Megamind Rules!, formerly known as Megamind's Guide to Defending Your City, is a 2024 Peacock Original series starring supervillain-turned-superhero Megamind.
Set after the events of the 2010 film and the Peacock original film Megamind vs. the Doom Syndicate (which acts as a Pilot Movie for the show), the show follows Megamind as he protects Metro City and becomes the world's first superhero influencer. Meanwhile, from the shadows, the Doom Syndicate and their new leader, Machiavillain, (Megamind's former mentor, who now seeks to reclaim his position as the most infamous villain of Metro City) plots to bring about the downfall of Megamind and the new reputation he's built.
The show's first season was released on March 1, 2024.
Megamind Rules! contains examples of:
- Ageless Birthday Episode: "A Cake for Keiko" takes place on Keiko's birthday, but no specific age is given. The closest indicator to her age is in the "Doom Syndicate'' movie, which states that she is in middle school.
- The Bad Guy Wins: The first season finale has Machiavillain successfully framing Megamind for his big crime and becoming the new hero of Metro City, with Roxanne forced to declare Megamind public enemy number one.
- Chekhov's Gun: Megamind’s binky was a brief gag in the first movie, whereas here, it’s a vital part of the Evil Plan concocted by the Big Bad, being revealed as an immense power source.
- Continuity Snarl: Zig-zagged. This show continues on the Retcon of the sequel film by continuing to use the Doom Syndicate and Machiavillain, which are contradictory to Megamind's established backstory of having been an evil genius since he was raised by inmates in jail and learning how to be a supervillain as a result of rejection from society. Despite this, the show doesn't completely invalidate the first film, even making a reference to Megamind's blue binky in the first film, which turns out to be a source of power this entire time.
- Create Your Own Villain:
- In Episode 2, Megamind and Chum accidentally turn the kindly Mr. Donut into a supervillain named Dr. Glazer Donut after Megamind accidentally knocks him into a vat of glaze, which gets a doctor’s stethoscope stuck to him, gets a laser gun stuck to Donut's arm (causing him to unintentionally rob a bank and get amnesia), and leaves him in a warehouse, causing him to become the leader of the Go Fish Gang. Ironically, the two were trying to prevent him from becoming a supervillain.
- In Episode 3, Chum accidentally sprays a cockroach with intelligence-enhancing spray (instead of the intended bug spray), causing it to become the sapient Rochelle, and try to take over the world with an army of cockroaches.
- Destructive Saviour: Megamind's methods tend to be extremely destructive and often result in a ton of collateral damage. It's pointed out in Episode 4 that Megamind blew up a parking garage (destroying at least a thousand cars in the process) to destroy one getaway car.
- Engineered Heroics:
- In "Megamind vs. Dude Monkey", it's revealed that the titular Dude Monkey deliberately staged crimes with an associate to solve so he looked good in front of the cameras. When he goes up against Lord Nighty-Knight, he is completely helpless.
- The final episode of the first season has Machiavillain swooping in to save Metro City from an approaching asteroid that he caused to begin with, while manipulating Megamind into failing to do so at every step of the way.
- "Freaky Friday" Flip: "Megamayor" has Megamind and Roxanne switching bodies as a result of Megamind's experimental new Switcheroo microchips.
- Godzilla Threshold: At the end of the first season, after he's been declared public enemy number one and Machiavillain - who stole his binky of infinite power - has been accepted as the new hero of Metro City, Megamind is forced to use his last resort: enlisting the retired Metro Man.
- Hero with Bad Publicity: By the end of the first season, Megamind has been declared public enemy number one after being framed for various acts of destruction by Machiavillain.
- Logo Joke: The Dreamworks logo has Megamind (taking the place of the boy) fishing out Chum, who then drags him down with him.
- Meaningful Rename: Minion's new name, 'Ol Chum, doubles as a reference to shark chow - fitting him being a fish - and Megamind now treating him as a friend and equal instead of a mere underling.
- Oblivious Guilt Slinging: After accidentally giving Megamind's prized binkie to Machiavillain, Keiko returns to the base to find Megamind, Roxanne, and Chum hosting a birthday party for her with a massive cake and an official hero outfit as a gift. Given that she'd just betrayed Megamind's trust in the worst way possible, she's distraught and has to exit before she breaks down.
- "Ray of Hope" Ending: While they may be down, our heroes are not out, as Megamind says he has one card left to play, and he, Chum, and Keiko set out to find Metro Man.
- Retcon: The prologue of the original film showed that Megamind was a genius from a young age, and that his villainous, troublemaking habits were the result of him growing up in a prison and being raised by the inmates. The series reveals that Megamind had to study and graduate from Villain School, where he was mentored by another highly intellectual bad guy named Machiavillain, who claims to have taught Megamind "everything he knows" about villainy.
- Villain with Good Publicity: Machiavillain becomes Metro City's new hero after stopping an asteroid from destroying the city and framing Megamind for several acts of public destruction and vandalism.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: In episode 3, Megamind reveals he has a fear of roaches, due to a trauma in his childhood from a pillow made of a bag of discarded ham sandwiches attracting every roach in the jail onto him.
