Roger Sweet, the toy designer credited with creating the iconic He-Man action figure that launched the Masters of the Universe franchise, has died at the age of 91, according to his family and franchise makers.
Sweet’s wife, Marlene, told TMZ that her husband died early Tuesday morning after a long battle with dementia.
Sweet worked in the 1970s and ‘80s for Mattel, where he designed the muscular He-Man figure first released in 1982. The toy line went on to inspire the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe television series, which aired from 1983 to 1984 and became a cultural touchstone for a generation.
Because of Roger Sweet’s health challenges, his wife started a GoFundMe page in February to help pay for her husband’s memory care bills, which exceeded USD 10,000 per month.
Paying tribute, the official handle of Masters of the Universe described Sweet as a “true pioneer” whose creative vision helped shape one of the most enduring properties in entertainment.
In the wake of his death, fans have called for formal recognition of Sweet’s contributions in the upcoming Masters of the Universe film, urging studios to dedicate credits to both Sweet and co-creator Mark Taylor.
Amazon MGM Studios is set to release a new live-action adaptation of the franchise on June 5. The film stars Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man, alongside Camila Mendes as Teela, Jared Leto as Skeletor, Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn, and Idris Elba as Man-At-Arms.
Following the original series, the franchise expanded through multiple animated iterations, including She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985–1987), The New Adventures of He-Man (1990–1991), She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018–2020), and Masters of the Universe: Revelation/Revolution (2021–2024).
Additional versions of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe aired from 2002 to 2004 and from 2021 to 2022. The characters also appeared in the 1985 He-Man & She-Ra Christmas Special and the animated feature The Secret of the Sword.