Why Catra Matters A Video Essay by Five by Five Takes

[Winter]

Really good video that sums up why I think Catra's Redemption Arc is well done. Enjoy.


youtu.be/arsKPegw1Tg

[CharlesPhipps]

I choose to believe that at a party to celebrate her redemption, she kills all of them and rules Etheria's ashes.

Because Evil Catra>Good Catra.

[Winter]

I choose to believe that at a party to celebrate her redemption, she kills all of them and rules Etheria's ashes.

Because Evil Catra>Good Catra.

... Why would she do that, it wouldn't fit her character. Catra is not an evil person. She's made bad choices but so has a lot of other characters (remember Glimmer and Entrapta both nearly destroyed the world due to impulsive choices). Catra never wanted to rule Etheria she wanted love but fool herself into thinking that what she wanted was validation and power.

And when Catra had all the power and validation she thought she wanted she was miserable. Even when she took over the crimson waste it was clear that she never would have been truly happy because, again, power and validation was never what she really wanted.

[CharlesPhipps]

And when Catra had all the power and validation she thought she wanted she was miserable. Even when she took over the crimson waste it was clear that she never would have been truly happy because, again, power and validation was never what she really wanted.

I'm mostly joking but I admire Horde Catra as an ambitious driven female character who manages to put herself above her abuser in the meritocracy she's in. In the end, she should have destroyed Horde Prime and ruled the galaxy as Cat Empress.

[Winter]

I'm mostly joking but I admire Horde Catra as an ambitious driven female character who manages to put herself above her abuser in the meritocracy she's in. In the end, she should have destroyed Horde Prime and ruled the galaxy as Cat Empress.

I can't really agree that she put herself above her abuser as by the end of Season 4 she was just as bad as those who mistreated her. As the video says, I see Catra's story about Catra overcoming her worse demons and working to be a better person so I don't think her becoming a villain would work.

To be more precise, I don't think Catra becoming ruler of the Horde would have worked a second time. Catra did become the leader of the Horde and brought Etheria to it's knees to the point that the Rebellion needed to utiliaze a super-weapon that nearly destroyed the planet to stand a chance of stopping them.

Seeing Catra rise through the ranks of Horde Prime's Empire just to be defeated again wouldn't have be all that exiting because that card was already played. It's why I feel that the idea of Kylo Ren working with Palpatine only to turn on him and take over the empire only to be defeated soon after wouldn't have been as good as many fans think. We've already seen that in The Last Jedi (and I don't think it was even that good in the first place).

I just don't think that Catra remaining a villain would have been that interesting as it wouldn't have fit her character arc.