Glimmer (She-Ra)

Fictional animated television character

Glimmer is a fictional character in the She Ra animated television series, part of the Masters of the Universe franchise. First introduced in She Ra: Princess of Power (1985–1987), she helps lead The Great Rebellion's efforts against the Horde. The daughter of King Micah and Queen Angella, Glimmer holds the title of Princess of Bright Moon in the series. In the original Princess of Power series, she is voiced by Linda Gary. She later appears in the reboot series on Netflix, She Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018–2020), voiced by Karen Fukuhara. Like in the original, Glimmer is the Princess of Bright Moon, which serves as the capital of her home planet, Etheria. In the fourth season of the reboot series, she ascends to become the Queen of Bright Moon.

Glimmer is voiced by Linda Gary and Karen Fukuhara in the original and reboot series, respectively. Her powers in the original series included teleportation, levitation, and invisibility. She was also able to turn night into day for brief periods. In the Princesses of Power, her connection to the Moonstone is inherited from her mother, while her more magical abilities are inherited from her father. She is able to emit energy blasts. Like in the original series, she is able to teleport, albeit in a limited capacity. ND Stevenson, creator of Princesses of Power, commented that their Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) character helped inspire the concept of Glimmer's limited teleportation. Discussing the change in Glimmer's appearance, showrunner ND Stevenson stated: "Glimmer was a character who read as the youngest in the first season, and that was her character arc [ ] she was this rebellious princess who was sort of infantilized by her own mother, by the other members of the Rebellion, nobody really took her seriously." Stevenson elaborated that as part of Glimmer's arc for the fourth season, she would be placed in an uncomfortable and unexpected position of "trying to fill her mother's shoes". In the second season, Glimmer "struggles with being confined and constricted at times, within the Princess Alliance." Tracy Brown of the Los Angeles Times wrote that "For Glimmer, her struggle has always been with empathy. She's always been a little bit self centered. She tends to focus on herself and her own goals and her own interiority, first and foremost, and is not always as sensitive to others' needs."

Dubbed the "Guide Who Lights the Way", Glimmer first appeared in the Filmation produced animated television series, She Ra: Princess of Power. The daughter of King Micah and Queen Angella of Bright Moon, she hold the title of Princess of Bright Moon in the series. She would lose her father to the Horde and her mother to Hunga the Harpy. Growing up without her parents, she became the leader of the Great Rebellion as a teenager. She Ra (the alter ego of Adora), sister of He Man, joined the Rebellion. At one point in Princess of Power, Glimmer became frustrated with Adora and unsuccessfully attempted to lead her own Rebel army. She was also noted to have strong feelings for Bow and an attraction for He Man's alter ego, Prince Adam.

Glimmer again appears in She Ra and the Princesses of Power, a DreamWorks produced reboot distributed by Netflix. Like the original series, she is the Princess of Bright Moon, She and her mother are connected to the Moonstone, the runestone in Bright Moon. Compared to her "[naïve] and innocent" depiction in the original series, Glimmer is more "headstrong and feisty". Glimmer debuts in the reboot's two part pilot, where she and Bow capture Adora, and subsequently show initial difficulty trusting her. Serving as Commander of the Rebellion, she confronts Adora's notion of the Horde, criticizing her role in their destruction of Etheria. Ultimately, the trio initiate a "Princess Alliance" and recruit Etheria's other princesses into the Rebellion against the Horde. During the series' third season, Adora is captured by Catra and Scorpia, and taken to the Fright Zone. Wanting to strengthen her powers so she can save Adora, Glimmer seeks out Shadow Weaver's help. Later, in the fourth season of Princesses of Power, Glimmer ascends to throne and becomes the Queen of Bright Moon. As such, she assumes position as the leader of the Rebellion. Having her frustrations boil over in arguments with the two, a rift between Glimmer and her friends arises. Conversely, CBRs John Witiw was critical of Glimmer, writing that "while she can be bold, she could also be too impulsive and incompetent with her powers." Witiw also criticized her dynamic with Bow, citing Glimmer's possessiveness as making their relationship "painful to watch at times."