Eighties Kids
  • News
  • Celebrity
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Television

ThunderCats (1985)

After He-Man and the Masters of the Universe established the 80s appetite for musclebound warrior heroes in otherworldly environments, a high-energy rival franchise arrived in 1985. ThunderCats played on a similar blend of sword and sorcery with space opera, but with a distinctly feline twist.

The ThunderCats were a small crew of survivors from the doomed planet Thundera. The feline humanoids escape into space and are sent into suspended animation, crash-landing a decade later on the mysterious planet of Third Earth. Here they learn that a malfunction on young Lion-O’s pod has seen the pre-pubescent prince age to adulthood. Reluctantly, Lion-O takes his place as rightful leader of the ThunderCats, fending off against their new enemies the Mutants, who have forged an alliance with the dreaded sorcerer Mumm-Ra.

Where He-Man provided a compelling concept but ultimately quite pedestrian storytelling and animation, ThunderCats took things into a higher gear. The storytelling was more sophisticated, and the animation was considerably more kinetic and exciting. Adding to that excitement was the rockin’ ThunderCats theme tune, heavy on Van Halen-esque guitar solos. The kids kept coming back for more – and, of course, their parents were inundated with requests for ThunderCats toys.

Four seasons were produced before ThunderCats ended in 1989. Despite rumours and fan speculation, no live action movie has been made to date. Cartoon Network produced a hard-edged reboot series in 2011, but this fared poorly. More recently, CN outraged many old fans with ThunderCats Roar!, a tongue-in-cheek take on the franchise aimed at younger viewers.


  • Nostalgia

10 TV Shows From The 1980s That Kids Today Would NOT Be Able To Handle

  • Television

20 Cartoons That Prove The 1980s Was The Greatest Decade

  • Nostalgia

8 Female Cartoon Characters We Secretly Had A Crush On

  • Television

12 Cartoon Villains That Are Way Weirder Than You Remember

  • Television

12 Shows We Used To Rush Home From Primary School To Watch!

  • Nostalgia
  • Television

12 Cartoon Theme Tunes You Still Remember The Words To!

  • Movies

10 Things You Might Not Have Realised About ThunderCats

  • Movies
  • Nostalgia
  • Television

15 Cartoons All 80s Boys Should Remember

  • Movies
  • Television

Another 16 Facts About 80s Cartoons That Will Ruin Your Childhood

  • Life

14 Of Our Favourite Evil Cartoon Henchmen From When We Were Growing Up!

  • Life

13 Of The Best Cartoon Villains We Grew Up With – Who Did You Love To Hate?

  • Movies
  • Nostalgia
  • Television

Only TRUE 80s Kids Will Remember All Of These 10 Cartoons

  • Life

12 Of The Best Cartoon Sidekicks We Grew Up With – Who Was Your Favourite?

  • Television

The 12 Best 80s Cartoons

  • Movies
  • Television

15 Cartoons From The 80s You Might Not Know Were Remade

  • Nostalgia
  • Television

11 Messed Up Moments In 80s Cartoons That Wouldn’t Happen These Days

  • Television

12 Action Cartoons We All Watched In The 80s

Eighties Kids
  • About Us
  • Privacy & Cookie Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Topics

© 80’s kids 2021 All Rights Reserved