| “ | I am not your brother! You made me in your image, but I am more than that. I gave myself a name; I made a life of my own; now I also have... A lab partner. I am Hordak, and I defy your will! | ” |
–Hordak rebelling against Horde Prime. | ||
Hordak is a character of the A-B10's Saga. He is a "defective" clone of Horde Prime, as well as the former general of the Horde Armada and, before his reconditioning, the dark leader of the Horde forces on the planet Etheria.
Hordak was the primary antagonist of Ultimate Princesses of Power Alien until season 4.
Appearance[]
Hordak has a menacing and intimidating appearance, attributable to a vampire or a Vladat due to his fangs, bat-like nose and long pointed ears. Unlike Horde Prime and the other clones, Hordak has blue-black hair and red eyes, teeth, and mouth. He has a white, skull-like face, black makeup around his eyes and a Mohawk, combed back.
Hordak wears black knee-length boots covered in metal plates and soles, a black uniform bearing the red Horde symbol that covers his entire body except for his lower back, a dark red hooded cape, and metal armor that has red lens on the forearms and creates the illusion that he is broad-shouldered and and muscular. Underneath his armor, Hordak is actually thin and frail, with muscle atrophy in his arms and shoulders. This accounts for his desire to remain in his own quarters, and why he rejects its visitors. The majority of Hordak's skin is a blue-gray color, but vitiligo has caused patches of skin on his arms, shoulders, and back to turn white. The two colors are separated by dark scarring. His forearms have holes between the radius and ulna bones, which could either be a result of his physical breakdown or his cloning defect. There are metal ports in various parts of his body where his cybernetic armor attaches to him.
After Entrapta created a new exoskeleton for him, he looks healthier and a little younger. He no longer has a hooded cape that makes him appear larger. His suit no longer has red lenses on his forearms and he also has a purple crystal on his collarbone. The exoskeleton gives him super strength, allowing him to lift heavy objects such as machine parts and pillars.
After he is "reconditioned", Hordak is physically healthy and looks identical to the other clones in the Galactic Horde.
Personality[]
Hordak, described as a solitary, cold and ruthless person, proved to be a pragmatic and somewhat detached individual. Hordak was never given a name and it turns out that he gave it to himself. He dreamed of being next to Horde Prime, but also harbored a temporary desire for him to leave due to Entrapta's influence. In short, Hordak is a clone who had begun to develop individuality, something Hordak Prime was not thrilled about.
Hordak had a habit of rewarding his subordinates who prove themselves capable, such as promoting Catra to second in command following the Battle of Bright Moon or giving Entrapta free access to his Sanctum after she has her valor via scientific support. In the opposite sense however, those who failed were punished through exile to the Beasts Island, incarceration or by sending them on suicide missions, as happened to Shadow Weaver following his insubordination.
While worry is something one would hardly associate with someone like him, Hordak has proven to be quite cautious under certain circumstances. One of these was when she ordered Catra to execute Shadow Weaver, hypothesizing that, if Shadow Weaver escaped, she could become an enemy with detailed knowledge of the Horde just as Adora was (a hypothesis that turned out to be correct). However, unlike many other villains, Hordak has shown a willingness to forgive his subordinates for their mistakes, as long as they are honest with him. This is shown when he asks Catra if her order to execute Shadow Weaver had been carried out: when Catra lies to him, Hordak becomes enraged and reveals that, through Imp, he already knew about the escape and was giving him one last chance.
Hordak can be quite an open individual when he wants to be. So far he has only shown himself willing to speak freely with Entrapta, but it was enough to reveal his past to her while she helps him build the portal. After Entrapta makes him a new suit, he struggles to show his appreciation especially after she tells him how she sees beauty in imperfection, something he himself had thought was his entire life. He was even embarrassed when Imp repeated his name in Entrapta's voice over and over again, an emotion he had never shown before. When Entrapta then "betrays" him, the anger stimulated by his loss is different from his anger towards any other character: he is shown to be deeply hurt, as he had never trusted anyone, nor considered him a friend, as he had done with she. However, after discovering the truth about Entrapta, his anger quickly turned to sadness at not having understood Catra's lies and he was brought to tears. He pursued Catra in a fit of rage and desperation, seeking revenge for what he had done to Entrapta.
After his reprogramming, he lost any personal development that made Hordak the person he was. However, Hordak was able to regain some of his lost memories after coming across the LUVD crystal that Entrapta had used to power his armor; from there until Horde's defeat, he used it as an anchor as he tried to decipher what it meant to him. After a chance meeting with Entrapta, she reminded him that his imperfections were beautiful.
At the end of Ultimate Princesses of Power Alien, Hordak's love for Entrapta pushed him to rebel against Horde Prime. After disobeying Horde Prime's order to kill Entrapta and Azmuth, Hordak shot Horde Prime with his arm cannon, raised him around his neck, proudly claimed his name and memories, and dropped Horde Prime from a ledge.
History[]
Background[]
Creation[]
In origine, Hordak era uno dei tanti cloni senza nome creati da Horde Prime per conquistare l'universo. Il clone servì come massimo generale di Horde Prime nell'Orda Galattica e conquistò intere galassie in nome di Horde Prime.
Conflict with the Eternians[]
During his reign, Horde Prime came into conflict with the Eternians.
As the top general of the Galactic Horde, the clone aided Horde Prime by suggesting attack strategies. His plans were central to the war until Etheria's disappearance, which led to the disappearance of the Eternians' superweapon and the outbreak of civil war on Eternia.
Fight the Universe[]
At some point, Horde Prime began his crusade to the other half of the universe.
Once again the general's strategies were vital to counterattack the various enemy groups, thus circumventing the possible problems related to the weaknesses of the Galactic Horde. The clone also managed to gain possession of the blueprints and floor plans of the Plumbers' facilities.
However, the clone's abilities began to fail when Vilgax entered; Vilgax managed to easily make his way to the Velvet Glove with his army. The clash between the two groups culminated in a no-holds-barred battle between Vilgax and Horde on the edge of the Eternians' old territories. Later, locked in a stalemate, Vilgax and Horde made a "peace treaty" that forbade both from interfering in the other's part of the universe.
When the Galactic Horde then retreated into its territories, the clone feared Horde's fury.
Being "Imperfect"[]
At some point, due to a flaw in his cloning, the clone's body began to deteriorate. When Horde Prime found out, he demoted his top general to a common clone.
Shipwreck on Etheria[]
During a suicide mission, the clone fell through a mysterious portal that took him to the planet Etheria, located in the empty dimension of Despondos. The clone ended up crash-landing in the kingdom ruled by Scorpia's family.
Ad un certo punto, the clone became obsessed with proving himself and decided to conquer the planet in hopes of impressing Horde Prime. Naming himself "Hordak", the clone formed his own division of the Horde and conquered the kingdom of Scorpia's family, later renamed the Fright Zone. From then on, Hordak took over much of the planet.
Meanwhile, Hordak attempted to resolve his genetic defect by creating cloned bodies of himself. Initially, he attempted to solve this problem by creating cloned bodies of himself. All attempts failed, except for a single child-like clone he named "Imp". Hordak would later use Imp to spy on his subordinates.
Fighting the Rebellion[]
To end the threat of the Horde, a resistance movement known as the Rebellion was created by the kingdom of Bright Moon's rulers, Queen Angella and King Micah, who also created the Princess Alliance (consisting of various princesses from the different kingdoms of Etheria). Unfortunately, the Rebellion suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Horde, leading to the death of King Micah and the dissolution of the original Princess Alliance. In reality, King Micah was captured by the Horde and abandoned on Beast Island.
Despite this, Hordak was unable to completely end the Rebellion because Bright Moon was protected by the dangerous Whispering Woods. At one point, Hordak was approached by the sorceress Shadow Weaver (a sorceress exiled from Mystacor and formerly called Light Spinner), who offered to use her powerful magic and deep knowledge of Etheria to aid Hordak in his conquest. Hordak eventually appointed Shadow Weaver as his second in command and gave her the Black Garnet to use as a source for her magical powers.
Finding Eternia[]
At some point, Hordak began work on a portal machine and confided in Shadow Weaver about the existence of the Galactic Horde and his goal to summon them via a portal.
During his experiments, a portal briefly appeared in Etheria. Believing he had succeeded, Hordak investigated the portal and discovered that he had found the hiding place of the ancient planet Eternia. When he reemerged from the portal, Hordak brought with him a newborn Adora and handed her over to Shadow Weaver. Shadow Weaver raised the latter as his protégé alongside Catra.
Ultimate Princesses of Power Alien[]
...
Powers and Abilities[]
- Alien Physiology: As a clone of Horde Prime, Hordak's biology differs from those living on Etheria. He doesn't need as much oxygen compared to native Etherians, as he had no trouble breathing or speaking in an artificial atmosphere with low amounts of air.
- Cyborg Body: Hordak has a cybernetic body that greatly enhances his physical capabilities.
- Enhanced Strength: In his original armor, Hordak was strong enough to bend a metal wrench. With the second version of the armor, Hordak was strong enough to carry large pieces of machinery.
- Enhanced Durability: Hordak's new exoskeleton allowed him to survive being crushed by a giant claw crane and being shot by one of Bow's exploding arrows.
- Enhanced Reflexes: While wearing his improved exoskeleton, Hordak was able to catch one of Bow's arrows with a single hand.
- Genius-Level Intellect: Hordak possesses a high level of intelligence and is shown to be proficient in various sciences. He is shown to be resourceful, a skilled strategist/tactician, and possesses the capacity for creating advanced technology.
- Resourcefulness: Hordak has shown to be incredibly resourceful. From his nothing but a crashed spaceship, he was able to create an empire and it can be inferred that he used his ship's remains to build his headquarters over the Fright Zone.
- Skilled Tactician: Hordak is a skilled tactician, having previously been the favored general of Horde Prime. During the Horde's conquest of Salineas, Hordak personally led his troops in attacks on Salineas's coastal towns.
- Technological Proficiency: Hordak is stated to have a "brilliant, technological mind". He was able to build a portal device (albeit with Entrapta's help) and was able to construct his arm cannon from salvaged Eternians technology.
- Leadership: Prior to being stranded on Etheria, Hordak was Horde Prime's top general and lead numerous successful military campaigns to conquer much of the universe. During his time as the Horde's leader on Etheria, Hordak was treated with fear and respect by his subordinates.
Equipment[]
- Cybernetic Exoskeleton: To compensate for his deteriorating body, Hordak wore a set of powered armor which enhanced his physical capabilities.
- First Armor: The first version of Hordak's armor enhanced his physical strength and enabled him to move despite his body's deterioration.
- Second Armor: In the third season, Hordak discards his previous armor in favor of an improved version built by Entrapta. Hordak's new armor incorporates Eternians technology and further enhances his physical capabilities. This version was powered by a Eternians' crystal which was attached to the suit's collar.
- Laser Cannon: Hordak built an arm-mounted laser cannon using salvaged Eternians' technology. The weapon was powered by a large energy crystal and fired a powerful energy beam. The laser was strong enough to destroy the Sea Gate.
- Powers via Eternians tech-powered suit:
- Enhanced strength: Hordak's cybernetic exoskeleton grants him enhanced strength.
- Laser Cannon: Hordak creates an arm cannon that shares a power source with his cybernetic exoskeleton.
Weaknesses[]
- Genetic Degeneration: Due to a flaw in his cloning, Hordak suffers from several genetic defects. These have caused his body to slowly deteriorate over time, as shown by the holes in his arms. These defects also cause Hordak to experience severe pain and occasionally have seizures. To survive, Hordak needs to wear his exoskeleton, which acts as a life support system.
- Exposed Power Source: The second version of Hordak's armor is powered by a Eternians' crystal attached to the suit's collar. The crystal is easy to remove and doing so will deactivate Hordak's cybernetic armor. This is usually enough to incapacitate him, as his body will experience severe pain from his genetic defects. Catra was able to defeat Hordak twice by using this method.
- Malfunctioning Power Armor (formerly): The second version of Hordak's exoskeleton was prone to malfunctions and shorting out, presumably since it was built in a short amount of time without any testing done beforehand. When his armor shorted out, Entrapta would be needed to tune up Hordak's suit and fix the malfunctions. After the portal events, Hordak appears to have figured out how to stop his armor from shorting out.
Appearances[]
Ultimate Princesses of Power Alien[]
Season 1[]
- Un magico paradosso (first appearance)
- Piante umanoidi per She-Ra
- Nessuna principessa verrà lasciata indietro
- Il faro [1]
- Light Hope [1]
- L'Ultra Battaglia di Bright Moon
Season 2[]
Season 3[]
- Il prezzo del potere
- Il Deserto Cremisi [1]
- Il momento della verità
- Mondi im-perfetti (Parte I)
- Mondi im-perfetti (Parte II)
Season 4[]
- L'incoronazione
- Flutterina [1]
- La principessa Scorpia
- I misteri delle sirene
- Serata fra ragazzi
- Scissioni
- Destino (Parte I)
- Destino (Parte II)
Season 5[]
- Corridoi [1]
- Salviamo la gatta [1]
- Vento di sventura
- Dispositivo di sicurezza [1]
- Il Cuore (Parte I)
- Il Cuore (Parte II)
- Arrivederci e buona liberazione
Trivia[]
- The time frame in which the shipwreck occurred in the Despondos dimension is not explicitly mentioned. It is assumed that, at best, he has been on Etheria for at least forty years or so. This can be vaguely understood by putting together various statements:
- In "Light Spinner [1]", a not-yet-evil Shadow Weaver is seen discussing how to beat the Horde with other wizards and a pre-teen King Micah.
- Micah died in the defeat that ended the First Princess Alliance.
- In "Riunione [1]", George stated that he was part of the very first Princess Alliance, as a mature and young fighter.
- Scorpia has spoken several times about how her family gave Hordak the Black Garnet, implying that she was alive when this happened.
- In "Mondi im-perfetti (Parte II)", his identification photo shows him with dark blue hair. This means that Hordak looked like that even before he arrived on Etheria.
- The purple crystal he wears on his collarbone says "loved" (LUVD) in the Eternian language. It is unclear whether Hordak or Entrapta are aware of this.
- While everyone else, including Adora, Catra, and Shadow Weaver, was shown to be afraid of him and the punishments he would mete out if they ever failed, lied, or betrayed him in any way, there are three characters who, at least not instantly, they were afraid of him. They are:
- Entrapta:
- Entrapta enters the Sanctum, and when Hordak surprises her and yells at her to leave, she tells him to give her a minute to finish her work.
- When Hordak states that he could never understand his work since he is from a backward planet, Entrpta is not only offended, but demands that he tell her everything.
- Even when Hordak has made his decision and is becoming increasingly angry, Entrapta argues with him to send Catra to the Crimson Wastes for the portal component.
- She breaks into his lab again after a failed trial, and although Emily pressures her to leave, she chooses to stay until she sees Hordak without his armor.
- Entrapta orders Hordak, as she grabs his arms, to tell her everything after he collapses from not wearing armor.
- She is able to grab him with his hair while he prepares his armor and even hit him in the face to prevent him from interrupting her while she speaks.
- Ben Tennyson:
- Double Trouble:
- Double Trouble pretends to be Catra when she first meets Hordak and angers Hordak until the real Catra shows up. Although Hordak seems mildly impressed that Double Trouble is a shapeshifter, he threatens Double Trouble to never deceive him again.
- Double Trouble has entered Hordak's laboratory time and again as Adora or Ben despite knowing that no one can enter.
- Double Trouble mentioned about how no one is allowed in Hordak's laboratory as he let in a "certain princess" and would then change her hair to resemble Entrapta's, which quickly angered Hordak.
- They begin to intentionally antagonize Hordak when he tells him that Catra has been lying to him about Entrapta the whole time, tricking him into believing that she cheated on him and making him believe that the two were partners when Catra was the one who cheated on him.
- Hordak is only one of few people on Etheria who are not Etherian, another is Adora and Ben. Later Wrong Hordak and Melog move to Etheria, making a total of four non-Etherians on the planet.
- Entrapta: