Parents' Guide to

SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron

By KJ Dell Antonia, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Kid-friendly action 'toon has cat cops, cool jets.

TV Boomerang Kids' Animation 1993
SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 11+

Based on 4 parent reviews

danny800
danny800 Adult
April 21, 2019
age 14+

swat kats is not for kids

i think swat kats is a very good show but its not for kids because its very vilonte a giant bacteria monster absorbs a bunch of characters and some characters die by getting blown up and turned into gold and theres some robot gangsters and season 2 is even darker with that being said swat kats is not for kids and i dont recommend it for anyone under the age of 14

This title has:

Too much violence
Holly R.
Holly R. Parent of 1-year-old
March 31, 2019
age 7+

Action violence with a cast of cat furries!

Almost everyone is a cat. There's some violence and it's pretty action packed. Purrfect for cat lovers and people in the "furry fanbase". I remember this one from my childhood and while rewatching it a few years ago on Boomerang I had forgotten how violent and intense it can be but that being said it's ok for age 7 and up. Razor is my favorite but I also like T-Bone.

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

SWAT KATS, which originally ran on TBS for two years in the early 1990s, is the ongoing saga of two heroic felines in a city populated entirely by cats. Former officers in a glamorous high-tech police squad known as The Enforcers, Chance "T-Bone" Furlong (voiced by Charles Adler) and Jake "Razor" Clawson (Barry Gordon) are now reduced to city salvage workers who must protect their city undercover (a task that requires jet fighting, laser guns, and the ability to deal with everything from alien cicadas to alternate universes). Working in cooperation with the police and the mayor, they keep their true identities secret and are invariably good -- if rogue -- citizens.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (2):

For an action cartoon, SWAT Kats has several things going for it. Female characters are strong and fearless. And the heroes, even while operating undercover, cooperate with the police, who aren't portrayed as either corrupt or foolish. Instead, although they're good, the official police just aren't as willing or able as the SWAT Kats to do whatever it takes to get the job done. The buddy relationship between the two main characters is also nice -- they may be undercover crime fighters, but they're never alone. Both guys seem to feel like they have friends in the city, and they seem pretty happy with what they're doing.

Compared to the many angst-ridden cartoon takes on Spider-Man and Batman, SWAT Kats is both a lighthearted relief and a good option for young viewers who aren't quite ready to consider the moral and ethical implications of superhero status.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the role of the media within the show. One main character is a reporter who often finds trouble but is invariably brave (and reckless) in going after the story. Is that what you think journalists are like in real life? What's good about how she does her job, and what's not? Families can also discuss how this show is similar to and different from other action cartoons.

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

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