HORDAK'S SHAPESHIFTING SPY
Imp
Imp is Hordak's small bat-like spy on Etheria, a shapeshifter who turns himself into bushes, rocks and rayguns to listen in on the Great Rebellion, and who sits on Hordak's throne or shoulder in most Fright Zone scenes.
Imp is Hordak's small bat-like companion in She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985-1987), a shapeshifter who disguises himself as objects and creatures to spy on the Great Rebellion. Erika Scheimer is credited as his voice on "She-Ra Unchained."
HORDAK'S SHAPESHIFTING SPY
A bat-like companion who is rarely what he looks like
Imp is Hordak's small bat-like companion on Etheria, and his loyalty runs to Hordak alone. He is also a shapeshifter. Over the series he turns himself into a bush, a rock, a flea, a raygun, a flamethrower and a carried box with his own snarling face still showing through, always to spy on the Great Rebellion or steal from it without being seen.
His first credited appearance is "She-Ra Unchained," broadcast on September 11, 1985, where Erika Scheimer is credited as his voice. In most episodes he holds his post, perched on the arm of Hordak's throne or clinging to his shoulder, so he turns up in nearly every scene set in the Fright Zone whether or not the story needs him.
Imp on the job: Hordak's spy, flying out to check on Kowl.
Clipped from our own copy of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Welcome Back, Kowl (She-Ra: Princess of Power, 1985), 2:48 to 4:42, 1 minute 54 seconds. Nothing is added and nothing is sped up. Copyright Mattel.
DISGUISES AND DIRTY TRICKS
Disguises, thefts, and one memorable frame-up
"The Crown of Knowledge" and "The Locket" show his disguise work at its most elaborate. In the first, he hides as a shaggy blue bush to listen in on a boy carrying Kowl toward a legendary crown, then reports everything to Hordak. In the second, he shrinks himself down to the size of a flea, tickles the dragon Sorrowful into dropping his guard, and steals a magic locket clean off him before the Rebellion even realizes it is missing.
"Welcome Back, Kowl" shows him at his pettiest. After Kowl drops a goosh-fruit on him while escaping Hordak's tanks, Imp is sent to find him and plants Horde money in his bed to frame him for theft, which leaves Kowl without an alibi because of an unrelated promise he made the same night. The episode plays it as a smaller, meaner trick than his usual disguises.
A NOTE ON MERCHANDISE
Imp in plastic, at Hordak's side
Imp comes packed with Hordak releases. A 2021 Iron Studios 1/10-scale BDS Art Scale statue sculpts him "by his side, next to his metal duck feet," in the maker's own words, and Mondo's 1/6-scale Filmation Hordak includes "the exclusive Imp mini figure" among its accessories. Both are listed on the Hordak figure archive.
IN BRIEF
Imp, in brief
"She-Ra Unchained" airs
His first credited appearance, with Erika Scheimer credited as his voice.
"The Crown of Knowledge"
Imp disguises himself as a bush to spy on a boy carrying Kowl toward a legendary crown.
"The Locket"
Imp shrinks to the size of a flea to steal a magic locket from a dragon he has tickled into letting his guard down.
"Welcome Back, Kowl"
Sent after Kowl, Imp plants Horde money in his bed to frame him for theft.
"Romeo and Glimmer"
Imp rides the console of Hordak's rusty Trapper Tank alongside Entrapta as the Horde tries to break the force dome around Bright Moon.
An Iron Studios statue
A 1/10-scale BDS Art Scale Hordak, with Imp sculpted beside his feet.
Questions
Imp questions, answered
Who is Imp?
Imp is Hordak's small bat-like companion and spy in the 1985 She-Ra: Princess of Power cartoon, a shapeshifter who disguises himself to eavesdrop on the Great Rebellion.
When does Imp first appear?
His first credited appearance is "She-Ra Unchained," first broadcast on September 11, 1985.
Who voices Imp?
Erika Scheimer, credited for Imp on "She-Ra Unchained." Later episodes do not list his voice.
What are Imp's powers?
Shapeshifting. He becomes a bush, a rock, a flea, a raygun, a flamethrower and a box with his own face on it, always to spy or steal unseen.
Is Imp the Horde's version of Battle Cat?
He fills the same place at Hordak's side that Battle Cat fills at He-Man's, as a constant animal companion, but he is a spy and never a mount.
Can you buy an Imp action figure right now?
Not on his own. Imp comes with Hordak in a 2021 Iron Studios statue and in Mondo's 1/6-scale Filmation Hordak.
How many episodes does Imp appear in?
30, all in She-Ra: Princess of Power.
What is Imp's most memorable disguise?
Shrinking to the size of a flea in "The Locket" to steal a magic locket, or hiding as a carried box with his own face still visible in "A Loss for Words."
Compiled by the heman.org desk from the She-Ra: Princess of Power episodes "She-Ra Unchained," "The Crown of Knowledge," "The Locket," "Welcome Back, Kowl," "Romeo and Glimmer" and "A Loss for Words" and their on-screen credits, and the Iron Studios and Mondo product listings. Some background from heman.fandom.com (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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