Thundarr the Barbarian TV cartoon intro (1980)

In the year 1994, a comet hurtles between Earth and the moon. The moon is destroyed, and the Earth loses its ozone layer--causing the entire planet to be laid waste. Centuries later, Earth has become "a world of savagery, super-science, and sorcery," inhabited by various evildoers, scavengers, and magicians. Thundarr, a warrior who wields a powerful sword, is joined by his friends Ookla the Mok and Princess Ariel as they make their way through this strange world.

[@ReverendBenzo]

"Dad is that He-Man, Chewbacca and a light saber?" "No, son. It's Thundarr the Barbarian, Ookla the Mok and a Sunsword".

[@CrazyCircles1]

Not a light saber, but a FABULOUS Sunsword.

[@drnocka-rocksteady]

CrazyCircles1 sounds like a gay light saber

[@BurnRoddy]

@@CrazyCircles1 Still not as cool as Yondo's Nigga Sword from season 2 episode 19.

[@madnbad1408]

YA Godamn Right!

[@surfczar]

@@CrazyCircles1 If you're going to be a sunsword be a fabulous sunsword.

[@terran5364]

The distant year of 1994.

[@RequiemPoete]

Brendan Feay: That explains the volcano in my backyard...

[@andrewbui8295]

Leo Antonio I wonder the same thing about the Mayans’ descendants and their 2012 prediction

[@scottjarnagin348]

Hey, Transformers: The Movie was set in the futuristic year of 2005.

[@mzmadmike]

@Leo Antonio Predicting the end of the world by 2030.

[@ThunderZandor]

August 29th 2029, end of the world.

[@ralphyetmore]

Super Science; easily the most sophisticated field of science...

[@thegmanofEAP]

ralphyetmore I'm majoring in super science, minoring in sorcery.

[@samueljohnson3218]

so true LoL

[@RequiemPoete]

My Thesis was on how to guide mutation.

[@earthsmightiestheroes679]

PhD in ancient sorcery, minor degree in super science.

[@rouseville]

I love that 2,000 years from 1994 there's still a perfectly recognizable husk of a 1960's VW Bug.

[@Alpha-Trion7]

someone kept it painted ok!! Ok??! :P

[@ThunderZandor]

Don't you just love it when the voice over says it's "THUNDARR THE BARBARIAN",..what passion. Makes me want to get my LED saber and fight some evil wizards, lol !

[@elsea8901]

ThunderZandor it makes me want to eat capn crunch

[@michaelmclaughlin261]

"Ariel, Ookla...let's ride!"

[@Alpha-Trion7]

@@elsea8901 the roof of your mouth is in pure agony, but it tastes ok I guess.

[@JNickEnders]

I loved this cartoon as a kid.

[@ThunderZandor]

+J. Nick Enders I have 5 episodes on tape and its pretty cheese & lame but fun & funny like the Superfriends. This would be great today re-animated with new stories.

[@lakerstekkenn]

+J. Nick Enders SATURDAY CARTOONS AMAZING SPIDER MAN AND HIS FRIENDS GREAT TIMES

[@ThunderZandor]

dale lee Plastic Man, Caveman, Shazam, Space Academy, & much more.

[@josem.figueroajr.4532]

J. Nick Enders You're not the only one.

[@josem.figueroajr.4532]

dale lee HELL YEAH!

[@vonskull]

I lived through 1994 and I didn't remember this happening.

[@greek1237]

+vonskull I do, I have to fight off some evil Wizard overlords every day just to put dinner on the table.

[@LuckyBird551]

+vonskull Oh, you must be one of the brainwashed few, the ones that didn't agree to never talk about it ever so... yeah, the moon was split up, but luckily NASA got right on it and glued it together with a new rocket ship. Rebuilding every city destroyed by the natural disasters was a little harder...

[@Evil0tto]

+vonskull You missed it. It was in all the papers.

[@thespiderwebbs1]

+vonskul well you missed it

[@blueeyes57X]

+vonskull : You don't see the moon split in two from where you live...? Maybe it's on an angle from where you are and the other split half is behind it...! LOL

[@jamiebraswell5520]

I absolutely loved this cartoon when I was a kid! Great memories!

[@RebelTaxi]

1994 was a rought year

[@FromtheHerts81]

Nobody got to see Forrest Gump or The Lion King. What a shame.

[@vintagetvandexciting]

Hold my beer-2020

[@aiden8424]

amongus

[@Satchel334]

The ONE and ONLY ABC network Saturday morning animated series that didn't suck! Just to see one with decent writing and animation was amazing.

[@yamiblade]

Wasn't Reboot originally on ABC. And you know....One Saturday Morning....

[@ikeyasector]

Damn, I loved this show growing up. Yes I'm old.

[@Bloodreign1]

I was all of 5 when this came out, ABC ran it (NBC re-ran it in 1983). My older brothers were more fans for this show, but eventually I grew to like it years later. Shame it had such a short run.

[@InformationIsTheEdge]

Robert Ridgely, the voice of Thundarr was also the voice of Tarzan in the Filmation production of Tarzan Lord Of The Jungle in 1976. I don't think either would have had the same punch without that smooth, rich baritone voice. To be 10 years old again, a big bowl of Corn Flakes drizzled with honey, not a care in the world and an entire morning of Saturday cartoons ahead of me. Those were good times.

[@josem.figueroajr.4532]

InformationIsTheEdge True that.

[@dennisalfonso7699]

Those were good times.

[@JackBeddows]

Yup, I was ten then too.... loved this show! Distant second, I also loved SuperFriends legion of Doom.

[@corycunningham1100]

Life was so good back then...

[@petecspahn]

Makes my heart heavy sometimes...

[@jasongrannell6100]

A VW Beetle lasted for 2000 years? Well sure. Why not?

[@michaelklaus]

***** Made In Germany ;)

[@cyrillewis8747]

Jason Grannell ha ha

[@wildesthog]

You don't get it, its VW that survived the apocalypse. Now they make cars using super science and sorcery...

[@donkique956]

Jason Grannell super German technology.

[@33Luger]

And the paint job!

[@davidbutler1857]

They totally need to do a live action of this.

[@michaelhorsford403]

I've been saying that for 15 years bro

[@pontiacfan76]

David Butler please no Hollywood always ruins these cartoons.

[@delmusdugan]

Netflix wouldn’t eff it up

[@mosiarmstrong]

Nah they'd just fuck it up.

[@LuckyBird551]

Live action today keeps getting worse and worse unless it is done as a work of love and not as a quick cashgrab. And whoever does this live action will do it as a cash grab.

[@Zenardo]

This is what happens when you merge Star Wars with He-Man.

[@Fektthis]

He-Man came out at nearly the same exact time.Thundarr was by far my favorite though. The artwork on Thundarr is great but what else do you expect from Jack Kirby and Alex Toth working together on the designs? Thundarr was definitely a cut above some of the other Saturday morning toons.

[@greek1237]

+Zenardo MMM No, there was no He-man when Thundarr aired, Thundarr beat He-man by 3 years. I am a bigger Thundarr fan, than I am of He-man though.

[@ketchupkatsup9805]

Zenardo nah this sas before HeMan this is Conan and Star Wars mashup

[@ajmage5319]

Conan, Star Wars and Mad Max: Fury Road

[@vincentfranklin17]

And a bit of Planet Of The Apes. Robert E. Howard's Conan The Barbarian.

[@craigwinters1538]

Princess Ariel was hot!

[@Ninja1live]

Ya. She Ra was hotter.

[@RequiemPoete]

She's no Glimmer or Tula, but I'd still smash.

[@thediehardarkansasrazorbak7288]

@@RequiemPoete I'd fuck Ariel in the ass

[@earthsmightiestheroes679]

She-ra & Ariel are mine!

[@RequiemPoete]

@@earthsmightiestheroes679 Okay. I'll take Glimmer. The 80's glimmer, not the new one.

[@Trill104]

This would make an awesome movie!

[@robertathey8504]

i was 6 when this cartoon first. by far my favorite. it was a little dark but thundarr was a badass. so wanted a sunsword

[@nubhevupni]

1994 - I was afraid the entire year, I made a special end of the world bag and kept it in my room.

[@Alpha-Trion7]

@trha2222 Wait another 2000 years, and they will probably be as good as that beetle

[@thegmanofEAP]

wait, that all happened in 94? shit, I must have been more baked in the 90s than I thought!

[@ralphyetmore]

It's an historic period piece...

[@eoinkav8975]

SuperRay64 lol

[@MoonMoverGaming]

Let's say you're a 5-year-old in 1980. This show just told you that civilization would be destroyed before you grew old enough to drink. Terrifying.

[@gerardrbain1972]

I was eight yraars old in 1980 and I remembered being afraid that the US and the USSR would engage in a nuclear war at any moment. So watching Thundarr go through a post-apocalyptic world was, at least in my young mind, a likely future that we were heading to.

[@snay1345]

I thought the same thing.

[@funkmonster]

gerard bain same here. Nuclear thoughts and dreams constantly. Just waiting to see that mushroom cloud.

[@mibuki122905]

@@funkmonster , same here. I was afraid to go to bed at night thinking of the fallout of the end of civilization as we know it. I put my parents through some sleepless nights. 😅

[@venusianviking1733]

Then just get wasted before the apocalypse happens

[@mobywv]

best cartoon intro ever

[@LetiferTV]

"a world of savagery, super-science, and sorcery," LOL

[@sonnyjesusgokrist7084]

+Cynical Possum So basically the Venture Brothers.

[@LuckyBird551]

So... today then? Well, except for the sorcery part...

[@madgreensonunbound5801]

@@LuckyBird551 What are you talking about? Rogue sorcerers are a big problem facing what's left of society today, in the post runaway planet world.

[@OdaSwifteye]

@@LuckyBird551 If people aren't under mind control magic then I don't know what magic is!

[@vincentfranklin17]

Excellent show! Still love it!

[@genkenobi]

shame kids dont have saturday cartoons anymore.

[@ThunderZandor]

Yup, it's all CGI crap now. One of my favs was PLASTIC MAN back in the late 70's.

[@Alexx1083]

Oh yeah man, '94 was pretty dark. We got over it, though.

[@killgazmotron870]

i am so glad, that over the last 22 years, we have so successfully rebuilt society. the new kids will never know of "the age"

[@killosama72]

Damn.....I miss Saturday morning cartoons.

[@MyEnemy]

My favorite cartoon as a kid. The intro scared the heck out of me though.

[@angelcortez8158]

I just have to say that the concept would make a killer movie!

[@veeseee128]

When I was a kid I had to watch my saturday morning cartoons or I would cry and throw a temper tantrum. This cartoon was one reason why I had to see my cartoons. The opening was so awesome, it was like no other cartoon!

[@ImmortalfireTheMod]

That awkward moment where a runaway planet destroys civilization.

[@earthsmightiestheroes679]

How would that even work?

[@RequiemPoete]

@@earthsmightiestheroes679 : To be fair it says planet not comet. So that implies something of larger mass. If something massive passed close enough to Earth to destabilize the moon like that, it would cause all kinds of problems.

[@earthsmightiestheroes679]

@@RequiemPoete Fair enough, just never understood the science behind this scenario.

[@RequiemPoete]

@@earthsmightiestheroes679 : Oh no, need to bring real science into this. Something massive enough and passing that fast would be completely hurled Earth out of its orbit.

[@wayneb8495]

@@earthsmightiestheroes679 I notice the entire atmosphere is ripped away; not sure how Earth recovers after that.

[@HendarsChannel]

Awesome show, def' a reboot of this would be awesome!

[@RequiemPoete]

I doubt it. This is one of those shows that only works with 1980's silliness.

[@scottcarpenter5789]

If they did a good reboot I'd be ok but have you seen most of the reboots lately? shitty graphics and even shittier animation. Please don't do that to this.

[@RequiemPoete]

@@scottcarpenter5789 Part of what made 80's shows good was schtick. That doesn't work with allot of kids today. Old cartoons were just toy commercials. Not that they aren't now, but today's cartoons are giving kids more credit with grown up content they can handle. Shows that have more complicated characters, more mature themes. I mean gargoyles tackled gun violence, Batman the Animated Series had sympathetic villians. Most of them have whole season story arcs. Thundar and He-man were strictly eposodic.

[@RideMyBMW]

Thundarr deserves an all out ,no holds barred, 3D big budgeted hollywood re-make. Thundaee the motion pic would kick sooo much butt.

[@Mrtv1017]

I miss this show a lot

[@guyinsf]

They will for sure make this into a movie, mark my word! Hollywood has been out of ideas for years and if Jem and the Holygrams are coming to the big screen you can big sure Thundarr and the all the other 80s stuff will resurface with a big makeover!

[@ScorpionMaster1224]

If done right it would be awesome to see this as a live action movie.

[@Graeystone]

Would you trust Hollywood to not completely screw it up?

[@wildesthog]

I'm still hoping we'll get the Inhumanoids remade as a movie or at least as a new animated cartoon...

[@unaliveeveryonenow]

+stu wilks They basically already did in 1980 under the name Flash Gordon. That movie is a blast.

[@RequiemPoete]

I think I would rather see DC do an animated movie of this.

[@sdovas]

Go Jack Kirby Go! Make substantially more money than Marvel ever paid you!!!

[@michaelmclaughlin261]

sdovas Kirby really was a genius.

[@DScherer09]

I love Thundarr the barbarian! And the Herculoids...and Thundercats..Wow..I grew up in the 90's watching these cartoons, the're the greatest.

[@gdavidgrana]

When I was younger, I always got scared whenever I saw the moon get destroyed by the comet . Good to know that fear is still there D:

[@LuckyBird551]

It's not a comet, the intro clearly says "Runaway Planet"

[@themadscientist5025]

Planet X ? Maybe the cartoons are the inside warnings... the Simpsons seem to be very accurate?

[@sebastianb.1926]

Runaway Planet never coming back,/ Wrong way on a one-way trajectory...

[@spencerswader5860]

It needs to be shown on boomerang network.

[@SeraphimDragon]

good god I could not remember the name of this show for my life. so glad to know the name again.

[@darioargento21]

this show has haunted my dreams for the last 25 years. So glad to know that it actually existed and isn't just a figment of my imagination!

[@chrismarshva]

oh wow it's Niburu

[@schoolboy405]

just realized that myself

[@white1967falcon]

Ookla...WE RIDE!!

[@curtisdavis9171]

white1967falcon There Was His Warcry: "Aigheeeie"

[@OleCottonLady]

Thundarr would also make a great movie with real actors in the roles. So many cartoons from the 70's, 80's and 90's are just waiting in the wings to be produced onto the big screen!

[@rang3r34]

I MISS 80s cartoons! I loved this cartoon alot too! Definately some things lifted from Star Wars in this, but beats ANYTHING on tv today!

[@diamondking3421]

This was a great (and scary for kids) premise for a Saturday morning cartoon. Too bad the overall series itself wasn't as good. This should be remembered as a classic 1980s cartton, but it's mostly forgotten.

[@funkmonster]

Diamond King your mother is forgotten

[@SPANKYMCKRACKIN]

Have a taste of my sunsword wizard!.................Ariel! Ookla! ...RIDE!

[@o.gglife6289]

I used to watch your show every Saturday morning when I was a kid

[@kennethdemuchest5171]

OMG. One of my favorite cartoon s in the early 80s

[@e-cuauhtemoc]

Come on Peter Jackson, make this into a movie. With a sequel!

[@michaelhorsford403]

ive been thinking this for about 10 years

[@e-cuauhtemoc]

Shall we start a campaign? Lords of Light, I reckon so!

[@horrortherapy6431]

E. Lin I could see either Peter Jackson, Neil Marshall, or Alex Garland writing and/or directing a movie of this. I would definitely go see it!

[@pookiepook7351]

James Gunn directing.

[@damone70]

Fuck Peter Jackson. Lor was a laughable, horribly acted, and turd of a trilogy.

[@Tenshira]

Yeah, a real movie, please! I need these films from the Eighties, these typical Fantasy-, Barbarian- and Sci-Fi-Movies...they gave you these special feeling about strange and fantastic worlds...If you grew up in the Eighties you know what I mean. ^^

[@ThunderZandor]

YEs i do. DOnt forget Flash Gordon, The Tarzan/Batman Hour both by Filmation Studios. Also. the various seasons of the SUPERFRIENDS,..for some reason there were alot of wizards with magic fighting against the Justice League lol! Now cartoons??? are all CGI animation...BARFF !!! Easy to animate, no effort required on an LED screen, preset your motions, press enter,...wait for 20 hours to render open the oven door and...CRAP!

[@RequiemPoete]

Or all the shows depicting people breathing in space.

[@anthonygutierrez7243]

thank you for doing this its one of my favorites

[@pinkartist1210]

As a boy, this stood upto the majesty of Thudercats and He-man alike. What a wonderfull memory! Thanks.

[@Soxruleyanksdrool]

Thundarr looks like Adam, prince of Eternia.

[@RequiemPoete]

Not surprised. Both Thundar and He-Man came out of the Conan the Barbarian craze.

[@cheritripp9470]

@@RequiemPoete there actually was a Conan animated series.

[@GregJoshuaW]

Thundarr and his amazing lightsaber (TM, LucasFilms - $1,000 usage fee per use) Or , errrr.... his SUN SWORD!!! lol I used to love this cartoon...

[@ThunderZandor]

TM, Lucasfilms - $5,000 usage fees for the Vipers and Cylon ships used in Battlestar Galactica. Well, them ships were a variant of the X-wing & Falcon but too close for comfort,....make it $20,000 per usage fee. Hmm,..so that's 10,000 ships used for scenes 40 to 100. Multiply all that and,...GULP! (•_•)

[@cheritripp9470]

@@ThunderZandor Actually I am surprised that the show didn't earned Lucusfilm wrath from such plagiarism.

[@ThunderZandor]

Cheri Trip, Lucas was furious but lost in court. I do give credit to Galactica for a fairly original storyline & good effects. Lucas lost in court for that.

[@CorruptCorpseCorps]

Man I remember it so well...1994. That damn runaway planet that destroyed civilization and created weird mutant abominations. Good times!

[@MichaelJHuman]

Need this on DVD. One of my favorite cartoons of all time

[@mauromesa78]

the complete series is on dvd today at amazon and wbshop

[@everlenaoliver6912]

Ah, when cartoons weren't stupid!

[@The_Cold_Slither]

+talesin- god of the internet And these old cartoons didn't do any brainwashing?

[@The_Cold_Slither]

talesin- god of the internet I don't know. I think GIJoe did a lot of brainwashing.

[@RequiemPoete]

Ummm. Nearly all 80's cartoons were think veiled commercials.

[@weprin2]

Squidward: FUTURE,........FUTURE,.......FUTURE!!!!

[@RequiemPoete]

Oh no he's hot!

[@busterdog321]

i remember watching this in 90-93 just counting down the days until we all died

[@thecursor1]

Man I remember when that happened in 94, wild time. All good now.

[@topherthered]

What was the planet running away from?

[@funkmonster]

Topher Merriman most likely child support payments

[@MaxHDAvenger]

Might have been a rogue planet now we know the term.

[@RequiemPoete]

He owed Jupiter money.

[@bcs2em625]

His mother-in-law.

[@angelcortez8158]

Does anyone know any good novels about a distant future where civilization has been thrown back to a barbaric age?????? Because that would be so awesome

[@cheritripp9470]

Well, there is a movie, but if I give the title it'll spoil the movie. (The original version of it anyway)

[@Redvines69]

The Deathlands series isn't too bad. It's in the future and alot of civilization is set back due to the "wars".

[@blueeyes57X]

Another AWESOME kids cartoon...!

[@Mesterick]

The best thing about Thundarr was how in the commercial break clips he was riding his horse, both hands on the reins, and holding the Sun Sword up in the air. Thundarr was so awesome to have three hands/arms like that.

[@markplott4820]

at 0:50 = Darkseid !..............ha ha ha.

[@testodude]

That was Gemini. but yes, a Darkseid ripoff.

[@markplott4820]

at 0:30 = the Hall of Doom !!!..................ha ha ha ha ha.

[@Topdek]

I just bought this show on bootleg DVD. It was the first sci-fi show I can remember watching, back when I was 4 or so. I recall being really impressed as a kid that the conventions of our present world could be referred to in past tense by a post-apocalyptic society ("This was known as a hospital, Thundarr") and going back to it now, I notice the art and animation (particularly the exotic ruins, Thundarr's expressive face and the fluid horse movements) are actually far above par for the time.

[@cooljoeny69]

man,i loved this show as a kid.the episodes were always fun to watch and thundarr had some cool villains and demons to fight.i can't believe it's been over thirty years since this showed aired.i am getting old !

[@shigeolincolntaco]

so it would take 2000 yrs for the human race to turn into mutants but it took us 2 million just to walk up right hmmm

[@josem.figueroajr.4532]

shigeolincolntaco The year WAS, after all, 3994. In the cartoon, anyway.

[@RequiemPoete]

Well with all those Super Scientists and Sorcerers running around.

[@skinny9283]

1994! FKN LMAO!

[@comicnicky76]

This was one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE CARTOON, along with He-Man, She-ra, GI Joe, Thundercats, Alvin and the Chipmunks, etc...i miss it, im very proud to say, we really had a nice and innocent childhood back then...

[@DevonChristopherAdams]

This was the best show ever! Damn I want the DVD yesterday.

[@seanthomas2423]

Crom

[@TheNewEmphinix]

I swear, if Michael Bay puts his hands on this, I'm gonna pay him a visit with a baseball bat with a barbed wire and beat him up, Negan style.

[@keithforsey1113]

I Agree Keep Micheal Bay FAR FAR FAR Away From Thundarr The Barbarian! Its' Too Bad That Jerry Goldsmith, John Barry Are No Longer With Us, Can You Imagine The FANTASTIC Music Score They Would Give The Movie? Then Again Bill Conti, Johnny Williams, & Stu Phillips Are Still With Us. So Thundarr Might Get A Live Action Movie & A FANTASTIC Music Score Yet!

[@azbacnikorange]

I looove how 80's cartoons gave you the entire backstory in their opening theme. It really helps when you are trying to remember what the hell the show was about.

[@al91206]

unleashing cosmic DESTRUCTION!! One of my favorite cartoons - thank you for posting this.

[@Whuntmore]

I also watched this growing up. I haven't seen this in a long time. thanks for posting

[@kitchenaut]

Anything that features super-science is worth looking into.

[@DigiFootageFX]

I used to watch this every Saturday morning. I never realized how cheap the animation really was back then, I just loved it. The concept wasn't too bad for 1980 standards. Of course, it's been done to death by 2018.

[@johnstaton894]

Thundarr was an ACTUAL barbarian. He had the two fisted, savage attitude of a survivor. He-Man was just a spoiled, rich prince, cosplaying as a barbarian.

[@josem.figueroajr.4532]

I remember seeing this cartoon when I was living in New York. I was just a 6-year-old kid at the time. I wish that I could go back to the 1980s.

[@Bayan1905]

I love how the voice of Thundarr was also the hangman Boris in Blazing Saddles. You want to talk about range for a character, Robert Ridgely was awesome.

[@bocuster]

Nibiru confirmed.

[@Dunes]

I recently found out that Thundarr is on SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS 1980s vol.1. Man--I have gotta get me a copy of that! The lost classics of our childhoods have returned.

[@thejimm2009]

Wow! A saturday morning classic! great memories...thanx

[@MattyMVP]

This is what makes KZbin great. Thank you for posting. Makes my damn day.

[@CyberBishop]

I love this cartoon! Thanks for posting!

[@mattboesch8907]

Now if there's any show that deserves a revival It's this, Swat Kats, Pirates of Dark Water and Thundercats (the 2011 reboot was damn good.)

[@veeseee128]

I loved this cartoon this was my favorite every saturday morning! back in 1980.

[@carlossaranillo]

yeah ur right :) me too loving cartoons back then 80's

[@Awoken_Remmuz]

Always been a fan of this kind of blend of sci-fi and fantasy where sword and sorcery rises from a fallen advanced civilization. One of the reasons I like the tabletop rpg Numenera.

[@Lfdjake91]

This show was great. 1 of my fav cartoons ever.

[@MC_Elie]

UKLAAA the MOKK. Those were the days when life was just play, watch tv, school and sleep. Thanks for the post.

[@TheOlga121]

I loved this show! I always thought it was crazy in the opening credit how he seemed to fry Ariel's head with his sun sword. Sigh. The beauty of the old cartoons!

[@bigmoo96beatmaker43]

Use too love looking at this bring's back memories as a kid 🙂

[@DonPeyote420]

A post-apocalyptic sci-fi fantasy action adventure? Holy shit, how did I miss that!!!