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This article is about the Mike Young Productions character. You may be looking for the original character.

Fisto as seen in the Mike Young Productions animated series He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2002).

Fistohuman

Fisto (Human Hand)

Fisto is included in the 2002 revival of the Masters of the Universe toy line and cartoon series. Due to trademark reasons[1] his action figure was packaged under the name 'Battle Fist' rather than his original name. But the cartoon rights to the name were still clear, so he is still referred to as Fisto in his cartoon incarnation. The figure was originally to have been released earlier in the revamped toy-line's run, but was held back until later in the line, where the character is given ties with being a sworn enemy of the Snake Men, a link that does not appear in the original line, with Fisto and the Snake Men being released some time apart. The prototype of the new figure also had a sword, reflecting the vintage figure's weapon, but this was dropped from the final released version.

Fisto is introduced in the last four episodes of the 2002-3 cartoon series. A new dimension is added to his character by making him the brother of Duncan, estranged from him after being accused of deserting his comrades in the Great Unrest, a war that took place sixteen years before the events of the show in which a team of warlords attempted to take over Eternia. Although he insists he did not desert his companions, Fisto has a gap in his memory from the time which he claims is the result of a battle injury, and therefore has trouble remembering exactly what happened. Given that he has never been able to prove his innocence, Fisto has been bitter and disgraced ever since the Great Unrest, spending most of his time in seedy bars where he frequently runs into fights with other punters.

Fisto is introduced in the episode Web of Evil, in which his gigantic right hand is initially shown to be natural flesh, though it is never explained if he was born that way. After family bonds bring him to save his brother from the Evil Warriors, shattering his hand in the process, Fisto is recruited into the ranks of the Masters. Man-At-Arms repairs his hand by modifying it into a mechanical metal fist in the following episode Rattle of the Snake, but tensions remain between the two brothers over the events of the Great Unrest. Despite the negative reputation following him, his foster niece, Teela, gets along well with him. According to Fisto, he left home at an early age when Man-At-Arms "was just a kid", implying that Fisto is the older brother and Man-At-Arms the younger brother. It is never revealed as to whether or not he has a name other than Fisto, as Man-At-Arms' real name is Duncan.

Portrayed as bad-tempered and fiery, yet well-meaning at heart, it is also arguably hinted that Fisto may be the biological father of Man-At-Arms' adopted daughter Teela, which would have made Man-At-Arms' her uncle. The episode "Out of the Past", which comes before Fisto's introduction, reveals that Teela's mother, the |Sorceress, fell in love with a wounded soldier during the Great Unrest, who was suffering from amnesia. Given that the soldier vanished mysteriously and she never saw him again, it is possible that he may have been Fisto, given his aforementioned memory loss. It is not as yet known exactly what was planned for the development of this storyline or Fisto's history in the Great Unrest. This could have also added another layer to the tension between Fisto and Man-At-Arms, with Man-At-Arms knowing that Fisto is Teela's father and believing, incorrectly, that Fisto abandoned Teela and the Sorceress. However, the idea of Fisto as Teela's father has proved generally controversial among fans, with many preferring to believe Man-At-Arms is her true father, which "Out of the Past" seems to subtly hint.

Writer Dean Stefan later stated in a podcast interview that the show's writers never made up their minds whether Man-At-Arms or Fisto was the father. In the official Series Bible Fisto is described to have been born with his giant-sized hand. Therefore the unknown warrior in "Out of the Past" does not match him visually, as they have a normal sized hand. The creators (producer Ian Richter, with Dean Stefan and director Gary Hartle) years later stated on a Power-Con panel that the hint that Fisto was the father would have been revealed as a red herring.

Appearances[]

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2002)[]

Season Two (2003-2004)

References[]

  1. Mattel's trademark on the name "Fisto" lapsed after the original toy line. Lucasfilm now has the trademark through Kit Fisto, a Star Wars character.
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