Yakari
(1973 – present) is a Franco-Belgian Comics series created by Claude de Ribaupierre (aka Derib) and André Jobin (aka Job), and published by Le Lombard. English translations are published by Cinebook.
It takes place in the North American Great Plains in an undetermined timeframe (possibly 18th century, after Sioux got the horses). It focuses on the adventures of Yakari, a young Sioux (Lakota to be exact) along with his best friends, Rainbow and Buffalo Seed. Little Thunder is his mustang pony he rides, and he can talk to animals. His mentor and totem animal is the Great Eagle.
The series received several adaptations including two animated TV shows (one in 1983 and another one in 2005) and an animated feature film from Ellipse Animation called Yakari: A Spectacular Journey in 2020. A second film is in the works, with release date set to 2025.
Tropes:
- A Boy and His X: Yakari is a young Sioux who is the only one who managed to ride on Little Thundernote .
- Adaptation Expansion: Few of the episodes from 2005 cartoon cover events from the comics. Justified, as there are only 42 volumes, as of 2022, while the cartoon has 156 episodes.
- A Day in the Limelight: Little Thunder got a story focused on him in Little Thunder's Secret.
- Alternate History: Possibly. Wild horses abound, implying the presence of European colonists (who historically re-introduced the species), but the latter are nowhere to be seen.They may or may not have departed in the mean time, or maybe horses never disappeared from North America.
- Art Shift:
- The style of comics evolved since the beginning; the last volume with drawings by Job (38th) is much different than the first one.
- The 2005 cartoon adaptation also underwent changes: first three seasons were animated traditionally (bar episodes around 100th, where some experiments with computer animation can be seen), the fourth and fifth has CGI characters on 2D backgrounds.
- Bears Are Bad News: One grizzly bear bullied other animals into slavery. Yakari managed to save them and convinced the bear to make a Heel–Face Turn.
- Beary Friendly: There was friendly and harmless bear nicknamed "Skinny" who was bullied by the grizzly bear mentioned above.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: When Yakari had an accident with Little Thunder in Le jour du silence, he got angry and wished he didn't had his special gift. The next day, much to his horror, he could no longer communicate with animals.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Yakari is happy to help anyone in anything... until someone wants to make an animal suffer unnecessarily. This includes hunters from his own tribe, as shown with Arc-Tendu in volume 37.
- Beyond the Impossible: Little Thunder was considered to be untamable by the Sioux. This changed when Yakari appeared on his back.
- Cool Horse: Little Thunder. He is the fastest of all horses the Sioux have; in Yakari and the White Buffalo, he lost the race with Rainbow and Buffalo Seed on his own accord because he wanted to make the former happy.
- Darkest Hour: When Yakari loses his gift in Le jour du silence, his abilities to help animals with grizzly (as with other animals) are very limited.
- Determinator: If Yakari has to prove something or help somebody (for example, being like Great Eagle in volume 1), nobody can stop him or change his mind.
- Egomaniac Hunter: Unlike the rest of the tribe, Arc Tendu is mostly interested in hunting for trophies rather than sustenance. This put him at odds several times with Yakari.
- Eldritch Abomination: After his father takes the feather from him in the first volume, Yakari has a dream consisting of his father's body with Great Eagle's head.
- Free-Range Children: Yakari, Rainbow and Buffalo Seed often wander away from their tribe camp (sometimes very far away, like Yakari's visit to Hopi people in Le Lézard de l'ombre) in either comics or adaptations and nobody bats an eye; in some instances however, i.e. when the tribe moves to another location and the children aren't there, adults will start searching for them.
- Heavy Sleeper: All Broth-Eye ever does is sleep all day and smoke his calumet.
- Heel–Face Turn:
- One bullying grizzly bear swore off evilness in exchange for learning how to swim from Yakari.
- A wolverine was causing trouble until it got a hit on the head and became much nicer.
- Invisible Parents: Neither Rainbow or Buffalo Seed's parents were shown in any media of the franchise so far.
- Lots of Luggage: The Sioux carry the whole camp with them when moving to another location.
- Meaningful Name: Slow Motion is one of the Sioux characters who moves and talks really slowly compared to the rest of the cast.
- Odd Name Out: Every Sioux has a name taken from something or which describes him/her; the sole exception is YakariHowever....
- Only Sane Man: In 2020 movie, Rainbow feels like she's the only one with a working brain, since Yakari only talks about Little Thunder and Buffalo Seed often doesn't get what she's talking about or planning to do.
- Once an Episode: Every album, Yakari has to explain to an animal that he has a special gift that allows him to speak with them.
- Predators Are Mean: Of all the carnivores, wolverines are portrayed as the most cruel and vicious hunters. The first wolverine deliberately targeted an injured elk. The second wolverine was a bully who prey on the weak. The third was bear-sized wolverine that was very cunning and aggressive predator.
- Running on All Fours: Averted in one story; Yakari has lost his memory and thinks he is a bear cub. His new mother is teaching how to grow into a proper bear by hunting, fishing and running. However, he quickly discovers he is better at running on two legs.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: At some point in the seriesnote , Yakari started to treat Little Thunder more like a pet or toy rather than a friend. Little Thunder had enough and left the tribe for good. Yakari realized his error they both reconciled.
- Scenery Porn: 2005 cartoon adaptation and 2020 movie have shots full of this.
- Shown Their Work: The comics' contents suggest the creators made more than basic research on Sioux, other Great Plains' people and North America in generalnote . Same goes for cartoon and movie adaptations.
- Sliding Scale of Continuity: Level 3. Every volume contains a separate story; if something or someone from previous volumes appear, a footnote reminds the reader where to search.
- Speaks Fluent Animal: Yakari has a special gift to talk with animals, received from Great Eagle as a reward for saving Little Thunder. Subverted in Le jour du silence where Yakari loses it because he got mad at Little Thunder; luckily, he regains it at the end.
- Spirit Advisor: Great Eagle, Nanabozho and Thathanka count as they are totem animals of Yakari, Rainbow and Buffalo Seed respectively.
- Those Wily Coyotes: One coyote was shown to be a prankster with no malice.
- Tempting Fate: Buffalo Seed often boasts that he is the greatest hunter and rider of all Sioux... followed by an event showing exact opposite, like losing a race with Yakari or Rainbow or missing in bow shooting contest. This had nearly fatal consequences for him in La colère de Thathanka.
- The Power of Friendship: Almost every problem in the series is fixed because of Yakari's friendship with animals.
- This Means War!: In The Wall of Fire, another tribe steals all horses except Little Thunder from Yakari's tribe, resulting in the latter setting off to retrieve them.
- The Voiceless: Broth-Eye never spoke a word in the albums since he's too busy sleeping.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: Buffalo Seed is always shirtless - except winter seasons, when he actually wears his shirt.
- Wandering Culture: Lakota Sioux, to which Yakari belongs, are a nomad tribe.
- You Killed My Father: A young horse blamed Little Thunder for his' father's death years ago and wanted revenge. Averted, since said father was killed by a thunder.
