WonderCon 2019: At the ‘She-Ra’ panel, princesses and ‘D&D’ collide

“She-Ra and the Princesses of Power” executive producer Noelle Stevenson knows exactly what “Dungeons & Dragons” class each character from her show would be.

“I started playing ‘D&D’ when I started working on this show,” Stevenson explained to fans gathered Saturday morning in the Arena at the Anaheim Convention Center for the animated show’s WonderCon 2019 panel.

According to the showrunner, Adora is a fighter while She-Ra is a paladin — specifically, one who would use fancy dice that roll badly. Additionally: Catra is a rogue, Scorpia is a fighter or barbarian, Frosta is also a barbarian, Bow is “half-ranger, half-bard … like a ranger that took classes in bard” and Glimmer, of course, is a sorcerer.

But this wasn’t the only time the classic tabletop role-playing game was referenced during the panel that also included cast members Aimee Carrero (Adora/She-Ra), AJ Michalka (Catra), Lauren Ash (Scorpia) Karen Fukuhara (Glimmer), Marcus Scribner (Bow) and Merit Leighton (Frosta).

One of the many Season 2 clips that were shown during the presentation involved Bow and the princesses trying to plan out their next move while sitting around a map, using tiny figures to mark out where each person would be. That’s a familiar sight for anybody who has played “Dungeons & Dragons.”

“Bow is definitely into ‘D&D,’” Scribner said afterward.

According to Stevenson and the cast, “She-Ra” Season 2 will see Adora and Catra each finding themselves in leadership roles that neither are quite prepared for — on opposite sides of the fight

It’s the “most painful stretch of episodes Adora has,” said Carrero of her character’s growing pains.

The presentation included five new clips from the show’s upcoming season as well as the debut of the Season 2 trailer. Among the highlights was a scene that reveals how Swift Wind sees the world (as horses), an homage to the classic ’80s “She-Ra” cartoon and a scene that highlighted just how much Scorpia wants Catra’s approval.

“Scorpia just wants to impress Catra,” Ash said. “Her love is so pure.”

“She’s mostly a really big softy,” added Stevenson of the towering, tough-looking character who is all about hugs.

Of course, Scorpia is not the only lovable villain in the show. Plenty of fans as well as the cast have a soft spot for Catra and the complicated relationship she has with Adora.

“I loved the fighting/dancing between Adora and Catra” in Season 1’s “Princess Prom” episode, Fukuhara said. “That was awesome.”

“That dip? Come on!” Leighton added.

This push and pull between the former best friends as they each become more entrenched on opposite sides of the rebellion remains one of the core elements of the show.

Ultimately, “Catra just wants her best friend back,” Michalka said.

The seven-episode “She-Ra and the Princesses of Power” Season 2 is set to hit Netflix on April 26.

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Twitter: @tracycbrown