Thundarr the Barbarian

Thundarr the Barbarian is an American animated series set in a post-apocalyptic future, created by Steve Gerber and produced by Ruby-Spears Productions. It originally aired on ABC from October 4, 1980, to October 31, 1981, with reruns on NBC in 1982.

The story takes place around the year 3994, after a runaway planet passed between Earth and the Moon in 1994, shattering the Moon and drastically altering the planet’s climate and geography. By the time of the series, Earth has stabilized into a chaotic world of “savagery, super-science, and sorcery,” divided into kingdoms ruled by wizards. Ruins of recognizable U.S. landmarks—such as New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Seattle, the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Denver, Atlanta, Boston, San Antonio’s Alamo, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Cape Canaveral, and the Grand Canyon—appear frequently, along with settings in Mexico and London.

The hero, Thundarr, is a muscular barbarian who wields the Sunsword, a hilt that projects a blade-like energy beam. This weapon can cut through nearly anything, deflect magical and energy attacks, and disrupt spells. It is magically linked to Thundarr, so only he can use it, though this link can be broken. He travels with Princess Ariel, a formidable young sorceress, and Ookla the Mok, a powerful humanoid ape-like creature. They ride horseback, fighting injustice. Their main foes are evil wizards who mix magic with reanimated pre-catastrophe technology, often employing mutant species. Other enemies include the Brotherhood of Night (werewolves that transform others by touch), a cosmic Stalker from the Stars (a predatory vampire), and various mutants. Intelligent animal-humanoid races include rat-like Groundlings, crocodile-like Carocs, and talking hawk- and pig-like mutants. New animals include fire-shooting whales, a giant green snake with a grizzly bear’s head, and mutated dragonflies and rabbits.

Thundarr was once a slave of the wizard Sabian until freed by Princess Ariel, who gave him the Sunsword. He and Ookla rely on Ariel’s guidance, as they are largely ignorant of the world. Ookla is a Mok—a feline-like creature with cat-like eyes, pointed ears, and a lion-like mane. He possesses great strength, often ripping up wreckage to club enemies, and sometimes uses a longbow with paralyzing arrows. He is prone to charging into attacks and is easily enraged.