Based on the very popular Italian toy line of Gormiti, Gormiti: The Lords of Nature Return is an episodic series fron Marathon Studio (also noted for Totally Spies!, Martin Mystery and Team Galaxy) narrating the adventures of a group of young children with the duty of keeping the peace in the parallel universe of Gorm, once home to a mighty race of warriors. Not an insignificant task, indeed, since events on Gorm tend to have repercussions on the Earth itself... and the villains of the show, the people of the Volcano, seem to be intent on causing as much of a ruckus as possible! By calling the power of the ancient warriors, siblings Toby and Nick and their friends Lucas and Jessica can transform in Lords of Nature, gifted with the powers of (respectively) Water, Earth, Forest and Air, and fight against the people of the Volcano and their leaders, Orrore Profondo (Deep Horror), Lavion and Magmion. Episodes mostly revolve around the four kids balancing their superhero duty with real life, school and everyday activities... with the interesting variation that, in every mission, one of them (apparently selected at random) has to stay behind, in order to manage his/her friends' powers and give them instructions.
Mostly for children, but still good fun and worth a look, provided you don't expect too deep a storyline. Not to be confused with Gromit. It definitely shouldn't be confused with Gor either.
The series was launched in 2009 and lasted for three seasons.
Gormiti: The Lords of Nature Return provides examples of the following tropes:
- Achilles' Heel: In his first appearance, Magmion wears an armor that covers most of his body, but leaves out his heels. This is how he's defeated in the episode.
- Action Girl: Jessica is just as competent as her male friends.
- Adults Are Useless: Played With. The human adults such as the teachers and parents play it straight, usually serving as exposition for the problem of the day if the kids haven't found any sign of Gorm threat yet, but don't do anything to actually help them. Averted for the Gormiti (most being adults), given they'll try to help the Lords in situations where they're actually present to help.
- Alas, Poor Villain: Magmion doesn't die, but it's hard not to feel sorry for him when, after working so faithfully for Obscurio, his reward is to get his power drained in order to fuel the newly-awakened Incubion and Oneiron.
- All There in the Manual: The full story of Gorm and its warrior races can be found in the toy line and related comics.
- The comic has a different vision of the series. The comic version have more toy-accurate character design (lacking the pupils in the eyes of every character except for Razzle and giving to the Lord of Air a less human appearance, with purple faces and no nose), but also have a completely different storyline and way different versions of Season 2 and 3's first episodes. It is also remarkable that, while in the Cartoon series leaving the Keeper's Primal Pad or switching it with another one of the kids is prohibited and dangerous, in a comic Toby and Jessica switch for three times their place.
- All Your Powers Combined: In the last episode of Season 2, to destroy the Magor Codex.
- Always Chaotic Evil: Apparently, there are no good Fire Gormitis nor good Dark Gormitis.
- An Ice Person: Jessica gets ice-based powers in Season 2. Toby does as well in the beginning of Season 3.
- Badass Bookworm: Nick. Smartest member of the team, he's also a powerhouse when he morphs into the Lord of Earth.
- Big Bad: Magmion and Orrore Profondo in the first season (Lavion tries, but he just can't get the job done...), Obscurio in the second, Magor in the third.
- Big Good: Supreme Luminos in Season 2, the Old Sage in Season 3.
- Bittersweet Ending: Season 2 is a mild case. Gorm is saved and Obscurio is defeated, but Supreme Luminos had to give his life in order for that to happen. Though, it's implied that he will be reborn someday.
- Blow You Away: Jessica. And, of course, most Air Gormiti.
- Body Horror: Lavion's claw looks like an octopus hooked on his arm. Also, Bombos and his talking nipples.
- Bumbling Dad: Mr. Tripp, Toby and Nick's father, fits this to a T.
- But Not Too Foreign: Gina, Jessica's best friend, is of Korean origins.
- By the Power of Grayskull!: "Every creature's vital energy, transform us in Lords of Nature!" "Supreme power of Stone!" "Ancient force of Forest!" "Mystical Sea energy!" "Absolute control of Wind!"
- In the English version, it's "Elemental powers flow! Gormiti, Lords of Nature Go!" "Power of the Sea!" "Strength of the Stone!" "Dominion of the Wind!" "Force of the Forest!"
- In Season 2, for the Power Armor: "Indestructible as a mountain!" "Pure as New Growth!" "Eternal as the Tides!" "Power of the Untamed Wind!"
- Season 3 has a full new summoning: "Elemental Force of Stone!" "Eternal Power of the Forest!" "Elemental Energy of the Sea!" "Endless Flow of the Air!"
- Card-Carrying Villain: Most Volcano Gormiti come across like this... especially Arachnos the Cruel and Orrore.
- Catchphrase
- Supreme Luminos: "Witness the Might of Light!"
- Razzle: "Boys, there are troubles on Gorm." and "That's you, kid." (The phrase becames less frequent in later episodes where the kids get it by themselves, and disappears in Season 3 when he becomes the Old Sage's pet.)
- Chekhov's Gunman: Remember that Obscurio guy that possessed Toby in season 1? Anyone familiar with the toyline would know why he's a big deal, even before getting to season 2 where he becomes the Big Bad.
- Cool Old Guy: The Old Sage, the original creator of the Gormiti race.
- Colour-Coded for Your Convenience: Depending on the element powers of Gorm: brown for Earth, green for Forest, blue for Sea and light blue (purple in later seasons) for Air.
- Cut Short: The final episode ends with the main characters managing to retrieve the Eyes of Life from Magor's hideout, only to discover that they're damaged. The Old Sage tells them that they'll have to use their powers to restore them, and... that's it.
- Deadpan Snarker: Lucas.
- Demoted to Dragon: All returning major Lava Gormitis in season 1 to Magmion. Then Magmion himself to Obscurio. Then Obscurio to Magor. It gets to a point where Magmion, who worshipped Obscurio to no end, mocks him and gives him no respect in season 3 when Obscurio's gifted a new power from Magor.
- Demoted to Extra: In Season 2 most of the human characters, except for Nick and Toby's parents, are nowhere to be seen. In Season 3 Gina and Paula just made cameos. For the Gormiti, in the first two season 2 episodes, season 1 characters are still around, then they disappear. In season 3, there are no traces of season 1 and 2 Gormiti.
- Designated Victim: When one of the kids has to get captured, it is usually Toby. So much that it was surprising when a recent episode had Jessica in this position.
- Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: Averted. Obscurio is too powerful for the children to fight directly, and is eventually defeated by the Lords Of Nature blasting Magor's Codex which allowed him to exist in the material world.
- Dirty Coward: Lavor.
- The Dragon: Lavor to Magmion, and Bombos to Lavion. Magmion also has a literal dragon in the form of Drakkon.
- Season 2 has Magmion to Obscurio and Moloch, Cyclops and Blindscream to Magmion: the literal role is now for the twin-headed Ancient Guardian of Darkness, Cerberion.
- Season 3 has Magmion and Obscurio to Magor.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Episode 3 features transformation sequences that were never reused in other episodes, with the kids being briefly shown into an intermediate stage while detransforming (basically their Gormiti form but with kid proportions), and Jessica is shown to be able to fold back her wings when going in closed places such as caves, something she never did again.
- Enemy Mine: Occurred once, with Toby, Jessica and Lucas forced to do Teeth-Clenched Teamwork with Magmion and Lavion.
- Evil Costume Switch: While being possessed by Obscurio in Season 1, Toby is briefly shown wearing a "bad guy" attire with a leather jacket, fingerless gloves and a bat-shaped belt buckle. It doesn't last long though.
- Nick, Lucas and Jessica during the finale, though this is also temporary.
- Evil Overlord: Magmion, Obscurio, Magor.
- Eyes Do Not Belong There: Blind Screamer can remove his eyes and put them on his hands.
- Fish out of Water: In episode 6, Obscurio possesses Toby's body... and shows how unfamiliar he is with the customs of Earth.
- Surprisingly subverted in season 3. When Magmion is in a subway station, he shows himself capable of using the speakers and makes the wagons work correctly. When Lucas sabotages his ride, he chalks it up to "stupid Earth machines".
- Friend to All Living Things: Up until Season 2, only Lucas had such qualities. In Season 3, all the kids become this, thanks to their new awakened powers. Why, Lucas becomes a friend to plants, too!
- Gadgeteer Genius: Nick and Jessica both have their moments.
- Gender Flip: In the toyline, Sea Gormiti Ancientjellyfish, Mantra and Swamptoad are referred to as females on their cards. In the cartoon, they have male voices.
- Genius Bruiser: Nick.
- Green Thumb: Lucas, along with Friend to All Living Things.
- Hero Killer: He hasn't killed anyone (yet), but Magor certainly doesn't screw around!
- Obscurio qualifies for his final fight with Luminos, though somewhat subverted as Luminos was the one to sacrifice himself to give powers to the Lords.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Luminos in the last episode of Season 2.
- Idiot Hero: Toby, though he does have his moments of brilliance.
- Image Song: Curiously for a Western production, there is one for every Gorm tribe, Volcano Lord, the Ancient Guardians, the Eyes of Life, the Old Sage and Gorm Island, all collected in a CD.
- Involuntary Shapeshifting: This happens to Lucas turning into his Gormiti form in "Lucas Goes Green", this also counts as a slow transformation to a tree and a slight Shapeshifter Mode Lock.
- Kid Hero: All four of our heroes aren’t even in their teens yet.
- The Kid with the Remote Control: One of the kids always has to remain on Earth and be the Keeper in order for the others to be able to go back and forth and summon their powers.
- Season 3 does away with the Keeper, but the kids still need to be together to transform.
- Kill It with Water: Toby, and the Sea Gormiti in general.
- Lampshade Hanging: When the guys receive their Next Tier Power-Up in Season 2, Jessica complains that it’s “the worst day to be keeper ever”.
- Laughably Evil: Lavion, whose evil plans are mostly focused on showing everyone how he is the greatest Volcano Gormiti around.
- Lighter and Softer: Compared to the source material.
- Light Is Good: Supreme Luminos, then Old Sage in season 3.
- Light Is Not Good: Downplayed with the Air Gormitis. They got a bright outfit but they tend to be aggressive to outsiders and have harmed their Lord Jessica (willingly or not) more than once. It helps to know that prior to the cartoon, they had effectively betrayed the rest of the tribes to serve Magor in exchange for power, making their present behavior the result of a slow Heel–Face Turn.
- Limited Wardrobe: With some exceptions: In season 2 Nick and Toby dress like in Season 1, while Lucas has a shirt of a different shade of green and Jessica changes from purple on blue to purple on white. Season 3 gives new clothes to all 4 of them.
- Little Miss Badass: Other than being the Lord of Air, Jessica is an orange belt in judo.
- Lovable Coward: Razzle. Hey, the little lizard has no powers, so you can't blame him for hiding when things get rough.
- Merchandise-Driven: It's based on a toyline, take a wild guess.
- Mind Control: Thoughtcatcher, a minor Volcano Gormiti, has this as his speciality.
- Mon: The Ancient Guardians could be considered this in Season 1, then in Season 2 they got the ability to speak and became more like... Guardians of Gorm's most ancient secrets.
- New Season, New Name: The subtitle changes in every season. Season 1 is The Lords of Nature Return!, Season 2 is Supreme Eclipse Era and Season 3 is Neorganic Evolution.
- Older Than They Look: While looking like a regular lizard, comics and extra material show that he is actually a dinosaur who was blessed by the Old Sage with human-like intelligence and eternal life in order to act as his agent to find the new Lords of Nature.
- The Plan: Magmion kicks off the second season with one that works almost perfectly and brings Obscurio one step closer to being unsealed.
- Playing with Fire: Most Volcano Gormiti. Some of them, however, have some much less obvious powers...
- Power Armor: The Golden Armors in Season 2. Also in Season 3 one of the new powers of the Earth Lord is summoning a stone armor that absorbs enemy attacks and then shatters to pieces targeting whoever was attacking him.
- Powers as Programs: Toby and Lucas got their powers switched accidentally in "Exchange of Powers" when Armageddon tried to steal their powers with a magical artifact and Jessica interrupted the transfer.
- Quirky Miniboss Squad: Moloch, Armageddon, Cyclops and Xylos, working under Magmion in Season 2.
- Red and Black and Evil All Over: Unsurprisingly, the Lava Gormitis.
- Nick, Lucas and Jessica become this too once corrupted by Magor in the finale. Amusingly enough, this was lampshaded by Jessica in the same episode, stating she wouldn't want to look like a Lava Gormiti upon finding a shirt with the same color scheme.
- Rube Goldberg Device: Episode 4 shows that both Toby and his dad can make pranks in this way.
- Save Both Worlds: What happens on Gorm may have aftereffects that manifest on Earth.
- Sealed Evil in a Can: Obscurio, at least in Season 1.
- In Season 2, the Army of Darkness, Incubion and Oneiron included, qualifies.
- Selective Obliviousness: The only one who still doesn't see that Gina has an obvious crush on Lucas is Lucas himself... and the kid is usually pretty sharp!
- Shapeshifter Mode Lock: Lucas into his Gormiti form in "Lucas goes Green" (he is also turning into a tree).
- She Cleans Up Nicely: Jessica looks even more pretty in a dress.
- Ship Tease: Season 3 has mild Ship Tease moments, which seem to alternate between Toby/Jessica and Nick/Jessica. It's like Marathon is deliberately trying to mess with the shippers...
- Shout-Out:
- The whole series takes more than a bit from Digimon, always popular in Europe. Digimon Frontier is the main influence, not only due to the whole premise of children becoming elemental monsters to fight villains from their same type in another world, but also the character of Jessica, who is basically a direct clone of Zoe (blonde, wearing in purple and blue, a fashionista, associated to the wind, with a mon form that looks a cross between Kazemon and Zephyrmon).
- The setup also resembles Code Lyoko, with Toby and Nick having more than a passing resemblance to Odd and Jeremie in appearance, roles and personality.
- Smug Snake: Lavor. Oh so very much.
- The Smurfette Principle: Jessica is the only female Lord of Nature. There are a few female Gormitis here and there, but they're rarely seen.
- The Starscream: Burning Maul has been cast out of the Volcano tribe for this reason.
- Suddenly Speaking: In Season 1 the Ancient Guardians are just wild beasts and make only grunts and roars. In Season 2 and 3 they suddenly start talking for no reason whatsoever.
- Team Pet: Razzle is something between this and a Mentor Mascot.
- Time Skip: One year passes between Season 2 and Season 3
- Token Minority: Lucas is the only black kid in the group.
- Toyless Toyline Character: A peculiar form. Gormiti came first as a blindbag minifigure series in 2004, with the minifigure line linked to the cartoon's first season being the seventh wave in the line. This wave featured the four Lords of Nature, the three main Volcano bad guys, and a series of 4 Gormiti for each tribe (two are reinventions of Series 1 characters, the other two are reinventions of Series 2 characters), except for the Volcano tribe getting 7 dudes (of which only one - Bombos - was actually found in blindbags with the remainder of the set being released as a bonus with the first release of the 6" action figures line). But in the cartoon, almost every character from the first two waves of the toyline (minus Blind Fury, Hideoutfinder, Gravitus, Moles, Branchripper, The Wise Destroyer, Alos and the Severe Guardian) appeared, along with a few from Series 2 (Groundmuncher, Tormentor, Helico and Vorticus), who were not in the aforementioned blindbag wave.
- On a second point, the Lava Soldiers and the other generic Gormiti who appeared since Season 1 got their figures only during Season 3 (both in the blindbag line - with each one being released in two different poses - and in special packs featuring 20 hard rubber figures of a single tribe's mooks). Half subverted because, as soon as figures for the Lava Soldiers were released, the cartoon introduced a new design for them, which never got toys of its own.
- Fenision never had a toy at all in all three seasons of the cartoon. The only figures of him are either a minifigure released as part of a Gorm Island kit released in weekly rations in newsstands or the ones released before the cartoon's release and show him in a pre-Heel–Face Turn state, with a different color scheme. Also, Tentaclion and Cerberion's Season 3 designs never had toys made of.
- Transformation Sequence: Every character has 3-4 variations of their sequence, and in the latter half of Season 1 they start to be sometimes extended by splicing in Stock Footage of their attacks at the end.
- As a peculiar tidbit, episode 3 of Season 1 features Nick's transformation sequence being played backwards to show him losing his powers.
- Villain Decay: Orrore. He came across as a serious threat in the toyline, but in the show, he seems to have lost much of his competence.
- Armageddon was an almost unstoppable Big Bad in the toyline, but here, he's just one of Magmion's minions. He's still powerful, but nowhere near the unholy terror he used to be.
- Lavion went from Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant to Small Name, Big Ego.
- We Have Reserves: Lavor's attitude towards his underlings is... less than stellar.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: The Air Gormiti can get like this at times, using debatable means to protect their own people. In the backstory, Orrore Profondo once used this trait to manipulate them into a Face–Heel Turn, causing a huge schism in the tribes.
- You Don't Look Like You: Compared to the others, Nick’s Gormiti form receives the most extreme overhaul in Season 2.
