Masters of the Pixelverse

He-Man pixel art revives 80s action figures in stunning 16-bit art style, celebrating the iconic Masters of the Universe toyline.

Weirdo Works

Building Eternia One Pixel at a Time

This series reimagines Masters of the Universe through the visual language of 16-bit games. Each character was redrawn with exaggerated proportions, expressive faces, and a limited 15-color palette inspired by the Super Nintendo era. The goal was to keep the personalities and silhouettes recognizable while pushing them into a chunkier, more playful pixel-art style.

he original Masters of the Universe toyline famously reused and remixed parts to create new characters, so I built the series around the same idea. Bodies, armor, weapons, and other elements are shared, recolored, and customized from one sprite to the next. It gave the collection a consistent visual system while echoing the modular approach that helped make the original toyline feel like such a big world built from a relatively small set of parts.

PROJECT
Self-initiated

STUDIO
Weirdo Works

YEAR
2024

ROLE
Art direction and pixel art
Justin Gammon

RESULTS
32 Masters of the Universe characters
Built on a 15-color palette, matching Super Nintendo limits Modular sprite system
Parts reused and recolored across figures

A pixel art image of a "Masters of the Universe" character card featuring Skeletor, a skeletal villain in a purple hood and armor, holding a staff. The background is fiery red with the title "Masters of the Universe" at the top and "Skeletor" in the center.

A pixel art character with long blonde hair holds a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. The character is dressed in a warrior's outfit with a red cross emblem on the chest, standing against a light blue background.

He-Man

A pixel art image of a character with a green skull-like face, wearing a purple hooded robe and blue armor, holding a purple staff with a skull at the top, set against an orange background.

Skeletor

A pixel art character with an orange, furry body and a fierce expression stands against a light blue background. The character has white and blue facial markings, a wide-open mouth with sharp teeth, and holds a whip. The character wears a blue cloth around the waist with a yellow belt.

Beast Man

A pixel art character, clad in green armor with orange details and a blue helmet, holds an orange hammer. The character stands against a light blue background.

Man-At-Arms

A pixel art image of a character with a red helmet and blue armor, wearing a grey outfit with red accents, set against a light green background.

Stratos

A pixel art image of a character with yellow armor, holding a large, jagged golden sword. The character has a fish face with bulging eyes, featuring large, rounded ears or horns, and stands against a light green background.

Mer-Man

A pixel art image of a character with brown hair, wearing a golden crown with a red gem, a white outfit with golden armor, brown boots, and holding a staff and a shield, set against a light purple background.

Teela

A pixel art image of a muscular character wearing a red and gray helmet with a red bat symbol, red armor, and holding a red bat-shaped weapon, set against a light green background.

Zodac

A pixel art image showcases three characters dressed in blue armor with red and gold accents. The character on the left wields a large golden gun and has an orange face with red eyes and mouth, complemented by a red hat. On the top right, another character sports a skull face with matching red and gold details. Below that, the third character features a green monstrous face with red eyes, also adorned with the same red and gold accents on the armor. The left character stands against a muted green background, while the right side characters are set against a light green backdrop.

Man-E-Faces

A pixel art image of a character in a silver helmet and red and green armor, holding a large silver axe, set against a brown background.

Ram Man

A pixel art character with a golden complexion and blue hair, adorned with a crown-like headpiece featuring blue crystals, stands against a pink background. The character holds a blue staff and wears a blue and gold outfit with matching boots.

Evil-lyn

A pixel art character with a bee-like appearance stands against a purple background. The character has large, round blue eyes, a yellow and brown striped body, wings, and holds a hammer. The character also wears brown boots.

Buzz-Off

A pixel art image of a character wearing a green helmet with a single large eye on the front, green armor, and holding a green sword, set against a light purple background.

Tri-Klops

A pixel art image of a character in futuristic armor with a red helmet, holding a golden staff or scepter. The character has a determined expression and stands against a muted green background.

Meka-Nek

A pixel art image of a green goblin-like character with blue armor, wearing a red helmet, and holding a mechanical arm with a hook, set against a light orange background.

Trap Jaw

A pixel art character with a fierce expression, long orange hair, and a beard, stands on a light green background. The character wears purple boots and metallic armor, holding a clenched fist forward.

Fisto

A pixel art character with a red, scaly body and a menacing face, featuring blue markings around the eyes and large fangs, stands against a light blue background. The character holds a green mace with a spiked ball and wears blue boots.

Clawful

A pixel art image of a green orc-like character with a fierce expression, holding a large wooden club, set against a light purple background.

Moss Man

A pixel art character with a stern expression and dark hair stands on a green background. The character is muscular, wearing red and gold armor, and has a large golden hand. The background is a muted green, complementing the character's attire.

Jitsu

A pixel art image of a character in a silver helmet, wearing a red face guard and blue and red armor, holding a large silver axe, set against an orange background.

Roboto

A pixel art image of a green, muscular, monstrous character with a spiked back, wearing a loincloth and holding a red staff, set against a light blue background.

Whiplash

A pixel art image of a blue, monstrous character with red eyes, wearing armor with a cross emblem, holding a large orange gun and a purple grappling hook, set against a light purple background.

Webstor

A pixel art image of a black skunk character wearing orange armor with yellow eyes, holding a large blue shield, set against a light green background.

Stinkor

A pixel art image of a two-headed character, one head blue and the other purple, wearing orange armor and holding a shield, set against a green background.

Two Bad

A pixel art image of a character with blue skin, red eyes, and spiky hair, wearing pink armor and brown boots, set against a green background.

Spikor

A pixel art image of a blue-skinned character with a skull head, wearing a purple hood and armor with a red dragon on his back, set against a teal background.

Dragon Blaster Skeletor

A pixel art image of a character with blonde hair, wearing armor and holding a sword and shield, set against a blue background.

Thunder Punch He-Man

A pixel art image of a muscular character with blonde hair, wearing brown armor and a cross necklace, holding a large double-headed axe, set against a light blue background.

Battle Armor He-Man

A pixel art image of a blue-skinned skeletal character with a purple hood and armor, holding a purple sword, set against a pink background.

Battle Armor Skeletor

A pixel art image of a character with blue skin, wearing a yellow and red helmet and armor, set against a green background.

Sy-Klone

A pixel art image of a green snake monster with an open mouth, sharp teeth, and an eye on its head, holding a red club, set against a light blue background.

Kobra Khan

A pixel art image of a character with blonde hair, wearing a red and white outfit, holding a sword, set against a purple background.

Prince Adam

A pixel art image featuring a character with two heads, one blue and one purple, wearing orange armor and holding a shield. The image shows the character in different sizes and includes a color palette at the bottom.

Recreating Nostalgic Toy Magic in Pixel Form

16 Bit Masters of the Universe

This series reimagines the classic Masters of the Universe toyline as chunky, stylized 16-bit pixel art. Each character was built with a limited 15-color palette and exaggerated proportions that leave more room for personality and expression. I also borrowed from the modular logic of the original toys, reusing and remixing parts across the cast to keep the designs feeling connected to the source while giving them a slightly stranger, more playful look.

Want to Work Together?

Start a Project