History WesternAnimation / RamboTheForceOfFreedom

-->"His strength and skill allow him to accomplish dangerous missions that no ordinary man would attempt. Martial arts, weapons, explosives -- Rambo is master of all!"

* EvenEvilHasStandard: In the episode "Crash", Mad Dog and his men willingly take Rambo's young travelling companion Nicky (who is in desperate need of a kidney transplant) to the hospital, and react to Rambo's warning that they'd better not hurt the boy with disgust that he'd think they'd do such a thing.

* ScoobyDooHoax: In "Swamp Monster", S.A.V.A.G.E. creates the (phony) titular creature in order to take over a small town as part of their latest scheme.

* SixtyFiveEpisodeCartoon: There were sixty regular episodes, plus a FiveEpisodePilot.

The cartoon was filled with hand-to-hand combat and gunfire, with accurately-illustrated guns; yet unlike the original R-rated films, there was never any sensational violence, blood or gore, since this series was intended for family viewing. Moreover, no one ever died or got (seriously) hurt. The only real injury on the show happened when Rambo broke his arm in a survival episode. Rambo (who was seldom called by his first name, even by Trautman) used ->violence as a last resort and relied on his resources and guile to outwit his opponents — a character trait not consistent with the later films (Rambo avoids deliberately killing anyone in the first movie). Additionally, there were no references to UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar, [=POWs=], or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.[[note]]Rambo was originally a [[ShellShockedVeteran shell shocked]] Vietnam veteran who suffered from PTSD after being tortured in a POW camp by the Viet Cong.[[/note]]

* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: When Snake Bite is intorudced in "Skyjacked Gold", he captures Kat and torments her with his snake collection. She's not too thrilled about it, although her reaction is equal parts fear and anger.

* LastNameBasis: (John) Rambo is rarely referred to by hus first name.

* MasterOfDisguise: Kat.

* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: And so is Snake Bite, the [[SwampsAreEvil swamp-dwelling]] S.A.V.A.G.E. member who uses [[SnakesAreSinister snakes]], [[YouDirtyRat rats]], [[SpidersAreScary spiders]] and [[ScaryScorpions scorpions]] to help him commit crimes.

In the cartoon, John Rambo was the leader of a Franchise/GIJoe-like team called The Force of Freedom". They went on missions around the world battling against a paramilitary terrorist organization named S.A.V.A.G.E.[[note]]short for Specialist-Administrators of Vengeance, Anarchy and Global Extortion - although in a toy advertisement included on a VHS tape of episodes from the series, it's said to mean the Secret Army of Vengeance And Global Evil[[/note]]), which was led by a maniacal military man named General Warhawk. Fictional countries and back-stories would frequently be featured, some of them echoing historical or current events.

* MiddleEasternTerrorists: S.A.V.A.G.E desert warrior Nomad was one. When Arab-American groups objected to him, he ws dropped from the toy line and its advertising.

* VillainExclusivityClause: S.A.V.A.G.E. was ''always'' behind whatever EvilPlan Rambo and company had to stop, although General Warhawk brought in several guest villains to add a little variety.

* AnAssKickingChristmas: The plot of "When S.A.V.A.G.E. Stole Santa" combines this trope with KidnappedScientist. A retired rocket scientist in a small Colorado town plays SantaClaus during the holidays; Rambo's team has to protect him when S.A.V.A.G.E. tries to force him to work for them.

* EvilFormerFriend: In "The Doomsday Machine", Rambo's old pal Mike Flynn does a FaceHeelTurn and steals a fighter jet to help with Warhawk's latest EvilPlan.

** EvilTwin: His twin brother Black Dragon works for S.A.V.A.G.E. (Conveniently for the toy company, who [[PaletteSwap used the same molds]] to make both characters and their accessories.)

* ScoobyDooHoax: In "Swamp Monster", S.A.V.A.G.E. creates the titular creature in order to take over a small town as part of their latest plot.

The cartoon was filled with hand-to-hand combat and gunfire, with accurately-illustrated guns; yet unlike the original R-rated films, there was never any sensational violence, blood or gore, since this series was intended for family viewing. Moreover, no one ever died or got (seriously) hurt. The only real injury on the show happened when Rambo broke his arm in a survival episode. Rambo (who was seldom called by his first name, even by Trautman) used violence as a last resort and relied on his resources and guile to outwit his opponents — a character trait not consistent with the later films (Rambo avoids deliberately killing anyone in the first movie). Additionally, there were no references to UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar, [=POWs=], or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.[[note]]Rambo was originally a [[ShellShockedVeteran shell shocked]] Vietnam veteran who suffered from PTSD after being tortured in a POW camp by the Viet Cong.[[/note]]

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''Rambo: The Force of Freedom'' was a SixtyFiveEpisodeCartoon produced by Creator/RubySpears. The cartoon was [[RecycledTheSeries based on the character of]] [[Franchise/{{Rambo}} John Rambo]], from David Morrell's book ''Literature/FirstBlood'', and the subsequent films ''Film/FirstBlood'' and ''Film/RamboFirstBloodPartII'' and adapted for television by story editor/head writer Michael Chain. The series debuted on April 14, 1986 as a five part mini series, and was renewed in September as a daily cartoon. Rambo was cancelled in December of the same year.

In the cartoon, John Rambo was part of a Franchise/GIJoe-like team called "The Force of Freedom." They went on missions around the world battling against a paramilitary terrorist organization named S.A.V.A.G.E. (short for Specialist-Administrators of Vengeance, Anarchy and Global Extortion - although in a toy advertisement included on a VHS tape of episodes from the series, it's said to mean the Secret Army of Vengeance And Global Evil).

Fictional countries and back-stories would frequently be featured, some of them echoing historical or current events.

The cartoon was filled with hand-to-hand combat and gunfire, with accurately-illustrated guns; yet unlike the original R-rated films, there was never any sensational violence, blood or gore, since this series was intended for family viewing. Moreover, no one ever died or got (seriously) hurt. The only real injury on the show happened when Rambo broke his arm in a survival episode. Rambo (who was seldom called by his first name, even by Trautman) used violence as a last resort and relied on his resources and guile to outwit his opponents — a character trait not consistent with the later films (Rambo avoids deliberately killing anyone in the first movie). Additionally, there were no references to Vietnam, [=POWs=], or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.[[note]]He was originally a [[ShellShockedVeteran shell shocked]] UsefulNotes/VietnamWar veteran who suffered from PTSD after being tortured in a POW camp by the Viet Cong.[[/note]]

* AnAssKickingChristmas: The plot of "When S.A.V.A.G.E. Stole Santa".

* LighterAndSofter: It's a more family-friendly version of Rambo. As stated above, ''Film/FirstBlood'''s darker elements were omitted, and the show goes to be a little more like a derivative of ''WesternAnimation/GIJoeARealAmericanHero'' except with a LighterAndSofter Rambo as the main character.

* DrugsAreBad: One episode was even titled "Just Say No".

* LastNameBasis: Used almost, if not exclusively with (John) Rambo.

* {{Expy}}: White Dragon and his brother Black Dragon are color-inverted versions of [[Franchise/GIJoe Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow]].

* LighterAndSofter: It's a more family-friendly version of Rambo. As stated above, ''Film/FirstBlood'''s darker element were omitted, and the show goes to be a little more like a derivative of ''WesternAnimation/GIJoeARealAmericanHero'' except with a LighterAndSofter Rambo as the main character.

* SixtyFiveEpisodeCartoon

* ATeamFiring

* UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}}: The setting of "Subterranean Holdup".

* MerchandiseDriven

* NeverSayDie