Entrapta: The She

Jul 07, 2023

The masks that Entrapta wears in She-Ra aren't just to look cool; they're also important tools to hide a part of herself she doesn't want to share.

Netflix's She-Ra and the Princesses of Power features many characters full of nuance, particularly the mask-wearing Entrapta. A reboot of the 1985 show, She-Ra: Princess of Power, She-Ra has received praise for its LGBTQ+ representation, its engaging writing, and its diverse cast of characters with a range of backgrounds and complex relationships. The characters in She Ra and the Princesses of Power manage to be both colorful and likable while also being flawed, complex individuals, and nobody perfectly embodies both sides better than Entrapta.

One aspect about Entrapta that makes her character unique is that, unlike the other princesses, Entrapta is not an Elemental Princess nor does she possess any magical abilities. However, as the most intelligent She-Ra character, she more than makes up for this by being a genius inventor as she builds all kinds of advanced machinery and equipment. Throughout the series, Entrapta wears a series of masks, which makes sense considering her love of all things science and technology, but as more is revealed about her character, it is clear that she also wears masks to hide a part of herself that she doesn't want to show her friends.

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Among Entrapta's best qualities are that she is incredibly optimistic, enthusiastic, and passionate. However, she also tends to struggle with engaging in social interactions, often misreading people's social cues and getting overly excited during certain situations that other characters deep inappropriate to be excited over. This has led many fans to speculate that Entrapta may be autistic, which She-Ra creator ND Stevenson confirmed on X (formerly Twitter), stating "One of our crewmembers [board artist Sam Szymanski] was on the spectrum and related to her specifically, and had a huge part in shaping her story and character!"

Steveson's confirmation about Entrapta completely recontextualizes her obsession with wearing masks as they aren't just accessories she wears because she loves building machines. She wears masks to hide her emotions and pass herself off as neurotypical, but ultimately, realizes that she does not need to hide anything about herself as her friends love and accept her for who she is. Entrapta is a great person regardless of any "flaws" she might have, and this sense of love and acceptance not only makes her a strong character in her own right but also serves as a positive representation of autistic people.

On top of positively representing the autistic community, Entrapta is one of the best She-Ra princesses because she also serves to make women and girls in STEM feel seen. Mermista calls Entrapta the "Geek Princess" as she is not only one of the most intelligent characters in the series, but she has also consistently shown her devotion and passion for science and technology as she's always building all kinds of advanced machines, weapons, and equipment. Entrapta also respects technology that others have made, the most obvious example of which is when she admires the ancient technology she finds on Beast Island.

Entrapta is still a flawed character who makes mistakes though, like when she served as chief technician for The Horde, building advanced technology and weaponry for the oppressive empire while forming a close bond with their leader, Hordak. However, even the best scientists and engineers will occasionally make mistakes, and that's what makes Entrapta both a great scientist and a positive role model for women and girls who either are members of or want to study STEM fields: she recognizes her mistakes and does everything she can to rectify them in the name of science.

Timothy Lee is a writer and avid movie/TV/anime fan who has been working at Screen Rant since 2023. Ever since he wrote his first film review for his college newspaper, he has been obsessed with the art of film criticism. Whether as a hired writer for small news organizations or on independent platforms like YouTube, Timothy is always happy to write about and express his love for all things pop culture. When not writing, Timothy enjoys going to the gym, spending time with friends, and replaying Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen for the 100th time.