He-Man creator Roger Sweet dies at 91

by

Roger Sweet, who helped create the iconic character He-Man from ‘Masters of the Universe,’ has passed away at 91 years old after struggling with dementia.

Roger Sweet was a highly respected figure in the toy industry. When Mattel lost the opportunity to create Star Wars toys to Kenner in the 1970s, they needed a new hit product. Roger Sweet was tasked with developing a toy line that could compete with the wildly popular Star Wars franchise.

Sweet, a skilled inventor and lead designer at Mattel, came up with the idea for a powerful warrior, which Mattel then released as the He-Man action figure in 1982.

A year after the toys were released, Mattel and Filmation launched the ‘He-Man and the Masters of the Universe’ cartoon series, and a pop culture icon was created.

He-Man creator Roger Sweet dies in care home at 91

In February 2026, Roger Sweet’s wife announced that he had been diagnosed with dementia and was receiving care at a residential facility.

She created an online fundraiser to cover his care, which cost over $10,000 each month. Thanks to generous donations from fans and a contribution from Mattel, they’ve already raised more than $90,000.

I was really bummed to hear that Marlene’s friend contacted HeMan.org on April 28, 2026, to let everyone know he’d passed away peacefully at the facility. It was sad news for all of us in the community.

Widow requests new Masters of the Universe movie be dedicated to Roger

This year, a new Masters of the Universe movie is coming out, starring Nicolas Galitzine as He-Man and Jared Leto as Skeletor, the film’s villain.

The new Amazon MGM film comes out in June, and in the same announcement, Roger’s wife shared a request.

Marlene has requested that fans reach out to the filmmakers and actors of the new movie and ask them to dedicate it to both Roger and Mark Taylor, who co-created He-Man. She feels it would be a lovely tribute to both men.

Read More

2026-04-29 12:18