You’re staring at your phone, the New York Times Games app glowing back at you with that judgmental white grid, and there it is: Princess of Power. Three letters. Maybe four or five depending on the day’s construction. You know you know it. It’s buried somewhere in the 80s nostalgia bank right next to the lyrics of the DuckTales theme song and the smell of scratch-and-sniff stickers.
Crosswords are funny like that. They take a massive cultural touchstone and boil it down to a tiny fragment. When the princess of power nyt crossword clue pops up, it’s usually not asking for a deep dissertation on gender roles in Saturday morning cartoons. It wants a name. Most of the time, that name is SHE-RA.
But why does this specific clue keep showing up? Why do Will Shortz and the editing team love She-Ra so much? Honestly, it’s because her name is a vowel-heavy dream for constructors. If you’ve got a tricky corner with a lot of consonants, dropping an S-H-E-R-A in there is like a "get out of jail free" card.
The Mechanics of the She-Ra Clue
Let's get technical for a second. If you see "Princess of Power" in the NYT, your first instinct should always be SHE-RA.
It fits the 5-letter slot perfectly. It’s got that "A" at the end, which is a common starter for other words, and the "E" in the middle is a gift from the crossword gods. Sometimes, though, they’ll get tricky. They might ask for the alter ego. If the clue is "Princess of Power's alter ego," you're looking for ADORA.
Adora is another five-letter winner. Look at those vowels! A-D-O-R-A. If a constructor is stuck in a corner, Adora is often the only way out. You'll see her pop up in the Monday or Tuesday puzzles because she’s considered "general knowledge," though if you didn’t grow up with a plastic sword in your hand, you might feel a bit left out.
Why We Are Still Talking About Etheria in 2026
It’s easy to dismiss this as just a bit of 80s trivia, but She-Ra has had a massive resurgence. The Netflix reboot, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, helmed by ND Stevenson, brought the character back into the zeitgeist with a vengeance. It wasn't just a toy commercial anymore; it was a complex narrative about trauma, friendship, and finding one's identity.
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This matters for the crossword because it keeps the clue "fair." Crossword editors try to avoid "crosswordese"—words that only exist in puzzles and nowhere else. Because of the reboot, She-Ra is once again a household name for a younger generation. If you’re a Gen X-er, you remember the Filmation version with the winged horse Swift Wind. If you’re a Gen Z-er, you remember the emotional finale of the 2018-2020 series.
Either way, the answer remains the same.
When It’s Not She-Ra (The Rare Alternatives)
Occasionally, the NYT likes to throw a curveball. You might see a clue like "Peer of the Princess of Power" or "Princess of Power's land."
- ETHERIA: This is the planet where the action happens. Seven letters. It's a bit harder to fit, but it shows up in the Thursday or Friday slots when things get crunchy.
- HORDES: Referring to the Evil Horde.
- HE-MAN: Her twin brother. If the clue is "Princess of Power's twin," don't overthink it. It's the guy with the bob cut and the tan.
There was a time, maybe ten years ago, where these clues were strictly for the old-school crowd. Now? Not so much. The "Princess of Power" brand is pretty much synonymous with the She-Ra nameplate.
Understanding the "Crosswordese" Trap
Constructors use certain words because they are "fillers." In the industry, we call them glue. SHE-RA is top-tier glue.
Think about the letters. S, H, E, R, A. All of these are high-frequency letters in the English language. According to analysis of the NYT crossword database, She-Ra has appeared hundreds of times over the decades. It’s reliable. It’s sturdy. It’s the Toyota Camry of crossword answers.
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If you’re stuck on a Wednesday and you see "Princess of Power," don't even hesitate. Just ink it in. If it’s wrong, it’s probably because the clue is something incredibly specific like "Princess of Power's steed," which would be SWIFTWIND (rarely used because it’s long and awkward) or just HORSE.
The Evolution of the Clueing Style
The way the NYT clues She-Ra has changed. In the 90s, the clue might have been "TV princess" or "Mattel's princess."
Today, the clues are often more clever. You might see:
"She has the power, in a 1980s cartoon."
"He-Man's sister."
"Wielder of the Sword of Protection."
The "Sword of Protection" is a big one. It's the counterpart to He-Man's Sword of Power. If the clue mentions a sword and a princess, your brain should immediately jump to the She-Ra/Adora axis.
Strategy for Solving Nostalgia Clues
When you hit a clue like the princess of power nyt crossword, and you're not a fan of the show, you have to use deduction.
- Count the squares. 5 is almost always She-Ra or Adora.
- Check the crossings. If you have an 'S' at the start and an 'A' at the end, it's She-Ra. If it starts with 'A' and ends with 'A', it's Adora.
- Look for the "80s" indicator. If the clue mentions the 80s specifically, they are looking for the classic version.
- Consider the "Reboot" angle. If the clue mentions "Netflix" or "modern," it's still probably She-Ra, but the context helps confirm you're on the right track.
It's actually kinda fascinating how one character can sustain so much utility in a word puzzle. There aren't many 1980s toy icons that have that kind of staying power. You don't see "Snarf" or "Orko" nearly as often, mostly because their letter combinations are much harder to build a grid around. "Orko" has two O's and a K—that's a nightmare for a constructor.
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The Cultural Impact of the Answer
Some people get annoyed by pop culture in crosswords. They want high-brow literature and classical music. They want "Aria" and "Epee" and "Etui."
But the NYT crossword is a living document of our collective memory. Including She-Ra isn't just about filling space; it's an acknowledgment that Saturday morning cartoons were a formative part of the cultural landscape. It’s a nod to the fact that for many girls in the 80s (and everyone in the late 2010s), the Princess of Power was a symbol of agency and strength.
When you type those letters into the grid, you're interacting with a piece of history. Kinda cool for a daily game, right?
Practical Steps for Your Next Solve
Next time you open the app and see that clue, don't let it stall your momentum.
- Trust the 5-letter count. It is the most common length for this clue.
- Keep 'Adora' in your back pocket. If SHE-RA doesn't fit the crossings, ADORA almost certainly will.
- Don't overthink it. Crossword clues for "Princess of Power" are rarely "tricky" in the sense of being a pun. They are usually straightforward "definition" clues.
- Use the vowels. If you're struggling with the surrounding words, use the 'E' and 'A' from She-Ra to anchor your guesses for the vertical clues.
Solving the NYT crossword is about recognizing patterns. Once you recognize that She-Ra is the queen of the 5-letter "princess" slot, you’ll never get stuck on that clue again. You’ve basically leveled up your solving game just by knowing this one bit of trivia.
Now, go finish that Saturday puzzle. Or, if it's a Monday, finish it in under five minutes. You've got the power.
Actionable Insights for Crossword Mastery:
To truly dominate the NYT crossword, you need to build a mental library of "repeat offenders." She-Ra is one, but keep an eye out for her counterparts. He-Man (5 letters), Eternia (7 letters), and Skeletor (8 letters) are the most frequent fliers in the Masters of the Universe category. When you see one, the others are often lurking in the same puzzle or the same week's rotation. If you find yourself consistently stuck on these, a quick browse through a crossword database like XWord Info or Wordplay can show you exactly how these clues have been framed over the last 20 years, giving you a massive advantage in predicting the editor's next move.