This Canceled '80s Fantasy Cartoon Should Have Been Bigger Than He-Man

Once upon a time, there was a loincloth-wearing barbarian in fur boots leaping across our TV screens. The brash and daring adventurer wielded a powerful magical sword somewhat similar to a lightsaber that he rarely swung at foes. (Unseen and unacknowledged arbiters strongly discouraged him from ever stabbing or cutting anyone, which forced him to be more of a grappler.)

This mighty musclebound hero threw himself into battle uttering epic catchphrases. His loyal companions were beautiful, brutish, and bizarre. His name was ... Thundarr the Barbarian.

That's right — before there was "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe," there was "Thundarr the Barbarian." The latter debuted in 1980, three years before the former. Both shows were hokey fantasy adventures with hefty amounts of sci-fi sprinkled on top. Sadly, both were also canceled after two seasons. However, while the "Masters of the Universe" franchise continues to go strong today with animated spin-offs, live-action movies, and toys, "Thundarr" seems to have been forgotten. This needs to be rectified! More respect needs to be put on Thundarr's name! Since a new "Thundarr the Barbarian" comic series has hit the shelves in 2026, it's a good time to reintroduce the heroic barbarian to the world.

Full disclosure: "Thundarr the Barbarian" is absurdly cheesy and beyond corny like any other '80s cartoon. The main character yells out stuff like "Demon dogs!" and "Lords of Light!" every three seconds. The violence is extremely muffled to a ridiculous degree, and the main villains are definitely of the shallow mustache-twirling variety. 

That being said, for as hokey as the series is, "Thundarr the Barbarian" boasts a spectacular setting jam-packed with actual ... lore. Imagine that: fleshed-out world-building for what's supposed to be a banal '80s cartoon!

"Thundarr the Barbarian" takes place on Earth around the year 3994. Two thousand years before, in 1994, a "runaway planet" careened past Earth and the moon, splitting the latter into two. This caused an apocalyptic event that wiped out civilization. Fast-forward to the show's present day, and Earth has been transformed into "a world of savagery, super science, and sorcery." If this doesn't sound like one of the most metal and awesome sword-and-sorcery settings ever penned, then sorry (not sorry), you just don't know amazing fantasy.

Exploring this strange new Earth are our kind-hearted protagonists, a trio of adventurers: Thundarr, Princess Ariel (no not that one), and Ookla the Mok. The characters took clear inspiration from the original "Star Wars" heroes. Thundarr wielded a shimmering and humming "sun sword." Ariel was, apparently, a princess, and Ookla was a giant walking furball who spoke in growls. From the very first episode, the three friends embarked on a wild adventure that set the tone for the series.

In the very first episode of "Thundarr the Barbarian" the heroes fought an evil cyborg wizard with multiple faces named Gemini who sent a possessed Statue of Liberty to attack them. That was literally the series debut: Thundarr and friends fighting the Statue of Liberty in the jungle ruins of New York City! Sidenote: there were also mutated humanoid rats riding on motorcycles.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that the show possessed such unique character designs and superb world-building. After all, the animated series had an absolutely stacked roster of legendary creative talent working on it. This line-up included heavy hitters like writers Steve Gerber and Roy Thomas, alongside artists like Alex Toth and Jack freaking Kirby. Producing this animated gem was none other than Hanna-Barbera veterans and creators of "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!" Joe Ruby and Ken Spears.

For anyone wanting a fun fantasy show to watch in 2026, look no further than "Thundarr the Barbarian." If there was ever a time for Thundarr and his pals to get a second opportunity to shine, it would be today. The entire series is streaming for free on Tubi. Overall, if you're craving '80s cheesiness and sword-and-sorcery action that involves barbarians exploring a desolate Earth ruled by evil sorcerers and savage mutants, then "Thundarr the Barbarian" is the show for you.