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Conan the Adventurer (animated series)
Encyclopedia
Conan the Adventurer is an American
animated television series adaptation of Conan the Barbarian
, the literary character created by Robert E. Howard
in the 1930s. Produced by Jetlag Productions
and Sunbow Productions
, the series debuted on September 12, 1992, ran for 65 episodes and concluded on November 22, 1993. The series was developed by Christy Marx
who served as the sole story editor.
The series was produced in association with Graz Entertainment
for the first 13-episode season, and Jean Chalopin
's Créativité et Développement for the remaining episodes. The series also spawned a small toyline in 1992 created by Hasbro
.
This first incarnation of Conan in cartoon form performed much better than its sequel
, Conan and the Young Warriors
, which lasted only 13 episodes.
Meanwhile, the evil Serpent Man
wizard Wrath-Amon learned of Star Metal and that in addition to its strength that it possessed the power to open portals between dimensions. He thus sought Star Metal to release his deity Set
from "the Abyss" to which he long ago had been banished by the combined powers of virtually every living wizard then on Earth for trying to enslave the human race. As part of his search, Wrath-Amon sought out Conan's family. Conan's father told Wrath-Amon that he had sold all of the Star Metal but the wizard refused to believe it. (The wizard was right; aside from the sword, it was revealed in a later episode that Conan's father had hidden pieces of Star Metal with other villagers.) Wrath-Amon used the spell of living stone upon Conan's family.
Conan by then had gone to claim his Star Metal sword to attack Wrath-Amon and his followers. When the Star Metal sword got near Wrath-Amon it disrupted his magic and showed his reptilian face. To this, he said, "Those who see the true face of Wrath-Amon must perish!" (this scene is similar to one in the film). Having chased away the wizard, Conan then turned to his family and swore in the name of their god Crom to find a way of releasing them from the spell.
Conan's adventures thus begin as he searches Hyboria looking for a way to cure his family and free the land from Wrath-Amon's tyranny Wrath-Amon's henchmen are also shapeshifting
Serpent Men. When Conan's Star Metal sword is close enough to them it broke the spell that disguised them and revealed their true form to be Serpent Men; when Star Metal made contact with the Serpent Men it banishes them to the Abyss with Set. Spies and agents of Set and Stygia, many of them also Serpent Men, were present in many cities, nations and tribes throughout the land in the age of Conan.
As compared with the original Conan stories and the Marvel Comics
such as King Conan, Conan Saga, Conan the Barbarian, and Conan the King, the cartoon Conan displays a higher degree of modern morality. While the original Conan is a thief, a killer, and a womanizer, the cartoon Conan has more in common with sword-wielding cartoon characters such as He-Man
. At one point he refuses to join a pirate crew on the grounds that it is wrong to steal, he refuses to strike unarmed or defeated opponents. He is a kind and caring character, albeit a little naive, who stands up for his friends and what he sees to be right and is very respectable. The show also reduced the violence of the original to cartoon levels, deliberately making the Serpant Men "banished" with any touch of the heroes' weapons rather than actually struck.
The Snake Cult is an evil religion that worships Set and lures away victims, even rulers who fear the wrath of Wrath-Amon. Wrath-Amon preaches the wicked religion of Set and so did the sorcerer Ram-Amon before him. Their quest is to set their god free from the Abyss.
Films has released the complete season one DVD
set containing all 13 episodes in their original story order. It is unknown at this time if more sets will follow.
In Region 4, Force Entertainment released the complete series on DVD in Australia in a series of sixteen single-disc DVD volumes, with four episodes per disc.
On July 26, 2011, Shout! Factory
released the first season on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time. Season 2, Part 1 will be released on November 22, 2011.
's material and was one of the most popular cartoons which features Sword and sorcery
along side "He-Man
" and "Dungeons & Dragons".
According to The A.V. Club
, this cartoon, like the other two Conan television series, "has been significantly defanged, dumbing down and infantilizing the character to the degree that he’s robbed of his savage appeal".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
animated television series adaptation of Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
, the literary character created by Robert E. Howard
Robert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
in the 1930s. Produced by Jetlag Productions
Jetlag Productions
Jetlag Productions was an American-Japanese animation studio that, just like the similar studio Golden Films, has created a number of animated films based on different, popular children's stories, while at the same time creating a few original productions...
and Sunbow Productions
Sunbow Productions
Sunbow Entertainment was an animation studio, founded in 1980 and owned up until 1998 by Griffin-Bacal Advertising in New York. The first animation efforts by Griffin-Bacal were producing the animated commercials for Hasbro's G.I...
, the series debuted on September 12, 1992, ran for 65 episodes and concluded on November 22, 1993. The series was developed by Christy Marx
Christy Marx
Christy Marx grew up in Danville, Illinois and is an American writer and a photographer. She has written scripts for various episodes of TV-series, mainly for kids' shows, including Jem, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Conan the Adventurer, G.I. Joe, Hypernauts, Captain Power and others...
who served as the sole story editor.
The series was produced in association with Graz Entertainment
Graz Entertainment
Graz Entertainment is a licensing and distribution company, run by Jim and Stephanie Graziano, which obtains and provides programming and licensing rights for children's television animation. They currently control Z Blade, The Attic, Goliath, Tom Thumb, and others.-See also:*Stone Protectors*G.I....
for the first 13-episode season, and Jean Chalopin
Jean Chalopin
Jean Chalopin is a French producer and writer. In 1971, Chalopin created the company DIC Audiovisuel, which later evolved into DIC Entertainment, and wrote and produced programs animated by Japanese studios. Jean Chalopin is married to Chinese/Singaporean ex-Model, Ethel Chalopin...
's Créativité et Développement for the remaining episodes. The series also spawned a small toyline in 1992 created by Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
.
This first incarnation of Conan in cartoon form performed much better than its sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
, Conan and the Young Warriors
Conan and the Young Warriors
Conan and the Young Warriors was a 1994 television cartoon series, produced by Sunbow Entertainment and aired by CBS aired as a spin-off to the popular Conan the Adventurer animated series...
, which lasted only 13 episodes.
Plot
Conan lived in Cimmeria with his parents throughout his childhood. While out with his grandfather one night on a trek, "fiery tears" or meteors dropped from the skies. Conan collected them and brought them back to his family. Conan's father, the village blacksmith, used the ore from the meteors to forge Star Metal and used it to create various tools and weapons that would never rust or break or dull. He sold them, but his finest work, a magnificent sword, he kept for Conan. It was laid in a crypt and covered over with a heavy stone slab. Conan's father told his son that only when he was "man enough" (i.e., strong enough) to push off the stone slab, could he rightfully claim the sword.Meanwhile, the evil Serpent Man
Serpent Men
Serpent-Men have also appeared in the Marvel Comics universe.The original Serpent-Men were a race of reptilian semi-humanoids who were created by the demon Set and who ruled areas of prehistoric Earth. Due to the efforts of Kull and Conan, the original Serpent-Men became extinct about 8,000 years...
wizard Wrath-Amon learned of Star Metal and that in addition to its strength that it possessed the power to open portals between dimensions. He thus sought Star Metal to release his deity Set
Set (Serpent God)
Set is the name of a fictional demon-god within the continuities of Conan the Barbarian and Marvel Universe.He is apparently an amalgam of the name of the Egyptian god Set and the appearance and characteristics of the Egyptian monster Apep and the Greek mythological figure the Lernaean Hydra. This...
from "the Abyss" to which he long ago had been banished by the combined powers of virtually every living wizard then on Earth for trying to enslave the human race. As part of his search, Wrath-Amon sought out Conan's family. Conan's father told Wrath-Amon that he had sold all of the Star Metal but the wizard refused to believe it. (The wizard was right; aside from the sword, it was revealed in a later episode that Conan's father had hidden pieces of Star Metal with other villagers.) Wrath-Amon used the spell of living stone upon Conan's family.
Conan by then had gone to claim his Star Metal sword to attack Wrath-Amon and his followers. When the Star Metal sword got near Wrath-Amon it disrupted his magic and showed his reptilian face. To this, he said, "Those who see the true face of Wrath-Amon must perish!" (this scene is similar to one in the film). Having chased away the wizard, Conan then turned to his family and swore in the name of their god Crom to find a way of releasing them from the spell.
Conan's adventures thus begin as he searches Hyboria looking for a way to cure his family and free the land from Wrath-Amon's tyranny Wrath-Amon's henchmen are also shapeshifting
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
Serpent Men. When Conan's Star Metal sword is close enough to them it broke the spell that disguised them and revealed their true form to be Serpent Men; when Star Metal made contact with the Serpent Men it banishes them to the Abyss with Set. Spies and agents of Set and Stygia, many of them also Serpent Men, were present in many cities, nations and tribes throughout the land in the age of Conan.
As compared with the original Conan stories and the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
such as King Conan, Conan Saga, Conan the Barbarian, and Conan the King, the cartoon Conan displays a higher degree of modern morality. While the original Conan is a thief, a killer, and a womanizer, the cartoon Conan has more in common with sword-wielding cartoon characters such as He-Man
He-Man
He-Man is a fictional heroic character featured in the Masters of the Universe media franchise. In most variations, he is the alter ego of Prince Adam...
. At one point he refuses to join a pirate crew on the grounds that it is wrong to steal, he refuses to strike unarmed or defeated opponents. He is a kind and caring character, albeit a little naive, who stands up for his friends and what he sees to be right and is very respectable. The show also reduced the violence of the original to cartoon levels, deliberately making the Serpant Men "banished" with any touch of the heroes' weapons rather than actually struck.
Heroes
- Conan (voiced by Michael DonovanMichael DonovanMichael David Donovan is a voice actor for many TV shows and anime. He is most known for his voice on the series ReBoot for his voices of Phong, Mike the TV, Cecil, and Al. He has also provided the voice of Sabretooth for X-Men: Evolution and Carnage for Spider-Man Unlimited. He played the lead...
): The main character of the story. In this version, his parents are turned into living stone and there are few hints of his predestination of becoming a king; the references come as either a private joke to those who know the Conan mythos (one episode ended with him wearing a crown on his head, to the amusement of his allies) or as a finale note (In one episode in particular, Conan rescues a princess from a one-shot villain. Her father, a king, promised his kingdom to whoever returned her safely home and naturally, Conan succeeds in rescuing her which is a spoof of the adult Conan movie's King Osric asking Conan to rescue his daughter but Conan does not rescue her from Wrath-Amon but is thrown in prison for demanding the promised payment which is his weakness here. He is rescued then by the princess he saved who comments that Conan would always be a king in her heart as the closing line). It is stated a few times that he and his Cimmerian tribe are descended from the people of Atlantis, and Conan is a descendant of Atlantean kings. Unlike Conan the Barbarian, he is more of a kind and caring character with Jezmine as the only woman he's involved with. He shows mercy to some of his opponents and nonetheless reconciles with friends, unlike the original Conan the Barbarian. He is portrayed to be able to break metal chains, do more unusual feats of strength as well unlike the movie Conan. He eventually defeats his long-time archenemy Wrath-Amon, the leader of the Snake Cult but was forced to face the old leader of the Snake Cult Ram-Amon as well as Set (his final enemy) in the last battle. By vanquishing Set, he had somewhat permanently defeated the Snake Cult. He has a star metal sword
- Needle (voiced by Michael Beattie): Conan's fledgling phoenix sidekick and only constant companion. He possessed the ability to enter flat surfaces and magically transform into a phoenix design (although he needed his magical tail feathers to accomplish this feat, and lost this power if he lost one of them). He spent most of his time inside Conan's shield. Needle speaks in the third person giving others nicknames (i.e. he calls Conan "big dumb barbarian") and loves to eat pomegranates. He eventually learns how to harness his full power and aid Conan in battle. When in public, Needle (who has the ability to speak) is often asked to impersonate a parrot in order to not arouse suspicion, an act which he greatly resents. As a phoenix, death for him only means to rise again from his own ashes and as such, with effort, can sometimes recall useful information from his 'ancestors.' In an alternate future, Needles was turned into a statue by Set, but this timeline was averted.
- Thunder: Conan's willful (but loyal) horse, eventually armed with Star Metal horse shoes. Thunder was stubborn, refusing to enter cities, and threw Conan from his back on more than one occasion rather than enter a city.
- Zula (voiced Arthur BurghardtArthur BurghardtArthur Burghardt is an American actor known for portraying Dr. Jack Scott on the soap opera One Life to Live.His first movie appearance was as the Great Ahmed Kahn in Network . A prolific voice actor during the 1980s, his most celebrated roles were Destro in the animated series G.I. Joe and...
): Prince of the Wasai, a tribe similar to Sub-Saharan Africans, based from the original Conan literature, may have inspired T. J. Storm's character Bayu in the live seriesConan the Adventurer (TV series)Conan: The Adventurer is a low-budget American television series produced from 1997 to 1998 and loosely based on the fantasy hero Conan the barbarian. The TV show premiered on September 22, 1997, and ran for 22 episodes. This live-action series starred Ralf Möller as Conan of Cimmeria and Danny...
, who is a different but similar person. He is the first ally Conan makes in the show, when Conan is captured and enslaved, alongside Zula and other captives. He and Zula start a slave rebellion and free the other slaves. Zula makes Conan his blood brother. Zula's cousin Gora was a spy for Wrath-Amon, and secretly tricked Zula into the ambush where he was captured by Wrath-Amon's slavers so he could inherit the throne instead of Zula (ironically, by making Conan his blood brother, Zula made Gora third in the line of succession). Gora schemed against Conan and his friends, and was eventually discovered and captured. Zula was a master of the sign of Jhebbal-Sag, which allowed him to communicate with beasts and persuade them to aid him. Originally armed with Star Metal bolasBolasBolas are a throwing weapon superficially similar to the surujin, made of weights on the ends of interconnected cords, designed to capture animals by entangling their legs...
, he reforged them into a boomerang because the bolas tangled. They would return on command thanks to Jezmine.
- Jezmine (voiced by Janyse JaudJanyse JaudJanyse Aldis Jaud is a Canadian actress, dancer and singer/songwriter. She is of Icelandic-French descent....
): An agile and beautiful circus performer who possesses a set of Star Metal throwing starsShurikenA shuriken is a traditional Japanese concealed weapon that was generally used for throwing, and sometimes stabbing or slashing...
, she started as a thief but became an honest woman for the rest of the series (but is in love with Conan nonetheless) especially where the first point is that Conan and Jezmine are seen climbing a tower where Jezmine attempts to steal some priceless treasures. Her parents are later revealed to be a nobleman and woman in the city of Tarantia. To her horror, she learns that her mother serves Wrath-Amon and her father is the serpent man Astivus, making her a half-breed. From that moment, she is terrified her Serpent-Man heritage will assert itself. When her father Astivus, who loved Jezmine's mother, sides with Jezmine and her mother against Wrath-Amon, Wrath-Amon banishes her father and mother to the Abyss. A magical potion applied to her Star Metal shuriken allow Jezmine to magically summon the throwing stars to return to her. She shared this potion with Zula. Jezmine hated Astivus, despite his love for her. She and Conan were able to free her mother during a trip to the Abyss, and later Astivus escaped when Set and the Serpent-Men banished over the years were freed from the Abyss by Wrath-Amon. Once again, Astivus chose Jezmine and her mother over serving Set, and it is implied in the final episode that Jezmine might be willing to reconcile with him. Unlike Valeria, Wrath-Amon doesn't kill her.
- Greywolf (voiced by Scott McNeilScott McNeilScott McNeil is a Canadian actor and voice actor. He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
): A wizard from the magical city of Xanthus. Originally armed with a bare staff, he was given the mystical "Claw of Heaven" made of Star Metal that was mounted atop his staff and effectively doubled his magical power (as stated on a couple occasions). His brother and sister were transformed into werewolves in a plot by the Stygian queen and sorceress, Mesmira. As a result, he consistently seeks a cure for their condition alongside of Conan. In the finale, he isn't able to turn his siblings back to normal, though he did manage to give them a small sampling of the cure that causes them to revert to human form once per month (on a full moon). The inability to completely cure his siblings remains as a plot dangler which never even happened in the sequel Conan and The Young Warriors which is somewhat similar to the events of Conan the Destroyer.- Sasha & Misha: Greywolf's older brother and sister, transformed into wolves by Mesmira. During one episode, a single flower was found that could transform one of the siblings back into a human. Not wanting to have to choose, the flower was split down the middle each eating half, giving them the ability to resume human form once per month, on a full moon.
- Falkenar (voiced by Alec Willows): Champion of the kingdom of Kusan, he the uses the "Mantle of Wind" to fly, and is armed with a Star Metal whip. He and Windfang are bitter enemies through repeated attempts by the villain to invade Kusan. He has a female falcon named Stormclaw. He is the only character who is not featured in the logo.
- Snagg: (voiced by Gary ChalkGary Chalk (actor)Gary Chalk is an English-born Canadian actor, tri-national US-Canadian-UK citizen and voice artist. He has lend hit voice in over 30 animated television series and has been in films such as The Fly II and Freddy vs. Jason....
) - A VikingVikingThe term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
-like barbarian (as strong as Conan) from Vanirmen tribe, which lives at the sea shore. Snagg likes to travel by water. He often quarrels with Conan, because they grew up in neighboring countries with different culture. Once even a war happened between them. Despite it Snagg and Conan are true friends. Snagg also has Star Metal weapon - axe and grapnel. Later he gave his grapnel to make Star Metal horseshoes for Thunder, when Thunder saved his life. Conan and Snagg start as rivals, but become increasingly friendly. They continue to compete with and insult each other, but it becomes jovial and good-natured. Snagg and Conan are very similar, though Snagg is generally less serious and controlled.
- The Kari Dragon: The only dragon character in the series, the Kari Dragon was once imprisoned in an artifact and could be summoned to do the bidding of mortal men. Conan summoned him and granted him freedom, for which the dragon was grateful, however, when Conan later came to him for aid, the dragon gave him a series of tests, which Conan passed. When the final battle against Set came, the dragon battled Set to provide Conan with enough time to escape Set and his minions.
- Epimetrius the Sage (voiced by Jim Byrnes): Leader of wizards that banished Set to the Abyss thousands of years ago. His ghost is Conan's guide in his quest against Wrath-amon and to free his parents. He presents Conan his shield and companion Needle and on a few occasions aids Conan in his adventures.
The Snake Cult
The Snake Cult is an evil religion that worships Set and lures away victims, even rulers who fear the wrath of Wrath-Amon. Wrath-Amon preaches the wicked religion of Set and so did the sorcerer Ram-Amon before him. Their quest is to set their god free from the Abyss.
- Set: The evil Serpent Demon and god of the serpent men as well as the Snake Cult. He is a giant cobra with mystical powers but he only has one head unlike the usual representation from Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. He planned to enslave the human race through his serpent men worshipers, deceived many into his cult and as punishment, he was locked away into the Abyss for that offense by the Elders. He gives orders to the Snake Cult's high priest to give him the Star Metal, to build seven pyramids to release him. He returns in the finale to wreak havoc only to be banished once again thanks to the combined efforts of Conan and his friends with their star metal powers combined.
- Wrath-Amon (voiced by Scott McNeilScott McNeilScott McNeil is a Canadian actor and voice actor. He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada...
): The evil sorcerer who currently leads the Snake Cult as its high priest and the personal enemy of Conan. He was originally a large gila monsterGila monsterThe Gila monster is a species of venomous lizard native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexican state of Sonora...
who was changed into a serpent man who overthrew his own master Ram-Amon, the previous high priest of the Snake Cult, after taking his Black Ring and now has the mission to free his god Set with the help of the Star Metal. Conan's grandfather states that his evil is legendary, that he is feared by kings and that he possesses so much power as the high priest. But he only fears Set who is his deity to whom he is the high priest. He led the attack on Conan's village where he turns Conan's parents into living stone instead of killing them like in the original line. He was given ultimate power by Set and became gigantic and he was almost unbeatable. At the end of the series, Conan reverts him back into the gila monster he was through the Amulet of Vathelos. Like Thoth-Amon in Conan, he is powerless without his black ring. It was said that if his ring is destroyed, his spell of living stone on Conan's family would be undone. He obviously looks like a serpent man even without being exposed. His long life span may be due to his black magic.
- Dregs (voiced by Doug ParkerDoug Parker (voice actor)Doug Parker is a Canadian voice actor and voice director.He has been doing voices in several cartoons and anime.He is probably best known for playing Terrorsaur in Beast Wars, He also played Starscream who made a cameo appearance in the show...
): Wrath Amon's evil Naga assistant. He once became Dregs-Amon when Wrath-Amon was going to undergo hibernationHibernationHibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate. Hibernating animals conserve food, especially during winter when food supplies are limited, tapping energy reserves, body fat, at a slow rate...
. He quickly changed his loyalties when Ram Amon was defeated, and served under Wrath Amon. He was crushed by a large statue in the final episode, but it is not revealed if he survived.
- Skulkur: One of Wrath-Amon's henchmen. A powerful undeadUndeadUndead is a collective name for fictional, mythological, or legendary beings that are deceased and yet behave as if alive. Undead may be incorporeal, such as ghosts, or corporeal, such as vampires and zombies...
who can raise skeletons as warriors; star-metal would break the spell that animated them. Once a human member of another Snake Cult branch in Africa, where Set is worshipped as Damballah; (it is assumed that they are cannibalistic as well). He helped a man seize the power of the high priest in return for a promise of power, but the new high priest betrayed him. He then swore himself into Wrath-Amon's service, who empowered him with the Black Ring. When he tried to take his revenge, the new high priest who had betrayed him tried to transform him into a zombie slave, but his magic and the Black Ring's magic clashed, and transformed him into the skeletal Skulkur.
- Windfang: Windfang is a fire breathing four-armed winged dragonoid enslaved by Wrath-Amon. Windfang was once a human general named Venturas from Koth that opposed Wrath-Amon 200 years before the events in the series. His king sent him to invade Stygia, but his men fled from Wrath-Amon's evil sorcery. Venturas fought on, but he was captured and mutated by Wrath-Amon. Being a cruel despot, he then released Windfang who flew to his fiancee who screamed and reacted with horror upon seeing him. Realizing he had nothing left to live for, he agreed to serve Wrath-Amon in exchange for a promise to transform him back into a human at some point in the future (a promise Wrath-Amon certainly never intended to keep.) He was in love with Jezmine initially because she reminded him of his dead fiancée Lady Mirim, but although she showed him kindness she didn’t love him. Windfang also commands other flying reptilian creatures similar to himself. Windfang often sought to find a way to transform back into a human without Wrath-Amon or to force Wrath-Amon to keep his promise, and made it clear he would not continue in Wrath-Amon's service if he could regain his humanity. In one occasion, he succeeds in breaking his curse and regaining his human form, but upon returning to Koth he realizes that all the things and people he cared about no longer existed, leaving Venturas without a purpose in life, and after the evil sorcerer appears and forcefully transforms him again into Windfang, he resigns his fate as the villain's servant. He has an eyrie high in the mountains where he keeps trophies of his long lost past and human self. His eyrie was located close to or within the borders of Kusan, the kingdom of Falkenar, and he raided it often, so the two are bitter enemies.
- Ram-Amon: Wrath Amon's creator and predecessor. A black sorcerer and previous leader of the Snake Cult, probably a member of a forgotten race. After transforming a large lizard into a lizard man, he lost the black ring, claimed by the lizard man, who later became Wrath-Amon. He later replaced Wrath Amon after his defeat by Conan, and escaped following the defeat of Set. Whether or not he is a snakeman still remains to be seen (when Conan frees him, he's an old man, not a lizard man, and in the finale episode Ram-Amon is seen using Greywolf's Staff with the claw of heaven attached, so it can be assumed he's not a snakeman)
Other villains
- Mesmira (voiced by Kathleen BarrKathleen BarrKathleen Barr is a Canadian voice actress. She is also the sister of Professor Mark Lyle Barr at Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.-Filmography:...
): Mesmira is apparently a member of the Stygian royal family, the evil Queen of Stygia, and a powerful sorceress who battled Conan and company several times. She initially appeared as a visiting sorceress in Xanthus, pretending to be a friendly visitor, before revealing herself as an agent of Wrath-Amon seeking to attack Xanthus. Her further appearances on the show continued in that deceptive vein; she often appeared using her illusion magic to disguise herself, generally as an attractive, seemingly innocent young girl, and typically engaged in subterfuge and deception to further her goals. On several occasions, star metal has failed to have any harmful effect upon her, so she is almost certainly human, indicating that there are human Set worshippers in Stygia, even many who have apparently reached high positions (though it stands to reason that serpentmen and serpentwomen may have interbred with her human ancestors at some point in the past). Despite being a member of the Stygian royal family and the Queen of Stygia, she did not rule Stygia (a position she most certainly strongly desired), as the Black Ring was in Wrath-Amon's possession, and rulership of Stygia apparently depended upon possession of the Black Ring (it is possible that Wrath-Amon's seizure of the ring from Ram-Amon disrupted the process of succession, and it might have passed to her under ordinary circumstances). Although she initially served Wrath-Amon, she hated him, and tried several times to overthrow and kill him in order to seize the Black Ring and rule in his place. Mesmira turned Greywolf's siblings into werewolves; after he acquired the Claw of Heaven (a piece of star metal that greatly increased the power of a wizard who possessed it) and affixed it to his staff, she sought to take his staff to further her power. She found Conan attractive, and openly sought his affection. She hated Jezmine (possibly stemming at least partly from jealousy of her close friendship with Conan and viewing her as a rival for his affections) and Jezmine despised her right back. At the end of the series, after Set's reurn, she assists Conan's friends in infiltrating Stygia to launch an attack upon Wrath-Amon (as she will never rule Stygia if Set conquers the world) and after Wrath-Amon is defeated, she escapes. with the destroyed black ring
- Gora: Cousin to Zula, a Wasai prince. He was also a sorcerer. He worked as a spy for Wrath-Amon and constantly schemed to eliminate Zula so he'd be the only heir to the throne. His traps and plans often thwarted by Conan who became second heir throne ahead of Gora, after helping Zula escape a band of slaveholders loyal to Wrath-Amon. After his connection to the Snake Cult was discovered he was banished from the tribe. In another attempt he produced a spell using voodoo dolls to inflict pain on Conan and Zula. After discovering his totem animal, (the animal that represents the user of the sign of Jabbal Sag), Conan captured Gora and stopped the spell from becoming permanent.
- Tiaria: A villainess who is a rival of Jezmine of Conan's affections and can control animals of any kind.
- Yin Doo: A warlord who was exiled from Kusan for his evil deeds. He often teams up with Windfang in his various plots.
Others
There are references to other unseen beings (mostly deities) who are never seen in the series.- Crom: The main deity of the Cimmerians. In Conan the Barbarian he was a Deity of the earth and asked the recently dead before they entered Valhalla the secret of steel. In this series we learn that he fervently believes in freedom of men when Conan is offered a chance to a rule a city and its slaves which he outright refuses.
- MitraMitra (Conan)Mitra is a fictional deity from the Hyborian Age works of Robert E. Howard. In the Conan the Barbarian series of stories by Howard, Mitra is a popular god among the Hyborian peoples, a personification of good...
: Another deity who does not appear but has priests. In the series finale it is revealed that he has paladins and we see one of his priests marry a couple. - KrakenKrakenKraken are legendary sea monsters of giant proportions said to have dwelt off the coasts of Norway and Iceland.In modern German, Krake means octopus but can also refer to the legendary Kraken...
: Mentioned by a pirate in an episode of Conan. It stands to reason this is a sea deity as the Kraken was a mythical creature of the sea in Norse Mythology. - WodenOdinOdin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....
: The main deity of the Vanirmen. - Tarim: A deity worshiped in Xanthus.
- Jhebbal Sag: The Lord of Beasts worshiped by the Wasai, he could be invoked to commune with animals. He appeared once in the series in the episode "The Vengeance of Jhebbal Sag."
- Erlik the Flame-Lord: Wielder of the Crystal of Light and responsible for the imprisonment of the elder demon Shulgareth, the ruling family of Kusan descend from his blood. He appeared once in the series in the episode "When Tolls the Bell of Night."
Nations, tribes, and groups
- Cimmerians: Conan is a Cimmerian, a tribe that tends Animals in the mountains and valleys. Despite being called barbarians, they have settlements and do not invade other towns when not at war. Barbarian is likely a reference to their relative primitiveness; they have villages, but not large towns, wear little clothing, paint their bodies for war, and are largely warriors. They are descended from the Atlantians. Their chief, and possibly only, deity is Crom.
- Wasai: The Wasai are a large, powerful and wealthy tribe, of whom Zula is a prince. The Wasai are African and live in the jungle.
- Vanirmen: The Vanirmen, including Snagg, are a barbarian tribe almost completely analogous to Vikings, except that they are not pillagers. They serve a god called "Woden" and are a seafaring and fishing tribe, whose organization and outlook is similar to the Cimmerians.
- Picts The Picts are an extremely primitive tribe who paint their bodies. They are similar to the PictsPictsThe Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
of Scotland, in the name, painting, and habit of pillaging other towns, though they live in or near the jungle. Nearby tribes and nations tend to fear the Picts.
DVD releases
In the UK JetixJetix
Jetix was a worldwide children's television programming brand owned by The Walt Disney Company. The Jetix brand was used for blocks and channels featuring action-related and adventure-related live-action and animated programming. It was also what Disney eventually turned Fox Kids into...
Films has released the complete season one DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
set containing all 13 episodes in their original story order. It is unknown at this time if more sets will follow.
In Region 4, Force Entertainment released the complete series on DVD in Australia in a series of sixteen single-disc DVD volumes, with four episodes per disc.
On July 26, 2011, Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label...
released the first season on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time. Season 2, Part 1 will be released on November 22, 2011.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Season One | 13 | July 26, 2011 |
| Season Two: Part 1 | 13 | November 22, 2011 |
Reception
The animated version was popular by fans and audiences alike, also praised for staying true most of the time to Robert E. HowardRobert E. Howard
Robert Ervin Howard was an American author who wrote pulp fiction in a diverse range of genres. Best known for his character Conan the Barbarian, he is regarded as the father of the sword and sorcery subgenre....
's material and was one of the most popular cartoons which features Sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery
Sword and sorcery is a sub-genre of fantasy and historical fantasy, generally characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts. An element of romance is often present, as is an element of magic and the supernatural...
along side "He-Man
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an American animated television series produced by Filmation based on Mattel's successful toy line Masters of the Universe...
" and "Dungeons & Dragons".
According to The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
, this cartoon, like the other two Conan television series, "has been significantly defanged, dumbing down and infantilizing the character to the degree that he’s robbed of his savage appeal".