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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rambo_the_force_of_freedom.jpg]]
2[[caption-width-right:350:Left ro right: Colonel Trautman, [[LastNameBasis (John) Rambo]], Turbo and Kat.]]
3
4->'''''"[[TitleScream Rambo!]]'''''\
5''Anywhere and everywhere the S.A.V.A.G.E. forces of General Warhawk threaten the peace-loving people of the world, there’s only one man to call. ''[Colonel Trautman: "Get me Rambo!"]'' From the canyons of skyscrapers, to the canyons of remote mountain peaks, liberty’s champion is unstoppable. Rambo! Helped by the mechanical genius know as Turbo and the master of disguises named Kat, the honor bound protectors of the innocent! Rambo, the Force of Freedom!"''
6-->--OpeningNarration, read by Creator/DonLaFontaine
7
8''Rambo: The Force of Freedom'' was a [[FirstRunSyndication syndicated]] SixtyFiveEpisodeCartoon produced by Creator/RubySpears in 1986. The cartoon was (loosely) [[RecycledTheSeries based on the character of]] [[Franchise/{{Rambo}} John Rambo]], from David Morrell's book ''Literature/FirstBlood'', and the subsequent films ''Film/FirstBlood'' and ''Film/RamboFirstBloodPartII''.
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10In the cartoon, John Rambo (Neil Ross) was the leader of a Franchise/GIJoe-like team called The Force of Freedom. They went on missions around the world battling against a paramilitary terrorist organization named S.A.V.A.G.E.[[note]]short for Specialist-Administrators of Vengeance, Anarchy and Global Extortion -- although in a toy advertisement included on a VHS tape of episodes from the series, it's said to mean the Secret Army of Vengeance And Global Evil[[/note]]), which was led by a maniacal military man named General Warhawk (Creator/MichaelAnsara). Fictional countries and back-stories would frequently be featured, some of them [[RippedFromTheHeadlines echoing historical or current events]].
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12The cartoon was filled with hand-to-hand combat and gunfire, with accurately-illustrated guns; yet unlike the original R-rated films, there was never any sensational violence, blood or gore, since this series was intended for family viewing. Moreover, no one ever died or got (seriously) hurt. The only real injury on the show happened when Rambo broke his arm in a survival episode. Rambo (who was seldom called by his first name, even by Trautman) used violence as a last resort and relied on his resources and guile to outwit his opponents — a trait less than characteristic of the later films (although Rambo does avoid deliberately killing anyone in the first movie). Additionally, there were no references to UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar, [=POWs=], or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.[[note]]Rambo was originally a [[ShellShockedVeteran shell shocked]] Vietnam veteran who suffered from PTSD after being tortured in a POW camp by the Viet Cong.[[/note]]
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14----
15!!Rambo: The Tropes of Freedom:
16* SixtyFiveEpisodeCartoon: There was a FiveEpisodePilot followed by 60 regular episodes.
17* TheAce: The back of Rambo's action figure package makes it plain:
18-->"His strength and skill allow him to accomplish dangerous missions that no ordinary man would attempt. Martial arts, weapons, explosives -- Rambo is {{master of all}}!"
19* ActionFigureFileCard: The toys had both character descriptions on the packages and trading card-like inserts with additional info.
20* ActionGirl: Kat, who can fight as well as any of the men.
21* AlternateContinuity: This continuity is based on a BroadStrokes version of ''Film/RamboFirstBloodPartII''.
22* AnAssKickingChristmas: "When S.A.V.A.G.E. Stole Santa" combines this trope with KidnappedScientist. A retired rocket scientist in a small Colorado town plays SantaClaus during the holidays; Rambo's team has to protect him when S.A.V.A.G.E. tries to force him to work for them.
23* ATeamFiring: While the show got away with real firearms that fired actual bullets, no one ever got hit by them (the vehicles and the scenery usually took quite a pounding, though).
24* BadassInDistress: It's a 80's Western Cartoon, so Rambo often finds himself in a bind. But he always turns around that distress to showcase how much of a badass he is, breaking free on his own.
25* BeardOfEvil: Snake Bite has one.
26* BigBad: General Warhawk, leader of S.A.V.A.G.E.
27* BloodlessCarnage: A constant throughout the series, but a particularly notable example occurs in the pilot "First Strike". Several scenes from ''Film/RamboFirstBloodPartII'' are re-created, but altered so Rambo dispatches his foes non-lethally. For instance, the mud camouflage scene has Rambo merely knocking out the patrolling guard rather than stabbing him like he did in ''First Blood Part II''.
28* BondVillainStupidity: General Warhawk ''very'' commonly captures Rambo, only to put him through some strange torture or death trap instead of killing him right away.
29* {{Bulungi}}: "Rambo and the White Rhino" involves two fictional African nations called Namboola and Ombasi.
30* CanonForeigner: Everyone except Rambo himself and Colonel Trautman. The rest of the cast consists of new characters created specifically for this series.
31* CasinoEpisode: "Raid on UsefulNotes/LasVegas", in which S.A.V.A.G.E attempts to rob all the city's casinos while trying to blow up Boulder Dam as a distraction.
32* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: Although Rambo is always presented as a BadassNormal, he fairly commonly performs obviously superhuman feats of strength, such as breaking thick chains or throwing huge blocks of concrete.
33* ConcussionFrags: Sort of zigzagged in the second episode. Rambo throws a grenade down the open hatch of a tank, which causes it (the tank) to explode, break to pieces and catch fire -- but the crew [[NonLethalWarfare still climb out of the wreckage unharmed]] and run away.
34* ChristmasEpisode: "When S.A.V.A.G.E. Stole Santa".
35* {{Cyborg}}: Dr. Hyde (S.A.V.A.G.E.'s MadScientist) and his {{Sidekick}} X-Ray, thanks to an EmergencyTransformation.
36* DatedHistory: The crux of General Warhawk's plan for naval superiority in the pilot miniseries is to raise the UsefulNotes/WorldWarII era battleship ''Yamato'' and retrofit it for battle. This was before modern sea mapping technology confirmed the ''Yamato'' was severely damaged when it sank and split in two pieces. To be fair, ''Rambo'' wasn't the only show that [[Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato made the mistake]].
37* DemolitionsExpert: When SAVAGE plot to blow Rambo up, Sergeant Havoc assures General Warhawk that the bomb cannot possibly fail -- [[ConsummateProfessional because he built it himself]].
38* DoAnythingSoldier: In addition to his infantryman heroics, this version of Rambo is also an AcePilot, expert tanker, and has various other unexpected skills as well.
39* EnterEponymous: "Enter the Black Dragon" and "Enter the White Dragon".
40* EpisodeTitleCard: As usual with Ruby-Spears series of this era.
41* EvenEvilHasStandards: In the episode "Crash", Mad Dog and his men willingly take Rambo's young travelling companion Nicky (who is in desperate need of a kidney transplant) to the hospital, and react to Rambo's warning that they'd better not hurt the boy with disgust that he'd think they'd do such a thing.
42* EvilFormerFriend: In "The Doomsday Machine", Rambo's old pal Mike Flynn does a FaceHeelTurn and steals a fighter jet to help with Warhawk's latest plot.
43* TheEvilPrince: A Duke instead of Prince but it's the same idea. See below.
44* EvilUncle:
45** "Reign of the Boy King": Black Duke Lucan wants to usurp the throne of Morovia from his nephew King Alexander.
46** "Robot Raid": Merick wants to prevent his niece Jennifer from inheriting the family's company.
47* {{Expy}}:
48** Mad Dog and his band of evil bikers have no counterpart in the ''Rambo'' movies. Instead, they are very obvious substitutes for the Dreadnoks in ''WesternAnimation/GIJoeARealAmericanHero''.
49** White Dragon and his brother Black Dragon are color-inverted versions of [[Franchise/GIJoe Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow]].
50** Kat is clearly one of Co-Bao from ''First Blood Part II''.
51** [[BigBad General Warhawk]] is a cross between Cobra Commander and Lt. Col. Podovsky from ''First Blood Part II''.
52* EyepatchOfPower: Gripper has one.
53* FamilyFriendlyFirearms: One of the very few 80's cartoons from the West to completely avert this. Everyone is carrying real guns (or weapons resembling real guns) and they all fire bullets, not lasers. Rambo himself uses his trademark M60 on numerous occasions.
54* FourEyesZeroSoul: General Warhawk, who's never seen without his [[SinisterShades mirrorshades]].
55* HalloweenEpisode: "Return of the Count".
56* HookHand: Instead of a hook, Gripper from S.A.V.A.G.E. has a big clamp.
57* LastNameBasis: (John) Rambo is rarely referred to by his first name.
58* LighterAndSofter: It's a more family-friendly version of Rambo. As stated above, ''Film/FirstBlood'''s darker elements were omitted, and the show goes to become a derivative of ''WesternAnimation/GIJoeARealAmericanHero'' except with a LighterAndSofter Rambo as the main character.
59* MasterOfDisguise: One of Kat's skills.
60* MerchandiseDriven: The toyline actually outlasted the show.
61* MiddleEasternTerrorists: S.A.V.A.G.E desert warrior Nomad was one. When Arab-American groups objected to him, he was dropped from the toy line and its advertising.
62* MindControl: The subject (and title) of one episode.
63* MixAndMatchCritters: In "Monster Island", Dr. Hyde goes into [[Literature/TheIslandOfDoctorMoreau Dr. Moreau mode]] and creates several ferocious hybrid animals for S.A.V.A.G.E.
64* NebulousEvilOrganization: S.A.V.A.G.E. is one in the style of ''GI Joe'''s Cobra: an international criminal paramilitary organization that engages in various illegal activities for power and profit.
65* NeverSayDie: One way this series is LighterAndSofter than its source material. While the ban on the ''words'' is occasionally subverted (or written around), no one actually dies.
66* {{Ninja}}: Force of Freedom member White Dragon is a ninja.
67** EvilTwin: His twin brother Black Dragon works for S.A.V.A.G.E. (Conveniently for the toy company, who [[PaletteSwap used the same molds]] to make both characters and some of their accessories.)
68* NonLethalWarfare: Despite being based on a rather violent franchise, and using a military theme for its stories, the cartoon plays this completely straight. Neither Rambo, nor even the villains ever kill anyone.
69* NotTheNessie: S.A.V.A.G.E. creates a fake LochNessMonster in "Horror of the Highlands".
70* PuttingOnTheReich: While General Warhawk's country of origin is never specified, and his uniform doesn't quite match those of any real military, it bears a suspicious resemblance to Soviet dress uniform patterns. This may have been intended to invoke Rambo's iconic enemy from the movies, Colonel Podovsky.
71* TheQuincyPunk: S.A.V.A.G.E. agent Mad Dog, with his mohawk and [[WalkingShirtlessScene perpetually bare chest]], has this vibe.
72* RatedMForManly: Plenty of explosions, even more bare-chested muscular action, creepy European villains to be beaten, damsels to be saved, and [[FamilyFriendlyFirearms very unusually realistic]] guns for a 1980s cartoon.
73* RecycledSoundtrack: The credit "Music by Music/JerryGoldsmith" is due to the series making heavy use of his score for ''Rambo: First Blood Part II'' (supplemented with "Additional Music by Shuki Levy and Haim Saban"). The series' opening and closing music is the film's specially composed trailer music.
74* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: And so is Snake Bite, the [[SwampsAreEvil swamp-dwelling]] S.A.V.A.G.E. member who uses [[SnakesAreSinister snakes]], [[YouDirtyRat rats]], [[SpidersAreScary spiders]] and [[ScaryScorpions scorpions]] to help him commit crimes and torture his victims.
75* RoyalBrat: Boy King Alexander before Rambo gave him a speech about earning respect.
76* ScaryShinyGlasses: General Warhawk has the big aviator sunglasses type.
77* ScoobyDooHoax: In "Swamp Monster", S.A.V.A.G.E. creates the (phony) titular creature in order to [[TakingOverTheTown take over a small town]] as part of their latest scheme.
78* SixthRanger: Chief and T.D. Jackson for the Force of Freedom; Dr. Hyde, X-Ray and Snake Bite for S.A.V.A.G.E.
79* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Kat is the only major female character in the series.
80* TheSquad: The Force of Freedom, comprising Rambo, Turbo and Kat.
81* SuperSoldier: The titular villain in "Supertrooper" is a [[GeneticEngineeringIsTheNewNuke genetically-engineered]] example.
82* TemporaryBlindness: Happens to Rambo in "Blind Luck".
83* TokenTrio: Rambo's new squad numbers an African-American, an Asian woman, and a disabled veteran.
84* TransformationSequence: Played with. While not a true henshin sequence, the series has a frequently reused bit of stock footage where Rambo gets ready for battle, flexing his muscles and putting on his bandana, that works in an equivalent way.
85* TwinSwitch: In "The Twin Within", Black Dragon poses as White Dragon to [[TheInfiltration inifiltrate]] the Force of Freedom.
86* UnexpectedlyDarkEpisode: Episode 3. Rambo is captured in a condemned building by sadistic gangbangers, who have chained him in place and use rats to torture him, like the famous Room 101 in ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour''. Also, [[KickTheDog they're filming it to record it for posterity.]]
87* VillainExclusivityClause: S.A.V.A.G.E. was ''always'' behind whatever EvilPlan Rambo and company had to stop, although General Warhawk brought in several episode-specific guest villains to add a little variety.
88* WalkingShirtlessScene: With Rambo as the main character, what else would you expect? Mad Dog provides a villainous example as well.
89* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: When Snake Bite is introduced in "Skyjacked Gold", he captures Kat and torments her with his snake collection. She's not too thrilled about it, although her reaction is equal parts fear and anger.

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