Parents' Guide to

ThunderCats (1980s)

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Classic 'toon's conflict is OK for older kids.

TV Boomerang Kids' Animation 1985
ThunderCats (1980s) 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 7+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Strider75
Strider75 Parent of 9, 11 and 14-year-old
October 12, 2020
age 6+

Description by site is wrong

Ok so the “lone female” is wrong. There are 2and eventually 3. Every episode ended with a review of what they’d learned and a positive message, smart writing too.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Will H.
Will H. Parent of 3, 6 and 8-year-old
April 24, 2020
age 8+

A classic that still holds up

I watched this show religiously as a kid in the 80s, jumping off the couch and mimicing the characters. 30 years later, I'm watching my kids doing the same thing. My 7 year old son and 9 year old daughter got deep into it after only one episode and are questioning a lot of the science and back story. They are really smart, creative and want to know as much as possible, so this show fits them perfectly. My biggest complaint about the show is the voice acting, which even bothered me as a child. Many times the character speak with a whiney tone, stretching the words out like their talking to babies. Other times they talk like robots, not the most human of emotions coming from their voices. But the action and storylines are strong enough for anyone to get over it. Like most 80s cartoons, the episodes end with positive learning moments that are a obvious sign of the times, yet the production team was smart enough to weave these messages into the subject of the storyline rather than a lecture. Of course, there will be a lot of things that only adults would get but that's what makes Thundercats so great, it's fun for all ages.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

The death of the planet Thundera leaves a group of its natives adrift in space, and when they come under attack from their intergalactic enemies, the Mutants of Plun-Darr, only the passengers of one spacecraft escape with their lives. With their ship damaged, the THUNDERCATS head for the nearest livable planet, Third Earth, where they set up camp and befriend some of the locals. Unfortunately the Mutants follow them there and join forces with the ancient evil sorcerer Mumm-Ra (voiced by Earl Hammond), who's also bent on stealing the Eye of Thundera, which bestows the Cats' power and is set in a sword entrusted to the heroes' leader, Lion-O (Larry Kenney). Together with Panthro (Earle Hyman), Cheetara (Lynne Lipton), WilyKit (Lipton again), WilyKat (Peter Newman), and Tygra (Newman again), Lion-O must protect the Eye of Thundera from its would-be captors and help their new neighbors settle the score with some of their enemies as well.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (1):

ThunderCats exemplifies the ubiquitous action-adventure cartoons at the disposal of children -- especially boys -- of the '80s. It plays out much the same as its peers like BraveStarr and Transformers; a band of heroes risks their lives to fend off their nefarious enemies and to help the downtrodden they encounter, all the while teaching their young viewers a thing or two about morality. While this cartoon isn't as blatant in its delivery of positive messages as, say, He-Man, its heroes still stand up for what's right and band together to protect the innocent.

Violence is an unavoidable byproduct of the show's good-vs.-evil plot, but by today's standards, it's fairly tame. Many of the characters use weapons like laser guns or stun darts, but when an opportunity exists to deter an enemy without force, the heroes take it, which sends messages to kids about making good choices. The storylines also center on themes like loyalty and courage, so there are plenty of issues to discuss with your kids at the show's end.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about heroes. In what ways are the ThunderCats' actions heroic? What qualities do you most admire in them? Who are some of your heroes?

  • How does this cartoon compare to some of your modern favorites? Did you like this one's animation style? How are the characters different? Are the show's messages still relevant?

  • What rules should exist about violence in TV shows? Do you think seeing violence in a cartoon affects you? What shows have you seen that are more violent than this one? Did the content scare you?

TV Details

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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