By Zoe Papadakis | Wednesday, April 29, 2026 at 12:03 PM EDT
Roger Sweet, the Mattel designer credited with the creation of the He-Man action figure and the subsequent “Masters of the Universe” franchise, died Tuesday at the age of 91 after a battle with dementia, Marlene Sweet, his wife of 40 years, confirmed to TMZ.
Sweet’s death marks the end of a career that defined 1980s toy culture and established a multibillion-dollar franchise that continues to be reimagined by major Hollywood studios today. His final months were characterized by a public struggle with rising medical costs. In February, Marlene Sweet set up a GoFundMe campaign to cover the expenses of her husband’s specialized memory care, which exceeded $10,000 per month.
“I have done all I can to take care of his needs at home,” she wrote at the time of the launch. The campaign has since raised nearly $94,000, a total that included a $5,000 donation from the Mattel Foundation.
Sweet’s move to a memory care facility came after a sudden medical emergency. His wife detailed an incident in which Roger Sweet returned from a walk suffering from “terrible bruising on his side.” Disoriented and unable to recall a fall or the cause of the injury, he was taken to an emergency room. After four hours of diagnostic testing, doctors discovered two brain bleeds, which led to his admission into the intensive care unit.
Sweet’s big break at Mattel grew out of a high-stakes scramble to keep up with the competition. In 1976, the toy company had declined a deal to produce toys for the “Star Wars” film franchise—a missed opportunity that resulted in massive success for rival manufacturer Kenner Products, Variety reported. In an effort to find a hit product Mattel could fully own and control, Sweet began experimenting with a Big Jim action figure, using clay to build up the body’s muscle mass and posing the model in a fixed fighting stance. This prototype was successfully pitched to CEO Ray Wagner and reached the retail market in 1982.
The success of the toy line led to the 1983 debut of the companion cartoon series “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.” Produced by Filmation, the show ran for 130 episodes and introduced the lore of the planet Eternia and Prince Adam. The series popularized the iconic transformation sequence where the protagonist would wield the Sword of Power and declare, “By the Power of Grayskull! I have the power,” to become the galaxy’s most fearsome warrior.
Sweet’s death comes as the upcoming live-action film adaptation of his franchise prepares for a theatrical release on June 5 via Amazon, MGM, and Mattel. The production features Nicholas Galitzine, Jared Leto, Idris Elba, Camila Mendes as Teela, and Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn.
Zoe Papadakis is a veteran journalist with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. Her career includes reporting, writing, and editing for prominent publications worldwide.
