Netflix Announces Controversial Animated Series Is Leaving the Platform

Netflix’s animated series She-Ra and the Princesses of Power will leave the streaming platform on February 21, 2026, according to What’s On Netflix.

The show, a modern reboot of the 1985 classic, drew both praise and controversy when it first premiered. Fans were divided over the redesign of She-Ra, the show’s heroine, with some saying she no longer looked as “beautiful or glamorous” as the original character, while others praised the new design for avoiding se****** and promoting body positivity.

J. Michael Straczynski, co-creator of the original series, defended the updated character, saying, “[She-Ra] was written as a warrior, first and foremost. Anyone who is looking back at [her] as the ‘ideal woman’ is doing so through the lens of prepubescent … interest and kind of, understandably, imprinted on her like baby ducks. I get it. But that wasn’t the creative intent.”

The series earned critical acclaim despite the controversy. Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating for the first season based on 25 reviews, with an average score of 7.7 out of 10. The site’s critical consensus stated, “By the grace of Greyskull, [the first season of] She-Ra and the Princesses of Power packs a powerful visual punch that hits even harder thanks to layered writing and multidimensional characters – the perfect show for seasoned fans and little ones alike.”

Fans responded to the redesign with artwork celebrating She-Ra’s new look, especially young female artists who wanted to improve the character’s reputation online. Scholars have noted that the series challenges traditional ideas of gender and s*******. Paul Thomas said the show “queers normative understandings of heroic gender and s*****,” while Diana Burgos compared it to The Legend of Korra and Sailor Moon in guiding audiences through complex narratives about identity.

The show was also praised for its LGBTQ representation. Vox called it one of the “most LGBTQ-inclusive and diverse shows on television,” and creator Noelle Stevenson expressed hope that the series would continue to depict consistent romances and relationships without undermining the story’s tension.

In a 2020 New York Times interview, climate activist Jamie Margolin said she binge-watched all five seasons in three days, adding, “I was like, I hate the real world. I want to live on Etheria.”

With its departure from Netflix next year, the future of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is uncertain. Fans who haven’t yet watched the series may want to catch it before it leaves the platform.

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