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Lion-O

Voiced by: Will Friedle

Lion-O is a prince, made Lord of the ThunderCats due to the murder of his father, Claudus. In contrast to the '80s series, Lion-O is introduced as a brash, idealistic teenager.

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• 24-Hour Armor: Always wears his cuirass.
• Adaptive Armor: When Lion-O obtains the Spirit Stone and places it in his claw gauntlet, it extends to cover his full arm.
• Aesop Amnesia: It seems like every other episode is Lion-O learning the same lesson about listening to his teammates and not doing his own thing without their input.
• All of the Other Reindeer: Popular opinion in Thundera is Lion-O is a Cloudcuckoolander for his obsession with technology, a Category Traitor for his Lizard advocacy, a Cultural Rebel and a thoroughly Inadequate Inheritor when compared to his brother.
• Always Save the Girl: With a choice between saving Pumyra and the Sword of Plunn-Darr, he picks Pumyra. He even flat out tells Mumm-Ra (and Pumyra) that abandoning her isn't even an option.
  • In "Recipe for Disaster" the first time Mumm-Ra attacks in his Sycorax form his initial reaction is to grab her and get to safety before counter-attacking. Later in the episode he saves her again when she's cornered.
• Always Second Best: Though Lion-O is painfully aware of this already, his brother Tygra sees fit to loudly and explicitly inform Lion-O of this in front of a huge arena of people before roundly defeating him in a public sporting event.
  Tygra: "When it comes to everything except the crown, you're always going to be second place."
• Amazon Chaser: First Cheetara, who's easily his rival in combat. This also applies to Pumyra, who fits the trope a little closer as a Hot-Blooded ex-gladiator who's handed his tail to him before with extreme prejudice (though this is because he flat-out refused to fight her).
• Ancestral Weapon: The Sword of Omens, passed down from his father, is "the sword that built the ThunderCats' empire".
• Astonishingly Appropriate Appearance: Of course Lion-O's destined to master his Ancestral Weapon, a sword that Only the Chosen May Wield with accompanying Psychic Powers. His mane is a paler shade of its Power Crystal, his eyes, a paler shade of its cross-guard.
  • He also bears an uncanny resemblance to Leo, the original wielder of the Sword of Omens.
• Audience Surrogate: The most frequent viewpoint character.
• Back from the Dead: After the trials two-parter.
• Battle Cry: "Thunder... THUNDER... THUNDERCATS, HOOOOOOO!!!"
• Black Sheep: Lion-O doesn't fit in with the royal family. In this case, he's a Cloudcuckoolander techie in a family of Proud Warrior Race Guys.
• Bodyguard Crush/Hot for Preacher: Lion-O has an obvious crush on Cheetara, his Church Militant Praetorian Guard. He gets over it, eventually.
• Bully Hunter: Gradually becomes this, as he goes from incidentally fighting bullies in his hometown to actively asserting that predatory antagonists, like the Duelist, need to be taken down a peg.
• Catchphrase: "Whiskers," Lion-O's signature Once per Episode phrase, quite possibly the least threatening curse ever.
• Category Traitor: Lion-O's defense of the stockaded Lizard slaves and attempt at Shaming the Mob harassing them backfires spectacularly, stirring up the Powderkeg Crowd into demanding a full blown Public Execution and turning their Torches and Pitchforks on him, calling him "Lizard lover" and threatening to put him in the stocks themselves. Yes, everyone hates their crown prince and future king.
• Came Back Strong: After returning from death in "The Trials of Lion-O". He actually scares Mumm-Ra!
• The Chains of Commanding: Lion-O feels doubtful and insecure in his leadership from time to time, once wondering aloud "Maybe the sword chose wrong."
• Character Development: Shortsighted and prone to alternately Hot-Blooded and well-meant impulsive decisions, Lion-O gradually learns through several missteps how to take a longer view and think before he acts. This is lampshaded when, atypically, he realizes a tactical error mere seconds after he's made it, firing a grapple at an angry Giant Flyer:
  Lion-O: *as he realizes he'll be dragged skyward* Maybe this is a bad ide-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
  • He later demonstrates long-term planning skills and more abstract thought while searching for the hidden Spirit Stone.
  • From "The Trials of Lion-O: Part 2" on he is far more mature and even-tempered, and makes better use of his tools and abilities.
  • In "Recipe for Disaster", he takes a much different approach with courting Pumyra than he did Cheetara (actively trying to talk to her about their relationship and feelings) and tries to make his affections known rather than just assuming she feels the same way.
• Chekhov's Skill: Lion-O's much-ridiculed intense study of technology finally pays off when he figures out the user interface of a Black Box that he later uses to blow up a war mech
• A Child Shall Lead Them: Lion-O is still young, and very green in his kingship.
• The Chosen One: During a Rite of Passage, the Sword of Omens granted Lion-O a vision of the future, choosing him as the next king.
• Cloudcuckoolander: His reputation among the Thunderians prior to Thundera's fall. Grune lampshades it, saying he "still [has] his head in the clouds." while Tygra has harsher words:
  Tygra: That's your problem. You look at Lizards and see victims. You look at junk and see mythical tech.
• Collector of the Strange: Actively seeks out Lost Technology, even if he has to turn to a Friend in the Black Market to get it.
• Cool Sword: The Sword of Omens, naturally.
• The Cuckoolander Was Right: Not that Lion-O feels much like gloating, since confirmation of Lost Technology's existence comes at a price, when the Lizards use it to destroy his kingdom. He even gets redeemed for his defense of the Lizards when one of them repays the favor. and slips him the key to his cell.
• Cultural Rebel: Who needs to learn about how Cats Are Superior or Might Makes Right when there are machines to tinker with? And it actually seems wrong that those Alley Cats are beating up that poor Dog...
• Custom Uniform: Justified as he's the king, but he's basically wearing the same uniform as the Thunderian soldiers seen in the pilot.
• Deadpan Snarker: He can get pretty snarky and often matches Tygra wit-for-wit. Most of his lines in "Legacy" are wry observations on the situation.
• Determinator: Lion-O doesn't give up easily, which has both gotten him into trouble, and out of it.
• Did Not Get the Girl: He's been very unlucky in his romantic pursuits.
  • He falls for Cheetara but loses her to Tygra. Made worse by the fact she had apparently chosen Tygra years ago. So he was never in the running.
  • And just when the episode "Recipe for Disaster," looks to finally avert this with Pumyra. Nnnnnnnnope. Turns out she's a traitor to her own kind and betrays him.
• Died in Your Arms Tonight: Lion-O holds his father while he dies. And his friend Emrick, in the palms of his hands.
• Disney Villain Death: Inverted, as he's a hero who suffers this fate, and is revived later on. Making this eventually become a straight example of a Disney Death in the long run.
• Don't Call Me "Sir": After saving Pumyra's life in the mines, he asks her to call him "Lion-O" and not "Your Majesty." She's a special case though and he will tolerate being called "Your Majesty" by other cats.
• The Emperor: King of Thundera, and Lord of the ThunderCats, for what it's worth...
• Establishing Character Moment: Lion-O is introduced sneaking cloaked and hooded into the worst part of Thundera's slums, only to catch the eye of a gang of "Alley Cat" muggers who've just finished beating a hapless Dog. He manages to fight most off but has to be bailed out by Cheetara, to whom he reveals his reasons for being there: to find rare and obscure pieces of "technology," which everyone else believes to be a myth.
• Every Device Is a Swiss-Army Knife: Lion-O's Claw Gauntlet does quadruple duty as scabbard, gauntlet, grappling hook, and buckler.
  • Adding the various power stones can upgrade it into armor.
• Everyone Can See It: Towards Pumyra, except for Pumyra.
• Everyone Loves Blondes: For Cheetara, which is too bad considering she chooses Tygra instead.
• Face Palm: Lion-O from Tygra's actions when the latter accidentally drank a love potion.
• Fatal Flaw: Pride and overestimation of his skills gets him into trouble, he also struggles with self-doubt. It's actually discussed in "The Trials of Lion-O." The whole prologue of the episode was Lion-O trying to prove to everyone that he's right and everyone should follow him. It leads to his Disney Death. During the actual trials, Lion-O fails to defeat Trial!Tygra, who mentions that deep down, Lion-O didn't believe that he'd be a worthy ruler.
• Father, I Don't Want to Fight: ...Lizards my people have spent generations oppressing and enslaving.
• Failure Knight: He doesn't want any other civilization to fall like Thunderra.
• Fiery Redhead: He has red hair and is easily angered when he or people he sympathizes with are threatened.
• Friend-or-Idol Decision: In "Birth of the Blades," Lion-O is faced with a Sadistic Choice: Save Pumyra from falling to her death, or grab the Sword of Plun-Darr before Mumm-Ra can? He chooses to save Pumyra, earning her gratitude and Undying Loyalty.
• Genius Ditz: Initially showed traces of this.
• Genre Blindness: Lion-O sees a vision in the magic Sword of Omens, and Cannot Spit It Out, preferring to lie and claim he was distracted by two passing girls, since he assumes his father will think him a Cloudcuckoolander if he speaks up. Justified since Lion-O is selectively Culture Blind, neglecting his royal duties in favor of collecting and studying Lost Technology, a ridiculous hobby in a Magical Kingdom.
• Grappling-Hook Pistol: The Claw Gauntlet can fire the four fingers as anchors to surfaces.
• Greater Need Than Mine: Lion-O will help others at great personal cost, this is what earns him Pumyra's Undying Loyalty in "Birth of the Blades" as he continues to fight for her even after she loses the Sword of Plundarr.
• Grew a Spine: Though a Cultural Rebel, Lion-O was reluctant to share his radicalism with anyone but Snarf, and exploits his image as a Cloudcuckoolander to avoid disclosing a vision he saw in the Sword of Omens. But after hearing that "Sight is useless without action," from Jaga, he makes a Sudden Principled Stand, faces down an Angry Mob and convinces his father to pardon two Lizard prisoners.
• Guile Hero: Not an outright straight example, but part of Lion-O's character development is learning to be more like one, rather than trying to be an action hero warrior like Tygra. Of particular note is how he solves his trials, and then later defeats Mumm-Ra's generals, three very strong, vicious, and dangerous characters, by tricking them into getting trapped in a holding cell, all by himself, without the Sword of Omens, and without even using the Spirit Stone.
• The Heart: Arguably to all of Thundera. Lion-O immediately steps up to defend anyone, regardless if they're seen as enemies or not, proclaiming, "No one deserves to be treated like that." He will also help anyone in need and expect nothing in return, it earns a lot of friends.
• The Hero: He is the main character.
• Hero with Bad Publicity: The word "crazy" keeps popping up in discussions about what Thunderians think of Lion-O, to the point that he automatically anticipates this opinion from Cheetara.
  • Pumyra (and apparently the rest of the refugees) believe he abandoned them after the fall of Thundera.
  • Averted later on, in some cases...firstly from Pumyra herself after Lion-O proves he's worthy of the mantle of leadership, and also from an elderly cat-slave that Lion-O freed from rat slavers, who claims that he never lost faith that the Lord of the ThunderCats would save them.
• Heroes Prefer Swords: The Sword of Omens is his weapon.
• Heroic Sacrifice: One of his personality traits and what earns him a second chance at life in "Trials Part 2". It's what also changes Pumyra's opinion of him in "The Pit," he would rather die than hurt her or any of his subjects.
• He's Back!: "The Trials of Lion-O: Part 2".
• Honor Before Reason: Lion-O suffers a fit of this while grieving for his father and his friend Emrick, invoking a recently-learned Aesop about living life fully to justify acting on his culture's (and inferentially, his father's) motto that "ThunderCats never retreat." This leads him to impulsively charge into a battle so one-sided his entire group would have died were it not for a Deus ex Machina. Inverted when the Elephant Village gets taken hostage and opts for a stealth approach considering the hostage situation. Firmly averted after his Trials where he thinks before he acts and will sometimes allow things he doesn't like to happen if it means the success of the greater mission.
• Hot-Blooded: The destruction of Thundera and murder of his father has a negative effect on Lion-O's control of his emotions, naturally. As the series progresses he pretty much grows out of it.
• How Do I Shot Web?: Up until "Sight Beyond Sight" he has great difficulty using the titular ability. After learning to view "the big picture," as per instruction from various gurus, he gains perspective, and becomes more able to use the Sword of Omens' Psychic Powers.
• Humble Hero: This works both for and against him, as his humility gives him great compassion, but also undermines his confidence when he needs it most.
• I Did What I Had to Do: Spoken word-for-word in "The Pit" when trying to turn Pumyra.
• I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Zig-Zagged, in "New Alliances" he tells Tygra and Cheetara that he knows about their relationship and he's happy for the both of them, but privately chews Cheetara out for (unintentionally) leading him on.
• Iconic Item: The Sword of Omens.
• Ignorant of Their Own Ignorance: While Lion-O is very right about the existence of Lost Technology, he initially dreamily romanticizes it, not realizing its potential as a Forgotten Superweapon until witnessing the destruction first-hand. It's also quite jarring to his Noble Bigot sensibilities when a Lizard informs him His Species Doth Protest Too Much.
• In the Hood: Lion-O travels The City Narrows of Thundera in a dark blue cloak.
• Inadequate Inheritor: Pretty much everyone agrees that Tygra would be a better king than Lion-O. He doesn't even get much praise from his father until right before his death.
• Indy Ploy: He's getting very good at thinking on his feet and he pulls off a series of these in "Birth of the Blades."
• Instant Expert: Despite only tinkering and playing with mostly broken and non-functional trinkets, Lion-O is remarkably quick to pick up the workings of technology, and has no trouble at all sailing two hi-tech airships.
• Jerkass: For all of one episode due to his rage and hate blinding him to everything else. He gets better at the end.
• Kid Hero: At seventeen, he's the youngest of his fellow nobles. Panthro dryly lampshades their lack of "adult supervision" before his arrival.
• Kid Samurai: In the Cattle Punk/Wutai Swordsmans' Town, Lion-O is swiftly pegged as this by the Drifter, who warns him off, and the Duelist, who exploits Lion-O's naiveté for all it's worth, goading him into a Showdown at High Noon.
• Kindhearted Cat Lover: Or... whatever his pet Snarf is. Anyway, he loves him.
• King Incognito: Lion-O has a habit of walking the slums disguised as a peasant.
• Knight in Shining Armor: Oh so much, his outfit even seems to be based on a medieval knight's jousting armor. Even more so during moments when Pumyra shows obvious attraction to him for displaying these kinds of feats.
• Last of His Kind: Lion-O is the last of the Lions, the Cats who constitute Thundera's royal bloodline.
• The Leader: Of his ThunderCats, much to Tygra's chagrin and Panthro's irritation (though Panthro does warm up, as does Tygra to some extent).
• Leeroy Jenkins: Unlike many here, a genuine flaw of the Hot-Blooded young Lion-O, which Panthro has very little patience for.
• Likes Older Women: His crush on Cheetara showed this. Too bad she chose Tygra instead.
• Lonely Rich Kid: Despite being the prince, so far Lion-O's childhood looks like it may have been a pretty lonely one.
• Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places: First with Cheetara, and then with Pumyra.
• Love Makes You Dumb: All throughout the Sword of Plundarr arc he had been doing perfectly fine with Pumyra simply by speaking his mind and being there for her, but in "Recipe for Disaster" when he attempts to openly court her he stumbles over his words, gives her poisonous flowers, tries to slip her a love potion, and generally makes a mess of things between them. Averted through the rest of the episode as he still manages to keep a clear head in battle and his desire to protect Pumyra allows to him to pull off an attack that actually hurts a supposedly nigh-invulnerable Mumm-Ra. It continues to be averted spectacularly in "What Lies Above: Part 1" where he goes along with her when she comes up with a decent plan, but when she decides on a truly terrible one he calls her on it and tries to stop her (which is easier said than done) proving that no matter how much he cares about her he cannot be manipulated by her into violating his morals.
• Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Lion-O's Claw Gauntlet serves as a buckler, in a pinch.
• A Man Is Always Eager: He has no problem using his ancestor's relationship with fellow rebellion leader Panthera to score a makeout session right before Mumm-Ra's ship crashes in his vision of the past
  Lion-O: I am so dead... But at least I have a girlfriend!
  • Subverted later with Pumyra, when she starts flirting with him he just looks confused and vaguely disturbed, probably because he has been burned in the past, but also because she tried to kill him only a few hours earlier.
  • Then played straight again when he starts trying to court Pumyra, with his initial attempts proving...awkward.
• Magical Incantation:
  • His Battle Cry of "Thunder... THUNDER... THUNDERCATS, HOOOOOOO!!!" causes his Sword Of Omens to transform and turn from dagger to longsword unlocking its full combat potential, and projecting a Bat Signal of his royal emblem to summon allies.
  • The command "Sword of Omens, give me Sight Beyond Sight!" allows Lion-O to use the sword's Psychic Powers.
• Missing Mom: Lion-O's mother is nowhere to be seen. This is because of her Death by Childbirth, as revealed in "Native Son".
• Must Make Amends: He puts up with so much from Pumyra because he feels personally responsible for her suffering (and that of the other refugees). That, and he likes her.
• My Species Doth Protest Too Much: After listening to a Lizard explain how the Cats' oppression gives him few options in life, Lion-O is much less enthusiastic about his culture's endorsement of Might Makes Right or Fantastic Racism.
• Named Weapons: The Sword of Omens
• Nice Guy: You could count the number of beings in the series who are half as decent as him one hand.
• Noble Bigot: Begins as a Fantastic Racist, shooing Produce Pelting kids away from the stockades, but presuming the Lizards therein are otherwise entirely deserving of punishment... until they proceed to argue the point.
• Noble Fugitive: Breaking out of dungeons, running to MacGuffins, away from the Lizards.
• Noble Male, Roguish Male: The Noble Male to Tygra's Roguish Male.
• Nobody Calls Me "Chicken"!: Appeals to courage or implications of cowardice are a sore point with Lion-O, culturally and personally, especially if his conduct is compared to his father. After his trials this is pretty much gone and he is much harder to provoke and manipulate.
• No Social Skills: He was always a little awkward, but it hasn't been noticeable since the Trials, and then in "Recipe for Disaster" it goes back up to eleven as he tries to court Pumyra.
• Occult Blue Eyes: Blue-green eyes, a family trait he shares with his father, and part of the Astonishingly Appropriate Appearance that marks him as able to use the Sword of Omens' "Sight Beyond Sight".
• Power Makes Your Voice Deep: Lion-O's voice gets deeper whenever he uses the Sword of Omens and shouts "ThunderCats, ho!"
• The Power of Love: His affection for Pumyra and his desire to protect her end up allowing him to shoot blue lightning from the Sword of Omens for the first time.
• A Protagonist Shall Lead Them: "For it was written that he would be born of fire, a king to lead his people to victory against ancient spirits of evil."
• Rebel Prince: Reconstructed. It's made patently obvious early on that Lion-O really doesn't want to be king, but cannot pass it to anyone else as he was chosen by the Sword of Omens. It is the act of rebelling against his princely responsibilities that has put Lion-O in touch with the common slum-dwellers and Specific minorities, and connected him with Lost Technology, making him Thundera's Wise Prince.
• Redemption Equals Life: Played with after Lion-O recognizes his faults and desires to save his friends even though he would be stuck in Limbo for all eternity, but is instead revived due to the selflessness of his actions.
• Reluctant Ruler: Initially Lion-O didn't want to be king and felt like he was being pushed into a life meant for someone else. Later he comes to accept his position and the responsibility that comes with it.
• Requisite Royal Regalia: Lion-O wears a much less elaborate version of the cuirass and belt-mounted cabochon sported by his father. Underneath that he wears the uniform of a common soldier.
• The Resenter: Inverted. Lion-O is the hero of the narrative, but not of Thundera's people. They adore Tygra, and think of him as their ideal leader, while Lion-O is The Wrongful Heir to the Throne. Lion-O loathes this state of affairs.
  Lion-O (in Sarcasm Mode): You're just so perfect, aren't you, Tygra?
  Tygra: Why, thank you, Lion-O!
• Retractable Weapon: The Sword of Omens retracts to dagger length for stowing inside it's scabbard, Lion-O's Claw Gauntlet. It extends fully when Lion-O performs his Magical Incantation.
• Revenge Before Reason: Hits this hard in "Ramlak Rising", choosing to disobey Jaga's demand that he find the Book of Omens in favor of hunting down Mumm-Ra, though his encounter with the similarly motivated Captain Tunar causes him to rethink his priorities.
• Right Makes Might: Lion-O is less adept at combat than many other warriors, including the other adult ThunderCats. However, he's able to wield the full power of the Sword of Omens and the Spirit Stone because of his good heart, which makes Lion-O powerful.
• Royal Blood: Lion-O is a Lion, which automatically confers the right to rule.
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: Initially deconstructed, as Lion-O's hobbies, opinions and jaunts to the slums are seen as evidence that he's The Wrongful Heir to the Throne. Lion-O's Lizard advocacy even causes Claudus to label him an Unwitting Instigator of Doom when the Lizards invade, denying him the chance to join Claudus and Tygra on the battlefield. Then Lion-O takes matters into his own hands.
• Seers: As The Chosen One, only Lion-O can use the Sword of Omens' "Sight Beyond Sight" to see visions of the future, hidden or far off objects, or metaphysical locations.
• Serial Romeo: Driven by poor self-esteem and a love-starved heart, Lion-O repeatedly seeks romantic connections with women he barely knows, and misreads their intent.
  • Mistakes Cheetara's support and encouragement for romantic interest.
  • Mistakes Pumyra's homicidal rage for "passion and strength."
• Shonen Hair: To be expected, as this reboot takes a nod from anime.
• Skilled, but Naive: Despite his skill, his naive nature has lead him into trouble.
• Small Steps Hero: Multiple times. This is one of the major themes of the series, and Lion-O seems to be aware that in the long run, when it comes to seeing the big picture, all these small good deeds will help him succeed against Mumm-Ra.
• Socially Awkward Hero: Lion-o can fight the forces of Mumm-ra, but yet is unable to try and chat with Pumyra, as shown in "Recipe for Disaster". Notably he was perfectly able to speak honestly with her before he realized he liked her, see Love Makes You Dumb above.
• Stalker with a Crush: Played straight for laughs with questionable usage of love potion in "Recipe for Disaster."
• Still the Leader: Initially did not take Panthro's assertive leader role well, despite being out of his depth during their shared mission. In a fit of pique, Lion-O pulled a Leeroy Jenkins that required Panthro's intervention, but Lion-O soon earned his respect and deference when he proved an effective wielder of the Sword of Omens. He also has to deal with Tygra (and later Pumyra) constantly questioning and criticizing his decisions, even after he starts making decent ones.
• Suspiciously Specific Denial: Doubles as That Came Out Wrong.
  Pumyra: "Aren't we supposed to be collecting firewood?"
  Lion-O: "... Oh! Yeah! I, uh, heheh... I didn't just walk you out here to get you alone... ahahah... ahem..."
  • And later he attempts to give her a flower:
    Pumyra: Is that supposed to be for me?
    Lion-O: This? No! Yes... I-I just thought it smelled nice...
  • Later still when she has an allergic reaction to the same flower:
    Lion-O: Lemme take a look I'm sure it's just— (sees her swelled face and wheezes)!
    Pumyra: What?
    Lion-O: Nothing! It's fine, you can barely tell!
• Surrogate Soliloquy: Lion-O makes a habit of using his Empathy Pet Snarf as a sounding-board for his thoughts.
• Sword and Fist: Acquits himself very well against all but the leader of a gang of Alley Cats while otherwise unarmed, but puts in a poorer showing while competing against his brother in the games.
  • Later puts in a much better showing against a rat slaver in "The Curse of Ratilla," and hammers Ratar-O himself with an impressive right hook in the same episode
• Sword Beam: Lion-O can use the Sword of Omens to unleash surges of electricity; more often, however, this takes the form of a power scarlet energy beam fired from the Eye of Thundera set in the hilt.
• Took a Level in Badass: The point of the Trials, not only to test his skills, but to force him to confront things about himself he doesn't like and hold him back.
• Took a Level in Jerkass: After "Between Brothers" through the end of "The Trials of Lion-O" due to not getting the girl, though he felt he had every right to be angry. By "The Trials of Lion-O" and onward, he seems to have gotten better.
• Undying Loyalty: To his friends and his people. This is what actually allows him to go back to the living world after he dies.
• The Unfavorite: His father much prefers his adoptive older brother Tygra.
• Unskilled, but Strong: Lion-O's weakness in technique with the Sword of Omens is that he prefers a straightforward, purely offensive barrage that relies on momentum and power, very effective in a large battlefield melee, but useless when opponents have guile and space enough to maneuver. The Drifter notes this, and instructs him in defensive evasion. This improves his technique greatly, but later episodes show that he can still be overpowered by opponents who are just plain physically stronger than him. Post-Trials he is far more formidable and successful in blending the two.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Lion-O gets accused of this when the Lizards invade, with Claudus convinced that the Lizard invasion was accelerated by a show of weakness when they pardoned the Lizard scavengers. He's sidelined, forbidden to join Tygra and Claudus on the battlefield.
• Warrior Prince: Even before his kingship, could hold his own as without a weapon.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy: He wants nothing more than to earn his father's admiration, only for Claudus to openly favor Tygra for being more in line with how Thundera operates. He only gets to hear his father tell him he's proud as his last words.
• White Sheep: Lion-O doesn't fit in with the royal family. In this case, he's the Wide-Eyed Idealist in a family of Animal Jingoist Fantastic Racists.
• Whole Costume Reference: To the original, with some tweaks.
• Wide-Eyed Idealist: He always expects the best out of people he's never met before.
• The Wise Prince: In stark contrast to his 80's Idiot Hero counterpart, Lion-O is very much a "bigger picture" kind of guy and rather than destroying his enemies would rather convert them to his side. However he does have his moments due to inexperience. This is more pronounced after his trials where he is more mature and level-headed, and sticks to his principles like glue.
• Would Hit a Girl: He decked a female catfolk mugger right in the face without a blink in the slums. In Thundera, strength matters above all else. He refused to fight Pumyra, but that had nothing to do with her being a girl, he won't fight another cat pure and simple.
• The Wrongful Heir to the Throne: Lion-O is the crown prince of Thundera, and held in such low regard that both Grune and Tygra saying to his face how good a king Tygra would be, with Tygra outright claiming (only as a joke, of course) that he'd be better than Lion-O. It's so blatant even his father comes to his defense. He even worries about this himself, once pondering "Maybe the sword chose wrong..." Lion-O's subconscious belief that this is true is so strong that he (supposedly) fails the Spirit Stone's trials in "The Trials of Lion-O".
• You Are Worth Hell: In "The Trials of Lion-O", he failed against Tygra and so would die. To go save his comrades, he offers up his soul to be given until sun rise to save them knowing his soul would be doomed to live in Limbo for all time.
  • In "The Pit" he takes a brutal beating from Pumyra and refuses to fight back to prove that he would never hurt her or any of his people.
• Youngest Child Wins: Despite being the younger, it is Lion-O who is first in line for the throne, because he is of the Lion bloodline, and because he was chosen by the Sword of Omens.
• Zombie Advocate: Lion-O defends Lizards from a Vigilante Execution by an Angry Mob, which is seen as absurd by both the mob and his father. He does it again when he spares the rat Mordax from being killed by Pumyra.

Tygra

Voiced by: Matthew Mercer

Tygra is the adoptive brother of Lion-O and has an active Sibling Rivalry against him, since he's often more skilled and resents his younger sibling's position as crown prince. He can be cocky and arrogant at times, and flirtatious as well.

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• 24-Hour Armor: Acquires a set after the siege of Thundera.
• Ace Pilot: Despite zero training and experience he's able to effortlessly pilot two different airships in "What Lies Above Part 1" saying "It just feels natural."
• Aloof Big Brother: At his worst, Tygra expresses utter disdain for his brother's idealism and dabblings in Lost Technology. He softened on the latter when said technology was revealed to be real.
• Always Second Best: Tygra tries to be Always Someone Better because of a deep Inferiority Superiority Complex, and an abiding suspicion that as a mere Spare to the Throne, he will forever lose to Lion-O, a motivation underscored when Tygra bitterly rants about how Lion-O's taken away both his chance to wear the crown, and, he suspects, his chance to romance Cheetara, the Love Interest of their Sibling Triangle.
• Always Someone Better: Tygra actively invokes this whenever able, out of a need to feel superior due to his resentment at being out of the chain of succession. He loves to show up his younger brother, and makes a point of "jokingly" telling his father with Lion-O in earshot, "I just would have been a better [king]."
• Badass Boast: Informs the birds he can fly better than they. Ends his rant by Throwing Down the Gauntlet to Vultaire in "What Lies Above, Part 1." -"Shut your beak and fly."
• Berserk Button: He doesn't suffer racism towards Cats very well, but has no trouble talking dirt about other animals.
• Big Brother Instinct: Despite all this, when Lion-O is in real trouble, Tygra supports and fights with him. He makes this clear in the first episode. "You'd better be really sure you want to do this, because I've got his back."
• Big Brother Mentor: During shared reminiscences of their father Claudus, Tygra drops his usual resentful critiques when Lion-O expresses genuine insecurities at leading, telling him to believe in himself. This moment of bonding is brief, and Tygra's back to needling him a short while later.

• Broken Ace: Tygra is better than Lion-O. At everything. He's older, more skilled at fighting, more knowlegeable in military tactics, more popular with their people, father's favorite, and The Dutiful Son, but to his great resentment, his flaky Cloudcuckoolander kid brother gets to be The Chosen One and the king by dint of Royal Blood alone, and even gets attention from Cheetara, whom Tygra has pined for from afar.
• Butt-Monkey: After the Trials force Lion-O's Character Development to stick, Tygra takes over whenever a character needs to be abused.
• Byronic Hero: Firmly on the side of good, but Tygra can be arrogant, cocky, racist and jealous towards Lion-O. Tygra believes that he deserves the crown and the Sword of Omens due to being the 'better son', but can have neither due to Lion-O being of royal blood while Tygra was adopted.
• The Charmer: Tygra, who openly flirts with one of the clerics (actually Cheetara), during Lion-O's Rite of Passage, to Lion-O's shock.
• Childhood Friend Romance: With Cheetara.
• The Chosen One: The reason why the Ancient Spirits of Evil chose him as a sacrifice is because he will be a thorn in their side.
• Compassionate Critic: Towards his brother Lion-O, frequently criticizing his many deficiencies and failure to conform to Thunderian culture and their father's expectations.
• Deadpan Snarker: He's often very sarcastic towards his surrogate brother.
• Determinator: Drove the Thundertank up the vertical side of a mountain to rescue his teammates despite Lion-O's and Cheetara's skepticism — and without Panthro's permission!
• The Dutiful Son: And he knows it.
• Everyone Loves Blondes: His love for Cheetara is returned to him when she chooses to be with him.
• Fatal Flaw: Pride. In every way, Tygra was better than Lion-O, but couldn't inherit either the crown or the Sword of Omens as he wasn't of royal blood. When Cheetara showed potential interest in Lion-O, this made Tygra even more jealous, even saying 'And like the sword, one more thing you don't deserve'. This would cause him to openly question Lion-O's leadership and even led to a fight between the two in Between Brothers. The biggest factor was that the Astral Plane showed that when the two brothers visited ruins in their youth, Tygra intentionally destroyed a large branch that Lion-O was on and made him fall into a pit. Lion-O initially thought the branch snapped by itself, but after seeing the truth, he was furious and called out Tygra on his jealousy, leading to the fight. Lampshaded in the epidode Native Son when he overcomes his pride through an act of humility.
• First Guy Wins: Cheetara chooses him, thus ending the Love Triangle.
• Green-Eyed Monster: It's pretty obvious that he's extremely jealous of both his brother's position as leader, and Cheetara's apparent romantic interest in him.
• Happily Adopted: Tygra is an adopted member of the royal family, and the beneficiary of Claudus' Parental Favoritism.
• Honor Before Reason: "ThunderCats never retreat!" Tygra complains when Lion-O orders him to do so. Later Lion-O takes the criticism to heart, getting them all into trouble.
• Hot for Preacher: Tygra openly flirted with a Cleric in Full-Body Disguise. She turned out to be Cheetara, on whom he has a longstanding crush.
• Hypocrite: As stated above, Tygra hates racism towards cats, but has no issue with looking down on the other races.
• Hypocritical Humor: May not have been intentional by the creators, but for someone who's refused to admit technology existed, having a blaster as a weapon is kind of funny.
• Idiot Ball: Dribbles with it through the whole episode of "The Trials of Lion-O Part 2" to help force Lion-O's Character Development.
• Improbable Aiming Skills: He's a superb shot for having never seen anything like a gun before in his life. Justified, since laser guns have no recoil, it's a matter of point-and-shoot.
• Instant Expert: After proclaiming technology a myth his entire life, he used a pistol for the first time during the invasion and now relies on it more than his whip. Not to mention inexplicably being capable of outpiloting Vultaire in them fancy jets.
• Insufferable Genius
• Interspecies Adoption: A tiger raised by lions.
• Invisibility Cloak: Tygra can become temporarily invisible with the aid of his whip.
• Jerkass: Was the jealous type to Lion-O concerning Cheetara, which then escalated in "Between Brothers" when fighting Lion-O in a jealous rage while ranting about how he supposedly "took everything from him". In "Recipe for Disaster", Panthro told the others that Lion-O and Pumyra were out gathering firewood, then Tygra casually says that "Lion-O's just setting himself up to be shot down, again", in a tone that almost seems like he's bragging he got Cheetara and that Lion-O shouldn't bother with trying to find love anymore. Granted, he does turn out to be right.
• Jerkass Has a Point: Despite his brash behavior, a lot of the time he is accurate about Lion-O's flaws at time.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Tygra loves to rub it in Lion-O's face that he's better than him "when it comes to everything except the crown," but his Big Brother Instinct comes through in the clutch, and he plainly states "I've got his back." to an Angry Mob Lion-O has challenged to Go Through Me.
  • The "gold" part is what allows Tygra to win Cheetara's heart at the end.
• The Lancer: Argumentative, snarky second to Lion-O's leader.
• Last of His Kind: As of "Native Son", he's the last of the Tiger clan.
• Love Hurts: The look on his face when Cheetara kisses Lion-O on the cheek for luck. However, this later leads to...
• Love Redeems: And fulfills a prophecy of betrayal a few hours later, go figure.
• Made of Iron: Survives myriad encounters that ought to be fatal including a plane crash in "What Lies Above, Part 2", and having his soul ripped from his body in "The Soul Sever" with hardly a scratch.
• Missing Mom: Twice, since his birth mother died with the of members of the Tiger Clan, and in "Native Son" his adoptive mother died giving birth to Lion-O.
• Moses in the Bulrushes: He ended up in Thundera in a hot air balloon.
• My God, What Have I Done?: When Tygra and Lion-O were young, they visited the ancient ruins and travelled along a branch over a steep pit. As Lion-O was crossing, Tygra broke the branch and initially planned on leaving him there, but instead, he felt guilty over his actions and informed his father about what happened (though he did omit him breaking the branch because he was afraid of his father's potential reaction).
• Noble Bigot: He's internalized his culture's Fantastic Racism, since he is fairly dismissive of a Lizard prisoner's Screw You, Elves! speech and sees little problem with the Lizards being lynched. Still, given the choice, he's willing to help his brother defend them. He's also readily amenable to taking on the Thunderkittens, who are of a lesser caste than he is.
• Noble Fugitive: Like his brother, escaped the captivity of the Lizards.
• Noble Male, Roguish Male: The Roguish Male to Lion-O's Noble Male.
• No Social Skills: When he was younger, as revealed through a flashback to when he met Cheetara. He certainly wasn't as much of The Charmer as he is now.
• Now or Never Kiss: In "The Curse of Ratilla," Charmer Tygra makes sure to spend his presumed last moments in the arms of Cheetara.
• Out-of-Character Moment: Done very hilariously in "Recipe for Disaster" when he accidentally drinks a love potion, and LOOKED AT LION-O FIRST. Tygra began to act all giddy and happy, and commenting on how Lion-O is, and I quote: "...the bestest little brother a big brother ever had!" much to Lion-O's embarrassment. Lion-O actually meant for the love potion to be used on Pumyra.
• Parental Abandonment: See Moses in the Bulrushes, Missing Mom and Tiger Sacrifice.
• Power of Love: Cynical Tygra faces this lesson repeatedly. His capacity for this allows him to break and survive more than one curse. Lampshaded with sweeping orchestral music in "The Curse of Ratilla."
• Proud Warrior Race Guy: To an extreme, when you read about his Pride.
  • Pride: The recurring flaw in his clan's line. Tygra's ability to be humble and forgive his father for all his actions saves both himself and his clan's souls.
• Ray Gun: One of his weapons is a blaster.
• The Resenter: The driving force behind his Sibling Rivalry with his brother is his resentment of Lion-O's right of succession by bloodline. Adding fuel to the fire is their Sibling Triangle with Cheetara. Tygra gets over it after Lion-O dies (he gets better) and he briefly becomes king. He's grief-stricken and regretful of his past resentment. When Lion-O returns Tygra immediately proclaims his Undying Loyalty to him.
• The Rival: Quite naturally plays this role to his brother in the course of their Sibling Rivalry, until throwing in with him when Lion-O faces down an Angry Mob, at which point he becomes a particularly testy Lancer.
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: Can win sporting competitions, hold back Angry Mobs with his whip, and battle evil with the best of them.
• Sarcastic Devotee: Often snarkily questions Lion-O's leadership.
• Snark Knight: Tygra's cynicism and perfectionism get in the way of hatching an effective plan to liberate the Sword of Omens from Mumm-Ra in "The Trials of Lion-O Part 2."
• Spare to the Throne: The reason behind Claudus' favoritism grew out of the original series' assertion that if anything should happen to Lion-O, Tygra would be next in line as ruler.
• Stalker with a Crush: Downplayed. As a boy, he developed a habit of watching a young Cheetara from afar, too shy to strike up a conversation.
• Tall, Dark, and Snarky: When not under the influence of love potion.
• The Musketeer: Tygra fights with a whip and laser gun.
• Throw the Dog a Bone: Tygra spends 13 episodes watching how his younger brother steals his thunder (although to be fair, he gave as good as he got), his right to the throne and even the woman he has loved since he was a little boy. To twist the knife on the injury, Tygra cannot bring himself to get rid of Lion-O, even if he gets two perfect chances to do it and continues supporting him out of loyalty and brotherly love. Cheetara ends up choosing HIM instead of Lion-O. In fact, Cheetara had already chosen Tygra several years before Lion-O appeared, but never had the chance to confess that to him.
• Tragic Keepsake: His birth father's whip.
• The Unchosen One: He was passed over in favor of Lion-O as heir to the throne. Part of this is because despite being the elder he's adopted and thus not of the royal bloodline, but also because the Sword of Omens itself chose Lion-O, and he can't understand why.
• Undying Loyalty: To Lion-O as of "The Trials of Lion-O" part 2.
• Unexpected Successor: After Lion-O dies in "Trials of Lion-O", Tygra is hastily made the leader to beat Mumm-ra and his armies. Despite all his bragging that he'd make a better king than Lion-O, Tygra finds himself unable to lead the other ThunderCats efficiently because of their situation and that he couldn't handle the pressure. He soon began to wonder how Lion-O was able to take on the roles of leader on a daily basis despite the situations.
• Used to Be a Sweet Kid: He's still a Jerk with a Heart of Gold as an adult however.
• Wanting Is Better Than Having: When he finally got to be king for a time, he realizes he can't handle the pressure. He stops butting heads with Lion-O over it.
• Warrior Prince: Is chosen over his brother to join his father on the battlefield during the siege of Thundera.
• Whip And Gun
• Would Hit a Girl: Has no problem with attacking Pumyra to protect Lion-O in "What Lies Above" part two.
• Wrestler in All of Us: Takes out a Lizard mook in "Into the Astral Plane" by sneaking up behind him and then suplexing him.

Panthro

Voiced by: Kevin Michael Richardson

Panthro is one of Claudus' most loyal soldiers. He was sent with his friend Grune to find the Book of Omens. However, their attempted search resulted with Mumm-Ra's release from imprisonment. Though he questioned Lion-O's ability to lead, Panthro eventually accepted him as the new king.

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• An Arm and a Leg: Type 2. Panthro lost both of his arms, to a Portal Cut, intending to lay down his life while restraining Grune on the threshold of the collapsing Astral Plane. He gets Artificial Limbs shortly after.
• Badass Driver: Of his Thundertank. He's even up for the occassional game of chicken. Later subverted when the team salvages a flying transport from the Soul Sever's lair. It, uh...takes him a bit to get the hang of it.
• The Big Guy: Class 1 and 5, A gruff Old Soldier who's a Genius Bruiser. "I thought he'd be smaller..." notes an intimidated Lion-O. According to Michael Jelenic: Panthro is "a pretty cool character, just like on the old show." He repeatedly mows through multiple foes with ease, whether in his personal tank, or toe-to-toe against a group of lizards while armed with only one nunchaku.
• Breaking the Bonds: In "The Soul Sever" The Big Guy flexes his muscles to power himself free from the Soul Sever's operating table.
• Bruiser with a Soft Center: Panthro gradually warms up to the Ro-Bear Berbils. When he openly hugs his new friend Ro-Bear Bill, and is witnessed by the team's Tagalong Kids, this exchange occurs:
  Wilykat: Busted!
  Wilykit: Panthro's a big ol' softy!
  Panthro: *Death Glare* Is that a problem?
  Wilykit: *stiffens nervously* Nope.
  Wilykat: It's cool.
• The Captain: A Downplayed element of his Backstory, seen as a stepping stone on his way to becoming a general.
• Car Fu: Rather tank fu with the Thundertank. He tried this on dragon Mumm-ra when the ammunition didn't work. This failed as well.
• Chekhov M.I.A.: Considering his presence in the promotional material and the lying, teasing showrunners, this is no great surprise.
• Covered with Scars: He has a ton of scars, presumably from a life of fighting for Thundera.
• Defrosting Ice King: Upon meeting the Ro-Bear Berbils, Panthro immediately announces that he doesn't trust anything this adorable. He is deeply flustered when they heap praise and affection on him after he saves the life of Ro-Bear Bill. When the Berbils show thanks for his help by replacing the Thundertank's engine? Panthro bursts into Manly Tears.
• Disabled in the Adaptation: In contrast to his original portrayal, Panthro has an injury to his right eye so severe it cause glaucoma and loses his arms in the thirteenth episode.
• Dull Eyes of Unhappiness: Justified, as Panthro has suffered an injury to his right eye, severe enough to cause glaucoma and scar the surrounding flesh.
• Every Scar Has a Story: Panthro comments that there was "a lot of history" in the scars on his arms, which is what he misses the most after sacrificing them to trap Grune inside the collapsing Astral Plane.
• Everything's Better with Samurai: Thundera is in Medieval Stasis and full of Space Romans, so why does Panthro sport a Samurai's sakayaki and chonmage? Because he's cool, that's why.
• Expy: Basically a furry Jet.
• Eyepatch of Power: Notably Subverted, Panthro's scarred and damaged eye is unconcealed, but still marks him as a seasoned veteran and Badass.
• Eyes Are Unbreakable: Averted: The scar that goes across his eye clearly caused some damage, as the iris is dull and matte, with no pupil.
• Fantastic Caste System: A flashback to his youth shows he used to have a tail, marking him as lower-class, but he is now Inexplicably Tailless.
• Four-Star Badass: One of Claudus' most trusted generals.
• Furry Baldness: The "baldness" is his grey-blue base coat, while his remaining "hair" is black.
• Genius Bruiser: The real techy of the bunch, a tank who owns and maintains a tank.
• Good Scars, Evil Scars: Panthro's are typically heroic, relatively neat diagonal slashes: a small "x" mark on the left shoulder, a large gash on the right, and a huge slash across his right pectoral. The vertical scar on his right eye, while neat and aesthetic, is atypical in that it doesn't leave his eye undamaged.
• Handicapped Badass: His nasty glaucoma doesn't seem to stop him. Or his lack of arms. Of course, the Artificial Limbs probably help with that one. Just a bit.
• Heroic Build: Wouldn't be The Big Guy without it.
• Heroic Sacrifice: He sacrifices his arms to trap Grune in the Astral Plane.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Grune, in Flashbacks. It ended badly. Also with Dobo, master of the Dog city's gladiator pit It turned out much better, in the end.
• Horrible Judge of Character: Young Panthro, your best friend Grune's frequent asides about how the both of you are going to run Thundera someday are not the examples of jocular hyperbole you seem to think they are.
• Hot-Blooded Sideburns: A most prodigious set.
• Inexplicably Tailless: In youth he had a tail, but now he doesn't. No word yet as to why, but much speculation.
• Intergenerational Friendship: Developing with his much younger teammates.
• Knight in Sour Armor: Very much a cynic, compared to his youngers, but still joins in the fight.
• Macross Missile Massacre: After its upgrades, the Thundertank can launch a swarm of missiles. Too bad that against Mumm-ra's Demonic Possession of a hulking dragon/dinosaur monstrosity, it's just another Worf Barrage.
• Mythology Gag: His younger self looks almost exactly like his 80's character design (minus the tail, of course.)
• Not So Above It All: During "What Lies Above - Part 1", he tells the Thunderkittens to eat whatever it's on their plate and not complain. The Thunderkittens then use their magic bag to fetch their own lunch. Panthro, disgusted by the birds' meal, asks for some of their lunch, only for them to remind him of his own words. Panthro then proceeds to complain about it.
• Old Soldier: He was a veteran soldier back when Lion-O and Tygra were still around the ThunderKittens' age.
• Only Sane Man: Sometimes he falls under this.
• Rank Scales with Asskicking: Quite capably fells multiple Lizards in one blow (and temporarily pulls rank on Lion-O for agitating these Lizards).
• Reports of My Death Were Greatly Exaggerated: Quite literally, as Grune liberally lathered the Death Notification with vague half-truths to mask his own betrayal. Also applies out-of-universe, thanks to blatantly Lying Creators.
• Revenge Before Reason: Sacrifices both his arms to defeat Grune. Damn, man!
• Scars Are Forever: Panthro's racked up a few, all noticeably paler than his fur.
• Scary Black Man: Initially for the other ThunderCats.
• Silly Rabbit, Romance Is for Kids!: Tends to have this reaction to all the flirting and romantic angst going on with his teen-aged companions.
• Sir Not-Appearing-in-This-Trailer: He was completely absent from all the official and unofficial trailers. His first proper appearance is saved for the final moments of "Song of The Petalars."
• The Sixth Ranger: Something of a subversion, as he was always a part of the team in the original show. Since he was presumed dead at first this time around (until he showed up at the end of "Song of the Petalars"), the trope still applies.
• Slasher Smile: Gets one of these when he goes head to head with the Conqedor's vehicle, wanting to test out what his new and improved Thundertank is really capable of.
• The Smart Guy: He's one of the few Thunderians who has a functional knowledge of technology and knows how to operate and repair many different kinds of devices.
• Super Drowning Skills: He can't swim, though it works to his advantage when he finds an exit hatch after sinking to the bottom of a water-filled chamber.
• Tank Goodness: Owner and pilot of the Thunder Tank
• Team Dad: In the episode after his debut, he even wonders how the rest of the ThunderCats lasted so long without adult supervision.
• Tough Spikes and Studs: Inverted, Panthro is heroic, but the intimidation factor is there. Lampshaded by a nervous Cheetara when she sees him for the first time.
  "I thought he'd be less spiky."
• Walking Shirtless Scene: Now if only Lion-O or Tygra (or Cheetara) would follow his lead...
• Warts and All: The ThunderCats must square with the idea that Panthro is a cynic and a Sour Supporter who considers them a Ragtag Bunch of Misfits, from whom he demands respect rather than being automatically loyal to them.
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?:
  • In a Temple of Doom Panthro is visibly freaked out when a Death Trap chamber they're in starts filling with water, because he can't swim.
  • He's deathly afraid of heights, which even he didn't know until the Cats tried to fly the Feliner.
• "X" Marks the Hero: One of Panthro's many scars is an x on his left shoulder.

Cheetara

Voiced by: Emmanuelle Chriqui

Cheetara is one of Jaga's Clerics. As a Cleric, she's gifted with Super-Speed. She wields a staff in battle, but is also adept at fighting unarmed.

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• Action Heroine: Rescues Lion-O from a chokehold in her opening scene. Solves most problems with her Cleric's staff.
• Bare Midriffs Are Feminine: She's the most prominent female member of the team, whose outfit leaves her midsection exposed.
• The Champion: Sticks up for Lion-O for ill (defending his brash tactics) and for good (demanding that others be patient and have faith in his potential).
• Childhood Friend Romance: With Tygra.
• Church Militant: A member of Jaga's Clerics - the Guardians of the Crown.
• Cool Big Sis: To Lion-O and the Thunderkittens, without the snark.
• Custom Uniform of Sexy: Wears... less than her fellow cats. Justified as her light gear is compatible with her super speed.
• The Empath: Cheetara is able to discern presence and the mood of spirits inhabiting the forest of Magi Oar.
• Forgot About His Powers: Cheetara has a tendency to not use her Super-Speed or Magic Staff's powers, which could allow her to instantly win most fights.
• Friend-or-Idol Decision: She had to make a choice between helping Lion-O fight against Slithe and Addicus while Kanar held Tygra hostage and ready to kill him or surrender, which means they would all likely die. She picks Tygra and throws down her weapon.
• Good Shepherd: A cleric who often serves as Lion-O's counselor
• The Heart: Motherly and kind, never losing her cool or compassion.
• I Didn't Mean to Turn You On: Throughout the first 13 episodes, she unintentionally sends the wrong signals to Lion-O, which both he and Tygra interprets as Cheetara having feelings for him.
• Idiot Hair: Averted, she has a bit of a cowlick but is otherwise intelligent, save for her Forgot About Her Powers moments.
• It Has Been an Honor: A warrior and loyalist to the crown, Cheetara would gladly give her life in battle. She faces death with grace and dignity. Facing death in battle in "Song of the Petalars" Cheetara says: "My service to the Crown has been a cherished privilege."
  • Cheetara chooses to share a Now or Never Kiss with Tygra rather than run from death in "The Curse of Ratilla."
• King Incognito: Or rather Praetorian Guard Incognito. In a reversal of Lion-O's circumstances, all she need do is remove her Cleric's uniform to dutifully shadow the wandering Lion-O without his knowing.
• Lady of War: She's very much all about fighting her enemies.
• Last of Her Kind: The Sole Survivor of her order.
• Lightning Bruiser: She's a better fighter than both Tygra and Lion-O, with the bonus of Super-Speed.
• Loved I Not Honor More: She loves Tygra, but for the first thirteen episodes she did not act on her feelings instead preforming her duties as a Cleric to be Lion-O's adviser, guard, and loyal supporter. Unfortunately this leads to Lion-O thinking she has a Bodyguard Crush on him.
• Love Makes You Dumb: After declaring her love for Tygra, Cheetara is informed by Lion-O that "everything" in their relationship had now changed, and she is relegated to the sidelines in the quest for the stones. Cheetara then shifts her role as cleric to the other royal brother, and acts as a cleric providing protection and support for Tygra.
  • Subverted in "The Curse of Ratilla," where she uses the power of her magic to help Lion-O break Jaga's curse on the Sword of Plun-Darr, and her affection for Tygra helps her survive the mission. She might still have been too distracted by her flirting with Tygra to consider the consequences of her actions, for instance, to think through whether liberating the sword was a good idea or not.
• Magic Knight: According to her character page on the official website, Jaga's training has made her just as adept at magic as she is at combat.
• Magic Staff: Her new weapon, courtesy of Viragor. Couple this with the above trope and she is bound to be an even more amazing combatant.
• Master of the Mixed Message: Towards Lion-O, fueling his crush. Which Lion-O calls her out on. AND she continues doing it after she gets with Tygra.
• Memento MacGuffin: The flower she got from Tygra when she was just a little girl and still carries around. The flower is actually plot and character important, however, as it is revealed that Tygra's act of kindness (without mentioning the nutritive value of the flower's petals) allowed Cheetara to endure her test of patience and ultimately become the woman she is now. And of course, this is what made Cheetara choose Tygra over Lion-O from the beginning.
• Mr. Exposition: When Jaga's unavailable, Cheetara explains things to her fellow ThunderCats.
• Ms. Fanservice: Her model sheets show that her top does zip up all the way to her neck, she just doesn't bother to do it. You baaaaad kitty.
  • She also gets a little bit of Male Gaze (though only with the camera so far).
  • Doesn't hurt that she's voiced by a very deserving former AskMen.com Most Desirable Woman.
• Mysterious Protector: To Lion-O, quietly shadowing him as he sneaks off to Thundera's slums, stepping in only when he's headlocked by one more mugger than he can handle, and popping up again when he needs help against an Angry Mob.
• Next Tier Power-Up: After her staff gets broken, she receives a replacement made from the wood of a magical forest.
• Oblivious to Love: If she knows about either of the brothers' feelings, (or their active conflict) she ain't saying. In Episode 13, it's revealed that she returns Tygra's feelings, but never had the chance to tell him until now.
• Parental Abandonment: One of the reasons she became a Cleric is because she had no family to turn to.

• Protectorate: To Lion-O, naturally.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: Averted, Cheetara is established good from the start, despite her eye color.
• Retractable Weapon: Cheetara's staff retracts for easy storage.
• Sexy Mentor: Lion-O's mind tends to be... elsewhere when Cheetara is providing guidance.
• Sexy Priest: Tygra even tips her a wink when she's sporting her vestments, a Full-Body Disguise that leaves only her eyes visible. Justified because Tygra probably knew it was Cheetara based solely on her eyes.
• Single Woman Seeks Good Man: This is the reason she chose to be with Tygra.
• The Social Expert: Reconstruction with depth. A Lightning Bruiser Praetorian Guard, Cheetara also plays the role of "spiritual female peacekeeper" straight as both an actual priest and the group's conflict mediator. Though much of this consists of championing Lion-O, she also occasionally sides with Tygra, once joining him in trying to talk Lion-O down from a vengeful rage, and in another instance, explaining to Lion-O why Tygra is The Resenter.
• Statuesque Stunner: Consistently shown to be taller than Lion-O and Tygra, and until Panthro joined she was the tallest member of the Pride.
• Super-Reflexes: Part of her Super-Speed. Cheetara uses it to get through a room of whirling blades in a Temple of Doom.
• Super-Speed: And apparently, without the handicap of the original Cheetara. Prone to Forgot About His Powers though.
• Team Mom: Yeah, still, but downplayed. More like Cool Big Sis. Zig-zagged in "Survival of the Fittest." When left with the kids, she makes them hunt for their own food, and threatens them with sleeping outside in the cold should they come home empty-handed.
• Undying Loyalty: She was the first Thundercat to have complete faith in Lion-O. It shows when her eyes glow when Lion-O calls "THUNDERCATS HOOOO!" in "Journey to the Tower of Omens".
• Weapon Specialization: Her Cleric's staff. Lampshaded when it gets broken: "I loved that staff!" Later gets a Magic Staff.
• What The Hell Heroine: Lion-O delivers one to her in "New Alliances" for (albeit unintentionally) leading him on.
• Wrecked Weapon: Loses her Cleric's staff when it breaks in the jaws of Viragor.
• You Shall Not Pass!: Played straight by Cheetara and Wilykat in "Between Brothers" to allow Lion-O and Tygra time to accomplish the mission. Cheetara shouts to the lizard army: "NO ONE gets near that hut!" Saved from death by elephants to the rescue.

The Thunderkittens

Voiced by: Madeleine Hall (Wilykit) and Eamon Pirruccello (Wilykat)

The Thunderkittens Wilykit and Wilykat start out as homeless pickpockets and beggars living in the slums. After the destruction of Thundera leaves them with nowhere else to go, they elect to tag along with Lion-O's party, for better or for worse.

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• Age-Inappropriate Dress: Wilykit's clothes are rather revealing for a child.
• The Artful Dodger: Though they both dream of wealth and comfort, they're generally remarkably good at surviving Thundera's slums with a cheerful outlook and an arsenal of tricks.
• Badass Adorable: Amongst their feats, the Thunderkittens have outwitted a Giant by dosing themselves with a fruit that induces a rush and leading him straight into carefully laid tripwire. They're also very adorable children.
• Bare Midriffs Are Feminine: The female Wilykit wears a crop top whereas the male Wilykat wears a full shirt. Since her age is in the single digits, the usual Fanservice is (hopefully) averted.
• Beware the Nice Ones: They are kind, cheerful, intelligent children who are not to be underestimated. Case in point, they charge at Mumm-ra. While he's in his Ever-Living form. And he had just curb-stomped Panthro. While it unquestioningly would have ended with them as a pair of greasy smears on the walls had Mumm-ra stuck around, their willingness to stand up to him is impressive.
• Big Eater: They can eat a LOT.
• Bizarre Instrument: Wilykit's flute is a white ring-shaped device. You may now buy one (unofficially), and yes, it plays.
• Brother–Sister Team: They're brother and sister and they often work together.
• Cat Smile: Other than Snarf they're the only ones who do it.
• Cheerful Child They're remarkably optimistic, despite having grown up in the slums of The Empire.
• Cute Kitten: They purposely invoke this to convince Lion-O to take them along, Cat Smile, Faux Paw and cute meowing included. In general, they overplay their cuteness to manipulate others.
• Delinquent Hair: Wilykit's purple skunk stripe.
• Ears as Hair: By Word of God, most of what was previously believed to be their hair is, in fact, their ears. Yes, this means that Wilykit ties hers back◊.
• Fantastic Caste System: Word of God states there are two types of cat-people in Thundera, those who don't have tails and those who do. Those who don't are Thundera's elite, those who do are consigned to poverty. The Thunderkittens, having tails, are introduced as Artful Dodgers in Thundera's slums.
• Fashionable Asymmetry: Wilykit's outfit lacks a sleeve, and both twins wear only one...
• Five-Finger Discount: The twins survive in the slums by stealing whatever they need.
• Friend to All Living Things: They refuse to hunt down living creatures, and they make friends with citizens of different species. This becomes a Chekhov's Skill when they manage to unite members of all the different races together against Mumm-Ra in the final episode.
• Grappling-Hook Pistol/Razor Floss/Variable-Length Chain: Wilykat has a primative version of a grappling hook pistol in his flink, a thin cord with a small grapple on the end, attached to a reel.
• Greater Need Than Mine: They ran away from home so that their mother could focus on taking care of their younger siblings.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Given their youth, their actions fall directly under this.
• Hover Board: The kittens are eventually given a pair by the Ro-Bear Berbils.
• Idiot Ball: Normally Wise Beyond Her Years, Kit ruins the ThunderCats' ambush to save the Elephants by yelling at the bad guys to leave them alone.
• Idiot Hair: Wilykat has a high-standing forelock.
• Improbable Infant Survival: They start the series by being two of the few survivors of Thundera, right after an emergency shelter was destroyed, killing everyone inside.
• Kid-Appeal Character: A combination of types 1 and 3, Clowns and Ankle-biters. As Artful Dodgers, teasing, trickery, pranks and theft are their forms of attack.
• Last Girl Wins: Word of God is, had the show continued, Wilykit and Lion-O would have fallen in love after a decade long Time Skip, and she would have become his Queen.
• Little Miss Con Artist: Wilykit, in her role as a Street Musician.
• Lovable Rogue: Though skilled thieves who have little problem with nicking whatever they need to survive, they have standards. They prefer to target jerks to start with, and don't want to hurt anyone or anything who hasn't tried to harm them or others.
  • "Survival of the Fittest" provides backstory on this. After their father died, leaving their mother to support them and their younger siblings by herself, they ran away from home to reduce the number of mouths to feed (and also to try to find enough riches for them all to live comfortably). This story is juxtaposed against their unwillingness to kill a family of non-sapient animals for food, even protecting said creatures from a giant predator.
• Magical Flautist: Posing as an innocuous Street Musician, Wilykit uses her flute music to put people into a trance while her brother steals from them.
• Mythology Gag: Dressed in beggars' rags, the Thunderkittens must steal new clothes from some pillaging Lizards, which are modeled after their original series' outfits.
• Obfuscating Stupidity: They're well aware that the Fish Man cook was stuffing them to later kill and cook them, they were just playing dumb to get a good meal out of it before making their escape.
• Plucky Comic Relief: Share this role with Snarf.
• Power of Trust: Wilykit in "Trials of Lion-o". She never stopped believing that Lion-o would eventually rescue them despite she and the others witnessing his death, which made the others give up on that idea. Hell, she beat out Cheetara in that regard.
• The Runaway: A particular case in that the two kittens had a loving family. They left their home because their mother hadn't enough food for everyone, which included two other unnamed siblings, after the father's death.
• Running on All Fours: They sometimes do this; their tails clearly provide balance.
• Self Made Orphans: An indirect and unintentional example. They ran away from home so that their mother could focus on taking care of their younger siblings, only for their family to presumably get killed when Thunderra fell at the hands of Mumm-Ra's forces.
• Sticky Fingers: They may usually be quite cunning, but when they see gold in a Temple of Doom, they just can't help themselves.
• Street Musician: Outside of her con-artistry, Wilykit is perfectly adept at playing her flute recreationally, amusing herself in Thundera's ruins and "playing off" the Petalars as they bid the ThunderCats a happy goodbye.
• Street Urchins: Rudely referred to as such by a Lowerclass Lout they promptly rob blind. In their less savvy days, they did indeed fit the description.
• Tagalong Kid: Both of them frequently join the others on their missions in spite of their wishes.
• Theme Twin Naming: Of the one-letter difference variety.
• Third-Option Love Interest: According to Word of God, if the series had continued an adult Wilykit would have served as this to Lion-O.
• Tomboyish Ponytail: Wilykit, to go along with her tomboyish voice.
• Treasure Map: The twins are looking for a map to El Dara, a city full of treasure.
• Trickster Twins: Experienced shysters both.
• Undying Loyalty: Kit is extremely loyal to Lion-o to the point of refusing to believe he was truly gone.
• You Leave Him Alone!: Wilykit - "No one touches my friend!"
• Wide Eyes and Shrunken Irises: When sugar-high. It makes them look positively manic.

Pumyra

Voiced by: Pamela Adlon

A refugee forced to fight as a gladiator in a city of dogs. She is initially very hostile towards Lion-O. but is slowly warming up to him. As a member of the team, Pumyra specializes in ranged combat with her wrist-mounted crossbow, and is quite agile.

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• Adaptation Personality Change: The Technical Pacifist from the first series is nowhere to be seen here. This time, Pumyra hands out butt-kicking in spades.
• Adaptational Villainy: What Lies Above pt.2 reveals she's a double agent who wanted revenge for Lion-O not saving her, admittedly a bad reason (see Hypocrite below) and was revived to aid Mumm-Ra.
• All Amazons Want Hercules: Not in the sense that she wants to be dominated by a stronger male, but that she is drawn to a male who can protect and defend her from harm. During a losing fight against Mummra, she notably spends the final parts of the battle behind Lion-O for safety.
• Allegiance Affirmation: Done in the series finale when she reveals she's performed a Face–Heel Turn and joined Mumm-Ra.
  Pumyra: You are my king... But HE is my Master.
• Angel Face, Demon Face: In her first appearance she's angry and resentful so her design is more harsh and jagged, but as she calms down and gets to know Lion-O more her design softens to be a bit more cute and classically beautiful.
  • May also be a Foreshadowing of her true nature.
• Ascended Extra: One of the least-developed characters in the old show, the producers have confirmed that she plays a bigger part this time and has multiple episodes written around her.
• Back from the Dead: Turned out Pumyra was dead all along, having died at the fall of Thundara, then revived by Mumm-Ra to be used as his puppet.
• Big Ol' Eyebrows: They actually wrap around her face and connect to her facial markings to form Hot Blooded Sideburns.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Her entire plot, as she is The Mole in service of Mumm-Ra.
• Broken Bird: Has some shades of this, if her initial reaction to Lion-O in "The Pit" and her rage at her former captors in "The Curse of Ratilla" is anything to go by. Subverted, however, in that she seems to be getting better through her interactions with Lion-O.
  • Once again... Nnnnnnnnope.
• Character Development: When we first meet Pumyra, she has nothing but scathing revilement for Lion-O, who she thinks abandoned his people. Over the course of her debut episodes and the ones that follow, she develops growing respect and affection for the young king as he proves his worth and devotion to her. In "Recipe for Disaster," she even gives him a kiss on the cheek.
• Complaining About Rescues They Don't Like: She gets Lion-O captured when he tries to sneak her out because she (loudly) insists he get away from her.
• Damsel in Distress: Fantastic classical symbolism with Pumyra being tied to a rock in "The Birth of the Blades" like Andromeda of Greek mythology (but clothed.) Not threatened with being eaten by a beast as Andromeda was until later in "Recipe for Disaster"(while untied). Deconstructed: in "What Lies Above, Part 2." When the hero inadvertently leaves her helpless and feeling abandoned under a rock, she does a Face–Heel Turn and hooks up with the beast.
• Dark Action Girl: After The Reveal that she's The Mole.
• Dead All Along: The season finale reveals she had died during the attack on Thundera, and Mumm-Ra brought her back, possibly little more than a revenge filled shadow of her former self.
• Defeat Means Friendship: Inverted. She's the one who defeats Lion-O, but he wins her over specifically because he refused to fight against his own kind.
• Defrosting Ice Queen: Pumyra's been hardened and embittered from her life as a slave. Her interactions with Lion-O slowly break that down. Apparently faked, however.
• Determinator: Pumyra vowed to win her freedom from the Pit by winning a set amount of battles despite most of said matches not clearly being in her favor.
• Dying Alone: And she blames Lion-O for it, to the point that she hooks up with Mumm-Ra (the one who attacked Thundera in the first place) for a chance at revenge.
• Era-Specific Personality: Her 80's incarnation was a Technical Pacifist and much more of a Flat Character compared to the other 'Cats. This version of her, well... not so much.
• Evil All Along: Pumyra is revealed to be in league with Mumm-Ra to get revenge on Lion-O all because she blames him for leaving her to die.
• Femme Fatale: Big reveal in "What Lies Above, Part 2"
• The Glomp: She pounces on Lion-O at the end of "Recipe for Disaster" in order to kiss him.

• Hidden Heart of Gold: Beneath that hardened exterior is a softer side. Lion-o mentioned this to her after she helped a baby winged-frog back into its nest, followed by her dry reminder that they were supposed to be searching for firewood.
• Honor Before Reason: Suffers a bad bout of this in "What Lies Above Part 1" where she's willing to steal the Tech Stone from the Birds causing their city to fall to the earth (which would have killed millions) all for the sake of the cats, or so it appeared at the time.

• Hot-Blooded: She's taken over this role from Lion-O.
• Hypocrite: Even ignoring the fact that she wants revenge on someone who was too far to either hear or see her, she willingly chose to be resurrected and serve Mumm-ra, the very being who not only attacked her home, but also enslaved her people and was the one pretty much caused her death in the first place.
• Improbable Aiming Skills: Case in point: In "Birth of the Blades" every single shot she fired was a headshot, and this is while she's also jumping and flipping around.
• Knight Templar: Pumyra was willing to destroy a city to obtain the tech stone, and kill lackey enslaver rat Mordax in the name of supporting the Thunderan people.
• Made a Slave: She started out in Ratar-O's mining pit, but was eventually sold as a fighter for the Pit.
• Magic Skirt: All those acrobatics and she's never flashed anyone? Sorcery, surely.
• Manipulative Bitch: It turns out she's been playing Lion-O for a fool the whole time.
• The Medic: She's seen tending to Lion-O's wounds after they're freed. Granted, she inflicted those wounds...
• Mini Dress Of Power: She's a powerful fighter but also wears an outfit to show of her legs.
• Misplaced Retribution: She blames Lion-O for her death and the enslavement of the Cats, rather than the same evil mummy who attacked their kingdom and caused her death.
• The Mole: She's really on Mumm-Ra's side.
• Ms. Fanservice: Much more fanservicey than her 80's counterpart thanks to her outfit showing off her legs.
• Multi Shot: She's capable of firing multiple bolts at once from her crossbow.
• Never My Fault: She has a bad tendency to blame Lion-O for everything, including things that actually her fault. The end of "Birth of Blades" suggests she may be aware of this and get better.
• Nubile Savage: Very much in design if not quite execution.
• Oblivious to Love: In "Recipe for Disaster," her reaction to Lion-O's initial attempts at courtship range from oblivious to annoyed. Later, when he lands a daring attack on Mumm-Ra to protect her? Her reaction is MUCH more enthusiastic. In "What Lies Above" part two, she admits that she was wholly aware of how Lion-O felt and was manipulating him all along.
• Redheads Are Ravishing: More specifically, Pumyra wants Lion-O. Subverted Trope; she wants him dead, that is.

• Rescue Romance: Pumyra's heart is impervious to trivial things like flowers and compliments, but the ever classical rescue will melt the ice around it with instant rewards. Or so it seems.
• Revenge Before Reason: Her resentment-induced rage toward Lion-O alerts the guards and gets them both roped into a death match when she could have escaped with him, and then she berates him. Later she abandons their plan to rescue the Thunderan captives to attack a rat who was beating a slave.
  • She works for Mumm-Ra despite the fact that he was responsible for her death in the first place.
• Samaritan Relationship Starter: Textbook example. Until it's all revealed to be a lie.
• Second Love: To Lion-O, following Cheetara.
• Ship Tease: When Lion-O tells her about how he's come to terms with the resolution of the Love Triangle between him, Cheetara, and Tygra, Pumyra's got this little gem:
  Pumyra: (Looking at him with a playful smirk) "Maybe it's time you move on to someone else." (Cue flustered double-take by Lion-O).
  • Which is lampshaded a few seconds later by an irritated Panthro:
    Panthro: "Enough flirting; let's do something about those slaves."
  • Another example comes at the end of "Birth of the Blades:" after Lion-O saves her from Mumm-Ra, she apologizes for how harsh she's been to him, promising her Undying Loyalty. When he insists that she call him by name, she agrees while gently caressing his face.
  • In "Recipe for Disaster" Lion-O keeps trying to openly court her (and failing miserably). In the final battle he saves her (yet again) from Mumm-Ra, and she pounces on him with a Smooch of Victory, and then continues clinging to him after everything is over.
  • In "What Lies Above Part 1" She and Lion-O share a tender moment before they take off in the Feliner to look for the third stone and later in the episode she lays her head on his shoulder and purrs "Orders, My King?" when they break out of their room.
  • Ship Sinking as of her revelation as a traitor.
• Sixth Ranger: The true Sixth Ranger (especially if you count the Thunderkittens together).
• Sixth Ranger Traitor: Loyal to Mumm-Ra.
• Smooch of Victory: To Lion-o upon the defeat of Mumm-Ra's dragon form.
• Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Abrasive and hot-blooded most of the time, but every now and then usually thanks to Lion-O proving himself as a king worthy of her respect, or if she sees someone or something in need, she shows a softer side.
• Super Wrist-Gadget: The gauntlet on her left wrist contains a collapsible crossbow, her primary weapon.
• Tomboyish Ponytail: Combined with sidetails.
• Trick Arrow: The pellets she uses as ammo for her crossbow boast a wide array of armaments aside from the simple metal bearings, including explosives.
• Trying Not to Cry: She almost breaks down during her "The Reason You Suck" Speech to Lion-O, the first hint that there's something more under all her anger and bitterness.
• Tsundere: Definitely a Type A. She's ready to kill Lion-O until she understands that he didn't just abandon his people, that he's been fighting as hard as anyone else against Mumm-Ra, and that he would lay down his life for any of his fellow cats. Afterwards, she warms up to him, even bandaging his wounds, and spends the next episode alternating between sparring and flirting with him.
  • "The Birth of the Blades" shows this aspect of her character even more. Pumyra berates Lion-O throughout the episode for failing to save his people when they were enslaved by the Rats, and also calls him out on some of his more reckless-seeming tactics even when they work. After he manages to fend off Kaynar and Atticus, then saves Pumyra from Mumm-Ra at the cost of losing the Sword of Plundarr, Pumyra softly praises Lion-O for his actions and berates herself for her lack of faith. When Lion-O admits that she had a good reason for that, she gently chides him to not get mushy on her...then gently strokes his cheek when he insists that she address him by name, and not "Your Majesty."
  • In "Recipe for Disaster" she's mostly unaware and annoyed at his attempts to woo her, but after he attacks Mumm-Ra (more specifically, Mumm-Ra inhabiting the body of a dragon/dinosaur) to save her from being eaten, she pounces on him and gives him an enthusiastic kiss on the cheek.
  • In "What Lies Above Part 1" She's very cozy with Lion-O, at one point even placing her head on his shoulder and purring "My King" in his ear, but when he refuses to take the tech stone from the Birds because it would send their city crashing down to Third Earth below she pushes him away and berates him for refusing to "make the tough choices."
  • The Reveal from "What Lies Above Part 2" suggests any goodness, sweetness, or kindness from her were all an act as part of her ploy to get close for betrayal and Revenge, making her a Jerk with a Heart of Jerk.
• Undying Loyalty: Pledges this to Lion-O in "Birth of the Blades" after he repeatedly saves her even at cost to himself.
  • Subverted; she's really The Mole all along.
• Vapor Ware: Her dress shows off so much of her legs and hips that it's unlikely she's wearing any undergarments there.
• Waif-Fu: Other than the Kittens she's the only Thundercat shorter than Lion-O and has a leaner build than Cheetara (probably because of her time as a mistreated slave). Her fighting style is highly acrobatic with lots of jumps and flips.
• Walking Spoiler: Revealed in the final episode.
• What the Hell, Hero?: She calls Lion-O out on leaving Thundera's survivors leaderless.
• When She Smiles: Her voice softens as well, taking on a rather lovely purr. Goes well in hand with her being a Tsundere.
• Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: Feeling abandoned, Pumyra turns her rage toward Thundera's leader.

Snarf

Voiced by: Satomi Koorogi

Snarf is Lion-O's loyal pet and, unlike his previous incarnation, does not speak.

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• Amplified Animal Aptitude: Clearly comprehends speech, enough to become frightened when an enemy proposes that Lion-O Duel to the Death.
• Badly Battered Babysitter: The two-minute short "Snarf: Butterfly Blues" sees Snarf frantically protecting an infant Lion-O from danger as he obliviously chases a butterfly.
• Butt-Monkey: The more things change the more they stay the same.
• The Confidant: Lion-O freely expresses insecurities to Snarf that he won't to his family. Snarf does his best to lend an ear.
• Demoted to Extra: Plays a much smaller role in this series. Sometimes halfway through the episode you find yourself remembering he's still in this version and wondering where he is.
• Empathy Pet: For Lion-O, who uses him as sounding board for his issues, and frequently for the Thunderkittens. If "Snarf: Butterflies Blues" is any indication, Snarf has been by Lion-O's side since the prince was a baby.
• Evil-Detecting Dog: Snarf knows well before Lion-O that the Duelist is bad news. He also freaks out over a crow cawing at them at the entrance to the Swordsmans' town. What did Mumm-Ra turn into?
• Grew a Spine: Snarf seemed to be nothing but a Lovable Coward, unlike his original series counterpart who was annoying but helpful.
• Mix-and-Match Critters: Snarf is a domestic cat crossed with one very specific, bat-eared feline dragon.
• Nearly Normal Animal: Level 2, Mostly Normal. Has covered his eyes in terror, razzed himself in a mirror, and (poorly) mimicked Lion-O's fighting style with a stick. Has also gasped and shaken his head vigorously, mouth shut, while making a "noonoo" noise on hearing that Lion-o is to Duel to the Death.
• Ridiculously Cute Critter: His 2011 redesign is this. Fans are already demanding plushies.
• Pokémon Speak: He often utters "Snarf" in between animal noises, as a Mythology Gag to the original's Verbal Tic.
• Shout-Out: As with the original, his design is a Super-Deformed tribute to Rankin Bass' version of Smaug. Paradoxically, the resemblance is greater now◊, with Snarf's feline features increased.

• Team Pet: He's pretty much a pet.
• The Unintelligible: He does not speak, but Lion-O appears to understand him just fine. By Word of God, this dynamic is a Shout-Out to Chewbacca and Han Solo, or R2-D2 and Luke of Star Wars.
• Verbal Tic Name: "Snaaaarrrrf!"

Jaga

Voiced by: Corey Burton

Head of Thundera's Cleric warriors before sacrificing himself to ensure Lion-O and his group escape.

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• 24-Hour Armor: Wears a breastplate beneath his Pimped-Out Cape, huge pauldrons atop it, and a spiked helm.
• Battle Cry: "Clerics, to the death."
• Church Militant: Head of his Clerics, the Guardians of the Crown
• The Confidant: Deftly convinces Lion-O to admit to having a vision, but decides that the details can wait.
• Cool Helmet: Breaks with the uniform of his Clerics, wearing a nicely spiked metal helm ornamented with a gem.
• Court Mage: Fully capable of dispatching a Walking Tank on his own.
• Cozy Voice for Catastrophes: In his Opening Monologue, Jaga describes the necessity of Thundera's doom in an almost reassuringly pleasant tone.
• Disney Death: Supposedly dies sacrificing himself protecting the Thundercats twice, only show up fine elsewhere.
• The Fatalist: Takes this tack particularly in his Opening Monologue:
  Jaga: ...and though omens foretold in the book would be ignored, the tragedy to come was necessary.
  • He also speaks with prophetic certainty where Lion-O is concerned: informing him that the Book of Omens predicted that Thundera's greatest king would have "sight beyond sight," because he's well aware Lion-O has had a vision.
• Good Shepherd: Offers guidance and encouragement to Lion-O.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Attempts one to buy time for Lion-O and the others to escape. Except it's soundly averted, as the next episode he is sucked into a lantern making him look like the original ghost form he had.
  • He sacrifices himself again, later, making use of the fact that Mumm-Ra sealed him in a lantern.
• Keeper of Forbidden Knowledge: His Kingdom and his King only believe in the Book of Omens and think it lost, so much so, they sent their best generals questing for years. Not only does he know it exists, he's always known its exact location.

• Mister Exposition: He narrates the Opening Monologue and regularly explains things for Lion-O and the viewer.
• Old Master: Fairly standard as the old mentor/quest giver and quite impressive on the field of battle.
• Old Retainer: "Be easy on [Lion-O], Claudus. Remember when you were his age, your father wasn't always pleased with you either."
• Parental Substitute:
  • Has this kind of dynamic with Lion-O, defending him to Claudus, often being there with advice and support where Claudus is very much not.
  • Flashbacks show he's this towards an orphaned Cheetara as well.
• Pimped-Out Cape: Moreso than his King, surprisingly.
• Poor Communication Kills: The whole series wouldn't have began if it wasn't for Grune and Panthro's pointless quest for the Book of Omens. Jaga knew its exact location the whole time and there wasn't any explanation as to why he never stopped his king from sending his two best generals on what is practically a Snipe Hunt. This led to the release of Mumm-Ra.
• Sealed Good in a Can: He is sealed into a magical lantern that forces him to reveal the location of the Book of Omens...Although he does manage to lead Mumm-Ra's mooks around in circles for a time.
• Secret Secret-Keeper: Is fully aware that Lion-O saw a vision in the Sword of Omens, and offhandedly mentions the existence of "Sight Beyond Sight" while convincing Lion-O to confide in him. Unfortunately, he decides to let Lion-O get back to a party and hear him out later.
• Senseless Sacrifice: In his You Shall Not Pass! he buys them all of five seconds. A rock wall blocks the path right as he's blasted, so he could have easily gotten away despite his earlier injury.
• Shoulders of Doom: Tremendous white rounded pauldrons, with grey accents and gold edging, in common with his Clerics.
• Spared by the Adaptation: Briefly, in an interesting example of toying with audience expectations.
• Spirit Advisor: Tells Lion-O what there is to know about the Book of Omens.
• Staff of Authority: His crosier, which he uses to power up Lion-O's Claw Gauntlet.
• Super-Speed: As the leader of the clerics. It comes with the package.
• Unreliable Narrator: His Opening Monologue is shot through with half-truths, neglecting to mention that Third Earth's "peace and prosperity" belongs solely to Thundera's upperclass Cats, or that the ruler's "just heart" does not extend to other species.
• You Shall Not Pass!: After the fall of the city, Jaga stays behind to give Lion-O, Tygra, and Cheetara a few more minutes to escape.

Claudus

Voiced by: Larry Kenney

Lion-O's father and adoptive father to Tygra; he is murdered during The Siege of Thundera.

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• 24-Hour Armor: Part of his Requisite Royal Regalia.
• Abled in the Adaptation: His 1985 counterpart was blind. He isn't.
• Abusive Parents: Of the emotional variety. His less than pleasant attitude with Lion-o doesn't paint him as the best of fathers.
• Adaptational Jerkass: His counterpart in the original series would sooner win a "World's Greatest Dad" mug for not showing any favoritism or racism.
• Almost Dead Guy: Has just enough time to say his last words.
• Ancestral Weapon: His Sword of Omens
• Astonishingly Appropriate Appearance: Wields an Ancestral Weapon that Only the Chosen May Wield, and has a mane and eyes that match its own coloring.
• Badass Cape: Black and billowy, particularly during sword fights.
• Big Good: For a given value of good; his people love him because he keeps them safe and makes the kingdom prosper but everyone else hates him because he secures the above two for the cats at their expense.
• Cool Chair: Has a high-backed golden throne with cat's head armrests and royal blue cushions, which Mumm-Ra later sees fit to commandeer.
• Cool Sword: The Sword Of Omens
• Death by Origin Story: Is assassinated by Mumm-Ra during The Siege, shaping Lion-O's personal drive to defeat Mumm-Ra.
• Drill Sergeant Nasty: Affects this attitude during his son Lion-O's Rite of Passage, testing his swordsmanship skills while bellowing an oral history of their people.
• The Emperor: King of Thundera.
• Era-Specific Personality: His '80s incarnation wasn't anywhere near as much of a Knight Templar and had a far less rocky relationship with his son (though it was implied that they weren't able to spend as much time together as Lion-O would have liked).
• Et Tu, Brute?: Poor Claudus gets this twice. First his most trusted general helps his enemies destroy his city. Then he's stabbed In the Back, after rescuing his other trusted general Panthro from capture. As soon as Lion-O asks "You, a traitor too, Panthro?!" the second betrayal is subverted, and Panthro is revealed as Mumm-Ra in disguise.
• Every Device Is a Swiss-Army Knife: His Claw Gauntlet does triple duty as scabbard, gauntlet and buckler.
• Fantastic Racism: Harbors a great deal of this towards 'lesser species' like the Lizards.
• Fantasy-Forbidding Father: To Lion-O, over his Cloudcuckoolander hobbies and peculiar ideas about Lizards being persecuted.
• Fatal Flaw: His Fantastic Racism and Knight Templar leadership. To the cats, Claudus is viewed as a righteous, honorable and dutiful ruler. However, Claudus, like many other cats, look down on the 'lesser species' such as Lizards, causing the other races of Third Earth to despise him and view him, along with Thundera, as unjust tyrants. Not only does he share Thundera's racism, he rules with an iron fist and waves off the ideas of leniency and compassion towards prisoners. Lion-O later tells him that he believes that one shouldn't rule 'only with a sword', but when the Lizards attack Thundera, Claudus blames Lion-O's compassion for undermining him and making the cats look weak. Claudus's racism and iron-fisted rule become a factor in Thundera's destruction.

• Follow in My Footsteps: Claudus is the stern father to Lion-O who can't understand why his youngest son is so different from his older adoptive brother Tygra and himself.
• Genre Blindness: We've got a classic fantasy society and a plucky not really grown up prince. All standard fantasy openers at this point demand the death of the king.
• Good Scars, Evil Scars: His neat, horizontal scar across the bridge of his nose
• Heroes Prefer Swords: "It was the Sword of Omens that defeated Mumm-Ra! That built our empire!"
• Heroic Build: Arms like tree trunks, this one.

• Hypocrite: While Claudus displays the power of the Sword of Omens to Lion-O, he claims that the Thundercats brought law and order to Third Earth and are the only ones capable of keeping the peace...though Claudus does nothing to ensure the stability of other races besides Thundera and leaves them to fend for themselves. One of the Lizards states this while in the stocks, bringing up that they steal only because they're being left to starve while the cats take the majority of Third Earth's resources. So for all of Claudus's impassioned preaching, he's ultimately putting himself and the cats on a pedestal they don't deserve other than being the ones to defeat Mumm-Ra.
• Knight Templar: To the hilt. He finds the idea of protecting stockaded Lizards from being lynched rather incredible.
• Large and in Charge: He dwarfs everyone under his command.
• Good is Not Nice: Shining City. Bright Castle. The Good King. Noble Bigot. Knight Templar.
• Mythology Gag: Out-of-universe, it's not so much that Lion-O's outfit resembles his as his outfit resembles Lion-O's... for obvious reasons.
• Never My Fault: When the Lizards lay siege to Thundera, Claudus immediately blames Lion-O because he vouched for the release of the Lizard prisoners. He claims that his leniency undermined his authority and made Thundera look weak. He fails to take into account that it was Thundera's Fantastic Racism and his own Knight Templar leadership that contributed to this battle and later, the fall of Thundera as well as his own death.
• Noble Bigot: A Lizard lynching builds solidarity, but he'll humor his kid and pardon some prisoners just this once.
• Occult Blue Eyes: Blue-green eyes, like, his son, part of his Astonishingly Appropriate Appearance.
• Parental Favoritism: Favors The Dutiful Son, Lion-O's adoptive brother Tygra, even asking him "Why couldn't [Lion-O] be more like you?"
• The Patriarch: An old-fashioned, fairly inflexible father figure.
• Protectorate: Thundera and the Cats, at the expense of other Animals.
• Proud Warrior Race Guy: A very old-school Thunderian who prefers rule by the sword to engendering mutual understanding with other species. Needless to say, this backfires horribly.
• Punny Name: Claudus rules with "a just heart and razor claw," and has a name one letter away from Claudius, which is easy foreshadowing.
• Rank Scales with Asskicking: Can easily mow down multiple Lizards in a single swing.
• Remake Cameo: Lion-O's father Claudus is voiced by Larry Kenney, the original series' Lion-O.
• Requisite Royal Regalia: Claudus sports a small gold wreath-style diadem as a crown, huge, elaborate pauldrons, a Badass Cape, full cuirass and a large belt-mounted cabochon.
• Retractable Weapon: The Sword of Omens retracts to dagger length for stowing inside its scabbard, Claudus' Claw Gauntlet.

• Royals Who Actually Do Something: A terror on the battlefield.
• Sacrificial Lion: Does not survive The Siege.
• Shoulders of Doom: The most intimidating aspect of his relatively understated Requisite Royal Regalia, a set of huge, black and silver dual-layered pauldrons that match his Badass Cape.
• So Proud of You: His last words, directed at Lion-O.
• Troubled Sympathetic Bigot: Never understands the wrongheadedness of his views, but genuinely wants his unfavorite son Lion-O to be a good king, and wrestles with the idea that his son has rebelled against his culture of Fantastic Racism while having Grew a Spine just as Claudus had hoped. This dissonance leads him to agree to pardon two Lizards that Lion-O has defended from an Angry Mob.
• Viking Funeral: Claudus has a funeral pyre below the ruins of his monument.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: All he does, he does in the name of protecting his people.
• Why Couldn't You Be Different?: "Why couldn't [Lion-O] be more like you, Tygra?"

Lynx-O

Voiced by: Kevin Michael Richardson

A general of Thundera's army. Despite being blind, Lynx-O stands guard at the watch tower and uses his heightened senses to detect any danger that approaches the kingdom.

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• Disability Superpower: Though blind, Lynx-O detects the scent of an invading Lizard army that's just out of sight of his fellow sentries.
• Four-Star Badass: He became the General of the Thundarian Army.

• The Nose Knows: Can smell the lizard army from very far away.
• Prophet Eyes: Due to his blindness.

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