All You Ever Wanted to Know About "ThunderCats"

I loved the cartoon ThunderCats when I was a kid. I had lots of the action figures and toys, even some ThunderCats pajamas. For fans, and those unfamiliar with the show, here is some info.

About:

ThunderCats is an animated television series that debuted in 1985, based on the characters created by Tobin "Ted" Wolf.

Season 1 of the show aired in 1985 (65 episodes), Seasons 2 of the show aired in 1986 (65 episodes).

Plot:

The inhabitants of the planet Thundera evacuate just before it is destroyed. They were pursued by a band of mutants. All but one of their escape ships was destroyed. Only a small group of Thunderans (Thundercats) remained. With only half engine power, the group, which was led by Jaga, had to set a course for the nearest planet. Jaga commanded their ship while the other 7 were in their stasis tubes. Jaga died on their journey to Third Earth and their ship crashed there. Soon they made friends with various groups in the area and they designed a fortress. Mumm-Ra the centuries-old embodiment of evil, along with the mutants that destroyed the rest of the Thunderans are a constant threat. But Lion-O, the new leader of the Thundercats, with his weapon the "Sword of Omens" will help the Thundercats to have a standing chance.

Movie:

It was announced on June 5, 2007, that Warner Brothers is making a CGI-animated feature film of ThunderCats, based on a script written by Paul Sopocy. In October 2007, Variety magazine revealed that Jerry O'Flaherty, veteran video game art director, had signed on to direct. It was originally set for a summer 2010 release, but it has since been reported that the movie is on hold.

Characters:

Lion-O: Lion-O, the Lord of the Thudercats, is not as he appears. Although his body is fully developed, his mind is that of a child. With the Sword of Omens and enchanted claw shield at his side Lion-O has powers that rival those of all the Thundercats. With Jaga's guidance, in "spirit" form, Lion-O has learned to trust in the Sword of Omens and the Code that binds all Thunderians.



Panthro: Panthro, the eldest living member of the Thundercats, is a mechanical wizard and engineering genius. His advanced fighting technique, with battle-sticks (which can contain any concoction or weapon he places inside), proves to make him a vital team memeber. His vast mechanical knowledge helped him construct the Thundertank from pieces of their wrecked spacecraft. After creating Cat's Lair with the Robear Berbils help, Panthro was then able t o craft many new vehicles in his High-Tec workshop.

Tygra: Without Tygra there would be no Cat's Lair. Under his guidance the Robear Berbils constructed Cat's Lair in only three days. Tygra's flaming/exploding bolo-whip is a formidable weapon. With it Tygra can become invisible to almost any Third Earth being. Tygra's agility and cunning help him in times of battle and make him an invaluable asset to the team.



Cheetara: Cheetara is the fastest of the Thundercats. Her lightning quick speed, though somewhat limited in use, and hand-activated bo-staff make her nearly invincible. Cheetara also has a mysterious "sixth-sense" that provides her with premonitions about the future or an accurate portrayal of the past. Although her use of this special "sixth sense" provides accurate information, it is also very limited.


WillyKit: WilyKit is WilyKat's annoying sister. Although she is WilyKat's twin she often disagrees with her brother. With her "bag of tricks" WilyKit can defend herself by temporarily baffling her aggressor.





WillyKat: WilyKat is the most curious of the twins. He and his sister both are highly agile. Although her is usually left in charge he often leads his sister and himself into serious danger. Don't be fooled, his sister also makes poor decisions as well.




Snarf: Snarf was Lion-O's "nursemaid" on Thundera, and he has a hard time dealing with the fact that Lion-O is no longer in need of his "protection". Although he's somewhat cowardly, Snarf does manage to gather his wits and help when needed.




Jaga: Jaga is the eldest and wisest of the Thundercats. He was once the chief advisor and protector of Lion-O's father, Claudis. After the destruction of Thundera, he gave his life piloting the Thundercats to Third Earth so they could survive in the only remaining suspension chambers. Jaga was once the keeper of the Sword of Omens and now appears to Lion-O from his mystical plane of existence.


Claudis: Claudis was the previous keep of the Sword of omens and Lion-O's father. Although his vision was taken in battle he did not let his blindness impede his sons rescue attempt. After staying behind on Thundera, Claudis was captured by the Shadowmaster, and finally saved by his son Lion-O years later. He exists now the same astral plane as Jaga.



Kano: When Lion-O was a young boy his beloved dog, Kano, resided with him on Thundera.






Snarfer: Snarfer is Snarf's young cowardly nephew, much like his uncle. Snarfer is a graduate of Snarf College. As a result, he has much technical and mechanical experience and abilities. He can "whip up" a mechanical device almost as fast as Panthro.




Voice Actors:

Voice actors and their regular characters

Earl Hammond
Mumm-Ra, Jaga, Vultureman, Amok

Earle Hyman
Panthro, Red-Eye

Larry Kenney
Lion-O, Jackalman

Lynne Lipton
Cheetara, WilyKit, Willa, Nayda, Luna, Mandora The Evil Chaser

Bob McFadden
Snarf, Slithe, Lynx-O, Tug-Mug, Snarfer

Peter Newman
Tygra, WilyKat, Ben-Gali, Monkian

Doug Preis
Alluro

Gerrianne Raphael
Pumyra, Chilla, Jagara

About the Voice Actors

First Episode:



Links and Sources:

Watch Thundercats Online Streaming Full Length Episodes
ThunderCats - Wikipedia
The Ultimate Thundercats Web Page
YouTube - thundercats
"Thundercats" (1985)
ThunderCats Lair -- A Resource Site
ThunderCats: Illustrated
The ThunderCats Encyclopedia

ThunderCats DVD's: