Entrapdork

Seems legit…

Also, just… Entrapta being in the Sanctum before Hordak sometimes. And the first time this happens, Hordak gets immediately defensive of His Territory and goes out of his private quarter into the Sanctum proper, not quite ready for the day yet, to see who would dare intrude-!

And that’s when Entrapta learns he wears makeup. Says nothing, just makes a mental note and adds it to her mental Hordak Folder (and perhaps also the digital one, I mean we all know she keeps one, right? She… she just would.)

To me it could possibly be a part of his defect because we know his body has skin patterns which are symmetrical as well. And just because it’s gone when he’s reset to factory settings, it doesn’t mean anything more than Prime has made him look like everyone else, including changing his hair color and mouth color (like his eyes as we see when he’s reset). He would likely ‘decay’ again if he’s still in his defect body. This also explains why he’s less black around the eyes in the baby Adora flashback.

I think it was @soranis-sunshadow who had a great explanation for it.

I’ve also written him as using makeup to make himself look more intimidating. There are many creatures on Etheria and I doubt that he would look quite as frightening with white face and red white in a Horde outfit. So, black eyeliner and a dark armor (that also supports his frail body) to look more intimidating. I headcanon that Scorpia’s grandfather gave him the idea.

I didn’t address hordak’s eye coloration in that. I don’t think I ever mentioned my HC for his choice in facepaint.

The way I see it, Hordak has borrowed, without meaning to - certain aspects of Scorpion culture. The Fright Zone and Horror Hall were named so even before he took control of them

The scorpioni seemed to have a darker aesthetic. Their choice of ‘traditional villain colors’ is visible in the frescoes, (lovely sith lord style)

the picture of Scorpia’s moms

(Which coincidentally seems to be a mixture between Horde Prime’s aesthetic and that of the scorpioni) He is fond of the same shade of red that big mom has in the picture.

…and Scorpia herself - who rocks a black lipstick on one lip.

Hordak too seemed to have borrowed that look for whatever reason.

The eye makeup is a mixture of adopting the goth aesthetic of the host kingdom and him trying to hide his perceived weakness behind 'warpaint’.

As I pointed out in my last essay, the anorexia one, his facies is sunken and sickly (in comparison to that of his brothers). It might not be a obvious to Etherians since they can’t really compare Hordak to a healthy member of his species (no one had ever seen one before) but Hordak himself can and as such, he tries his best to hide the sickly parts of himself (and show off the healthy ones).

Thin sickly arms -> Bam! Bulky armor that buffs him up!

Visible neck port that someone might stick their fingers into -> the ridiculous collar his first armor comes with.

Discolored neck -> Turtleneck robe (the turtleneck disappears in s4 when his condition improved because of Entrapta’s care and armor)

Drawn, gaunt face with sunken eye sockets -> Black makeup to hide how sunken his eyes really are and make him look more imposing.

His legs are the healthiest part of him and will you look at that! He displays them for all to see!

As far as the blue hair is concerned… I for one headcanon it as being part of his condition. Prime had him bleached to make him fit in. (for as long as Prime needed access to his memories and data on Etheria, after that, it’s probably death on the frontlines again for the sickly clone). This is merely my headcanon, I chose it because Hordak strikes me as a very utilitarian pragmatist. Warpaint is utilitarian, hair dye is… not.

pov your hordak, what do you do 😳