Thunderdome Trial

Bartertown's arena, where conflicts are settled by a fight to the death.

Thunderdome is the gladiatorial arena of Bartertown in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985): by law, conflicts in Bartertown are resolved by a fight to the death inside it. Its master of ceremonies is Dealgood, Bartertown's flamboyant auctioneer and magistrate.

Quick Facts

First major appearance: Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

Lore & Background

Max publicly accuses Master of stealing his vehicle, and a battle against Blaster is scheduled in Thunderdome. Blaster dominates until Max blows a whistle, which makes Blaster grab his head in pain; Max knocks Blaster's helmet off and prepares to kill him, but relents on seeing that Blaster has an intellectual disability. For breaking the deal, Max must play 'Bust a Deal, Face the Wheel' and lands on 'Gulag'.

Reader's Guide

The term 'Thunderdome' was adopted by popular culture with a meaning similar to the film's. The 1996 music video for 2Pac's 'California Love' includes the Thunderdome itself, and a 2015 television advertisement for NBC's The Voice parodied the concept.