Return of the Gryphon

Return of the Gryphon is the 49th episode of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, written by David Wise and directed by Gwen Wetzler. The legendary Gryphon returns to menace Eternia when the Jewel of Protection finds its way into the hands of a royal page.

Moral
Man-At-Arms:' "There was a really wonderful moment in today's adventure story." Orko:' "Bet I can guess what it was! It was when He-Man brought the water out of the lake!" Man-At-Arms:' "No, that wasn't it." Orko:' "Well then, it must've been when He-Man lifted the whole top of the mountain!" Man-At-Arms:' "That was incredible, but that wasn't it, either." Orko:' "Well, I give up." Man-At-Arms:' "The most wonderful moment was when Thad realized he must face his own responsibilities. In that one tiny second, I saw a boy grow into a man."

Heroic Warriors

 * Prince Adam
 * He-Man
 * Man-At-Arms
 * Orko
 * Teela

Allies

 * Thad
 * Royal Guards
 * Galen
 * Galen's Assistant
 * King Randor (mentioned)

Evil Warriors

 * Beast Man
 * Skeletor (mentioned)
 * Trap Jaw

Creatures

 * Gryphon
 * Baby Gryphon

Vehicles

 * Attak Trak
 * Sky-Sled
 * Wind Raider

Locations

 * Chandor Village
 * Eternos - Royal Palace

Technology

 * Freeze Ray Cannon

Artifacts

 * Jewel of Protection

Cast

 * John Erwin as He-Man/Prince Adam, Beast Man and Galen's Assistant
 * Alan Oppenheimer as Man-At-Arms and Galen
 * Linda Gary as Teela and Chad
 * Lou Scheimer (credited as Erik Gunden) as Orko, Trap Jaw, Attak Trak and Royal Guards
 * Erika Scheimer (uncredited) as Royal Page

Behind the Scenes

 * Script was approved May 3, 1983 and final script revision was done July 13, 1983.

Continuity

 * The character model used for Thad was prevsiously used as Chad in Double Edged Sword.
 * The Gryphon's character model uses the same body seen as various dragons earlier in the series.
 * The character models for Galen and Galen's Assistant are recolored and reused from those of Old Zak and Jaymar from The Curse of the Spellstone.
 * The animation of He-Man lifting and throwing was first seen in The Taking of Grayskull and would be re-purposed to be used again in Quest for the Sword; The Gambler and a reanimated version was seen in Fisto's Forest.
 * The sequence of the Gryphon destroying a window ledge with his tail is a recolored version of the dragon attack on the Royal Palace in The Dragon Invasion.
 * The shot of the three Eternian towers exploding was seen earlier in Diamond Ray of Disappearance and Quest for He-Man.
 * Man-At-Arm's Freeze Ray Cannon was previously seen as the Stasis Ray in The Dragon Invasion.
 * The sequence of the tower falling and He-Man catching it would be used again in Capture the Comet Keeper and when He-Man catches the Life Bringer in Journey to Stone City.
 * The animation of Orko clapping his hands (with his ears missing) was first used in the episode Daimar the Demon and was also seen in The Search and The Shadow of Skeletor.
 * The animated sequence of Beast Man kicking down the door will be used again in the episode A Trip to Morainia.

Errors

 * After Beast Man kicks in the door at the Shrine of the Gryphon, he walks in behind the unhinged door that is resting against the wall instead of passing in front of it.
 * Prince Adam laughs with He-Man's voice after Orko tells Man-At-Arms his new Freeze Ray leaves him cold.
 * Orko's ears are missing as he claps his hands after Adam transforms into He-Man.
 * When the Gryphon returns from space to find Man-At-Arms waiting for him on top of a tower, the same cloudy background is used in two subsequent shots.
 * Man-At-Arms is flying the Wind Raider and seated on the left holding the controls when he drops off He-Man and goes to rescue Teela and Thad. Later, when all five are in the vehicle, the cel is flopped, so now he sitting on the right and still holding the controls.
 * Man-At-Arm's green gloves are now flesh colored when Thad jumps out of the Wind Raider and later after he climbs back in.
 * When Teela and Thad are rescued by an anchor lowered from the Wind Raider, the scene shifts to He-Man in another location, but the trees and plants in the background remain the same.

The He-Man and She-Ra Blog

 * A brief review #049 - "Return of the Gryphon"
 * Stone deaf...
 * Orko frozen.
 * Wide-Eyed Trap Jaw.
 * Baby Gryphon.