The Littlest Giant

The Littlest Giant is the 92nd episode of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, written by Douglas Booth and directed by Lou Kachivas. Squinch wants to be big and strong like his hero, He-Man, but when he makes a bargain with Skeletor and Evil-Lyn, it's up to the little Widget to save his hero!

Synopsis[]

A wind storm rages through the fort of the Widgets. Cando is nearly blown away by the winds, and Squinch is only barely able to save him with help from Lara. Squinch is frustrated that he isn't big enough to handle things by himself. When a massive tree falls in front of the fort, Squinch stubbornly resolves to clear it away singlehandedly. He reasons that if he were as big as He-Man, he'd be a hero in his own right. Unconvinced, Cando contacts the genuine article with the Widgets' signal flare. Prince Adam and Orko are on walking to the Royal Palace when they spot the signal, and Adam transforms into He-Man to give his friends a hand.

The most powerful man in the universe makes short work of the tree, which doesn't make Squinch feel any better. He grumbles about what he could do if he were as big as He-Man, and a remark by Orko inspires him to consider a magical solution to his problem. That night, Squinch sneaks off to Snake Mountain, where he is apprehended by Beast Man and brought before Skeletor. Squinch beseeches Skeletor to make him big, and offers him some coins for his trouble. Insulted, Skeletor begins to have the Widget thrown in the dungeon, but Evil-Lyn whispers a suggestion to her master. She presents Squinch with a small box, and asks him to deliver it to He-Man, claiming that she's always admired the hero and that he will enjoy the box's contents. Squinch is dubious but Evil-Lyn assures him that if he performs this task, she'll grant his wish.

Once he returns to the fort, Squinch wastes no time summoning He-Man with the signal flare, stirring Adam and Cringer from their sleep to answer as He-Man and Battle Cat. Skeletor and his cronies also see the signal, and lie in wait to watch as He-Man receives the gift from Squinch. A cloud of magic dust spills from the box, and no sooner do He-Man and Battle Cat realize Skeletor's treachery than they succumb to a sleeping spell. The villains collect their prisoners in the Basher and take their leave. Squinch demands they honor their promise and make him big, so he can avenge He-Man, but the Evil Warriors never had any intention of keeping their word. With He-Man out of commission, Eternia is doomed.

When He-Man and Battle Cat awaken in Snake Mountain, Skeletor quickly has them imprisoned in a laser cage, and gloats about his impending takeover of the Royal Palace. Meanwhile, Squinch, Lara, and Cando rush to the palace to warn Man-At-Arms, Teela, and Orko about the emergency. Squinch admits the part he played in Skeletor's scheme, and after a lecture from the heroes, the Widgets forgive him for his error. Squinch still wishes he was big so he could help save He-Man, but Orko convinces him that the two of them can save him just the way they are. Man-At-Arms suggests that Teela accompany the "little giants" while he and the Royal Guard prepare for Skeletor's attack.

Later, the rescue party takes the Attak Trak to Snake Mountain, where Teela uses a secret entrance she once discovered to gain entrance to their enemies' lair. However, when they reach the dungeon, they find Evil-Lyn waiting for them. She gloats that they can never get through the wall surrounding He-Man's cage, and easily subdues Orko and Teela with her magic.

Meanwhile, Skeletor, Beast Man, and Panthor invade the Royal Palace, and find little resistance from the Royal Guard and the Widgets. Lara defiantly insists that Squinch will rescue He-Man, but Skeletor is only interested in overthrowing King Randor and taking his rightful place on Eternia's throne.

Back at Snake Mountain, Evil-Lyn taunts Squinch and attacks him with her magic. Squinch ducks, causing her mystic bolt to punch a hole through the barrier separating them from He-Man. Teela and Orko tell Squinch that he's small enough to get through the hole, but Evil-Lyn counters by granting Squinch's wish to be big. Frustrated by his new size, Squinch hurriedly asks Orko to magically return him to his normal size, and he gets through the hole before Evil-Lyn can grab him. In no time, he frees He-Man from the laser cage, making it no problem to stop Evil-Lyn and free the others.

At the palace, Skeletor sits atop Randor's throne, with the king is chained at his feet. He-Man and the others are magically transported back to the palace's kitchen, where they are met by Skeletor's forces. The heroes not only defeat the villains, but bake them into a giant loaf of bread! Skeletor vows revenge, but He-Man simply tosses the giant bread all the way back to Snake Mountain.

Afterward, Squinch realizes he saved He-Man, and it was all because he was small. He-Man assures him that what counts is the size of what's inside. Suddenly Orko uses his shadow to make himself look like a giant, to the delight of He-Man.

Moral[]

Squinch: "In today's story, He-Man said what is important, is what you're like inside. It's not really important whether you're big or small or tall or short or fat or skinny. in other words, what's important is being the best person you can be. You know something? I bet there are a lot of people out there right now, who'd like to be just like you.
Orko: "Good for you Suinch, you said it!"

Heroic Warriors[]

Allies[]

Evil Warriors[]

Vehicles[]

Attak Trak

Locations[]

Eternia
- Eternos - Royal Palace
- Snake Mountain

Cast[]

John Erwin as He-Man/Prince Adam, Beast Man, Beast Man and Squinch
Alan Oppenheimer as Skeletor, Man-At-Arms and Battle Cat/Cringer
Linda Gary as Teela, Evil-Lyn and Lara
Lou Scheimer (credited as Erik Gunden) as Orko, King Randor, Kando and Royal guard

Orko's Fun Facts[]

As featured in BCI's He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Season Two, Vol. 1 DVD boxset (Disc 4)

"When Prince Adam first transforms into He-Man in this episode this is the only time in the entire series that the transformation sequence does not have any part of the He-Man theme running through it."
"Squinch appears to have forgotten about the way in which Evil-Lyn humiliated him in Evil-Lyn's Plot as he actively seeks the help of the forces of evil at Snake Mountain!"
"The second transformation in this episode is a mixture of two episodes; the shot of Cringer talking and then Prince Adam revealing the Sword of Power behind the bookcase is similar to The Mystery of Man-E-Faces, and the slow dissolve to an already dressed Adam is the same as The Shaping Staff.

Behind the Scenes[]

Script was approved April 19, 1984.

Continuity[]

The shot of Teela cradling He-Man on the ground was previously used in The Cosmic Comet, except at that time it was Prince Adam instead of He-Man. It will be the basis for another similar shot seen in the She-Ra: Princess of Power episode The Price of Freedom in which She-Ra is cradling Prince Adam.
This is the second time Skeletor manages to sit upon the throne of the Royal Palaces of Eternia. The first time was in Creatures from the Tar Swamp.