Crossing Swords

Lore & Background

The series centers on Patrick, voiced by Adam Pally, a well-meaning peasant who secures a coveted squire position at the royal castle. His dream quickly sours as he discovers the kingdom is run by a hornet's nest of horny monarchs, crooks, and charlatans. Patrick's valor makes him the black sheep of his family, and his criminal siblings—a pirate, a clown, and a bandit—return to torment him. The show features a large ensemble cast including Luke Evans as King Merriman, Alanna Ubach as Queen Tulip, and Seth Green as the wizard Blinkerquartz.

Reader's Guide

Crossing Swords was announced on September 27, 2018, with a ten-episode first season order from Hulu. It premiered on June 12, 2020, and was renewed for a second season six days later, on June 18, 2020. The second season premiered on December 10, 2021. On June 9, 2022, co-creator John Harvatine IV announced that Hulu had cancelled the series after two seasons. The show received mixed to negative reviews: on Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds a 27% approval rating from 15 critics, and Metacritic gave it a score of 47 out of 100, indicating 'mixed or average reviews.' Critics noted the contrast between the adorable wooden character and set design and the filthy dialogue and visuals. The series was produced by Stoopid Buddy Stoodios and distributed by Sony Pictures Television.

Did You Know?

• The series was renewed for a second season just six days after its premiere.
• The voice cast includes Adam Pally, Luke Evans, and Seth Green.
• The show was cancelled in June 2022, as announced by co-creator John Harvatine IV.
• The first season holds a 27% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 15 reviews.

Premise & Tonal Identity

Crossing Swords is an American adult stop-motion animated sitcom that places a well-meaning young man named Patrick at the center of a chaotic royal court. After landing what he believes is his dream job as a squire at the kingdom's castle, Patrick discovers the monarchy is anything but noble. The realm is governed by a tangled web of lecherous rulers, con artists, and frauds who make daily life a constant source of trouble. To compound his misery, Patrick's own family—composed of criminal siblings including a pirate, a clown, and a bandit—returns to wreak havoc on his new life. The show's central comedy stems from the jarring contrast between its charming, brightly colored peg-shaped characters and the decidedly adult material they inhabit: war, murder, and unapologetic nudity. Created by John Harvatine IV and Tom Root, the series leans into this dissonance as its primary engine, wrapping crude humor in a visually endearing stop-motion package that makes the vulgarity all the more surprising.

Ensemble Voice Cast

The series assembles a notably deep voice cast across its main, recurring, and guest roles. Nicholas Hoult leads as Patrick, the earnest protagonist, while Luke Evans voices King Merriman and Alanna Ubach plays his wife, Queen Tulip. Patrick's closest ally is Broth, a fellow knight voiced by Adam Pally. The family ensemble is particularly rich: Tara Strong voices both Coral, Patrick's pirate sister, and a separate character named Trina Franklin; Tony Hale brings energy to Blarney, the clown brother; and Adam Ray takes on Ruben, the bandit brother. Seth Green lends his voice to Blinkerquartz, the castle's wizard, while Breckin Meyer and Wendi McLendon-Covey round out the family as Patrick's parents, Glenn and Doreen. The recurring slate adds Yvette Nicole Brown as the knights' trainer, Maya Erskine as the spoiled Princess Blossom, Ben Schwartz as her deceased boyfriend Keefer, Rob Corddry as the dethroned Old King, and Jameela Jamil as Sloane, a castle maid and Patrick's love interest. Guest spots include Alfred Molina as Robin Hood, Natasha Lyonne as a Yeti named Norah, and Jane Lynch as Donna.

Production & Brief Run

The path from greenlight to cancellation was remarkably compressed. On September 27, 2018, Hulu confirmed a ten-episode first-season order for the project, with Harvatine IV and Root attached as both creators and executive producers. Stoopid Buddy Stoodios handled production while Sony Pictures Television managed distribution. The first season debuted on June 12, 2020, and just six days later—on June 18—Hulu committed to a second season, signaling early confidence in the material. That second season arrived on December 10, 2021. However, the momentum proved short-lived. On June 9, 2022, Harvatine IV publicly confirmed that Hulu had pulled the plug after only two seasons. The series never reached a third year, leaving its storylines unresolved. The rapid renewal followed by the equally swift cancellation underscores how difficult it can be for a niche adult animated property to sustain a long-term home on a streaming platform, even when the initial response from the network was enthusiastic enough to fast-track a follow-up.

Critical Reception

Critical response to Crossing Swords was decidedly mixed. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season accumulated a 27% approval rating drawn from fifteen critic reviews—a figure that places it firmly in negative territory. Metacritic, which calculates a weighted average score, assigned the show 47 out of 100, a band the site labels as "mixed or average reviews." Despite the lukewarm aggregate numbers, at least one prominent Rotten Tomatoes critic singled out the show's visual identity as a standout element, praising the "adorable wooden character and set design" and noting that the quaintness of the stop-motion aesthetic was "mercilessly defiled by filthy dialogue and visuals." That tension—between the charming, almost childlike appearance of the peg-shaped figures and the raunchy, violent content they deliver—was clearly the show's most memorable quality, even for those who ultimately gave it a middling score. The stop-motion medium gave the series a tactile, handcrafted feel that distinguished it from other animated comedies, and that visual distinctiveness remained the most frequently cited element in the critical conversation surrounding the show's brief two-season run.