Teela - He-Man and The Masters of The Universe (2002 Series)

He-Man and The Masters of The Universe (2002 Series)

The basic outline of her character remains the same in the 2002 series, but is taken to a greater extreme due to a difference in censors and restrictions. She still teases or reprimands Adam for his apparent lack of courage and gumption while harboring an unspoken and unconsummated crush on his alter-ego, He-Man, and is still a very durable fighter in her own right. However, Teela appears to be much younger and leaner in the 2002 series than she is in the 1980s series. She also wears her hair in a long ponytail, as opposed to the 1980s figure and cartoon character who is represented with her hair up. Although the Filmation version of Teela has a short temper, the new version of Teela is portrayed as brasher and slightly more aggressive.

In the episode Out of the Past, Teela says that she is 16 years old; her age in the original series is never specified, although in the second season episode, "The Great Books Mystery", Adam celebrates his 19th birthday, and it is generally indicated throughout the series that he and Teela are approximately the same age and grew up together. She also briefly displays limited telepathic powers after a blood transfusion from her mother the Sorceress; the power fades as the Sorceress's blood fades away within Teela's blood. As with the previous versions of the story, Teela was adopted by Man-At-Arms, or rather was entrusted to him by her mother the Sorceress, because her birth father, an amnesiac Eternian soldier whom the Sorceress had nursed back to health, had disappeared, having presumably died in battle. There are hints in both the episode "Out of the Past" as well as the 3rd season episode guide of the series DVD, that Man-At-Arms is actually her biological father as well. Another possibility could be Fisto as he was the person who was with the Sorceress at the time Teela's father went missing. It was intended that Teela would learn the truth of her heritage in the third season, but the series was canceled before it could be resolved. Despite her young age, Teela is the Captain of the Palace Guard as in the original series and seen in several episodes commanding the palace soldiers.

In the MOTU comic produced at the same time, a greater emphasis is placed on Teela and Adam's friendship. Teela admits in the original mini-series that she would rather play with him, as they did as children within the palace walls, than be a soldier trained to expect war. Adam reassures her that what she does will bring that day closer, holding her hand. In the regular comic series, she becomes jealous of the attention Adam lavishes on a weak, critically injured Evil-Lyn. This version of the character was voiced by Lisa Ann Beley.