Thundarr the Barbarian 2-Disc Box Set DVD

Thundarr the Barbarian is the early-1980s Saturday morning post-apocalyptic action series about a sword-wielding warrior, his wizard companion Princess Ariel, and the mighty Mok-skinned Ookla as they roam a far-future Earth where ancient technology and mystical sorcery have collided into a single brutal landscape. The series aired on ABC across 1980 through 1982, with a 21-episode run that earned a real cult following.

The format is the appeal: each episode pairs a fresh wasteland threat (mind menaces, sleeping demons, body snatchers, train-borne doomsday) with the trio's running counter, holding the show's blend of sword-and-sorcery and sci-fi register as the engine. Episode titles like "Secret Of The Black Pearl," "Mindok The Mind Menace," "Stalker From The Stars," "Last Train To Doomsday," and "Prophecy Of Peril" telegraph the show's commitment to operatic genre storytelling. The animation has the unmistakable early-1980s look of its era, the voice cast commits, and the writing trusts kid viewers to handle real adventure stakes.

For early-1980s ABC Saturday morning programming, this was a notable swing at translating Frank Frazetta-flavored sword-and-planet fantasy into kid-friendly form, sitting in the lineage of post-apocalyptic adventure programming. Suited for fans of the era's particular brand of barbarian-and-wizard storytelling, viewers who like their cartoons with running mythology, and anyone with affection for the lineage of post-apocalypse cartoons.

Standouts worth revisiting include "Secret Of The Black Pearl" (the opener), "Harvest Of Doom" (an early classic), "Wizard Wars" (a Season 2 capstone), "Last Train To Doomsday" (a fan-favorite), and "Prophecy Of Peril" (the closer). This 2-DVD collection brings 21 episodes of Thundarr the Barbarian into one place, the complete post-apocalypse saga in one set, ready for a long evening on the couch.