List of ThunderCats characters
Encyclopedia
The following is a list of characters that appear in the American animated series ThunderCats
, its 2011 reboot
, and its related media.
, this elder warrior was once regarded as the greatest of all ThunderCats. An adviser and protector of the Lord’s family, Jaga wielded the Sword of Omens and was a formidable fighter in combat. It was Jaga who gathered the nobles of the ThunderCats to escort Lion-O and the Eye of Thundera to safety, but did not survive the trip to Third Earth as he volunteered to pilot the damaged ship while the others slept. Jaga died of old age. However, Jaga does reappear on Third Earth as a spirit (seen only by Lion-O at first) to guide him in his lessons and adventures. At times, he appears before the other ThunderCats as well such as when facing down Grune the Destroyer and when the ThunderCats need to rescue their fellow Thundereans. Jaga's physical body does reappear at one point during the original series in the episode "The Astral Prison" where he was trapped in another dimension, prompting Lion-O to travel there to rescue him from being held captive by an evil inhabitant of said dimension. His fate as a physical living entity after this was never revealed, but his spirit form continued to appear throughout the series.
In the 2011 series, the character serves as head of Thundera's cleric warriors before remaining behind to ensure Lion-O and his group escape. He is later revealed to be alive and being tortured into revealing the location of the Book of Omens to Mumm-Ra, though doing his best to resist the villain's magic when sealed within a lantern, eventually his much of his freewill wavers along with his physical form. Though Jaga destroys the lantern that was keeping his soul intact to save Lion-O from Mumm-Ra, his soul took residence within the Book of Omens and becomes Lion-O's guide within it. In addition to his knowledge of ancient secrets, this incarnation of Jaga is able to move at superhuman speed, an ability shared by all the cleric warriors, and is also shown projecting lightning from his staff.
in the original series, Will Friedle
in the 2011 series) — The leader, and the hereditary "Lord of the ThunderCats." Lion-O, based on the lion
, wields the legendary Sword of Omens, which is able to fire bolts of energy and allows Lion-O to see across great distances with its power of "Sight Beyond Sight", as well as the Claw Shield, a gauntlet that launches grappling lines from its claws. A mere child of twelve years old at the time of Thundera's destruction, Lion-O aged to adulthood during the trip to Third Earth when his suspension capsule failed to prevent him from aging too much. Although cunning and skillful, he is truly a child in a man's body, and throughout the series, must learn what it takes to become a true leader and gain true maturity.
In the latter half of the show's first season, Lion-O has to put all that he has learned to use in the "Anointment Trials," which consist of contests of strength, speed, cunning, and intelligence (this last is referred to as "mind-power" in the story arc) against each of the other ThunderCats (complicating matters for Lion-O is the fact that he is required to be unarmed for the contests; moreover, the other ThunderCats are not permitted to assist him. The Mutants attempt—ultimately without success—to take advantage of this last in an effort to leave the ThunderCats leaderless). Ultimately triumphing over Mumm-Ra in a final battle ("The Trial Of Evil") in the heart of the villain's pyramid in which he discovers that Mumm-Ra, like any Egyptian mummy, is dependent upon his sarcophagus
, Lion-O is crowned the true Lord of the ThunderCats in an august ceremony attended by nearly every inhabitant of Third Earth. Lion-O also has the ability as Lord of the ThunderCats to command all cats, as he demonstrated in his battle with the Snowman of Hook Mountain when he commanded Snowmeow to halt. He also has romantic feelings for a human intergalactic police officer called Mandora.
In the 2011 version, Lion-O is a teenager instead of being a boy inside an adult body. He is the only one at the beginning who believes that technology and Mumm-Ra exist. His catchphrase is "Whiskers!" whenever he finds himself in a bad situation. In "Legacy," it is revealed that Lion-O had an ancestor named Leo who played a part in the defeat of Mumm-Ra. Lion-O's weapons: Sword of Omens and Claw Shield. In the episodes "The Forest of Magi Oar" and "Into the Astral Plane", it is shown that Lion-O had feelings for Cheetara until she finally expresses her feelings to Tygra in the following episode.
Lion-O is re-named León-O in the Spanish version, Leo in the German version, Starlion in the French version.
in the original series, Matthew Mercer
in the 2011 series) — A staunch, level-headed warrior based on the tiger
, Tygra is known as the ThunderCat architect and scientist. He is the one Lion-O often turns to as second-in-command and for counsel. He is responsible for the design of all of the ThunderCat structures on Third Earth — the Cat’s Lair and the Tower of Omens. He is also gifted with "mind-power" — the ability to create life-like illusions in other people’s minds; he used this for Lion-O’s Anointment Trial, but it puts a great strain on him. He uses a whip-like bolas
in combat, with which he can render himself invisible to the naked eye. In the episode "All That Glitters," Lion-O instructs Tygra, "If I do not return, you will be the new Lord of the ThunderCats." This verifies that indeed, Tygra is the second-in-command. Tygra's weakness is that he is not able to swim when not invisible; also, Tygra has shown to be easily influenced by external stimuli more than any other ThunderCat ("The Garden of Delights", "Turgamar the Tuska" and "Crystal Canyon"); he also claimed to be shy when being a kid. Patient, analytic and calm, Tygra is the most quiet ThunderCat, and usually considers every part of the problem before making a decision. Where creators Ted Wolf and Leonard Starr
described Panthro's character as being based on "strength" and Cheetara's character as being based on "speed," Tygra's character was described as being based on "integrity." In the comic, Tygra has romantic feelings for Cheetara (after the TV-series, in comics clarify his relationship with Cheetara).
In the 2011 series, the character is the adoptive older brother of Lion-O, with a kind heart and a sarcastic comic vein. Though unable to succeed his foster father due to having the wrong "bloodline," Tygra was the more favored son. As a result, he and Lion-O were at constant odds with the former always questioning the latter's decisions as the new Lord of the ThunderCats. Furthermore, Tygra fell in love with Cheetara when they first met as children in the past, although he believed she never returned his feelings for her. Her apparent relationship with Lion-O gave him another reason to bare a grudge on his brother regardless of his loyality. In the episode "Between Brothers," he finally settles his rivalry with Lion-O, and Cheetara confesses her feelings for him and in the end Cheetara and Tygra become a couple. This gives Lion-o the thought that Tygra has betrayed him, for Cheetara was supposed to be his.
Tygra is re-named Tigro in the Spanish, German and French versions.
in the original series, Kevin Michael Richardson
in the 2011 series) — The next noble and greatest warrior after Jaga, and based on the panther
. Even though a warrior in all forms of ThunderCats martial arts fighting, Panthro has a brilliant mind, which he uses as the chief mechanic/engineer and pilot for the ThunderCats. He is also physically the strongest and is a cunning warrior in combat, relying as much on martial arts as on physical strength. With Tygra’s help, he builds all of the vehicles the ThunderCats use on Third Earth — including the ThunderTank, the Feliner and the ThunderClaw, ThunderStrike, and HoverCat. Panthro is a complex Thundercat. On the one hand he has great passion, love of family, and life. With an infectious laugh, accompanied by a good sense of humor. On the other hand, he is a stone cold warrior. He lives by the ThunderCats warrior code. Pride, excellence, and loyalty are a hallmark of what makes Panthro tick. Because of his passion he is known to lose his patience with other ThunderCats. On the field of battle, however, he is cool, calm and collected. Because of this, Panthro has gained respect both from friends and enemies alike. They respect the king, but fear the panther. In combat, he uses a pair of nunchaku
with open-away cat-paws, which house several chemical spray-compounds, and objects such as ball bearings, that he can use against foes. The spikes on his chest bands can be used like projectile weapons or as rappelling lines.
In the 2011 series, Panthro is one of Claudus' more loyal soldiers who was sent with his friend Grune to find the Book of Omens. Their attempted search resulted with Mumm-Ra's release and Grune betraying Panthro, who while fighting Grune fell down an abyss and seemingly was killed. However, Panthro survived and constructed the Thundertank which he later used to save Lion-O's group from Slythe's platoon. Though he questioned Lion-O's ability to lead, Panthro eventually accepted him as the new king. Unlike the rest of the Thundercats, he never learned how to swim. In "Between Brothers," Panthro duels with Grune when he and Slithe attack the Elephants' village against Mumm-Ra's orders. Panthro loses most of his arms while trapping Grune in the astral plane.
Panthro is renamed Pantro in the Spanish and German versions, Pantéro in the French version.
in the original series, Emmanuelle Chriqui
and Grey Delisle
(young) in the 2011 series) — A female warrior, based on the cheetah
, who is the only adult female ThunderCat (until the later appearance of Pumyra). She is as lovely as she is brave and caring. Often a voice of reason, she is also the bearer of a budding "sixth sense," detecting when something is unsafe or if evil is near. This precognitive sense, which Cheetara regards as a curse for the most part, also allows her to perceive visions — whether involuntary or by forcing herself — but can leave her very weak; she may require days to regain her strength. She has incredible speed, once clocked at 120 m.p.h. on a morning jog. She can maintain this speed only for brief periods, but with it, she is very fast in combat. Her weapon of choice is a bo staff that can grow or shrink to variable lengths. When not in use, it is attached to her left armband. As revealed in the comics, besides being the prettiest of the ThunderCats, Cheetara is by far the best swimmer among them; in fact, she alone doesn't mind getting wet from time to time ("...I'll never understand why the other Cats don't like the water..."). Cheetara has a romantic feeling for Tygra and in the end of the comic they become a couple (in several episodes of the TV-series they are a fighting team and they protect each other).
In the 2011 series, Cheetara was originally an orphan who wanted to join the Thunderan warrior clerics. Though she had the speed possessed by clerics, she lacked the patience needed and was initially turned down by Jaga. However, her determination convinced Jaga to allow her to join the order. In the aftermath of Thundera's downfall, Cheetara is the sole surviving member other than Jaga. Cheetara is also a counselor to Lion-O, since she never shuns him for his interest in technology and seem to support his kindness to other races that were mistreated. However, despite appearing to have feelings for Lion-O, Cheetara actually has them for Tygra for the kindness he showed to her the day she joined the clerics. In "Between brothers," she expresses her feelings to Tygra, and in the end she and Tygra become a couple, much to Lion-O's surprise.
Cheetara is re-named Chitara in the Spanish version, Geparda in the German version, Félibelle in the French version.
in original series, Madeleine Hall in the 2011 series) and WilyKat (voiced by Peter Newman
in original series, Eamon Pirruccello in the 2011 series) are twin siblings, Kat being the older brother and Kit as the younger sister, both based on the wildcat
; they are technically and jointly referred to by the others as "ThunderKittens," although technically they are older than Lion-O. They are the mischief-makers, and often have their own lessons to learn alongside Lion-O while they live on Third Earth, where they frequently use tricks and traps to combat evil. Kit is the more adventurous, while the older Kat usually errs on the side of caution. Kit also appears to be the more agile, and at times, she employs a rolling-attack against the enemy. Their agility is often displayed when they ride their "space boards" — specially designed flying devices shaped like Earth surfboards that can carry them over long distances. Each uses special capsules, balls and other gimmick weapons carried in pouches and on their belts. They sometimes use slingshots to fire these at the Mutants or other foes. They also carry trick lariats, with which they can either tangle and ensnare foes, or use to pull themselves out of danger. In the first episode, they appeared to be slightly older than Lion-O, but when they went into suspended animation, they did not age as far in their suspension capsules as Lion-O did in his.
In the 2011 version, younger in age, they are both street urchins
and lock-picking pickpockets with aspirations to find the lost city of El Dara
and become rich. When the Reptilians attack Thundera, the two manage to escape during the chaos before eventually teaming up with Lion-O on his journey. In this version, the WilyKit and WilyKat have tails, which none of the main adult ThunderCats possess, and visible external ears. It is revealed in "Into The Astral Plane" that like in the original series Wilykit and Wilykat possess gimmick weapons. WilyKit also possesses a special flute that she uses to play a soothing melody that their mother used to hum to the siblings when they had a home which has to ability to put anyone in a hypnotic trance and shatter boulders when in tune with the elaphant's trumpets.
WilyKit and WilyKat are re-named Felina y Felino in the Spanish version, and MiniKit und MiniKat in the German version.
about the final moments of the destruction of Thundera) that there are three more Thundereans living on Third Earth. They survived the cataclysm when rescued by a Ro-Bear Berbil scout ship piloted by two Berbils. The ship, damaged in the final explosion of the planet, made it to Third Earth landing on an unknown island somewhere in the northern sea.
After Mumm-Ra tries to capture them to use as bait to destroy the others, these three are rescued and brought back to the Cat’s Lair, where Lion-O anoints them as new ThunderCats. They initially come to live in Cat's Lair until after the arrival of the Lunataks where they are stationed at the Tower of Omens.
) — One of the two younger Thundereans among the trio, named after the bengal tiger
and resembling the white variant
. This warrior is a skilled blacksmith
like his father before him. This talent proves valuable after the Sword of Omens is once again broken. Fast and agile like Tygra, Ben-Gali is called "brother" by him, but it is unclear if they share a true familial bond or if the greeting is merely meant as a term of endearment (given that the new ThunderCats repeatedly call the originals "Nobles" while referring to themselves as "mere Thundereans," it seems unlikely that there is any family relationship between the two). Another possibility is that because they are both tigers, the Ben-Gal clan may be cousins to the Tygra clan, even though one is considered nobility while the other is not. In combat, Ben-Gali wields a weapon called the Hammer of Thundera. It can shoot energy blasts, and carries smoke pellets in its handle, to allow him to cause confusion and provide cover for withdrawal from a fight.
) — Another female Thunderean along with Cheetara and WilyKit. This young woman, based on the puma, is a talented healer and medic. She uses her knowledge of Thunderean medicine, combined with the wide range of medicinal supplies to be found on Third Earth, to help heal and cure her fellow ThunderCats. Her compassionate nature lends to offering an alternative perspective, solving problems or conflict without fighting by using compromise and understanding. Possibly the most agile ThunderCat next to the ThunderKittens, Pumyra employs an incredible leaping ability — often able to vault higher than even great jumpers like Tygra or the ThunderKittens. She was also shown to be able to move in short bursts of superspeed (while moving fast she resembled a flash of lightning darting from place to place).In combat, she uses a special whipcord, which resembles a "cat’s tail," that can launch special pellets and spheres like an ancient sling.
in the original series, Kevin Michael Richardson
in the 2011 version) — The oldest of the trio, based on the lynx
, Lynx-O was spared the sight of the destruction of their homeworld by a cruel twist of fate: a blast of intense heat and fire blinded him moments before he and his two younger companions were rescued, leaving his eyes red denoting blindness. Because of this injury, Lynx-O has had to adapt to survive on Third Earth, and has done so by honing his other senses to superhuman levels. His sense of touch, smell, taste and hearing are far above those of the other ThunderCats, and this affords him a type of "sixth sense," though it is not like the one Cheetara possesses. Though blind, Lynx-O is still a formidable fighter. His sense of touch allows him to find pressure points on a foe’s body to knock them off balance or stun them. He can also feel vibrations, which allow him to evade attacks and capture, and can use a Sonic Reflector as a weapon in combat. His greatest skill comes in utilizing a special "braille
board" — a device that allows him to translate information coming from sensor systems inside the Tower of Omens, enabling him to see into the gloom of Dark Side. This same device also allows him to pilot the Thunderstrike aircraft through the Valley of Mists when the ThunderCats need to find a way through to Dark Side.
In the 2011 series, Lynx-O is a general under Claudus and made a cameo as one of Thundera's lookout sentries.
in the 2011 series) — The previous Lord of the ThunderCats and Lion-O's father, Claudus ruled Thundera before its destruction. He lost his sight during a war he fought against the mutants of Plun-Darr. In the episode "Return to Thundera," Lion-O is transported back in time to Thundera the day before it was destroyed. He later rescued his father from past versions of Slithe and Vultureman, who were attempting to recover plans for a War-Bot that Claudus' spies had gotten their hands on. He then proceeded to give these plans to Lion-O who used them in the present to destroy the mutants' War-Bot. Believed to have died on Thundera while assisting the royal flagship in taking off, he was later found to have been captured by the Shadowmaster. Through a sequence of nightmares, Lion-O eventually learns from Jaga of his father's imprisonment in the Shadow Realm and is able to rescue him. Claudus is currently joining Jaga in the afterlife.
In the 2011 series, Claudus is a stern father to Lion-O (and adoptive father to Tygra). When Grune and Panthro had fought bravely to get promoted to general, Claudus told them that he has given the job to Lynx-O. He was the one who sent Panthro and Grune to find the Book of Omens. When Thundera is being attacked by the Reptilians, Claudus is murdered by Mumm-Ra (who had assumed Panthro's form). Lion-O, Cheetara, and Tygra later hold a funeral pyre for him after escaping with the Sword of Omens.
that keeps the planet intact. She uses the powers of levitation, teleportation, and psychokinesis to perform her tasks, and to defend the gyroscope from attackers. It is noted by Jaga (no relation) that she has been acting in this capacity for countless years.
Snarfs are the only creatures in the universe incapable of evil (except while possessed), although in episode 105, Snarf becomes corrupt with the power to control the other Thundercats. Quick and clever, a Snarf is a loyal friend, though their small size often makes them a target for Mutants or other evil creatures. The Snarfs have proved to be valuable allies to the ThunderCats in times of peril. Though their fighting skills are more than wanting, the Snarfs have an inherent invulnerability/resistance to many (but not all) forms of magic and mind-control. This ability has enabled the Snarfs to save the other ThunderCats on several occasions. Snarfs are known to end their sentences with the squeaking exclamation for which they are named - "snarf, snarf!"
in the original series, Satomi Kōrogi in the 2011 series) — An elder Snarf, properly known by his name Osbert, which he hates, Snarf served as a nursemaid and protector
for Lion-O when he was a boy. After Lion-O grew up, Snarf found that often Lion-O didn’t want to have him "mothering" or protecting him. Still, Snarf has remained loyal to Lion-O and the other ThunderCats. At times, he does come through in a pinch with an idea and takes action when it is needed. Despite his age, he does keep up with the others. Even though not a fighter by skill or nature, Snarf is very agile (he boasts he can outplay anyone at tailbail or kick-the-bucket). He also can communicate with other animals on Third Earth to enlist their help in his tasks, and once even tricked the Ancient spirits of evil into giving him a power up to become Snarf-Ra.
In the 2011 version, Snarf is more of a pet
to Lion-O and does not speak English but can make animal sounds (though it seems Lion-O can still understand him). In later episodes, he goes "Snarf".
) — Young and excitable, Snarfer is Snarf’s young nephew. He was thought lost when Thundera exploded, but was one of the surviving Snarfs that made it to the Planet of Snarfs. Slightly more aggressive than his uncle, Snarfer is a keen mechanic and pilot in his own right, having been educated at "Snarf College" while majoring in Snarf-Studies (Snarf once said he was a "college boy"). He does tend to babble when over-excited, but at times he can be just as level-headed as Tygra. Though smaller than Snarf, he doesn’t let that get in his way when he wants to help friends. It was through him that the ThunderCats learned that Snarf's real name was Osbert.
s from the planet Ro-Bear. Because their homeworld is so tiny, they must form other colonies on distant worlds to survive. Small and harmless-looking, the Berbils are steadfast, hardy workers and skilled farmers, cooks and craftsmen. It was thanks to them that Tygra was able to build Cat’s Lair — and later the Tower of Omens — so quickly. Apparently, the Robear Berbils are Cybernetic organisms
, as they are able to eat and digest organic food. Robear Bill (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker
in the 2011 series) and Robear Belle are the leaders of the nearby Robear Berbil village, these robot-bears are the first to befriend the ThunderCats and often supply information about local places, people and phenomena on Third Earth. Through their fields and forests of Fruit Trees, they are also able to provide the Thundereans with new foodstuffs. When they were first encountered, the ThunderCats protected their Candy Fruit crops from the Trollogs and the Giantors.
It was revealed that two Ro-Bear Berbils had saved Lynx-O, Bengali, and Pumyra from the destruction of Thundera. Their ship was damaged upon evading the explosion of Thundera and landed on an island on Third Earth since it didn't have any more power to get back to the Berbil Village. The two Berbils alongside the other three ThunderCats ends up landing on an uninhabited island where they lived until they were caught by Hammerhand and his pirates. The two Berbils were later rescued by the ThunderCats and assumed to have been reunited with the other Berbils.
In the 2011 series, the Berbils are shown to be more bear-like and have an ability to roll up into a wheel. The Berbils made themselves known to the ThunderCats when they helped to repair the Thunder Tank and give them food. Panthro was against their cute appearance first until it came to repairing Ro-Bear-Bill following an attack by the Conquedor (who had been abducting Berbils and selling them as slaves). The ThunderCats managed to help the Berbils drive away the Conquedor along with his Trollog and Giantor customers.
who live in the forests of what is called the Tree-Top Kingdom. They are fierce fighters and very territorial. At first distrustful of the ThunderCats — whom they view as aliens — the Warrior Maidens soon treat them as friends. Often, Nayda and Willa are the two that have the most contact with the ThunderCats.
who pilots a spaceship resembling a circus train, Captain Bragg traveled to Third Earth with his talking pet crow
Crownan and befriended Wilykat. Part huckster and part showman, Bragg uses his showmanship to capture both the Mutants and the Lunataks when they were transported to him by the Ancient Spirits of Evil following Mumm-Ra's failure in an ultimatum battle against Lion-O. Although a bit bumbling in nature, Bragg becomes an ally of the Thundercats, and calls upon their assistance in subsequent appearances. On one occasion, he even attempts to flirt with Mandora the Evil-Chaser without much success.
) is one of Third Earth’s great thinkers, scientist
s and gentlemen. He is the chief protector of the Great Oceanic Plug (a massive engineering project built to seal a crack in the ocean floor to prevent the planet's oceans from flooding its core). He is a small man but very chivalrous, and a skilled pilot of Hercules (aka "Herky"), a giant frog
-shaped robot used to guard the sea floor.
) is a samurai
warrior
and master swordsman from Ancient Japan
. Summoned to Third Earth by Mumm-Ra, he was tricked into fighting Lion-O, but thanks to his code of Bushido
, he became an ally to the ThunderCats and the Warrior Maidens of the Tree-Top Kingdom. He wields a sword known as “The Thunder-Cutter,” a katana
-blade that, with his skill, can cut through solid stone. Hachiman has saved the lives of various ThunderCats on multiple occasions. Hachiman maintains a friendship with Lion-O after they first join forces, but during the race to rescue Pumyra, Ben-Gali, and Lynx-O during ThunderCats- HO!, he is again briefly tricked into attacking the ThunderCats- specifically Lion-O by Mumm-Ra. However he eventually realizes that he has again been deceived and sides with the ThunderCats once more. In his final appearance, Hachiman is shown to be living on his own planet, which resembles ancient Japan.
) is an intergalactic police officer
, who works in conjunction with a series of law enforcers to protect the peaceful people of the galaxy. She works in part to run the Great Penal Planet — which houses some of the galaxy’s nastiest criminals — and routinely comes to Third Earth as part of her patrols. When one of these criminals, a robotic pickpocket named Quick Pick, helps her and Lion-O against Captain Cracker, she makes him an Evil Chaser assistant. She travels on a specially equipped hoverbike — called the Electro-Charger — and uses a weapon called the “enzyme catalyzer” (a spray gun that uses a chemical — "a closely guarded secret, once called soap").
) is a yeti
-like chivalrous knight
, who rules over the Kingdom of the Snowmen on the frigid heights of Hook Mountain. He once tried to fight Lion-O for possession of a meteor that fell onto the slopes of his mountain kingdom, but they became friends after Lion-O rescued him from a Mutant attack. He can craft weapons out of ice, seemingly at will, and fights mounted on a great snow cat named Snowmeow.
) is the leader of the walrus
-like Tuska Warriors who live near the source of the river that serves as Third Earth’s natural water supply. Very skilled as a warrior and leader, Turmagar is also a crafty pilot who flies the Gomplin, a vehicle/creature hybrid resembling a dragon. It is Turmagar whom often helps the ThunderCats with air support before they crafted their own air-vehicles; it is worth noting that the Tuska Warriors are among the few factions in the series to employ firearms, as opposed to melee weapons and/or bows and arrows.
from Ancient Egypt
, banished to an alternate dimension after he lost a battle to Mumm-Ra. His helmet has the ability of mind-control and is sought by Mumm-Ra after it is discovered that the wall of the Seventh Dimension is weak enough (after 7,000 years) for him to appear in Cheetara’s bedchamber. He aids the ThunderCats after they help him to recover his helmet, and then is forced to return to his dimension prison, though not before promising Cheetara they would meet again in her dreams.
who encounters Snarf as he was trying to bring the damaged pieces of the Sword of Omens back to Bengali. Char wants the sword for himself but Snarf tricks him into repairing it, which causes the sword to mystically return to Lion-O. Char later apologizes for his actions and becomes an ally of the Thundercats. In a later episode, Char and the Thunderkittens Wilykit and Wilykat fall under the evil influence of an evil golden orb which in reality is Mumm-Ra's lost Sphere of Setti.
whom the ThunderCats enlist to assist Jagara in the repair of the Gyroscope. Mumm-Ra replaces Screwloose's brain module with one of his own creation, causing the robot to alternate between good and evil behavior. After he tries to destroy the gyroscope and kill Jagara, Lion-O uses the Sword of Omens to restore Screwloose. During the ensuing battle with Mumm-Ra, Screwloose actually defeats him by taking the Sword of Plun-Darr. In the end, Screwloose remains behind on New Thundera to help Jagara maintain the gyroscope.
in the original series, Robin Atkin Downes
in the 2011 series) - The chief villain and antagonist of the ThunderCats, the demon-sorcerer Mumm-Ra is the self-proclaimed "ever-living source of evil" on Third Earth, having powers of sorcery and an apparently unlimited lifespan. He is, in fact, a servant to the Ancient Spirits of Evil (represented by four anthropomorphic statues of a boar, crocodile, vulture, and ox thus resembling oversized, twisted mockeries of Egyptian canopic jars, within the burial chamber of his pyramid), who provide him with increased power and virtual immortality to further his pursuit of spreading their dark influence throughout Third Earth.
Residing within the Black Pyramid amid the ruins of what appears to be an ancient Egypt
ian civilization, Mumm-Ra exists in a decayed, weakened form that must return to a stone sarcophagus to replenish his energy. He can summon the power to transform himself into a more vigorous and muscular form - Mumm-Ra, the Ever-Living - by reciting the incantation: "Ancient spirits of evil, transform this decayed form to Mumm-Ra, the Ever-Living!". While in this form, Mumm-Ra possesses fortification of his mystical might — casting spells, throwing energy bolts, etc. — to battle his foes. He can also alter his physical form into a variety of alter-egos to deceive his enemies.
Seemingly invincible in whatever form he chooses, Mumm-Ra appears to have a singular weakness: seeing his own hideous reflection neutralizes his ability to remain outside the Black Pyramid and forces him to withdraw there in his emaciated mummy form. However, at the beginning of the second season, the Ancient Spirits of Evil revoked this shortcoming. Mumm-Ra is a master of deception, and will use whatever means necessary to fight against the forces of good. In later episodes, while endowing Mumm-Ra with his powers, the statues of the Ancient Spirits of Evil came down from their perches to extend their arms over him.
He uses his magic to create disguises and deceive the ThunderCats on various occasions. Among these are: Diamondfly (in the episode "Queen of Eight Legs"), Gregory Gregion ("All That Glitters"), Silky ("The Garden of Delights"), The Netherwitch ("The Astral Prison"), and Pumm-Ra (in the episode "Pumm-Ra"). He once took the form of King Arthur
to acquire the legendary magic sword Excalibur
, using it against the Sword of Omens.
In a few episodes, Mumm-Ra has an even more powerful form beyond "Mumm-Ra the Ever-Living" called "Mumm-Ra the All-Powerful". In this manifestation, Mumm-Ra absorbs the entire power of the Ancient Spirits of Evil to become grander in size and strength, and the design pattern on his loin cloth changes, as does his voice. This form is only presented in the series three times. In another incarnation, calling himself "Mumm-Ra the Dream Master," he is able to enter dreams to subliminally influence the ThunderCats in their sleep as a form of mind control.
Mumm-Ra is regarded as immortal, and when defeated, he simply returns to his sarcophagus. Mumm-Ra cannot be truly killed; even in cases where his body is destroyed, he will eventually be restored, as he often states: "Wherever evil exists, Mumm-Ra lives!"
Later, Mumm-Ra is shown to have a blue undead
, bulldog
-like companion named Ma-Mutt, capable of flight and supernatural feats of strength and speed. He is generally evil, though some episodes depict him as having sympathetic qualities.
In later episodes, when the Ancient Spirits of Evil were increasingly disappointed with Mumm-Ra's repeated failures, they demanded he destroy the ThunderCats or else he, the Mutants, and the Lunataks would be forcefully removed. They make Ma-Mutt disappear as an example. When Mumm-Ra fails, the Ancient Spirits of Evil trap him in a crystal with his transport pyramid and cast him away from Third Earth. When the ThunderCats decide to colonize New Thundera to rebuild it, the Ancient Spirits of Evil free Mumm-Ra and rebuild his cauldron on Third Earth.
In one episode, it was said that Mumm-Ra once owned the Sphere of Setti which increased his power. When he managed to recover it after it was found by Char, he planned to use it to increase his power. Unfortunately, the Ancient Spirits of Evil wouldn't allow it.
An absolute master of magic, Mumm-Ra possesses nearly unlimited knowledge of, and experience with, numerous mystical arts from all corners of the universe. He has such mystic talents as flight by self-levitation, necromancy
, alchemy
, transmogrification, temporal manipulation
, teleportation
, telekinesis, mind control
, astral projection
, scrying
and energy blasts.
While in the form of Mumm-Ra the Ever-Living, he becomes a conduit for the Ancient Spirits of Evil; such that he can amplify his aforementioned abilities to a nearly cosmic scale, gain superhuman strength, as well as retain his undead status despite the passage of time or any injuries sustained. The price of this power, however, is extremely limited stamina: once Mumm-Ra the Ever-Living has surpassed a given threshold, he must revert back to his mummified form and enter his sarcophagus to rejuvenate himself. Also, Mumm-Ra's power in his Ever-Living form is directly linked to the condition of both his sarcophagus and the Ancient Spirits' four statues within his pyramid. Should any of them be harmed or destroyed, his power weakens immediately and considerably.
However, Wahankh's real aim was to overthrow the royal power of his pharaoh in a coup d'état, and become the ruler of the land. To achieve his goal, he invoked the presence of the Ancient Spirits of Evil for the first time by using four magical runes, representing each one the four evil beings. Once the spirits appeared, he requested a small part of their power in order to defeat the powerful pharaoh’s army. In exchange, he would rule all Egypt in their name as a humble servant. The Ancient Spirits agreed to help him and Wahankh was invested with evil powers, becoming an immortal sorcerer in their service, while his entire body mutated into a cadaverous grey form. Finally, a new name was given to him: Mumm-Ra.
Knowing about this betrayal, the pharaoh immediately faced the monstrous and grotesque being. Trusting his new powers, Mumm-Ra ordered the pharaoh to bow down and proclaimed himself the new master of the realm. Nonetheless, the pharaoh’s son confronted him and quickly managed to outmaneuver Mumm-Ra in battle, defeating him.
Without being aware that Mumm-Ra was actually immortal, the pharaoh spared him the fate of dying at the stake for his treachery. Considering all his years of service, the pharaoh instead granted him a merciful, religious death being locked as a mummy in an onyx pyramid’s giant burial chamber. The pharaoh's son, knowing about Mumm-Ra's neverending life, took joy in imprisoning him for (seemingly) all eternity. In the darkness, Mumm-Ra begged for the help of the Ancient Spirits once again, but they denied it due to his incompetence in using those powers they had previously granted him. Instead, they ordered him to build four large statues on the chamber to praise them, a task that would take at least 600 years to be accomplished. Only then they would grant him the power to break free by turning into an eternal and overwhelming warrior, capable of defeating any pharaoh. Before the TV series storyline, at some point he fulfilled the work, receiving the ability to become Mumm-Ra, the Ever-Living.
) are four dark spirits summoned by Mumm-Ra. They are the source of Mumm-Ra's powers and they are his masters. They talk to him through the cauldron and the giant statues of the Boar King, Vulture
King, Crocodile
King, and Bull
King. The Ancient Spirits of Evil would provide Mumm-Ra with whatever knowledge they can give him.
When the Ancient Spirits of Evil were getting disappointed with Mumm-Ra's repeated failures, they demand that he destroys the ThunderCats or else he, the Mutants, and the Lunataks will be forcefully removed where they make Ma-Mutt disappear as an example. When Mumm-Ra fails the deadline, the Ancient Spirits of Evil trap Mumm-Ra in a crystal with his transport pyramid and cast him away from Third Earth. When the ThunderCats decide to colonize New Thundera to rebuild it, the Ancient Spirits of Evil free Mumm-Ra and rebuild his cauldron on Third Earth. Since then, they would summon one of their minions to help Mumm-Ra in his plots to destroy the ThunderCats.
In one episode, the Ancient Spirits of Evil wouldn't allow Mumm-Ra to use the Sphere of Setti to help increase his power with the second time having them threaten to deny Mumm-Ra access back into his pyramid unless he surrendered the Sphere of Setti to them.
In the 2011 version, Mumm-Ra has a more in depth origin story.
Not content to see the Thunderians lose their homeworld, the Mutants chased after the survivors, using their spaceships to devastate the Thunderian fleet and seeming to destroy the majority of the doomed planet's escaping populace. They then boarded the flagship (which carried the ThunderCat nobles, Jaga the Wise, and the young Lion-O) in attempting to capture the Eye of Thundera. They were repelled and retreated to later relocate the crashed flagship on Third Earth.
It was here that Mumm-Ra’s power grounded the Mutant ship, and they were forced to follow his demands once he sank their vessel beneath the desert sands. Though they exhibited an extraordinary incompetence that was characteristic of most cartoon villains, the Mutants managed to construct their own fortress, which they called Castle Plun-Darr after their homeworld, and salvage equipment from their downed spaceship to build weapons and vehicles that they could use on Third Earth (e.g., the Skycutters, the Nosediver, etc.). There was an inconsistency on how many mutants were actually on Third Earth, with some episodes there being a small army guarding castle Plun-Darr, but in most episodes only Slythe, Monkian, Jackalman and Vultureman are seen.
In the 2011 series, they referred to "Animals", their surviving ancestors brought to Third Earth after aiding the ThunderCats in defeating Mumm-Ra. However, the animals were ultimately outmatched by the ThunderCats until the Lizards managed to salvage lost technology and ransacked Thundera with help from Mumm-Ra and Grune. Besides the Lizards, Jackals, and Monkeys, among the animal types presented in the reboot are the peaceful Elephants, humanoid vultures, the aquatic TigerSharks
, and Mon*Star from SilverHawks
.
in the 1985 series, Dee Bradley Baker
in the 2011 series) is the brutish leader of the Reptilians (referred to as Lizards in 2011 series), a race of Bipedal lizard men. Although he lacks sophistication, his intuitive cunning is considerable. Domineering and impatient, Slithe often must browbeat the other Mutants into going along with his plans. Unlike Jackalman and Monkian (whose appearances are identical to other mutants of their kind), Slithe stands out from other Reptilians because of his ears and broader build. He pilots the Nosediver. Slithe served as Rataro's cook earlier in his career, and he retains a discriminating palate.
In the 2011 series, through a descendant of the Lizards that were enslaved by him, Slithe serves Mumm-Ra in order for his kind to take revenge on the Thundercats for generations of persecution. Succeeding in ransacking Thundera, Slithe pursues Lion-O's group before overseeing the search for the Book of Omens. Among his notable followers in the reboot are the chameleon
-like Komi (voiced by James Arnold Taylor
), the scout lieutenant Kask (voiced by Patrick Cavanaugh
), and the scout Sauro (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson
). In "Legacy," it was revealed that a Lizard named Rezard (voiced by Rob Paulsen
) assisted Leo and Panthera into overthrowing Mumm-Ra.
He was renamed "Reptílio" in the Spanish version.
) is a shifty no-good eavesdropper who is the excitable leader of the Simians (referred to as Monkeys in the 2011 series), a race of Ape
men. He often plays the role of scout for the Mutants, and is frequently the first to run from danger. Monkian typically uses his flail and projectile-firing shield when in combat. He pilots one of the Skycutters.
He was renamed "Mandrilo" in the Spanish version.
) is a cautious and distrustful coward who leads the Jackalmen (referred to as Jackals in 2011 series), a race of canine humanoids. Though he is one to take any advantage presented to him, Jackalman often sides with Slythe to keep from being the scapegoat when plans fail. He also pilots a Skycutter.
Although Jackalman hasn't appeared in the 2011 series yet, his kind was seen in the episode "Legacy." During that time, a Jackal named Shen (voiced by Rob Paulsen
) assisted Leo and Panthera into overthrowing Mumm-Ra.
He was renamed "Chacalo" in the Spanish version.
) is a crafty, vulture
-like opportunist who serves as chief inventor and mechanical know-it-all for the Mutants. His skills with both machines and science make him frequently indispensable, but he is more often than not blamed when his devices or machines fail to live up to Slithe’s expectations (in one episode, he grew tired of this and activated a hidden self-destruct mechanism in every single machine and vehicle the Mutants used, telling them that if his work was really so bad, then "See how you do without them!"). As befits a scientist, Vultureman is inquisitive and open-minded, frequently leaving him odd-man-out among his more barbaric peers. Much later, he decides to work for his own gains, and he often strikes solo deals with Mumm-Ra. He pilots a vulture-styled Flying Machine, carries a crossbow-shaped weapon, and later commands weapons like the Mutank and Thundrainium Cannon. Unlike the other mutants, Vultureman was not introduced in the opening episode of the series, but a flashback reveals him working with Slithe years earlier.
He was renamed "Buítro" in the Spanish version.
) is a rat
-like general in the Mutant armies, this portly rodent is considered the most cunning and evil of all the Mutants. He comes to Third Earth at the behest of the Vultureman to aid them in defeating the ThunderCats. His flagship, the Ratstar, is a powerful war machine, and though it crashes, Ratar-O salvages parts to make a Mutank to continue the fight. He is strong, and wields the Rat's Eye (a pair of kris-style daggers which have two mystical gems embedded in their hilts) that he can use to fire energy blasts, levitate foes and even fly through the air. Ratar-O resembles Ratilla the Terrible (the former holder of the Sword of Plun-Darr), but it is unknown if they share a family relation.
-like pirates
first appeared pillaging the northern shores of the Unicorn Forest (in the episode The Terror of Hammerhand). They have a habit of repeating certain words or phrases three times. The original Berserkers resembled vikings and were apparently all killed when their ship was sank, but Hammerhand was later mystically resurrected by Mumm-Ra, who summoned up his spirit to animate a clone of Panthro which he had created. When the plan failed, Hammerhand's spirit broke Mumm-Ra's control, and the clone body shifted into Hammerhand's original form before departing. When he next appeared, in the Season 2 mini-series, "ThunderCats-Ho!", Hammerhand had reformed the Berserkers with new members endowed with cybernetic bodies and powers like his own. The Berserkers are:
in the original series, Clancy Brown
in the 2011 series) — An anthropomorphized saber-toothed tiger
in appearance, this former ThunderCat noble was once a good friend to Jaga the Wise on Thundera. However, his lust for power and greed turned him renegade against his fellow ThunderCats, forcing Jaga to fight him in a titanic battle that lasted for days. Grune was defeated by Jaga, then banished and sent into exile in space. He wields a mace
and possess immense superhuman strength. Eventually his spacecraft landed on Third Earth and he began terrorizing its natives until, many years later, he was defeated (by unknown means) and sealed away inside a tomb (which was covered with a stone slab and a tree to prevent others from opening it). At some point, Grune lost one of his fangs. A tablet held the seal in place, until centuries later, a pair of Bolkens accidentally released his spirit. Once freed, the ghost of Grune seeks out the ThunderCats, attacking them to draw out Jaga, whose spirit ultimately defeats him using both Lion-O’s strength and the Eye of Thundera. However, Grune would return later when summoned by Mumm-Ra to stop Jaga’s spirit from obtaining the Star of Thundera (which was needed to help free three more Thundereans — Pumyra, Ben-Gali and Lynx-O — from the Mutant prisons at Fire-Rock Mountain). When the ThunderCats return to New Thundera, Grune is resurrected by Mumm-Ra. Grune initially succeeds in defeating Lion-O, breaking the Sword of Omens and chaining Lion-O and Cheetara up on the Churning Rocks. However, Snarf gathers the pieces of the sword and while attempting to take them to Ben-Gali for repair, he is captured by Char, who repairs the sword and makes it even more powerful, wanting to keep it for himself. Sensing the sword is repaired, Lion-O calls for it and uses it to free himself and Cheetara. Grune attempts to defeat Lion-O, but fails and is banished back to Third Earth when Lion-O activated the ThunderCat signal.
In the 2011 series, Grune is one of Claudus' trusted generals who was best friends with Panthro in the past while confiding in him his desire to rise up the ranks. During one of their missions, Grune ripped his sabertooth off to save Panthro from Spidera. When Grune and Panthro sparred to prove themselves to get a promotion from Claudus, the rank of general was given to Lynx-O by Claudus as he assigns Grune and Panthro to find the Book of Omens. Grune felt betrayed and drove himself mad by his paranoia. Eventually, his jealousy towards the king was used by Mumm-Ra to convince Grune to become his follower and serve a key role in Thundera's downfall. However, Grune also intended to betray Mumm-Ra in the long run prior to leading the attack on the Elephants' village to obtain the spirit stone there, resulting with Grune sucked into the Astral Plane.
ThunderCats
ThunderCats is an American animated television series that was produced by Rankin/Bass Productions debuting in 1984, based on the characters created by Tobin "Ted" Wolf. The series follows the adventures of a group of cat-like humanoid aliens...
, its 2011 reboot
ThunderCats (2011 TV series)
ThunderCats is an American animated television series executive produced by Sam Register, and produced by Ethan Spaulding and Michael Jelenic and is a reboot of the original series by Tobin "Ted" Wolf. It is produced by Warner Bros. Animation with animation provided by the Japanese Studio 4°C.The...
, and its related media.
Jaga
Jaga (voiced by Earl Hammond in the original series, Corey Burton in the 2011 series) Known as "Jaga the Wise", based on the jaguarJaguar
The jaguar is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Southern United States and Mexico...
, this elder warrior was once regarded as the greatest of all ThunderCats. An adviser and protector of the Lord’s family, Jaga wielded the Sword of Omens and was a formidable fighter in combat. It was Jaga who gathered the nobles of the ThunderCats to escort Lion-O and the Eye of Thundera to safety, but did not survive the trip to Third Earth as he volunteered to pilot the damaged ship while the others slept. Jaga died of old age. However, Jaga does reappear on Third Earth as a spirit (seen only by Lion-O at first) to guide him in his lessons and adventures. At times, he appears before the other ThunderCats as well such as when facing down Grune the Destroyer and when the ThunderCats need to rescue their fellow Thundereans. Jaga's physical body does reappear at one point during the original series in the episode "The Astral Prison" where he was trapped in another dimension, prompting Lion-O to travel there to rescue him from being held captive by an evil inhabitant of said dimension. His fate as a physical living entity after this was never revealed, but his spirit form continued to appear throughout the series.
In the 2011 series, the character serves as head of Thundera's cleric warriors before remaining behind to ensure Lion-O and his group escape. He is later revealed to be alive and being tortured into revealing the location of the Book of Omens to Mumm-Ra, though doing his best to resist the villain's magic when sealed within a lantern, eventually his much of his freewill wavers along with his physical form. Though Jaga destroys the lantern that was keeping his soul intact to save Lion-O from Mumm-Ra, his soul took residence within the Book of Omens and becomes Lion-O's guide within it. In addition to his knowledge of ancient secrets, this incarnation of Jaga is able to move at superhuman speed, an ability shared by all the cleric warriors, and is also shown projecting lightning from his staff.
Lion-O
Lion-O (voiced by Larry KenneyLarry Kenney
Larry Kenney is an American radio personality and voice actor.In 1963, Kenney began his radio career at the age of 15 as a disc jockey at WIRL in Peoria. After WIRL, he worked at WOWO, Ft...
in the original series, Will Friedle
Will Friedle
William Alan "Will" Friedle is an American actor, voice actor and comedian. He is best known for his comedic roles, most notably the underachieving elder brother Eric Matthews on the long-running TV sitcom Boy Meets World from 1993 to 2000...
in the 2011 series) — The leader, and the hereditary "Lord of the ThunderCats." Lion-O, based on the lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
, wields the legendary Sword of Omens, which is able to fire bolts of energy and allows Lion-O to see across great distances with its power of "Sight Beyond Sight", as well as the Claw Shield, a gauntlet that launches grappling lines from its claws. A mere child of twelve years old at the time of Thundera's destruction, Lion-O aged to adulthood during the trip to Third Earth when his suspension capsule failed to prevent him from aging too much. Although cunning and skillful, he is truly a child in a man's body, and throughout the series, must learn what it takes to become a true leader and gain true maturity.
In the latter half of the show's first season, Lion-O has to put all that he has learned to use in the "Anointment Trials," which consist of contests of strength, speed, cunning, and intelligence (this last is referred to as "mind-power" in the story arc) against each of the other ThunderCats (complicating matters for Lion-O is the fact that he is required to be unarmed for the contests; moreover, the other ThunderCats are not permitted to assist him. The Mutants attempt—ultimately without success—to take advantage of this last in an effort to leave the ThunderCats leaderless). Ultimately triumphing over Mumm-Ra in a final battle ("The Trial Of Evil") in the heart of the villain's pyramid in which he discovers that Mumm-Ra, like any Egyptian mummy, is dependent upon his sarcophagus
Sarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...
, Lion-O is crowned the true Lord of the ThunderCats in an august ceremony attended by nearly every inhabitant of Third Earth. Lion-O also has the ability as Lord of the ThunderCats to command all cats, as he demonstrated in his battle with the Snowman of Hook Mountain when he commanded Snowmeow to halt. He also has romantic feelings for a human intergalactic police officer called Mandora.
In the 2011 version, Lion-O is a teenager instead of being a boy inside an adult body. He is the only one at the beginning who believes that technology and Mumm-Ra exist. His catchphrase is "Whiskers!" whenever he finds himself in a bad situation. In "Legacy," it is revealed that Lion-O had an ancestor named Leo who played a part in the defeat of Mumm-Ra. Lion-O's weapons: Sword of Omens and Claw Shield. In the episodes "The Forest of Magi Oar" and "Into the Astral Plane", it is shown that Lion-O had feelings for Cheetara until she finally expresses her feelings to Tygra in the following episode.
Lion-O is re-named León-O in the Spanish version, Leo in the German version, Starlion in the French version.
Tygra
Tygra (voiced by Peter NewmanPeter Newman (actor)
Peter Newman is famous for his voice work for Rankin/Bass. In ThunderCats he provided the voices of Tygra, Wilykat, Bengali, and Monkian. In SilverHawks he provided the voices of Quicksilver, Mumbo Jumbo, and Timestopper. He also played the evil Duke of Zill & Wack Lizardi in Felix the Cat: The...
in the original series, Matthew Mercer
Matthew Mercer
Matthew Mercer is an American voice actor, script writer, and independent film maker.-Biography:...
in the 2011 series) — A staunch, level-headed warrior based on the tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
, Tygra is known as the ThunderCat architect and scientist. He is the one Lion-O often turns to as second-in-command and for counsel. He is responsible for the design of all of the ThunderCat structures on Third Earth — the Cat’s Lair and the Tower of Omens. He is also gifted with "mind-power" — the ability to create life-like illusions in other people’s minds; he used this for Lion-O’s Anointment Trial, but it puts a great strain on him. He uses a whip-like bolas
Bolas
Bolas are a throwing weapon superficially similar to the surujin, made of weights on the ends of interconnected cords, designed to capture animals by entangling their legs...
in combat, with which he can render himself invisible to the naked eye. In the episode "All That Glitters," Lion-O instructs Tygra, "If I do not return, you will be the new Lord of the ThunderCats." This verifies that indeed, Tygra is the second-in-command. Tygra's weakness is that he is not able to swim when not invisible; also, Tygra has shown to be easily influenced by external stimuli more than any other ThunderCat ("The Garden of Delights", "Turgamar the Tuska" and "Crystal Canyon"); he also claimed to be shy when being a kid. Patient, analytic and calm, Tygra is the most quiet ThunderCat, and usually considers every part of the problem before making a decision. Where creators Ted Wolf and Leonard Starr
Leonard Starr
Leonard Starr is a Golden Age comic book artist, an advertising artist and award-winning cartoonist, notable for creating the newspaper strip On Stage and reviving Little Orphan Annie.-Early life:...
described Panthro's character as being based on "strength" and Cheetara's character as being based on "speed," Tygra's character was described as being based on "integrity." In the comic, Tygra has romantic feelings for Cheetara (after the TV-series, in comics clarify his relationship with Cheetara).
In the 2011 series, the character is the adoptive older brother of Lion-O, with a kind heart and a sarcastic comic vein. Though unable to succeed his foster father due to having the wrong "bloodline," Tygra was the more favored son. As a result, he and Lion-O were at constant odds with the former always questioning the latter's decisions as the new Lord of the ThunderCats. Furthermore, Tygra fell in love with Cheetara when they first met as children in the past, although he believed she never returned his feelings for her. Her apparent relationship with Lion-O gave him another reason to bare a grudge on his brother regardless of his loyality. In the episode "Between Brothers," he finally settles his rivalry with Lion-O, and Cheetara confesses her feelings for him and in the end Cheetara and Tygra become a couple. This gives Lion-o the thought that Tygra has betrayed him, for Cheetara was supposed to be his.
Tygra is re-named Tigro in the Spanish, German and French versions.
Panthro
Panthro (voiced by Earle HymanEarle Hyman
Earle Hyman is an American stage, television, and film actor. Hyman is known for his recurring role on The Cosby Show as Cliff's father, Russell Huxtable.-Career:...
in the original series, Kevin Michael Richardson
Kevin Michael Richardson
Kevin Michael Richardson is an American actor and voice actor who currently stars as Cleveland Brown, Jr. in The Cleveland Show...
in the 2011 series) — The next noble and greatest warrior after Jaga, and based on the panther
Black panther
A black panther is typically a melanistic color variant of any of several species of larger cat. Wild black panthers in Latin America are black jaguars , in Asia and Africa they are black leopards , and in North America they may be black jaguars or possibly black cougars A black panther is...
. Even though a warrior in all forms of ThunderCats martial arts fighting, Panthro has a brilliant mind, which he uses as the chief mechanic/engineer and pilot for the ThunderCats. He is also physically the strongest and is a cunning warrior in combat, relying as much on martial arts as on physical strength. With Tygra’s help, he builds all of the vehicles the ThunderCats use on Third Earth — including the ThunderTank, the Feliner and the ThunderClaw, ThunderStrike, and HoverCat. Panthro is a complex Thundercat. On the one hand he has great passion, love of family, and life. With an infectious laugh, accompanied by a good sense of humor. On the other hand, he is a stone cold warrior. He lives by the ThunderCats warrior code. Pride, excellence, and loyalty are a hallmark of what makes Panthro tick. Because of his passion he is known to lose his patience with other ThunderCats. On the field of battle, however, he is cool, calm and collected. Because of this, Panthro has gained respect both from friends and enemies alike. They respect the king, but fear the panther. In combat, he uses a pair of nunchaku
Nunchaku
is a traditional Okinawan weapon consisting of two sticks connected at their ends with a short chain or rope.-Etymology:The Japanese word nunchaku is the Kun'yomi reading of the Kanji term for a traditional Chinese two section staff....
with open-away cat-paws, which house several chemical spray-compounds, and objects such as ball bearings, that he can use against foes. The spikes on his chest bands can be used like projectile weapons or as rappelling lines.
In the 2011 series, Panthro is one of Claudus' more loyal soldiers who was sent with his friend Grune to find the Book of Omens. Their attempted search resulted with Mumm-Ra's release and Grune betraying Panthro, who while fighting Grune fell down an abyss and seemingly was killed. However, Panthro survived and constructed the Thundertank which he later used to save Lion-O's group from Slythe's platoon. Though he questioned Lion-O's ability to lead, Panthro eventually accepted him as the new king. Unlike the rest of the Thundercats, he never learned how to swim. In "Between Brothers," Panthro duels with Grune when he and Slithe attack the Elephants' village against Mumm-Ra's orders. Panthro loses most of his arms while trapping Grune in the astral plane.
Panthro is renamed Pantro in the Spanish and German versions, Pantéro in the French version.
Cheetara
Cheetara (voiced by Lynne LiptonLynne Lipton
Lynne Lipton is an American film, stage, television and voice actress.She is best remembered for providing most of the voices of the female characters on the popular 1980s animated series ThunderCats. She voiced Luna of the Lunatacs, Willa...
in the original series, Emmanuelle Chriqui
Emmanuelle Chriqui
Emmanuelle Sophie Anne Chriqui is a Canadian film and television actress. She is perhaps best known for her role on HBO's Entourage as Sloan McQuewick, as well as the love interest of Adam Sandler in the movie You Don't Mess with the Zohan...
and Grey Delisle
Grey DeLisle
Grey DeLisle is an American voice actress, singer-songwriter, and comedienne. To date, she has released four solo albums and has featured on the tribute album Anchored in Love: A Tribute to June Carter Cash and film soundtrack of Loggerheads...
(young) in the 2011 series) — A female warrior, based on the cheetah
Cheetah
The cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...
, who is the only adult female ThunderCat (until the later appearance of Pumyra). She is as lovely as she is brave and caring. Often a voice of reason, she is also the bearer of a budding "sixth sense," detecting when something is unsafe or if evil is near. This precognitive sense, which Cheetara regards as a curse for the most part, also allows her to perceive visions — whether involuntary or by forcing herself — but can leave her very weak; she may require days to regain her strength. She has incredible speed, once clocked at 120 m.p.h. on a morning jog. She can maintain this speed only for brief periods, but with it, she is very fast in combat. Her weapon of choice is a bo staff that can grow or shrink to variable lengths. When not in use, it is attached to her left armband. As revealed in the comics, besides being the prettiest of the ThunderCats, Cheetara is by far the best swimmer among them; in fact, she alone doesn't mind getting wet from time to time ("...I'll never understand why the other Cats don't like the water..."). Cheetara has a romantic feeling for Tygra and in the end of the comic they become a couple (in several episodes of the TV-series they are a fighting team and they protect each other).
In the 2011 series, Cheetara was originally an orphan who wanted to join the Thunderan warrior clerics. Though she had the speed possessed by clerics, she lacked the patience needed and was initially turned down by Jaga. However, her determination convinced Jaga to allow her to join the order. In the aftermath of Thundera's downfall, Cheetara is the sole surviving member other than Jaga. Cheetara is also a counselor to Lion-O, since she never shuns him for his interest in technology and seem to support his kindness to other races that were mistreated. However, despite appearing to have feelings for Lion-O, Cheetara actually has them for Tygra for the kindness he showed to her the day she joined the clerics. In "Between brothers," she expresses her feelings to Tygra, and in the end she and Tygra become a couple, much to Lion-O's surprise.
Cheetara is re-named Chitara in the Spanish version, Geparda in the German version, Félibelle in the French version.
WilyKit and WilyKat
WilyKit (voiced by Lynne LiptonLynne Lipton
Lynne Lipton is an American film, stage, television and voice actress.She is best remembered for providing most of the voices of the female characters on the popular 1980s animated series ThunderCats. She voiced Luna of the Lunatacs, Willa...
in original series, Madeleine Hall in the 2011 series) and WilyKat (voiced by Peter Newman
Peter Newman (actor)
Peter Newman is famous for his voice work for Rankin/Bass. In ThunderCats he provided the voices of Tygra, Wilykat, Bengali, and Monkian. In SilverHawks he provided the voices of Quicksilver, Mumbo Jumbo, and Timestopper. He also played the evil Duke of Zill & Wack Lizardi in Felix the Cat: The...
in original series, Eamon Pirruccello in the 2011 series) are twin siblings, Kat being the older brother and Kit as the younger sister, both based on the wildcat
Wildcat
Wildcat is a small felid native to Europe, the western part of Asia, and Africa.-Animals:Wildcat may also refer to members of the genus Lynx:...
; they are technically and jointly referred to by the others as "ThunderKittens," although technically they are older than Lion-O. They are the mischief-makers, and often have their own lessons to learn alongside Lion-O while they live on Third Earth, where they frequently use tricks and traps to combat evil. Kit is the more adventurous, while the older Kat usually errs on the side of caution. Kit also appears to be the more agile, and at times, she employs a rolling-attack against the enemy. Their agility is often displayed when they ride their "space boards" — specially designed flying devices shaped like Earth surfboards that can carry them over long distances. Each uses special capsules, balls and other gimmick weapons carried in pouches and on their belts. They sometimes use slingshots to fire these at the Mutants or other foes. They also carry trick lariats, with which they can either tangle and ensnare foes, or use to pull themselves out of danger. In the first episode, they appeared to be slightly older than Lion-O, but when they went into suspended animation, they did not age as far in their suspension capsules as Lion-O did in his.
In the 2011 version, younger in age, they are both street urchins
Street children
A street child is a child who lives on the streets of a city, deprived of family care and protection. Most children on the streets are between the ages of about 5 and 17 years old.Street children live in junk boxes, parks or on the street itself...
and lock-picking pickpockets with aspirations to find the lost city of El Dara
El Dorado
El Dorado is the name of a Muisca tribal chief who covered himself with gold dust and, as an initiation rite, dived into a highland lake.Later it became the name of a legendary "Lost City of Gold" that has fascinated – and so far eluded – explorers since the days of the Spanish Conquistadors...
and become rich. When the Reptilians attack Thundera, the two manage to escape during the chaos before eventually teaming up with Lion-O on his journey. In this version, the WilyKit and WilyKat have tails, which none of the main adult ThunderCats possess, and visible external ears. It is revealed in "Into The Astral Plane" that like in the original series Wilykit and Wilykat possess gimmick weapons. WilyKit also possesses a special flute that she uses to play a soothing melody that their mother used to hum to the siblings when they had a home which has to ability to put anyone in a hypnotic trance and shatter boulders when in tune with the elaphant's trumpets.
WilyKit and WilyKat are re-named Felina y Felino in the Spanish version, and MiniKit und MiniKat in the German version.
ThunderCats who appeared later in the series
At the start of the series' second season, it was revealed to Lion-O (after having a recurring dreamDream
Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious...
about the final moments of the destruction of Thundera) that there are three more Thundereans living on Third Earth. They survived the cataclysm when rescued by a Ro-Bear Berbil scout ship piloted by two Berbils. The ship, damaged in the final explosion of the planet, made it to Third Earth landing on an unknown island somewhere in the northern sea.
After Mumm-Ra tries to capture them to use as bait to destroy the others, these three are rescued and brought back to the Cat’s Lair, where Lion-O anoints them as new ThunderCats. They initially come to live in Cat's Lair until after the arrival of the Lunataks where they are stationed at the Tower of Omens.
Ben-Gali
Ben-Gali (voiced by Peter NewmanPeter Newman (actor)
Peter Newman is famous for his voice work for Rankin/Bass. In ThunderCats he provided the voices of Tygra, Wilykat, Bengali, and Monkian. In SilverHawks he provided the voices of Quicksilver, Mumbo Jumbo, and Timestopper. He also played the evil Duke of Zill & Wack Lizardi in Felix the Cat: The...
) — One of the two younger Thundereans among the trio, named after the bengal tiger
Bengal Tiger
The Bengal tiger is a tiger subspecies native to the Indian subcontinent that in 2010 has been classified as endangered by IUCN...
and resembling the white variant
White tiger
The white tiger is a recessive mutant of the Bengal tiger, which was reported in the wild from time to time in Assam, Bengal, Bihar and especially from the former State of Rewa.-Color comparison:...
. This warrior is a skilled blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
like his father before him. This talent proves valuable after the Sword of Omens is once again broken. Fast and agile like Tygra, Ben-Gali is called "brother" by him, but it is unclear if they share a true familial bond or if the greeting is merely meant as a term of endearment (given that the new ThunderCats repeatedly call the originals "Nobles" while referring to themselves as "mere Thundereans," it seems unlikely that there is any family relationship between the two). Another possibility is that because they are both tigers, the Ben-Gal clan may be cousins to the Tygra clan, even though one is considered nobility while the other is not. In combat, Ben-Gali wields a weapon called the Hammer of Thundera. It can shoot energy blasts, and carries smoke pellets in its handle, to allow him to cause confusion and provide cover for withdrawal from a fight.
Pumyra
Pumyra (voiced by Gerrianne RaphaelGerrianne Raphael
Gerrianne Raphael is an actress and voice actor. She is perhaps best known for her major role as the voice of Pumyra on the originalThundercats cartoon.-Personal life:...
) — Another female Thunderean along with Cheetara and WilyKit. This young woman, based on the puma, is a talented healer and medic. She uses her knowledge of Thunderean medicine, combined with the wide range of medicinal supplies to be found on Third Earth, to help heal and cure her fellow ThunderCats. Her compassionate nature lends to offering an alternative perspective, solving problems or conflict without fighting by using compromise and understanding. Possibly the most agile ThunderCat next to the ThunderKittens, Pumyra employs an incredible leaping ability — often able to vault higher than even great jumpers like Tygra or the ThunderKittens. She was also shown to be able to move in short bursts of superspeed (while moving fast she resembled a flash of lightning darting from place to place).In combat, she uses a special whipcord, which resembles a "cat’s tail," that can launch special pellets and spheres like an ancient sling.
Lynx-O
Lynx-O (voiced by Doug PreisDoug Preis
Doug Preis is an American voice actor. He is best known for his roles in Doug, ThunderCats, and Silverhawks. He also voiced commercials including the Lucky Charms leprechaun and the Vlasic Pickles stork.-Filmography:...
in the original series, Kevin Michael Richardson
Kevin Michael Richardson
Kevin Michael Richardson is an American actor and voice actor who currently stars as Cleveland Brown, Jr. in The Cleveland Show...
in the 2011 version) — The oldest of the trio, based on the lynx
Lynx
A lynx is any of the four Lynx genus species of medium-sized wildcats. The name "lynx" originated in Middle English via Latin from Greek word "λύγξ", derived from the Indo-European root "*leuk-", meaning "light, brightness", in reference to the luminescence of its reflective eyes...
, Lynx-O was spared the sight of the destruction of their homeworld by a cruel twist of fate: a blast of intense heat and fire blinded him moments before he and his two younger companions were rescued, leaving his eyes red denoting blindness. Because of this injury, Lynx-O has had to adapt to survive on Third Earth, and has done so by honing his other senses to superhuman levels. His sense of touch, smell, taste and hearing are far above those of the other ThunderCats, and this affords him a type of "sixth sense," though it is not like the one Cheetara possesses. Though blind, Lynx-O is still a formidable fighter. His sense of touch allows him to find pressure points on a foe’s body to knock them off balance or stun them. He can also feel vibrations, which allow him to evade attacks and capture, and can use a Sonic Reflector as a weapon in combat. His greatest skill comes in utilizing a special "braille
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
board" — a device that allows him to translate information coming from sensor systems inside the Tower of Omens, enabling him to see into the gloom of Dark Side. This same device also allows him to pilot the Thunderstrike aircraft through the Valley of Mists when the ThunderCats need to find a way through to Dark Side.
In the 2011 series, Lynx-O is a general under Claudus and made a cameo as one of Thundera's lookout sentries.
Claudus
Claudus (voiced by Larry KenneyLarry Kenney
Larry Kenney is an American radio personality and voice actor.In 1963, Kenney began his radio career at the age of 15 as a disc jockey at WIRL in Peoria. After WIRL, he worked at WOWO, Ft...
in the 2011 series) — The previous Lord of the ThunderCats and Lion-O's father, Claudus ruled Thundera before its destruction. He lost his sight during a war he fought against the mutants of Plun-Darr. In the episode "Return to Thundera," Lion-O is transported back in time to Thundera the day before it was destroyed. He later rescued his father from past versions of Slithe and Vultureman, who were attempting to recover plans for a War-Bot that Claudus' spies had gotten their hands on. He then proceeded to give these plans to Lion-O who used them in the present to destroy the mutants' War-Bot. Believed to have died on Thundera while assisting the royal flagship in taking off, he was later found to have been captured by the Shadowmaster. Through a sequence of nightmares, Lion-O eventually learns from Jaga of his father's imprisonment in the Shadow Realm and is able to rescue him. Claudus is currently joining Jaga in the afterlife.
In the 2011 series, Claudus is a stern father to Lion-O (and adoptive father to Tygra). When Grune and Panthro had fought bravely to get promoted to general, Claudus told them that he has given the job to Lynx-O. He was the one who sent Panthro and Grune to find the Book of Omens. When Thundera is being attacked by the Reptilians, Claudus is murdered by Mumm-Ra (who had assumed Panthro's form). Lion-O, Cheetara, and Tygra later hold a funeral pyre for him after escaping with the Sword of Omens.
On New Thundera
When the planet of Thundera is reformed in Season Two of the series by Mumm-Ra in a plot to claim the Sword of Plun-Darr, the ThunderCats must work to stabilize the planet before it can tear itself apart again. It is here that they discover another ThunderCat and gain additional allies.Jagara
Jagara (voiced by Gerrianne Raphael) — Found deep within the core of New Thundera, this powerful, ancient ThunderCat, based on the jaguar-like Jaga, is an immortal sorceress. Her duty is to guard the massive gyroscopeGyroscope
A gyroscope is a device for measuring or maintaining orientation, based on the principles of angular momentum. In essence, a mechanical gyroscope is a spinning wheel or disk whose axle is free to take any orientation...
that keeps the planet intact. She uses the powers of levitation, teleportation, and psychokinesis to perform her tasks, and to defend the gyroscope from attackers. It is noted by Jaga (no relation) that she has been acting in this capacity for countless years.
Thunderian commoners
- Torr - A young Thunderian commonerCommonerIn British law, a commoner is someone who is neither the Sovereign nor a peer. Therefore, any member of the Royal Family who is not a peer, such as Prince Harry of Wales or Anne, Princess Royal, is a commoner, as is any member of a peer's family, including someone who holds only a courtesy title,...
, rescued by the ThunderCats along other commoners, from their ship drifting into deep space. Although he was never granted the ThunderCat status, he often helped the ThunderCats in various missions.
- Leah - A Thunderian little girl, whose escape pod was intercepted by Mumm-Ra and landed in the Jungle of Darkness. Her doll was used by the Ancient Spirits of Evil to disguise the Mirror WraithWraithWraith is a Scottish dialectical word for "ghost, spirit", see Ghosts in European culture.Wraith or The Wraith may also refer to:-Entertainment:*Wraith: The Oblivion, a role-playing game*The Wraith, a 1986 movie starring Charlie Sheen...
to infiltrate the Cat's Lair, forcing her to keep it a secret. She was later freed by the ThunderCats from the influence of the Mirror Wraith.
The Snarfs
A race of intelligent cat-like creatures, Snarfs are plump, fuzzy and kind. Snarfs are native to Thundera, living in the Valley of Snarfs, and many of their number act as servants to Thunderan nobility, happily working as cooks, nursemaids, squires and so forth. When Thundera was destroyed, forty-nine Snarfs were able to commandeer a Mutant tanker and made their way to an uninhabited planet which they took as their own, dubbing it the "Planet of Snarfs". Later, when Mumm-Ra recreated Thundera, he captured the Snarfs and brought them back to their home planet, putting them to work searching for the Treasure of Thundera. Subsequently liberated by the ThunderCats, the Snarfs returned to living happily on Thundera.Snarfs are the only creatures in the universe incapable of evil (except while possessed), although in episode 105, Snarf becomes corrupt with the power to control the other Thundercats. Quick and clever, a Snarf is a loyal friend, though their small size often makes them a target for Mutants or other evil creatures. The Snarfs have proved to be valuable allies to the ThunderCats in times of peril. Though their fighting skills are more than wanting, the Snarfs have an inherent invulnerability/resistance to many (but not all) forms of magic and mind-control. This ability has enabled the Snarfs to save the other ThunderCats on several occasions. Snarfs are known to end their sentences with the squeaking exclamation for which they are named - "snarf, snarf!"
Snarf
Snarf (voiced by Bob McFaddenBob McFadden
Robert "Bob" McFadden was a singer and voiceover actor best known for his many contributions to animated cartoons. His best known characters were Milton the Monster, Cool McCool, and the ThunderCats' Snarf...
in the original series, Satomi Kōrogi in the 2011 series) — An elder Snarf, properly known by his name Osbert, which he hates, Snarf served as a nursemaid and protector
Legal guardian
A legal guardian is a person who has the legal authority to care for the personal and property interests of another person, called a ward. Usually, a person has the status of guardian because the ward is incapable of caring for his or her own interests due to infancy, incapacity, or disability...
for Lion-O when he was a boy. After Lion-O grew up, Snarf found that often Lion-O didn’t want to have him "mothering" or protecting him. Still, Snarf has remained loyal to Lion-O and the other ThunderCats. At times, he does come through in a pinch with an idea and takes action when it is needed. Despite his age, he does keep up with the others. Even though not a fighter by skill or nature, Snarf is very agile (he boasts he can outplay anyone at tailbail or kick-the-bucket). He also can communicate with other animals on Third Earth to enlist their help in his tasks, and once even tricked the Ancient spirits of evil into giving him a power up to become Snarf-Ra.
In the 2011 version, Snarf is more of a pet
Pet
A pet is a household animal kept for companionship and a person's enjoyment, as opposed to wild animals or to livestock, laboratory animals, working animals or sport animals, which are kept for economic or productive reasons. The most popular pets are noted for their loyal or playful...
to Lion-O and does not speak English but can make animal sounds (though it seems Lion-O can still understand him). In later episodes, he goes "Snarf".
Snarfer
Snarfer (voiced by Bob McFaddenBob McFadden
Robert "Bob" McFadden was a singer and voiceover actor best known for his many contributions to animated cartoons. His best known characters were Milton the Monster, Cool McCool, and the ThunderCats' Snarf...
) — Young and excitable, Snarfer is Snarf’s young nephew. He was thought lost when Thundera exploded, but was one of the surviving Snarfs that made it to the Planet of Snarfs. Slightly more aggressive than his uncle, Snarfer is a keen mechanic and pilot in his own right, having been educated at "Snarf College" while majoring in Snarf-Studies (Snarf once said he was a "college boy"). He does tend to babble when over-excited, but at times he can be just as level-headed as Tygra. Though smaller than Snarf, he doesn’t let that get in his way when he wants to help friends. It was through him that the ThunderCats learned that Snarf's real name was Osbert.
Other Snarfs
- Snarf Oswald (voiced by Earle HymanEarle HymanEarle Hyman is an American stage, television, and film actor. Hyman is known for his recurring role on The Cosby Show as Cliff's father, Russell Huxtable.-Career:...
) and Snarf Eggbert (voice by Larry KenneyLarry KenneyLarry Kenney is an American radio personality and voice actor.In 1963, Kenney began his radio career at the age of 15 as a disc jockey at WIRL in Peoria. After WIRL, he worked at WOWO, Ft...
) — Two of the Snarfs who survived the destruction of Thundera, this duo became the ThunderCats main Snarf "contacts" on New Thundera. Oswald was originally mentioned by Snarf during the first season, noting that he owed him "fifty thunder-dollars."
The Robear Berbils
The Robear Berbils are partly furred robot-bearBear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
s from the planet Ro-Bear. Because their homeworld is so tiny, they must form other colonies on distant worlds to survive. Small and harmless-looking, the Berbils are steadfast, hardy workers and skilled farmers, cooks and craftsmen. It was thanks to them that Tygra was able to build Cat’s Lair — and later the Tower of Omens — so quickly. Apparently, the Robear Berbils are Cybernetic organisms
Cyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
, as they are able to eat and digest organic food. Robear Bill (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker
Dee Bradley Baker
Dee Bradley Baker is an American voice actor. He is noted as his long-running-role as Klaus Heissler in American Dad! and other various characters including Squilliam Fancyson in the hit TV series SpongeBob SquarePants, Nightcrawler in X-Men: Legends and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance...
in the 2011 series) and Robear Belle are the leaders of the nearby Robear Berbil village, these robot-bears are the first to befriend the ThunderCats and often supply information about local places, people and phenomena on Third Earth. Through their fields and forests of Fruit Trees, they are also able to provide the Thundereans with new foodstuffs. When they were first encountered, the ThunderCats protected their Candy Fruit crops from the Trollogs and the Giantors.
It was revealed that two Ro-Bear Berbils had saved Lynx-O, Bengali, and Pumyra from the destruction of Thundera. Their ship was damaged upon evading the explosion of Thundera and landed on an island on Third Earth since it didn't have any more power to get back to the Berbil Village. The two Berbils alongside the other three ThunderCats ends up landing on an uninhabited island where they lived until they were caught by Hammerhand and his pirates. The two Berbils were later rescued by the ThunderCats and assumed to have been reunited with the other Berbils.
In the 2011 series, the Berbils are shown to be more bear-like and have an ability to roll up into a wheel. The Berbils made themselves known to the ThunderCats when they helped to repair the Thunder Tank and give them food. Panthro was against their cute appearance first until it came to repairing Ro-Bear-Bill following an attack by the Conquedor (who had been abducting Berbils and selling them as slaves). The ThunderCats managed to help the Berbils drive away the Conquedor along with his Trollog and Giantor customers.
Warrior Maidens
The Warrior Maidens are a race of Amazon womenAmazons
The Amazons are a nation of all-female warriors in Greek mythology and Classical antiquity. Herodotus placed them in a region bordering Scythia in Sarmatia...
who live in the forests of what is called the Tree-Top Kingdom. They are fierce fighters and very territorial. At first distrustful of the ThunderCats — whom they view as aliens — the Warrior Maidens soon treat them as friends. Often, Nayda and Willa are the two that have the most contact with the ThunderCats.
- Willa and Nayda (both voiced by Lynne LiptonLynne LiptonLynne Lipton is an American film, stage, television and voice actress.She is best remembered for providing most of the voices of the female characters on the popular 1980s animated series ThunderCats. She voiced Luna of the Lunatacs, Willa...
) — Sisters, both members of the Warrior Maidens, who live in the Tree-Top Kingdom. Willa is their leader, while the younger Nayda is a scout and second-in-command. Both are expert markswomen with bows and arrows, and are very agile and fleet among the branches of their forest home. Often distrustful of outsiders, both become friends of the ThunderCats and by their example, the rest of their people treat them as allies. They often help the Thunderians by showing them paths around Third Earth and using special tricks (like Bushy, a giant tree-top spider) to aid them on their quests and missions. On one occasion, Willa is able to use the Sword of Omens' "Sight Beyond Sight", which normally is possible only for Lion-O.
Wollos
The Wollos are small, furry people who have small villages all around the habitable places of Third Earth. Farmers, carpenters and fishermen, they are gentle folk who often turn to the ThunderCats for protection.Bolkens
The Bolkens are Sheep-like people, similar to the Wollows. They are herdspeople and farmers who are just as likely to call for help from the ThunderCats.Tabbuts
The Tabbuts are a race of wealthy traders who often appeared as allies of the mutants. They resemble horned humanoid boars in appearance.Captain Bragg & Crownan
Captain Bragg is an intergalactic bounty hunterBounty hunter
A bounty hunter captures fugitives for a monetary reward . Other names, mainly used in the United States, include bail enforcement agent and fugitive recovery agent.-Laws in the U.S.:...
who pilots a spaceship resembling a circus train, Captain Bragg traveled to Third Earth with his talking pet crow
Crow
Crows form the genus Corvus in the family Corvidae. Ranging in size from the relatively small pigeon-size jackdaws to the Common Raven of the Holarctic region and Thick-billed Raven of the highlands of Ethiopia, the 40 or so members of this genus occur on all temperate continents and several...
Crownan and befriended Wilykat. Part huckster and part showman, Bragg uses his showmanship to capture both the Mutants and the Lunataks when they were transported to him by the Ancient Spirits of Evil following Mumm-Ra's failure in an ultimatum battle against Lion-O. Although a bit bumbling in nature, Bragg becomes an ally of the Thundercats, and calls upon their assistance in subsequent appearances. On one occasion, he even attempts to flirt with Mandora the Evil-Chaser without much success.
Dr. Dometome
Dr. Dometome (voiced by Bob McFaddenBob McFadden
Robert "Bob" McFadden was a singer and voiceover actor best known for his many contributions to animated cartoons. His best known characters were Milton the Monster, Cool McCool, and the ThunderCats' Snarf...
) is one of Third Earth’s great thinkers, scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
s and gentlemen. He is the chief protector of the Great Oceanic Plug (a massive engineering project built to seal a crack in the ocean floor to prevent the planet's oceans from flooding its core). He is a small man but very chivalrous, and a skilled pilot of Hercules (aka "Herky"), a giant frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
-shaped robot used to guard the sea floor.
Hachiman
Hachiman (voiced by Peter NewmanPeter Newman (actor)
Peter Newman is famous for his voice work for Rankin/Bass. In ThunderCats he provided the voices of Tygra, Wilykat, Bengali, and Monkian. In SilverHawks he provided the voices of Quicksilver, Mumbo Jumbo, and Timestopper. He also played the evil Duke of Zill & Wack Lizardi in Felix the Cat: The...
) is a samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
warrior
Warrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
and master swordsman from Ancient Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Summoned to Third Earth by Mumm-Ra, he was tricked into fighting Lion-O, but thanks to his code of Bushido
Bushido
, meaning "Way of the Warrior-Knight", is a Japanese word which is used to describe a uniquely Japanese code of conduct and a way of the samurai life, loosely analogous to the concept of chivalry. It originates from the samurai moral code and stresses frugality, loyalty, martial arts mastery, and...
, he became an ally to the ThunderCats and the Warrior Maidens of the Tree-Top Kingdom. He wields a sword known as “The Thunder-Cutter,” a katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
-blade that, with his skill, can cut through solid stone. Hachiman has saved the lives of various ThunderCats on multiple occasions. Hachiman maintains a friendship with Lion-O after they first join forces, but during the race to rescue Pumyra, Ben-Gali, and Lynx-O during ThunderCats- HO!, he is again briefly tricked into attacking the ThunderCats- specifically Lion-O by Mumm-Ra. However he eventually realizes that he has again been deceived and sides with the ThunderCats once more. In his final appearance, Hachiman is shown to be living on his own planet, which resembles ancient Japan.
The League of Third Earth
The League of Third Earth are formed in in season two. Once the Mutants and Lunataks had been removed from Third Earth by Captain Bragg while Mumm-Ra was removed by the Ancient Spirits of Evil following his failed ultimatum battle against Lion-O, the ThunderCats left to re-settle New Thundera. They left several of their allies in charge, calling them "The League of Third Earth". This league included, Mandora the Evil Chaser, the Snowman of Hook Mountain and his cat Snowmeow, the warrior maidens Willa & Nayda, and the Ro-Bear Berbills: Ro-Bear-Bill and Ro-Bear-Belle.Mandora
Mandora (voiced by Lynne LiptonLynne Lipton
Lynne Lipton is an American film, stage, television and voice actress.She is best remembered for providing most of the voices of the female characters on the popular 1980s animated series ThunderCats. She voiced Luna of the Lunatacs, Willa...
) is an intergalactic police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
, who works in conjunction with a series of law enforcers to protect the peaceful people of the galaxy. She works in part to run the Great Penal Planet — which houses some of the galaxy’s nastiest criminals — and routinely comes to Third Earth as part of her patrols. When one of these criminals, a robotic pickpocket named Quick Pick, helps her and Lion-O against Captain Cracker, she makes him an Evil Chaser assistant. She travels on a specially equipped hoverbike — called the Electro-Charger — and uses a weapon called the “enzyme catalyzer” (a spray gun that uses a chemical — "a closely guarded secret, once called soap").
Mumm-Rana
Mumm-Rana is an ancient sorceress for good, and counterpart to Mumm-Ra. She lives in the White Pyramid where her powers keep her from traveling too far. She at one time battled Queen Luna (grandmother to the Lunatak Luna) to stop her rampage across Third Earth. She did so by stripping Queen Luna of her magical belt which she later lost to Luna (which was destroyed eventually). Much like Mumm-Ra, her powers limit the time she can spend outside of her pyramid home. Mumm-Rana's level of power is somewhat unclear, as she was seen to be bested in battle by Mumm-Ra in the first appearance, but she was also shown to be considerably more powerful than both Queen and Princess Luna, as she defeated both of them with relatively little effort.Snowman of Hook Mountain
The Snowman of Hook Mountain (voiced by Earl HammondEarl Hammond
Earl Hammond was an American theater, radio, film and television actor, and, in his later years, a voice actor for several animated films and TV series.-Best known roles:...
) is a yeti
Yeti
The Yeti or Abominable Snowman is an ape-like cryptid said to inhabit the Himalayan region of Nepal, and Tibet. The names Yeti and Meh-Teh are commonly used by the people indigenous to the region, and are part of their history and mythology...
-like chivalrous knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
, who rules over the Kingdom of the Snowmen on the frigid heights of Hook Mountain. He once tried to fight Lion-O for possession of a meteor that fell onto the slopes of his mountain kingdom, but they became friends after Lion-O rescued him from a Mutant attack. He can craft weapons out of ice, seemingly at will, and fights mounted on a great snow cat named Snowmeow.
Sondora, Keeper of the Soundstones
Sondora is the Keeper of the Mystical Soundstones, Sondora assists the ThunderCats when Vultureman steals one of her stones to create a sonic weapon for the Lunataks. After Lion-O recovers the stolen Soundstone, Sondora decides to take the stones to another dimension but promises the ThunderCats that she would be there to help them if they ever required her assistance.Turmagar
Turmagar (voiced by Earl HammondEarl Hammond
Earl Hammond was an American theater, radio, film and television actor, and, in his later years, a voice actor for several animated films and TV series.-Best known roles:...
) is the leader of the walrus
Walrus
The walrus is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean and sub-Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the Odobenidae family and Odobenus genus. It is subdivided into three subspecies: the Atlantic...
-like Tuska Warriors who live near the source of the river that serves as Third Earth’s natural water supply. Very skilled as a warrior and leader, Turmagar is also a crafty pilot who flies the Gomplin, a vehicle/creature hybrid resembling a dragon. It is Turmagar whom often helps the ThunderCats with air support before they crafted their own air-vehicles; it is worth noting that the Tuska Warriors are among the few factions in the series to employ firearms, as opposed to melee weapons and/or bows and arrows.
Wizz-Ra
Wizz-Ra is a powerful wizardMagician (fantasy)
A magician, mage, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, enchanter, enchantress, thaumaturge or a person known under one of many other possible terms is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources...
from Ancient Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, banished to an alternate dimension after he lost a battle to Mumm-Ra. His helmet has the ability of mind-control and is sought by Mumm-Ra after it is discovered that the wall of the Seventh Dimension is weak enough (after 7,000 years) for him to appear in Cheetara’s bedchamber. He aids the ThunderCats after they help him to recover his helmet, and then is forced to return to his dimension prison, though not before promising Cheetara they would meet again in her dreams.
Char
Char is a four-armed alien garbage scavenger and blacksmithBlacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
who encounters Snarf as he was trying to bring the damaged pieces of the Sword of Omens back to Bengali. Char wants the sword for himself but Snarf tricks him into repairing it, which causes the sword to mystically return to Lion-O. Char later apologizes for his actions and becomes an ally of the Thundercats. In a later episode, Char and the Thunderkittens Wilykit and Wilykat fall under the evil influence of an evil golden orb which in reality is Mumm-Ra's lost Sphere of Setti.
Screwloose
Screwloose is a bumbling robotRobot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
whom the ThunderCats enlist to assist Jagara in the repair of the Gyroscope. Mumm-Ra replaces Screwloose's brain module with one of his own creation, causing the robot to alternate between good and evil behavior. After he tries to destroy the gyroscope and kill Jagara, Lion-O uses the Sword of Omens to restore Screwloose. During the ensuing battle with Mumm-Ra, Screwloose actually defeats him by taking the Sword of Plun-Darr. In the end, Screwloose remains behind on New Thundera to help Jagara maintain the gyroscope.
Mumm-Ra
Mumm-Ra (voiced by Earl HammondEarl Hammond
Earl Hammond was an American theater, radio, film and television actor, and, in his later years, a voice actor for several animated films and TV series.-Best known roles:...
in the original series, Robin Atkin Downes
Robin Atkin Downes
Born in London, England, Robin Atkin Downes is an English actor who is one of the most prolific voice-over actors in Los Angeles. He is well known for his work in film, television and voice acting...
in the 2011 series) - The chief villain and antagonist of the ThunderCats, the demon-sorcerer Mumm-Ra is the self-proclaimed "ever-living source of evil" on Third Earth, having powers of sorcery and an apparently unlimited lifespan. He is, in fact, a servant to the Ancient Spirits of Evil (represented by four anthropomorphic statues of a boar, crocodile, vulture, and ox thus resembling oversized, twisted mockeries of Egyptian canopic jars, within the burial chamber of his pyramid), who provide him with increased power and virtual immortality to further his pursuit of spreading their dark influence throughout Third Earth.
Residing within the Black Pyramid amid the ruins of what appears to be an ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
ian civilization, Mumm-Ra exists in a decayed, weakened form that must return to a stone sarcophagus to replenish his energy. He can summon the power to transform himself into a more vigorous and muscular form - Mumm-Ra, the Ever-Living - by reciting the incantation: "Ancient spirits of evil, transform this decayed form to Mumm-Ra, the Ever-Living!". While in this form, Mumm-Ra possesses fortification of his mystical might — casting spells, throwing energy bolts, etc. — to battle his foes. He can also alter his physical form into a variety of alter-egos to deceive his enemies.
Seemingly invincible in whatever form he chooses, Mumm-Ra appears to have a singular weakness: seeing his own hideous reflection neutralizes his ability to remain outside the Black Pyramid and forces him to withdraw there in his emaciated mummy form. However, at the beginning of the second season, the Ancient Spirits of Evil revoked this shortcoming. Mumm-Ra is a master of deception, and will use whatever means necessary to fight against the forces of good. In later episodes, while endowing Mumm-Ra with his powers, the statues of the Ancient Spirits of Evil came down from their perches to extend their arms over him.
He uses his magic to create disguises and deceive the ThunderCats on various occasions. Among these are: Diamondfly (in the episode "Queen of Eight Legs"), Gregory Gregion ("All That Glitters"), Silky ("The Garden of Delights"), The Netherwitch ("The Astral Prison"), and Pumm-Ra (in the episode "Pumm-Ra"). He once took the form of King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
to acquire the legendary magic sword Excalibur
Excalibur
Excalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The sword was...
, using it against the Sword of Omens.
In a few episodes, Mumm-Ra has an even more powerful form beyond "Mumm-Ra the Ever-Living" called "Mumm-Ra the All-Powerful". In this manifestation, Mumm-Ra absorbs the entire power of the Ancient Spirits of Evil to become grander in size and strength, and the design pattern on his loin cloth changes, as does his voice. This form is only presented in the series three times. In another incarnation, calling himself "Mumm-Ra the Dream Master," he is able to enter dreams to subliminally influence the ThunderCats in their sleep as a form of mind control.
Mumm-Ra is regarded as immortal, and when defeated, he simply returns to his sarcophagus. Mumm-Ra cannot be truly killed; even in cases where his body is destroyed, he will eventually be restored, as he often states: "Wherever evil exists, Mumm-Ra lives!"
Later, Mumm-Ra is shown to have a blue undead
Undead
Undead is a collective name for fictional, mythological, or legendary beings that are deceased and yet behave as if alive. Undead may be incorporeal, such as ghosts, or corporeal, such as vampires and zombies...
, bulldog
Bulldog
Bulldog is the name for a breed of dog commonly referred to as the English Bulldog. Other Bulldog breeds include the American Bulldog, Olde English Bulldogge and the French Bulldog. The Bulldog is a muscular heavy dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose...
-like companion named Ma-Mutt, capable of flight and supernatural feats of strength and speed. He is generally evil, though some episodes depict him as having sympathetic qualities.
In later episodes, when the Ancient Spirits of Evil were increasingly disappointed with Mumm-Ra's repeated failures, they demanded he destroy the ThunderCats or else he, the Mutants, and the Lunataks would be forcefully removed. They make Ma-Mutt disappear as an example. When Mumm-Ra fails, the Ancient Spirits of Evil trap him in a crystal with his transport pyramid and cast him away from Third Earth. When the ThunderCats decide to colonize New Thundera to rebuild it, the Ancient Spirits of Evil free Mumm-Ra and rebuild his cauldron on Third Earth.
In one episode, it was said that Mumm-Ra once owned the Sphere of Setti which increased his power. When he managed to recover it after it was found by Char, he planned to use it to increase his power. Unfortunately, the Ancient Spirits of Evil wouldn't allow it.
An absolute master of magic, Mumm-Ra possesses nearly unlimited knowledge of, and experience with, numerous mystical arts from all corners of the universe. He has such mystic talents as flight by self-levitation, necromancy
Necromancy
Necromancy is a claimed form of magic that involves communication with the deceased, either by summoning their spirit in the form of an apparition or raising them bodily, for the purpose of divination, imparting the ability to foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge...
, alchemy
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
, transmogrification, temporal manipulation
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
, teleportation
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
, telekinesis, mind control
Mind control
Mind control refers to a process in which a group or individual "systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator, often to the detriment of the person being manipulated"...
, astral projection
Astral projection
Astral projection is an interpretation of out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of an "astral body" separate from the physical body and capable of traveling outside it...
, scrying
Scrying
Scrying is a magic practice that involves seeing things psychically in a medium, usually for purposes of obtaining spiritual visions and less often for purposes of divination or fortune-telling. The most common media used are reflective, translucent, or luminescent substances such as crystals,...
and energy blasts.
While in the form of Mumm-Ra the Ever-Living, he becomes a conduit for the Ancient Spirits of Evil; such that he can amplify his aforementioned abilities to a nearly cosmic scale, gain superhuman strength, as well as retain his undead status despite the passage of time or any injuries sustained. The price of this power, however, is extremely limited stamina: once Mumm-Ra the Ever-Living has surpassed a given threshold, he must revert back to his mummified form and enter his sarcophagus to rejuvenate himself. Also, Mumm-Ra's power in his Ever-Living form is directly linked to the condition of both his sarcophagus and the Ancient Spirits' four statues within his pyramid. Should any of them be harmed or destroyed, his power weakens immediately and considerably.
Origins
According to the first chapter on Wildstorm’s comic Thundercats Origins: Heroes and Villains, Mumm-Ra’s origin is set in ancient Egypt. He was once Wahankh, a member of the pharaoh’s council and his most loyal adviser. We can also see Wahankh’s dog, Ma-Tep (supposedly the future Ma-Mutt). The friendship made with the pharaoh was so close and enduring that the sovereign actually considered him as part of his family.However, Wahankh's real aim was to overthrow the royal power of his pharaoh in a coup d'état, and become the ruler of the land. To achieve his goal, he invoked the presence of the Ancient Spirits of Evil for the first time by using four magical runes, representing each one the four evil beings. Once the spirits appeared, he requested a small part of their power in order to defeat the powerful pharaoh’s army. In exchange, he would rule all Egypt in their name as a humble servant. The Ancient Spirits agreed to help him and Wahankh was invested with evil powers, becoming an immortal sorcerer in their service, while his entire body mutated into a cadaverous grey form. Finally, a new name was given to him: Mumm-Ra.
Knowing about this betrayal, the pharaoh immediately faced the monstrous and grotesque being. Trusting his new powers, Mumm-Ra ordered the pharaoh to bow down and proclaimed himself the new master of the realm. Nonetheless, the pharaoh’s son confronted him and quickly managed to outmaneuver Mumm-Ra in battle, defeating him.
Without being aware that Mumm-Ra was actually immortal, the pharaoh spared him the fate of dying at the stake for his treachery. Considering all his years of service, the pharaoh instead granted him a merciful, religious death being locked as a mummy in an onyx pyramid’s giant burial chamber. The pharaoh's son, knowing about Mumm-Ra's neverending life, took joy in imprisoning him for (seemingly) all eternity. In the darkness, Mumm-Ra begged for the help of the Ancient Spirits once again, but they denied it due to his incompetence in using those powers they had previously granted him. Instead, they ordered him to build four large statues on the chamber to praise them, a task that would take at least 600 years to be accomplished. Only then they would grant him the power to break free by turning into an eternal and overwhelming warrior, capable of defeating any pharaoh. Before the TV series storyline, at some point he fulfilled the work, receiving the ability to become Mumm-Ra, the Ever-Living.
2011 Version
In the 2011 version, Mumm-Ra is of alien origin and used the advanced technology at his disposal to enslave the ancestors of the ThunderCats and the Animals into serving him so he would gather the Four Warstones to place on the Sword of Plun-Darr, whose design is copied into the Sword of Omens, to become the most powerful being in the universe. But managing to take the fourth Warstone (which would become the Eye of Thundera) while staging a rebellion with the Animals' help, the ThunderCat Leo defeats Mumm-Ra and strips him of the other three stones. But when Mumm-Ra's pyramid spacecraft was pulled into Third Earth's atmosphere, Mumm-Ra entered his tomb to bide his time for everyone else to die in the resulting crash. However, the controls were smashed and Mumm-Ra was trapped within his pyramid as the stones and survivors spread across Third Earth. However, many centuries later, Mumm-Ra used Grune to release him from his prison and masterminded Thundera's downfall. With the aid of Grune and Slythe, Mumm-Ra not only plans to obtain the Eye of Thundera, but to regain the other three Warstones. Changes to Mumm-Ra for the 2011 version include demon wings on his Ever-Living form and having a weakness to intensely bright light. Mumm-Ra's weapons: Sword of Plun-Darr and Guantlet Shield.Trivia
A British Indy band named Mumm-Ra took their name from this character.Ancient Spirits of Evil
The Ancient Spirits of Evil (voiced by Earle HymanEarle Hyman
Earle Hyman is an American stage, television, and film actor. Hyman is known for his recurring role on The Cosby Show as Cliff's father, Russell Huxtable.-Career:...
) are four dark spirits summoned by Mumm-Ra. They are the source of Mumm-Ra's powers and they are his masters. They talk to him through the cauldron and the giant statues of the Boar King, Vulture
Vulture
Vulture is the name given to two groups of convergently evolved scavenging birds, the New World Vultures including the well-known Californian and Andean Condors, and the Old World Vultures including the birds which are seen scavenging on carcasses of dead animals on African plains...
King, Crocodile
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
King, and Bull
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
King. The Ancient Spirits of Evil would provide Mumm-Ra with whatever knowledge they can give him.
When the Ancient Spirits of Evil were getting disappointed with Mumm-Ra's repeated failures, they demand that he destroys the ThunderCats or else he, the Mutants, and the Lunataks will be forcefully removed where they make Ma-Mutt disappear as an example. When Mumm-Ra fails the deadline, the Ancient Spirits of Evil trap Mumm-Ra in a crystal with his transport pyramid and cast him away from Third Earth. When the ThunderCats decide to colonize New Thundera to rebuild it, the Ancient Spirits of Evil free Mumm-Ra and rebuild his cauldron on Third Earth. Since then, they would summon one of their minions to help Mumm-Ra in his plots to destroy the ThunderCats.
In one episode, the Ancient Spirits of Evil wouldn't allow Mumm-Ra to use the Sphere of Setti to help increase his power with the second time having them threaten to deny Mumm-Ra access back into his pyramid unless he surrendered the Sphere of Setti to them.
In the 2011 version, Mumm-Ra has a more in depth origin story.
Mutants
These creatures are the first villains seen in the series, originating from the planet Plun-Darr. They are the long-time enemies of the Thunderians. Later in the series, it is revealed that events that stemmed from their unsuccessful invasion of Thundera ultimately led to the destruction of that planet.Not content to see the Thunderians lose their homeworld, the Mutants chased after the survivors, using their spaceships to devastate the Thunderian fleet and seeming to destroy the majority of the doomed planet's escaping populace. They then boarded the flagship (which carried the ThunderCat nobles, Jaga the Wise, and the young Lion-O) in attempting to capture the Eye of Thundera. They were repelled and retreated to later relocate the crashed flagship on Third Earth.
It was here that Mumm-Ra’s power grounded the Mutant ship, and they were forced to follow his demands once he sank their vessel beneath the desert sands. Though they exhibited an extraordinary incompetence that was characteristic of most cartoon villains, the Mutants managed to construct their own fortress, which they called Castle Plun-Darr after their homeworld, and salvage equipment from their downed spaceship to build weapons and vehicles that they could use on Third Earth (e.g., the Skycutters, the Nosediver, etc.). There was an inconsistency on how many mutants were actually on Third Earth, with some episodes there being a small army guarding castle Plun-Darr, but in most episodes only Slythe, Monkian, Jackalman and Vultureman are seen.
In the 2011 series, they referred to "Animals", their surviving ancestors brought to Third Earth after aiding the ThunderCats in defeating Mumm-Ra. However, the animals were ultimately outmatched by the ThunderCats until the Lizards managed to salvage lost technology and ransacked Thundera with help from Mumm-Ra and Grune. Besides the Lizards, Jackals, and Monkeys, among the animal types presented in the reboot are the peaceful Elephants, humanoid vultures, the aquatic TigerSharks
TigerSharks
TigerSharks is an American animated children's television series developed by Rankin/Bass and distributed by Lorimar-Telepictures in 1987. The series involved a team of heroes that could transform into sharks and other marine animals and resembled the series ThunderCats and SilverHawks, also...
, and Mon*Star from SilverHawks
Silverhawks
SilverHawks is an American animated television series developed by Rankin/Bass and distributed by Lorimar-Telepictures in 1986. The animation was provided by Japanese studio Pacific Animation Corporation. In total, 65 episodes were made...
.
Slithe
Slithe/ Slythe (voiced by Bob McFaddenBob McFadden
Robert "Bob" McFadden was a singer and voiceover actor best known for his many contributions to animated cartoons. His best known characters were Milton the Monster, Cool McCool, and the ThunderCats' Snarf...
in the 1985 series, Dee Bradley Baker
Dee Bradley Baker
Dee Bradley Baker is an American voice actor. He is noted as his long-running-role as Klaus Heissler in American Dad! and other various characters including Squilliam Fancyson in the hit TV series SpongeBob SquarePants, Nightcrawler in X-Men: Legends and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance...
in the 2011 series) is the brutish leader of the Reptilians (referred to as Lizards in 2011 series), a race of Bipedal lizard men. Although he lacks sophistication, his intuitive cunning is considerable. Domineering and impatient, Slithe often must browbeat the other Mutants into going along with his plans. Unlike Jackalman and Monkian (whose appearances are identical to other mutants of their kind), Slithe stands out from other Reptilians because of his ears and broader build. He pilots the Nosediver. Slithe served as Rataro's cook earlier in his career, and he retains a discriminating palate.
In the 2011 series, through a descendant of the Lizards that were enslaved by him, Slithe serves Mumm-Ra in order for his kind to take revenge on the Thundercats for generations of persecution. Succeeding in ransacking Thundera, Slithe pursues Lion-O's group before overseeing the search for the Book of Omens. Among his notable followers in the reboot are the chameleon
Chameleon
Chameleons are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, the possession by many of a...
-like Komi (voiced by James Arnold Taylor
James Arnold Taylor
James Arnold Taylor is an American voice actor, Impressionist, and Announcer. He is the current voice provider for Fred Flintstone as well as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the TV series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and also the movie Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Johnny Test in Johnny Test...
), the scout lieutenant Kask (voiced by Patrick Cavanaugh
Patrick Cavanaugh
Patrick Cavanaugh is an American television actor.-Actor career:He is best known as one of the leads in National Lampoon's Dorm Daze 2, portraying the half of the goofy stoner duo of Pete and Wang . He also appeared in the original movie...
), and the scout Sauro (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson
Kevin Michael Richardson
Kevin Michael Richardson is an American actor and voice actor who currently stars as Cleveland Brown, Jr. in The Cleveland Show...
). In "Legacy," it was revealed that a Lizard named Rezard (voiced by Rob Paulsen
Rob Paulsen
Robert Fredrick "Rob" Paulsen III , sometimes credited as Rob Paulson, is an American voice actor, best known as the voice behind Raphael from the 1987 cartoon of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Yakko Warner and Dr...
) assisted Leo and Panthera into overthrowing Mumm-Ra.
He was renamed "Reptílio" in the Spanish version.
Monkian
Monkian (voiced by Peter NewmanPeter Newman (actor)
Peter Newman is famous for his voice work for Rankin/Bass. In ThunderCats he provided the voices of Tygra, Wilykat, Bengali, and Monkian. In SilverHawks he provided the voices of Quicksilver, Mumbo Jumbo, and Timestopper. He also played the evil Duke of Zill & Wack Lizardi in Felix the Cat: The...
) is a shifty no-good eavesdropper who is the excitable leader of the Simians (referred to as Monkeys in the 2011 series), a race of Ape
Ape
Apes are Old World anthropoid mammals, more specifically a clade of tailless catarrhine primates, belonging to the biological superfamily Hominoidea. The apes are native to Africa and South-east Asia, although in relatively recent times humans have spread all over the world...
men. He often plays the role of scout for the Mutants, and is frequently the first to run from danger. Monkian typically uses his flail and projectile-firing shield when in combat. He pilots one of the Skycutters.
He was renamed "Mandrilo" in the Spanish version.
Jackalman
Jackalman (voiced by Larry KenneyLarry Kenney
Larry Kenney is an American radio personality and voice actor.In 1963, Kenney began his radio career at the age of 15 as a disc jockey at WIRL in Peoria. After WIRL, he worked at WOWO, Ft...
) is a cautious and distrustful coward who leads the Jackalmen (referred to as Jackals in 2011 series), a race of canine humanoids. Though he is one to take any advantage presented to him, Jackalman often sides with Slythe to keep from being the scapegoat when plans fail. He also pilots a Skycutter.
Although Jackalman hasn't appeared in the 2011 series yet, his kind was seen in the episode "Legacy." During that time, a Jackal named Shen (voiced by Rob Paulsen
Rob Paulsen
Robert Fredrick "Rob" Paulsen III , sometimes credited as Rob Paulson, is an American voice actor, best known as the voice behind Raphael from the 1987 cartoon of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Yakko Warner and Dr...
) assisted Leo and Panthera into overthrowing Mumm-Ra.
He was renamed "Chacalo" in the Spanish version.
Vultureman
Vultureman (voiced by Earl HammondEarl Hammond
Earl Hammond was an American theater, radio, film and television actor, and, in his later years, a voice actor for several animated films and TV series.-Best known roles:...
) is a crafty, vulture
Vulture
Vulture is the name given to two groups of convergently evolved scavenging birds, the New World Vultures including the well-known Californian and Andean Condors, and the Old World Vultures including the birds which are seen scavenging on carcasses of dead animals on African plains...
-like opportunist who serves as chief inventor and mechanical know-it-all for the Mutants. His skills with both machines and science make him frequently indispensable, but he is more often than not blamed when his devices or machines fail to live up to Slithe’s expectations (in one episode, he grew tired of this and activated a hidden self-destruct mechanism in every single machine and vehicle the Mutants used, telling them that if his work was really so bad, then "See how you do without them!"). As befits a scientist, Vultureman is inquisitive and open-minded, frequently leaving him odd-man-out among his more barbaric peers. Much later, he decides to work for his own gains, and he often strikes solo deals with Mumm-Ra. He pilots a vulture-styled Flying Machine, carries a crossbow-shaped weapon, and later commands weapons like the Mutank and Thundrainium Cannon. Unlike the other mutants, Vultureman was not introduced in the opening episode of the series, but a flashback reveals him working with Slithe years earlier.
He was renamed "Buítro" in the Spanish version.
Ratar-O
Ratar-O (voiced by Bob McFaddenBob McFadden
Robert "Bob" McFadden was a singer and voiceover actor best known for his many contributions to animated cartoons. His best known characters were Milton the Monster, Cool McCool, and the ThunderCats' Snarf...
) is a rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
-like general in the Mutant armies, this portly rodent is considered the most cunning and evil of all the Mutants. He comes to Third Earth at the behest of the Vultureman to aid them in defeating the ThunderCats. His flagship, the Ratstar, is a powerful war machine, and though it crashes, Ratar-O salvages parts to make a Mutank to continue the fight. He is strong, and wields the Rat's Eye (a pair of kris-style daggers which have two mystical gems embedded in their hilts) that he can use to fire energy blasts, levitate foes and even fly through the air. Ratar-O resembles Ratilla the Terrible (the former holder of the Sword of Plun-Darr), but it is unknown if they share a family relation.
Lunataks
Hailing from the Moons of Plun-Darr, these vile beings were once feared criminals in ancient times. They dwell in Dark Side, a volcanic region on the far side of Fire-Rock Mountain. They were encased in molten rock by Mumm-Ra when they attempted to take control of Third Earth. Mumm-Ra later released them on the condition that they work for him to battle the ThunderCats. However, the Lunataks form their own 'third column' based in Dark Side, building a massive, floating fortress called Sky Tomb from which they strike against all of Third Earth. Their numbers consist of:- Luna (voiced by Lynne LiptonLynne LiptonLynne Lipton is an American film, stage, television and voice actress.She is best remembered for providing most of the voices of the female characters on the popular 1980s animated series ThunderCats. She voiced Luna of the Lunatacs, Willa...
) — A diminutive sorceress, now the leader and chief strategist of the Lunataks. Because of her small form, she is carried around and cared for by Amok, her servant. Cruel and caustic, Luna at one time recovered the magical belt once worn by her grandmother, Queen Luna, and used its power to grow tall and mobile again, but reverted in size when the belt was later destroyed.
- Amok (voiced by Earl HammondEarl HammondEarl Hammond was an American theater, radio, film and television actor, and, in his later years, a voice actor for several animated films and TV series.-Best known roles:...
) — Luna’s loyal servant and bodyguard, also her chief mode of transportation. A hulking, quadrupedal brute who seems to be a cross of a bulldogBulldogBulldog is the name for a breed of dog commonly referred to as the English Bulldog. Other Bulldog breeds include the American Bulldog, Olde English Bulldogge and the French Bulldog. The Bulldog is a muscular heavy dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose...
and a demonDemoncall - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
, and having very limited capacity for vocalization, Amok is strong and fast but also displays enough cunning to exact revenge against Luna for abandoning him when she recovers Queen Luna’s magical belt. He also has an innate weakness for candies, and will abandon Luna in an instant if it means getting to eat it.
- Alluro (voiced by Doug PreisDoug PreisDoug Preis is an American voice actor. He is best known for his roles in Doug, ThunderCats, and Silverhawks. He also voiced commercials including the Lucky Charms leprechaun and the Vlasic Pickles stork.-Filmography:...
) — A gangrelGangrelGangrel may refer to:*Gangrel , a fictional clan of vampires in the role-playing game Vampire: the Masquerade*David Heath , an American professional wrestler better known as "Gangrel" in World Wrestling Entertainment...
-looking creature with a slimy and treacherous personality, Alluro is a master of deceptionDeceptionDeception, beguilement, deceit, bluff, mystification, bad faith, and subterfuge are acts to propagate beliefs that are not true, or not the whole truth . Deception can involve dissimulation, propaganda, and sleight of hand. It can employ distraction, camouflage or concealment...
, mind gameMind gameThe term mind games refers to three main categories:* a largely conscious struggle for psychological one-upmanship, often employing passive–aggressive behavior to specifically demoralize or empower the thinking subject, making the aggressor look superior - 'mind games or power games'.* 'the...
s and psychological warfarePsychological warfarePsychological warfare , or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations , have been known by many other names or terms, including Psy Ops, Political Warfare, “Hearts and Minds,” and Propaganda...
. He is not much of a fighter, but he uses a powerful weapon called a Psyche-Club to immobilize his foes. The crystal ball launched from his club focuses his mental powers onto a foe, allowing him to manipulate their minds with illusions or to command them to do his bidding. Unlike the other Lunatak soldiers, no connection is ever made between Alluro's powers and any condition on his home-world moon that would necessitate having them.
- Tug Mug (voiced by Bob McFaddenBob McFaddenRobert "Bob" McFadden was a singer and voiceover actor best known for his many contributions to animated cartoons. His best known characters were Milton the Monster, Cool McCool, and the ThunderCats' Snarf...
) — A Lunatak from one of Plun-Darr’s moons with strong gravity, Tug Mug proves extremely powerful in the lesser gravity of Third Earth. He can use his tripod "legs" to leap great distances, and his strength is so impressive that he once snapped the blade of the Sword of Omens with his bare hands (it was later repaired by the ThunderCat blacksmith, Ben-Gali). Combative by nature, Tug Mug can use a "gravity carbine" in battle, whose gravitation beams can make a living being or object light as air or as heavy as stone.
- Chilla (voiced by Gerrianne RaphaelGerrianne RaphaelGerrianne Raphael is an actress and voice actor. She is perhaps best known for her major role as the voice of Pumyra on the originalThundercats cartoon.-Personal life:...
) — This female Lunatak from the ice moon of Plun-Darr has command over cold and heat by the power of her expelled breath, blowing to freeze the air around a target in seconds to immobilize them, or heating it through her heat beams (both optical or from her hands) to incite flames or burn them. She has little regard for life and sometimes uses her powers willfully out of spite. Her one major weakness is rock salt, known for its ability to melt ice. Out of all the Lunataks, Chilla is the most humanoid.
- Red-Eye (voiced by Earle HymanEarle HymanEarle Hyman is an American stage, television, and film actor. Hyman is known for his recurring role on The Cosby Show as Cliff's father, Russell Huxtable.-Career:...
) — A Lunatak from the misty moon of Plun-Darr, this hulking brute has enhanced vision capabilities, allowing him to see things in infra-red and even to detect the ThunderCat Tygra when invisible. A loyal follower of Luna, Red-Eye uses a spinning discus (stored in his armored chestplate) to battle his foes. He is often the engineer and pilot of Sky Tomb.
Hammerhand and the Berserkers
This odd band of vikingViking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
-like pirates
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
first appeared pillaging the northern shores of the Unicorn Forest (in the episode The Terror of Hammerhand). They have a habit of repeating certain words or phrases three times. The original Berserkers resembled vikings and were apparently all killed when their ship was sank, but Hammerhand was later mystically resurrected by Mumm-Ra, who summoned up his spirit to animate a clone of Panthro which he had created. When the plan failed, Hammerhand's spirit broke Mumm-Ra's control, and the clone body shifted into Hammerhand's original form before departing. When he next appeared, in the Season 2 mini-series, "ThunderCats-Ho!", Hammerhand had reformed the Berserkers with new members endowed with cybernetic bodies and powers like his own. The Berserkers are:
- Hammerhand (voiced by Earl HammondEarl HammondEarl Hammond was an American theater, radio, film and television actor, and, in his later years, a voice actor for several animated films and TV series.-Best known roles:...
) — The leader of the Berserkers who has a cybernetic arm that can punch and pound with great force.
- Topspinner (voiced by Bob McFaddenBob McFaddenRobert "Bob" McFadden was a singer and voiceover actor best known for his many contributions to animated cartoons. His best known characters were Milton the Monster, Cool McCool, and the ThunderCats' Snarf...
) — A warrior who can spin at high speeds to deflect missile objects or smash opponents. His spinning can also make him dizzy.
- Ram Bam (voiced by Peter NewmanPeter Newman (actor)Peter Newman is famous for his voice work for Rankin/Bass. In ThunderCats he provided the voices of Tygra, Wilykat, Bengali, and Monkian. In SilverHawks he provided the voices of Quicksilver, Mumbo Jumbo, and Timestopper. He also played the evil Duke of Zill & Wack Lizardi in Felix the Cat: The...
) — Rolling by the wheel embedded in his chest, this fighter can launch himself along the ground at high speeds to smash through objects like a battering ram. He also has rollers on his feet to help him move fast.
- Cruncher (voiced by Earle HymanEarle HymanEarle Hyman is an American stage, television, and film actor. Hyman is known for his recurring role on The Cosby Show as Cliff's father, Russell Huxtable.-Career:...
) — A hulking pirate whose sheer strength can crush buildings and boulders with ease.
Grune
Grune the Destroyer (voiced by Bob McFaddenBob McFadden
Robert "Bob" McFadden was a singer and voiceover actor best known for his many contributions to animated cartoons. His best known characters were Milton the Monster, Cool McCool, and the ThunderCats' Snarf...
in the original series, Clancy Brown
Clancy Brown
Clarence J. "Clancy" Brown III is an American actor and voice actor. He is known for his roles in live action as The Kurgan in the cult classic film Highlander, Byron Hadley in the award-winning The Shawshank Redemption, Brother Justin Crowe in HBO's critically acclaimed Carnivàle, and Career...
in the 2011 series) — An anthropomorphized saber-toothed tiger
Smilodon
Smilodon , often called a saber-toothed cat or saber-toothed tiger, is an extinct genus of machairodonts. This saber-toothed cat was endemic to North America and South America, living from near the beginning through the very end of the Pleistocene epoch .-Etymology:The nickname "saber-tooth" refers...
in appearance, this former ThunderCat noble was once a good friend to Jaga the Wise on Thundera. However, his lust for power and greed turned him renegade against his fellow ThunderCats, forcing Jaga to fight him in a titanic battle that lasted for days. Grune was defeated by Jaga, then banished and sent into exile in space. He wields a mace
Mace
A mace is a blunt weapon, a type of club or virge—that uses a heavy head on the end of a handle to deliver powerful blows. A development of the club, the military mace differs from a hammer in that the head of a mace is radially symmetric so that a blow can be delivered just as effectively with any...
and possess immense superhuman strength. Eventually his spacecraft landed on Third Earth and he began terrorizing its natives until, many years later, he was defeated (by unknown means) and sealed away inside a tomb (which was covered with a stone slab and a tree to prevent others from opening it). At some point, Grune lost one of his fangs. A tablet held the seal in place, until centuries later, a pair of Bolkens accidentally released his spirit. Once freed, the ghost of Grune seeks out the ThunderCats, attacking them to draw out Jaga, whose spirit ultimately defeats him using both Lion-O’s strength and the Eye of Thundera. However, Grune would return later when summoned by Mumm-Ra to stop Jaga’s spirit from obtaining the Star of Thundera (which was needed to help free three more Thundereans — Pumyra, Ben-Gali and Lynx-O — from the Mutant prisons at Fire-Rock Mountain). When the ThunderCats return to New Thundera, Grune is resurrected by Mumm-Ra. Grune initially succeeds in defeating Lion-O, breaking the Sword of Omens and chaining Lion-O and Cheetara up on the Churning Rocks. However, Snarf gathers the pieces of the sword and while attempting to take them to Ben-Gali for repair, he is captured by Char, who repairs the sword and makes it even more powerful, wanting to keep it for himself. Sensing the sword is repaired, Lion-O calls for it and uses it to free himself and Cheetara. Grune attempts to defeat Lion-O, but fails and is banished back to Third Earth when Lion-O activated the ThunderCat signal.
In the 2011 series, Grune is one of Claudus' trusted generals who was best friends with Panthro in the past while confiding in him his desire to rise up the ranks. During one of their missions, Grune ripped his sabertooth off to save Panthro from Spidera. When Grune and Panthro sparred to prove themselves to get a promotion from Claudus, the rank of general was given to Lynx-O by Claudus as he assigns Grune and Panthro to find the Book of Omens. Grune felt betrayed and drove himself mad by his paranoia. Eventually, his jealousy towards the king was used by Mumm-Ra to convince Grune to become his follower and serve a key role in Thundera's downfall. However, Grune also intended to betray Mumm-Ra in the long run prior to leading the attack on the Elephants' village to obtain the spirit stone there, resulting with Grune sucked into the Astral Plane.
Other villains
- BaronBaronBaron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
Tass - A Thunderian baron who arrives on New Thundera in "Well of Doubt." He is shown to have a history with Torr. He tried to cash in on old debts, but Lion-O forbade him. He discovered the Well of Doubt and gave it's water to Lion-O, where its waters filled Lion-O with doubt, after which he attacks the ThunderCats with some stone statues. Once Lion-O overcomes the effects of the Well of Doubt and defeats the stone statues, Baron Tass promises to change his ways.- Mr. Grubber - Baron Tass's bookkeeperBookkeepingBookkeeping is the recording of financial transactions. Transactions include sales, purchases, income, receipts and payments by an individual or organization. Bookkeeping is usually performed by a bookkeeper. Bookkeeping should not be confused with accounting. The accounting process is usually...
.
- Mr. Grubber - Baron Tass's bookkeeper
- Black Widow Shark - An atrocious and extremely dangerous creature that attacks anything or anyone that dares come close to the River of Despair. Enormous in size, it resembles a great white sharkGreat white sharkThe great white shark, scientific name Carcharodon carcharias, also known as the great white, white pointer, white shark, or white death, is a large lamniform shark found in coastal surface waters in all major oceans. It is known for its size, with the largest individuals known to have approached...
with crustacean-like legs sprouting from its sides.
- Burnout - Burnout was a robot criminal that was accidentally released by Lion-O in "Mandora the Evil Chaser." Lion-O helped Mandora recapture him.
- Captain Cracker (voiced by Earl HammondEarl HammondEarl Hammond was an American theater, radio, film and television actor, and, in his later years, a voice actor for several animated films and TV series.-Best known roles:...
) — A robotic space pirateSpace pirateSpace pirates are a type of stock characters from science fiction. They operate as pirates in outer space and travel by spacecraft; as opposed to the more traditional pirates on the high seas of Earth, who travel by boat...
who captains a starship named the Jolly Roger.He has a robot parrotParrotParrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
named Polly. In "Mandora and the Pirates" He raids the Great Penal Planet to release a criminal contingent to help him take over the space-ways. . In "Exile Isle" he and the lunatacs team up to plan a destructive return to Third Earth. in "Cracker's Revenge" land on Way-Out Back and free the Lunatacs and put Bragg and Crownan in one of the train's cages. They plan to go to Third Earth to attack it since most of the Thundercats are no longer on Third Earth.
- Captain Shiner (voiced by Bob McFaddenBob McFaddenRobert "Bob" McFadden was a singer and voiceover actor best known for his many contributions to animated cartoons. His best known characters were Milton the Monster, Cool McCool, and the ThunderCats' Snarf...
) — A monocleMonocleA monocle is a type of corrective lens used to correct or enhance the vision in only one eye. It consists of a circular lens, generally with a wire ring around the circumference that can be attached to a string. The other end of the string is then connected to the wearer's clothing to avoid losing...
-wearing, dogDogThe domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
-like, space-faring alien mercenaryMercenaryA mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
with a GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
accent commanding a starship named The Vertus and its sizeable crew. He is summoned on more than one occasion to carry out Mumm-Ra's bidding (for a substantial fee) although he did help the ThunderCats escape from a black holeBlack holeA black hole is a region of spacetime from which nothing, not even light, can escape. The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass will deform spacetime to form a black hole. Around a black hole there is a mathematically defined surface called an event horizon that...
. In the second appearance, he was instructed to take the three Thunderians Lynx-O, Pumyra, and Bengali to Fire-Rock Mountain to be locked away near where some Thundranium is located.
- Conquedor (voiced by Jon PolitoJon PolitoJon Polito is an American actor and voice artist, who is known for working with the Coen Brothers, most notably in the major supporting role of Italian gangster Johnny Caspar in Miller's Crossing. He also appeared in the first two seasons of Homicide: Life on the Street and on the first season of...
) - Exclusive to the 2011 series, Conquedor is a robotic villain who has been capturing Berbils and selling them to the highest bidder. After the ThunderCats had crashed his auction and freed the Berbils, Conquedor led the Giantors and the Trollogs to attack the Berbils. With help from the Berbils, the ThunderCats were able to defeat the Trollogs and Giantors while Lion-O defeats Conquedor.
- Demolisher (voiced by Peter NewmanPeter Newman (actor)Peter Newman is famous for his voice work for Rankin/Bass. In ThunderCats he provided the voices of Tygra, Wilykat, Bengali, and Monkian. In SilverHawks he provided the voices of Quicksilver, Mumbo Jumbo, and Timestopper. He also played the evil Duke of Zill & Wack Lizardi in Felix the Cat: The...
) — Only appearing in a single episode, Demolisher is one of the more powerful foes to challenge the ThunderCats. Similar to Safari Joe, his motives are not power but glory. A dog-like being, resembling a ThylacineThylacineThe thylacine or ,also ;binomial name: Thylacinus cynocephalus, Greek for "dog-headed pouched one") was the largest known carnivorous marsupial of modern times. It is commonly known as the Tasmanian tiger or the Tasmanian wolf...
, the Demolisher travels from planet to planet seeking a worthy opponent to battle with his arsenal of high-tech weapons. The Demolisher originally lands on Third Earth to battle Mumm-Ra. After Mumm-Ra is defeated by the galactic warrior, but convinces him that Lion-O is a far worthier conquest. Thus persuaded, the Demolisher seeks out and engages Lion-O in battle but is eventually overcome. Defeated, the Demolisher flees Third Earth in shame. Lion-O laments that such a strong and courageous warrior must live without a cause to fight for, stating, "...I wish he had joined us in our fight to spread the code of Thundera."- Dirge - A stumpy, armadilloArmadilloArmadillos are New World placental mammals, known for having a leathery armor shell. Dasypodidae is the only surviving family in the order Cingulata, part of the superorder Xenarthra along with the anteaters and sloths. The word armadillo is Spanish for "little armored one"...
-like drummer companion of Demolisher who serves the role of a cheerleader/herald and is somewhat of a "Snarf" to the Demolisher's "Lion-O."
- Dirge - A stumpy, armadillo
- Driller (voiced by Bob McFaddenBob McFaddenRobert "Bob" McFadden was a singer and voiceover actor best known for his many contributions to animated cartoons. His best known characters were Milton the Monster, Cool McCool, and the ThunderCats' Snarf...
) — A metallic demon of the sand who has a drill in place of legs. He also has changeable drill bits on his head, which allows him to drill through the sand, rock and dirt in the deep desert. His services are for hire; his chief price is diamonds, which he needs to keep his drill points sharp. He once captured Panthro for Mumm-Ra, and appeared again to drill a tunnel from Acid Lake to the Cat's Lair. Driller starred in "Spitting Image" (where he was hired by Mumm-Ra to capture Panthro), "Return Of the Driller," "Jackalman's Rebellion" (where he and Mole Master teamed up with Jackalman), and "The Mechanical Plague." In the 2011 reboot, Driller is a robot built by Grune to mine for Thundrillium. Driller managed to buy Grune some time to get away before being destroyed or deactivated by Lion-O.
- Duelist (voiced by Miguel FerrerMiguel FerrerMiguel José Ferrer is an American actor and voice actor who is often cast as a villain. His notable roles include Bob Morton, a supporting character in RoboCop , the short tempered FBI agent Albert Rosenfield in Twin Peaks, and Dr...
) - Exclusive to the 2011 series, the Duelist is a professional swordsman who claims the swords of his defeated opponents. One of his swords in his possession is the Sword of Hittanzo which he claimed from it's sword-maker. He challenges Lion-O to a sword match with the Sword of Omens as its wager. Though the Duelist wins the sword, Lion-O manages to get it back with help from the Drifter (who was really Hittanzo all along) while disarming the Duelist of his swords. When the Duelist tries to attack Lion-O, Hittanzo intervenes and drives the Duelist out of town.
- Frog Man - Frog Man is a humanoid frogFrogFrogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
who was the survivor of another planet that crash-landed on Thundera centuries ago. He tried to destroy the planet with a flood so that he can claim it as his own when his own planet's water dried out, but was imprisoned by the Thunderians after his fight with Jaga. On New Thundera, he is accidentally freed by Wilykit and Wilykat. Pretending to be their friend, Frog Man quickly turns on them and tries to sink the new Cat's Lair. In the end, Lion-O is able to defeat him and trap him in his original prison.
- Giant Technopede - An enormous, mechanical centipedeCentipedeCentipedes are arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda of the subphylum Myriapoda. They are elongated metameric animals with one pair of legs per body segment. Despite the name, centipedes can have a varying number of legs from under 20 to over 300. Centipedes have an odd number of pairs of...
creature, a war machine from the past. Extremely destructive and endowed with lethal weapons systems.The ThunderCats prevented it from eradicating the Tuska people. Mumm-Ra later reactivated it in "The Mechanical Plague."
- Mad Bubbler - A reptilian phantom that inhabits the Hook Mountain thundrilium mines. The Mad Bubbler bears an uncanny resemblance to the bubble dragons from Bubble BobbleBubble Bobbleis an arcade game by Taito, first released in 1986 and later ported to numerous home computers and game consoles. The game, starring the twin Bubble Dragons and , is an action-platform game in which players travel through one hundred different stages, blowing and bursting bubbles, avoiding...
.
- Malcar - Malcar is an ancient alchemistAlchemyAlchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
whom Mumm-Ra summoned from the dead in a plot to transmute Thundrillium into Thundranium on New Thundera. However, Mumm-Ra needed to send Malcar to the Canyons of Youth twice in order to restore his youth so that he could more effectively attack the ThunderCats. However, this plan backfires the second time as Mumm-Ra accidentally leaves Malcar in the Canyons of Youth making him revert into an infant due to Jaga's interference. With no memory of his previous life, the baby Malcar is given by Lion-O to be adopted by a Thunderian couple who arrived on New Thundera.
- Mole Master - A moleMole (animal)Moles are small cylindrical mammals adapted to a subterranean lifestyle. They have velvety fur; tiny or invisible ears and eyes; and short, powerful limbs with large paws oriented for digging. The term is especially and most properly used for the true moles, those of the Talpidae family in the...
man who enslaved the other mole people to work in his tunnels as seen in "Time Capsule." He was defeated by Tygra. He later returns in "Jackalman's Rebellion" where he teamed up with Jackalman and Driller.
- Mongor (voiced by Bob McFaddenBob McFaddenRobert "Bob" McFadden was a singer and voiceover actor best known for his many contributions to animated cartoons. His best known characters were Milton the Monster, Cool McCool, and the ThunderCats' Snarf...
) — A demonic goatGoatThe domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
-like being believed to be the personification of fear on Third Earth. For three centuries, Mumm-Ra had unsuccessfully tried to locate his tomb and free him, but the ThunderKittens accidentally freed Mongor, allowing him to attack and subdue the other ThunderCats. He feeds from his opponents's fears to grow larger and more powerful. His only weakness is for his foes not to look directly at him, which takes away his power (as Lion-O, WilyKit and WilyKat discover to defeat him).
- Nemex - Nemex is a three-eyed, four-armed impish creature of the Netherworld who once captured Jaga in "The Astral Prison."
- Plutar - Plutar is a criminal from the dark planet Onxy who was accidentally released by Lion-O in "Mandora the Evil Chaser." Plutar is known for his toxic touch. He was recaptured by Lion-O and Mandora.
- Pyron - Pyron is a warrior that was summoned into the Book of Omens by the Ancient Spirits of Evil in "The Book of Omens." He was the Ancient Spirits of Evil's champion yet was easily defeated by Lion-O with the help of the dragon heads that are wrapped around the pillars near the Book of Omens' entity.
- Quick Pick - Quick Pick is a robotic pickpocket and escape artist who was accidentally released by Lion-O in "Mandora the Evil Chaser." He was recaptured by Lion-O and Mandora after the other ThunderCats saved them from the Mudhogs. In "Mandora and the Pirates," he is among the inmates in the Gray Penal Planet who is released by Captain Cracker. He helps Lion-O and Mandora defeat Captain Cracker. Mandora plans to speak to the Galactic Governor to have a pardon given to Quick Pick in order to make him her assistant.
- Safari Joe (voiced by Larry KenneyLarry KenneyLarry Kenney is an American radio personality and voice actor.In 1963, Kenney began his radio career at the age of 15 as a disc jockey at WIRL in Peoria. After WIRL, he worked at WOWO, Ft...
in an Australian accent) — An intergalacticIntergalacticIntergalactic may refer to:* Intergalactic space* Intergalactic travel, travel between galaxies in science fiction and speculation* "Intergalactic" , a song by the Beastie Boys...
big-game hunterBig game huntingBig game hunting is the hunting of large game. The term is historically associated with the hunting of Africa's Big Five game , and with tigers and rhinos on the Indian subcontinent. In North America, animals such as bears and bison were hunted...
who ventures to Third Earth to hunt the ThunderCats. He uses a rifle that has a variable arsenal of weapons (capture claws, fire rounds, missiles, etc.). Safari Joe manages to capture all the ThunderCats and imprison them in cages made of thundranium, a substance that weakens ThunderCats. He was known for his trademark slogan: "Safari Joe...does it again!". Safari Joe fails to capture Lion-O thanks to Snarf supplying a distraction. When Safari Joe finds himself out of ammunition, he is revealed to be nothing more than a coward. Safari Joe was made to promise that he would never hunt again, and Mule was reprogrammed to ensure he kept his word. In "Fond Memories," Mumm-Ra creates a gallery trap for Lion-O with Safari Joe being one of the portraits alongiside Slithe, Ratar-O, and Spidera.- Mule - Safari Joe's robotic assistant whose head is shaped like a trainTrainA train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
. He helps to assemble traps, using a computerized analyzer to provide information on his prey. After Safari Joe was defeated by Lion-O, Mule was reprogrammed to make sure Safari Joe keeps his word to never hunt again.
- Mule - Safari Joe's robotic assistant whose head is shaped like a train
- The Shadowmaster (voiced by Peter NewmanPeter Newman (actor)Peter Newman is famous for his voice work for Rankin/Bass. In ThunderCats he provided the voices of Tygra, Wilykat, Bengali, and Monkian. In SilverHawks he provided the voices of Quicksilver, Mumbo Jumbo, and Timestopper. He also played the evil Duke of Zill & Wack Lizardi in Felix the Cat: The...
) — A wizard on Thundera who used a cloak of darkness to conjure his magical powers and attempted to take over the planet. He was defeated by both Jaga and Lion-O's father, Claudus, and was then banished to the "Shadow Realm," but he managed to escape years later, kidnapping Claudus just before Thundera was destroyed. Through a sequence of nightmares, Lion-O eventually learns of his father's imprisonment in the Shadow Realm and is able to rescue him. The Shadowmaster has arguably come closer to defeating the ThunderCats than anyone else. In his one-time assault on the ThunderCats, the Shadowmaster would have succeeded had Mumm-Ra not interfered for fear that the Shadowmaster would replace him as the chief servant to the Ancient Spirits of Evil.
- Spidera - A giant queen spiderSpiderSpiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
that rules the kingdom of webs. One of her servants captures Snarf. Lion-O fights Spidera and is knocked onto Spidera's web. Lion-O becomes trapped in her web. The other ThunderCats arrive to fight Spidara only to have Cheetara and Tygra become entangled in her webs. Snarf manages to throw the Sword of Omens to Lion-O, allowing himself and the other ThunderCats to defeat Spidera. In "Fond Memories," Mumm-Ra creates a gallery trap for Lion-O with Spidera being one of the portraits alongside Slithe, Ratar-O, and Safari Joe. In the 2011 series, Spidera was depicted as a giant spider that Panthro and Grune encountered after busting out of a prison camp during the Lizard War. Panthro told Wilykit and Wilykat that Spidera had him trapped until Grune ripped out his sabretooth and stabbed Spidera in her weakspot.
- Queen Tartara (voiced by Lynne LiptonLynne LiptonLynne Lipton is an American film, stage, television and voice actress.She is best remembered for providing most of the voices of the female characters on the popular 1980s animated series ThunderCats. She voiced Luna of the Lunatacs, Willa...
) - A selfish queen who has riches in her crystal kingdom. She steals the Arrietta bird from the Ro-Bear Berbils (who were hoping to get a good harvest) so the queen would get it to sing for her only. She has guards that are blindfolded for she forbids them to look at her treasures. She traps Lion-O in crystal casing as punishment for being in her treasure room. Snarf entered the queen's treasure room by digging under. He manages to free the Arrietta bird so it could sing high notes to help get Lion-O out of the crystal casing. Panthro arrives in the Thundertank before the queen's guards could destroy Lion-O, Snarf, and the Arrietta bird. It can be assumed that Queen Tartara perished as her kingdom collapsed.
- Ta-She - A beautiful princess from ancient times who was imprisoned in the time continuum. She wields the power of the Doomgaze which enables her to mesmerize males with her beauty. The Ancients Spirits of Evil ordered Mumm-Ra to have the mutants free her. They needed to obtain items in order to free Ta-Shee which included the hair of a cheetah (which ended up being a sample of Cheetara's hair), the tears of a Berbil (which Mumm-Ra extracted from Ro-Bear-Belle), the shoe of a unicorn, and a hero to take her place (Mumm-Ra planned to have Lion-O be the candidate for this). Freed by Mumm-Ra, Ta-She puts the male Thundercats under her spell. She is ultimately defeated by Cheetara, who being a woman was completely immune to the effects of Ta-She's beauty, and is then returned to her eternal prison.
- Two-Time - Two-Time is a robotRobotA robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
with heads on both ends of his body. His base of operations is a flying fortress called Dome-Down. In his first appearance, Two-Time had captured a family of Thunderian refugees near the Churning Rocks on New Thundera. In his second appearance, Two-Time ambushed an Ecology Inspector who was coming to inspect the new Cat's Lair, and even tried to contain Cat's Lair in his Dome-Down ship, in order to sell it to other alien races.
- Zaxx - A four-armed avian sorcerer who unsuccessfully fought Mumm-Ra for control of Third Earth in the distant past. Zaxx was left without form as his essence was trapped within a magical medallion. Any creature later wearing the medallion acquires his fantastic power but is progressively transformed to permanently become Zaxx, who requires a host body for retribution against his ancient foe.
External links
- http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/thundercats/index.html