Common Sense Media Review
By Fernanda Camargo
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Young Hercules feels old: stereotypes, violence, innuendo.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Hercules: The Animated Series
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In HERCULES: THE ANIMATED SERIES, Hercules is still in training to be a hero. During his school years, him and his friends, Cassandra and Icarus, try to handle life as teenagers. They want to stay away from trouble, but that's not an easy task for the son of Zeus, who somehow always finds monsters to fight, battles to win, and lessons to learn along the way.
Is It Any Good?
As a spin-off from one of Disney's most popular movies, this series is disappointing. Hercules: The Animated Series struggles as a product of its time. While there are good intentions and positive messages, those are overshadowed by mature themes, violence and stereotypes. It doesn't help that jokes and wordplay might be confusing for younger kids. With the variety of stories currently available inspired greek mythology, and the original Hercules telling a complete and satisfying story, this series is a skip.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the mythological world of Hercules: The Animated Series. What do you know about Greek mythology? Do you think the series does a good job of portraying the Gods and other characters?
What do you think of Hercules's classmates in the show? Do they come off as realistic to you?
Point out that many of the villains have larger bodies or that women don't have active roles. What do you think is the harm of such limited representations?
TV Details
- Premiere date : August 31, 1998
- Cast : Tate Donovan , French Stewart , Sandra Bernhard
- Network : Disney+
- Genre : Kids' Animation
- Topics : Superheroes , Adventures , School ( High School ) , Fantasy
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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