. Especially if we assume that, prior to getting to the Velvet Glove, Glimmer may have described what happened to Hordak upon their initial arrival.

Yet she still believes that he would not hurt her. She is sure of this, to the point that she uses the behavior as an "Is This Hordak?" litmus test.

That is how much faith she has that he will remember her. That he will not hurt her. No matter what's happened since they last saw one another.

And, of course, she's right.

[hordakin]

why did God give me these battles (getting dressed and leaving the house)

[hordakin]

🎁

[hordakin]

Wanted to try drawing him! 🦇

[hordakin]

[hordakin]

That cute scene where Catra sort of bashfully eats the bao?

That, but Hordak.

[hordakin]

Just imagine the Alliance meetings after the finale. The princesses sitting round a big table, all colourful and bright, and then there's this tall black rectangle standing right next to Entrapta.